Can dental software stop a practice from failing? What causes dental business to fail? Both good questions, and ones that will be answered in this article.
Can Dental Software Save a Dental Business?
Can dental software stop a practice from failing? Not necessarily. When a practice reaches the point of failure, it is usually too late for anything, even good software to stop that downward spiral. The software usually deploys during a practice set up or a conversion process.
Usually, during conversion, necessary legacy systems incorporate into the new dental software system, hopefully as seamlessly as possible. However, there are no guarantees.
Ironically, implementation of the wrong dental software can adversely affect the dental practice. If the software is too difficult to use, or it doesn’t communicate interoffice, it could be a contributing factor towards the practice shutting its doors.
What Causes a Dental Practice to Fail?
What causes a dental practice to fail? To put it succinctly: bad decisions. If a dentist puts their practice somewhere that doesn’t have the greatest visibility and relies solely on foot traffic, then within three years tops, they will be likely calling a realtor.
Word of mouth, while an often effective way of getting new patients isn’t everything. A good, well-run practice should hire a marketing firm, and take advantage of the Internet.
In addition, if the rent is cheap but the visibility is bad, then that is merely a matter of getting signage to improve the visibility of the dental practice.
Another way that practices mess up is in how they think about themselves. If they think of themselves as a business first, and a service second, they are more likely to prosper.
Ultimately, a dentist has to wear a lot of hats, and know where to delegate. In addition to working on the oral health of his or her patients, a dentist also has to be a boss, a referee, and a traffic cop.
Everything must interconnect together and allow the practice to run smoothly. Why a smoothly running practice is more likely to succeed than one that isn’t the greatest is simple: reputation.
Remember when we discussed word of mouth? If your practice gains a reputation for bad management, everyone will look for another dentist instead of filling your waiting room. So use the tips and tricks that work, such as installing dental practice management software.
