Record production, a unified team, and a new office on the way—how an established dental practice finally hit its stride
Most dentists will tell you the clinical work is the easy part—it's everything around it that's hard. After opening his Manchester, GA, dental practice in 2006, Dr. Abel Aguilar spent years wrestling with that reality alongside his wife Jamie, the practice manager. Things finally clicked when they partnered with Scheduling Institute, and today, that growth has them building a new office.
"This past March was the first big month of having everyone working in the same direction," Jamie said, "and we had the best month we've ever had across the board—referrals, new patients, collections, production. Our staff talks about it every single day."
It Starts with the First Phone Call
Scheduling Institute helps dentists build more efficient, less stressful practices using proven strategies that improve operations and patient flow.
"They're really good at working with the doctor's mindset," Dr. Aguilar said. "They helped us understand that many of the issues in a practice start with leadership, and then put systems in place to fix them.”
According to Jamie, trainers were in the office on a Friday, and the front desk was up and running with the new framework by Monday.
"One of the first things we learned was how to approach that initial phone call...letting patients lead the conversation within our parameters," she said. "Instead of asking, 'What works for you?' we offer 2 options that work for our schedule.
"The first phone call leads to the first visit, when every new patient gets an office tour, meets the team, learns about their doctor, and receives a gift.
"If a patient doesn't walk out feeling heard and seen and taken care of, then we didn't do our job," Jamie explained. "A patient can leave with the cleanest teeth in the world—but they don't really know that. What they do know is how their hygienist made them feel. And that's where we set ourselves apart."
A 'Night and Day' Difference
The team also has learned to reframe questions around insurance. "We're educating patients to be less insurance driven," Jamie noted. "I explain that insurance is more like a coupon and may not reflect what's best for their dental health."
Another key turning point was tracking performance. "Learning about different KPIs made a big difference for us," Jamie said. "If you're not tracking something, you don't know if you're successful."
Setting clear practice standards and building a culture the entire team buys into is equally important.
"There are a lot of great hygienists and associates out there, but if they don't match our culture, then it's not a good fit for us," Jamie said. "It's about having the right people in the right seats and setting clear expectations about what their job is on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. It’s honestly been night and day from where we were before."
Small Effort, Big Results
"As long as you put a little bit of effort in, you can't fail," Jamie added. "Scheduling Institute is there to hold your hand, keep you accountable, answer your questions, and make it as easy as possible."
"We're so different than the people we were even a year ago," Dr. Aguilar said. "I can't imagine going back. We have team meetings now! We didn't have team meetings for 20 years, and now it's our new normal. I don't think you can afford not to do this, because they will make sure you succeed."
