Starting a dental practice isn’t easy. There are many things to think about. You’ll need office space, insurance, and finances, to name a few. This is why it’s essential to start small and expand from there. Dental practices have been open for decades, so you should have no trouble finding someone who can help you out. Here are five tips for starting a dental practice.
Find Vendors for Your Practice
The first step in finding vendors when starting a dental practice is to list what you will need. This should include everything from chairs and x-ray equipment to bibs and toothbrushes. An excellent place to start is the list of what your current office uses.
Your office will be unique, but some things are standard in every dental office. I would also recommend that you go to a few other offices and see what they have. This will, however, come at a cost; seeking dental equipment loans online can help you along the way.
To find vendors for all of these supplies, I recommend making a Google Spreadsheet with columns for each item and information about that item. For example, if you need bibs, you could place Bibtex as the name of the company in one column, the website in another, and the names of any salespeople you have talked to (as well as their contact information). This way, once you have found them all, it will be easy to see who has the best price or who has items that look better than others.
After talking to each vendor and getting some quotes, put together an Excel spreadsheet with all of the items you want to be purchased on one row and each vendor listed across multiple columns.
Get Licensed
Getting licensed is an important step in establishing a dental practice. However, it can be a difficult one because of the many requirements involved in getting a license.
Becoming licensed will require you to meet the licensing requirements for your state. These usually involve passing a written exam and an exam that tests clinical skills. You may also need to prove that you have completed a certain number of hours as a dental assistant or as part of an internship or apprenticeship.
Getting licensed can vary depending on where you reside, so it’s essential to research the licensing requirements for your particular state. Below are some general tips that should help you get started with the process:
Research what tests are required in your state. Many states have their written exams, while others use nationally-recognized exams like NBDE-1 (National Board of Dental Examiners – Part I) and NBDE-2 (Part II). It’s important to know which ones are required before you begin studying so that you don’t waste time studying for the wrong test.
Decide if You’ll Do General or Specialized Dentistry
General dentists provide a wide range of services, from routine cleanings to fillings and crowns. They also perform root canals, extractions and simple surgeries. Most general dentists refer patients to specialists for more complex procedures.
Specialized dentistry focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing oral problems related to one or more areas of the mouth. Typical specialties in this field include pediatric, orthodontic, and cosmetic dentistry. Specialized dentists must complete additional education and training before practicing their specialty.
Decide on a Marketing Strategy
Deciding on a marketing strategy when you are starting a dental practice is essential. You want to make sure that you get the word out and that you get patients from the start. The best thing that you can do is plan your marketing strategy ahead of time to be prepared for all of the customers that are going to come flooding in.
The first thing you need to do when starting a dental practice is to decide what type of patients you want to serve. Suppose you want your practice to focus on cosmetic dentistry. In that case, you will need to ensure that you have plenty of information about this type of dentistry available for people who come into your office.
You should have brochures, posters, cards, and other items in your office that offer information on different procedures offered in your practice. If you do not provide this information, then people may not be aware of your practice’s services and may go somewhere else for their treatment needs.
Come up with a solid business plan
You wouldn’t launch an eCommerce store without planning how you’re going to acquire customers and how you’re going to market your products. Your dental practice should be no different. A solid business plan includes things like:
- A marketing strategy that includes how you intend to promote your practice, as well as what kind of patients you want to attract;
- A list of nearby competitions and how you intend to differentiate yourself from them;
- A budget for marketing and advertising expenses
- An operational blueprint, including staffing needs and plans for managing patient volumes
If you have developed an interest in starting a dental practice of your own, you are on the right path. There are many dental practices to choose from, but now more than ever, there is always room for more. If you want to make your mark in dentistry, you should consider these five things. Your passion for dentistry will be what gets you places and shapes your career in the profession that you are interested in.