By: admin

May 24, 2010

It is important more than ever that today we achieve a “Yes” from dental patients for case acceptance. Everyone on the team needs to be on the same page. This year if you haven’t taken time to schedule team meetings to discuss a communication and case acceptance strategy put it on your agenda of team meetings for 2010.

In June Dental Practice Solutions will launch a web-based eBook on Effective Communication with exercises to participate as a team and role play. You will have opportunities to discuss what has and has not worked in various office situations. When you put a 1-2 hour team meeting on your calendar each week for two months you will be investing in a “Yes” to case acceptance. It will be a practice what you have learned atmosphere and a strategy for a positive outcome with added value to the practice, improved health to patients and increased revenue in 2010.

The more patients accept treatment, the more value you are adding to your services and the happier patients will feel when they leave out the front door of your dental office. You are keeping the front door open for them to continue returning to your dental office. Patients will be healthier and your practice bank account will be healthier which means improved revenues. Enhancing your team’s verbal skills can pay big dividends in terms of boosting case acceptance and improving customer service.

In our Communication eBook Dental Practice Solutions will gain the knowledge to enhance the communication skills of team members. Here are some specific ways you will benefit your practice:

Educate and motivate patients

Last week in our eNewsletter it was written that you begin communicating and educating your patients before they call the office (through your website and marketing tools, etc.) and even when they call your office for the first time. Never wait for patients to ask about your special services and the types of treatment that make your dental practice special. This is what you are proud of and what you want to brag about. You should not wait for patients to ask about treatment options.

At your next team meeting take time to discuss what services you are most proud of and what you want all patients to know about your special services. Discuss this and then write it down. Keep these notes available for reference in a 3 ring notebook to review, update and share as new team members come on board.

Knowledgeable and enthusiastic team members will communicate best when they all know what services to share and when they can effectively communicate and educate patients about the benefits. When meeting about this topic be sure that each team member has a comprehensive understanding about all the procedures offered. Write down the list and keep it available for review and for new team members to read.

Trust and patient relationships

What are you doing to build lasting relationships? Do you make notes in the patient charts to remember special occasions in their life? When talking with patients are you seated at a slight angle and within arms length when speaking and especially when educating patients?

We don’t want our patients to feel as if we are lecturing them so when we take time to sit at eye level to talk to our patients they are more likely to believe we really care about them. Patients are most likely to accept treatment when they have developed a level of trust and have a lasting relationship with the dental practice and team members. How will all of the team work to improve relationships with the patients?

Have you ever thought about what happens after the doctor makes the diagnosis for treatment? Does the patient then discuss this more? Does the patient then ask a team member about what was just diagnosed by the doctor? Does the patient want someone else’s opinion? Who do patients discuss treatment options and gain more knowledge with after the dentist has left the room? It may be the dental hygienist or the office administrator but they may ask about another person’s opinion or ask for more information.

Take time to meet as a team to discuss what will be mentioned to patients, the benefits of all services and discuss the benefits. What will you say to encourage them to move forward with the appropriate treatment? What will you do and say to encourage patients to say “Yes’ to scheduling the appointment for treatment?

Develop a trusting relationship with patients and help ensure they will feel the importance and value of remaining a life long patient in your dental practice. Take time to discuss and write down what message it is you want to give each patient. Keep this information in the 3 ring binder for future reference.

I challenge you to put a team meeting (At least one this summer) on your office calendar. Meet and discuss what treatment options are available to patients. Next to the treatment options write down the benefits to patients. Then have each member on the team write and give input on how they can share the benefits. Take time to discuss how you will communicate the special treatment options your dental practice offers. Keep it all written down for future reference.

Emotional benefits to patients

All team members should be able to rely on the notes from your meetings about Case Acceptance. When you write down the benefits to patients and remember to highlight the emotional benefits of these procedures. For example use the words: beautiful, more attractive, quality of life, more value in their career, etc. Think of a list of emotional benefits and write them down next to the other benefits.

Not every patient wants to know all the details about the treatment procedure. Most people are all thinking WIIFM. (What’s in it for me?) You may notice that you lose the attention of many patients when you continue on about the treatment procedure. Leave these details up to the patient to ask. Explain what is necessary and then ask patients, “Is this something important to you?” Or let patients know, “I would recommend this procedure for my daughter or wife, etc.” Patients know you care when you tell them you would also recommend this procedure to a family member or a loved one.

Some examples of “benefit” statements include:
“This procedure will give you a beautiful smile.”
“You’ll feel and look years younger with your new smile.”
“Dr. Toothalot has performed this procedure many times and always has outstanding patient results!”

In Conclusion

Outstanding, excellent and effective communication skills are a must! These are the important tools which build trust. This is what keeps patients coming back to your office. Meet to discuss and write these facts down. You will create a Win-Win!

Happy Patients = Happy Life = Success!!!

