How much time do you spend on unproductive, time-wasting activities every day? If you’re like most dental practices, way more than you’d like. It happens even in the most successful offices, and more often than not, it’s no one’s fault. 

There are several things you can do to save precious time and get more done from when you enter your practice doors to when you close them. 

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Use Technology

Using a practice management system is one of the easiest ways to get your office organized and operating more efficiently. It shapes how your staff does what they do every day. There are a lot of solutions on the market to choose from. Before looking into them, evaluate your current workflow and determine which tasks can be turned into digital ones.

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A few tasks management systems can take on:

• Single data entry
• Integrated billing & invoicing
• Online booking
• Appointment reminders (SMS, email, & voice)
• E-claim filing
• Online payments
• Secure messaging
• Telehealth
• Custom notes & forms
• Online check-in

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You should automate tasks whenever possible. It will virtually stop the disruption of workflow typical administrative duties cause. 

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Go Truly Paperless

Automating tasks will get you well on your way to a paperless office. If you want to take it one step further, consider a patient kiosk in your lobby. Check-in kiosks allow patients to enter their own information, freeing up staff to work on other tasks. This type of kiosk is customizable, with the ability to sign in, enter patient history, and read and sign forms. It’s so much faster than the old clipboard method. 

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Master Communication

This could be one of the biggest time-savers for your practice. Within the practice management system we mentioned earlier, you should make sure it has an internal messaging feature. Every computer in your office should be linked to it so you can send messages in a streamlined fashion. That way, you can notify each other about key appointment information.

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Use Better Devices

Computers aren’t the only devices that can make work more efficient. So can a better dental needle. The SimpleCAP needle system was specifically designed with efficiency in mind. It’s more ergonomic than a traditional dental needle, making assembly, usage, and disassembly much faster. It also boasts a standardized operation. SimpleCAP utilizes patented sheath and locking technology that provides only one method of operation, no matter the situation. That means one method of assembly, one method of capping, one method of disposal. How streamlined!

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A smart practice workflow—including the use of technology and better equipment—can increase your practice’s overall efficiency, reduce miscommunication, and help eliminate waste.