Ten Steps to Create Healthy and Productive Fall Dental Hygiene Schedules

Ten Steps to Create Healthy and Productive Fall Dental Hygiene Schedules

Hello Friends,

Many dental offices are facing the potential for the weakest fall schedules they have ever experienced. For others, your schedules may look pretty good for September as you have been reappointing patients that had appts during the shutdown. It may even look better than ever. So, if you’re busy right now does it even matter what the schedule looks like for October and November? After all, there is still plenty of time to fill all those holes, right?

For numerous reasons, it matters greatly what your schedules look like for this fall and as for having plenty of time to fill those holes, well, we know what happens with time… it goes by very quickly, especially when we’re busy!

Typically, a full hygiene schedule today means a full doctor schedule tomorrow – why is that? Approximately, 75% of restorative needs are discovered during hygiene patient visits.

Unfortunately, when there is that open chair time with no production to collect on, your overhead expenses continue without letup.

This isn’t just about money though – our focus should always be on helping our patients smile healthier and happier. When Your Patients Are Healthy – The Practice Is Healthy. To help make our patients healthier we need them to schedule appointments.

how to fill holes in the dental hygiene schedule

Here are some tips and ideas that won’t require a lot of extra time or expense to help improve your schedules for this fall…

#1. Morning Huddle – At your morning huddle, review schedules for patients coming in without a future hygiene appointment scheduled, any family members due in hygiene, and patients with unscheduled treatment plans.  What is your plan to ensure that these patients leave with their next appointment scheduled.

#2. Broken Appointments – Who is tracking, and how are they tracking your broken appts? More importantly, what proactive steps are taken to reduce or eliminate broken appts in your office?  (One broken appt a day can cost a practice well over $30,000 a year in lost production. Imagine what that number looks like if you have more than one broken appt a day.)

If a patient cancels same-day be sure to get them reappointed while you’re on the phone with them. Unless of course, they are a habitual offender – poor appointment behavior doesn’t get rewarded with the privilege of reserving time on your schedule.  How to Reduce Same Day Dental Appointment Cancellations and No Shows

#3. Telephones – It is imperative that all team members are well-trained to effectively care for the patients and potential patients calling your office.  How many calls end with an appointment scheduled and how many do not? Are your office phones being answered during the times that patients and potential patients are most likely to call? How many times is the phone ringing before being answered? How often are callers being put on hold?

What about the “shopper” callers, the callers with insurance questions, the callers with questions about whether going to the dentist is safe or not, the callers asking if you’re accepting new patients, how do you know that these calls are being handled and cared for effectively? How do you know that your team members are not inadvertently keeping them from scheduling an appointment? Keeping you from welcoming them into the practice as new patients?

This may not seem like a big deal or related to what I am talking about today but how the telephone callers are cared for or not cared for has a big impact on your schedules and the growth of your practice.  Dental Office Telephone Principles

#4. Treatment Plan Presentations and Completions – Pull your unscheduled treatment plan reports. Even if you prefer to leave it to your patients to decide when they’re ready to schedule, you certainly can keep in touch with them and continue to gently plant some treatment reminder seeds of urgency, want, and need.

#5. Welcoming New Patients – What are your plans to successfully welcome more new patients into the practice? What are you willing to do differently in order to reach/exceed your monthly new patient goals?

#6. Community – What are some things you can do to get your name out there in the community?  If you’re not already, now is an awesome time to become the “go-to” dentist in your city/town.

What can you and your team do to give back to the community? Hint: I share ideas with you each month to do just that. Are you following my monthly emails? Dental Office Marketing, Leadership, and Management Tips and Ideas for September 2020

#7. Reviews & Recommendations – This one is super easy! Let your patients do some of the work, invite them to do the talking for you. Give them something good to talk about and spread to their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. How? Consistently deliver excellent experiences via the telephone and in-person at their appointments. Make it easy for them to leave a review on Facebook and Google My Business.

Please do not underestimate the power of “fresh” online reviews and recommendations to grow your practice.