By: admin

May 17, 2010

Simple Ways to Communicate and Educate for Value Added Patient Care

Did you know that you begin educating your patients the moment they read your website? We are all a Google search away. Do you have before and after photos on your website? What types of writing is on your website? Has anyone taken time to proof read it? I recently read a professional website and I imagine that English is not the first language of the person who wrote or edited the website. Have someone who speaks English as their first language edit your website if the website is written in English. Whatever language the website is written in needs to be edited by someone who speaks that language as their first language and is able to professionally edit the site.

What does it say about you and your office when you have grammatical errors? What type of patients do you want to attract? These are just a few suggestions on your website. People do begin learning all about your office with just one click!

Have you called your office lately to learn how the phone is answered and what is being said? Are you put on hold immediately? You never know unless you periodically call the office and listen to what is said when the front office answers. When patients call your office they immediately learn what you are all about just by the tone in the persons voice who answers the phone and even by what is said when the phone is answered. How many times do patients call an office and only an answer machine takes a message? Times have changed and in dentistry they change very quickly. We now have virtual assistant where people can personally answer your phones when your team is away from the phone. If the dental team is in a morning huddle, a team meeting and especially when busy with other patients, it is still important to have someone personally answer the office phone.

Communication has a lot to do with how we observe (Our posture) and listen. When you greet your patient do you begin observing their posture? Can you hear the tone in their voice when you ask “How are you?” How do you respond if you suspect the patient may be fearful or maybe they just had a bad day at the office? How do you know if patients are concerned about money or time? Do you ask this on the patient questionnaire or do you know how to determine this? How will you find out the emotions, opinions, objections, etc. of your patients? These are important factors which when they are not identified will become objections and reasons for failure of case acceptance.

Let’s talk about Mr. Juan Rodriguez. He is a 65 yr old male who moved here from Peru about 20 yrs ago. He now lives in Omaha, Nebraska and as you may suspect English is not his native language. Mr. Rodriguez came to the office because he has pain around his upper left second molar. He is two months overdue for his annual dental exam and also overdue for his hygiene appointment. As dental professionals in the United States we know this tooth is called number 15.

Now let’s educate Mr. Rodriguez about the importance of dental x-rays. Yes, it has been a year since the last x-rays were taken but we also want to educate him about the need for more x-rays on this visit to be certain there is not an abscess under the crown. What is happening at the apex of this tooth causing Mr. Rodriguez pain? Does he has a perio abscess or is this perio and endo related?

Here is how the conversation will go:

“Mr. Rodriguez, as you know Dr. Toothalot recommends x-rays each year. We are going to take the annual x-rays and also take a couple special x-rays of the tooth where you are having pain. Is this okay with you?” Wait for his response.

If time or money is an objection you want to communicate to Mr. Rodriguez something like this: “We have had many patients come to our office with this same situation (or “challenge”) and when we took the necessary x-rays we found there was infection causing the pain. This usually shows up as a very dark black area on the x-ray. This is a tool to help us find the cause of the problem and relieve the pain. We don’t want you to lose this tooth. The sooner we treat the problem causing the pain the less money it will cost you. It may be that if you need a root canal it can take several appointments and we want to find an easy way to relieve the pain in fewer appointments if possible.” (This will cause less anxiety about money and time.) Does this sound okay?”

Usually when patients have objections such as time or money in particular they will feel less anxious if they know what someone else has experienced and what has worked for others. By addressing a solution to money or time the patient understands that you listened to them which also builds trust.

Next week we will address a few more communication obstacles you may experience in your daily practice with patients. Think about what words you will use to help Mr. Rodriguez understand what procedures you will administer and what words you can use to clearly communicate his needs. Dental terminology will not be appropriate but using language Mr. Rodriguez understands will be helpful in communicating and gaining case acceptance. This scenario or possibly something similar you have personally experienced in you dental practice can be used for a team meeting this month or one of your team meetings in the future. Discuss options and alternatives for positive communication and improved case acceptance.

The eBook I am writing is meant to be a tool for the entire team to meet, read, role play and then discuss together. Each of the modules builds on the next. Think of the modules like building blocks for successful communication and case acceptance. There are activities for the entire office to participate in after each module.

This article is just one example to guide your team to optimize your communication skills and discuss how you would handle these situations to improve case acceptance and the total health of your patients. It also encourages you to meet and discuss what is on your website. Take time each month; just one hour a month to discuss these types of challenges and how to overcome the obstacles. It creates a winning team!

By: admin

May 10, 2010

A full schedule translates into revenues and production only if the patients come in. If a practice loses 1 to 2 appointments/day, either on the hygienist’s schedule or on the dentist’s schedule, the lost production from this could be anywhere from $100 (minimally) to $900 per day, depending upon the procedure. These are dollar figures for clients and dental offices during the year 2009. Let’s assume you have 200 working days during the year, the annual lost production works out to $20,000 at the low end to $180,000 at the high end. Take into account that you lose even $20,000.00 over the next 5 years. This is 100,000.00 which can be used in many areas for a successful and profitable dental practice. Think about your salary being reduced by this much. This can really hurt a dental practice!

