A dentist shares how he navigates his dental practice's 4th quarter

As dental practices prepare for the final weeks of 2024, finishing the fourth quarter strong is top of mind.

Dr. Kartik Antani.

We will run a series of articles over the next few weeks asking dentists how they handle this time of year and what advice they would share with their colleagues. Today, Dr. Kartik Antani of Napa Family Dental in Albuquerque, NM, shares his thoughts on scheduling this time of year, handling challenges around the holidays, and more.

How do you and your team prepare for the patients who are trying to get in under the insurance window by year-end?

"Throughout the year, we track case acceptance and new patients. As we approach the end of the year, we use our tracking to follow up with patients who may have been postponing treatment.

"We also send out emails and messages reminding people of their benefits. Furthermore, since we take some time off for the holidays, we also notify our patients of the planned days off in advance.

"Since we take steps to motivate our patients, we expect them to try to get their treatments done under the insurance window. We prepare for this by prioritizing the time blocks more strictly and efficiently. For example, during the slower months, we may not preblock the schedule for emergencies, but during the rush time, we may. We also work harder as a team as situations arise to stay on schedule as well as accommodate last-minute emergencies and treatments."

Do you handle cancellations or postponements differently this time of year than other quarters?

"In general, we take deposits for all procedures involving payments and we maintain a firm but accommodating policy of last-minute cancellations. Usually, a new patient who does not call and does not show up does not get a second scheduled appointment. They are welcome to call us on a day they know they're free and we will see if we can get them in.

"For existing patients, especially those who have been in the practice for a long time, the last-minute scheduling changes rarely happen. We do try to help them, but during the holidays, we may have a hard time.

"Sometimes, we may have a cleaning appointment on the doctor's side and an emergency on the hygiene side, so overall, we try to get folks in wherever we can. This is usually an issue on the hygiene side, but overall, it's not that much more significant during the holidays as it is during the rest of the year."

What other specific challenges have you dealt with in past fourth quarters, and how have you overcome them?

"Usually, staff want to take time off. We try to overcome this by synchronizing time off and closing the office. Scheduling can be hectic or challenging, and we try to work around that too. Typically, I try not to make large purchases, but sometimes it works out in terms of need, incentives, and taxes, in which case installation and training can be quite challenging.

"One way we've worked around that is extending hours toward training and installation. In September and October, business tends to slow down. By planning vacations, postponing certain purchases, and being more mindful of our overhead, we can still average out."

Do you see the fourth quarter as a way to finish up 2024 strong, plan for 2025, or both?

"Both. In terms of clinical treatments and the revenue cycle, we want to try to finish strong. We track goals through the year, expecting a slowdown in the fourth quarter. If there's no slowdown, then we continue to try to make hay while the sun shines.

"In terms of implementing new vendors and training, we try not to rock the boat unless it's absolutely necessary. The same goes for administrative changes, such as editing our handbook, changing hours, etc. We consider these to be part of 2025 -- "new year, new us," right? That typically tends to go over well with the team and they're more motivated to implement new changes in the new year."

Dr. Kartik Antani graduated from the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and completed a one-year hospital-based general practice residency. He also holds a master's degree in biomedical sciences. He owns and operates Napa Family Dentistry. He is a winner of the New York Academy of Dentistry Ethics Award.

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