Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions

Grow Cosmetic Cases in Your Dental Practice

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

June 1, 2024

Boosting Case Acceptance and Per Patient Production

Dental offices that experience high profitability from cosmetic procedures typically have a substantial patient base originating from general practitioner (GP) services. This extensive patient base is crucial for generating cosmetic cases.

The emphasis is on “generating” these cosmetic cases because they won’t be magically scheduled. While cosmetic cases may naturally be scheduled, you miss out on many opportunities when you aren’t proactively discovering that your current patients want a more beautiful and confident smile..

The first priority is to increase general patient volume through hygiene appointments, hygiene patient reactivation, and attracting new patients. This increased volume provides a larger pool to present your cosmetic services. Presenting cosmetic cases to your existing patients is more cost-effective and yields better results than marketing to find more new patients.

This blog will delve into ways to more effectively grow cosmetic cases in your dental practice.

Present Cosmetic Services to Existing Patients

Don’t Assume Patients Know What Services You Offer

Many dentists are surprised to find that loyal, long-term patients often go elsewhere for services like clear aligners or veneers simply because they didn’t know these services were available at their usual practice. It’s ironic to see dentists spend heavily on community advertising while neglecting to inform their own patients about their offerings.

Increase Cosmetic Case Acceptance

Your Hygiene Department is the Mitochondria of Your Dental Practice

Most patients spend more time with their dental hygienist than any other clinician in your dental practice. Make certain your hygiene department is optimized to effectively communicate treatment needs and truly understand what your patients’ smile goals are.

It’s ironic to see dentists spend huge amounts of money on community advertising while neglecting to understand what they current patients’ smile goals are. Did you know?

Teeth whitening is an 11 Billion Dollar industry however, few people search for a dental office to buy teeth whitening.1

Dentists are missing out on easy profit solutions and a way to have more patients accept cosmetic dentistry.

Strategies to Boost Cosmetic Cases to Existing Patients

The Smile Evaluation. Cosmetic Questionnaires

Introduce a smile evaluation – a cosmetic questionnaire for all new patients and annually to every patient.

Learn what your patients’ smile goals are. People are more likely to pay money for what they want so find an easy what to know what your patient wants.

In-Office Promotions

Display promotional materials throughout your office—posters, flyers, videos, and before-and-after photos. Place these in high-visibility areas like the waiting room, in front of dental chairs, at the front desk, in hallways, and even restrooms.

Consider offering patients a patient rewards program like The Smile Club.

Patient Engagement

Encourage your patients of record to follow your practice on social media. Post informative videos, patient testimonials, plus, before-and-after photos. Always include a compelling offer such as The Smile Club where patients receive free whitening pens.

Give patients a reason to keep their dental appointments. Make dental appointments fun, not dreadful.

Team Training

Ensure your employees are well-informed about the cosmetic services you offer so they can educate patients effectively. Consider scheduling “lunch & learns” and implement consistent training with your team. Get everyone on your team, the same page.

It takes a patient 7 times to hear something new like information about ‘Gum disease and gum treatment.” Break down the words you use into words your patients easily understand. Understand your patients values and know how to attach a benefit to their values or objections.

Use words such as gum disease over periodontal disease. Explain they have infection, inflammation, a hole in their tooth or bleeding gums.

Consider scheduling a team training to elevate your cosmetic case acceptance. Your hygiene department is key to successfully getting patients to “YES!” and boost cosmetic cases.

New Patients

While marketing cosmetic services to new patients can be effective, it can also be costly and tricky. Using Google ads, targeted social media ads, implant marketing funnels, and direct mail can be expensive.

There are effective ways to use your website to attract more new patients looking for cosmetic dentistry such as: Teeth whitening, Invisalign, and implants, etc.

Reach out to us and ask for our template to use on your website – proven to attract more new patients.

Keys to Successful Marketing of Cosmetic Services

1. Manage and Track New Patient Leads

How you manage new patient leads is crucial. Make sure your front office employees promptly and repeatedly follow up with online form submissions and phone calls from potential new patients. Train your team to handle these calls effectively, and use call recording systems to monitor and improve performance.

2. Invest in Training

Never cut corners or expenses when building a strong-seamless team. Invest in training your team, consistently optimizing your patient care, services and technology. Ensure the best patient and practice outcomes. Understand your key performance indicators and train your team to drive their specific metrics. Doctor’s job is not to micro-manage but when your team understands what’s expected and how to monitor their expectations everyone stops working so hard!

3. Track and Manage Results Closely

Successful dental practices monitor their progress and growth or lack-of. Track cost per new patient lead, appointment scheduling rates, case acceptance rates, overdue hygiene patients, cancellations, etc, etc.

