Welcome to our 2-part series designed to enhance the performance and productivity of your dental practice. In this series, we’ll delve into key aspects that can transform your practice performance and growth.

Part 1: The Intersection of Clinical Competency and Business Competency.

Do you recall the excitement and uncertainty after graduating from dental school? We certainly do even though it’s been more than two decades since then.

Like many fresh graduates, we grappled with building both our confidence and competence as dentists.

Starting as young associate dentists, we found ourselves immersed in basic and general dentistry, often taking longer to complete basic tasks compared to some of the experienced pro’s in the practice.

It became evident that just as dentists needed time to develop their skills and competency, running a dental practice requires a similar learning curve. The American Dental Association categorises dentists with less than 10 years’ experience as “new” and the path to becoming “established” takes time and patience.

During this learning curve, which spans a decade, dentists expand their expertise from fundamental to intricate procedures, including cosmetic, restorative, periodontal, ortho and more.

The main point here is that just as significant time was needed to develop dental skills, a similar amount of time is needed to develop the skills of running a practice.

The complexity of managing a practice cannot be overstated, involving intricate elements such as teams, systems, patients, cash flows and budgets among other challenges. Much like becoming an “established” dentist, running an “established” practice demands mentorship and the right solutions to expedite the learning process.

As practice owners, we understand the frustrations faced by fellow practice owners, trying to balance patient care with the demands of building and running practice. Countless hours were lost weekly trying to work out how to solve these commercial, and operational challenges in addition to both management and leadership responsibilities.

As a practice owner, take a moment to reflect on your own journey in practice ownership and what you did to develop your dental skills. Apply these same principles to what is needed to run your “business”. And also, assess if your team has had the opportunity to develop their skills and expertise to excel in their respective roles.

It’s crucial to invest in specialised services and solutions in key areas, allowing you to focus on patient care and growing your practices. Consider how your team is evolving to handle these challenges. Are they equipped with the skills necessary for inventory management, efficient cashflow and seamless procurement of the essential supplies?

About Restocq:

Restocq offers a comprehensive online inventory ordering platform empowering your team to: