Practice Management

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.

Brief compliance guidelines to consider for your practice website and promoting your practice online.

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. 

When starting a new business one of the first things to consider is a business structure. Legally, your business structure options include sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, and corporation.

Dental credentialing is the first step in is the process of a dentist entering into a contract with a dental benefit / insurance carrier. Learn more about it in this section of the resource.

Marketing and advertising are critical for a dental practice to establish itself successfully and to maintain practice goals. This article describes different methods of marketing and advertising, summarizes how the Dental Practice Act, CDA Code of Ethics, HIPAA and federal communication laws impact a dental practice’s marketing and advertising efforts and includes a Q&A.

Developed by a long-time information technology veteran and electronic health records expert, these checklists will help you start the transition to a new software.

Sample letter to patient discussing the necessity of radiographs. Courtesy of TDIC.

Use for existing minor patients whose legal guardians of record have experienced a relationship change (divorce). Send a letter to both parents; responses will help you determine if you need to update the patient information and patient financial agreement.

Consider this checklist a comprehensive overview of areas and tactics to consider when creating your practice’s external marketing plan.

Comparing processors to their competitors can be a daunting task. There is no easy way to do an apples-to-apples comparison, but we will provide you with some of the secrets of the trade, including the types of fee and pricing schedules in the marketplace

This FAQ offers do's and don'ts on how to have patient discussions regarding their dental benefit plans.

Tool to utilize during the patient financial discussion to document financial options presented, patient obligation and financial consent.

CDA is hearing from more members who have questions about the financial, legal and operational structure of a single-unit dental practice with multiple partners. If you are considering a group practice, use the information compiled here to help you evaluate prospective partners.

This form should be completed by each new patient or a new patient’s legal guardian. Additionally, this form should be reviewed at each patient appointment with changes noted and signed for. Used with permissions from TDIC.

Form designed for a provider who wishes to collect more in-depth dental health history that is not covered on the Confidential Health History Form, as well as assess the patient’s oral health and/or cosmetic concerns.

Use this resource to audit charts to ensure financial integrity is being maintained by all people involved.

As an international dental student (IDS) at an accredited IDS program, it is best to research and understand the process to obtain work visas in the United States at least 12 months before graduation. This section covers the various types of work visas applicable to international dentists who have completed an IDS accredited program in the United States.