Check your practice against our sample analysis form
Practice Analysis Review Sheet©
Here are some questions about you and your practice. Write as much or little as you wish as you fill out the form. You can have staff fill in the statistical information. Just note where you found the data. We will use this information as a starting point for developing a roadmap to success. There are no “right or wrong” answers. The information just helps us in analyzing the practice. As we discuss the findings you will have the opportunity to define what new direction you might choose to travel.
First, tell me about you – your background, why you chose dentistry, your family, what you do for fun, your favorite part of dentistry, demographics of your area, how you would like to see your practice in five years. (Feel free to write on the pack of the page if you print this out – otherwise just fill in as you wish)
Number of years in practice
Number of years in this location
Number of dental Hygienists employed
Number of hygiene days available each week (8 hours/day)
Number of dental Assistants
Number of business office staff
Average amount of staff turnover per year
Do you have a written program for recruiting, hiring and training new staff?
Do you have a written statement of office mission, vision and values? Shared with staff?
Do you have a written office policy manual?
Are you fully HIPA compliant?
Do you have written documentation of every procedure you perform with photos of set ups?
Do you have general scripts for staff and doctors regarding common questions that must be discussed every day in the office?
Do you use “role playing” to train in script use?
Do all non-urgent care new patients get a “comprehensive exam? Explain what takes place.
How much time do you allow for a new patient comprehensive exam?
Why would a new patient exam in your office seem “special” to the patient?
How long before you could see someone for a new patient exam?
How long do you allow for a routine recare visit?
Do you Pre-book hygiene visits?
How often do you make full mouth radiographs or a panoramic film on clients?
Do you use an intra- oral camera - who uses it and how often? Do you track use?
Do you take digital photos of patients or your work?
How many active patients in the practice? “active” is defined as seen for some service in the past 18 months.
Do you have a morning “huddle” each day before starting work – how long and who leads it?
Do you have staff meetings – how often and for what reason?
Do you make follow up calls to patients that have “significant” treatment? How about hygiene?
How do you track treatment planned and presented work that is not scheduled?
What is your weekly office work schedule?
Do you come into the office at other times – what for?
What time units do you use for scheduling?
What practice management software do you utilize?
Do you schedule by procedure or by production?
What are your favorite types of procedures?
What time of the day do you feel you are most efficient?
Do you have a lunch period scheduled? How long– and do you work through it often?
Do you have an exercise program – if so describe it?
What do you do to stay current in the field of dentistry?
Do you watch dental videos?
What is the most recent book you have read?
Do you create comprehensive treatment plans for new clients?
Do you personally schedule treatment conferences with new clients?
Do you “participate” in any insurance plans – if so how many?
Do you know the percentage of fee reduction you are agreeing to in each plan?
How many patients do you believe you would lose if you opted out of participation?
Do you know your gross production per hour?
Do you know your dental hygienists individual gross production per hour?
What percent of your production comes from hygiene?
How do you handle urgent care in your schedule?
If a current patient fractures a tooth how long before you could see them for a crown prep?
How much of your gross production are you collecting – year over year?
How much are you writing off due to insurance participation?
How many new patient comprehensive exams do you average per month?
Do you have a “fixed” fee schedule – what would make you alter a fee?
When was the last time you raised your fees – how much did they change?
Did you use a specific plan or other means to determine the changes?
When do you do staff evaluations – do they always include discussion of wages?
What financial information do you share with staff and when?
List the number of different roles you play in the practice every week?
What is your average practice daily production?
Has this number changed in the past year – by what percent?
How many unfilled hours does the doctor average per month?
How many unfilled hygiene hours per month on average?
Do you track treatment diagnosed vs. treatment accepted?
What is your percentage of collection for treatment at the time of service?
What is your collection as a percentage of production?
What is your current accounts receivable total?
What is the amount for 30, 60, 90 and over 90 days?
How much do you have in pending insurance claims?
Do you track the patients you are losing from the practice – describe what you do?
Do you track referrals to your practice – describe what you do?
Do you set daily, weekly monthly practice goals – describe what you do
What percent has your production increased in the past 12 months?