With our no-cost snapshot we will show you and your team exactly what opportunities lie in from of you and each team member understands their responsibility to drive profitability without working hard.

The doctor and entire team must stay actively involved in your success strategy. Doctor’s role is to inspect what they expect of their employees. We consistently hear that many employees simply do not know what their employer, the dentist, expects of them!

Conclusion

Boost Cosmetic Cases: Focus on reactivating overdue hygiene patients and market your cosmetic services to these existing patients first. When you reactivate many overdue hygiene patients, many will have restorative and cosmetic cases that are unscheduled. Now is your chance to get them scheduled.
Invest Wisely: Be prepared to invest on effective strategies to grow high-value patient services.
Monitor Results: Understand your key performance indicators and Track your progress. Train your team to ensure you have systems in place that will to help you work SMART and stop running on a treadmill.

Implementing these strategies will significantly boost (cosmetic) case acceptance rates, enhance your per patient production, ultimately growing your practice and profitability.

For personalized direction on your practice growth, book a no cost opportunity ZOOM call with us. We’re here for you and want to see you get to your next level of success.

Contact us to grab our Smile Evaluation or Schedule a Team Training so your team knows exactly what’s expected.

Change the Low Insurance Reimbursement and High Overhead Dilemma!

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

March 27, 2024

In the realm of dentistry, dental practice owners grapple with insurance reimbursement and high overhead costs. These hurdles can impede practice growth, hinder patient retention, and limit opportunities for expanding a dental business.

However, amidst these obstacles, a transformative solution emerges. It’s called The Smile Club. This innovative approach not only addresses these issues but also enhances patient loyalty, boosts cosmetic case acceptance, and fosters a thriving practice environment.

The Predicament: Low Insurance Reimbursement and High Overhead

Dental professionals frequently find themselves at the mercy of insurance companies, grappling with insufficient reimbursement rates for their services. Coupled with the ever-mounting overhead costs of running a practice—ranging from equipment maintenance to administrative expenses—dentists often face financial strain. These factors can jeopardize the sustainability of their practices and compromise the quality of care they provide.

The Smile Club: A Game-Changer

The Smile Club is a paradigm shift in how we deliver dental care. We should no longer rely on traditional insurance models, The Smile Club offers patients a membership-based approach to accept dental care. By enrolling patients into The Smile Club, patients gain access to a range of benefits tailored to their oral health needs, including discounted services, priority scheduling, and exclusive perks.

Empowering New Patient Appointments

One of the most significant advantages of The Smile Club is its ability to attract new patients to your dental practice. By offering a transparent and cost-effective alternative to traditional insurance, The Smile Club appeals to patients seeking comprehensive dental care without the constraints of insurance limitations.

The allure of priority scheduling incentivizes prospective patients to schedule appointments, keep their scheduled appointments and boost practice growth.

Enhance Patient Retention

Beyond attracting new patients, The Smile Club also plays a pivotal role in retaining existing patients. The Smile Club has an emphasis on personalized care and member benefits that helps patients feel valued and invested in their total health. The membership-loyalty program o ensures that patients receive timely and convenient appointments, fostering a sense of loyalty to the practice.

Boost Cosmetic Case Acceptance

Cosmetic dentistry represents a lucrative avenue for dental practices, yet many patients hesitate to pursue such treatments due to cost concerns. The Smile Club eliminates this barrier by offering discounted cosmetic services as part of its membership benefits. This not only encourages patients to explore cosmetic treatments but also enhances case acceptance rates, thereby augmenting practice revenue.

The Smile Club is a turn-key system for practice growth with personalized on-boarding for the dental practice to jump start their growth boosting cosmetic cases, growing new patient numbers and putting a halt to numerous open holes in the appointment schedule.

Imagine the cost to hire a consultant to help your practice grow. The Smile Club offers personalized implementation for each dental practice and includes a web portal of marketing, learning videos (think about training for your team about case acceptance and enhancing hygiene patient care) and implementation guides, scripts, etc, at your fingertips.

When you use The Smile Club you have a consultant at your service without the cost of more than your Smile Club purchase. A low-cost investment that will yield over 100k annually.

That is no exaggeration!

Foster Patient Loyalty

The Smile Club is more than just a membership program—it’s a catalyst that builds lasting patient relationships. By prioritizing patient needs and offering tangible benefits, dental practices cultivate a loyal patient base invested in their long-term oral health.

This type of patient loyalty extends beyond a financial transaction by fostering a sense of trust and partnership between patients and dental clinicians.

