Nothing can throw a wrench into your daily schedule like an unforeseen, unexpected emergency. Thankfully, in the world of dentistry, true emergencies are rare. Yet, frantic patients often perceive emergencies, creating a ripple effect on your entire practice.
Ready for the good news? Proactive planning and good team communication can stop alarm bells from disrupting daily practice operations. Here’s how to dial back a potential five-alarm fire before it has a chance to sweep through the practice:
Define "Emergency" for Your Team. What truly constitutes an emergency? Having a clear definition sets expectations for both staff and patients.
Trust Your Team to Be Gatekeepers. Empower your receptionists and dental assistants to handle inquiries. Urge them to ask clarifying questions to distinguish true emergencies from urgent, yet manageable, situations.
Educate Patients Proactively. Don't wait for a crisis to communicate! Develop patient education materials for what constitutes a dental emergency and the best course of action.
True dental emergencies need to be treated quickly and carefully! Just make sure your team has a clear understanding of what constitutes an actual emergency vs. a situation that can be deftly handled without major disruption.
Kirk Behrendt is a renowned consultant and speaker in the dental industry, known for his expertise in helping dentists create better practices and better lives. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Kirk has dedicated his professional life to optimizing the best systems and practices in dentistry. Kirk has been a featured speaker at every major dental meeting in the United States. His company, ACT Dental, has consistently been ranked as one of the top dental consultants in Dentistry Today's annual rankings for the past 10 years. In addition, ACT Dental was named one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States by Inc Magazine, appearing on their Inc 5000 list. Kirk's motivational skills are widely recognized in the dental industry. Dr. Peter Dawson of The Dawson Academy has referred to Kirk as "THE best motivator I have ever heard." Kirk has also assembled a trusted team of advisor experts who work with dentists to customize individual solutions that meet their unique needs. When he's not motivating dentists and their teams, Kirk enjoys coaching his children's sports teams and spending time with his amazing wife, Sarah, and their four children, Kinzie, Lily, Zoe, and Bo.
