Dental Practice Management More Than Pulling Teeth

Although a dentist must complete a minimum of four years post-graduate study plus meet additional residency requirement and pass a state exam before becoming a licensed dentists, does not mean they are qualified to run an office. There is a major difference between working as a dentist and understand the practical side of dental practice management.

While the medical part of the business pays all the bills, having a staff that is qualified and properly trained can greatly enhance the practice's business. Simply hanging a shingle with the dentist's name and hiring a receptionist to answer the phone and schedule appointments does not provide good dental practice management. In most cases, an untrained staff can actually cost the practice money due to delayed or rejected insurance claims.

Having the right information, including treatment codes on a claim form, will insure prompt payments from third-party providers. Additionally, having the forms submitted in a timely manner will reduce the number of rejected claims. A good dental practice management team in the office can make sure patients are treated with the respect they deserve and that their bills are paid on time. If the financial aspects of the business are all in order, the rest of the dental practice management routine can go smoother.

Staff Keeps Dentist Legal For Less

There are numerous aspects of operating a dental practice that are affected by medical rules and laws. Staying on top of changes in the law will help prevent problems. One of the most-often cited complaints involves the sharing of personal and medical information about patients. A good dental practice management will consider the HIPPA privacy law as one of the most important aspects of running their business.

Record-keeping is also an important part of dental practice management as complaints may arise years after the initial treatment and without the proper record retention system in place can greatly influence the later success of the practice. Teaching the staff the proper protocols can also benefit the integrity of the dental practice and it is going to take time to insure the staff has the necessary training to fulfill their duties.

For busy dental offices, it may be better to hire an outside dental practice management service to help keep the office up to date on legal and medical changes that have come up since the dentist first opened the practice. However, if the dentist chooses to enlist the help of a dental practice management company, it pays to follow their advice and training to the betterment of future profitability.