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Thomas Giacobbi, DDS: Organized Chaos By Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

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Organized Chaos



Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD
Editorial Director,
Dentaltown Magazine 		I enjoy the variety of people, procedures and problems to be solved that the dental profession can provide. If your practice is anything like mine, there are days when you wish the schedule went a different way… too many crazy people, too many composites, too many kids – all in the same day.

Organized chaos is more than a common oxymoron, it is the scheduling protocol used in many dental practices. When my office started down this trail, I had to find a solution. The most common solution is the use of time blocks. Many consultants lecture and write on the ubiquitous topic of block scheduling. Block scheduling is a method of marking specific times in the day when you would like to perform certain procedures.

We started with our hygiene schedule because it was the easiest to predict. We made some rough calculations to determine the number of scaling/root planing, perio re-evaluations, new patient prophys and three-, four- and six-month recare visits needed. We spread these blocks throughout the week at various times in each of our three hygienists’ schedules. Our hygienists now have specific times to offer patients and we immediately solved the problem of finding follow-up time for a new periodontal patient or a new patient in the practice.

The doctor schedule is a different issue because there are many different types of appointments and opportunities for unexpected emergencies. We started in a similar way to the hygiene schedule with blocks for high production and medium production as well as emergency time. Small items such as crown seats, denture adjustments and suture removals were filled in on the side, often without rhyme or reason. In reality, it is difficult to insist that a teacher come for her crown on Wednesday at 10 a.m. when she is not available for the 4 p.m. crown block on Monday. I think most offices face this dilemma when they try to schedule with time blocks.

Recently, I had one too many days where the schedule seemed to be a collection of anything that would fit after other days of high-production procedures all day long. In both cases the schedule can wear on the most even-tempered dentist. I am responsible for this mess to the extent that I have cultivated a culture of service that accommodates the various needs of our patients. The result was bad overlapping appointments that required me to be in two places at once and 10- and 20-minute gaps of time scattered throughout the day or an emergency call that could not be accommodated in the same day.

I had a meeting with my front office staff to discuss the problem and we agreed to a list of ‘rules for scheduling’ that would give them the guidance they desire and the flexibility needed to keep our patients happy. If your schedule is slipping into organized chaos, let your team know your preferences and you will soon be on the road to happiness.

I would love to hear your feedback or answer any questions that you may have about your own office. Please contact me via email at tom@dentaltown.com.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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