Lots of dental clinics come and go and there are many reasons for this – most of the time though it is never as a result of poor or failed clinical practice. The main reasons are things like a lack of administrative training or a lack of a clear marketing plan. This is why it pays to employ a specialist dental marketing agency to produce one on behalf of a dental clinic. The specific reasons why the great majority of dental clinics fail in the United States are listed below in detail.
A lack of relationship with patients
A good dentist should have a strong enough relationship with each of their patients that they know when their birthday is and feel comfortable enough to call them and give their regards. Being like this gives encouragement to patients not to leave as it is a clear sign that the dental clinic actually cares about them. When a dentist talks with a patient, they should actually listen to them and engage with them around important subjects, such as their family and work. Doing this makes a huge difference.
No quality control
It is actually uncommon for dental clinics to ask their patients how they feel about the services they provide and their experiences with them. Where this is the case, it cannot ever be a surprise if a patient visits the clinic once and then never again. While there are many excuses why this simple practice is not regularly done, such as being time consuming or not having enough staff, it can provide very valuable insight into how a clinic is performing for its patients.
Clinical responsibilities improperly delegated
It is hard to believe, but about half of dental clinics in the United States have one or more of the dentists doing their own hygiene procedures. Dentists are not hygienists and should be performing dentistry work and nothing else. Their time is precious and so they need to focus on doing things like root canals etc. rather than on cleaning teeth. If a dentist is doing their own hygiene then they need help quickly in order to rectify the situation.
An inadequately or poorly trained front desk
Hiring a good receptionist is a must for any dental clinic. This all begins during the interview process and as many clinics come to find out, it does not always pay to go with the cheapest option. A good receptionist may demand a good salary but it is most definitely worth it.
No control of collections
The money generated by a dental clinic should be in the pocket of the owner. If this is not the case then it can really drain the life out of a clinic and the vast majority of office managers have not got a clue on how to rectify this problem. For example, a clinic can be left with collecting just a 65 – 75% spread over a four month period. This is not a good position to be in.
