Without a smart problem reporting system, you will always grope about in the dark

Introducing the distribution of tasks with warning signals for expired deadlines is unfortunately not enough to sustain the idea of a ripcord. The next process would be to establish a smart problem reporting system that enables your practice to reduce interrupting risks and unwarranted waste.

In order to lay the foundations of an efficient problem reporting system, you must first be prepared to document problems in such a way that everyone can see and act accordingly. Training your employees to prioritize problems immediately should go without saying. For some problems, it is certainly sufficient to discuss them at the next meeting. For others, however, the ripcord must be pulled immediately.

When do you pull the ripcord?

With an assembly line at a production facility, pulling the ripcord is relatively simple and virtually happens by itself. Similarly, on a CRM system, the machine stops, or the digital warning appears to signal you of an interrupted work process and troubleshooting begins. In orthodontics, pulling the ripcord may be more elusive.

Here are some examples of when you should be pulling the ripcord in orthodontic treatment.

• When there is a traffic jam in the waiting room and both of your treatment rooms are busily occupied, your assistant may want to open the third treatment room to accommodate the growing number of patients. In such a case, the manager must intervene clearly and prevent additional bottlenecks from concurring. If this situation occurs more frequently in your practice, the principles of lean and kanban are being inefficiently applied and a review needs to be done.
• For example, a patient needs to get his fixed braces removed. But as you remove the braces and clean the teeth with a finishing burr, the patient flinches in agony. The assistant soon realizes that the finishing burr is warmer than usual and proceeds to pull the ripcord immediately, interrupting the treatment. The assistant then checks the finisher, notices that it is blunt, and replaces it. At the same time, he/she sends a message to the quality management for everyone to pay attention to the performance of the finishers. 5-W questions are asked and further conclusions are derived like: the finisher batch is deficient, wrong finishers have been ordered, the assistants need good training to make the best use of the finisher, etc.
• The ABCD system of treatment planning can be used to determine exactly when the ripcord needs to be pulled. You need to discuss all evaluation points with your patients right from the get-go. If the patient does not adhere to the agreement or Plan A, for example, fails to wear his removable braces regularly, you immediately pull the ripcord and switch to Plan B, then subsequently C and D. This helps prevent waste of time and may even contribute to faster treatment duration.
• The Baxmann keys also offer a secure system that signifies who in your team can pull the ripcord and when. We look very carefully using the Baxmann Keys: Are the canines in class I? Are the molars in stable occlusion? Where is the midline? The trained employee can get the impression even before the dentist arrives in the room. He/she can then issue a direct warning to the dentist who after rechecking the Baxmann Keys, can pull the ripcord if he/she thinks best.

Pulling the ripcord should be a feat of urgency and caution. By doing so, you’re constantly quality-checking the service or product you provide and monitoring the stability of your business model.