These figures are for a solo practitioner, with one full-time hygienist. The figures multiply for a multi-doctor office, or for a solo practitioner with more than one hygienist. Improving practice performance in this one area alone could significantly improve the financial status of many dental practices.

Practice success depends on the strength of a strategically planned schedule. It is important to have a systematic method for scheduling patients. On a daily basis, the entire dental team probably spends much of their day discussing and dealing with the topic of appointments: cancellations, broken appointments, and no-shows. This is a big source of endless frustration. No-shows and cancellations are the biggest single source of lost revenue.

It is helpful to be proactive, have a strategic approach and design a systematic schedule. Having a system in place will decrease the level of stress and increase revenue in your dental practice.

Stephen Covey, author of many professional management and family management planning books has said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”

Your first thought may be that is seems impossible to create the ideal dental practice schedule. Every dentist and most auxiliaries practice on different days, each professional may have different hours, they will provide treatment at different speeds and they will offer different services. All successful dental practices will take account for all these scheduling variables. Having a scheduling system is what creates success in all areas of the dental practice.

Effective Schedule Systems

When you have an effective scheduling system the doctor and team are now in charge of managing the patient flow. The patient flow should not manage the team.

Think of the schedule as the center of all dental practice systems. This is one system that will significantly decrease stress. When the team manages the schedule it will become efficient and predictable. This is where productivity will create increased revenues quickly.

Six Steps to Manage Your Schedule

1. Use 10-minute units

Using 15 minute increments on the schedule costs the practice approximately seven days of treatment time every year. This means the doctors are working that much harder and not smarter. When you change the practice schedule to 10-minute units you are able to schedule procedures with a higher degree of accuracy. When you utilize 10-minute units of time the practice can schedule a 20-minute procedure with ease. With 15-minute units, the procedure must be scheduled either with not enough time (15 minutes) or too much (30 minutes). Ten-minute units will now offer greater flexibility and result in increased productivity.

2. Create a Template for each Operatory

Every 10 minute unit needs to be put into the schedule in advance. A schedule built on a 10-minute template outlines exactly how every 10-minute increment will be used for each operatory. Doctor and the auxiliaries need to take a look at the 10 minute units first. This is how they will know how each day is going to flow. This needs to be reviewed even before the team huddle begins.

3. Schedule By Production

Again this allows you to take control of the schedule and the schedule will not control you. When setting up your annual schedule template decide how much production you need to stay in the black. Decide what procedure blocks will be added and at what times on the schedule. Many practices make the mistake of scheduling by reactively filling empty time slots.

3. Be proactive. First Things First

Most people have more energy in the morning and

as the day progresses they tend to run out of steam. For many people the time after a lunch break seems to create a decrease in energy. Try having longer, more intensive treatment options in the morning. This is the time to fill the schedule with longer procedures and high-production cases.

When you have a strong scheduling system in place you have increased productivity and profitability. When you create a strategic schedule with production as a priority you create harmony, less stress and help the practice meet all the daily goals; production and otherwise.

Side note: With the correct systems in place your hygiene department can easily produce $1,500.00 per hygienist/ per day.

4. What is a “Perfect Day”?

It doesn’t need to be a calculus equation or statistics but there needs to be a strategic mathematical formula to make certain the practice meets their goals. It is best to schedule an average daily level of production which will be equal to your annual production goal. For example, if you want to produce 1.5 million in 200 days, you need to schedule $7,500 per day. This will include the hygiene schedule and doctor’s schedule. It is not realistic to produce this same number each day. The important part is the daily average.

Having “Perfect Day” schedules and daily production goals also tend to reduce practice stress because they allow doctors and their teams to achieve a consistent day-in day-out workload.

5. Your “Perfect Day” Schedule

It will increase efficiency when you schedule the doctors, hygienists and all auxiliaries separately. If you are utilizing an assisted hygiene model the hygiene assistant should also be scheduled into the 10 minute increments.

The doctor and assistant do not always need to be in the room together. This follows true especially when using an assisted hygiene model.

It may take a few weeks and a process of time but it will significantly increase the total office productivity, decrease stress, improve patient flow and increase the annual revenue.

6. Communication is the Key to Reduced Cancellations

It is the nature of business and life in general that there will be cancellations and no-shows. When scheduling tell patients that you are “reserving” this time specifically for them. Educate all patients about the importance and leave them feeling the urgency for reserving appointments prior to leaving the office.

