Personal goals = personal growth = practice success

Did one of my recent articles get you thinking about planning for the end of the year? I talked about how you can make adjustments in your appointment book to make room for those last-minute new patients who are trying to get in before the end of the year so you can make your new patient goal number. I also discussed how you can forecast your appointment book production numbers to see if you are coming up short for your production goals. If you would like to re-read this article, CLICK HERE to be redirected.

These practice goals are not only important, but they are critical to the health of the office overhead and the stress level of the team. But what about you? What are your personal goals? When I was working in a practice, I got my hands on as much CE as I could handle. Do you know what goal I think you could set and accomplish by the end of the year? You could become a Dentrix Master and receive a certificate to prove it. This could be your personal end of the year goal.

Clinical CE is great and, for some of you in the dental practice, it is a requirement in order for you to maintain your license. Your entire day revolves around your practice management software and most offices have zero training or continuing education for the software you use every day. You all must maintain a certain level of knowledge of Dentrix in order to function on a daily basis. I am asking you to up your game and not just function, but excel. Become a Dentrix Master.

It’s easy to start and extremely rewarding to finish. The Dentrix Mastery Tracks were launched to help you learn more about your software, things you might not know exist and things you want to learn more about. This is your chance to set a personal goal and help your office at the same time.  I believe in you.

Your first test is free! 

To get started CLICK HERE and Create New User. Then enter code FreeTestDOM

Must Reads for Doctor, Assistant, Hygienist and Admin team

I was at the Henry Schein Center in Seattle today working with the new DTS (Digital Technology Sales), Tyler Call.  He wanted to learn more about Dentrix so he could present a more effective demo to prospective Dentrix clients. 

My first question to Tyler was “Who is your target audience? Which team

members attend your Dentrix demo?”  I remember when I demoed Dentrix back in 2003 I was the only participant in the process and my doctor just wrote the check. 

It was important for me to know who attends the sales call because each team member is going to have a different set of priorities. Just like all of you who read this blog, you all have a different set of priorities.  So I thought for the holiday weekend I would put together a priority list for the doctor, hygienist, dental assistant and admin team.  Here are the top three posts in each category.

Doctor’s must reads . . .

1. Super Efficient with Templates - For all the Dentrix users, I want to give you some help when it comes to building templates, which can be a huge time-saver in your office. Here are some of my favorite template tips.
2. How to Read Your Clinical Notes - With more offices every day transitioning from paper charts to electronic charting, we need to find the most efficient ways to not only document in the clinical record and view the information without having to click all over the place.
3. Top Five Reports Every Doctor Should Read - I received an e-mail from a doctor the other day who had a situation that needed attention. Her clinical team had started posting procedures in the patient chart and had accidentally posted a root canal as “complete” rather than “existing.”

Dental Assistant must reads . . .

1. What is the Status of the Lab Case?  Do any of these lab-related scenarios ever happen in your office?
2. How to Chart a Supernumerary Tooth - Our patients walk in with some unusual situations, but one of the more common situations I see is an extra tooth or Supernumerary Tooth. 
3. Health History Update, being prepared for anything - If your patient had a medical emergency and your team had to call 911, how long would it take you to pull up his or her most current medical history? 

Dental Hygienists must reads . . .

1. Oops, the wrong tooth was removed from the chart - Have you had a patient in your chair for his or her 6-month checkup and, while you are perio charting, you notice that the wrong tooth is missing. 
2. Hygienists, you are one of the primary educators in the practice - We all know that research shows the systemic links between oral health and the rest of the body, especially the relationship between periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory disease.
3. Where do I Make Notes - Do you ever find yourself searching endlessly for the patient’s most recent list of medications? What if the doctor wants to know if the patient has any allergies before the anesthetic is administered?

Admin team must reads . . .

1. Can you write me an excuse note for school?
2. Get Creative with your ASAP List - I was working with an office recently and they have a program specifically for patients who do not pre-appoint. These patients are mostly retired and have very flexible schedules. 
3. Are you a Stickler for Accurate Numbers - How often does a patient call and ask, “What is my balance?” If it is a single patient ledger, the answer is relatively simple. But what if a mother of five calls and asks for each of her kid’s balances? 

How to generate an Unscheduled Treatment Report for patients who have already said "Yes" to treatment.

Back in February, I wrote an article on using visual tools to help communicate the status of the treatment plan with your entire team. If you want to re-read it, CLICK HERE. If you have implemented some of these visual aids, did you know that you can filter one of the Treatment Plan reports to give you a narrower search?

Open the Treatment Planner or the Treatment Plan Panel in the chart and click on Print. For most of you, this is how you would print a treatment plan estimate for the patient … but have you ever printed the Practice Treatment Case Report? Even though I am all about going paperless, this report gives you some great search tools to find patients who have unscheduled treatment and have been marked with a particular status.

