Dental practice management consulting company Levin Group is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Founded in 1985 by Dr Roger P. Levin, a third-generation dentist, the company has grown from a small, part-time business into one of the leading dental consulting firms in the world. We recently spoke with Dr Levin, chairman and CEO of Levin Group, to see how Levin Group has changed and to get his views on the challenges dentists face today.

Why did you start Levin Group?
I wanted to help dentists and specialists improve the quality of their lives. That was the goal then, and that still is the goal today. Since 1985, Levin Group has been providing dentists and specialists the breakthrough systems and the leading-edge expertise that they need to grow their practices.

For dentists and specialists, a better quality of life starts with the practice because that’s where doctors spend the majority of their time. Levin Group provides customized solutions that help dentists increase production and profitability… manage their practices more effectively and with more confidence… reduce stress and inefficiency… drive growth and referrals… and enjoy what they do more.

How as Levin Group changed since 1985?
I started the company as a one-man operation in a room in our dental office. I was always interested in the business side of dentistry. Colleagues liked what I was doing in my practice, and I developed a reputation as someone who could help other dentists improve their practices. This led to speaking engagements, which ultimately lead to consulting to dentists and specialists.

Innovation has been a hallmark of our growth. As we developed new and innovative solutions, we continued to grow. I am grateful for the success and for Levin Group becoming a leading dental consulting firm here and abroad. We have eight divisions and locations in Baltimore and Phoenix, with more than 100 employees. We provide management consulting, marketing consulting, executive coaching, transitions and financial planning services.

What is new on the horizon for Levin Group?
In the next few months, we will be launching the Levin Group Practice Management Resource Center—a state-of-the-art web portal for dentists and specialists who are looking for the best solutions to increase production and grow their practices. In addition, we will offer a series of new products, including patient brochures, practice management books and audio presentations. We want every dentist and specialist to have the best management and marketing resources right at their fingertips.

You talk to so many dentists and specialists at your seminars, along with those doctors who become Levin Group clients. What is the biggest challenge facing dentists and specialists today?
Doctors face incredible challenges now. They have to do so many things well. It begins with providing optimal patient care, but they also have to keep up with the latest clinical techniques and technologies, manage the practice, lead the team and operate a successful business. But the biggest challenge for most doctors is the business side of dentistry. Dental schools do a great job of turning dental students into excellent clinicians, but few dentists have the management skills to effectively and successfully run a dental practice. Especially in this economy, dentists are struggling to increase production. I hear this all the time and I reassure them that increasing production is still attainable. They need to work on getting the right systems in place.

Most practices have incredible potential, but too often that potential remains unrealized for a large portion of a dentist’s career because he or she never received the business training to maximize that potential.

Levin Group works with each and every client to reach their true potential, which includes continually increasing production, referrals and profit; enjoying a low-stress practice with high professional satisfaction; and reaching financial independence as soon as possible.

Any additional advice for today’s dentists and specialists?
Practice success depends on combining excellent clinical skills with excellent business skills. When dentists have both, they’ll be amazed at what they can achieve!

The best leaders realize that they can’t do everything and that they can’t do everything well. That’s why highly successful doctors surround themselves with excellent management systems, so they can focus on what they do best—practice superior dentistry and provide excellent patient care.

Dentists should love what they do. Too often, the business side of the practice takes away from the enjoyment of dentistry. With the right management systems in place, dentists can increase their production, lower their stress and enjoy what they do even more.

Mark Twain once said, “The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.” With the right systems, dentists can do exactly that!

More information is available from Levin Group.