Conclusion: The Smile Club—Empowers the dental team, it changes the anxiety and bad connotation around dental appointments into a situation where patients enjoy seeing their dentist and the dental team!. The Smile Enriches the Lives of Your Patients creating a WIN-WIN for all! The Smile Club BOOSTS Patient-Centered Care. It’s the next level of patient care like your patients have never experienced!

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PATIENT!”

In the face of low insurance reimbursement and soaring overhead costs, dental professionals are embracing innovative solutions to thrive in an evolving landscape. The Smile Club represents a beacon of hope—a holistic approach to dental care that transcends conventional insurance models.

The Smile Club will attract new patients and retain your existing patients; insurance PPO or not! The Smile Club will boost cosmetic case acceptance, and foster patient loyalty, The Smile Club heralds a new era of dental excellence. As dental practices across the globe embrace this transformative model, they not only secure their financial viability but also enrich the lives of those they serve, one smile at a time.

The Smile Club means less insurance dependence!

The Smile Club cultivates the next level of patient-centered care.

When you ask your patients what they want for their smile, you notice that your case acceptance improves dramatically. Understand what your patients want their smile to look like and you will have more patients say “yes!” to your care!

Join our Monthly Power Hour and learn more about this innovative approach to grow your dental practice NOW!

And/Or schedule a demo Today and learn more about using The Smile Club for your dental practice growth!

Your Dental Hygiene Department Profit Formula: Six Guiding Principles

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

January 17, 2024

A streamlined dental hygiene department with strategic systems plays a pivotal role in driving practice production; however, many practices fall short of harnessing the full potential of their hygiene department.

In a typical day, a hygienist may treat seven or eight patients, offering essential services like prophylaxis and radiographs. While this is a common practice, it doesn’t fully leverage the hygiene department to deliver comprehensive, and periodontal care, as well as drive patients to schedule for cosmetic dentistry. In today’s economic landscape, optimizing all resources, including the hygiene department, is crucial for a dental practice.

When over 60% of Americans age 35 or older have some level of gum disease it’s imperative to treat this starting with non-surgical periodontal therapy and even use the ADA gingivitis code provided for early intervention of disease.

Continuing reading this to elevate your hygiene department by learning about The Profit Formula and 6 guiding principles.

The Profit Formula

The Profit Formula is an innovative approach created by Dental Practice Solutions and designed to elevate dental hygiene productivity, aiming to unlock the true production potential of hygienists, elevate clinical care, and generate increased production for the hygiene department.1

Implementing The Profit Formula has demonstrated the capability to boost annual hygiene production by over $100,000 per hygienist, a proven success in numerous practices and adaptable to various settings. Explore six key principles of The Profit Formula to revolutionize dental hygiene productivity, enhance overall practice production and elevate patient care.

2. Future Hygiene Appointments

During the initial discovery phase, when working with clients, Dental Practice Solutions usually discovers practices usually have fewer than 80% of active patients scheduled for a next appointment. If patients aren’t scheduled, you can’t provide them optimal oral health care.

Plan a goal of 90% pre-scheduled hygiene appointments. Every patient (Preventive care and restorative) will leave with a next appointment. This means all patients of record (Even edentulous patients. Another topic, another day!) will have a pre-scheduled hygiene appointment.

Most hygiene patients receive basic hygiene care (cleanings/”Preventive Care Appointment”) and are assessed for any obvious dental needs and/or abnormalities. For a dental practice to reach their hygiene profit potential, hygienists need to understand how to deliver treatment needs to patients that puts the patient in the driver’s seat, ultimately allowing the patient to “take ownership of their disease.”

It’s imperative that we never allow insurance benefits (or lack of a benefit) dictate our treatment plan!

The hygiene department should be a major profit center for a dental practice., This can only occur when patients are routinely scheduled for dental hygiene appointments.

3. Promote Comprehensive Dentistry

There are different strategies and systems for the hygiene department to drive comprehensive, periodontal and cosmetic dental services. In most offices, this is not happening. One reason is that the dentist is so busy with restorative patients that the hygiene appointment is more of an interruption than anything else.

Some dentists may not take the time to complete a six month periodic exam and many offices have not learned a way to streamline the hygiene-patient-doctor exam to optimize case acceptance. Many offices think that they only time a patient will receive a comprehensive exam is when they are a new patient.

Not true!

Using The Profit Formula (Taught by Dental Practice Solutions) the dental hygienist will do a complete evaluation (hygienists are not legally allowed to diagnosis in most states) of the patients’ oral condition. Once hygienists become educated to find all potential hygiene need-based and elective (cosmetic and adjunctive) treatment opportunities, the entire outcome of the hygiene – preventive care appointments is elevated and you experience a more productive dental practice. This is how your hygiene department will drive productivity for the entire dental practice.

