Australasian Dentist Magazine May June 2021

Category Australasian Dentist 127 question, appointment book management is really important when you’re short- staffed. It’s a bad idea to overload the books with short appointments; the best way to manage is to create balance in the book with different appointment types and lengths. If you can, make appointments a bit longer and see fewer people per day, as long as you’re able to make your production goals. The system that is most often abandoned when practices are short- staffed is the morning huddle. However, practices that continue to operate at a high standard when they’re short-staffed are the ones that use the huddle to plan the day. My recommendation is to take a moment to look through each clinician’s appointment book, plus the practice as a whole, and work out where the most challenging points are going to be that day. Then, figure out what you’re going to do about it. Let’s say that you’re down a DA and your experienced DA has called in sick, but there’s an implant booked in. You have tried unsuccessfully to get a temp. Talk through: what are all the possible ways to manage that? If the last resort is cancelling the implant patient, what are all the other things you can think of to do? None of them will be ideal, but taking the time to plan your response will be more effective than having everyone running around really stressed. On the subject of temps, make sure that you have an introductory pack for any temp who is coming into the practice (if you can get one). Where is everything they’re going to need to access? Are there any idiosyncrasies to your practice that they might need to know? The more you can get them familiar with the practice when they arrive, the better. Best Practices Q&A Again, planning and communication are key here, and the time taken to give the temp an effective induction will reduce the amount of avoidable mistakes and interruptions during the day. There are some other effective tips for managing while short-staffed. That can be as simple as buying more small equipment to take the pressure off instrument management, and giving the team an extra few minutes at the end or beginning of each day for effective stocking of the rooms can also make a big difference to the efficiency of the day. Finally, it’s absolutely vital that customer service remains at a high standard even when you’re all stressed. There are excellent ways to make patients feel valued without spending long times talking to them, as long as you’ve planned the way you’re going to manage it. Mr Chen at 4.00 is a chatterbox? How are you going to make sure that he feels heard without taking unnecessary time listening to his stories about his cat? For example: “Mr Chen! It’s so great to see you! I always love hearing about Moggy! I was hoping you’d be able to give me one highlight of Moggy’s week before I put you in the chair!” No matter what’s going on for your practice at the moment, we’ve got systems to help. Please get in touch to let us know what you need. u For further information on Momentum Management, visit www. momentummanagement.com.au or call 1300 510 000 for details on short courses, Momentum’s Management Program, coaching packages, short courses, in-practice visits, or other ways in which Momentum can assist you. Dr Toni Surace the Managing Director of Momentum Management. Momentum is the premier dental practice management consultancy and training firm in Australia. Momentum has been empowering dentists in Australia and New Zealand to reach their professional, personal and financial goals for over 16 years. On average, Momentum clients increase production by 30-40% and achieve a 579% return on investment from the Momentum Practice Management Program. If you would like to learn more about Momentum Management programs, call 1300 519 000, and request a free 1-hour consultation with an experienced coach.