Hiring the Right Staff for a Dental Practice

Opening a dental practice in itself is very frustrating and time consuming. However, one critical component of opening a dental office is hiring the right staff that has the same vision and goals as the dentist. When opening a practice don't hire the first person that applies for a position. You'll need to do a thorough interview as well as reference checks to make sure the person meets the requirements of the dentist.

One of the key positions in a dental practice the front desk receptionist. You'll want someone that is a people person with a pleasant attitude. This person is the first impression for your dental practice and you want them to make the patient feel welcomed to the practice. This person will need to be a multi-taker that can do many things simultaneously to help make the practice run efficiently.

The next key position to hire for a dental practice is a dental assistant. This person will be the dentists' right hand. A dental assistant must be a thinker who can work in collaboration with the dentist to make the patient flow process run smoothly. The dental assistant operates as the "office manager" making sure patients is prepped for the dentist. As a dentist, you'll need to hire a dental assistant that is similar to you because if they're any red flags the office atmosphere will be one that everyone will dread coming to work.

Another key position in having a successful dental practice is hiring a productive dental hygienist. This person can pay for themselves with no problem if they're hard-working and ambitious. When hiring a dental hygienist offer them a base hourly rate with some bonuses built in based on production. The dental hygienist makes their money on cleanings and this is what most dentistry is about minus the procedures that the dentist does within the office.

As noted above, starting a successful dental practice requires a lot of planning and preparation in getting the practice going. As a dentist you should take your time in hiring of staff because finding the right combination of team members is critical in making your practice a success. Don't hire a person just because one of your friends or family recommends them. Make sure you do a thorough interview and research on your own to make sure that person will be the right fit within the practice.

Marketing and referrals are critical in building up a dental practice so be sure to spend a lot of time on a marketing plan and implementing that plan is critical in getting the dental practice going.

Source:
Personal Experience