Planning for efficiency

I'm going to let you in on two "secrets".

Firstly, there are almost certainly dentists who take half as long, or less than you do to complete procedures such as fillings, onlays and crowns. And, they do that without sacrificing quality.

Secondly, contrary to what you imagine these super-efficient dentists are not running around like crazy. They're working at a steady pace with very little stress.

Suspend your disbelief for a moment and think of what it would mean to you if you doubled your productivity per unit time. It could mean an extra day off per week. Or an extra 4 weeks holidays per year. Or a higher income. Or even all three.

You patients would love it too.

I once had a conversation with a lady who'd experienced a 90-minute crown preparation. I asked her if she would have preferred if it could have been done quicker, say in 30 minutes. Her reply forever sticks in my mind: "I'd pay $200 more to have it done in 30 minutes instead of 90 minutes."

This reply sort of blows the concept out of the water that patients pay for time. They prefer to pay for results.

So, to start off 2020 I'm going to publish a series of articles on efficiency. That is, how to achieve more per unit time, with lower stress and without sacrificing quality.

I hope that you enjoy these articles over the coming weeks.