4 Common Dental Practice Management Mistakes

By The Dental SEO Experts February 17, 2023

Did you know that 72% of new businesses fail within the first 18 months? Thankfully, the same can’t be said for dental practices. In fact, only 2% of dental practices are likely to fail. However, staying afloat doesn’t necessarily equate to profitability, and it’s entirely possible that your practice could be one of the two percenters.

Knowing what management mistakes to avoid is vital in turning your dental practice from a steady business to a successful business. Keep reading this article from The Dental SEO Experts to discover what dental practice management mistakes should be avoided.

Not Digitizing Services

Businesses that transition to digital services can see their revenue double, and dental practices are no different. As a result, failing to digitize your dental clinic’s services means you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to increase profits. Not only that, but digital services, such as online patient onboarding and appointment scheduling, help to increase practice productivity and improve the customer experience.

Not Building a Dental Website

Did you know that 56% of consumers don’t trust businesses if they don’t have a website, yet over 25% of small businesses still haven’t built a website? These stats may not directly relate to the dental industry, but they are indicative of consumer attitudes and their perception of credibility. What’s more, as a medical care provider, your practice must appear trustworthy.

In other words, if you don’t have one already, it’s time to build a dental practice website. Dental website development may seem like a daunting task, but there are many options available to simplify the process. For instance, you can use a website builder like Wix or hire an expert agency like The Dental SEO Experts.

Not Utilizing Digital Marketing

Some of you reading this may have a website but fail to take advantage of the opportunities a website brings, the most notable of which is digital marketing. Without promoting your practice, apart from proximity, there’s very little to encourage patients to choose you over the competition. Digital marketing offers many methods to help you get ahead.

For example, at The Dental SEO Experts, we offer Search Engine Optimization (SEO), social media marketing, link building, and Google My Business management, none of which would be possible – or at least effective – without a dental website. Failing to take advantage of these services means failing to capture the attention of potential patients.

Not Using Task Management Software

Your dental practice may be successful, but if you’re not using task management software, it’s likely that you're burning unnecessary cash on labor and resources. Task management software, such as ClickUp and Trello, allows you to effectively organize and monitor essential tasks. This means you can identify inefficiencies and cut labor costs through automation.

For example, ClickUp allows you to set repeat tasks that ensure employees don’t forget their duties. It also lets you set task status’ so you can see what tasks are in progress, completed, and open. If you find that a particular employee consistently fails to complete essential tasks, then having this information recorded opens you up to a more cordial dialog.

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At The Dental SEO Experts, we have a team of dedicated professionals ready to help you streamline your dental practice with a high-quality website. If you’d like to learn more about what our team can offer you, schedule a free consultation today.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Dental practices can avoid financial mismanagement and improve profitability by implementing strong financial management practices such as creating and sticking to a budget, regularly monitoring financial performance, reducing overhead costs, increasing patient retention, and improving case acceptance rates.

Dental practices can ensure the security and privacy of patient information by implementing HIPAA-compliant policies and procedures, such as regularly training employees on patient privacy and data security, limiting access to patient information on a need-to-know basis, and using secure technology for storing and transmitting patient data.

The most frequent causes of dental practice mismanagement are poor leadership, lack of business acumen, inadequate systems and processes, and poor employee management. These can be addressed by investing in leadership training and business education, implementing systems and processes for financial and operational management, and developing a positive company culture.

Poor patient communication in dental practices can lead to negative patient experiences, lower patient satisfaction and retention, and a damaged reputation. Patients who do not understand their treatment options, feel unheard or disrespected, or experience long wait times or poor customer service are likely to seek care elsewhere.

Good employee management is critical to the success of a dental practice, as it leads to a positive work environment, high employee morale, and improved patient satisfaction. Practices that invest in employee training and development, offer competitive salaries and benefits, provide opportunities for career growth, and recognize and reward employees for their contributions are more likely to attract and retain talented staff, which can contribute to long-term success.

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The team at Dental SEO Experts have been a game changer for our online presence. Within a short span of less than two months, they catapulted our dental website to the top 3 in Google's ranking for Laguna Beach. Having tried other SEO companies in the past with little to no progress, we were initially skeptical. However, Tom and James proved to be an exceptional duo who not only exceeded our expectations but also delivered tangible results that speak volumes about their expertise and dedication. The impact on our online visibility and organic traffic has been great for business. They took the time to understand our specific goals and tailored their strategies accordingly. Throughout the process, they maintained clear and timely communication, ensuring we were always in the loop and addressing any questions or concerns promptly. I highly recommend their services to anyone seeking to achieve online success.

Adam Vaghari, Owner, DDS, Laguna Beach Dentist
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