As states prepare to open back up and dentists gradually open their doors to patients once again, it’s a good idea to consider the future of your practice and act accordingly. It may be difficult to know where to start, and there is no denying this is a stressful time for dentists, but here are some tips for easing the transition back to normal as we continue to fight COVID-19.
Take Advantage of Financial Relief Packages
The government’s financial relief packages are exactly what dentists need right now, and because this is new territory for everybody, everyone can learn from this and help one another survive.
Keep Your Current Team Close
Many businesses are laying their employees off and some medical practices and dental practices are considering doing the same in order to reduce their financial burden. However, in the long run, getting rid of your current staff will be costly if you bring in new staff and have to train them. If your team works well, gets along, and prioritizes creating a positive patient experience, then keep it as is. At a time like this, being close with a team you trust is crucial to recovering from any losses and continuing to run your practice.
Take Advantage of Free Time
Whether you have decided to open back up on limited hours, or are holding off, you have a chance to take advantage of free time.
Future Technology
If possible, it’s a great idea to brush up on skills or consider new dental technologies and mobile apps for dentists to introduce in the future. Some new technologies may include practice management software that automates billing, keeps track of tasks, and keeps your team more organized and efficient overall.
If your practice offers dental braces treatment, another technology you may consider is OrthoPhoto App, our app that snaps clinical braces photos, automatically places them in a template with the right image sizing and order, and automatically organizes them into patient files so you don’t need to spend hours doing it yourself. This app makes it much easier to keep track of your patients’ braces progress, improving record-keeping, your quality of life, and the patient experience.
Sterilize and Clean
This is something most dentists already do in their dental practice, but COVID-19 has made consumers and patients much more cautious of germs and cleanliness, so they are becoming more and more familiar with this concept. This also means that people may consider switching dentists if they feel their current one isn’t doing enough. Take this time to thoroughly sterilize and clean your entire practice and be sure to share that with your followers on social media so they know you are taking precautions and prioritizing health and safety. When it’s time to re-open and see more patients, they will gladly return.
We’re In This Together
COVID-19 has certainly flipped everyone’s lives upside down, but the good thing is we as humans are learning to be more cautious. Additionally, dentists are fortunate enough to be so essential that they may not get hit as badly as other professionals in other industries. Because of this, now is the time for you and your team to work together to really, truly assess your practice and grow from this experience.
