The Top 10 Traits of Dental Practices in the Top 10%

Have you ever asked yourself why some practices outperform others? Or what the most successful practices are doing that others aren’t? 

Of course you have; and with good reason! It’s because you want your practice to be successful, you want to provide your patients with a phenomenal experience, and you want to outperform your competition. 

Well, here are a few tips to help you do just that. 

We’ve put together the top 10 traits of dental practices in the top 10%. Those practices that employ these methods outperform their competitors in revenue, new patient numbers, and overall patient satisfaction.

1) Persistence

The most important factors to a dental practice’s success have nothing to do with money. In fact, the one trait that all high-performing dental practices share is exceptional dentists.

An exceptional dentist knows how to grow their practice and continuously build wealth — and above all they cultivate persistence over expertise. 

It isn’t exceptional talent or the luck of the draw that enables these dentists to grow their practice – it’s their ability to learn and improve their skills. These dentists have a vision and are determined to focus on it despite any challenges they might encounter.

2) Systems instead of goals

Winning dental practices focus on systems rather than goals. In fact, they are methodical about doing this. When you focus on goals without a way to assess them, you don’t know what markers to hit. 

In truth, systems ensure businesses run better. Successful dental practices have systems and processes for everything from patient acquisition and scheduling to staff training.

3) Get the right staff to stay

Everyone knows how crucial employees are to the success of any business. Exceptional dentists know how to hire the right staff, train them, and lead through open communication.

Dental practices that perform in the top 10 percent have staff that tend to stay longer because employees who feel valued have more job satisfaction than the average employee. 

4) Prefer to measure than manage

Among the many problems with micromanaging, the most important one is that it demonstrates your lack of confidence in the ability of your employees to complete a task. That’s why the most prosperous dentists delegate tasks. 

These dentists clearly communicate the practice objectives to their team and allow them to execute tasks without meddling. However, the key here is that these dentists continuously measure and monitor key metrics and provide resources to help their team succeed. 

5) A Clear Vision

A clear vision means that the practice has a clear idea of what it wants to achieve and how it wishes to operate. The vision should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). A clear vision will help guide the practice’s decision-making and ensure everyone is working towards the same goal.

6) A Strong Team

Another trait of a top-performing dental practice is the ability to put together a strong team. That means all team members are skilled and knowledgeable in their respective roles. Furthermore, the team should be cohesive and work well together. A strong team is essential for providing high-quality patient care and achieving success.

7) Excellent Customer Service

Another trait of a top-performing dental practice is excellent customer service. In other words, patients feel valued and that their needs are being met. Excellent customer service leads to patient satisfaction and loyalty, which are essential for any business to succeed.

8) A Commitment to Quality

A top-performing dental practice strives to provide the latest technology and equipment, employs highly skilled staff, and continually updates its policies and procedures. A commitment to quality leads to better patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction.

9) Innovative Marketing Strategies

In order to attract new patients and grow its business, a top-performing dental practice will use innovative marketing strategies. Whether it’s using social media platforms to reach a wider audience or offering unique services that set the business apart from its competitors, it should be effective in promoting the practice, and generating new business.

10) Financial Stability

Financial stability means that the practice is profitable and has little debt. Financial stability allows a business to weather tough times and continue operating long-term. It also provides the resources needed to invest in new technology, expand its services, or hire additional staff—all of which can help it to grow its business

Work With High-Performers to Ensure Dental Success

Elite degrees and advanced specializations are not the primary (or even secondary) factors that ensure dental success. What matters is having an objective, functional system and inspiring management style paired with a desire to improve and optimize. 

As a matter of fact, our experts here at Dental Whale are doing just that. 

To ensure the success of your practice, visit our education platform at (link to education here). Our one-of-a-kind library features hundreds of videos from some of the brightest minds in the industry, including Laura Nelson of Front Office Rocks and Dr. Scott Leune of Breakaway Seminars.