Sebastian Evans

What is the difference between an organisation’s mission and its vision? When asked this, many business professionals, including dentists, find it hard to come up with an answer. Some believe that mission and vision are interchangeable terms. However, the distinction between the two is quite pronounced. A mission is what you want the dental practice…

Successful relationships between dentists and patients depend on trust and goodwill. Preserving the rapport is crucial, but the balance within that relationship is shifting. The time-honoured approach, where the patient would receive the amount of information a ‘reasonable dentist’ would give in the circumstances, has changed. The dentist should now give the facts that a…

‘I work in a very confined environment,’ I said while explaining my stress to a non-dental friend. ‘Have they given you the smallest room?’ she asked. ‘Well, yes they have, but I was actually referring to the mouth.’ We all know that working in the mouth has its difficulties, but some patients make it unnecessarily…

You can manage your revenue and costs effectively by using key ratios to monitor them. But to carry out a ratio analysis you need the basic financial data, including the level of activity. If you have already calculated your breakeven level then you already have this data. The ratios to use include the following: •…

With so many demands made on a practice budget, it is important that any expenditure you make will benefit your business, pay for itself and boost profits too. Many dentists that we speak to are surprised that their investments often seem to have no impact on their patients, and consequently are not a huge financial…

Being a manager means keeping morale high to increase productivity and job satisfaction. When a manager has been with a team for a long time, a routine will develop that can easily lead to a lack of motivation and a steep decline in performance. Keeping your colleagues stimulated and focused is key to successful management.…

Most receptionists place great value on offering excellent customer care, whilst working in a busy, high-pressure dental reception. However, your efforts can sometimes be seen as little more than good intentions. I have spoken to people from time to time who believe that good customer care means having a range of costly gimmicky systems in…

Bristol is home to one of the smallest dental schools in the UK, a fact its staff and students are very proud of. This is because it allows the school to retain a friendly and intimate feel, while its staff can focus on each student’s individual needs. The set-up seems to suit the school as…

Dr David Hornbrook is one of dentistry’s most talented clinicians and has helped thousands of dentists fall back in love with their profession. He shares his knowledge and expertise with others and helps them discover the passion they need to improve the quality of patient care. All this is done through the work his company,…

Dental implant therapy is a growth area affording dentists the opportunity to improve the patient care they provide and increase the profit they can make. But before offering it to patients, appropriate steps must be taken to ensure patients opting for the procedure will benefit and not come to any harm. For dentists new to…

As a general dental practitioner there are very limited choices available to you when it comes to acquiring formal training in implant dentistry. There are two teaching hospitals offering recognised Master of Science level training. These are taught by staff with high level post-graduate qualifications and take place at King’s and The Eastman Dental Institute.…

Dentistry is a fast-paced, challenging industry and, as managers, we are faced with different obstacles each day. How we deal with these challenges reflects not only on our professionalism but the general well-being and running of our organisation. Successful management requires a mixture of good communication and organisational skills, but more importantly it also requires…

Admit it, when sales representatives come into your dental practice, they are often not given easy access to you, are they? Sometimes, when you are extremely busy and stressed, you may encourage your receptionists to keep the schedule profitable by running efficiently, and that might include turning away a salesperson and preventing them from taking…

It is vital to have access to up-to-date financial data, know your practice’s cost structure and the basics of business analysis. But how do you work out your breakeven level and, in practical terms, what are its implications? You need to know your costs – the fixed and variable overheads – and your practice income.…

For many years now patients have been familiar with the dental mantra ‘visit your dentist every six months’. Many practices still send patients six-monthly recalls, a service many have come to rely on. In some cases, where practices have decided to discontinue this service because they are too busy to offer appointments on such a…

I don’t want to give readers the impression I have all the answers, because that is far from the truth. There are many things I struggle with in the surgery – and one of them is the foot pedal on the dental chair. I am, as they say, vertically challenged, with short arms and legs.…

Taking on a new associate happens regularly in many dental practices, and each and every time it occurs, it presents the same challenges. The first, of course, is that of recruiting the right associate – one who will fit in well with the ethos of the practice and not move on a year or so…

1. Child Trust Fund The Child Trust Fund allowance has been increased for all children born after 1 September 2002. This means that parents will now receive a further payment of £250, or £500 for families on lower incomes, when their child turns seven. 2. Inheritance Tax The Inheritance Tax threshold has been raised to…

I see gums as an end organ, just like a finger. The difference is that gums are hidden – out of sight and out of mind. The surface area of the inflammatory disease process in a patient with advanced periodontal disease could cover a large area of the forearm. If this was the area the…