Early in my career, I hit a point where I was constantly behind. Missed lunches, stressed staff, patients waiting. I was working hard but my systems weren’t.

That experience forced me to step back and identify where I was losing time. Not in big, obvious ways, but in little inefficiencies that add up. Here are five of the most common time drains I’ve seen (and lived through), plus some straightforward fixes:

1. The room isn’t fully set before the patient arrives

Lost time: Digging for instruments and materials during the procedure. 

Fix: Use setup templates and keep ops restocked before blocks.

2. Waiting on anesthesia

Lost time: Standing around while the patient waits to feel numb. 
Fix: Know your anesthesia times. For me, blocks take about 5 minutes, infiltrations about 3 minutes. If it’s not working fast enough, I move straight to backup anesthesia.

3. Breaking up quadrant dentistry into separate appointments

Lost time: multiple visits mean double the injections, setups, and interruptions.

Fix: When appropriate, treat by quadrant.  And if you’re referring out a lot, it might be time to build the skills to handle more in-house.

4. Financial arrangements not handled before the appointment

Lost time: discussing payment while the team is waiting. 
Fix: No financial arrangements means no appointment. Set clear expectations during case acceptance, not in the op.

5. Sending patients home when you could treat same-day

Lost time: Easy treatment delayed unnecessarily. 

Fix: Know your procedure times. When it’s clinically appropriate, offer same-day treatment! It helps the patient and boosts efficiency.

These are simple adjustments that lead to better flow, better outcomes, and better days.

If you’re looking to build more efficiency into your practice, we go deeper into systems like these in the 90-Day Clinical Accelerator, One Hour Molar Root Canal, Buildup and Crown course, and the Efficient Extractions hands-on workshop.

Let me know if you want more info. Always happy to help you build a better Monday.

Until next time,

Aaron Nicholas, DDS
Founder Monday Morning Dentistry
Dental Success Faculty and Black Belt Coach

P.S.: If you want to speak with me and other dentists with real experience, join DSN with a free 7-day trial! DSN is a dentist only community where practicing dentists collaborate and share their experience!