The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

No One is Above the Law: The Things You Need to Know About HR

Episode #351 with Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca

HR is one of the most difficult things you will face as a business owner. And bad HR decisions will cause many headaches. But you're not alone! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Ann Marie Gorczyca to review important things to know about HR so you can run a successful business. She shares examples from her most successful book, Beyond the Morning Huddle, to help you avoid dangerous and costly mistakes. For the best advice on avoiding HR nightmares, listen to Episode 351 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Understanding HR is as important as maintaining your dental license.

Learn the six functions of HR to avoid costly mistakes.

Be very inquisitive in the interview process and verify given information.

Know and be up to date with laws and their changes.

Enforce and update your team employment policy and procedure handbook.

Hire slow, fire fast.

Quotes:

“It is essential that every dentist know the HR laws. Fortune 500 companies have full-time attorneys to run their HR departments. And dentistry, dentists in their private practice, are held to the same law standards as Fortune 500 companies that have a full-time attorney running their HR. So, that's how important it is. (4:19—4:48)

“HR has six functions. The first function is recruitment of new team members. The second function is the on-boarding process. The third function is the day-to-day HR management. The fourth function is distribution of resources. The fifth function is the laws that you need to follow. And the last function is termination, whether it be by natural retirement, or layoff, or in the worst-case scenario, a dismissal situation. But in those six functions of HR, dentists need to know how to do things right to avoid costly mistakes.” (5:40—6:47)

“[HR] is an essential topic. It’s as important as maintaining your dental license.” (7:16—7:22)

“Let's start with area number one, the on-boarding process, hiring a new team member for the very first time. You are going to collect resumes. You're going to interview people. The thing that you need to look for is the recommendation from the previous employer. You're going to ask the all-important question, ‘Would you rehire this person?’ And you're going to wait to hear if you get an affirmative, enthusiastic yes. But if there's any hesitation, ‘Uh, well . . . Uh, she was good at billing insurance,’ or you don't get a yes, that is a red flag.” (8:19—9:12)

“Step number one, be very inquisitive. When you look at resumes, call for references. Verify employment. Verify the previous position. There are plenty of people, for example, who never were a dental office manager, but they will put on their resume that they are a dental office manager. Now, if you don't call that previous employer and say, ‘What function did she do in the office?’ They say, ‘She was a receptionist,’ well, there's a huge difference between a receptionist and a dental office manager.” (9:18—9:56)

“And also, you need to check on licenses. Someone can put on their resume that they are a registered dental assistant, and you can go on the California website to verify that they are a registered dental assistant. And maybe their license is not active. Or maybe they’ve lost their license. So, you need to verify.” (9:58—10:19)

“Let's say they work at such-and-such dental office. Go online, look up the dental office, call the main number. Because the number that they put on the resume could be their cousin, their mother, their best friend. It might not be the dental office.” (10:49—11:08)

“Also, you need to verify dates of employment. Because there may be holes in the resume where they’ll put down that they worked in one dental office for...

Bugs & Drugs: The Controversy Surrounding Prophylaxis

Episode #350 with Dr. Tom Viola, R.Ph., C.C.P.

Imagine causing an accident while trying to prevent said accident. That is where prophylaxis stands in dentistry. By prescribing them unnecessarily to prevent infections, it can actually create resistance and increase infection risk. But there are ways to prevent this! And Dr. Tom Viola returns with Kirk Behrendt to teach you everything you need to know about prophylaxis to help you prescribe them appropriately and effectively. For the best practices on being a steward for antibiotics, listen to Episode 350 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Dentists are overprescribing unnecessary antibiotics.

Overuse of antibiotics can lead to resistance.

Antibiotics and antibacterials can have adverse effects.

Overusing clindamycin can increase the risk of C. diff infection.

For the average patient, there is no evidence that prophylaxis is necessary.

Guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis are constantly evolving. 

