Dentists by their nature are high achievers, and thus more likely to be micromanagers. They didn’t get through dental school by leaving the details to someone else. These doctors are accustomed to doing it all, and handing over responsibility for even those seemingly insignificant tasks can be a struggle.

Consequently, these micromanaging doctors are stressed out – working and working, yet never able to actually get ahead. Forget quality of life, forget balance, these docs are living their jobs. Like most micromanagers, they tend to confuse activity with accomplishment and consequently create bottlenecks of inefficiency. Even more frustrating for these dentists and their staff is the fact that they are quite capable of thinking strategically, but they simply cannot bring themselves to relinquish control. They will not allow others to problem solve, and they consistently second-guess decisions. However, if the practice is going to grow and truly succeed, the doctor simply must let go. But how do you bring your micromanaging dentists to relinquish a few of those tightly held responsibilities?

Number one: Don’t try to change them, only they can do that. Instead, work with what you have. One of the greatest needs your micromanager has, outside the need to feel needed, is the need to know. Perhaps your micromanaging dentist really wants more time for treatment planning to encourage greater case acceptance, but at the same time insists on giving all patients their post-op instructions, which only puts everyone behind schedule. Develop a detailed step-by-step plan that outlines how you could help the doctor with this duty. Explain to the doctor that you would like to handle this for her/him in a way that s/he will be completely comfortable and confident that patients receive the post-op information they need.

How many rings does the caller have to sit through before someone will pick up?

After 2 rings, patients are wondering if the office is closed. A real human being should answer your phone by the second ring. If you have messages on voicemail during your work day, it is best to determine why the phone is not being answered.

How does your team answer the office phone?

The best approach is, “Thank you for calling Dr. Brown’s office. This is Amy. How may I direct your call?” This standard greeting gives the caller information and provides immediate assistance to address their specific concern.

At what point do you get the patient’s name and phone number?

As soon as the patient is finished talking (never interrupt), the patient’s name and phone number should be reinforced if they have been given. If they have not, name and number should be requested. Obtaining the patient’s name will often secure a commitment from them if they are uncertain about whether they should schedule an appointment. Also request the patient’s address.

Have you ever said, “Please hold” to a caller?

Never put a caller on-hold without asking for their permission and waiting for their response. “Mrs. Jones, may I put you on hold while I check on that?” How many times have you placed a call to a business and been clicked almost immediately into hold? You cannot even utter a grunt without being cut-off. Putting customers on hold without their consent is rude and inconsiderate.

Don’t leave the schedule to creative interpretation. Scheduling time should be communicated clearly to the Scheduling Coordinator. This basic yet commonly overlooked detail ensures the person in charge of making or breaking your day isn’t forced to guess how much time a procedure will require.

For example, the doctor examines a hygiene patient and determines she needs three fillings. The doctor tells the Hygienist exactly how much time is necessary. The Hygienist, in turn, communicates to the Scheduling Coordinator via computer or route slip specifically how much doctor time and assistant time to book. The doctor’s time should be scheduled in one color on the computer and the assistant’s in another. This simple strategy ensures that the doctor is not double-booked.

In addition, the doctor should never be scheduled out more than three weeks, so curb the urge to schedule all of the appointments for large treatment plans immediately. Scheduling the entire plan can overwhelm both the patient and the schedule. Worse yet, “bread and butter” patients are often forced to wait several weeks for routine procedures – not something that many of them will accept on a regular basis.

Keep communications flowing between the clinical staff and business employees throughout the day. Start by reviewing the schedule as a team first thing during the huddle. The clinical staff can advise the Scheduling Coordinator where to place any emergency patients. If there are cancellations, the team can discuss which hygiene patients may be able to receive immediate treatment and which restorative patients may be able to be worked into any openings in the oral hygiene schedule. The dental assistant also can review specifically what procedures are scheduled and set up the treatment rooms accordingly.

Avoid the tendency to engage in “wishful scheduling” in which more time is reserved for the doctor’s “ideal” treatments than the practice has a history of delivering. Rather, calculate the number of crown and bridge units – or other procedures – over the last six months and divide by the number of days worked. Then you can reserve time in the schedule based on the number of units actually performed.

Many employees cringe at the idea of contacting patients that are delinquent in making payments, because they believe that it will require some sort of nasty confrontation. In reality – kindness, compassion, and clarity are the order of business for this task. Here’s how:

Patients that have not paid their bills should be notified 30 days after services were performed. Messages should be polite and courteous and they should be customized for the specific patient. The more personal the message, the more effective the communication will be. For example:

Dear Ms. Wheat, (You can use the patient’s first name if you know him/her well and they have been a patient for many years – Dear Jennifer, …)

We wanted to alert you that we did not receive your payment on March 15 as requested. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, please contact Peggy in our office. Otherwise, we would appreciate your prompt attention to this balance by sending payment before April 6.

Before contacting patients, do your homework. Review the account history. Confirm that there is not an insurance issue that might be delaying matters, and make sure the practice is not in error. Never apologize for requesting payment. A dental practice is a business that cannot effectively deliver necessary services to patients without cash flow.

It can be tempting to increase fees – the economic indicators are up, many practices are seeing improvements in new patients, treatment acceptance, etc. Understandably, some are asking, “When can I increase my fees?” Since 2008, many dentists have chosen to forego the standard 3-5% annual fee increases that were common in the pre-recession years. By now a fair number want to get back on track with routine increases.

But it’s a whole new world out there, and the old standards no longer apply. Today, fees should be based on your actual overhead, expenses, patient base, your individual level of professional expertise, and debt. Don’t establish your fees based on the dentist down the hall or across the street.

Additionally, be honest with where you truly stand on the skill continuum. Newer dentists simply do not perform dentistry at the same speed as more experienced doctors. For these doctors, what they don’t have in speed they can make up in relationship building. And one thing is true across the board – the doctors who are successful in today’s economy have a relationship with their patients. They are focused on providing the level of dentistry that achieves the greatest return for the patient. After all, when patients have a good relationship with their dentist, they don’t question the fee.