Going back to my February article, if you have marked the case with a particular status, then you can search for it. For example, let’s say you have marked a case as Accepted or High Priority, then it is now searchable. Click on the Print > Practice Case Status Report and select your filters. See the image below to follow along.

• Fig 1 shows how you can choose a Case Status. You can select all the cases you have marked as accepted and get a call list from this selection. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know how much I love the Treatment Manager. However, it does not have this filter (which I think is a great tool).
• Fig 2 shows how you can select a Case Severity. If you are marking your cases as Immediate, Eventual or Optional, then you can filter your report by one of these choices.

Using these visual tools can help you and your team communicate better and give your admin team the options necessary to generate a really good call list when they are following up with patients and trying to fill openings in the schedule.

These are just a couple of examples of how you can use the status and severity tools. You can discuss with your team how they would best serve your practice.

Health History Update . . . it's about being prepared for anything

If your patient had a medical emergency and your team had to call 911, how long would it take you to pull up his or her most current medical history? Is the list of current medications and allergies buried among all your clinical notes or does your most recently scanned health history form have the words “no changes” all over it, forcing you to continue searching back to the next scanned document … only to find the words “no changes” all over this one as well. It’s not just about being prepared for an emergency … it’s about being prepared for anything.

During the time I was working in my practice full time, my doctor performed complicated surgical procedures and placed dental implants on a regular basis. We had a patient whose dental implant did not integrate and she had several complications during the healing time and, in the end, we ended up removing the implant because it was just not in the cards for her. She decided that it had been the doctor’s fault that her implant failed and I remember working with our malpractice insurance company trying to piece together all her documentation into a timeline beginning with her first visit.

In my opinion, the health history should have at minimum six pieces of critical information. If you are a more detailed clinician, there are other pieces you can add as well. Here are my top six pieces and a few alternates . . .

1. Current medical conditions, recent surgeries and hospital visits. This should never say “no changes.” You should always have a list of what is current at this point in time. If they are diabetic last visit, they are more than likely diabetic now. List it. Don’t write “no changes.”
2. Current prescription medications, over the counter medications and herbal supplements. If their medication list didn’t change from last time, never write “no changes.” You should have a date stamp with their current medication list every time.
3. Current allergies, including reactions to local anesthetics. Again, if they are allergic to latex, then your health history update today should list Latex Allergy not “no changes.”
4. Today’s BP and pulse. I had a doctor recently say to me, “I am not their medical doctor and my patients say they will leave my practice if I force them to take blood pressure.” Okay there are two parts to this comment. First, you are their oral health physician so start acting like it. Second, if your patient is going to leave you because you care, let him or her go.
5. Emergency contact name, relationship and mobile number
6. Physician name and contact info
7. Tobacco use
8. Pregnancy (this could go in #1 even though it is a temporary condition)

I love using the Questionnaire module in Dentrix because it is efficient for your clinical team. There is no scanning and you can use an iPad or tablet if you do not have a monitor in the treatment room that the patient can see. The Dentrix Questionnaire module will turn any paper form into an electronic form and the way it auto-fills information from previous appointments makes it about a 30-second task for the clinician. These electronic forms can be digitally signed and locked up into history for added security.

If you would like a sample Health History Update that I use in many offices in the Questionnaire module, email me directly at dayna@raedentalmanagement.com.

I created a video on how to create an electronic form in the Questionnaire module and you can watch it by CLICKING HERE. 

Inactivating providers and team members . . . is it still on the back burner?

Does it drive you crazy scrolling through the list of providers every time you are trying to schedule an appointment when ¾ of them no longer work at your practice? How about when it is time to print out your payroll reports and you are having to sort through a list of team members who have been gone for years? Would you like to clean all this up but not sure really how to do it or what ramifications it will have on your system?

Inactivating providers and team members is one of those tasks put on the back

burner and then just piles up for the next person to remedy. I think one reason it doesn’t get done is that all workstations have to be closed out of Dentrix in order for you to perform this task. My recommendation would be to do it at the same time you run month end since you have to dismiss everyone out of Dentrix for this task as well.

Once you are ready to inactivate some providers, then you get stuck because you have to choose a replacement. What does this mean? Who do I choose? Here are the most important things to remember . . .

• When you choose a replacement provider, it does not change anything in history so don’t worry about the patient ledger being altered. Inactivating a provider and choosing his or her replacement will swap out anything in the future. For example, any future appointments will be changed to the replacement provider, any treatment planned procedures will be changed to the replacement provider, the default insurance claim provider may be switched and, if you have selected a specific continuing care provider, they will be replaced as well.
• If you are inactivating your primary provider (PROV1 in the Family File), the replacement provider will take over in this role. This is common in a practice sale or transition. The PROV1 is used on many reports in Dentrix.
• When you inactive a provider, all Time Clock data will be removed so make sure you have payroll reports as a backup.
• If you are using Future Due Payment Plans, the assigned provider will be replaced as well.