Quotes:

“[Why prophylaxis is controversial] boils down to two main points. And the first one is, is antibiotic prophylaxis even necessary? If I have to ask that question, I have to ask a preview question to that. What the heck is prophylaxis and why is it necessary? Well, we know that there are certain vectors under which bacteria that normally reside in the mouth can end up causing trouble in other parts of the body. Obviously, one of the issues is infective endocarditis. That is where bacteria from the mouth have found a way into the endocardium and may cause issues that can ultimately lead to bad outcomes for our patients.” (3:20—4:03)

“Bacteria in the mouth can find a way to where we’ve had replacement joints, plates, knee replacements, hip replacements, and so on. And that can lead to joint replacement failure. These are pretty significant events in people’s lives and, certainly, we want to try everything we can in dentistry to avoid that from happening. So, one of the ways we avoid bacteria that normally resides in the mouth to find other places or other ways into the body cavities is to prophylax with antibiotics, to kill them before they have a chance to establish residence elsewhere. But it’s controversial because everybody knows that when you overuse an antibiotic, it increases the risk of infection.” (4:05—4:47)

“There is that whole aspect of antibiotic stewardship, which is, we should be the stewards. We should be the lookouts for making sure that antibiotics are used both effectively and efficiently, but also appropriately so we’re not overusing them and therefore causing resistance to occur.” (4:47—5:04)

“I can run down the list pretty easily, of antibiotics, that we normally use in dentistry. And that's the problem, in and of itself, is that we have a great arsenal of antibiotics that we use in dentistry, but unfortunately, it’s a very small arsenal. And they're not really all antibiotics. We use the term colloquially but, really, they're antibacterials.” (5:14—5:33)

“Penicillins are our favorite antibacterials. That would include penicillin VK and amoxicillin, specifically, in dentistry. And I'd be hard-pressed to find a general dentist and any dental specialist as well that hasn't prescribed amoxicillin at some point in their practice. And the reason for that is because it works, because it has great efficacy and great coverage against the bugs we find in the mouth. Now, the penicillins are bactericidal, which means that they destroy the cell wall and, therefore, they kill the bacteria. Which would sound great if you're treating virulent bacteria that you want to get rid of. But remember, they don't just kill the bad guys; they also kill the good guys. And that can lead to problems with things like opportunistic infections and...

Is Balance Attainable?

Episode #349 with Dr. Kevin Groth

Your profession is a part of you. It may give you purpose, direction, and some degree of happiness. But your work is not all of you. And if you give 100% to your work, you will have nothing left to give yourself or others. To speak from experience and offer advice, Dr. Kevin Groth returns with Kirk Behrendt to share his journey of attaining work-life-self balance to help you become your best self. To find out the steps for a simpler yet fuller life, listen to Episode 349 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Become in-tune with your emotions and develop self-awareness.

Identify who you are at your core. Self-awareness will drive everything else.

Understand the essentials — things that give you purpose and direction — in your life.

Never give 100% of yourself. Give 80% so you have 20% left to give.

Learn to say no to obligations, especially when you don't have the capacity.

Quotes:

“[I was working] Monday through Friday, sometimes some Saturdays. But really, it was probably 225 days, I would say. I think I counted that up in 2019, 2018 . . . Now, I'm down to 160 and keep dropping that number because I found a nice way to tune those dials that we talk about all the time and figure out what works for me and what doesn't.” (04:32—05:03)

“[By working less days, my income] increased. Which, I don't know what kind of magic it is. It doesn't make any sense to me, mathematically. But for some reason, you do find a sense of purpose and things that you want to do, and you become more efficient with it.” (05:12—05:24)

“When you have the right team around you to support you, everything gets a lot easier. Everything is far more manageable. And I found that you've just got to get the right people in the right seats and get out of their way.” (05:25—05:35)

“[Identify] who you are at your core. If you can identify who you are at your core, that will drive why you do something to give you a purpose. And then, once you know your who and your why, then you could realize what you do and how you do it.” (08:04—08:17)

“We all experience things on a daily basis. But we just, a lot of times, tune out our emotions because we don't want to deal with it. And once you start listening to those emotions and really reflecting on it, it becomes more of a self-awareness. And that self-awareness becomes something where you become more knowledgeable of who you are. And then, that can drive everything else.” (08:31—08:50)

“I think the first thing with anybody who’s in that point of their life trying to discover themselves, you've got to start with who [you're] not. It eliminates some of those things that you say, ‘Okay, this is not me. This is not me. This is not me.’ And eventually, it does lead you down a path to then discover, ‘This is me.’” (09:41—09:57)

“It’s so important, no matter what phase you are in life, to know who you are. And it drives how you do something.” (11:15—11:20)

“I think it starts with identifying, once you know who you are, what are the essential things in your life. When I can list the three to five things that really give me purpose and direction, it really simplifies things down to, ‘What do I want to devote my time and energy to?’ as well as what are some things that bring me joy in my life. Because then, if you can surround yourself with the bulk of what you do based on your essentials, and then you fill in those little spaces with some of the joys, there's a far more meaningful, fulfilled purpose out of your life that a lot of people just don't really have, to be honest.” (11:54—12:30)

“[Richard Swenson in Margin] talks about, ‘We should never give 100% of ourselves. We should always give 80% of ourselves. Because if we give 80% when asked upon, we have 20%

How Much Should I Spend on Dental Marketing?

