These are frequently asked questions about the dental simulation.
If you have additional FAQs that you believe would be useful for people who use this site, E-Mail them to the site administrator through the link below. We will add them to the list if we believe they are useful.
- What is the Dental Management Simulation?
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The Dental Practice Management Simulation is a series of computerized management simulations that have been developed to help dental students learn practice management concepts and material. The basic learning system is THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Business Foundations. This module teaches basic business concepts as applied to the small business dental practice. The advanced system is THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Strategic Challenge.
This advanced module teaches the strategy of developing a profitable dental practice. It is more complex than the basic version, and aims at a senior-level capstone practice management course. In both of the simulations, each player makes a series of business decisions about their simulated dental practice. The program then determines how many patients they saw, what their expenses were, and how much income they made because of those business decisions. Those results become the basis for a new series of decisions for the upcoming simulated quarter. They are historically based, so that each quarter builds on the previous one. Each period represents one quarter (three months) of real time. At the end of the game, the winning practice is the one that made the most money!
- What is the goal of the Dental Practice Management Simulation series?
The goal of this simulation set is to provide competitive, realistic games for dental students, new graduates, and new practice owners to learn the business concepts involved in operating the small business that we call a dental practice. It encourages participants to try out business scenarios without the risk of losing real money in the dental practice.
- What is the difference between the two version?
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THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Business Foundationsis the entry-level simulation. We intend it to teach fundamental business concepts. There are fewer decisions to make each period and the cases guide you through a basic management curriculum. THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Strategic Challengeis the advanced version of the simulation. It has more variables, more outcomes, and interactions that are more complex. It is competitively based, so that each practice competes against the other practices in the game. Each decision set has an associated case. The cases are ethical, staff, or patient dilemmas that call for application of business, public health, professionalism, or ethical concepts.
- Can we use both versions?
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Certainly. Some professors use the Business Foundationsgame in a lower level (sophomore or junior) management course, and the Strategic Challenge in an advanced, senior level or post-graduate course.
- What management decisions do I make in the basic version?
Student participants make key management decisions about their practices for each simulated quarter.
Operational Decisions
- Hours of Operation
- Operatories Added
- Credit / Collection Policy
Staffing Decisions
- Receptionists Added / Terminated
- Assistants Added / Terminated
- Hygienists Added / Terminated
- Staff Pay Level
Marketing Decisions
- Fee Level
- Advertising level
Financial Decisions
- Amount of Draw Taken
- Loan Addition or Extra Repayment
Professional Decisions
Each quarter, you respond to an Case Study, which is a management problem which becomes the basis of the learning topic for the week
- What management decisions do I make in the advanced version?
Student participants make more management decisions about their practices for each simulated quarter.
These decisions include the following:
Operational Decisions
- Hours of Operation
- Operatories Added
- Credit / Collection Policy
Staffing Decisions
- Receptionists Added / Terminated
- Assistants Added / Terminated
- Hygienists Added / Terminated
- Staff Pay Rate
- Employee Benefits Provided
- Continuing Education Taken
Financial Decisions
- Amount of Draw Taken
- Loan Addition or Extra Repayment
- Investment in Certificate of Deposit
- Retirment Plan Contribution
Marketing Decisions
- Practice Style
- Fee Indicator
- Advertising Budget
- Medicaid Participation
- PPO Participation
- Capitation Participation
Professional Decisions
- Purchasing Marketing Research
- Incident Response
Each quarter, students respond to an Incident, which is an ethical, patient relations or staff interaction problem that may have financial implications.
- How do the games work?
The simulations are web based. Once students enter decisions, the game administrator computes the results and distributes them to participants, all via the web. Students print their results, or view them on their computer through a PDF reader. They then use this information to make a new set of decisions for the upcoming simulated quarter. No advanced computer expertise is required to administer the game, only basic internet, and PC computer usage skills. The program prompts the administrator for any needed information.
- Are there other business simulations?
Business Schools have used simulations for the past three decades to introduce students to the real-life problems associated with decision making. We developed the two versions because we found the need to present basic information (THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Business Foundations) and to have students to apply more advanced management and economic concepts to the simulated environment (THE DENTAL PRACTICE: Strategic Challenge). The former program works best in an introductory level course (initial contact with the principles of office management), while the latter program works best in a capstone, or final course.
No simulation can completely duplicate real life. In operative dentistry, we use manikins to simulate what the student will encounter in real patient treatment experiences. For Practice Management education, we have tried to make a model that has outcomes, or results, that are as close to what we see in real dental practices as possible. We have tried to make the simulation generic so that it can represent a practice anywhere in the United States. However, each community displays its own, unique set of economic conditions. Therefore, the game administrator may customize the underlying economic numbers in the "Initialization Routine" before playing the game.
- How do I sign up to play?
Signing up is easy. First, your school must register with the web site to use the program. Once they have signed up, the game administrator at your school will get you the materials for the game and set the schedule. You simply register by clicking the "register" link on the home page. Your school may charge you for participant manuals or other costs associated with the simulation.
- What if my dental school doesn't participate?
Talk to the person who is in charge of teaching Practice Management at your school. Have them contact us through the link at the bottom of the page. We will help them to get the simulation set up so that you can begin using the simulation at your school.