Strategy: Pre-Schedule Cases

When I opened my C&B lab in 1991, I offered a two-week turnaround. As word about my work spread, I got so busy that I was working seven days a week, even after hiring help. I decided to be more proactive about scheduling and implemented a manual pre-scheduling system so I could better plan my workflow. I explained to my accounts that just as they can only see so many patients in one day, I can only finish so many crowns; they were very understanding and agreed to call to preschedule their cases.

Three decades later—and now as a one-person operation—I still follow this system and schedule two to three units a day, depending on the type of case. For example, since a single central takes more time than a three-unit posterior bridge due to getting the perfect shade match, I schedule fewer of those cases per day. Similarly, if the case requires implant components, I add more working days to allow for the parts to arrive.

About half of my cases...