Raj Rattan – The Business of Dentistry

Автор: Raj Rattan
Название книги: The Business of Dentistry
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Медицина
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

This text sets out the basic principles of, and key issues in, all aspects of modern dental medicine. The authors set out to show that good dentistry and profitability are not mutually exclusive

For many practitioners, treating patients is relatively easy compared with the running of their practice
as a successful business. With arrangements for the provision of oral healthcare undergoing dramatic
changes, the need for dental practices to be efficient and effective businesses has probably never been
greater. Patients must, however, come first, both ethically, to satisfy professional requirements of
care, and as customers. As the authors of The Business of Dentistry point out on page 1, “look after
your patients, then profits will follow”.
For those practitioners who run the business aspects of their practice on a trial-and-error basis
rather than according to sound principles of business management, this book – Volume 8 in the
Quintessentials for General Dental Practitioners Series – will be a revelation. For practitioners who
have and effectively apply good business acumen, this book will provide fresh impetus and
encouragement to keep ahead of the field. It is a great achievement to prepare a book that motivates
busy practitioners to stand back and rethink their approach to their patients, the running and
development of their practice and the financial affairs of their business. The Business of Dentistry is
such a book – a well-written, easy-to-read text in the succinct, essential style of the Quintessential
Series, a book which can transform the reader ’s approach to the critically important interface between
clinical dentistry and the management of a successful dental practice.
Nairn Wilson

Writing this book presented us with a challenge and a dilemma. The challenge was to adopt and adapt
general business principles and make them relevant to dentistry. The dilemma was that we had more
material than we could possibly hope to include given our editorial brief; it was a dilemma not of
commission but of omission. The remaining titles in the General Dentistry and Practice Management
volumes of the Quintessentials Series will examine some of the areas we have chosen to exclude from
this particular text: risk management and dento-legal issues, quality assurance, teamwork,
information technology and practice management.
Success in the world of business relies on effective and strong leadership – a theme which recurs in
many modern texts on business management. According to Ridderstrale and Nordstrom’s bestselling
book, Funky Business, “leadership and management are more important than ever before” and are the
“keys to competitive advantage”. Their perspective is people-centred – “the most critical resource
wears shoes and walks out of the door around five o’clock every day”.
This book also draws its inspiration from the Chinese concept of Guanxi. “Guan” means “close
together” and “Xi” means “relationship”. Guanxi, then, is essentially about relationship management
– widely recognised to be a key determinant of business performance. It is a prime example of oneto-
one marketing and of customer relationship management (CRM). CRM has been defined as “the
implementation of business strategies that identify and manage customers to derive maximum longterm
value from that relationship”, and it requires a “customer-centric business philosophy that is
often a change from the traditional product-oriented nature of many businesses”. Don’t let the jargon
mislead you – the principles are as old as civilisation itself.
Above all, we must recognise the most valuable aspect of the dental profession – that of being
allowed to treat patients. The business of dentistry will reap rewards for those who recognise this for
the privilege that it is and whose business is nourished by high ethical standards. Contrary to popular
belief – and despite the spate of recent high-profile failures in the corporate world – success in
business does not require abandoning high ethical standards. According to The Institute of Business
Ethics, “a business that doesn’t invest in building trust will, over time, be rejected by the markets, by
investors, by its customers and above all by its own people – its employees”. We must remember that
ethical considerations are inseparable from, and inextricably linked to, the business of dentistry.
Raj Rattan