When the front office is speaking with patients they need to request patients give 72 hours notice if they need to change an appointment. If patients need to change their appointment on Monday it doesn’t do the office any good to cancel an appointment on Saturday. This is why you need to ask for at least 72 hours cancellation.

Take time to retrain your patients about this policy if you don’t have this in place currently. Let patients know there will be a fee for a missed appointment. The fee needs to be dependent upon the type of procedure and should be written in all policies you publish to your patients. These policies are to be

included in the new patient package. Appointment cards need to mention there is an appropriate fee charged for cancellations outside of the 72 hours.

Quick Overview

• Schedule in 10-minute units, with a template for each operatory
• Schedule the most productive procedures first part of the day by creating “Perfect Day” schedules with ideal production goals
• Schedule doctors, assistants and hygienists separately
• Build patient value for appointments to reduce no-shows and cancellations

You will create a more efficient and effective system for scheduling patients when you create your “Perfect Day” schedule. The bottom line is harmony in the office, value to the patients, improved productivity, increased revenues and reduced stress. It is a “win-win” that creates success!

Do you need guidance setting this up? Do you know how many days and hours you actually need on the schedule? Please contact us for a free assessment. Find the answers to these questions, lower your overhead and increase your revenue.

debrabittke@comcast.net

By: admin

April 26, 2010

In part 1 and part 2 we discussed critical components to a successful assisted hygiene business model. In part 1 we discussed a systematic approach, developing a specific protocol for how this will work. In part 2 we discussed communication with your patients and also team meetings to make this a seamless process and get every team member on the same page. In part 1 scheduling was briefly mentioned and in part 3 we will discuss this in more detail.

Organizing the Assisted Hygiene Schedule

When organizing your assisted hygiene schedule you will first begin with what procedures will be accomplished in the hygiene appointment for preventive care. Write the list and then put a number next to each one in order of importance. If you believe review of the medical history and blood pressure screening are most important these will have a 1 by them. If Caries Risk Assessment is not as important as the Periodontal Screening Exam you will put a lower number on the Periodontal Screening Exam so this goes higher on the list. Later you can put these in numerical order. Every team especially members of the hygiene team need to be a part of this exercise. During this meeting write down other services you may be missing. Services you may not currently offer are a smile analysis, Invisalign, selling products for halitosis or xerostomia, etc. These are just a few suggestions but can add value to your hygiene department in many ways.

Delegating

The next part of organizing the schedule once the procedure and their importance and amount of time needed is to write down in another column /the person who will be able to provide this procedure. The hygiene assistant can seat, greet, review the health history and even take a blood pressure. Is the assistant able to coronal polish? If this is within their scope of practice write them down in the column next to the procedure when you have decided your order of importance.

Something else to identify is what you consider to be high production, moderate production and low production. You will be organizing your procedures and the pieces to the schedule by these classifications.

Writing the Assisted Hygiene Protocol

It is very important to have this all written down and kept in a place where you keep your practice protocols. Discuss how you will communicate with patients and exactly what you will say. Is a patient says they can’t afford to come in every 3 months what will your response be? This is one of the questions you will all systematically want to be able to answer. Of course not every patient is the same but what information do all of you in the entire practice need to know to give an educated response?

Putting the Pieces of the Schedule to work

Now that you have your list of important procedures and the name of the providers who can provide this treatment make another column and write down how many minutes you will need to accomplish each procedure. The patient coming in for a scaling and root planning procedure will most likely need 1 hour of uninterrupted time. This will most likely be 60 minutes. A patient coming in who is getting a fluoride varnish and oral hygiene instruction review because their caries risk assessment showed they are moderate to excessively high risk for caries needs no more than 20 minutes and they can be seen by the hygiene assistant in a second room while the hygienist is scaling and root planing. If the assistant is able to do coronal polishing they can see a pediatric patient in the room next to the hygienist while the RDH is administering anesthesia and then scaling and root planning.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together is where it gets difficult. On the opening day of this new program and even while putting the pieces of the puzzle together you may want to enlist an expert in assisted hygiene.

When you are able to put these important steps together you will work in harmony to create a masterpiece. Utilizing the assisted hygiene business model can create a fun place to work and very happy patients who feel they are well cared for!

Happy Patient = Successful Dental Business

Click Here View Model

By: admin

April 19, 2010

Many years ago most dental practices gave the hygienist 40 – 50 minutes to provide preventive and non-surgical periodontal treatment for their patients. The hygienist had one treatment room to complete the appointment.

Dentistry changes very quickly and with research and technology we have many paradigm shifts. Most offices now offer one hour hygiene appointments for their patients. Many offices also have an untapped hygiene potential. Many offices also have empty treatment rooms or their treatment rooms are filled with an overflow of unused equipment, offices supplies or just a place to put an overflow of patients.

How can we take advantage of the untapped revenue from patients who have not been into your office for the past year or two? What about those patients who have not said “Yes” to non-surgical periodontal treatment? Where will all these patients be put into a schedule which has one hygienist and four days in the week which you are open to see patients?

