Optimal Practice Schedule - How Healthy is Your Office?

You know about the importance of your regular schedule - but how healthy is your hygiene schedule? Are you missing any doctor exams?

As a new Dental Practice Administrator 18 years ago, one of my greatest challenges was achieving the elusive Perfect Schedule. I quickly learned that the practice schedule serves as the backbone of any dental office, directly impacting profitability, balance, and the ability to reach set goals. However, with two doctors, three registered dental hygienists (RDHs), and no clear roadmap, I found myself grappling with the daunting task of scheduling effectively.

Initially, the prevailing wisdom among the office scheduler and the doctors was to simply "keep the schedule full." While this approach did ensure a steady stream of appointments, it also resulted in a wildly inconsistent schedule from day to day. Some days would be packed with appointments but lacked significant production, while others would see fewer appointments but higher production rates. This inconsistency not only disrupted the flow of work but also had a negative impact on cash flow. In my mind, we weren’t practicing optimal scheduling - our routine was inconsistent and our results not up to par.

Determined to find a solution, I delved into various scheduling techniques, including the Rock, Pebble, Sand method and block scheduling. While these methods offered some improvement, they fell short of delivering the perfect schedule I envisioned. The challenge persisted, exacerbated by the constant changes and rescheduling efforts aimed at maintaining a full schedule.

Driven by the need for a more effective solution, I embarked on a journey to create an innovative AI scheduling template system. This system allows for the input of practice data and desired growth targets, generating a tailored Perfect Schedule Template as output. With this template in hand, replacing a cancelled appointment becomes as simple as slotting in the corresponding procedure, ensuring a balanced workday and consistent production and cash flow.

The benefits of this AI-driven scheduling solution are manifold. Not only does it facilitate a more balanced workday and smoother workflow, but it also enables practices to achieve their daily, monthly, and yearly goals with precision. Moreover, the ability to forecast reliably empowers practices to plan and execute growth initiatives confidently. A dentist using DDS can take pride in the results for their patients’ smiles as well as the health of their offices.

There will never be a replacement for great staff, teamwork, and the hard work of dentists and their teams to ensure a great office flow and production. But AI and a data-driven schedule can and will be a trusted helper to reduce errors, improve flows, and provide for a happier, calmer, more productive office - that is, one with excellent scheduling hygiene!