Episode #348 with Xaña Winans

There is no magic formula for marketing. But there are ways to make good investments. And to help you figure out how much and where to spend on dental marketing, Kirk Behrendt brings back Xaña Winans, founder and CEO of Golden Proportions Marketing, for a guideline to better marketing decisions. If you want to invest in your own success and get ahead of your competition, listen to Episode 348 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

55% of dentists are spending a minimum of $1,000 a month on marketing.

A quarter of practices are spending over $5,000 a month on marketing.

Lead generation is one area where you will see results.

Invest in digital, such as SEO, paid search, and online reviews.

Tracking is the only way you'll know whether you're getting a return.

Recording calls is the best way to see if your marketing budget works.

Your marketing needs to be consistent, and you need to give it time.

There needs to be commitment from dentists and their practices for results.

Quotes:

“[Determining a marketing budget is] important because money is a driving factor for everybody. It’s determining, ‘How do I spend enough money to get the results that I want, but I don't waste money that I could be taking home to my family?’ So, if you are just guessing how much money to spend, it’s going to constantly make you stressed and wonder if you're doing the right thing, ‘Am I spending it in the right places?’” (06:14—06:37)

“[Jim Du Molin] did a huge survey to find out what doctors were spending. And over 55% of doctors are spending a minimum of $1,000 a month, which doesn't sound like that much. But what was interesting to me, just about a quarter of practices are spending over $5,000 a month on marketing, which is way more than I think most dentists would expect. They think, ‘I can just rely on referrals and internal marketing, absolutely free.’ But I'd tell you what, if your practice isn't growing, that's probably why, because your competition is outspending you. They're getting brand awareness that you just don't have.” (07:55—08:30)

“Once you're up and established, if you are cruising, you're a full practice, you've got tons of referrals coming in, you're still going to want to spend at least 2% to 3% of your gross collections every single month, if only because 8% of the American population moves every single year. You're going to, just by sheer people moving out of the area, lose some of your patients, so you have to keep investing.” (09:13—09:41)

“Anything you spend on, you should be able to measure it and make sure it has a good ROI.” (10:39—10:44)

“Your ROI is really going to depend on what you're measuring. There are actually five different places where your marketing money goes, and you have to measure ROI based on where it’s spending. The first thing is foundational stuff. And it’s really difficult to measure an ROI on things like designing a new logo, building a new website, doing a setup for SEO or paid search. Those are things you have to have, but they're usually one-time or one every couple of years expenses. So, that, don't expect ROI. It’s just an expense. That's foundational stuff.” (11:34—12:10)

“You're going to spend money on things called subscriptions. When you have Weave and LocalMed and RevenueWell and Swell, and some of these other review sources and online scheduling, they're still marketing expenses. You have to count that in your marketing budget. The ROI for those can also be really difficult to measure because they're more like internal marketing tools. They're things that you need to keep patients engaged, so I wouldn't be looking for a big ROI there either.” (12:12—12:44)

“Where you're really going to see [results] is when

Modern Ultrasonic Debridement and Aerosol Management

Episode #347 with Chrissy Ford, RDH

Aerosol management is vital during COVID-19. And the limits on ultrasonics and other aerosol-producing procedures creates a perfect opportunity for clinicians to relearn forgotten protocols for hand instruments and ultrasonics. Today’s expert, Chrissy Ford, founder and CEO of Advanced Hygiene Solutions, shares tips, techniques, and things to consider when returning to manual procedures. She also shares advice for effectively and efficiently using ultrasonics to maximize comfort and hygiene for patients. For the best practices on getting the most out of ultrasonics for COVID-19 and beyond, listen to Episode 347 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Aerosol capture should be the number-one consideration during COVID-19.

Now, more than ever, the quality of hand instruments is very important.

Returning to hand instruments, ergonomics for hygienists should be considered.

There is a lack of ultrasonic insert selection in most clinics.

