Just Two Minutes: Your Schedule Doesn't Lie

Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

At the end of every day in my practice, I’d pull up the schedule and take a look.

Not because I was obsessive (okay, maybe a little), but because I actually wanted to learn something.

If fillings were supposed to take 50 minutes and ended up taking 90, we didn’t just ignore it and move on with our lives.
We updated the appointment to reflect what really happened.

Yeah, it made the schedule look a little messy.

But it gave me answers.

I could look back at the day and ask:

• Was that patient just a tough one? Great - next time, we give them more time.

• Was the procedure more complex than I thought? Okay - maybe my diagnosis or prep needs tightening.

• Did it take forever to get financing done? Time to tweak the front desk systems.

So many dentists finish the day, glance at the schedule, and think, “Whew. Survived.”

But then the same problems repeat tomorrow.
And the next day.
And the next.

If you never go back and review the actual day - if you don’t update the schedule to reflect how things really went - then you’ll never figure out what’s actually broken.

And then it starts to feel like Groundhog Day.
Same chaos, new date.

We all want systems that run smoothly.
But you don’t get them by hoping for better.
You get them by shortening the feedback loop, reflecting honestly, and fixing the real problems - not the ones you wish you had.

Here’s the truth no one wants to admit:
The schedule doesn’t lie.
It shows you exactly where the inefficiencies are hiding.
But only if you're willing to look.

So yeah, it might feel annoying to revisit the day when all you want to do is go home and forget it.
But five extra minutes of honest reflection at the end of the day can save you five hours of chaos next week.

-Dr. Alex

P.S. Your schedule is the truth. Stop ignoring it.