The coronavirus emergency represents an unprecedented time for your dental practice, as well as the dental industry as a whole. The American Dental Association recommended that dentists refrain from non-essential services, at minimum, until early April. Whether you’ve restricted your availability to only emergency procedures or you’ve stopped seeing patients altogether, then you may be wondering if you need to close… but what effect is that going to have on your practice? Bryant Consultants is here to help keep you busy, that’s why we came up with this list of seven things you should be doing during COVID-19.
1) Master your practice management software
Research shows that business owners and team members alike only use 20 percent, on average, of the capabilities of their practice management software. Why not take this time to figure out how to make the most of your software? This will help improve the overall efficiency and operations of your practice once normal routines resume.
2) Complete continuing education and certifications for the entire year
As a dentist operating at the forefront of their field, we know you’re always striving to learn new things and improve your skills. Dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants all usually have annual continuing education requirements to meet. You and your team could capitalize on this team by doing all that work now, freeing you up completely to focus on patients later in the year.
3) Train on technology
You’ve invested in some of the latest tools and technology to provide the highest possible level of care to your patients. Now’s the perfect time for you to make sure you’re still up to speed working with all these technologies, whether that means a CAD/CAM milling system or digital scanners. This training also represents an opportunity for your team to keep drawing a paycheck if you’re not seeing patients at all.
4) Virtual Coaching
Why not take this time to pass on some of your knowledge to other, less experienced members of your field or people on your team? Thanks to advances in technology and telemedicine, you can do this coaching remotely. Arrange a time where team members can meet virtually either by using FaceTime or an app like Zoom.
5) Create your business’ own personalized how-to manual
Turnover on your staff is inevitable. You want any new members of your team to be well-trained and go through proper orientation, but with the hectic pace of seeing patients, it probably seems like there’s never enough time. Make these transitions seamless by taking this time to create an orientation manual that is unique to your own business. You may experience some staff changes once normal business resumes. If this happens, you’ll be able to hit the ground running.
6) Internet Marketing
Many dentists focus so much of their time and energy on patient care that they lack skills in other areas… such as social media marketing. Do you use Facebook? Do you even know how to log on to your business’ social media accounts or web page? Now’s the perfect time to learn. Encourage team members to make informative videos for patients, like “How to brush properly,” or “Why regular cleanings are important.” Even fun videos just to check in with patients would be helpful. Think ahead, too, and make videos answering commonly asked questions from patients so that you can post these to your accounts throughout the year. Get them done now so you can focus on patient care once you reopen.
7) Stay Positive
We live in a stressful time. Everyone is doing what they can to cope. Remember to remain optimistic and enthusiastic when communicating with your team. This will be difficult! Remember to focus on your team, your patients, and keep trying to find the good in this situation. Make sure to check in with members of your team and see how they’re doing and handling things during this time.
Dental Consulting Services During COVID-19
We recognize this is an unprecedented time in the world. It’s also an opportunity to innovate, improve yourself, and be ready to tackle the new challenges that lie ahead. The pros at Bryant Consultants have decades of experience in the dental industry, and we use expertise to keep your practice where you want it to be. For more ideas on what your practice should be doing during the coronavirus pandemic, email us or call (877) 768-4799 to set up a virtual consultation. We provide our consulting services to dental practices or small businesses of any type to help navigate you through these difficult times, keep paying your employees, and keep your business ready to hit the ground running when normalcy returns.