How can you develop a positive patient centered plan so patients can been seen in the hygiene room and you don’t have to add another $150.00 per hour to your overhead and more days of work to your schedule?

Having a plan in place can be one of with a “win-win” result. The patients can leave your office feeling well cared for and your end of the revenue will be sky high when you implement a well thought out plan.

Meetings are number one

Everyone on the team needs to embrace this new working model or possibly you are revisiting the assisted hygiene model you currently have in place. Patients also need to become aware that you are an office that is preventive and patient centered practice. These thoughts and your vision can be shared through implementation of your mission statement and code of ethics. (aka: Practice Principles) Share these important statements in everything you do; on the walls of the office, in your newsletters, brochures, website, Facebook Fan Page, etc. The take away here is that patients need to understand they are Number 1 and they are important. The assisted hygiene model will not work if patients don’t feel like they are a priority. Patients will leave the office if they feel it’s all about the money. Sometimes you may need to bring in a coach or consultant who can direct this assisted hygiene model.

Communication is key

We know that with good oral health patients can improve their overall health. This is scientifically proven. When you begin asking patients “How long do you want to live a healthy life”, when you share your knowledge about the oral/systemic link, patients will sit up and listen. Patients will absolutely know you care about their total well being when you communicate in this manner.

This is only one way to get patients to say “Yes” to their treatment needs and schedule their appointments no matter if money is an objection. People buy what they want not necessarily want they need. Most people want to live a longer and healthier life.

Communication is also key within the team. When setting up the assisted hygiene model it is of primary importance not only to communicate with all but delegate to the team members. When delegating, also have written protocols so everyone can remain on the same page. Identify all the auxiliaries’ duties and have them written down in a notebook or manual. The goal of assisted hygiene is not to hire an assistant to seat the patient and then clean up. Plan out who will seat the patient and then review the medical history, take x-rays, provide oral hygiene instructions and even make future appointments. Making appointments in the hygiene room can be a new concept to many but it makes perfect sense to have future hygiene appointments scheduled in the hygiene room. The hygiene department knows exactly what the patient needs are and this is where the initial buy in of future treatment came from. When you understand a working communication model this makes sense. It keeps a direct line of communication.

The goal of assisted hygiene is to improve patient care, provide optimal care for all patients in the practice, provide a less stressful atmosphere for the team and increase the bottom line of the dental business. The hygiene department when set up correctly is a profit center and a valuable department in the dental business model. The hygiene department when set up correctly adds great value to your dental practice.

When the assistant and hygienist(s) have communicated and written their responsibilities and expectations down you will have a dynamic team that is patient centered. Your patients will know they are well cared for, your team will be happy and the bottom line (your revenue) will be in the black.

Happy Patient = Happy Team = Successful Dental Practice

More on this next week….

By: admin

April 5, 2010

No, this isn’t going to be another article about recession, dodging economic downturn or how to brace for this year financially. My intention is to paint a beautiful picture of the reality you can create in practice for yourself…truly by design!

It is amazing to me when I think about the history of dentistry, how far we’ve come yet, how young we still are as a profession. Years ago, the thought of a dentist advertising or marketing was inconceivable. In fact, one of the first matters at hand in the establishment of the ADA was addressing the ‘undignified’ practice of advertising. This belief permeated the minds of dentists for decades, which I suspect led to many precautions taken around seeing dentistry as a business. Undoubtedly, the stigma about soliciting referrals and even carrying products in the office were all a result of upholding this ‘professional’ posture in dentistry.

Over the years, dentistry has cleansed itself of those positions and evolved into realizing that we can absolutely carry out a patient-centered, health care practice that is prosperous. Actually, we cannot afford to NOT employ sound business principles and expect our practice to be an environment in which our team has an opportunity to build a rewarding career and our patients receive extraordinary care and service. Therefore, in moving forward, we’re in an exciting and expansive period of discovering new technologies, marketing strategies, building websites and looking for ways to set our practice apart from the rest. We pay close attention to increasing profitability, efficiency and our overhead while providing a high level of quality, attention and detail in our patient care. These are exciting times in dentistry as we explore and implement new strategies to enhance our practice.

One sound business strategy constantly evolving is profit centers within the practice. Profit centers can be a positive and pro-active step for any practice and for every aspect of the practice, particularly one that involves home care products. Home care products not only make an unbelievable profit center but are truly a practice builder for any office. Because of the small investment upfront, home care products may not seem like much of a profit center initially. However, with a minimal investment in product, not only do you get an unbeatable return on investment; what emerges in the environment of your practice is priceless. It really is that simple. Let us take a look at the four cornerstones of how this profit center can impact your practice.

