86 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST ACQUISITIONS The pillars of success for dental practices are familiar: hiring and retaining staff, maintaining profitability amid rising costs, increasing referrals, retaining patients, and, of course, ensuring excellent patient care. But how does one achieve sustainable growth in today’s challenging climate, where increasingly, traditional practices find themselves on the wrong side of modernity? The answer, at least in the case of Gladstone Park Dental, is to zoom out and take stock of the situation from an outsider’s perspective. The task of reigniting the flames of this once burgeoning suburban clinic in Victoria’s Northwestern region, known as a laidback fishing and boating region, fell on the able shoulders of Dr Branko Krstic. Due for a Fresh Reboot Qualified as a dentist in South Africa in 1997, Dr Krstic boasts extensive experience in various facets of dentistry, including prosthodontics and endodontics, possessing a unique blend of skills that align with his passion for cosmetic dentistry and patient-centric care. To set the stage, it’s essential to note Outdated to outstanding: Gladstone Park Dental’s modernization triumph Dr Branko Krstic’s revamping efforts not only surpass initial projections but elevate the clinic to new heights within the Ekera Dental network. By Danny Chan that Gladstone Park Dental operates under the umbrella of Ekera Dental, a dental group with a national presence, boasting 56 clinics across the country. Having sold his previous practice, Dr Krstic joined Ekera as a part-time consultant in 2019. His exceptional skills and management style quickly caught the attention of Ekera’s leadership, leading to a full-time role and eventual promotion to practice principal at Gladstone Park Dental. Dr Krstic assumed the portfolio with the scrutiny of a business and clinical strategist from day one. Transcending the tactical, the experienced clinician and former practice owner quickly ascended to the strategic realm of modernization with great determination and eventual success. “Gladstone Park Dental was initially a very basic and simple practice in the sense and it was operating like an outfit that I was working in back in the late 90s, but this was 2021,” Dr Krstic says, illustrating how badly the practice needed a fresh reboot. Expanding treatment services to stem patient leak The absence of modern amenities, including scanners and advanced procedures like cosmetic work and implants, characterized the archaic practice. Recognizing the substantial patient base and potential for growth, the incumbent principal dentist initiated a modernization reform that involved upgrading equipment, introducing new chairs, and incorporating advanced technologies such as scanners. Further, the new practice boss felt an urgent need to upgrade the workforce as a necessary means to offering a comprehensive treatment menu. “The biggest change was expanding the team to include hygienist and therapists to provide hygiene and gum care, simple restorative treatments and crucially comprehensive dental care for the children,” Dr Krstic says. “The fact that we can now delegate the more routine tasks like gum treatment and cleans to the therapist allows us to focus on the more advanced treatment including the higher end cosmetic work.” The revamped practice provides botox treatment along with sleep dentistry for nervous patients and teeth whitening, services that were previously unavailable. The comprehensive range of offerings encompasses virtually every aspect of
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