Posted by Amy Carbone on Jun 21, 2021 9:00:00 AM
When you're working in a dental practice, one of the problems you can run into is fallow time. Understanding what that is and how to reduce it can make your practice better and more successful in the long run.
Even though fallow time is part of the existence of every dental practice, it's a negative concept and one that you can work on reducing, so it doesn't impact your bottom line.
What Is Fallow Time?
Fallow time is the period of time when very little (or nothing) is happening, at least when it comes to being productive. It's usually when there aren't any patients at the practice during business hours. That can make it seem like there's nothing to do, but really there's plenty that can be done during this time. Instead of seeing it as something negative (because there isn't any money coming in if there aren't patients at the practice), try viewing it as a time to accomplish tasks you might be too busy to get otherwise.
While too much fallow time is obviously a bad sign for the overall health and future of a dental practice, having a small amount of fallow time can make it easier for your practice and your staff to get more done. During COVID-19, fallow time has become more of an issue than it was in the past. Dental practices had to completely shut down for a while, and even when they opened back up there were a lot of patients who were hesitant to reschedule their appointments.
How to Use Fallow Time
There are several important ways that fallow time can be used, so it's not just wasted downtime that isn't providing you or your staff with much value. For example, cleaning is one of the things you can do with any free time you might have. There are a lot of cleaning needs in a dentist office, even if COVID wasn't a consideration. Investing in a high-end air purifier can help, and you'll need some time to do research for that. But in addition to this purifier, there are a whole host of other cleaning needs to focus on.
You and your staff can also do a lot of disinfecting of your dental practice. This is similar to cleaning, but not the same. When you disinfect, you deep clean things and use special chemicals that will reduce problems, kill germs, and make sure the practice is safe for the people who work there and the patients you see. Since the pandemic, people are more concerned than ever about whether things are clean and disinfected. Patients are relying on and trusting you to keep them safe and disinfecting is an important part of that. It's something you and your staff should take very seriously.
Ventilation is another focus for fallow time, so you can "air out" your dental practice's building and make sure you're recirculating the air and bringing in healthy, clean air for patients and staff to breathe. This is where the research you did on the high-end air purifier will come in handy, because you'll know which one to choose and how it's going to help you protect your patients and staff from COVID and other germs and health risks. Choosing the right purifier can make a big difference when ventilating your dental practice.
After you've cleaned, disinfected, and ventilated your dental office, additional fallow time can be used for learning. The industry has a lot of base information that you already know, but it can also change rapidly in some ways. There are differences in information from month to month and week to week, sometimes, as well as updates and advances you'll want to pay careful attention to. You and your staff can learn more about your chosen profession, so you can pass that knowledge along to your patients, as well.
As you focus on continuous improvement and helping your staff to do the same, consider teambuilding exercises, as well. You don't have to stand in a circle and let people catch you as you fall backward to build a strong team. There are many other, more modern ways to strengthen the bonds of your staff. Some of them are in-person opportunities, and others can be handled virtually. Depending on the kind of people on your dental staff, the teambuilding activities that work for you may be more introverted or extroverted.
Both can be good options, as can different ways of learning. When you combine learning and teambuilding, you give yourself and your dental practice staff some great opportunities to turn your practice into an even better one than you already have. There's no reason to settle for less, when you have fallow time available. It might not be profit-based time, but it doesn't have to be negative. Instead, you can find ways to make it valuable and useful to you, your staff, and your patients, too.
Improve the Opportunities for Your Practice
If you're in practice and want to advance your career, we have products and resources that may help.. We work with dentists through every part of their careers, and we can work with you, as well. At Treloar & Heisel, we offer insurance policies and protection to dentists, dental students, and others in the industry. We know you need quality insurance protection from trained professionals with experience working with dentists. Reach out to us today, and let us help you move your dental practice forward, securely.
Sources
https://dentalreach.today/dental-news/what-is-fallow-time-in-dentistry/
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