What is your production per patient this year versus last year?
What is your percentage of case acceptance?
What percentage of new patient calls is scheduled on the first call?
What percentage of hygiene revenue is periodontally related?
What is the increase in new patients this year versus last year?
What percentage of your patients has made a referral?
Do you have at least 10 goals for yourself and the practice written down where you see them daily? What are they? Do you share the practice goals with your team?
Do you have a dedicated marketing coordinator? What marketing strategies did you implement in the last year?
What specific things are you doing to market your practice? Name five items that you plan to try in the coming year. What percentage of your gross is going to marketing?
How behaviorally adept do you feel you office is – describe any training you have done in this area?
How do you manage payment arrangements - discuss routine cases vs. large complex cases – what options do you offer?
What methods do you use for patient education – have these been shared and demonstrated to every member of the office – how?
What types of cases does the staff like to work on – how do you know?
What new to you areas of dentistry are you interested in – how will you learn more about them? How much are you willing to spend – both time and money?
How do you go about asking for referrals – how about staff – is there a system or script in place for this?
What “value added” experiences are you creating for your patients – describe at least five things you and your staff are doing that make your office special?
What percentage of your patients is pre-booked for continuing care?
If money was not a concern what four specific things would you change about the way you practice?
Have you and/or do you have a plan to fully fund your retirement plan over time?
Do you have a current will and/or trust – have you discussed this with your spouse?
Have you thought about how you will fund your children’s education?
Do you have a written disaster/transition plan in case of emergency? Describe it.
What sort of insurance do you carry – life, health liability, disability, business interruption, malpractice? Note the amounts if you wish to do so.
Write down some of the “issues” in your work or life in general that are causing you stress and frustration – just a few words or several paragraphs. What would have to change to resolve these items? Write a few words about what you see as “success” in your profession.
Thanks for all your effort and candor. I look forward to getting together to discuss this information and helping you intentionally map out a roadmap for success.
North A. Shetter DDS, FAGD
Put your issues and changes below or if you print this use the back of the page
MCCAnalysis071515©All Rights Reserved – North A. Shetter DDS
Here are some questions about you and your practice. Write as much or little as you wish as you fill out the form. You can have staff fill in the statistical information. Just note where you found the data. We will use this information as a starting point for developing a roadmap to success. There are no “right or wrong” answers. The information just helps us in analyzing the practice. As we discuss the findings you will have the opportunity to define what new direction you might choose to travel.
First, tell me about you – your background, why you chose dentistry, your family, what you do for fun, your favorite part of dentistry, demographics of your area, how you would like to see your practice in five years. (Feel free to write on the pack of the page if you print this out – otherwise just fill in as you wish)
Number of years in practice
Number of years in this location
Number of dental Hygienists employed
Number of hygiene days available each week (8 hours/day)
Number of dental Assistants
Number of business office staff
Average amount of staff turnover per year
Do you have a written program for recruiting, hiring and training new staff?
Do you have a written statement of office mission, vision and values? Shared with staff?
Do you have a written office policy manual?
Are you fully HIPA compliant?
Do you have written documentation of every procedure you perform with photos of set ups?
Do you have general scripts for staff and doctors regarding common questions that must be discussed every day in the office?
Do you use “role playing” to train in script use?
Do all non-urgent care new patients get a “comprehensive exam? Explain what takes place.
How much time do you allow for a new patient comprehensive exam?
Why would a new patient exam in your office seem “special” to the patient?
How long before you could see someone for a new patient exam?
How long do you allow for a routine recare visit?
Do you Pre-book hygiene visits?
How often do you make full mouth radiographs or a panoramic film on clients?
Do you use an intra- oral camera - who uses it and how often? Do you track use?
Do you take digital photos of patients or your work?
How many active patients in the practice? “active” is defined as seen for some service in the past 18 months.
Do you have a morning “huddle” each day before starting work – how long and who leads it?
Do you have staff meetings – how often and for what reason?
Do you make follow up calls to patients that have “significant” treatment? How about hygiene?
How do you track treatment planned and presented work that is not scheduled?
What is your weekly office work schedule?
