Embarking on opening a new dental practice, you’re starting a business and establishing yourself as a dentist in your local area. Some challenges come with both. Opening a new dental office can be overwhelming and easily weighed down.
In this article, we share tips for opening a new dental office that will hopefully make things much easier. While success isn’t guaranteed, if you’re starting a dental practice and there’s a demand for a dentist in the marketplace, having a strong start is the best strategy.
Here are nine tips for opening a new dental office:
Tip #1: Consider taking on a partner
A new dental office that’s just you is tough enough. Consider partnering with another dentist or multiple other partners and sharing the office space while running the location as a partnership. This can alleviate some stress while giving you more key actors to bounce ideas off.
As you start hiring and marketing a dental office, like any business, where your skillset may lack, another partner’s may thrive.
Tip #2: Determine what services to offer
While a dentist will cover all of the basics of dentistry, there may be additional services you can offer more specialized. If you already have that training or a partner dentist does, it is easy to put down on paper what services those are.
There may be others you aspire to be able to provide but have yet to seek the training. It never hurts to plan what your dental office looks like today and where you want to take it.
Tip #3: Invest in high-quality equipment and supplies
Dentists require extensive amounts of equipment and supplies. A new dental office should have an inventory checklist and be actively seeking out where to buy each item.
Everything from chairs to x-ray machines, a dental dam, mirrors, computers, and more is important and must be ready when you open on day one at your new dental office.
Tip #4: Payment types must be decided on
Alongside each service, you are deciding what fees to assign them. It’s best to price services competitive with others in the area. Define what insurance plans you will accept.
Invest the time to research what you expect to make in terms of profits and revenues compared to expenses. These numbers are key to deciding where your revenues need to be.
Tip #5: Don’t overwork yourself with the hours
Set fixed hours. Make sure you have downtime for your mental health and outside interests. Don’t overwork yourself. It can be tempting to go and go some more and make the most money you can.
Giving yourself the stamina to keep going long-term without burning out is more important. Even though dentists can work long hours, ensure you aren’t going without self-care.
Tip #6: Vet and hire the right employees
A dental office takes more than a dentist to run. An entire team needs to be put in place, paid salaries and benefits, and they all have to get along and function as a team.
If you are new to the business, this may be the most challenging aspect of opening a new dental office. The right employees can make or break a medical office; seeking the right people for yours may take time.
Tip #7: See your practice from a patient’s perspective
Make the environment warm and welcoming for patients. Your waiting room, for example, will say so much about the quality of your services and how you do business. Have the right furniture, comfy carpets, a flat-screen television or background music to focus on, reading materials, free coffee, and some essential oils diffused in the air. You can use these strategies to make an amazing first impression.
Tip #8: Let the community know you exist
Dentists are needed all over the country. For a new dentist, it’s less about where you place your office and more about letting the local population know where to find you. Consider online and offline ads targeting community members and letting them know that a new dental office has opened.
To attract people, many new dentists will provide a ‘one time only’ new patient discount on select services.
Tip #9: Be patient attracting new patients
It may take time to build up your roster of patients. Most who need a dentist in the area on the day you arrive likely already have a dentist. That said, moves are happening every day. Your patient list will expand slowly but surely.
How you market your dental office and get the word out matters and can speed up the process. In the meantime, ensure you have the funds to cover 4-6 months’ of overhead expenses to carry you through.
