A patient steps out of your operatory and walks up to the front desk to check out. They’re all smiles… until they hear the total. They look down at the bill and hesitate—and in that split second, something shifts at the front desk too. Suddenly, your admin is backpedaling.
A steady stream of returning patients is crucial to a healthy practice, and understanding your Hygiene Re-appointment Percentage is the key to making it happen. This metric measures the number of patients who schedule their next hygiene visit before leaving the office, divided by the total number of
Something good happened in your practice today, but you might not have noticed it. A hygienist said exactly the right thing to a nervous patient. A team member found a better way to explain a treatment plan and passed it on to a colleague. A doctor shared an idea at the morning huddle that set the tone for a great day.
I’ve been a part of many practices that claimed they all got along and there wasn’t any conflict or friction. While this sounds great on paper, it’s indicative of an unhealthy practice. If you look deeper, these practice owners are often frustrated, dealing with repeated issues, and are unable to grow their
It sounds reasonable. It sounds like effort. It sounds like someone who means well and is doing their best. But “I’ll try” is none of those things. It’s a soft no with a smile—and if it’s the default language in your practice, it likely means things aren’t getting done.
We covered Accounts Receivable Ratio in our last Data Snapshot, so this week we’re going to look at how long it takes for you to get the money you’re owed by breaking down your Accounts Receivable Percentage. This metric tracks how long your uncollected balances have been outstanding, and what
There’s a version of your practice that feels like controlled momentum—where the day runs the way you planned it, the team knows exactly what’s expected, and production reflects the work you want to be doing. Most practice owners know that version exists, but not all of them are living in it.
It may seem like your days feel rushed, unpredictable, and exhausting because you’re too busy, but the problem may actually lie with your schedule. If it’s not designed properly and you’re merely reacting throughout the day, you, your team, and even your patients will feel the stress. That chaos will erode morale
Some days in your practice, everything that can go wrong does. PPO write-offs that shouldn’t exist. A patient who swears they floss every day. A lab case that didn’t make it. A schedule that’s already 40 minutes behind before lunch. That’s not a bad week; that’s a Tuesday. And how your practice responds to
If you want a successful practice, you need a great collections process, and there’s a metric to help measure it — your Accounts Receivable Ratio. It measures how efficient your collection process is at turning production into collection revenue, and you can calculate it with a simple equation: divide your
