Technology has been both a blessing and a curse to dental practices. Innovations such as computers, digital radiography and improved instrumentation have helped dentists provide a higher level of patient care. However, the dizzying pace of advancements during the last 25 years often has led to increased stress for the dentist and the team as they struggle to incorporate new products, supplies and equipment into the practice.
A quarter-century ago, there was a narrower selection of services, materials and technologies available. This meant that the dentist had a more concentrated learning curve both in dental school and in practice. For members of the dental team, it meant they could focus on a small number of services and deliver them exceptionally well. Today, dental teams face the challenge of providing more services while using enhanced technologies.
One key to success in any business is to take advantage of new technologies while simplifying systems and processes. Unfortunately, through the years, many dental practices have become more complex yet have failed to upgrade their systems, making patient care and customer service more difficult and cumbersome. Outdated, overly complicated systems lead to increased stress for both the dentist and the team. By reducing unnecessary inventory and streamlining systems, practices can increase efficiency, reduce stress and improve customer service.
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THE SIMPLIFICATION PROCESS
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Simplifying the practice is not an overnight process. In many cases, antiquated systems and inefficient habits have taken hold in the practice. The key is to begin evaluating the practice, service by service and system by system. While it sounds overwhelming, it actually is a straightforward process that yields much improvement in the practice when completed.
Make a list of the practice’s top 10 procedures. During the weekly staff meeting or a morning meeting, choose one particular service from the list, perhaps a crown-and-bridge procedure. Take 10 minutes and ask the staff to set up the procedure and walk through it together step by step. Evaluate the inventory involved. What other inventory is in the office that is rarely used for the procedure and no longer needed? It is surprising what practices can accumulate over the years.
To help reduce unnecessary inventory and simplify processes, identify the top three sets of materials related to any procedure. If the practice currently is using more than three types of materials per procedure, the dentist and the team should examine what products or materials are outdated, duplicative or unnecessary. By performing this exercise, not only is the dentist helping to train the team, but also the practice is beginning to eliminate unnecessary inventory, steps and materials. Many dentists have told me that they probably will not find much to eliminate and that the staff does not need training; yet, as they go through the process, these practitioners often are shocked to discover the extent to which they were mistaken. This process of evaluation, elimination and refinement almost always leads to a much more efficient and streamlined approach for the team.
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CONCLUSION
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The adoption of new technologies and products during the last quarter-century has left many practices with systems and processes that are unnecessarily complicated. These complications lead directly to inefficiency, lost productivity and practice stress. "Keep it simple" should be the mantra of every dentist. Simplification means that the practice begins to streamline all inventory, processes and systems.
Beginning to simplify the practice can have an incredible effect on the entire office, financial profile and team morale. It can be a fun and fascinating process as long as each system and all accompanying inventory eventually are evaluated over a comfortable period.
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THE SIMPLIFICATION PROCESS
CONCLUSION