I think once you understand that none of your history will be altered, it makes the process easier to swallow. The most significant change will happen if you are inactivating one of your primary providers because this will change the PROV1 in the family file and will affect some reports. Hopefully this helps and will allow you to move forward with this necessary task.

Hygienists . . . you are one of the primary educators in the practice

We all know that research shows the systemic links between oral health and the rest of the body, especially the relationship between periodontal disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and respiratory disease. As oral health providers, it is our responsibility to educate our patients about the significance of periodontal disease and how it will affect the rest of their body.

One of the tools you have as a hygienist is the Dentrix perio chart module, but do you know everything that it will do to help you with visual aids for educating your patients? Let me show you a few of my favorite things you can do with your perio chart.

1. Use the Graphic Chart to show your patient what a 9mm pocket looks like or where there is a lot of bleeding. You can enlarge a specific quadrant or arch to show specific areas in more detail by clicking on the + in the corners and center of the graphic chart. You can also click on the Show Options button to include the data measurements.
   
2. If you want to show your patient any changes in their perio chart, you can compare up to four exams at a time. I would recommend only comparing two exams at a time because then it will show you a colored arrow if the pocket depth got better or worse (a green arrow means it got better and a red arrow means it got worse).
   
3. You can print both of these two visual aids for your patient to take home.

As the hygienist, you are one of the primary educators in the practice. Use the tools you have in your software to enhance the case acceptance for perio therapy and help your patients work toward a healthy lifestyle. These diagnostic techniques are extremely important to getting your claims paid, but far more important is educating your patients about the link between other oral health and systemic diseases.

Create an environment for efficiency and accuracy with customizing your toolbars

What do I love about Dentrix? I love the fact that you can customize almost anything. I realize that some people think that too many choices leads to confusion and lack of efficiency, but I think the exact opposite. If you can narrow down the choices to exactly what you want in your practice on your monitor, on your reports, on your toolbar, etc., I feel it makes things more precise and streamlined.

I have written a lot of articles on building customized templates, clinical charting button sets, and creating consistent views for the treatment rooms. This systematic type of setup creates an environment where team members thrive on routine and it also creates fewer mistakes. I often hear during training sessions, “What do all these icons do?” or “Do I really need all these icons on my toolbar?” Well . . . the answer is not usually.

In the treatment room workstations, just like you create custom button sets and appointment book views, I would recommend removing several of the icons from the toolbar that your clinical team will never use in the operatory. By cleaning up the toolbars, the eyes have less to scan through which helps make you more efficient. There are two different ways to clean up your toolbars . . .  

The toolbars on the Patient Chart have a drop down menu where you can add and remove items by checking and unchecking. I would recommend setting all the toolbars exactly the same in every treatment room because when the doctor, assistant, or hygienist has to go work in a different room, you want it to look the same. Here are a few icons you could remove (not should, but could) from the toolbars on the Patient Chart. If you decide to remove more than what I have listed, be my guest.

•  DxWeb – In my last blog, you learned that this runs on only one computer (usually a front office computer) so there is no need for it in the back.
• DentriXlink – Unless you are bridging a piece of technology (imaging, CT scan, etc) with Dentrix, you will not use this icon in the back.
• QuickLetters – Most clinical room computers are not equipped with Microsoft Word so this will not work without Word.
• Send Message – Most clinical room computers are not equipped with Microsoft Outlook so this will not work without using Outlook. Also, you would want to send out any protected patient information using a secure email server.
• Treatment Manager – This icon will pull up a report on unscheduled treatment. Since this is a managerial report and will require a phone to be handy so you can call the patient, this icon will typically not be used in the clinical room.
• Marketplace – Even though the Marketplace has some awesome tools that work with your Dentrix software, I hope that the clinical team members are not shopping while they are seeing patients. This can be removed from the clinical room computers.

On all the other modules (Appointment Book, Family File, Ledger, Office Manager), you will need to right click on the empty space on the toolbar to add, remove, and move around the icons. Here are a few recommendations for which workstations should have what on their toolbar.

• If you are using Perfect Day Scheduling in your practice, then I would make sure that it is turned on the clinical room computers so you can see all the blocks but then remove this icon off the appointment book. I have seen Perfect Day Scheduling get accidentally turned off and then all the blocks disappear off the schedule.
• The DxWeb icon can be removed from the computers where it does not run every day.
• The DentriXlink can be removed from the administrative modules if you want.

Keeping your toolbars consistent and clean will create an environment of efficiency and accuracy. Like I said before, “I love how much I can customize Dentrix. It is a wonderful thing!”

Four ways you can import a patient picture into Dentrix

You step into your reception room to bring your patient, Carrie, into the treatment room and you realize there are two patients sitting there who are about the same age. Who is Carrie? You have never met her so you just throw her name out there and see who responds. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could prepare yourself a little bit more by having a current picture of Carrie?

