Practice Management

This training guides staff through the state and HIPAA requirements for providing access. Instructions on staff presentation are included.

Adding an associate dentist to your practice can bring in new patients, extend office hours and expand treatment options. Whether you have an existing associate dentist in your practice or plan on adding one in the future, there is a proper way to add an associate to your practice and submit claims to dental benefit plans.

Is your alternative workweek schedule compliant with California Law? Under California law, alternative workweek schedules permit workplaces to adopt different schedules longer than eight hours (up to 10 hours) without accruing overtime, but the process is not as simple as the employer unilaterally deciding to have an alternative workweek schedule.

The promotion of dental software using artificial intelligence seems overwhelming as vendors and others promote the benefits of their use. The benefit potential of artificial intelligence is high but so are the risks if users implement it without knowing its limitations and potential risks. The dental practitioner must be able to separate the hype from reality, be cognizant of applicable laws and regulations and be transparent with patients and employees when using artificial intelligence in clinical decision-making and procedures, along with administrative functions. This article highlights current laws and regulations and how they impact a dentist’s use of artificial intelligence. It will be reviewed and updated regularly.

This section of the toolkit helps you understand and evaluate your employment choices as an associate, explains the types of dental practices in which associates in California work, and provides information on alternate career options to consider.

What is the next step after you’ve graduated from dental schools? These resources have been designed to help you through the next steps in finding your career path.

As an associate, there are several ways to structure the relationship between you and the employer. In this resource, we review different options.

Form to be completed by legal guardian to authorize a caretaker (non legal guardian) to accompany a minor to his/her dental appointment. 

This form allows for a non-legal guardian to consent to a minor patient’s treatment. It must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Inspecting the office’s equipment is an essential part of the due diligence process before buying a dental practice. Use this list to conduct a thorough equipment inspection.

Inspecting a dental practice’s financials is an essential part of the due diligence process before making a purchase decision. Use this guide to conduct a thorough financial audit.

When buying a dental practice, the patient chart audit is a critical part of both the due diligence process and your potential for long-term success. The audit allows you to visually validate the reports presented by the seller and should be conducted in collaboration with a dental CPA, dental attorney or consultant. This resource provides a list of essential elements to review when auditing patient charts.

A summary of the pathways to obtain a California dental license, the first of many licenses, permits, certificates and registrations necessary to practice dentistry, as well as to own and operate a dental practice, in the state.

California law designates certain individuals as "mandated reporters” for known or suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elder and dependent adult and incidents of violence. Dentists, and many members of the dental team, are required to acknowledge their responsibility and make reports as well as consider training for their teams.

A minor patient who does not have a parent in their life may be under the care of a family member who is not a legal guardian. Use the affidavit when the family member seeks dental treatment for the minor.

Answering frequent questions about third party collection agencies. Things to know to stay in compliance with HIPAA and CMIA while working to collect past due patient balances.

Are you confident your patients understand the necessity of diagnostic X-rays? Here are some of the questions you may get from patients and guidance on how to best respond.

Our experts recommend the following patient communication protocols to help you create consistency in your dental practice and a trusting environment for patients. Please note that these protocols are suggestions only; please adapt the protocol as needed to your own unique practice needs, dental team staffing and patient demographics.

Info on practice management audits: practice strategic plan, production goals and revisions to schedule, chart audit, financial audit, billing, and how to update management policies and procedures.

Resources that support the prevention and management of patient and team conflict.

Sample form to obtain patient consent for use or disclosure of patient information as required by HIPAA and state law.

Document prescriber’s discussion with a minor and guardian on opioid risks prior to prescribing the medication in non-emergency circumstances.

Creating a vision statement can be a complex activity but a necessary one considering the many decisions you have to make as a business owner. Use this resource in tandem with our Writing Your Mission Statement resource. Then use the vision statement to guide your decision-making now and in the future.

Utilize this form when offering patients automatic credit card payments. Be certain to comply with your merchant card processor's security standard for this type of payment.

Steps to follow when your dental practice experiences a cyber incident that impacts your ability to access patient information.

This resource may be shared with patients to address some of the common questions about dental coverage and where to go when they are experiencing challenges with their dental plan.