Ethics

Ethics and Principles: The Foundation of Your Dental Practice

Dentistry ethics and principles in dentistry may not be the most exciting parts of the office. But they are by far some of the most essential parts. No matter how friendly your staff or how current your technology is – a bad reputation does not lead to success. But what should your ethics and principles look like? Every practice must decide their fundamentals for the best care for their patients.

EthicsAt Progressive Dental Concepts, we recognize that your practice must make a profit. But we’d all agree, it would be improper and unethical to make a profit by sacrificing who you are as a dentist or the quality of patient care.  We’re always cognizant of the essential fact taht the patient’s best interests must take precedence over anything else.  As George Merck of Merk Pharmaceuticals once stated, “Medicine is for the patient, not the profits. The profits follow.”

By putting the patient’s needs first, they will tell others about your practice.  An abundance of our dental practices’ business originates from word-of-mouth referrals.  Accordingly, recognizing the need to prioritize patient care while balancing the bottom line requires a strong code of ethics and work principles.

Basic Ethics and Principles for All of Our Dentist Offices

  1. The patient’s needs are the most crucial part of your practice. It is never about the financial gain involved in doing extra or unnecessary procedures.
  2. Always give patients an accurate and informative accounting of treatment options, including the cost of different approaches.
  3. If you are merely competent at a specific procedure and not a specialist, suggest getting an optional approach or opinion.
  4. When making patient collections or insurance claims, list all procedures and coverage.
  5. Patient autonomy allows the patient the final say in treatment decisions. As such, the patient must have all pertinent information regarding the recommended procedure(s). Share this information with the patients in simple language to ensure they fully understand what must happen.
  6. It is the dentist’s office’s responsibility to protect patient information. This includes financial details, treatment, health concerns, etc., as defined by HIPPA.
  7. Treat all patients equally, regardless of religion, race, gender, or creed. Treatment is not withheld because a patient does not “fit certain criteria.”
  8. Do not use a patient’s testimonial, before/after photos, or other information without consent. Ideally, have written permission and not just verbal.

These are a few key components of dentist office ethics and principles. You may have others you have included in your practice model. Consider posting these ethics in your office, on brochures, or paperwork, so your patients know what to expect. Then, be sure to exceed the expected practices. By going above and beyond, you will not only have happy patients, but they will be quick to tell others about your practice.

If you are interested in being a part of our PDC dental group, having a strong foundation goes a long way. We can help you optimize your practice so you can do more. With Progressive Dental Concepts, you can choose how to operate your practice, so it benefits everyone- yourself, your dental care team, your patients, and PDC. Contact PDC today to learn how we can help.

Nearby Dentist Locator

Finding the Best Family Dental Practice in Central Pennsylvania

When it comes to choosing a dental practice for your family’s oral health needs, select a reputable and reliable provider.  With the help of Nearby Dentist Locator, you can easily find the best dental practices in Central Pennsylvania.  Locations include Dauphin, Cumberland, York, Adams, Lebanon, and Perry counties.  The city list includes Camp Hill, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Palmyra, Boiling Springs, Carlisle, Marysville, Shiremanstown, York, Gettysburg, Hershey, and Mechanicsburg.  Here’s how to use this website to locate the ideal family dental practice for you.

Step 1: Visit the Website

Start by visiting https://nearbydentistlocator.com/ on your web browser. This website serves as a comprehensive directory of dental practices, allowing you to search for providers in your desired location.

Nearby Dentist Locator

Step 2: Enter Your Location

Use the search bar on the homepage to enter your location. You can specify the city or county you’re interested in, such as Harrisburg or Dauphin County, to narrow down your search results.

Step 3: Filter Your Search

Nearby Dentist Locator allows you to filter your search based on specific criteria, such as the type of dental practice you’re looking for (e.g., family dentistry, pediatric dentistry, etc.) and the services they offer (e.g., routine cleanings, fillings, orthodontics, etc.).

Step 4: Browse the Results

Once you’ve entered your location and applied any necessary filters, browse through the search results to find dental practices that meet your criteria. You’ll find detailed information about each practice, including their address, contact information, services offered, and patient reviews.

Step 5: Contact the Practice

After identifying a few potential dental practices, take the time to contact each one to learn more about their services, hours of operation, and payment options. This will help you determine which practice is the best fit for your family’s needs.

By using Nearby Dentist Locator (a service site of Progressive Dental Concepts), you can easily find the best family dental practices in Central Pennsylvania, ensuring that your family receives the highest quality dental care possible.