#8. Insured Patients – Mid September, early October start your end of year insurance “use it or lose it” reminders and campaigns.  Patients tend to wait until the last minute to try and squeeze in a dental appointment to use their remaining benefits – strongly encourage them to beat the end of the year rush.

#9. In-Office Savings Plan –   If your office offers an in-office savings plan, create some campaigns to let more uninsured people and local small businesses know about your awesome and affordable in-office savings plan.

This is especially important right now as many of your patients may have lost their dental insurance coverage – or they know someone that does not have insurance and can refer them to you.

#10. Continuing Education and Team Building – The fall season may be the perfect time to schedule some in-office continuing education and training. As well as some fun team building activities.

Bonus Tip: Celebrate your Success! –  This is going to require a team effort to enjoy productive and healthy schedules for the rest of this year and beyond so please be sure to find ways to celebrate your success. Reward the behavior that you want to see more of! 🙂

Wishing you all the healthiest and happiest schedules for this Fall!

Doctors, if you would like to grow and improve your dental practice and have wondered what it might be like to work with me and what coaching is all about… please feel free to reach out to me to schedule a complimentary, no-obligation coaching call at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com.

Are you receiving my complimentary Dental Practice Management and Marketing Ideas via your email each month? If not, please follow today or send me (bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) your email address and I will send you an invitation to follow. This way, you won’t miss a single idea. 

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

 

 

Dental Office Appreciation Ideas for Teachers, Nurses, and Police Officers

Dental Office Appreciation Ideas for Teachers, Nurses, and Police Officers

Hello Friends,

The month of May brings many wonderful opportunities to reach out to more people in the community. Here is why:

During the month of May you have:

Teacher Appreciation Week: 4-8

dental office teacher appreciation ideas betty hayden

National Nurses Day and Week: 6-12 

Dental Practice Ideas for Nurses Week

National Hospital Week: 10-16 

National Nursing Home Week: 10-17

National Police Week:  10-16

EMS (Emergency Medical Services) Week: 17-23

dental office ideas for May Police Officer Appreciation Betty hayden

This is a great opportunity for dental offices to reach out to the teachers, nurses, and police officers in their community.

Betty Hayden Consulting Dental Office Appreciation Ideas for May

How can you reach out to them? Here are a few ideas for you:

First, let’s start with any of your patients that are teachers, nurses, or police officers.

Pull a report with any patients that are school teachers, nurses, and police officers and send “We Appreciate You” cards to them. Unexpected and very much welcomed.

Put together some little thank you gifts to give your patients that are teachers/nurses/police officers when they come in for their dental appointment during the month of May.

See my Pinterest Board for a ton of ideas: Appreciation Gift Ideas

Second, reach out to the teachers, nurses, and officers in the community that are not “yet” patients at your office.

Host a Favorite Teacher/Nurse/Police Officer Contest. Invite the community to nominate their favorites. The winner receives FREE teeth whitening and a certificate stating they won for the favorite teacher/nurse/police officer contest.

You could easily ask for donations from local businesses to add to the winning prize.

Deliver treats and/or toothbrush bags to your local hospitals, doctors’ offices, fire station, and/or police stations.

Social Media Post Ideas to Improve Engagement during the month of May:

dental social media content ideas from Betty Hayden Consulting

At the very least you can use your social media platforms to show your love and appreciation for these special and hard-working folks in the community.

National High Blood Pressure Education Month

May is Save Your Tooth Month and Root Canal Appreciation Week: 3rd – 9th and Root Canal Appreciation Day: 11th

Nurses Day or National RN Recognition Day: 6th

Student Nurse Day: 8th

National Teacher Day: 8th

Receptionists Day: 9  (Second Wednesday)

School Nurse Day: 9

International Nurses Day: 12

National Employee Health & Fitness Day: 20

Eat More Fruits & Vegetables Day: 21 

EMSC (Emergency Medical Services) Day:  21

National Senior Health & Fitness Day: 27

World No-Tobacco Day: 31

There are so many ways to celebrate teacher appreciation, police officers, and nurses week in your dental office. If you’re looking for more marketing and practice management ideas for the month of May, please visit here: Dental Office Tips and Ideas for May

If you appreciated these complimentary ideas I  would love for you to please leave me a review/recommendation here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK.