Many hygienists are not using the correct ultrasonic inserts for each case.

They are also using a higher power setting than necessary, which creates more aerosols.

Hygienists are forgetting to check their inserts for wear, which reduces clinical performance.

ReLeaf, DryShield, and Isodry is not recommended for primary aerosol capture.

When used correctly, HVE can be 90% to 98% effective in aerosol reduction.

Quotes:

“What is hygiene going to look like during COVID-19 and beyond? Obviously, none of us have that crystal ball. Some of us are back to work, so some people have that sense a little bit more than others, what it’s going to look like. Obviously, it’s going to look different for different people, depending on where you are, depending on what your state and your provincial guidelines are going to allow you to be doing. I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us are going to be limiting our aerosol-producing procedures for a while. So, our polishing, our airflow debridement, our ultrasonic scaling, is going to be set aside for a little bit.” (00:57—01:31)

“Many hygienists are cringing at the thought of hand scaling only. And don't get me wrong, I'm right there with you. But we have to persevere through that and push through and know that we’re going to be doing this for our patients. And they need us.” (01:33—01:47)

“Life without ultrasonics, que the tear down my face. I know a lot of hygienists are feeling the same. We rely on our ultrasonics a lot. And what is that going to mean for our hygiene appointments? It is going to mean an increased time to get that same job done. So, obviously, we know we’re not going back to business as normal, seeing eight patients a day. But we’re going to need longer to get the same job done, and hand scaling takes longer than our ultrasonic use on heavier cases.” (02:00—02:28)

“We want to be thinking about ergonomics for the hygienist and that clinical strain. Our bodies have been off work for a while, and that muscle memory has been gone. And now, we’re hand scaling. And it’s hard, ergonomically.” (02:29—02:41)

“When we get to that point that we can pick up our ultrasonic scalers again, we want to make sure that we’re going to be using them effectively and efficiently, not only to minimize the exposure of our risk with aerosols during COVID-19 but, obviously, we want to make sure that we’re going to be having good clinical outcomes while we’re doing that, and also for patient comfort as well.” (04:21—04:40)

“How are we going to get the most out of our ultrasonics? Lots of different factors with this, but it is essential for the clinicians to operate the ultrasonic scaling device at a minimum effective power for the task at hand. Proper tip selection is a critical step in...

Posterior Composites – Tips & Tricks

Episode #346 with Dr. Lee Ann Brady

Today, Dr. Lee Ann Brady from The Pankey Institute shares some of her favorite and must-try techniques for posterior composites. From her favored isolation systems to the many uses for plumber’s tape, she has a variety of advice to improve your dentistry today! To hear this expert’s tips, tricks, and techniques for creating the best, aesthetic composites, listen to Episode 346 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Patients find Isolite to be a comfortable form of isolation.

ReLeaf isolation works best on patients with strong gag reflexes.

Rubber dams might make a comeback peri-Covid for aerosol prevention.

Ivoclar’s OptraDam is the kinder, gentler version of a rubber dam.

Retraction pastes are probably the best hemostatic agents in all of dentistry.

Pre-wedge every time for a successful matrix.

Teflon tape has multiple uses in dentistry.

Prep scrub every tooth you prep to prevent sensitivity and reduce bond degradation.

Be cautious about mixing and matching universal adhesives.

Composite warmers will transform your life.

To prevent cross-contamination between patients, don't reuse composites in the warmer.

Quotes:

“One of the biggest challenges we have when we do adhesive dentistry of any kind, direct or indirect, is managing contaminants, isolation — so, water, saliva, red blood cells, all of the contaminants that are automatically in the oral environment, and then some of the ones that we introduce through our handpiece. And they're actually not our friend when it comes to optimum adhesives, and we want to try to manage that.” (03:35—04:01)

“I love working with an Isolite. Most of my patients find it really comfortable once you get it in and get it in position. And they prefer it over having to hope they're staying open wide enough for you or worrying about their tongue. It actually really does do a great job at managing isolation from a standpoint of moisture in the oral environment, managing aerosols.” (04:31—04:55)

“I can't use [Isolite] on everybody. And so, the other device that you see listed on the picture is called ReLeaf, and it comes from a company named Kulzer. They're the people who make Ivory Rubber Dam materials. And I use ReLeaf for a couple of different scenarios. One is, somebody posted in the chat, ‘What about patients with a really strong gag reflex?’ This will work much better because you're not putting any pressure or contacting the tongue. And it also works really well for patients at high functional risk.” (05:24—05:58)

