Create More Production Time Considerations
Create more production time for your dentist in your block schedule! You do use block scheduling templates.. right? And you want to see more production from your day? Great! Let’s talk about how we can do that. Because I bet your dentist would like to see a little more time in their day. Perhaps some time to spend with a patient or to catch their breath. Whatever the reason is, we can generate a bit more of that for them.
So, let’s take a look at your template now. And we want to look at both your hygiene schedule templates and restorative schedule templates. Take just a moment to visualize and sketch out what a day in the life of your dentist looks like. When was the last time your template was updated? I highly recommend you make this an annual event. But if your practice is growing rapidly, you may want to consider every 6 months. And this is a great time to look at mapping out next year’s schedule!
First Things First
Do you love your restorative template? As you study the template before you, do you see any immediate adjustments you might make. Sometimes, just taking a step back during a quiet time of reflection, we notice something we didn’t see before. If that’s the case, adjust what you see. I like to use a dry erase board for creations like a new template. A large dry erase board allows me to spell it all out and even erase it all in a flash!
Perhaps there is a specific block that needs less doctor time. Or maybe there’s a block that needs more assistant time. Whatever is not working in your original template make right at this time. In your perfect dental office day, design what your schedule looks like. But be realistic with your time. How much time does the dentist truly need for each procedure. But just as a side note, there is room for unique considerations as well. Because there are patients whose specific needs may vary from our template.
Create More Production Time With Hygiene Schedules
Create more production time with strategic hygiene blocks. So, now let’s look at our hygiene template. I hope you use blocks for hygiene with exam and hygiene with no doctor exam. And the majority of our hygiene appointments may require no exam. How is that so? Because the majority of our hygiene patients are periodontal patients. But again, this depends on the dental practice. A practice that sees mostly children or only children is an exception to this idea. So, consider the age demographic of your patients.
If your practice is one with a primarily adult population, take those hygiene blocks without exam as a way to provide more doctor time. This is a ten minute window of time the dentist can surely use in their restorative schedule. You may want to run one column of hygiene with no exams all day with one column of hygiene with exams. And maybe rotate which hygienist has no exams throughout the week. Or if you have just one dental hygienist, strategically place your hygiene with no exam blocks to best suit your restorative schedule.
No Hygiene Days vs Only Hygiene Days
Need more frequent longer restorative appointments? Maybe a large case or two each week or biweekly you want to add to your production? Consider a non-hygiene morning for just major restorative care. Many dental practices are closed on Friday. Consider working 9 – 12 on a Friday or alternating Fridays each month to boost patient care and office production. No hygiene on this day so there are no interruptions. How nice!
Maybe more hygiene time is needed with exams. This is another way to boost patient care and production. Because with exams we find restorative needs and unscheduled treatment. Schedule a Friday morning for just hygiene. Run every chair available for hygiene patients with exams only. Get your unscheduled hygiene patients on the schedule quickly, and generate more appointments for your restorative schedule!