There are a few different ways to pull in a picture of your patients, depending on which imaging software you are using and if you want to use a webcam. There is an icon on your toolbar for Patient Picture, which has four options for importing your patient picture.

• If you have a webcam installed on your front office computer, you can use the Acquire feature and select the webcam or iPad to take a picture. I have an office that has started using an iPad as their webcam and it is working great.
• Many practices are using a digital camera for intraoral images and saving the images in some kind of image gallery software. If you know the location of the images, you can use the Import from File feature to pull in your patient picture.
• For the offices that are using DEXIS, using the Copy from Clipboard feature is the easiest feature to use in my opinion. From your Dentrix patient chart, double click on the image you want to use as your patient picture (many of my offices are using their intraoral camera to take a face shot), then click on the arrow on the top toolbar and click on copy to clipboard. Then, open the Patient Picture icon and click on Paste from Clipboard.
• For the offices that are not using DEXIS for your imaging software, using the Screen Capture feature to acquire the patient picture will be the best option for you. Open your imaging software so you have the picture you want to import in view, then open the Patient Picture icon in Dentrix. Click on the Screen Capture feature and your cursor will change shape so you can make a box around the picture and it will appear in the Patient Picture window.

Click Save and you now have a current snapshot of your patient. This will eliminate the guesswork when you walk out to the reception room to summon your patient.

Top 10 features in Dentrix you are not using

In 2003, my dental practice converted from an archaic DOS-based dental software to the impressive and robust Dentrix practice management software. To say the least, I was completely overwhelmed. Two years later, in 2005, I still felt like I hadn’t even scratched the surface of my new powerful software’s potential so I applied to become a Certified Dentrix Trainer in order to learn everything there was to know about the Dentrix program. What better way to learn than to get a certificate?

Now I know that not everyone has the opportunity to become a Dentrix trainer like I did, but with a little self-motivation and some tips from me, you will be well on your way to being a “Dentrix super user.” Since I am working with dental practices every day, I have the unique opportunity to see what features they are using, what features they are not using, and what features they have no idea even exist. My goal today is to give you my top 10 you might not even know exist.

