Starting a new dental practice is an exciting, terrifying, and rewarding experience for a dentist. There’s also more to find than the chair and instruments. You need a way to stay organized, a way to take payments, and a way to communicate with your patients. These are our top three tools that we recommend every new practice prioritize.
A CRM That Keeps Your Organized
Finding a dental CRM can be a difficult task because there are multiple, seemingly identical programs. As a new dental practice, you want something that fits your needs without spending unnecessary revenue before you need to.
Our top choices are Dentrix, which is the industry giant, and CS SoftDent, which offers a clinical overview in addition to managing patient records even when another user is in a file. For a full breakdown on the best dental CRMs, read our blog post here.
A Payment System That Meets Your Needs
Offering flexible payment options is important for your patients, especially if they choose to self-pay instead of insurance. However, offering credit card payment opens up some complicated processing options. Merchant accounts are required, and their fee is a percentage of the payment.
If you use Dentrix, they offer integration with PowerPay, making this an easy setup. You can also use an external processor, which is a more affordable option. There is an extra step to include the patient’s paid status in your CRM, but depending on your overall needs, it could be worth implementing this type of system.
This article on HIPAA-compliant payment processing offers an in-depth review of different services.
An Email Marketing Platform That Keeps You Connected
Using email marketing in your dental practice is one of the best ways to reach current and potential patients. This offers a way to send monthly or bi-weekly newsletters and updates to your patients on important changes in your practice.
Many of these platforms are similar, but your choice should focus on your needs. If you’re planning on sending simple automation and would like templates for monthly newsletters, we recommend MailChimp. If you want an easy-to-learn platform with robust automation, we recommend MailChimp or ActiveCampaign.
For a full review on email marketing programs for dentists, head to our blog post here.
When looking to start a new dental practice, remember operational needs like scheduling, payment, and communication. With a CRM, payment processor, and email marketing platform, you can help your practice launch as smoothly as possible so you can keep helping patients live healthy and thriving lives.