Dos and don'ts for dental leadership: Initiating change

There is an old axiom in business that says if you do what you have always done, you will get the same results you always have gotten. In 21st century dentistry, as in most businesses, this thinking is very much outdated. Today, if you keep doing what you have always done, you will get less than you did in the past. Increased competition, new technologies, and changing consumer behaviors (for example, the loss of dental insurance, postponement of care) are altering the dental landscape.

Innovate and upgrade. Whether it's technology, services, or systems, your practice needs to keep evolving. Technological advances such as lasers or digital radiographs can help you provide a higher level of care in a more efficient manner. Updated practice systems are a necessity if you want to increase performance and drive growth. Systems should be updated every three to five years for maximum efficiency.

Don't rest on your laurels. You might be a dentist with a highly successful practice, but you can't assume that kind of success is guaranteed year after year. You have to keep improving the practice because if you don't, your highly successful office will soon be experiencing flat or declining production. Remember, you can't move forward by standing still.

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