Making Decisions as a Dental Practice Owner

One of the key attributes that distinguish successful dental practice owners from those who struggle is the ability to make decisions and take action.

Making Clinical Decisions in Your Dental Practice

One of the many responsibilities of being a dentist is diagnosing and treating patients. Therefore, your decision-making abilities will be called upon to make clinical decisions for your patients overall oral health.

You are the expert, so they expect you to guide them on their journey to better oral health. For example, don’t ask a patient which diagnostic tests they would like to undergo. Again, you are the expert, you know the best test to confirm or rule out a given condition, such as caries. It is your responsibility to use proper diagnostic aid like intraoral camera with screen to ascertain what the problem is.

Decisions Related to Running and Growing the Practice

The fist step to growing your dental practice is to first decide your practice’s goals. Having a clear mission will help you make the decision process easier. Every possible option must be weighed to fit your overall mission.

For example, it will be easy for you to abandon traditional x-ray machines in favor of the handheld dental x ray unit if your mission is to continually improve the level of patient care.

Overall Leadership in Your Dental Practice

Your dental patients, team members, and community want you to succeed as a dental practice. An important part of being a successful practice owner is the level of leadership and culture you obtain. A good leader also gains more respect from their peers.