Dos and don'ts for preparedness

What happens if disaster strikes?

Could your practice survive a tornado or a fire? Where would your patients go if your practice had to be repaired or rebuilt? These are difficult questions, but ones every dentist must be able to answer.

Have a disaster plan. Smart business owners protect themselves, their team, and their families by preparing for potential disasters. Planning can make a tremendous difference in the event of a disaster. While a disaster can takes its toll on the practice, having a recovery plan helps the practice resume normal operations faster. In a sense, it is no different than having life or disability insurance. Most dentists would never consider going without life insurance, but they do allow themselves to practice without a disaster plan.

Don't wait until disaster is at your doorstep. Many dentists believe a disaster couldn't hit their practice. Just because a practice isn't located in a flood zone or tornado alley, doesn't mean the office is protected from disaster. In fact, no matter where your practice is located, a disaster -- fire, flood, power outage, etc. -- could occur. The best policy is to plan for the worst-case scenario.