Wishing you all a very happy and productive Spring!

Have you signed up to receive my complimentary dental marketing and practice management ideas that are sent right to your email inbox each month? If not, take a second and sign up. This way, you won’t miss a single idea! Or, if you have an area(s) in the practice that you’re struggling with, feel free to comment here or email me at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com

Yours for Greater Success,

~Betty – Dental Coach

Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Oral Cancer Awareness Month April 2020

Dental Office Tips and Ideas for Oral Cancer Awareness Month April 2020

Hello Friends,

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week is the 5th – 12th of April –   An excellent opportunity for you to raise oral cancer awareness and the need for early detection in order to save lives.

According to the American Cancer Society, over 53,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer this year. An estimated 10,750 people will die of these cancers,  killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day.

While smoking and tobacco use are still major risk factors, the fastest-growing segment of oral cancer patients is young, healthy, nonsmoking individuals due to the connection to the HPV virus. See more: http://oralcancerfoundation.org/events/oral-head-neck-cancer-awareness-month/

april oral cancer awareness dental office ideas

Here are some Oral Cancer Awareness Tips and Ideas to get you Started:

  • Hygiene Continuing Care Opportunity: Encourage your inactive patients to come in for their important free oral cancer screening.
  • Partner with a local business to do free oral cancer screenings at their location.
  • Open House/Oral Cancer Screening Event at your office. (See Tips and Ideas for Dental Office Open House Event )
  • Donate a portion of service/product sales (ie: teeth whitening, fluoride, Invisalign) to Oral Cancer Research.
  • Host or Participate in Oral Cancer Research 5k Walk/Run.
  • Give away Free T-shirts or Bracelets to every patient that makes a donation toward Oral Cancer Research or Just Because 🙂
  • Create a video to share on your social media platforms demonstrating how oral cancer screenings are quick & painless.
  • Bring in your local dermatologist for a lunch n learn to demonstrate oral, head & neck cancer screenings.
  • Have a gift card or gift basket raffle that your patients can enter to win during the month of April.

dentist office oral cancer screenings betty hayden consulting

Consider offering complimentary oral cancer screenings during the month of April or on a designated day…

 Your offer is this:

 April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

our office is pleased to offer

FREE Oral Cancer Screenings

a National Effort to END ORAL CANCER!

 How can you promote your offer?

  •  Send a Press Release to local newspapers & TV stations.
  • Create a one-page flyer for your patients to share with their friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors.
  • Talk about it on all of your office Social Media sites!
  • Create a Facebook Complimentary Oral Cancer Screening Event.

If you’re looking for additional marketing ideas not related to oral cancer awareness for April, please visit here: Dental Marketing and Practice Management Ideas for April 

Remember that when your patients are healthy – your practice is healthy.  For your patients to smile healthy they need to schedule the treatment you’ve diagnosed and to come in regularly for their hygiene continuing care appointments and oral cancer screenings.

If you’re struggling to reach your practice goals – feel free to contact me for a complimentary, no-obligation 30-minute telephone consultation at bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com to see if a coaching relationship is right for you.

Did you like the complimentary tips and ideas I  shared in this article? I would love and truly appreciate for you to please leave me a review/recommendation here on GOOGLE and/or FACEBOOK.

Don’t miss out on any of the ideas that I share each month! Are you receiving my complimentary Practice Management and Marketing Ideas in your email each month? If not, please start following us today. If you prefer, send me your email address (to bhaydenconsulting@gmail.com) and I will send you an invitation to follow my blog.

Yours for Greater Success,
~Betty

P.S. Please stop by and say hello to me on FacebookTwitterInstagramLinkedIn and Pinterest