What does a dental practice consultant do? A plain guide

A dental practice consultant studies how a practice runs and gives an owner outside advice. The topics can include management, team, marketing and finance. The owner stays in charge of every decision. This post explains the common tasks, the limits of the role and the questions worth asking before any agreement.

What does a dental practice consultant do?

A dental practice consultant reviews a practice from the outside and advises the owner on what to change. The Academy of Dental Management Consultants says its consultants are trained to provide “management or advisory services, lecturing, consulting, marketing, and financial advice.” That list shows how wide the field is. One consultant may focus on scheduling and systems. Another may focus on money or marketing.

The reason the role exists is simple. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that dentists in private practice oversee administrative tasks such as bookkeeping and buying equipment and supplies. Clinical school does not cover all of that work. An owner may want a second set of eyes on the business side. See the dental practice consultant glossary entry for a short definition.

What areas can a consultant cover?

The American Dental Association groups practice management into finances, risk, patients, the facility, the team and technology. A consultant may touch any of these. The table below maps common areas to the kind of work involved. It is a menu, not a standard. No published rule says a consultant must cover all of it.

Each area connects to a measure the practice can track. A key performance indicator is one number that shows how an area performs. A benchmark is a reference point for comparison. Any benchmark is only useful if its source and year are known.

How does a typical engagement work?

Methods vary by firm, so there is no single process to describe. Many reviews follow the same broad order. The steps below are a general pattern, not the method of any one company.

1. The consultant and the owner agree on the question to answer.
2. The consultant collects information: reports, schedules, policies and often staff input.
3. The consultant compares what the practice does with a reference point.
4. The consultant gives written findings and options.
5. The owner chooses what to act on and who will carry it out.

A practice assessment is the term some firms use for steps two to four. The label is not standardized, so ask what a firm includes under it.

What does a consultant not do?

A consultant does not replace the owner’s judgment, and the role has limits. Legal, tax and valuation questions belong to an attorney, a CPA or a licensed broker. A consultant who gives advice in those areas should say so and point you to a licensed adviser. Clinical decisions stay with the treating dentist.

A consultant also cannot promise a result. Practice outcomes depend on the market, the team and many other factors. Be careful with any offer that names a specific growth, revenue or savings figure. Ask for the data behind it.

How much does a dental consultant cost?

No sourced fee exists for the field as a whole, so this post gives none. Fees vary by firm, scope and length of the work. Prices quoted on vendor blogs are not independent data. The safest step is to ask each firm for its terms in writing.

What should an owner ask before hiring one?

Good questions make the work comparable across firms. Use the list below as a starting point and add your own.

• What exactly will you review, and what will I receive at the end?
• Who will do the work: you, or someone else on your team?
• How will progress be measured, and by whom?
• What does the fee cover, and what costs extra?
• How can either side end the agreement?
• Do you have any financial link to products or services you may recommend?

The last question matters. A fair consultant should be open about any link to products or vendors.

How is a consultant different from a manager?

A consultant advises. A manager runs daily work. A practice manager or office manager stays in the office, supervises staff and owns the routine. The two roles can work together, but they are not the same. For more on the manager side, read about the dental office manager job and the office manager and practice manager titles.

For a wider view of how the pieces fit, the dental practice management guide covers systems, numbers and team in one place.

How should an owner read a consultant’s proposal?

A proposal should make the work easy to compare with other offers. Look for a clear question, a clear list of deliverables and a clear end date. Vague promises make comparison hard. A proposal that names a result without naming the data behind it deserves a follow-up question.

Two more checks help. First, ask what the practice must supply, such as reports, access to staff and time from the owner. The work depends on that input. Second, ask how findings will be handed over, for example as a written report, a meeting or a training session. Owners can then judge the work by what they receive and not by the pitch.

Professional groups exist in this field. The Academy of Dental Management Consultants, linked above, is one example. Membership in a group is not a guarantee of fit, so the questions above still apply.

Next step

Read the dental practice consulting guide for a fuller look at scope, questions and fit. To ask about consulting, contact Dr. Copeland about consulting. Dr. Jon Copeland, DDS, is a general dentist in Wildwood, Missouri.