5 Common Mistakes Made by New Dental Practices

Updated on September 7, 2021

Opening a dental practice takes a lot of work and consideration. Initially, you might think it’s easy – get your qualifications, find a suitable building, and hire great dentists, nurses, and receptionists. Unfortunately, there’s a lot more to it than that, especially if you want to succeed in the long run. 

Before opening the practice, you should familiarize yourself with the common mistakes people make when opening a dentist for the first time. Here are five of them. 

1: Buying the Wrong Supplies 

There is a lot to consider when it comes to where to buy your essential dentist equipment from. If you take a look online, you’ll find multiple suppliers with excellent reviews, which is great, but it also means it becomes more difficult to make your choice. Important things to factor into your choice of suppliers include: how long the equipment lasts, what the reviews are, and what the price is. There are other things to factor in, too, such as how eco-friendly the materials are. Buying the wrong kind of supplies could set you up for failure, so do your research. 

2: Choosing a Bad Location 

The wrong location can kill a dental practice’s success. After all, if patients can’t find you, or they already have multiple other great dentist options, then they are less likely to come to you. For this reason, you must think wisely about where you set up the dental practice. Ideally, you’d choose a location with plenty of nearby residents and little competition. You should also ensure the building is in good shape for accommodating yourself, your staff, and your patients. 

3: Not Hiring Enough Staff

In the early days, it’s understandable not to hire a huge team of people, but that doesn’t mean you can do everything on your own. While you might want to save money, answering the reception calls on your own isn’t really going to work out. So, make sure you hire a small but firm team of people before you welcome any patients through the door. 

4: Spending Too Little on Marketing 

New dental practices have a disadvantage in that most people are already with another dentist, and those that aren’t are likely to choose one they have already heard of. It can make getting started rather tricky, but not impossible – as long as you use the right marketing strategies. Investing in marketing is simply a must, as, without it, you won’t attract many new patients. 

5: Expecting Growth Too Fast

If done right, you can expect a decent number of patients coming through your dental practice door within the first year, but don’t expect the entire town to come streaming in. Expecting growth too quickly can jeopardize the hard work you’ve already done, so focus on a slow but steady pace and prioritize the loyal patients you gain over time. 

Opening up a brand new dental practice will never be easy, but by avoiding these mistakes, you greatly increase your chances of success.

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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.