Systems in the Orthodontic Practice

By Roger P. Levin, DDS

 

Introduction

 

Nearly every orthodontic practice has a very competent staff, pleasant office environment and the technology and skills necessary to produce the best level of orthodontic dentistry possible. So, what sets one practice apart from all the others? You. As the orthodontist, you must push toward the highest level of customer service and patient care, so that maximum profitability can be attained with the least amount of stress.

 

Developing Systems

 

To accomplish these goals, Levin Group recommends that systems be developed, documented and implemented into the practice. It is very likely that in your practice systems already exist, even if they are not actually written down. For example, your practice might always greet new patients and their parents in a particular fashion, but has actual scripting been produced to guide new team members in this interaction? As the practice leader, you should ensure that every member of the dental team is fully aware and accountable for every facet of his or her job description. If a new team member is hired, and you have not documented the scripting system used for greeting new patients, it is unlikely the new dental team member will perform this task correctly. At first glance, the orthodontist may think this is the staff member’s fault, but the doctor must assure that documented procedures are in place.

 

When developing management systems to implement within your practice, begin with the basic systems that are the most critical to your practice’s success. Unfortunately, many orthodontists are at a disadvantage because the normal pace of the workday does not allow time to develop even basic systems and go over them with the team. Systems training cannot be accomplished in the few minutes available between each patient appointment. Consequently, documenting systems is vitally important to the health of your orthodontic practice. When systems are documented, team members can review them as necessary, and new hires can learn quickly because you have provided them with resources to find the information and scripting they need to understand the systems in the practice.

 

Implementing Systems

 

When developing, documenting and implementing basic management systems for your orthodontic practice, three areas deserve particular attention:

 

 

Customer Service

 

Your orthodontic practice will be judged by the customer service provided to patients and their parents. The parents are key, because any parent who has an extremely positive experience when they bring a child to your practice is sure to tell others who may become new patients in your practice. However, a negative experience is costly. Parents are even more likely to tell others about a bad experience, and that can hurt your ability to attract new patients and keep your practice growing.

 

Your orthodontic team must be trained to handle every interaction that takes place in the practice. For the most part, this is done through scripting. In order to ensure that every patient receives the highest level of customer service possible, you must script every interaction, from the parent’s first phone call to set up the appointment, through the entire appointment and any follow up, if necessary.

 

When thinking about customer service scripting, remember this – the impression you and your dental team make in one appointment can last years. Often, parents will have all of their children see the same orthodontist. A customer service breakdown during just one appointment could cost your practice production over the course of many years. Repeated instances of poor customer service could seriously affect your practice. Leaders must document customer service systems and reinforce their importance with the entire orthodontic team in order to be effective.

 

Scheduling

 

By effectively training your team to manage the schedule efficiently, you will avoid situations where patients spend extended periods in your reception area because appointments are not running as scheduled. This kind of customer service will play very poorly with parents, who are not likely to fully understand what qualifies as excellent orthodontic treatment. Your practice may provide outstanding clinical treatment but they will often forget this and judge your practice on other factors such as whether they were made to wait for a long time. Your leadership skills should be such that team members know what steps are necessary to keep the practice on schedule and to keep patients satisfied.

 

Relationship Building

 

Relationship building occurs when you, the leader of the practice, implement systems that teach the orthodontic team how to focus on patients and on what is important to them. When dealing with children, it is especially important for team members to know facts such as birthdays, back-to-school dates and other information that can be used to help build a relationship with the patient and his or her parents.

 

In looking for the right orthodontic practice, parents are going to want a practice they can trust and a practice they feel has a personal interest in their children’s oral health. Training your staff to provide value-added touches such as birthday cards, orthodontic education material aimed at younger audiences, and children’s books to read while in the reception area, all serve to create the atmosphere parents are looking for in a practice. In the time parents spend with you in the practice, they will judge the quality of the practice based on the service provided. If you offer excellent orthodontic treatment and customer service, the chances are good that you will treat siblings of the patients you treat now.

 

Summary

 

To ensure that your orthodontic practice performs at its most efficient level, your team needs a game plan to follow. When properly implemented, the game plan ensures that your patients and their families will receive the highest level of orthodontic care and customer service. Making sure your team is trained in documented systems for customer service, scheduling and relationship building will give your practice the opportunity to serve your current and future patient base profitably and effectively for years to come.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is founder and CEO of Levin Group, a leading dental practice management consulting firm that is dedicated to improving the lives of dentists through a diverse portfolio of lifetime services and solutions. Since the company's inception in 1985, Dr. Levin has worked to bring the business world to dentistry. A popular lecturer, Dr. Levin addresses thousands of dentists and staff worldwide each year in 100-plus seminars and at the dental industry's most prestigious meetings. www.levingroup.com