Down time in clinic

Without exception, there will always be down time in the workplace. Patients cancelling late, patients running late and unexpected situations like weather anomalies and equipment breakdown. It is very easy when you are running a business to see this as money out the door however it does give you a rare opportunity to fill your day with other activities. There is always something to do around the workplace and it is important for the dentists and the staff to have a list of things they can do to fill the empty time in the day.

-Have a break: You need time in the day when you can relax and unwind. Even planning to stopping midway through a long and complex procedure can allow you to catch your breath, recuperate and continue refreshed. Your dental assistant will be grateful, your patient will understand as we are only human and it will give them a chance to relax their jaw muscles and have a toilet break. Be sure to pick a time that is ideal e.g after corebuildups or during hemostasis waiting time where there is no operator input needed. Read a book, have a tea or a coffee or a small snack. It will help your fatigue level immensely.
-Catch up on sterilising: there is often a buildup of instruments to sterilise on busy days and a break in the appointment books is a good time to work on this backlog
-Do some CPD: There is plenty of CPD available online that you can peruse. It is difficult in our busy lives to be able to do this before or after work and while you are in the dental mindset you can use this time as an opportunity to expand your knowledge
-Get to know your staff: Spend some time with your staff and form a strong working relationship. Be careful of forming strong friendships with work mates but a good working relationship is key for having a happy workplace. Often we spend more time with our work mates than with our family so it is important that we get along with them.
-Sort out business matters: It can be a good opportunity to sort out the inner workings of running your business be it working on orders, staff pays, bills etc. Arguably it would be best to set out some time in the day or a whole day to work on managing the business or hire a practice manager to do it for you.
-Get out of the practice: if there is a good amount of time to spare you can get out and get some fresh air. A change of environment is the best way to refresh yourself. Hit the nearby gym or buy some groceries for that night.

Treating every space in the appointment book as a negative is a sure fire way to develop anxiety about your day. Try your best to stop watching every cent moving in and out of your practice and take some time in your days to unwind and work on things other than dentistry.