“If you get the ReLeaf, get one for your hygiene department as well, because it’s probably the best thing that we can think about from a standpoint of using an ultrasonic.” (07:43—07:57)

“Rubber dams are one of these things that most of us were super glad that we were able to leave behind when we left dental school. And then, there are other people who say, ‘I do all my dentistry under a rubber dam. I do think that thinking about going back to rubber dam isolation may be on people’s radar screen after we get back in our offices, simply because of the fact that it does isolate us from the patient’s oral environment, and it does prevent aerosols.” (08:42—09:12)

“[The Ivoclar OptraDam is] actually what I call the kinder, gentler version of a rubber dam. Why is it the kinder, gentler version? Well, a couple of reasons. Number one, everything all comes together so you don't need to know where the frame is and sterilize it and find the dam material. It also isn't a flat piece of rubber dam, so it literally is the shape of the back of the mouth. And because it’s not under tension, you don't need a rubber dam clamp. And if you don't use a clamp, you don't need palatal anesthesia on the maxillary, and you...

Simple, Predictable, Digital Denture Workflows (With or Without a Scanner)

Episode #345 with Dr. Wendy AuClair Clark (Covid Conference)

Dr. Wendy AuClair Clark loves digital dentures. And according to pilot studies, patients do too! Going digital speeds up fabrication, cuts down chair time, and can be less expensive. It’s not just the dentist’s workflow that improves, but also access to care for the denture population. What's not to love? If you're still not convinced, Dr. Clark demonstrates how the digital denture workflow is easy, predictable, and very low stakes. For more reasons to try digital today, listen to Episode 345 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

There is no longer just one workflow. Any step can now be digitized.

Every single stage of your diagnostics is preserved with digital.

Printing is generally a faster, less expensive way to digitally fabricate.

Milling is usually stronger and more aesthetic.

Milled PMMA will minimize staining, porosity, and fracture risk.

You can reline, rebase, and repair milled PMMA dentures the same as conventional ones.

The average digital denture workflow is about 2.65 visits versus 5 for conventional.

With milled, there are fewer postoperative adjustments with digital versus conventional.

In pilot studies, patients preferred every aspect of digital dentures over conventional.

Digital can help close the access-to-care gap for older, edentulous patients.

One downside is there are only short-term studies on first-generation printing.

Quotes:

“I heard a lab tech, Josh Jakson from Evolve, who really laid it out as simply as I've ever seen. And it’s so true, that every aspect of digital dentistry can be put in one of three buckets: data acquisition, design, or fabrication. So, digital dentistry really is an easy thing. And you could take any aspect, so whether it’s making a CEREC crown, you scan for the acquisition, you design it, and you mill it. And it’s the same for digital dentures.” (03:44—04:09)

“The other thing that I like people to be aware of is that there's not one workflow anymore, that truly any step can be digitized. And so, if you want to do a whole analog workflow and digitize one step, that's fine. If you want to do digital start to finish, that's fine too. So, it shouldn't be as exclusive, I think, as we tend to make it sometimes.” (04:20—04:40)

“Printing, in general, is a faster, less expensive way to digitally fabricate, so the CAM portion of CAD/CAM. And milling is usually stronger and usually more aesthetic. But there are exceptions to every rule. So, this is just the basic blocks that they would fall into. Printing is going to be additive, so you're building it up. You have uncured resin that you're building in layers to create something. Milling is subtractive. I would say it’s like when Michelangelo had a block of marble and he chiseled out David. That's what we’re doing with our dentures. We’re chiseling out these PMMA works of art.” (05:06—05:41)

“For a milled denture, you can have a monolithic option. And they have a block from AvaDent, Ivoclar has a block as well, where basically the white and the pink are housed in the same puck of acrylic. So, it’s kind of like an Oreo, is how it was described to me by the rep, where they have the pink on both sides, and the white in the middle. And the mill is aware of where the pink and white sit within that puck. And so, it’s built in in the software to mill it out precisely. So, the teeth are white, the base is pink, but it’s all monolithic. There's nothing bonded, nothing individual. It’s a block of a denture. So, this is going to be your strongest and maximized tensile forces and functional forces. You could also have a bonded denture where you're going to have the bases milled, and then the teeth are bonded...