1. Quick Letters and Letter Merge – Maybe this sounds familiar . . . you have a folder on your desktop with all of your office’s letters you send out to patients, including collection letters, welcome letters, and letters to specialists. When it is time to send a letter, you edit the date, enter the patient’s name, address, and salutation, then sign the letter and scan it into the document center. That process sounds like a lot of work to me. Why not add your custom letters into the Quick Letters or Letter Merge with the proper merge fields and let Dentrix do all the work for you? The best part is it will automatically put a note on the Office Journal and you can “Send to the Dentrix Document Center” without scanning (see #5 on the list).  Here are some more blog posts related to this feature . . .
1. Send letters that make an impact . . . CLICK HERE
2. Can you write me an excuse note . . . CLICK HERE
2. Dentrix Mobile – Have you ever been sitting in the comfort of your home watching the weather forecast and hoping that the power doesn’t go out … then suddenly there’s nothing but darkness. You check the office and the power is also out there … so how are you going to let your patients know not to come in? Has your doctor ever been out of town and received a call from a patient requesting a drug refill but he or she has no way of checking the last prescription or the patient’s last visit unless he or she goes into the office? Both of these two common scenarios can be solved just by registering for Dentrix Mobile. It’s included in your Dentrix customer support plan so there is absolutely no excuse for not using this service.
1. Three reasons you should be using Dentrix Mobile . . . CLICK HERE
2. A lifeline to your patient info . . . CLICK HERE
3. Payment Agreements – I wrote an article called “Get it out of your head and into the computer” back in April 2014. The theme of the article was speaking to office managers who store all their verbal payment agreements in their head. What I am seeing is this is still happening, but I am also seeing new doctors purchasing practices with a significant amount of the accounts receivable over 90 days past due or new office managers taking over a practice where there has been no management of the accounts receivable. Using the Payment Agreement feature in Dentrix will not only help you get organized with patients who are making payments, but also allow the entire team to see on the ledger what the arrangement is with the account.
1. Two options to help you manage your A/R . . . CLICK HERE
2. Get the info out of your head and into the computer . . . CLICK HERE
4. Tracking Gratuities and Referrals - Do you know where your new patients are coming from? Are they hearing about you from friends, Google Search, or the ValPak flyer that cost you $15,000 to send out? Your marketing dollars depend on where patients are being referred from so you should know where to continue spending money and where to stop. When a patient refers a new patient, do you give him or her a thank you gift? Would you like to track if you gave the referral source a Starbucks or Home Depot gift card last time or be able to track a referral source’s gratuity history? Tracking referrals and gratuities in Dentrix is super easy and gives the doctor a lot of good information about where to spend marketing dollars … but I find most offices never use this useful tool.
1. Building relationships one referral at a time . . . CLICK HERE
2. Keep tight reins on your referred patients . . . CLICK HERE
5. Sending to the Dentrix Document Center – This will save your team a ton of time in unnecessary scanning, unnecessary wasted paper, and unnecessary hard drive storage space. When you scan a document into the Document Center, it takes many more steps and the file size of a scanned document is about 100 times larger (just a guess) than that of a file send electronically through the Dentrix Document Center printer driver. Anything you want to print can be virtually printed to the Document Center for file storage. This is such an amazing yet underused feature.
1. A little known secret . . . CLICK HERE
6. Perfect Day Scheduling – Close your eyes for a moment and imagine if you could see your patients on time, complete 80% of your production goal before lunch, get out for lunch on time, and finish your day without pulling the roller skates out of the closet. This can be a reality if you create it. Take control of your appointment book with Perfect Day Scheduling. When you use perfect day scheduling, your team knows exactly how to schedule because you have mapped it out for them. There is no room for error.
1. What if everyday could be a perfect day . . . CLICK HERE
2. The new patient experience, scheduling the appointment . . . CLICK HERE
7. Goal Tracking – Every dental practice has production and collection goals they need to meet in order to keep the financial state of the business healthy. I always encourage doctors to share these goals with the team and be transparent with the key performance numbers with the team. There are several places in Dentrix to watch and monitor your practice goals so the team can strategize and work together on exceeding the goals. You can monitor your goals on the monthly calendar, Practice Advisor Report, and the Daily Huddle.
1. Let's do some goal setting . . . CLICK HERE
2. Looking ahead to  . . . CLICK HERE
8. More Information Button – Have you ever been on the phone with a mom and she wants to know when her three kids and husband are scheduled next for all their future appointments … but you’re not sure what’s the most efficient way to find all these appointments for the entire family? Try the More Information button and I can guarantee you will fall in love with this super quick search tool. You can find the More Information feature on all Dentrix modules. When you are selecting a patient anywhere in Dentrix, you will see it at the lower left corner of the window.
9. Create Batch of Primary Dental Claims – Are you sure you have batched and sent off all your insurance claims from last week? How about last month? Use this second pair of eyes to double check and make sure all your claims have been sent out. Not only will this give you peace of mind, but also keep your accounts receivable out of the 90-day past due column.
1. Are all your insurance claims going out . . . CLICK HERE
10. Patient-Friendly Descriptions – Do your patients often ask what a “resin 2surf, post” or a “Crown-porc fused noble metal” is? Or is your practice in an area where English is not the primary language for many of your patients? If you would like to create a treatment plan that your patients would more easily understand and helps them understand what each procedure is, then start using patient-friendly descriptions. With Dentrix G6.1, it is even easier to use because you can edit these descriptions in the procedure code edit.
1. No speak English, no worries . . . CLICK HERE

Have fun experimenting with these features and working toward increasing your level of efficiency and customer service. Drop me a line at dayna@raedentalmanagement.comif you have other questions. I’m happy to help.

What if your lab cases were linked to the patient chart . . . would you be interested?

There is so much more that goes into going paperless than eliminating your paper chart. Since launching my Path to Paperless coaching and presentation, I have watched the digital landscape evolve significantly. With the addition of the HIPAA Security Rule in 2005, dramatic changes had to occur in order for the dental practice to become compliant with the exchange of electronically protected health information. To this day, many dental practices are still not compliant with the HIPAA Security Rule.

One of the most challenging information exchanges is in the form of images and digital impressions to your lab. My goals is to find solutions that are have a user-friendly interface for the team, seamless integration into your practice management software, and a low-cost price tagfor the office. I found that with DDX. This web-based software solution has it all.

When I found out that DDX is woven right in to the Dentrix Patient Chart, Document Center, and Lab Case Manager, I knew I had to get the word out. Here are some of the ways DDX and Dentrix talk to each other.

• You will get a new tab at the bottom of your Dentrix Chart, along with the Progress Notes and Clinical Notes tabs. This gives you and your team easy access to your digital lab files.
• When you create a lab case, DDX automatically creates a clinical note in the patient’s chart, avoiding any missed documentation.
• DDX is fully integrated with the Dentrix Lab Case Manager for better case management and scheduling.
• All lab case summaries are automatically entered into the Document Center as a PDF file. This makes it easily accessible for review or transferring to another provider.

If you are using Dentrix G5 or higher, you have probably seen the DDX icon on your tool bar and wondered what it does. If this is a solution you or your doctors are looking for in your practice, CLICK HERE to learn more.

Are you an organizational freak?

I am an organization freak. If you walk into my closet, you will find my clothes arranged not only by style but also by color. Everything has a place. The same thing applies for organizing your patient’s chart. I go into offices that use color-coded forms in their paper chart or stickers to designate certain things.

