6 Ways to Improve Your Dental Practice This Financial Year

As the new financial year kicks off, it’s a great time to not only finalise your books but also to take stock of where your dental practice is heading.

Whether your goals include attracting more patients, introducing new services, or fine-tuning your operations, now is the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself and your team to improve. Below are six practical ways to grow and strengthen your practice in the months ahead.

1. Improve Patient Retention

In today’s saturated dental market, acquiring new patients is expensive and competitive. But improving patient retention? That’s where the real opportunity lies.

When consulting with new clients, we often ask what they believe their six-month patient return rate is. Many guess around 70–80%. But when measured properly, it’s usually closer to 20–25%. This gap surprises most dentists and highlights just how important it is to track this metric accurately.

Getting your retention rate above 50% takes time and a cultural shift. But when practices push past the 80% mark, the benefits are clear: higher profitability, a more stable patient base, improved resale value, and stronger team morale.

2. Add Value Through Communication and Management

To Your Patients

Exceptional dentistry isn’t just about clinical technique, it’s also about clear, confident communication.

Patients trust dentists who take time to explain their options. When they understand the differences between materials, techniques, and outcomes, they’re more likely to choose quality over price. Yet many practitioners default to offering the least expensive option, rather than the most appropriate one.

This doesn’t mean pushing unnecessary treatment. It means communicating value effectively — so patients can make informed choices about their care.

To Your Team

The same principle applies to your team. Recruiting and retaining good people isn’t easy. It starts with the basics: a clear job description, a structured interview process, a thoughtful induction, and open communication from day one.

Culture isn’t created by accident, it’s built through intentional leadership.

3. Work on Your Attitude

Sometimes, the biggest shift you can make in your practice isn’t clinical or procedural, it’s personal.

Your mindset can change how patients behave, how staff respond, and how much satisfaction you find in your work. One memorable example: a patient once perceived as difficult became a loyal, friendly advocate - simply because the practitioner changed how they interacted with him.

Attitude affects outcomes. A small shift in perspective can lead to significant results.

4. Improve Your Clinical Skills

If daily dentistry has started to feel repetitive, it might be time to expand your clinical scope.

Learning a new skill – whether it’s Invisalign, implants, sleep dentistry, CAD/CAM, or another advanced area – can reignite your passion and boost your practice’s offerings. Yes, it requires time and training. But the long-term payoff includes renewed enthusiasm, broader treatment options, and financial growth.

Choose an area that genuinely interests you and invest in becoming great at it.

5. Measure Everything

If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. It’s that simple.

Start tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like:

• Production and collections

• New patients and maintenance visits

• Discounts and treatment acceptance

• Team productivity and overheads
  

Compare your numbers to industry benchmarks. Set targets. Review your performance monthly. The data will tell you where to focus your energy and where you’re already winning.

This kind of analysis can feel foreign at first, especially for clinicians. But over time, it becomes second nature, and is often the catalyst for transformational growth.

6. Raise the Bar

If you’re already doing many of the above – congratulations. But don’t stop there.

Ask yourself: What’s the next level for me and my practice? Can your systems run smoother? Can your culture be stronger? Can your communication be clearer?

The new financial year is more than a calendar event. It’s an opportunity to reimagine what success looks like – and to create a practice you’re proud of.

Wishing you a focused, energised, and prosperous financial year ahead.