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...

Steps to Take When a Staff Test Positive for COVID-19

Given the proximity required to provide oral care, dentists and their staff are considered to be at a higher risk of COVID-19 exposure. It is essential that dental practices establish protocols to manage potential exposures ahead, both to minimize the risk as well as take the necessary actions if an exposure occurs. To help dentists prepare, the American Dental Association developed a guide that outlines what steps should be taken when members of a practice may have been exposed.  The […] Read More...

Protect Yourself from Virtual Threats During COVID-19

Scammers and cybercriminals are notorious opportunists. With more business being conducted virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has presented many new ways for  them to strike. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security, World Health Organization (WHO), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) have all issued warnings about the increase of COVID-19-related cyber-attacks. As coronavirus news continues to evolve, there are many ways scammers can exploit the public’s fear in order to […] Read More...

Ready To Return To Work, But Your Staff Isn’t?

Tips to alleviate staff concerns during COVID-19 Independent Dental Solutions We often share resources and best practices on the financial and operational side of the dental industry, however, we would like to take a moment to address another, very critical side – the human side.  As businesses across the country are anxiously preparing to re-open, owners, including dentists, should be prepared to address staff concerns about returning to work. Over the last month, dental practices from around the country participated […] Read More...

Is Virtual Care Part of Your Re-Open Plan? Here’s Why It Should Be.

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GPO’s, the Latest Trend in Dentistry…and Its Here to Stay

GPO’s, the Latest Trend in Dentistry…and Its Here to Stay By: Jordan Herbert, Co-Founder & COO, Independent Dental Solutions Although group purchasing organizations (“GPO”) have been around for over a century, GPOs only entered the dental market in the past few years with limited adoption rates. Recently, they have exploded to the forefront with many dental practices looking for ways to continue to compete in an ever-evolving dental market. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide an overview […] Read More...