As the snow melts and the days get longer, spring brings a natural sense of renewal — and your dental practice can benefit from that same energy. While spring cleaning is often associated with freshening up our homes, it’s also the perfect time to tidy up your financial systems and prepare for a strong second quarter.
The good news? You don’t have to do it all yourself. Your admin team can take the lead on many of these tasks, and your RDAs can also help during slower periods or when there are patient cancellations — especially if there are no other pressing items to catch up on, such as overdue recalls or treatment lists. As a practice owner, your role is to set the tone and ensure your team knows that spring is a great time to reset and refocus. These small but intentional actions can prevent revenue from slipping through the cracks and give everyone a clearer sense of direction.
Here are five ways to clean up the financial side of your practice this season:
1. Cancel Unused Subscriptions and Services
Over time, your practice may have signed up for services that are no longer providing value — but are still being charged monthly. Ask your team to pull a list of recurring charges from your credit card or bank statements.
- Common ones to review:
- Software and tech tools
- Marketing or SEO platforms
- Online memberships or education subscriptions
If something hasn’t been used in months or isn’t driving results, it may be time to cancel or downgrade. These small savings can quickly add up.
2. Send Final Letters to Inactive Patients
Patients who haven’t visited the clinic in 18–24+ months may still be marked as active, which can create confusion when assessing the health of your patient base. Use this time to:
- Generate a list of patients without appointments in the last two years
- Send one final outreach letter or email inviting them to rebook
- Reactivate only those who respond
- Inactivate others to keep your records current
This helps your team focus on patients who are still engaged with the practice and provides more accurate insight into your recall program.
3. Take a Deep Dive into Aged Receivables
While AR should be reviewed regularly, spring is a great time for a thorough review to catch up on lingering balances.
Your team can:
- Review patient and insurance balances over 60 and 90 days
- Send updated statements to patients with outstanding amounts
- Flag insurance claims that may require follow-up or resubmission
- Raise any balances that might be ready for write-off or further investigation
Even if you’re not collecting every dollar right away, cleaning up your AR helps you understand what’s actually collectible and ensures your records are current.
4. Re-Evaluate Vendor Pricing
Have your team collect recent invoices for key services like:
- Labs
- Dental Supplies
- Office supplies
- Subscription services
- Utilities
Review what you’re currently paying and explore options to renegotiate or shop around. Even minor adjustments can lead to significant savings over the year.
5. Set a Financial Focus for the Next Quarter
Once you’ve reviewed your Q1 results, decide where you want to focus financially in Q2. You might want to:
- Reduce AR over 90 days
- Improve hygiene reappointment rates
- Boost production per provider
To truly move the needle, you’ll need KPIs in place to track progress. If you’re not currently monitoring KPIs, now is the perfect time to start. They give you insight into what’s working, where there are gaps, and how to measure success over time.
It’s easy to get caught in the daily rhythm of appointments, team management, and patient care — but sometimes we need that reminder to step back and see the bigger picture. Spring is the perfect excuse to do just that.
Taking time now to clean up your financial systems creates space for better decisions, improved cash flow, and a more focused, empowered team. The reward isn’t just a neater ledger — it’s peace of mind, stronger systems, and renewed energy for the months ahead.
So take a breath, step back from the day-to-day, and give your practice the fresh start it deserves this season.
