In order to increase our leverage, we need to be able to bring on new dentists to share the load. This frees up more time for us to focus on critical drivers and increase our effective hourly rate.
There’s also something personal and important about mentoring young dentists, helping them jump start their career and setting them up for success.
In order to build their skillset, it’s important to select cases that will grow their confidence and develop great outcomes for patients.
This framework is designed to help select the right cases to balance the needs of your patients, your new graduates, and cultivate mutually beneficial outcomes.
1. Choosing the patient
An easy patient is someone who’s happy to recline, relax, and open wide. Ideally they’d have a good rapport with the practice, and not be too anxious either.
This might not be the best opportunity to pick someone who’s flinching, terrified of dentists, or perhaps isn’t able to open wide.
2. Choosing the case
An easy case is likely to have a good clinical outcome, whereas a difficult case might be more complex and complicated and harder to get a good clinical outcome.
You’ll notice that Easy Patient x Easy Case results in the Safety Zone – which is a great place to start. You’d begin here, and expand through mentoring, continuous education and training, and of course experience.
The Danger Zones can be where people become stuck, either because they haven’t understood the severity/complexity of the case, or because the patient is difficult. Once you’ve conquered the safety zone, it’s time to tackle the danger zones and gain mastery over them.
The No-Go Zone is a difficult case with a difficult patient. As older dentists, we have the time and experience to know what to avoid and how to handle these areas, but younger dentists don’t have the benefit of that experience.
However, this is the very last place you select, and by the time you make it to the No-Go zone, it won’t be as intimidating or difficult.
As you can see, we work from top right to bottom left, gaining gradual mastery over other areas in order to slowly expand the skills of the new graduate. It’s a great way to kickstart their career whilst also making sure your patients receive the best possible care.
P.S Want to scale your dental practice and take your profits to 7 figure success?
Me and my team can work with you directly to get you there! Simply book in your FREE 1:1
strategy session, and we can get started on a game plan for you and your practice.
