If you're like me, however, you're searching for something in the middle: More patients, and the opportunity to do more quality work on your patients of record.

In 1994, my twentieth year in dentistry, I made a simple discovery that changed my practice forever, and allowed me to see more patients and do more quality work on them. Here's what happened.

Although I'd had a good year, I knew that my practice could do even better. I just couldn't put my finger on what it was that needed to change. One night while going through my files I realized the amount of pending treatments that had "slipped through the cracks." I got out my calculator and started adding it up, and nearly fell out of my chair when the amount came to $250,000. And that was just in the "S" files! It was as if a gold mine had existed all along within my practice, and no one knew about it. No one was tracking treatments!

My wife Marie and I sat down and began working out a simple prototype, the result of which we now call "The Amazing Patient Tracking System." In the first eighteen months we saw our gross revenue soar from $750,000 to $1,400,000 -- an increase of over 46 percent. Over 800 dentists now use our simple non-computerized system, although any system that uses the following guidelines can turn a practice around.

The simplest thing about our system, as I've already stated, is that it's non-computerized. Consisting of a tickler file of NCR carbonless white cards, it's easily accessible, easy to use, and of course -- never has a glitch that I can't fix. My appointment engineer goes through the file daily, scheduling patients to meet the next tracked treatment.

Concentrating only on the next planned treatment is another secret to our system. Rather than try and focus on the entire treatment plan, we break the plan down into small packages. That way both we and the patient can focus on one goal at a time, from financial concerns to operatory time. The result is that all parties involved -- the doctor, staff, and patient -- are all focused on the next treatment, which makes it that much more likely to get done. In short, we don't try to sell the patient the "entire ranch." We sell them one acre at a time.

As simple as this may seem, these guidelines are the foundation of our tracking system, and should be for yours. The benefits can be truly amazing.

Obviously the most tangible benefit is increased gross. We were shocked at the way our gross revenues skyrocketed. Some dentists who have used "The Amazing Tracking System" have even tripled their gross. Imagine -- tripling your gross revenues with a simple filing system! So how does it work?

The less tangible benefits are the key. To start with, a reliable tracking system keeps you from losing patients through the cracks. Before using our tracking system, our files were full of what I call "diagnosed-but-undone" dentistry. I had patients who knew they needed work, but I'd presented them with this enormous plan -- selling them the ranch -- instead of taking them through it one treatment at a time. The result? The treatment packages I proposed were imposing -- and my patients chose instead to stay with cleans or regular check-ups, a filling at the most. In a worst-case scenario, they simply stopped coming to my office. They fell through the cracks.

"Falling through the cracks," is a perfect way to describe this scenario. In school, where the term is usually used, it describes students whose needs are not met -- in fact, ignored -- by educators.

Dentists are educators. It is our job to tell people about their teeth and meet their dental needs. Tracking allows you to do this. It's like a report card, except the patient gets it every time they're in the office. "We did that last time -- next time we need to do this. When can we set it up?" A simple task, but as you well know, it's much too easy to stop reminding a patient what they need to do for their dental health. Tracking makes it our responsibility to do just that.

Having said that, tracking is also an enormous help in "closing the back door" on patients leaving your practice. Before we began tracking, we only knew who had and hadn't seen us for their regular check ups. Tracking lets you monitor all your patients, from treatment to treatment. When a patient hasn't shown up for a treatment or two, you're able to find out why immediately. In addition, the lines of communication have already been established, and the patient is clear of your expectations for him. They're not putting off their appointment for fear of what's coming next.

That brings us back to what I call "patient comfortability." People are most comfortable when they're aware of expectations. When they're presented with a daunting treatment plan, their first instinct is to run. "How will I pay for this?" they think. "How will I ever have time for it?" "How much pain will I have to endure?"

When a treatment plan is broken down into small packages, life gets easier. It's as if you've taken a meal they couldn't imagine swallowing and cut it into small portions. Suddenly it looks a lot more appetizing. It gives the patient a lot more control, or at least the illusion of it, and they become more willing to embark upon a treatment plan.

This attention to detail -- focusing on portions of the treatment plan rather than all of it -- is also good for you and your staff. After you've begun tracking, don't be surprised if you start hearing your appointment engineer whistling around the office. It makes their job that much easier. Tracking also decreases stress throughout the office and smooths out your schedule, because everyone is able to focus on doing less -- and doing it better. That's the beauty of tracking. As a system, it brings order to your operation, and streamlines your practice.

Perhaps the least tangible, and most rewarding thing about tracking is its value as an internal marketing tool. At the recent Summit at Keystone, I listened to a panel of experts (which included Dr. Gordon Christensen, Dr. Howard Farran, Dr. Roger Levin, and Michael Apstein) discuss ways to save "fee-for-service-dentistry." What was their recommendation? Marketing -- both external and internal. The panel proposed that dentists spend five to six percent of their gross on marketing. In addition, they suggested that dentists increase their level of internal marketing, or what I call simply "educating patients."

Tracking is a great tool for educating patients. By breaking down their treatment plan for them, you make it more accessible, and they're able to understand the procedures better. It's all part of "doing less and doing it better," and believe me, your patients will appreciate it. It shows that you care about them, which in turn leads them to recommend you to other would-be patients. It all becomes a cycle of growth. Your patient list grows, as well as the amount of dentistry performed on each of them. And that leads to growing revenues.

In short, tracking allows you to do the things that all dentists want. It's good for you, it's good for your patients, and best of all -- its easy. You'll be surprised at how fast you'll see results.