Many dental practices across the nation are struggling with narrower profit margins as the input costs associated with the business are rising. To combat this challenge, agile and innovative dental practitioners are looking for ways to streamline their operations and keep the overhead costs as low as possible. In this post, our dental lab technicians have compiled a list of the most effective ways to cut costs in a Dental Practice without compromising the quality of care and dental implant types you offer.
Go For Same-Day Treatments and Longer Appointments
It is no secret that people are afraid of returning to the dentist because of COVID-19. To reduce their anxiety and raise your profit margin, consider completing most of their treatment during one visit. If the patients have fewer appointments, they will feel safer, and you’ll have less invested in infection control and PPE (personal protective equipment).
Also, keep in mind that patients are more likely to accept treatment for different dental procedure types if it can be performed before they leave your office. This will eliminate the possibility of having to make follow-up calls and experiencing future no-shows.
Improve Staff Effectiveness
Labor costs are almost always the biggest expense for general dentists. Quick onboarding, allowing for cross-training, and creating quality processes will make your team more efficient. Without these systems in place, it can take several weeks for a new employee to learn the ropes. Keep an eye on clock hours and set a guideline for clocking in and out regarding patients’ care time. Use scripting to provide consistency for the patients and your team.
Embrace Teledentistry
When the pandemic was in full swing and dentists were open only for emergency care, teledentistry became quite popular. While most dentists have returned to full in-office care, a large number of practices are using teledentistry as a cost-effective way to screen emergencies and give consultations.
In many cases, teledentistry eliminates at least one exam appointment – as well as the staff expense, infection control, and PPE expense associated with that visit. If you want to reduce your operational costs, continue to promote teledentistry by creating a screening system with your staff.
Outsource Your Lab Work
By working with an independent, reliable dental lab, you can handle larger treatment plans, including different dental implant cases, fully edentulous hybrid denture cases, and other without investing a lot of capital upfront.
Maintaining an in-house lab can be extremely expensive, considering all the advanced equipment you’d need to buy, the space you need to house it, and the technicians you’ll need to hire to run it. An outside lab will not only save you money but also a lot of stress. Even if you own an in-office mill, a lab will oftentimes save you money in labor and chair time. Using a lab with value-priced offerings makes even low reimbursement cases profitable.
Contact Us For The Best Dental Implant Options
We understand that saving money while still providing your patients with dependable restorative solutions is vital to your dental practice. That’s why we at Trident Dental Laboratories offer you a variety of options to reduce the cost of the dental implant crowns and other cases you send to us.
We have been around for more than 30 years and we exclusively work with dentists who only want the best for their patients. Our highly-skilled technicians use the latest technology and materials to offer a complete suite of restorative options: crowns, bridges, dentures, bite guards, orthodontic appliances, and more.
Want to know more about our offerings? Call us at 800-221-4831 or write to us online.