Patients

Despite the economic climate of this country, our patients still have the same dental goals. They want a pain-free, healthy mouth and they prefer white, straight teeth and fresh breath. One thing that may change for our patients is a re-adjustment of their priorities as it relates to their treatment plan. The reality is, patients may delay or post-pone treatment for now. However, one thing that will not change is they will continue to brush their teeth, use mouthwash and try new products for better taste, fresher breath and whiter smiles. In fact, the latest consumer spending report on dental care basics (toothpaste, mouthrinse and floss) is roughly 2.7 billion annually. To push a patient into treatment may not only cost you the case, it may cause you to lose your patient’s trust and perhaps a patient for good. An alternative is to take a patient-focused approach by listening for what it is your patient can do, reinforcing prevention with home care and ultimately protecting the investment in their smile. Not a bad holding pattern until they can move forward with treatment.

Consider this…

You know exactly who is more qualified to recommend home care products to your patients…so why would you hesitate? You know the materials in their mouth, the condition of the tissues, their oral and medical history and health. It makes no sense to leave this final step in the hands of patients, advertisers or the grocery store clerk. Carrying products in the office not only resolves the confusion plagued by patients who have seemingly endless choices when it comes to home care products. And it raises the bar by increasing the level of service, care and professional guidance your patient can’t (and shouldn’t) get anywhere else.

Team

With a cross-training system put in place, your entire team is enrolled in providing patient education, delivering home care instruction and increasing the patient’s dental IQ. This can provide a rich environment for enthusiastic teamwork, enhanced level of communication and a committed effort to improving the overall health and wellness of your patients. With a team fully engaged, your patients begin to connect and establish trust with your entire team and view them as an invaluable resource for their oral health care. This provides an immediate and lasting impression your team can have on your patient base – talk about internal marketing. Additionally, a profit center like this can generate its own pool and provide profit-sharing opportunities for the entire team — without taking money out of your pocket.

Practice

Increasing productivity does not have to involve loading up the schedule with patients, running a prophy mill in the hygiene department or coming in early, working through lunch and staying late. You can increase your bottom line with a home care product profit center by $25,000 to $50,000 without adding one more patient to the schedule. Could you ever imagine patients coming by the office even when they don’t have an appointment? They do when they purchase home care products from you. That’s one more opportunity for personal touch, service and exposure to your patient without marketing, taking time out of your schedule or making one phone call.

You

Do you want a piece of that 2.7 billion? You deserve it. You are the professional and these are your patients who are also consumers. Find a system you can stand behind and embrace it. Your leadership will be the inspiration your team is yearning for and the guidance your patients appreciate. Don’t add to the confusion by loading up on an array of commercial products your patients can get in the stores. Research products and programs that offer superior benefits, are unique, exclusive and fully support your cosmetic, restorative and hygiene services. Offer products and programs that you and your team personally use and are in alignment with your values and the service you provide.

Homecare products can bring out the vision, values and quality of the practice and set your practice up to harness the waves and ride any economic climate, both good and bad.

It’s priceless!

By: admin

March 29, 2010

We have experienced some challenging economic times lately. Since January 1, 2010 we seem to be seeing some recovery. As this recovery occurs how will you claim or reclaim your vitality? What are you plans? We are well into the year 2010 and where are you headed?

If you knew that there were 4 specific tools to take you to your goal would you use these tools? How will you feel when you see a turn around of possibly $2,000.00 each day from this day forward? If you work 50 days each year this will be $100,000.00 additional revenue this year. If this were to continue you will be adding millions to your revenue over the next 5 years.

Do you think this question is too outrageous to even ask: “How do I do it?” Maybe you think this is all very interesting but are answering:”We are on track and don’t need to make any changes or do anything differently.”

I am amazed at what I see dentists put themselves through year after year. Everyday I see and experience dental offices that are left deep down under the weight of unnecessary stress and anxiety, telling themselves all the while that “this is just the way dentistry is.” Not true! This is the way you have chosen to spend your career. I want to invite you to take the next 12 months and spend a few dollars to make some necessary changes to improve just 4 systems. These are systems that are certain to change your dental practice and your life. I want to invite you to follow a new path. Let us take a look through the looking glass and move you towards the path of success. This is where a pot of gold awaits you and the entire team. May be hard to believe but it is the truth.

The numbers in the above paragraph are correct. This is what Dental Practice Solutions can do for all practices. We don’t have a cookie cutter solution but many solutions to guide each dental practice towards success.

With our 4 step process we are currently taking practices to over 100k in additional revenues this year – 2010. People coming on board now are still able to capture this lost revenue and make this success a reality in 2010; even one quarter of the way into 2010.

We are currently showing our clients 4 areas within the dental hygiene department which will increase patient value and practice revenues. It is not the amount of revenue alone that will begin to account for the huge improvement, but also in the quality of life and decreasing stress. The path of increased success will provide time to enjoy life and save for retirement, build a team that respects and works well together to be the best they can be.

