Dental Practice Management Key Terms

Key terms for smart dental practice management

By Mary Spencer-Huber

Dental practice management is a complex task encompassing various issues, including dental insurance, coding and billing, team building and training, dental marketing, patient education and management of finances. The dental practice manager has a challenging job,and needs to juggle several responsibilities at one time. In addition, the manager must keep current on key terms that pertain to a typical dental practice. If you're managing a dental practice, here are few terms to keep in mind.

Dental insurance

Dental insurance offers patients an option for reducing the costs associated with dental care. Patients pay a premium to a particular insurance agency and in exchange, the insurance agency covers some or all of incurred dental expenses. Some patients obtain insurance through their employer, while others seek out insurance independently.
Try: The Dental Insurance Helper provides detailed information about various types of dental insurance plans.

Dental marketing

Keen marketing strategies are essential to maintaining a healthy dental practice. Successful dental marketing incorporates good strategic and tactical marketing strategies. Specifically, strategic dental marketing pertains to the type of message you want to send to prospective patients. Targeted marketing refers to how you send the message to patients. Marketing for your practice may include mass mailers, referrals from current patients, brochures and website presence. Often, the best marketing strategy is to pay special attention to patients who have access to a large population of prospective patients.
Try: Learn about how dental marketing companies can help you at Avandant Dental Marketing Strategies.

Dental coding

Dental codes allow your practice to accurately record and report the dental treatments administered to patients. The Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature provides the framework from which dental coders can record and report dental procedures.
Try: Find more information about dental coding, including training opportunities, at American Dental Coders Association.

Dental coaching

Dental coaching can enhance the overall functionality of your dental practice. Dental practice managers and dentists use dental coaches to help them create and refine a vision for the practice. In addition, dental coaches work to guide you through various issues, including leadership style, team building and motivation, relationship building with patients, accountability, ethics and integrity and image building. Dental coaching also guides you through the process of establishing a financial picture of what you want your practice to do in the future.
Try: Jameson offers a wide variety of services to assist with dental practice management, including dental coaching. Dr. Ron, the Dental Coach focuses his business on dental coaching, also known as dental consulting.

Dental practice management software

Dental practice management software helps consolidate the operations of your practice in an electronic format. Software features can include an appointment book, electronic insurance claim filing, patient statements, report writer, clinical charting, treatment planning, prescription writing and coding. Use of such software streamlines paperwork and increases the efficiency of your practice.
Try: DentiMax offers three separate software packages, which vary depending on the needs of your practice. You can download a demo from the website.

Dental team

The life of a dental practice is dependent on the entire dental team. Practice managers know how to assemble a good dental team, which consists of various professionals, including the dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, office manager and other office personnel.
Try: The California Dental Association provides descriptions of job functions for each member of the dental team.