Change Management Tips for Dental Practices and DSOs

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already omnipresent in our lives thanks to our smartphones and customer service chatbots (to name a few). Today, along with the rest of the healthcare world, dentistry is quickly catching up to industries that have long benefited from robots and AI. In fact, many dental practices and DSOs already rely on AI applications to improve workflows, diagnoses and patient experiences.

AI will soon enhance everything from X-ray analysis to treatment planning and case acceptance - and for many, it already is. 

To join those dental professionals benefiting from dental AI tools, you must prepare a change management strategy. This plan should describe how you will successfully integrate the technology as well as train and support your team during the implementation process.

What is change management?

Change management is the method of transitioning or transforming an organization's goals, processes or technologies. When deploying AI in your organization, a comprehensive change management strategy ensures you can optimize your investment. It helps you and your team understand how AI will affect your business processes, systems, employees and patients. 

Here are four vital change management tactics you should complete to roll out dental AI software successfully: 

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1) Determine your goals

As the leader, you must understand what you want your organization to accomplish with AI and then communicate that to your team. Why does your team need it? What will this technology achieve? Answer these questions to ensure your staff has any necessary context when introducing your new AI solution. You will only be successful if your team buys in and willingly adopts the technology.

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2) Highlight the growth opportunities

Illustrate how dental professionals on your staff will gain new skills that will benefit them moving forward. Provide your team with adequate time and training to ensure they can familiarize themselves with the dental AI tool and how it can amplify their abilities. Ample support during the change management process is vital to ensure your team understands the positive impact the technology can have on their expertise and potential to elevate patient care and case acceptance rates when it is consistently used.  

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3) Focus on patients

From receptionists to doctors, each team member is instrumental in creating an environment of compassion and understanding that comforts patients. AI for dentistry automates specific tasks and allows your team to focus more on providing patient-first, quality care. And with AI-enhanced X-ray analysis with Videa Assist, dentists deliver faster, more accurate diagnoses, enabling better preventative care and providing substantial cost savings for patients by reducing invasive care for severe conditions. The technology also helps providers better communicate findings and treatment recommendations. When your patients have a positive experience and don't feel they are just a number, they'll trust your advice and are more apt to follow treatment and return for future appointments. 

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4) Temperature check

Following up frequently with your team is essential. Consistent meetings will help keep everyone on track and allow you to modify and improve your rollout plan to ensure practice calibration and continuity of care. It also demonstrates your investment in the success of your employees.

Using a systematic change management approach to rolling out your AI dental assisting platform, you can maximize your investment and mitigate disruptions to your team. This process can allow you and your staff members to hone leadership skills and expand their dental expertise. Focus on positive outcomes, stay open and communicate with your team; your business will move into a new phase with improved diagnostics and unparalleled patient outcomes. 

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How VideaHealth’s dental imaging AI platform can help 

As dental health professionals gain access to more advanced tools, such as VideaHealth's powerful AI technology, the gap between traditional medical care and dental care is narrowing and helping bring meaningful change to our health systems. It also allows dentists to improve overall health significantly and strengthens practice operations and provider abilities. AI-enhanced dentistry with VideaHealth helps ensure more timely, accurate patient care and enhances treatment plan value while helping foster better patient relationships.  

At VideaHealth, we're on a journey to revolutionize the dental industry. We hope you will join us. Contact us today for a demo of the leading dental AI platform for DSOs and dentists.