Attracting New Staff to Your Practice
Acquiring new staff has been a challenge this year but there have been a few options available for practice owners. Hiring a newer graduate may require more work in the onboarding and training process but allows you to mold and mentor the employee. Dental temp services have also greatly helped the industry during this time.
Maintain Safety Protocols to Protect Your Body and Mind
COVID-19 protocols and restrictions continued to ease this year, but it was important for dentists to keep up their safety measures. Our survey showed that providing sufficient safety protocols helped reduce staff stress, which helps with retaining staff. While PPE supply costs did rise, patients and staff remained safe.
Treating Staff as an Asset, Not an Expense
Treat staff salaries and benefits as investments, not expenses. Check in with your staff. Acknowledge the stresses they are experiencing and work to help them in any way you can. Put on fun events in and outside of your office. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of hiring new staff, treat your current staff well to cultivate appreciation and loyalty.
It’s Time to Update!
The transition of using more digital platforms to communicate has been happening for years and the pandemic only increased the need for it. Of the dentists that have been making changes, half of them are using text messaging more. Other new ways to communicate with your patients include social media and automated communication platforms.
Word of Mouth Stays On Top
Despite all of the new marketing methods available, dentists are still finding that word-of-mouth marketing works best to attract patients. Therefore, from the customer service to the clinical work, ensuring you and your staff are delivering the best work possible should always be your number one priority. Provide the best care so your patients can’t help but recommend you!
Planning Your Purchases
Despite the financial hits from the pandemic, over half of our reader respondents still planned on purchasing new equipment or technology this year. Operatory equipment was the most popular item planned to purchase and nearly half of dentists agreed they find out about new technology from events and tradeshows.
Retirement Trends in Dentistry
Many dentists have hastened their plans to retire due to the stress of the pandemic. This gives newer dentists an opportunity to take over for their mentors or buy their own practice. In fact, selling through a private sale is the most popular way dentists hope to retire.
As seen in the print issue of Oral Health December 2022
*In October and November 2021, Bramm Research, a third-party independent research house, conducted an online survey of active, practicing non-hospital affiliated dentists and dental specialists on behalf of Oral Health. Using Oral Health’s subscription list, a total of 264 completed surveys were tabulated. With a total sample of 264, the margin of error is plus or minus 6.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. If, for example, 50% of the sample indicated that agreed with a statement, then we can be reasonably sure (19 times out of 20) of an accuracy within +/- 6.0%. This means that a total census would reveal an answer of not less than 44.0% and not more than 56.0%.
Sponsored by 
