In this article, he shares some exercises and stretches you can incorporate into your routine, plus some tips for staying hydrated. Chart in a clear manner that can be deciphered by others. Read the case study below to see how the story unfolds. In this article, Belle DuCharme, CDPMA, shares tips and potential red flags for dental office managers to keep in mind when vetting potential hires. 5. This dental hygienist has tried many tactics to let her coworker know she doesn't want to listen to her small talk, but she is not picking up on the signals. Solution: Perform a risk-benefit analysis before each collection attempt. 1. With this opportunity, we become masters of our own destiny and thus responsible for our own financial future. Leadership is about motivation—motivating people toward a specific goal or objective. The best way to identify problems is for a designated person to receive reports of problems, similar to the incident-reporting system at hospitals. Forgetting to report IRA contributions. Solution: Only use charting programs designed to allow and encourage narrative notes. Failure to advise staff of the need for consistent, accurate, complete documentation. We recently tackled a couple important real estate topics, specifically investing in real estate and buying versus leasing your office space . As dentists struggle to repay record levels of student-loan debt, many are making unforced errors that threaten to threaten their long-term financial security and delay retirement. It can be overwhelming, tiresome, and complicated. There are still many unknowns. Linda J. Hay, J.D.Hay is a partner at Alholm Monahan Klauke Hay Oldenburg, LLC in Chicago. It’s easy to educate a staff to promptly identify and investigate problem situations.Recognizing the need for good documentation and identification of problems can help you avoid claims and lawsuits. If nothing else knowing some of the more common accounting mistakes that dentists make should help you to avoid them, and maybe understand why it is so important that it is done right: Incorrectly categorizing income and expenses; Not all money that comes into your dental practice is income, and not all money that flows out of it are expenses. © 2021 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. Lack of Focus on Staff Training and Documentation. There are policies available to help with a fast recovery from any disaster that can strike your practice. Free Whitepaper Confessions of a Lab Technician. She graduated from The John Marshall Law School in 1986 and has defended dental professionals for more than 15 years. In today’s business environment, there are many challenges facing the next generation in achieving the American dream. Dentists who fail to do so might develop problems from lack of expertise, often resulting in patients seeking care from specialists. 1) Not clearly defining what they're looking for: First and foremost, dental offices should know what they're looking for when hiring. If you wish to make a complaint about a dentist or dental practice, try to resolve it directly with them first. Coronavirus impact on dental practices: Preparing to reopen? People fall into making mistakes when choosing a new dentist because they think that all dentists are the same. There are no exceptions but certain fixes can be done in your dental practice to evade these most common financial mistakes. Most new dentists do not have the training to run a practice. Document facts, but critical opinions or comments heard or viewed by a patient or attorney will foster potential litigation and may serve as the basis for expert opinions in a lawsuit. Not Having an Office Philosophy. To regain control of the dental profession, we need to fight against the commoditization of dental services. In that time, I have seen many patterns emerge, especially in the way dentists think and behave that damages their success. Failure to maintain a good chairside manner with patients. What can she do? Solution: Do not hesitate to refer when appropriate, and document the process. Going to the dentist is common for most people, and takes place twice a year for the average person. Whether it’s having too many alcohol-fuelled nights out or incessantly brushing your teeth after eating, here are 6 common dental mistakes to avoid for the sake of our pearly whites. Associate fuel: Your new-dentist brand within the brand. The first thing a potential plaintiff’s attorney will do to determine whether to file a lawsuit is to obtain and review a copy of the chart. 2. Free Whitepaper Confessions of a Lab Technician. Katie Collins, a Practice Integration Advisor with Buckingham Strategic Wealth, helps dentists order their financial lives and reach financial peace of mind so they can better focus on what truly brings them joy. Posted Jul 20, 10:30 AM The hiring process is something no dentist office owner really wants to go through. Here are the top 10 mistakes I’ve seen dentists unknowingly make… 1. New and complex tax laws and burdensome government compliance can also be factors when new dentists choose not to own a practice. Dental school is hard enough—so why would you want to add a master’s degree on top of it all? Methods and procedures that identify and sort issues and spot trends must be instituted for prevention. Mistakes young dentists make when preparing for practice ownership. Do not allow poor performers to linger. Top 9 mistakes made by dental practice owners. Solution: Formalize the discharge process, and document the steps taken. These traits are common in plaintiffs and litigious patients. The end goal for a Dentist, Lab Technician and patient should be the same: to always deliver dentistry that is comfortable, beautiful, long-lasting and requires minimal adjustments. New-patient flow, hygiene profitability, and overhead as a percentage of collections are examples of a few practice metrics. He can be reached at david@lbgcpas.com or (201) 791-8300. As a result, dentists often make mistakes when fitting … In this free whitepaper learn 3 common mistakes made by dentists resulting in failure, remakes or major adjustments. Dr. Roger Levin says dentists should learn what motivates their team members and make it important to them too. 9 common mistakes Dentists and Doctors make in financial planning. Shannon Richkowski, RDH, says adaptability and flexibility will carry teams through each day right now. The end goal for a Dentist, Lab Technician and patient should be the same: to always deliver dentistry that is comfortable, beautiful, long-lasting and requires minimal adjustments By far one of the most common mistakes made by dentists is the failure to diagnose a dental condition. This mistake will immediately reject your return in any IRS computer. The lack of business management training often leaves dentists in the dark about how their practices are performing. When a dentist takes on an associate, the new person will be looking for and in need of guidance. 4. You can complain in writing, by email or by speaking to someone. Clinical dentistry is stressful enough without adding the unnecessary headaches associated with a business that’s not operating well. Not getting a clear decision from the patient. If you care for such a patient, document the care and issues of the problem. They’ve forgotten that if they have issues with their oral health, the whole body will suffer. In a lawsuit, the chart and documentation of communication with patients and other treaters are the backbone of a defense. Often, such decisions save time, money, and aggravation. Failure to properly discharge patients from care. When situations necessitate referrals, the referrals should be well-documented with reasons for referrals and, if urgent, prompt action should be taken with patients and specialists. Can you see the supernumerary on this panoramic x-ray? Business success in dentistry is not a fluke. There are policies that can continue to provide you with income if you are unable to work, and that even cover your practice overhead. Solution: Develop systems that will alert you to problematic patients early to determine if patients are worth long-term aggravation. At some point in time, you would have faced this financial stumbling block. The American Dental Association recommends brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day to maintain proper oral hygiene. These studies can assist a new dentist in understanding the economic makeup of the surrounding community. Timed, dated, contemporaneous entries detailing the action, care, communication, prescriptions, phone calls, missed appointments, instructions, and refusals with consistent approved abbreviations make a good chart. Weigh the amount of money involved against the risk of a claim. When you become the owner of a dental practice, you become part of the community. Even after evaluation of the tooth and the determination that a surgical extraction is indicated, dentists may still try to use forceps to remove the tooth. Seeing the team 'at fault'. Solution: Document, document, document. Contact the dental surgery's practice manager with details of your complaint. Narrative progress notes and descriptions of communications is appropriate for your practice methods and procedures that identify and issues... 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