When you are organizing your patient chart in Dentrix, you can organize certain things to make it work better for you and more efficient for your team. If you are using the clinical note templates, you will notice that there are about 17 categories listed. What I find in every office I work with is that they probably use about six of those categories. For example, a general dentist might have templates in Hygiene, Restorative, Fixed Prosthetics, Periodontics, and Endodontics, where as a pediatric dentist might only use Hygiene, Exams, and Restorative.

My point is that when you have 17 categories listed and you are only using four to six of them get rid of the ones you are not using. You have the flexibility here to combine, eliminate, and add your own categories. Make the list work for you.

First, go in and delete any clinical note templates you will never use then delete the category. For example, if you are a periodontist then delete the endo templates and the endo category. Next, rearrange the categories so that the most frequently used categories are on the top. Finally, create categories that are not listed but you would use in your office. I have worked with some offices where we have created categories for Products, TMJ, Sleep Apnea, etc. If your practice has multiple doctors, you can create categories specific for their templates. For example, Dr. John’s templates, Dr. Joe’s templates, Susie’s templates, etc.

Keeping things organized helps your team become more efficient and productive. Take advantage of all the customization that your Dentrix software has to offer and you will become a super-user.

Check out other blog posts on the topic of customization and efficiency in your patient chart:

Become Super Efficient with your Templates

Stop all that Clicking

Business of Dentistry . . . why it's my favorite conference of the year

It’s that time of year. It’s time to get your doctor and your team registered for the Business of Dentistry Conference. As you have heard me talk about before, I have never missed a conference and I am going to give you 5 reasons you and your team should not miss it either. This year's conference is being held Oct 7th - 10th in sunny Florida.

 

1. You will be repeating the words “I didn’t know Dentrix could do that! I can’t believe how we are under-utilizing our practice management software.” Even if you have been using Dentrix for over 10 years, I can guarantee you will learn things that you didn’t know existed. Last year, I taught the advanced Billing and Collections class and my class was filled with doctors excited to learn how the software could help their practices meet production goals. It was eye-opening.
2. There is something to learn for every member of your team. Especially the dentist!  This year the Business of Dentistry is offering more clinical technique and technology courses than ever before.   The Dentrix courses have a skill level from entry level to advanced so the attendees can choose the level that best fits their knowledge of the software. This conference attracts some of the most sought-after consultants and they tailor their presentations to fit into the Dentrix agenda so you not only get amazing practice management educational material but you also get tips on how to implement it into your practice management software.  Check out the course listing by CLICKING HERE.
3. Don’t miss the Learning Lab. This is my favorite part of the Business of Dentistry Conference. This is where you get to bring your questions and sit down with a knowledgeable support tech and get one-on-one help. If you are having issues with Dentrix, eServices, Easy Dental, or Enterprise, bring it to the Learning Lab. Here’s a tip: Take screen shots and print them out so you can show the team your issue (make sure you black out any patient information).
4. Learn about third-party software that integrates with your Dentrix software. The vendors pour out into the hallways just waiting to tell you how their product, along with your Dentrix software, can help your practice more profitable, secure, or productive. Since Dentrix G5 opened up the Marketplace, there are many third-party companies that enhance your software in so many ways. I will have a booth at this year's conference so come by say Hi and check out what I have to offer you and your team. 
5. Finally . . . have some fun and enjoy spending time with your team! This year’s conference is being held at the amazing Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in sunny Kissimmee, Florida.  Henry Schein always brings the fun to this conference. I can remember bowling parties and dance parties that were off the charts. I can’t wait to see what this year has to offer.

With all the details to remember we sometimes forget things . . .

It’s the little things that make a huge difference in the daily lives of the dental team. There are so many details to remember in order to make sure your patients are well taken care of. One of those details you don’t want to forget is giving patients post-op instructions after their surgery or complicated dental procedure. When you are managing a busy schedule, making sure the instruments get into the sterilizer, and turning your room over for the next patient, sometimes things can get missed. How can you systematize your post-op instructions? Let me show you. J

You can add a doctor’s recommendation note to print out on the patient walkout statement or set up a separate post-op letter to print out in addition to your patient walkout statement. This can be set up to print automatically on the patient’s receipt, depending on what procedure code has been posted complete.

To set this up, go to the Office Manager > Maintenance > Practice Setup > Procedure code setup. Select the code you want to attach the post-op instructions to and click Edit. In my example, I have selected the D3310 Root Canal Therapy. In the lower left of the code edit window, there is a button Edit Note. Click on this. In the lower window where it says Recommendation Note, type your post-op instructions (or copy and paste from another document), then check “Print Note on Walkout.” Repeat this process for all your surgical and complicated procedures.