Dental Management Group

Partnering for Success: A Dental Management Group Can Elevate Your Practice

As a dentist who owns your own practice, you’re not just a healthcare provider – you’re also a business owner. Balancing patient care with the demands of running a business can be challenging.  But partnering with a dental management group can help you excel in both areas. Let’s explore how this partnership can minimize costs and leverage resources, ultimately leading to the success of your practice.

Streamlining Operations to Minimize Costs

Dental Management GroupOne of the key benefits of partnering with a dental management group is the ability to streamline your practice’s operations. By leveraging their expertise and resources, you can:

  • Reduce Overhead Costs: Management groups can negotiate better rates for supplies, equipment, and services, passing the savings on to you.
  • Optimize Staffing: They can help you create an efficient staffing model.  As a result, it ensures you have the right mix of skills and expertise without overstaffing.
  • Improve Billing and Collections: With their specialized knowledge, management groups can enhance your billing processes and improve collections, boosting your practice’s financial health.

Leveraging Resources for Practice Growth

In addition to cost savings, partnering with a dental management group can provide access to a wealth of resources that can help you grow your practice and enhance patient care.

  • Continuing Education: Stay at the forefront of dental advancements with access to continuing education opportunities for you and your staff.
  • Marketing Support: Benefit from professional marketing strategies and materials to attract new patients and retain existing ones.
  • Technology Integration: Get assistance with implementing the latest dental technologies, improving patient outcomes and practice efficiency.

By partnering with a dental management group, you can focus more on delivering exceptional patient care while leaving the business aspects in expert hands. This collaboration can lead to increased profitability, a more streamlined operation, and a higher level of satisfaction for both you and your patients.

If you’re looking to excel as a dentist and take your practice to new heights, consider exploring the opportunities that a partnership with Progressive Dental Concepts can offer. It could be the key to unlocking your practice’s full potential.

Build Practice

Grow Your Dental Practice: Tips and Tools

Even if you have been practicing dentistry for years, you are always interested in adding new patients to your database. It is essential to stay connected to your current patients. However, failing to court new ones can cause your practice to stagnate and can ultimately affect your bottom line. Building a thriving practice can take time and effort. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it alone. In other words, there is a myriad of actions you can take to grow a dental practice.

Tips for Building a Thriving Dental Practice

  • Build PracticeDetermine an achievable growth strategy. Growth doesn’t happen by accident; it takes work. Accordingly, take a few minutes to assess where you are and where you want to be. Craft an outline and plan strategies to use to achieve your goals.
  • Set measurable goals. Simply saying you want a bigger practice isn’t enough. You need to define what “more” looks like.  For example, do you want 20% more patients by the end of the year?  Or, perhaps, maybe you would like to expand the cosmetic dentistry side of your practice.  Whatever the goal, be clear in your expectations.  Once you’ve determined what growth looks like, let your staff know the plans so you can work together as a team.
  • Display for patient testimonials and reviews. Getting positive feedback from patients on Yelp, Google, and social media platforms is great. But take things a bit further and post those reviews on your website, have them scrolling on your website, or perhaps on a screen in your office waiting area.
  • Build a reputation for geriatric or pediatric care. These two age groups often need special care and comfort for dental procedures. Go the extra mile to make them feel at ease. The satisfied patients and their families will tell others and soon be sending new patients your way.
  • Invest in continuing ed and updated technology. Being a dentist and having certified hygienists and dental assistants is not enough.  In addition, you must ensure that all your team members constantly learn new skills. Also, while you may not have the most recent release or tool, endeavor always to update and modernize your office.
  • Cultivate a setting your patients enjoy. For many people, a dentist visit causes anxiety and fear.  As a result, do your part to help your patients to be comfortable at your office. You can do this through-
    • Short wait times
    • Easy check-in and check-out procedures
    • Designing inviting office space and examination rooms
    • Staying upbeat when interacting with patients and staff
  • Team up with Progressive Dental Concepts. We have the tools, marketing pros, and business development know-how to help take your practice to the next level. By joining us, you will have more time and staff resources to see the new patients.

Tools to Build Your Practice

At PDC, we have all the tools you need to take your practice farther than you have ever expected. With the tools, training, and technology teaming up with us offers, you will be amazed how much more efficient and effective your office and staff will be.  Likewise, as we continue to expand and support the umbrella of practices we cover, we provide marketing and patient lead generation to help your practice grow.  For example, one of our lead-producing tools that drives new patients to our practices is our Nearby Dentist Locator website.  You practice dentistry.  We send you new patients!

Don’t sit back and just think about what your dental practice could look like. Give Progressive Dental Concepts a call today and learn how you can do more.

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