Dental Tribune UK Edition, September 13-19, 2010, Vol. 4 No. 21

September 13-19, 200912 Practice Manaegment United Kingdom Edition W ell-known business leader Sir John Har- vey Jones once com- mented to an audience of dental professionals that there is no such thing as a neutral gear in busi- ness. He stated that there were es- sentially only two gears; forward or reverse. It is interesting to explain this concept to the many practice own- ers that I have met over the years, who are actively pouring all of their efforts into making their practice a success. Practitioners in today’s financial climate are of- ten dealing with a double edged sword; on the one hand they are celebrating an upturn in turno- ver, and on the other, they are discovering that in reality, profit is no better than the year before. Sadly in some cases, a lot less. In some instances, these prac- titioners decide simply to accept that the turnover is as good as it can be and instead launch into an overhead cost-cutting exer- cise. Unfortunately, this is totally counter-productive. Not only does it generally reduce the likelihood of turnover increasing, it also lowers staff morale and therefore affects potential earnings. Stuck in reverse I often hear of a practice carrying on in this vein, while maintaining an enthusiastic, ethical approach. However, businesses like this are sadly never engaged in forward gear, but instead the profits are in reverse and making a slow steady decline. This said, there are some notable exceptions. Some prac- tices have chosen to embark on major exercises whereby they seek to grow the understanding, skill set and team dynamics of the practice in order to keep up with 21st-century demands; this puts them firmly in forward gear even during a recession. So, if you are unsure as to where exactly you are taking your practice, please read on. You may be one of many prac- titioners whose practice is situ- ated in an “out of the way” area of the country and who is currently thinking that there is nothing else you can do. This is a natural emo- tion and one that can be de-moti- vating and damaging for morale; I felt the same anxieties and emo- tions in my first practice in Mac- clesfield back in the 1980s. However, while each prac- tice and each individual part of the country will need a differ- ent approach, the basic ingredi- ents remain the same. All over the British Isles there are some extremely experienced account- ants, trainers and coachers who successfully tackle this sort of problem every day. There are no quick fixes, but by adhering to the model that successful businesses use and employ professional ex- pertise to assist you in developing the skills that you and your team need, it is entirely possible to reignite your practice and deliver above and beyond your current expectations. The basic ingredients: Reviewing your leadership skills One key aspect all highly success- ful businesses have in common is they are fronted by people with outstanding leadership skills. Some people naturally have these qualities, while others do not. Either way, you have the oppor- tunity to hone your existing abili- ties or focus on developing these skills; they are vital to running an outstanding practice. Without them you will only ever be run- ning on neutral. Understanding your practice values Your patients need to be able to see, feel and identify your clinical and business values; in essence your brand. Branding is vital and you cannot escape it. Without a general consensus regarding clinical protocols and attitudes to patients, you won’t ever achieve a really powerful brand. Your vision – your plan To get the process started, ask yourself how, in an ideal world, would your practice be run? If you have difficulty, a profession- al coach can assist with this ex- ercise, don’t be one of the many people I hear saying, ‘if only I’d been helped to do this at the start of my career!’ The whole team must have a clear understanding of the val- ues and brand of your business and what the expected customer experience is. By having team meetings, your expectations can be laid out and staff members will have the opportunity to raise any issues or anxieties that they have with regards to the direc- tion that the practice is mov- ing in. Whenever I have done this in my own practice, outside assistance has always proved invaluable. DT Getting aheadIt’s too easy to get stuck in a rut and lose the direc- tion of your practice, says Jonathan Wood, who of- fers some simple solutions to help you move forward About the author J o n a t h a n Wood is a coach with Breathe Business and a dentist with nearly 30 years’ experience. Cur- rently he is a partner in a six- room private practice in Jersey in the Channel Islands. He has lectured internationally and now enjoys utilising his experience and wide range of skills for busi- ness coaching and development for other dental practices through Breathe Business. For more information on how Breathe Business can help you develop, plan and achieve your vision for your business, call the Breathe Team on 0845 299 7209 or email ernie@nowbreathe.co.uk. Do you want your practice to go forward or in reverse? For further information contact Mike Loftus, Nuview Ltd, Vine House, Selsley Road, North Woodchester, Glos, GL5 5NN Tel: +44 (0) 1453 872266 Fax: +44 (0) 1453 872288 Email: continu@nuview-ltd.com Web: www.voroscopes.co.uk Does your legionella control comply with HTM 01‑05 and the Health & Safety Commission’s Code of Practice? THE REGULATIONS Paragraphs 19.1 – 19.68 in Section 3 of HTM 01-05 are specifically focused on control of legionella in Dental Practices and Paragraphs 6.75 to 6.9 address Dental Unit Water Lines as well. Practices must also comply with the Health & Safety Commission’s Approved Code of Practice (L8) on the control of legionella bacteria in Water Systems. THE RISKS Walker et al (2000) studied 55 Dental Unit Water Systems (DUWS) in 21 practices and found that 95% failed current EU Potable water guidelines on microbial load and 83% failed American Dental Association recommendations for DUWS water quality. They also report 2 studies which found legionella presence ranging from 6% to 25% in dental environments. THE PROBLEM Dental Unit Water Lines are an ideal environment for micro- organisms as they attach themselves to the tubing, forming a layer of biofilm. As the water in DUWL’s often becomes stagnant at the end of sessions or over a weekend it can also act as a reservoir for micro-organisms to flourish. THE SOLUTION Continu Alcohol Free Disinfectant for Dental Unit Water Lines has been specifically designed to strip away biofilm. What’s more, with a kill rate of 99.9998%, it prevents colonies reforming and, with its residual decontamination effect, it continues working for several days after application. THE RESULTS Case studies often show high levels of microbial presence particularly in water bottles, tubing and hand pieces, which are eliminated after applying Continu. Readings remain below recommended levels for up to 10 days even without further treatment, and a weekly disinfection regime with Continu maintains the DUWL above required standards. MICROBIOLIGICAL MONITORING By using an ATP meter that accurately measures the presence of micro-organisms, Nuview is able to provide a quick and verifiable assessment of cleanliness, along with a set of results that can be used to establish trends over a period of time. Continu – the next generation of ultra-effective, ultra-safe and environmentally friendly HTM 01-05 compliant anti-microbial disinfectants. ‘Your patients need to be able to see, feel and identify your clinical and business values;’