Do you come into the office at other times – what for?
What time units do you use for scheduling?
What practice management software do you utilize?
Do you schedule by procedure or by production?
What are your favorite types of procedures?
What time of the day do you feel you are most efficient?
Do you have a lunch period scheduled? How long– and do you work through it often?
Do you have an exercise program – if so describe it?
What do you do to stay current in the field of dentistry?
Do you watch dental videos?
What is the most recent book you have read?
Do you create comprehensive treatment plans for new clients?
Do you personally schedule treatment conferences with new clients?
Do you “participate” in any insurance plans – if so how many?
Do you know the percentage of fee reduction you are agreeing to in each plan?
How many patients do you believe you would lose if you opted out of participation?
Do you know your gross production per hour?
Do you know your dental hygienists individual gross production per hour?
What percent of your production comes from hygiene?
How do you handle urgent care in your schedule?
If a current patient fractures a tooth how long before you could see them for a crown prep?
How much of your gross production are you collecting – year over year?
How much are you writing off due to insurance participation?
How many new patient comprehensive exams do you average per month?
Do you have a “fixed” fee schedule – what would make you alter a fee?
When was the last time you raised your fees – how much did they change?
Did you use a specific plan or other means to determine the changes?
When do you do staff evaluations – do they always include discussion of wages?
What financial information do you share with staff and when?
List the number of different roles you play in the practice every week?
What is your average practice daily production?
Has this number changed in the past year – by what percent?
How many unfilled hours does the doctor average per month?
How many unfilled hygiene hours per month on average?
Do you track treatment diagnosed vs. treatment accepted?
What is your percentage of collection for treatment at the time of service?
What is your collection as a percentage of production?
What is your current accounts receivable total?
What is the amount for 30, 60, 90 and over 90 days?
How much do you have in pending insurance claims?
Do you track the patients you are losing from the practice – describe what you do?
Do you track referrals to your practice – describe what you do?
Do you set daily, weekly monthly practice goals – describe what you do
What percent has your production increased in the past 12 months?
What is your production per patient this year versus last year?
What is your percentage of case acceptance?
What percentage of new patient calls is scheduled on the first call?
What percentage of hygiene revenue is periodontally related?
What is the increase in new patients this year versus last year?
What percentage of your patients has made a referral?
Do you have at least 10 goals for yourself and the practice written down where you see them daily? What are they? Do you share the practice goals with your team?
Do you have a dedicated marketing coordinator? What marketing strategies did you implement in the last year?
What specific things are you doing to market your practice? Name five items that you plan to try in the coming year. What percentage of your gross is going to marketing?
How behaviorally adept do you feel you office is – describe any training you have done in this area?
How do you manage payment arrangements - discuss routine cases vs. large complex cases – what options do you offer?
What methods do you use for patient education – have these been shared and demonstrated to every member of the office – how?
What types of cases does the staff like to work on – how do you know?
What new to you areas of dentistry are you interested in – how will you learn more about them? How much are you willing to spend – both time and money?
How do you go about asking for referrals – how about staff – is there a system or script in place for this?
What “value added” experiences are you creating for your patients – describe at least five things you and your staff are doing that make your office special?
What percentage of your patients is pre-booked for continuing care?
If money was not a concern what four specific things would you change about the way you practice?
Have you and/or do you have a plan to fully fund your retirement plan over time?
Do you have a current will and/or trust – have you discussed this with your spouse?
Have you thought about how you will fund your children’s education?
Do you have a written disaster/transition plan in case of emergency? Describe it.
What sort of insurance do you carry – life, health liability, disability, business interruption, malpractice? Note the amounts if you wish to do so.
Write down some of the “issues” in your work or life in general that are causing you stress and frustration – just a few words or several paragraphs. What would have to change to resolve these items? Write a few words about what you see as “success” in your profession.
Thanks for all your effort and candor. I look forward to getting together to discuss this information and helping you intentionally map out a roadmap for success.
North A. Shetter DDS, FAGD
Put your issues and changes below or if you print this use the back of the page
MCCAnalysis071515©All Rights Reserved – North A. Shetter DDS