Cyber Security

Episode #344 with Debi Carr (Covid Conference)

You wouldn't give your keys, wallet, and phone to strangers — but you're giving personal information to strangers online! And you may be doing it unawares. Phishing emails, security questions, and even that game on Facebook could all compromise personal information. And to help you be proactive in protecting yourself, your patients, and your practice, Debi Carr is here to educate you on how to develop a culture of security, both in and out of the office. For expert advice and best practices for cyber security, listen to Episode 344 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

We are giving away more personal information than we realize.

Always investigate when hit with ransomware.

When buying supplies online, buy from reputable and known sites.

If buying from lesser-known companies, investigate before giving your information.

Be wary of links and be aware of what you are downloading and clicking on.

Every practice should have a security manual, and a record of the training you’ve done.

Always use two-factor authentication whenever it is available.

Have an IT partner that fully understands security.

For patients and employees, have guest Wi-Fi that is off your network.

Be proactive and create a plan. Without a plan, it will take longer to recover.

Security doesn't begin and end in the office. Practice this everywhere.

Quotes:

“While we’ve been living in fear, there is one group of people that have actually been thriving. This is their dream environment, because any time a hacker can create fear, can create chaos, they are going to profit. And they have done that. As we become desperate, they thrive.” (00:36—01:01)

“In February alone, there were over 300,000 malicious websites that were listed with ICANN and with WHOIS. And this is where you claim your website domain — 300,000 of them. The FBI has identified, or actually, Google, has identified over 500,000 phishing emails, daily, being sent out. And over 200,000 of those have got malicious attachments with them. It’s crazy, because they know that if they can create panic, if they can create fear, that we won't think. We’ll just click, and we’ll go with it.” (01:12—02:04)

“We hear a lot about ransomware, but what we don't hear a lot about is the other viruses that can affect and infect a computer or a network system. And they are actually, as far as I'm concerned, do more damage. Because a ransomware attack, it’s bad. I'm not going to lie to you. That can be a devastating attack. They get into your system with a ransomware, they encrypt your system, you know they're there.” (02:20—02:48)

“Whenever you get hit with ransomware, you should always investigate, especially now. We’ve seen more sophistication in the attacks where not only are they attacking and encrypting the data, but they are actually exfiltrating the data now. So, it’s really important that you have a forensic investigation and do the response to a ransomware attack in a methodical manner.” (02:52—03:21)

“To me, the infection that is worse is infections such as keyloggers that sit in your system. We’ve seen LokiBot. That is a keylogger that sits in the system. And we know that it’s coming from emails. There's a lot of talk and conversation out there about contact tracing. And so, the hackers have jumped on that bandwagon and they're sending emails out from the World Health Organization saying, ‘You’ve been around somebody who has been verified with COVID-19. Click here. Download this so you know what to do.’” (03:22—04:09)

“What they're doing is they're allowing a keylogger, which is a type of virus that sits in your network, and it basically mimics everything and traces every time you hit a key on the keyboard. So, you go to your bank, you put in...

The 3 Rs for Future Practice Growth

Episode #343 with Sandy Pardue

Every practice should have a great recall system. And the problem isn't that dentists don't have great recall systems — it’s that they think they have one, when they actually don't! If you are one of these dentists, today’s guest has a ton of great advice. Kirk Behrendt brings in Sandy Pardue from Classic Practice Resources to teach you three simple things to help you improve your practice. She will teach you recipes for the 3 Rs you need: a recall system, retention, and reactivation. To learn how to implement these Rs and develop the best recall system, listen to Episode 343 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

You need the 3 Rs: a good recall system, retention, and reactivation.

A good recall system includes calls, texts, emails, and snail mail — something for everyone.

The majority of broken appointments were people that were prescheduled.

Not every patient deserves to be prescheduled.

There's nothing in the practice more important than filling the schedule.

Don't run from your upset patients, run to them.

Practices that value relationships will retain more patients.

Retention goals for every practice owner is about 83%.

Patients coming in every 18 months is a healthy retention number.

January, February, March, and April are the best months to start reactivation.

Patients absent from the practice for 13 months or longer is a reactivation prospect.