With adding all of this you can be rest assured that your patients will be educated about dentistry and how important this is for their total health. They will say “Yes” to treatment plans you present. Your patients will appreciate what you do for them and they will be your best source of referrals spreading the good word about your dental team.

For most dentists the numbers and results are very important to see so we invite you to click on our link for the free practice assessment. When you take time to complete the assessment we can discuss with you and show you a clear view from where you stand now. We can show you the potential and uncaptured revenues in your practice. We are here to be your guide and your resource.

Many dental practices spend thousands of dollars in marketing their practice. We are here to find the upcaptured revenue with the patients you already have in your practice. We guide you and show you exactly how to add value and health to your current patients.

The choice is yours. You can continue on your current path with your head in the sand and. no changes you can choose to hold up a looking glass to view what is there, to build not only health but wealth with the patients currently in your practice. This suggestion and recommendation is regardless of a failing or profitable economy.

We invite you to take a look and increase your practice revenues. We want to guide you down the path that shows you the enjoyment and payoffs when utilizing our proven strategies. These are not strategies used 30 years ago but what we know works for a thriving practice in 20101! We will take you down the path called “success”!

Please call or email to walk that path of success today.

Much Success to you!

By: admin

March 22, 2010

When asking dental team members about their role in the office most will respond that they are a clinician. This is a perfect answer. The entire office needs to be happy about this response and most importantly the patients. Most dental professionals have had hours of training and the dental hygienist spends many long hard hours not only studying but practicing in the mouths of volunteer patients. After years of practice the dental hygiene student will pass national and state exams to be licensed as a professional.

As healthcare professionals we are dedicated to our profession. The business owner and dentist is considered the CEO and team members in the dental business are the VIP’s of each department where they actively participate as a team member in the dental office. This is a time in history where these roles and how they are defined become very important. Now we have dentists who are cutting out their dental hygiene department all together. Some dental businesses are cutting their auxiliary salaries in half. Now is the time for dental auxiliaries to become very serious about the health of their career in the dental office. Each team member needs to be analyzing their production and what they bring to the dental practice

Every team member needs to be on board with the knowledge of business skills. Now is the time for the entire team to look at the numbers they produce in their dental department. Each team member needs to understand the business skills for running a dental practice = a business. The reasons for doing this are not only about employee compensation and job security but most importantly to be an active participant in the business of dentistry.

The majority of team members in a dental office are usually not personally invested as a business owner but when it becomes apparent that the team may need to take a cut in wages, benefits or reduce their hours, team members will pay attention to either directly make a change in what occurs or the business will make the unwanted change for them.

The dentist and business owner is the CEO of the business and the team members are the VIP’s. They are the Very Important Members of a dental business.

Each day, the previous day’s production needs to be discussed at the morning team meeting. This is also a great time to discuss the dental business goals for the year and where the business stands year to date.

During the morning team meeting (Morning team huddle) the VIP of Finance needs to give a report on the financial health of the dental business. Each team member should keep a log of patients they see; if they cancel, no show and all procedures performed. Along side of patient information team members should also keep a log of the number of hours they are paid each day. Track how many hours each day you work with non-patient time. Keep a record of the fees for each patient seen and the amount of production produced from the operatory you work in. These are minutes or hours which the CEO- your dental employer pays you for and has no income to support your salary.

Once you have created your log you can now begin to determine production per hour, add up your total production for that day and divide it by the hours you were paid, not just the hours you saw patients. If you’re paid for an eight hour day but only saw ten patients, you will take the total daily amount, let’s say it is $10,000, and divide it by ten. This means that the office produced $1,250.00 per hour. You can take this same formula and apply it to only the amount of production produced by the patients you saw in your operatory. Divide this amount by your paid salary. If you bring in $1,250.00 and are paid $300.00 then the percentage of salary to your production will be 42%. If the employee benefits should be approximately 1/3 of the production this would be over and above the amount the employee should be making.

This entire process can be eye opening. It can tell you if the office is losing money during the day while you worked. It can also be a guide to increasing your salary when the time comes. It gives team members a reason to ask for a raise and it can also give the CEO a reason to decline a raise. The CEO, business manager or practice owner will now with reason explain the dental business can’t afford to give an increase in benefits and the proof is written in ink.

It has been well written that the hygiene department needs to produce three times what they are paid. What are you getting paid per hour? When you do the math from the information given above you have reason to rejoice and find a solution to increase the profits. The math can produce a winning solution.

