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Creating balance at your practice

One of the hardest skills to master for some new dental practice owners is finding a balance between all the different hats they need to wear. Lean too heavily on business logistics and patient care may suffer. Get too caught up in the clinical aspects of the job and risk falling short on managerial duties. Here are a few tips for getting the balance right.

Understand the problem

In the early years of your career, your focus is on learning to be an excellent clinician. It’s only natural then to feel out of sorts when making the transition into a role where dentistry is just one part of what you do.

Time management

With new responsibilities on your plate, implementing a better way to map out your time is a must. You’ll need to be ready for team huddles, sales calls with vendors, meetings with your accountant or lawyer, job interviews, staff training and more. Find a time management system that works for you and stick with it.

Learn to delegate

Your practice is likely the biggest investment you’ll make in your life. It’s understandable why you’d want to maintain control of everything, but no business can succeed without handing the reins off to trusted employees. Hire, train and retain quality people so you can delegate tasks and take them off your plate.

Outsource

Not all help needs to be in-house. From marketing to accounting, billing, and scheduling, the options for outsourcing in dentistry are numerous.

Take care of your personal balance

No matter what you do, running your own practice is always likely to be hard work. To avoid burnout, draw a line between your professional and at-home life. Overworking can lead to fatigue and a drop in productivity and work quality. Take care of yourself away from the office so that you’re bringing the best version of yourself to work every day.