Independent Dental Solutions Is The New Preferred Supply Program for the Maine Dental Association

Independent Dental Solutions (IDS) and the Maine Dental Association (MDA) are proud to announce their new partnership, formed from a mutual desire to provide comprehensive support for independent dental practices throughout the state of Maine. The MDA strives to serve as a valuable resource and trusted partner for its members, helping dentists stay up-to-date on the latest legislative and industry news, connect with other members, gain access to continuing education programs and save money on supplies and other purchased services needed to operate their […] Read More...

How to Weigh Your Options When Considering Transitioning Your Practice

It’s no secret the dental industry is not currently set up to provide adequate support for private dentist owners as they prepare to transition their practice, unless they’re willing to give something up – typically either their hard-earned equity or clinical autonomy.  Neither trade-off sounds appealing for most independent dentists who have spend their career dedicated to their practice. Many are left wondering how to weigh their options and ensure they receive the maximum financial benefit they’ve earned over the […] Read More...

Positioning Your Practice for a Successful Transition: Why Cost Management & Practice Profitability Matter

As an independent dental owner, you’ve spent your career devoting your time, energy and resources into your practice. While it might be tempting to coast into retirement, it’s more important than ever to focus on cost reduction and efficiency efforts for your practice. This will ensure your practice is best positioned for a transition and that you’ll receive the maximum financial benefit from an eventual sale. Effectively (and sustainably) increasing your practice profitability requires a dual-approach: Maximizing productivity & reimbursement […] Read More...

Ways To Boost Your Profitability Through An Effective Supply Chain Strategy

Brian Heyndrickx, Independent Dental Solutions Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer Prior to launching Independent Dental Solutions (IDS), a Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) for private dental practices, I worked in medical distribution for more than 20 years. Like many other industries, medical offices, surgery centers and hospitals rely on an effective supply chain and procurement strategy to manage their operating expenses and stay competitive within the market (I define supply chain and procurement as everything a dental practice needs to run […] Read More...

What You Should Know About GPO’s

Although group purchasing organizations (GPOs) have been around for over a century and are common in the medical industry (98% of hospitals in the US are belong to a GPO), they have only begun to gain traction with dentists over the last few years. With many private dental practices looking for ways to reduce overhead costs and stay competitive in an increasingly DSO/corporate dental market, GPO’s can provide significant savings opportunities and practice support. Below are answers to common questions […] Read More...

COVID-19’s Impact on Your Practice’s Six-Month Schedule Cycle

How to Minimize Scheduling Lulls for the Remainder of the Year Traditionally dentists could rely on a steady stream of patients and keep their schedules full by establishing recurring appointments for patients at set intervals throughout the year – most often, returning every six months for routine hygiene visits. Patients seen in January would return in June, those seen in February return in July, and so on. This provides dentists with more predictable schedules and revenue streams, while enabling them to provide optimal care […] Read More...

The Path Forward Following COVID-19: Where Do We Go From Here?

This year has been unique to say the least, and the impact of COVID-19 varies for each dental practice – not just when comparing practices by state or region, but for practices within the same community.  With continued uncertainty and mounting financial pressures, some practitioners may be considering changing careers or transitioning into retirement. On the other hand, some practices may be busier than ever and are struggling to keep up with the demand from the backlog of patients needing […] Read More...

Successful Recruiting and Retention – Even Amid a Crisis

Successful Recruiting and Retention – Even Amid a Crisis Jessica Young, Associate HR Business Power, EmPowerHR   The way we work has changed significantly since the unexpected arrival of COVID-19, and as a result, so have the concepts of recruitment and retention. With unemployment rates high, many employers assume finding (and retaining) top talent should be easy, however, businesses are facing a whole new set of challenges when it comes to staffing. If you’re finding it difficult to sift through […] Read More...

Employee Burn-Out: The Hidden Health Risks of 2020

COVID-19 has made us all hyper-aware of our physical health this year, however, it also has had a significant impact on our mental health as well.  The rapidly evolving and unpredictable nature of the pandemic has led to increased stress and anxiety for many of us, and if left unchecked, can lead to mental burn-out, especially at work. Throughout this turbulent time, several new stressors have emerged and can contribute to employee burn-out, such as: Increased Workload: Like many industries, […] Read More...

Keeping Your Office Morale High During High-Stress Times

This year has been filled with unique challenges and uncertainty, which can lead to increased stress and employee burnout. Now more than ever, strong leadership is needed to keep staff morale up. To guide your team through this tumultuous time: Lead by Example Your staff has always looked to you to set the tone for the office. If you come into your practice feeling stressed, they’ll pick up on it and likely feel more stressed as well. Similarly, if you […] Read More...

3 Things Dental Practices Can Do To Prepare For a Possible Second Wave of COVID-19

As states across the country have begun to ease restrictions and many businesses have reopened, many have experienced an increase in new COVID-19 cases.  Although other countries are reporting a decline in new cases, the US continues to set records for the number of new cases over the last few weeks. Due to this recent upward trend, it’s essential that businesses, including dental and health care providers, continue to keep safety and PPE inventory levels top of mind.  Below are […] Read More...

ADA Supports Proposed PPE Tax Credit

On June 24th, the ADA announced their support of a new bill that would provide a tax credit of up to $25,000 for small businesses, including dental practices, to use towards the purchase of personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This would include items such as gloves, masks and/or respirators, eye protection, gowns, hand sanitizers, cleaning supplies and other equipment. ADA President Chad P. Gehani and Executive Director Kathleen T. O’Loughlin indicated this bill would provide much-needed […] Read More...

Keeping Your Patient Volumes & Finances Steady During Economic Decline

With businesses around the country closing daily, job loss is at an all-time high and employees are losing their benefits. As a result, across nearly all industries, we are seeing a decline in consumer spending, including for health and oral care services. Additionally, after several weeks, and in some cases, months of being closed, dental practices are looking for ways to mitigate fluctuations in their operations and revenue stream. With a backlog of individuals needing access to affordable care, dental […] Read More...

Double Trouble: Overcoming Patient’s Fears of Dental Care and COVID-19

5 Communication Strategies to Get Patients Back in Your Office  Let’s be honest, getting patients to their dentist’s office was challenging, even before COVIDV-19 concerns. In fact, many people are downright scared of the dentist and put off their routine visits. Over the last several months, nearly half of Americans have delayed health care services, including dental care, due to COVID-19 concerns.  In some cases, delaying care is more detrimental to their health than the virus itself. To overcome patient’s […] Read More...

The Latest ADA Poll Indicates Dental Practices Across the Country Have Begun to Rebound

Beginning in March, the ADA Health Policy Institute (HPI) launched a poll to enable them to better understand the impact COVID-19 has had on dental practices and their ability to resume patient care. Approximately 70,000 dentists from across the country were invited to participate and more than 19,000 chose to respond. Following the initial outreach, dentists were also invited to continue their participation by completing bi-weekly surveys to track their practice’s progress. According to their latest survey results, as of […] Read More...