Quotes:

“Retention in dentistry is not good. It’s actually, in many practices, only 50% to 60%. And that's very low.”  (03:42—03:50)

“165,000 dentists in the United States of America, and some of them are getting three new patients a month, and some are getting 130. So, let's just say that 165,000 dentists got 10 new patients a month. That is a lot of people changing dentists every month. We have a huge problem in dentistry. Now, we put what we’re going through with COVID-19 in the mix. Patients, if they haven't been in touch with the practice, and maybe the practice has dropped out some of their vital systems, they're going to be looking for a new dental home. And that's what happens in dentistry whenever you stop communicating with people, or they don't feel comfortable calling because a long time has passed. So, it’s important to have those systems in place that keep them coming back.” (04:00—04:57)

“Every practice should have a good recall system. A problem is that they think they have a recall system, but they don't. And what I mean is, as I go into practices — I've worked with over 600 dental practices — one of the first things we’ll ask is, ‘What is your retention?’ And they're like, ‘What do you mean?’ Well, they don't know. And the second thing I'm going to ask is, ‘Can I see your recall recipe in writing?’ And they look, ‘We don't have that.’ So, what that means is, they never really developed a recall system.” (05:13—05:56)

“What happens is, [practices] get a third-party company that helps with text messaging and emails. And now, they have just said, ‘Okay, they're going to handle it.’ That's not good. And then, they say, ‘Oh, yeah. Well, we use this company.’ And you guys that are listening have all heard of them, and they're all great companies. But here’s the problem. When I ask the practice, ‘What is that third-party company communicating?’ they rarely know. And if I ask how often, they rarely know. And the fact is, they have no recall system, which I like to call a “recipe.” (05:59—06:42)

“The only thing that will give you consistent results — because any practice owners, they're familiar with having a day that's like, $1,000, and then a $5,000 day, and we might shoot up to $7,000, and every day is a surprise. The only way you'll ever have predictability in your...

What You Need to Know About Google My Business & Your Website

Episode #342 with Kristi Simone

You've finally built your website, and it’s ready for patients to use. But just because you've built it doesn't mean it’s done! Managing your website is a constant editing process. And to help you be up to date and searchable, Kirk Behrendt brings in Kristi Simone, CMO at Whiteboard Marketing, to teach you the best practices of website building and utilizing Google My Business. If you want to create a website that will increase your conversion rates, listen to Episode 342 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Fill out your Google knowledge profile.

Be active on your Google My Business page. It will help you show up in search results.

Build your website for how Google is going to search for it.

Your website should also be built for patients. Keep it clean and simple.

Home pages are the most important to get right. It’s where patients spend the most time.

Have your calls to action at the top of your website.

45% of website users click off in 10 seconds or less. Make information easy to find.

Don't have videos streaming in the background. It increases the loading time.

Patients want clickable buttons, such as Google Maps, calling, and online scheduling.

Online scheduling and chat can increase your conversion rates!

Use Google Posts as a free advertising opportunity.

Don't build your own website. Let the experts build it for you.

It’s recommended to redesign your website every three years.

Quotes:

“We recommend that dentists redesign their [website] every three years, or at least making sure that just because you've built your site, you're not ever finished with it. You should always be working to update content, add new pages, add a blog, do different things to keep your website current all the time.” (04:28—04:46)

“[Google owns] pretty much every aspect of internet search. You also have other players in the industry like Bing, Yahoo. But Google really owns 90% of that search purpose. So, when we build websites, we are really building it for how Google is going to search for it and different things that make your website show up for Google when a patient may be searching for a dentist in your specific area, or a dental implant in your specific area.” (05:18—05:48)

“You also have to build a website for your patients to be able to use. There’s a lot of data out there that shows that 45% of actual users jump off of a site within 10 to 15 seconds. So, one of the other reasons that we really focus on building websites for is to get a patient to do whatever you want them to do, know whatever you want them to know, within 10 seconds or less.” (05:53—06:20)

“You're building [your website] for Google, you're building for conversion rate optimization, and then you're also building it for speed. We want those websites to load really quickly. The ideal is three seconds or less.” (06:21—06:35)

“One of the first things that we ask [dentists] to do when we’re talking about Google My Business is pick up their phone or their laptop and search their own name on Google and see what pops up. What they should get on the right-hand side is called the Google knowledge profile. And that is what Google is really using to pull up your practice information when a patient is searching for a dentist in that area.” (07:05—07:29)

“Google considers dentists as a local business. So, they're local to Columbus, Ohio, or Chicago. It’s really local to that. Where you think of Nike, for example, that's not a local business. That's a national, international brand. So, it’s really important that that knowledge profile that you just pulled up and looked at is filled out with all kinds of great information. And that's how local search...