If you’ve been running a solo dental practice for ten years or more, you may be looking at not being a one-man dentistry machine. That’s understandable; dentistry is a great profession, but the daily treadmill of patients ultimately does bad things to dentists’ necks and backs.
Not only that, but you might be yearning for some variety in what you do. There are only so many routine exams and drill-and-fills you can do before they become more of a chore than something fulfilling.
Or maybe you’re in the fortunate position of having more patients and prospects than you can handle. Congratulations on your success, but that high demand means that time away from the practice is something that probably won’t happen any time soon.
Three Scenarios, One Solution
No matter the reason why you’re considering hiring an associate, it makes sense to plan ahead.
If yours is a high-volume practice, and there’s no sign that demand is going to slow, adding another dentist is a temporary fix. You’ll experience a lessening of demand on your schedule, but it’s very likely to fill up again after a while. With an associate in place, you might be able to take a little more time away from the practice, but probably not much.
Another dentist won’t change the drill-and-fill scenario, so you’ll still be spending a lot of time doing the same-old, same-old. And the odds are that your back and neck will continue to deteriorate.
If you want to change the outcome, you need to change the input. You need better dental patients. Why? The ideal scenario for the vast majority of dentists is to work less and earn more. Having many more better patients in your practice and your pipeline is how you accomplish that.
What Makes a Patient Better?
The vast majority of dentists chase patients by advertising low price, specials, and insurance acceptance. What they earn for that investment of their hard-earned marketing dollars are price-shoppers, insurance-driven patients, and one-and-dones with no loyalty to the practice.
Better patients aren’t motivated by low price or insurance. They have the resources and willingness to pay more for the right dentist. They’re looking for the likeable, relatable, and trusted expert to solve their dental problems. As a group, better patients tend be extremely loyal to the dentist they select.
With more better patients in your chairs and your pipelines, you don’t have to run a volume dental practice. You’ll realize much higher average case value, so you need fewer patients to make good money. And you won’t have the hassle of dealing with the insurance companies denying a claim or arguing about the need for your case solution.
SmartBox is the industry leader in helping dentists get better patients in their chairs. Our Patient Attraction System® integrates every aspect of your marketing to position you as the dentist of choice for the patients you need to be able to work less and earn more. And that will hold true for any associate you wish to add.
From a long-term perspective, better dental patients are the key to making dentistry everything you hoped it would be.
Get Started
If you’re looking to add an associate, the smart move is to visit www.smartboxdentalmarketing.com and click on the “Get Started” button. Schedule your free, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session
.
Following the 25-minute phone call, SmartBox will send you your completely personalized, free, Patient Attraction Roadmap. Again, there’s no commitment or obligation; the Roadmap is yours to use regardless of whether you become a SmartBox dentist.
Growth is good. Growing the right way is ideal. Make sure that your dental practice will be sustainable and enjoyable for as long as you remain in practice.
The post Is It Time to Add An Associate Dentist? appeared first on SmartBox.