Dentistry in the UK is rightly tightly regulated. It is also in crisis, with a massive shortage of available dental practices. If you are able to bring a team together there will undoubtedly be an appreciative customer base ready to sign up for your services.
Within the dentistry profession, there are a variety of specialisms, from general practice to oral surgery and specialists in root canals, implants, and cosmetic dentistry. Each specialism requires its own high-cost level of equipment and qualifications. It’s a profession where the barriers to entry are particularly high. In recent years independent practices have become increasingly absorbed into dentistry chains, helping them to merge and reduce back-office functions and costs.
Here are some of the key things that every single dental surgery practice needs to succeed.
Anesthesia
While general dental practices might have an anesthetic on hand if their patient is really nervous about going to the dentist, for dental surgery it is required to have one of the three types of anesthetic around. Whether you are using nitrous oxide and oxygen, an IV, or oral pills in order to sedate your patients, you need to have a steady supply of your chosen anesthetic as well as the knowledge to administer it properly.
Having an anesthesia option on hand will make it much easier to perform surgeries because your patients won’t be able to complain!
Knowledge About Common Dental Problems
There are various common dental surgeries that are offered as standard in general dentistry practices. Basic oral hygiene advice and oversight are fundamental. This is supplemented by hygienist services that provide scale and polish as preventative measures against plaque, tartar, and gum disease. Routine treatment includes restoring teeth damaged by decay with fillings. Your general dentist will also provide extractions when absolutely necessary – if the tooth cannot be saved with a root canal – and help you to disguise gaps with bridges, dentures or implants. The latter often require bone grafts and a referral to a specialist.
Figure Out What You Want To Do In House, And What Is Outsourced
For some dental procedures, such as implants or any procedure where moulding is required, a general dentistry practice might be able to create the needed materials in-house. For example, they might need a mould of a patient’s teeth for braces or for implants. Some dental surgical offices will perform both the measurements for the mould and the creation of the mould in-house, while others will only take the measurements and then sent those off to other locations to be created.
It can be faster to complete everything in-house, but it might not always be the most practical solution. So figure out what you can get done on the premises, and what you will need to get outsourced, then start building out new relationships to get the supplies you need.
And if you need dental supplies, then Kent Express is one of the best services out there, so do your best to build a relationship with them! They will be able to get you the best dental supplies and keep all the supplies you need in stock, and you won’t find a better place to support your surgical dental practice!
Hire The Right Employees
The procedures around dental surgery are complex and you need to hire employees who know what they are doing and who have the appropriate qualifications and have had experience with performing surgeries on patients. The more qualified and experienced employees that you have, the more successful your business will be both at the start and in the long run as well. You will of course also have to adhere to medical regulations and ensure that your employees are appropriately qualified and that their knowledge and experience remain up-to-date.
So look for experience and nurture the relationships with the employees that you have, because they are very hard to replace! Additionally, try to seek out some relationships with dental offices around you that don’t have the ability to perform dental services in-house. They might just pass their clients down to you, and it can be a good working relationship.
Market Your Dental Surgery Office
Despite the shortage of general dental practices, you will still need to market your service if you want ot build up a viable list of patients and collaborative partners in the industry. The more that you market your services, their prices, and how you can best help dental patients who need some surgery, then the more clients you will have.