new patient examinations, minor oral surgery, single crownpreps, and bicuspid root canals. The final hour of theschedule, which is when everyone is getting tired, is re-served for deliveries.

Scheduling to meet daily financial goals is a part of thestraight 6 scheduling system. Practices that begin by 7:00AM should meet their financial goal for the day by 10:00AM. To work well, the straight 6 scheduling system requiresat least 25 patients per month. Payment systems accompa-nying the straight 6 scheduling system are designed to easefinancial stress on the patient. A minimum monthly pay-ment structure has worked well. Linking to a local creditcompany proved helpful, with patients being approvedusually within 30 minutes. The dentist presents the treat-ment needed, then the minimum monthly payment re-quired over the next 12 months without interest payments.The dental office assumes the first year’s interest pay-ments. If patients cannot handle the 1-year free-of-interestplan, they are offered a payment plan that carries interestbut extends for a longer period, lowering the monthly pay-ments. Patients who pay in full when the treatment is givenare offered a 5% fee adjustment.

Discussion.—The straight 6 scheduling system has per-formed well for several years. The dentist and staff workfewer hours and make more with less stress.

Fyalka T: The straight six scheduling system. Ill Dent News Sept:4-5,2004

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Clinical Significance.—Presented is ascheme for organizing your work day formaximum productivity in minimum time.The author reports increased income for ashorter, less stressful day.

Background.—The straight 6 scheduling system is al-most self-explanatory: patients are scheduled for 6 hoursstraight, then the day is complete. This radical change inscheduling has been effective for 1 dentist who has in-creased monthly income and reduced stress.

Method.—After trying several forms of block schedul-ing that were unsatisfactory, the dental team studied thoseelements that were not working, that caused the office torun late, that produced discord in the staff, and that werestressful for the doctor. Then they implemented thestraight 6 scheduling system. Procedures that were mostproductive are scheduled during the first 21/2 hours of eachday. Quadrant dentistry is encouraged, and the doctor isnot double-booked during those first hours. Hygiene isscheduled during that time, but the dentist checks hygienewhen there is a natural break rather than when the hygien-ist calls him in. Chair hopping is eliminated.

When the system was initiated and there was a solopractitioner, the office was open Monday and Tuesday be-tween 1:00 and 7:00 PM and Wednesday and Thursday from7:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Currently, the dentist and 2 associateswork 2 shifts per day (7:00 AM to 1:00 PM and 1:00 to 7:00PM). These changes require the staff to direct patients intoappointments rather than allowing patients to dictate theirappointment times. The person scheduling must exertcontrol over the process. Suggestions to facilitate theprocess include scheduling appointments in 10-minute in-crements and guiding patients into appointment times thatfit the needs of the practice. In guiding appointment choic-es, the scheduler must convince patients that these timesare best for them as well. The most difficult-to-scheduletimes are filled first. When patients are resistant, strongpeople skills are needed. In those cases in which no com-promise can be reached, the patient is scheduled as re-quested. When an emergency arises, the focus is on reliev-ing the patient’s pain quickly by getting him in right awayand doing what is needed, then scheduling him for a regu-lar appointment.

The second 21/2-hour block in the schedule is reservedfor “barbershop dentistry,” which includes consultations,

92 Dental Abstracts

Practice ManagementWorking less but making more