Dental practices are subject to wide variations in patient volume and seasonality that can seem unpredictable at times, and if you're not prepared to handle it, it's easy to land in a cash flow crunch or be helpless to deal with the volume of patients you're getting. With careful planning, though, the seasonality of dental practices is manageable.
Managing the Summer Rush
Many dentists, particularly those catering to a younger patient base, will see a very pronounced upward trend during the summer. Dental care for children tends to track the school calendar, as parents will try to schedule in dental visits and teeth cleanings when kids are off school and have a lighter schedule. Accordingly, plan for summer to be a busy season, and make it a practice to scan the academic calendars of local elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to find break weeks that might cause an unexpected surge of patients.
The Expiring Insurance Boost
For larger-ticket procedures like bridges, crowns, or implants, you can expect a big rush around the turn of the year. As patients' insurance policies renew for the new year, many will try to use up expiring benefits or go for larger procedures because they've already paid most of their deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums. Expect to see a surge in bigger procedures around these months, and try to plan your calendar and staffing accordingly.
Contact Heartland Dental
Even with these tips, it's still easy to get caught off guard by an unexpected rush. At Heartland Dental, we can help. We offer comprehensive organizational support to help every element of your practice run more smoothly, and if you get hit with more calls than you can handle, our overflow call center can handle those extra patient calls while maintaining a seamless experience for your patients.
To find out about how you can affiliate with Heartland Dental and elevate the efficiency of your practice, just call us at (866) 929-0040, reach out to us at our contact page, learn more about the affiliation process. We can't wait to hear from you, and we hope to see you back at this blog soon for more tips on the life and business of dentistry.