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Choosing Partners for Dental Practice
Some Basic Formulas for Success
Welcome to the world of dental practices, where choosing the right partner (Associate) can make all the difference between success and failure.
- negative statistics, and present a judgment criteria to help you make an informed decision.
- Additionally, we will discuss the positive and negative consequences that may arise from choosing the wrong partners. But first, a note on how training can be a key factor in making a wise choice.
The Importance of Training in Understanding Partner Selection
- If you choose a recent graduate as the associate for you, then that individual needs to be chosen well, and then with a commitment to you and the practice, they can be nurtured and brought up to a high level of skill as long as you oversee their practice and don’t just throw ‘em in and let ‘em go.
- One Key aspect of allowing another individual to work in your practice on your patients is their ability and willingness to maintain your patient standards of service delivery. Whomever you choose whether new or experienced they have to observe your practice standards and agree to maintain your standards of delivery to the patients of your office. And you Must check their delivery standards against your own doctor standards of delivery as a quality control check before the patients are dismissed as complete for their service. Initially, more work for you but you may then rest well knowing your patient care of excellence is maintained by others in your office as well.
Qualities of Ideal Partners
Now, let’s delve into the qualities that ideal partners /associate should possess to help you achieve success in your dental practice:
Technical Competence, Credentials
- Verify the credentials and experience of candidates to ensure a solid foundation of knowledge and skills. Individuals posing as professionals have popped up here in the US. So always best to check thoroughly.
- Partners – Associates in a dental practice should demonstrate solid technical competence, mastering the latest dental techniques and technologies. This competence ensures effective and safe treatment for patients.
- Younger professionals are usually not as competent on many procedures but are aware on the most recent advances in the field of dentistry which can be a big plus and add new services to your practice.
- Again if new procedures are offered to your patients, you must at least study up on them so you then have the knowledge and oversight on new procedures to be performed on your patient base.
Empathy and Communication Skills
- Being empathetic and communicating effectively are crucial elements in building trust with your patients. This can be overlooked with the assumption that the associate has high production numbers yet when looked at with oversight it’s been found they are rough with patients even yelling at them at times.
- Check the associate always, don’t assume anything no matter the credentials et al. It’s Your practice and selecting the wrong partners can lead to a decline in the practice’s reputation, loss of patients, and a decrease in the quality of care.
- Ideal associates show great attentiveness to your needs and your patients’ needs and can clearly explain dental procedures, creating a positive experience for everyone involved and create better harmony in your office.
Collaboration and Teamwork
A dental practice functions best when partners work in synergy, sharing knowledge and supporting one another. The ability to collaborate and promote a harmonious work environment is essential for long-term success in the practice.
This starts with You as the Senior/owner dentist but it has to be both ways for the best synergy and harmony in the office.
Judgment Criteria
When evaluating potential partners / associates for your dental practice, it’s important to consider several factors:
In-depth Interview:
- Conduct a thorough interview to assess competencies, personality, and suitability of candidates for the needs of your office.
- Check their references. Their professors, if a new grad. Offices where they interned. Check this thoroughly always even coming with a friends referral.
- Finally, Test them! Become familiar with testing services out there some services offer free trials where you can test individuals for free. Don’t just guess, Test them.
Choosing the right partners for your dental practice is crucial for your success.
If you would like further information on how to be supported in partner / associate selection and strategies for building a successful team.
We offer an initial personalized consultation to help you make informed decisions.
