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Rhea Neycheril
Mrs. McMenemy
Capstone
3 November, 2016
Timed Writing 3: Growing a Dental Practice
True success of a dental practice is displayed in its ability to grow and expand. Without
reaching new people and going to different places, a business will be less likely to generate a
steady flow of revenue. Growth and expansion are fundamental components of a dental practice
because they draw new opportunities for the dentist and make it easier for a dentist to leave a
lasting impact in the community.In order to effectively grow a dental practice in todays industry,
it is imperative to strategically choose the location of your practice, be innovative, and analyze
the current business.
A dentist must have strategy and vision when choosing where to practice because
different geographical locations attract different types of patients, and overhead expenses vary
depending on location. It is important to choose a strategic location to build a practice in the
beginning, so that once you want to expand your practice you can do so in the most cost effective
fashion. In essence, a doctor should yearn to practice in a location that will give him a financial
advantage and financial security while all other variables are held constant. The age of a patient
and the level of development of a location play important roles in the financial success of a
practice. Aging patients have respect for your time; they are more likely to arrive early, and they
are less likely to cancel. Aging patients also tend to be available for appointments during lowdemand office hours, and they often pay their bills promptly (Rang). This greatly helps dentists
as these patients increase financial security and stability. Therefore, it is beneficial to practice
near rural location because they tend to have more elderly people. Practicing in rural areas is also
very advantageous because there are fewer large corporations and/or manufacturers that provide
reduced-fee dental insurance to their employees (Rang). Here, facility costs and practice
overhead expenses are also much cheaper. Elderly patients maintain a stable patient volume since
they have more frequent, routine appointments. However a disadvantage of practicing in a rural
area is that many elderly people are not active on social media and other online forums. This may
lead to a lack of response to such digital forms of marketing and enrichment. In regards to having
a second practice, it is very likely to be a burden on the dentist unless strong management efforts
take place. You will need to hire additional staff, train them in your systems and processes, and
likely split your clinical time between the two locations. If you can manage the strain on your
time and eventually grow both locations to be able to hire one or two associates, you can be very
successful financially in this scenario (Melone). While it is inevitably going to be more
challenging to operate two practices compared to one, planning ahead and wisely choosing a
location will alleviate worries and troubles faced.
Teaching, demonstrating, and sharing dental knowledge through innovative methods such
as T.V. shows, corporate partnerships, novels, or educational programs greatly helps popularize a
dentist and grow a dental practice. Dental icon, Dr. Bill Dorfman, credits much of his success
and popularity in the field to starring as a celebrity dentist in two TV shows, writing a novel, and
starting a nonprofit student leadership program (Sadri). These are all non traditional ways that
dentists are able to share their knowledge and passion about dentistry with the community while
simultaneously gaining clientele and public approval. In an interview with Bylman Sadri, Dr.
Dorfman states, Dont wait for opportunities. Create them. If you are just waiting around and

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waiting for people to knock on your door, youre gonna go broke. You need to create
opportunities and when you get those opportunities, you need to really take advantage of them
(Sadri). Its certainly not easy to write your own novel or end up starring in a popular TV show,
but Dr. Dorfman emphasizes that nothing in life is easy. Great results come from great hardship,
and it requires effort, dedication, and foresight to create success. The innovation that Dr.
Dorfman displays is a byproduct of the continual learning and desire for giving that he values
and maintains. Dr. Dorfman is the founder of LEAP, a nonprofit student leadership program, and
he is a longtime member of the Crown Council, a network of dentists across the globe that focus
on business management and giving back to the community. Partaking in these philanthropic
efforts enhances practice growth as it impacts patients in a more personal and emotional manner.
Analysing your business by looking at specific performance metrics will demonstrate
how your practice is performing in certain criterias. This helps dentists see what areas they need
to improve on in order to effectively grow their practice and increase ROI. Without dividing
practice performance into varying categories and assessing factors affecting them, dentists and
staff will not know what needs to be implemented or changed in order to see growth and success.
By analyzing performance, a dentist is also able to notice trends in the industry itself. This helps
dentists plan for the future and reach conclusions about what they have learned. Performance
metrics include percentage of patients scheduled at all times, percentage of no-shows and lastminute cancellations, rate of acceptance of all treatment, including elective and comprehensive,
hygiene production as a percentage of total production, collection of fees owed to the practice
(Levin). Analysing a variety of performance factors allows dentists to produce a more accurate
analysis. In addition, in order for results to be substantial and truthful the analysis must be
objective. Without objectivity, the examination has a greater chance of being unprofessional,
biased, and non advantageous. However, a straightforward and professional analysis can go a
long way in creating both longterm and shortterm growth and success for a practice. Because of
the difficulty of maintaining objectivity while performing such examinations, it is encouraged to
hire a third party evaluator who can provide useful feedback.
Growing a practice is something all dentists face. There is not one definitive way to
successfully grow a practice. However, this can naturally and gradually be accomplished if
dentists constantly think outside the box. Ultimately, creating personalized success in dentistry is
the same as it is in any competitive industry. When there are thousands of companies offering the
same clinical services, the successful dentist must strategically analyze external and internal
factors that his service revolves around in order to increase patient flow and generate profit.

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Works Cited
Levin, Roger. "Dental Practice Turnarounds Begin with a Business Analysis." DentistryIQ. \
PennWell Corporation, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
Melone, Maria. "Practice Growth-what Are Your Options?" Dental Practice Growth-what Are
Dentists' Options? PennWell Corporation, 19 May 2016. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
Rang, Paul. "Best Place To... Practice? - Dental Economics." DentistryIQ. PennWell
Corporation, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.
Sadri, Bylman. "Interview With a Dental Icon: Dr. Bill Dorfman - DentistryIQ." DentistryIQ.
PennWell Corporation, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2016.

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