Dentaltown January 2022 - 69

some of my choices: a new hygienist, a new
assistant or a new associate doctor.
For me, a new hygienist at the new market
rate is highly inefficient (see Scenarios below).
On the other hand, a new assistant would
be a fraction of the cost of a hygienist and
will enable the practice to see more patients
in less time without compromising quality.
Lastly, because hygiene salary is
ap proaching dentist per-diem salary in
some states, an associate doctor would be
an economical choice because they can
perform additional dental procedures that
a hygienist cannot. It became clear to me
that my practice could not go back to the
traditional model with a hygienist. In fact, I
found that by reconfiguring my staff, I was
able to afford pay raises, boost employee
retention and improve patient experience.
Now, is that counterintuitive or what?
Supplies: The insipid
tedious overhead
Supplies are mundane. Nobody wants
to deal with them, and supply companies
know this. They will suggest a subscription
plan or creep up contracted rates when you're
not paying attention. Dentists also talk a
good game about negotiating good prices or
joining groups for discounts, but have you
ever actually looked at your supply closet,
operatory shelves and cabinet drawers?
Marie Kondo, a tidying expert, helped
business clients declutter and save cash on
her Netflix series, and Breakaway dental
seminars are telling us the same thing
with their office designs. However, this
is something you can easily do yourself
over a weekend with some items from The
Container Store. Start by taking out all
your supplies and labeling your shelves
before organizing everything. If you find
expired local anesthetics, you can forget
about group discounts, because you just lost
$30! Reevaluate each product you use and
why. For example, in my practice, I don't
need 10 different shades of composites; with
Tokuyama Omnichroma, I can simplify my
composite inventory. Another example: I
don't automatically use Articaine on every
block; I try lidocaine first and chase with
Articaine only if needed.
Next, you must count everything. This
is an inventory list. It does not matter how
you choose to implement this concept, but
you cannot order supplies before you know
what you have (and thus do not have). This
counting can later be delegated to a staff
member to complete right before you order
supplies. So instead of having a list of what
is empty or needs to be ordered, we want a
list of how many we have.
When ordering supplies, be familiar
Scenario 2 (after the pandemic lockdown):
Front office
Dental assistant
New dental assistant
TOTAL PAY PER HOUR
$x + raise
$y + raise
New market rate
$65
Scenario 3 (after the pandemic lockdown):
Front office
Dental assistant
New associate doctor
New dental assistant
TOTAL PAY PER HOUR
$65/hour x 8 hours =
$520/day
x 4 labor multiplier =
at least $2,080 daily
collection needed
with what you paid last time-this is where
the supply companies will try to get you
with price creep. Take advantage of sales
and bulk-buy items with long shelf lives,
especially if you have extra storage space
like an unutilized or unplumbed operatory.
Lastly, when supplies do arrive, staff
$x + raise
$y + raise
Commission rate
New market rate
$65 + commission rate
* Your numbers will vary based on your local area labor rates, benefits, hours of operation, payroll taxes, etc.
This is a simplified example to illustrate one way to reasonably reconfigure staffing to control runaway costs.
Note that in Scenario 2, the office will take a revenue hit from some loss of hygiene production, to be partially
offset by scheduling overlaps that take advantage of the extra dental assistant. In Scenario 3, doctors will be
doing assisted hygiene, which allows for a more detailed diagnosis with same-day treatment where possible.
$65/hour x 8 hours =
$520/day
x 4 labor multiplier =
at least $2,080 daily
collection needed
must initial the packing list against the items
delivered and store them where they belong,
rotating the stock. Organization saves you
time and money, and you will never lose
track of expired products again.
Now your work is cut out for you
Being a good dentist and successful
practice owner requires discipline. Just like
when first learning to use the mouth mirror,
it will one day click and get significantly
easier if you are consistent and conscientious.
By committing to reduce overhead waste
and inefficiency, you can pass on these
cost savings to your loyal patients and staff
and start to enjoy some financial freedom.
Remember to keep your head up, be smart
and work hard. You've got this! n
dentaltown.com \\ JANUARY 2022 69

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Dentaltown January 2022

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