 

If your office wants a full letter to be printed out with the patient’s receipt, you can set up a letter to attach to the walkout statement and it will print as a separate piece of paper. You will notice directly under the Print Note on Walkout there is a Recommendation Documents >>. If you click on the >>, it will open up the same document folder you would use for your Quick Letters or Letter Merge.

The final step is to default this not to print on your walkout statements from the ledger. From the Ledger, click on the Print tab at the top of the toolbar, click on Walkout, then make sure there is a check mark in the Print Doctor’s Recommendations and check Set as Default. Now you have systematized your post-op instructions for every procedure code to automatically print as part of the patient’s receipt instead of sifting through folders of pre-printed forms.

Expand your Medical Alert Notes with G6 and Questionnaries

When I first saw all the new and exciting features with Dentrix G6, I was eager to learn how to apply them into my everyday workflow. There is a new feature that enhances something I have been teaching for a long time and that is the health history update. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love using the Questionnaire Module for updating the health history update because it is a secure location, keeps a chronological history, and is super easy to use.

Watch my video to learn about this cool new feature.

 

 

If you are new to Questionnaires, please read these articles to learn more.

Creating a form - CLICK HERE
New Patient Forms - CLICK HERE
Documentation - CLICK HERE
 

Dentrix G6 launch . . . . be amazed!

I had the pleasure of talking with Brad Royer, the Dentrix product manager, about the release of Dentrix G6.  The launch date is scheduled on April 30, 2015 during the California Dental Association meeting.  Stop by the Dentrix booth during CDA to see all of the amazing features but you can watch our interview now to hear about the highlights.

Dentrix G6 demonstrates our commitment to listen to our customers. We have been gathering customer feedback via our online suggestion box, social medial polls, and industry conferences. One of the messages we have heard is that you are looking for easier upgrades and thoroughly tested software. We believe that Dentrix G6 addresses this request.

We are also committed to providing new and improved features and functionality to our Dentrix customers on a consistent basis. With Dentrix G6, we are pleased to offer customers exceptional new tools, features, and functionality.  Brad Royer, Dentrix Product Manager

Oops! What to do when the wrong tooth was posted

Have you had a patient in your chair for his or her 6-month checkup and, while you are perio charting, you notice that the wrong tooth is missing. After further investigation, you realize that the patient was in for an extraction three months ago, but the wrong tooth was set complete. You don’t know what to do, but the tooth chart needs to be fixed.

This happens more than you think. Sometimes the mistake is caught before month end is run and the procedures are locked up in history so it can be fixed with just a change of the tooth number. But what do you do when the procedure has been posted, sent to the insurance company, paid, and put in history? Do you leave it? No, that is not the right answer. You must correct it and, if the patient has insurance, you should correct it with the insurance carrier as well.

The correct way to fix this situation after the procedure is to invalidate the procedure in history, post the correct procedure and tooth number, and then adjust the ledger as necessary. There are two steps here . . . invalidate and the adjustment. When you invalidate a procedure, it only takes the procedure off the tooth chart. It does not change the ledger. You can invalidate the procedure from the patient chart or the ledger. From the ledger, double click on the procedure and click on the Invalidate Procedure in the upper left corner of the edit procedure window. From the patient chart, you can highlight the procedure, right click and select invalidate, or highlight the procedure and click on the invalidate icon on the toolbar.

After you have invalidated the procedure, then you can repost it on the ledger and make an adjustment to correct the patient balance. You will also need to fix the history with the patient’s insurance company … but this can be challenging. More than likely, you will need to send in clinical notes to prove the mistake and even send in X-rays.

In the end, having an accurate clinical record for your patient is the recommended option. Your patients’ clinical histories will follow them when they move or change insurance companies so it is best to keep their records as accurate as possible.

Best Practices for Your Team . . . weekly

Last week, we focused on what was important or the “best practice” for your daily protocol.  Today, we want to move to your weekly systems.  I teach my offices about practicing on the business side of dentistry the same things you preach to your patients in the clinical side of dentistry . . .  “prevention will help keep you out of emergency situations.”  Living in a preventative rather than reactive frame of mind will reap tremendous benefits to your practice.

What I mean by that is putting systems in place and carving out time in your busy schedule to work your reports, follow up with patients and communicating with your specialists on a weekly basis. 