By: admin

March 8, 2010

As dental professionals we sometimes feel like we are changing our dance steps too quickly and without preparation. These past 2 months we have been talking about adding to your hygiene profitability. We told you about 10 assessments you need to implement on a daily basis with each of your recare clients. We are not asking for you to add all 10 assessments but to take it a step at a time. We want you to choose one or two assessments which you may not be providing your recare patients and begin this month with just one or two from the list. If we learn all the steps at the same time we may begin to feel frustrated and quit very easily. When you teach your patients a new home care technique you may tell them to “Be patient.” “This is a process of time.” We are going to tell you the same thing. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with each member of your team. This is a process of time. Pick two assessments from our list below or maybe one. Make it a point to begin implementing one or two of these tomorrow.

You may ask “How can I do this when I only have one hour with each patient?” We hope you are spending the first 10 minutes each morning with you team to plan your day. (The team huddle) If you need to complete a full mouth perio assessment today then please ask another member of the team to come and assist with this. With help and assistance it takes 10 mins max and not 20 minutes. If you need to implement the new CAMBRA protocols have the front desk give the patient a risk assessment form when the patient checks in at the front desk. When we work as a team we can dance to the tune and stay in harmony. When we fail to plan we can end with a migraine. How do you plan your day? Dancing with the stars or ending with a migraine? This what a difference the team huddle can make!

Our hope is that each patient is already receiving the majority of the assessments on the list below. CAMBA (Caries management by risk assessment) is very new. We have many of the assessment forms on our website under the membership area.(www.https://dentalpracticesolutions.com) Smile analysis is another assessment which can be completed at the front desk upon check in. Choose one or two today. Next week we will share about the non-surgical periodontal treatment and how you may be missing six figures to your revenue in 2010.

At first, it may feel awkward to add one or two of these missing steps. (assessments) It will begin to feel easier and more comfortable as you practice the new “dance steps”. Before you know it, you’re an expert at completing all the steps on the list. Your patients will feel wowed, your profits and value will increase right alongside as this dance takes place. Take the time to learn how you can put these assessments together one by one- step by step. You will feel ready to dance and enjoy your day with the team and patients who value your services.

Below is a list of 10 to do’s with your recare patients.

10 (Assessments) Profit Centers in the Dental Hygiene Department

1. Perform oral health care assessments that include the review of patients’ health history, oral cancer exam, biofilm assessment, salivary pH test.
2. Expose and interpret dental radiographs (x-rays); co-diagnose
3. Non- Surgical Periodontal Treatment, FM periodontal screening exam, scaling and root planing, antimicrobial agents, laser therapy, etc
4. CAMBRA (Caries Management by Risk Assessment)
5. Apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides varnish and sealants to the teeth
6. Administer local anesthetic and / or nitrous oxide analgesia
7. Home care products
8. Discuss whitening treatment and take impressions when applicable
9. Administer smoking cessation programs
10. Smile Analysis

By: admin

February 22, 2010

What protocols are in place to answer a call from a new patient?

What is the overall experience you want your new patient to have?

When do you have time in your schedule to accommodate the new patient? Do they need to wait 3 or 4 weeks to be seen?

Are you creating both a welcoming and positive experience for new patients from the first call they place to your office to the moment they complete their first visit?

Are you paying attention to the details or just going through the motions of the new patient routine?

If you’ve had your share of “new but never to be seen again patients” it’s probably time to dust off the “rules” for encouraging and welcoming new patients into your practice.

Schedule time for important people in your life: New patients are calling because they want your services now, not next month.. Absolutely the worst message you can give anyone who calls your practice – new or existing patients – is that you don’t have time for them. There are currently dental practices today that tell prospective patients that they will have to wait three weeks to even six months for an appointment. This is an insult to the caller. This is telling the patient you are not really looking forward to seeing them. If you have a potential first date; you make time to meet that important person. Your future husband or wife. It is the same thing with a new patient.

Avoid the backlog blunder. Determine how much time you need to allocate in the schedule to accommodate new patients. Look at the new patient activity in your schedule over the last six months. If you saw 150 new patients, that would be 25 per month or approximately 6 per week. Reserve at least that much time in your schedule to handle your immediate new patient demand.

New patient appointment need to be reserved during prime time. These are the hours in which your practice experiences the greatest demand for appointments. These may possibly be early morning or late afternoons. If you have Saturday appointments this is a good day to have new patients on your schedule.

Great Expectation for your new patients. From the first phone call to your practice new patients are judging the professionalism of the doctor and the their team. Patients expect to be treated with respect and professionalism. They expect their concerns and needs to be addressed expeditiously. They expect doctor and the team to offer the perfect balance of control and flexibility. They expect the quality of the doctor to be reflected in the quality of his or her team. First impressions do make the difference.

What is it that you want to be known for? This is the time it is important the new patient gets the feel for your specific brand. This is the one time you want them to know what you are all about. When the phone is answered your name is on the line. Now is the important time. It is the time when how the new patient feels about the doctor, the team, and the overall experience will determine if there dedication as a patient. It is what makes or breaks them.

The new patient along side your team are what will make your dental practice successful. This is where you want to invest your personal time and make a winning situation.