·        Treatment Coordinator – Your main focus is case management and following up with patients who have unscheduled treatment.  When patients walk out of the office without scheduling the crown on #30, you can’t expect them to call, you need to follow up.  The treatment coordinator should be working three reports every week.  You will need to carve out at least 2-3 hours a week of uninterrupted time for this.  

o   Treatment Manager Report – This is your chart audit.  I know some of you are still printing the Unscheduled Treatment Report … stop doing it!  The Treatment Manager is your go-to report for managing unscheduled treatment and one of the reports for keeping your schedule full.  For more details on this report, CLICK HERE.

o   Referred TO Report – When your clinical team is treatment planning and attaching the referral to a procedure code, that patient is automatically added to this report.  Anytime your patient must complete a procedure (i.e. implant placement, root canal, perio surgery) before they can return to your office for the restorative treatment, someone must be making a follow-up call to make sure that treatment is getting completed so you can move forward with that patient care. For more information on how to track referrals, CLICK HERE

o   Unscheduled List – This list should be worked by the hygiene coordinator and the treatment manager.  Follow up with these patients and get them rescheduled. Don’t let them sit on this report for more than six weeks.  For more information on this report, CLICK HERE

·        Hygiene Coordinator – Your main focus is following up with patients who are past due for their recare visit.  Yes, you should have some kind of automated system for sending email, text messaging, and postcards. However, you will still need to pick up the phone and make some calls.  Also, you might want to consider having a patient reactivation system for those patients who are severely overdue.   So how do you keep tight reins on your recare patients?

o   Continuing Care List – This is your go-to list for finding patients who are overdue.  To make this task more streamlined, create yourself some custom lists so you can filter down your lists and it is easier to delegate.  CLICK HERE for more information on this report

o   Unscheduled List – Just like the Treatment Manager, you must work this list on a weekly basis and keep it current.  Don’t let your recare patients sit on this list forever. Follow up with them and delete them off the list if they are not returning your call.  For more information on this list, CLICK HERE

·        Financial Coordinator – You have a big job … collecting the money.  Your team depends on you for results.  If you are not collecting 100% on the day of service, then your accounts receivable needs attention.  There are two reports you must manage on a weekly basis.

o   Insurance Aging Report – This unfortunately is the only report in Dentrix that you have to print (keep sending in your Enhancement Requests for an interactive report).  Insurance companies should pay you within 30 days . . . period!  This will require you to follow up on unpaid claims.  For more information on this report, CLICK HERE

o   Collection Manager Report – Contrary to what you might hear, the Aging Report is NOT your best report for managing patient accounts receivable.  The Collection Manager is much more interactive and will give you more up to date results of your true A/R.  For more information on this report, CLICKHERE.

·        Clinical Team – There are definitely things in the clinical area that need attention on a weekly basis, such as ordering of supplies, stocking rooms, maintenance of equipment and managing your in-house lab.  However, you can definitely help with some of the reports I shared above.

o   Continuing Care – The hygienists can assist with calling patients who are past due if you have an opening in your schedule.

o   Referred TO Report – The dental assistants can help follow up on patients who have been referred to specialists, especially if it requires ordering parts or scheduling lab time.

o   Lab Case Manager – If you are using the Lab Case Manager, you could make sure cases are set to come in on time or use it to track lab fees.  For more information on the Lab Case Manager, CLICK HERE.

Read back on last week’s article and put it together with this one and I can almost guarantee your monthly reports will be right on target.  This is how you manage a practice … by having systems in place for your daily and weekly tasks then you can celebrate when you review your monthly reports. 

My next blog will focus on the monthly systems and my favorite reports in Dentrix.

Best Practices for your team . . . daily

I have written many articles in my blog about all the different reports you should be looking at and the different statistics that are important to keep your eye on … but what is the “best practice” for these reports? Who should be looking at them and when? In the next three weeks, my goal is to give a guideline for these questions. I will be breaking it down into a daily, weekly, and monthly format and what each team member should be monitoring in his or her department.

This first week of the series, we are going to start with what you need to be looking at on a daily basis. 

·        Front Office or Back Office – Someone on the team needs to be looking at the daysheet and matching it up to what was scheduled for the day. This can be the office manager looking at the whole day or break it up with the dental assistant and hygienists looking at their own column of patients. You are looking to make sure that every patient who came in had the correct procedures posted and that nothing else was accidently set as “complete.”

·        Back Office – The clinical team needs to make sure that there was a clinical note written for every patient you saw in your chair that day. If you are chartless, the easiest way to do this is to filter the view with completed work and clinical notes in the patient chart on the progress notes tab. For more on this, CLICK HERE for more information.

·        Office Manager – There are a couple of management statistics I would check on a daily basis because it will make reviewing the monthly numbers a whole lot easier if you have monitored it throughout the month. All these numbers can be found on the Daily Huddle Report, CLICK HERE for more information.

o   New Patients – Make sure every new patient who is entered has a referral source so your doctor knows how the patients are finding his or her office. Also, this is a good time to write out your thank you notes to referral sources and your new patients.

o   Case Acceptance – How much was diagnosed vs. how much was scheduled? If this is low, check to see if the treatment plan was scheduled and not marked as completed.

o   Collections - If collections for the day were low, why?

o   Production – Are you on track for the month?

If you look at these numbers on a daily basis, then you will have a much better chance for success of meeting your monthly goals. You also have time to make adjustments in your schedule and systems if you don’t wait to the last minute.