Using The Profit Formula the dental hygienist will use the oral evaluation to introduce discussions about comprehensive care, cosmetic dentistry and of course non-surgical periodontal care. The dental hygienist will initiate (discuss, introduce) the services while (in most states legally) the dentist will make the final diagnosis.

The hygienist is there as a patient-advocate and mini-associate to the dentist. This supports case acceptance and saves time during the hygiene patient exam.

This outcome is the reason why the hygiene department is very important to the dental practice. It’s the main blood vessel or the mitochondria of the dental practice. The hygiene department should operate like a powerhouse cell!

4. Build Strong Patient Relationships

The Profit Formula has a process that includes learning specific information about each patient, building patient rapport, understanding the patients values and their smile desires. Each hygiene appointment represents an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with the patient. It provides an opportunity to do more than treat a tooth.

Patients enjoy coming to a dental office where they feel valued and appreciated. This is part of the 5-star patient experience and one simple way to organically grow your dental practice.

A strong focus on the smile evaluation can be an effective way to learn what your patient desires for their smile. This takes away the dental clinicians always “finding” something in the patient’s mouth. It puts patients in the driver’s seat where they tell the office and dentist what they want. Provide a simple way for patients to whiten their teeth. The Smile Club is great way to save time and build your cosmetic cases this year.2

5. Enhanced Hygiene-Patient-Doctor-Exams

Dentists need to stop thinking of the hygiene patient exams as an interruption, and stop putting off this important exam. During a 10-minute team huddle the team should learn which hygiene patients need a doctor exam. The dental assistants will make note of this and be aware of a time when the doctor can more easily break-away from their patient to complete the hygiene patient exam.

When utilizing The Profit Formula hygienists will prepare the patient for any potential treatment needs which saves the doctor time during that hygiene patient exam. The hygiene patient exam should not take longer than 5-7 minutes. If the patient needs a comprehensive exam, this must be scheduled in another operatory and for 20 minutes of time with the doctor. The timing and strategy of this comprehensive exam must be completed at the time the patients hygiene appointment is scheduled.

6. Hygiene Department Production

Many hygienists think of hygiene production as “cleaning teeth,” bite-wings, FMX and panoramic radiographs. Today’s dental hygiene appointment includes “preventive care” including various adjunctive services such as laser bacterial reduction (LBR), fluoride varnish, Perio Protect Trays, Arestin, sealants, etc, etc.

A pain-point for many employees is knowing that the doctor-practice owner, has production goals. Let’s flip this negative thought process into a positive one. We must all think of production goals and meeting the practice production goals as “job security.”

When a large majority of Americans age 35 and older have some level of gum disease the hygiene production should not be difficult to reach three times the hygienists salary. The twenty-first century dental hygienist has a lot of exciting adjunctive services to implement that elevate patient care! Patients WILL pay for these adjunctive services when we share about the value and benefits they offer.

Since the 2020 pandemic, dental hygienists demand more money per hour when working as a dental hygienist in the dental office so it becomes imperative that dental hygienists are aware of their productivity and not JUST clean teeth.

Doctors must look at their practice numbers and end-of-day reports. The Profit Formula taught by Dental Practice Solutions, brings profit to the forefront of the dental practice, in a way that makes looking at the practice metrics and daily opportunities fun for all!.

Numbers tell a story and when the team looks at production goals in a positive light, accomplishing the goals as a team can be fun. When we accomplish the practice goals now we can talk about bonuses, salary raises, and fun team events!

Conclusion

The dental hygiene department is one of the best opportunities in a dental practice to increase overall practice production and elevate patient care, especially in today’s economy. The Profit Formula created by Dental Practice Solutions, will immediately set your practice on a growth path as well as, create more value for your patients.

Hygienists following The Profit Formula protocol receive higher patient satisfaction reviews than those who simply see patients for “just a cleaning” and basic preventive care services. Dentistry is constantly changing. Hygiene department adjunctive services are a fun and exciting way to practice dentistry as a dental hygienist in 2024.

These 6 principles discussed serve as guide to reframe your hygiene department and take your practice to the next level.

When you’re ready to optimize your hygiene department, implement The Profit Formula, and elevate your patient care, consider a quick call to learn more about Dental Practice Solutions hygiene department coaching program Hygiene Department MAX Revenue (a hybrid of online and personalized coaching) here.

References.

The Profit Formula. Book a call and ask us about the Profit Formula taught by Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, Founder of Dental Practice Solutions. *Currently taught in all of our coaching programs.
Ask us about The Smile Club and see your cosmetic cases grow. We will show you how to also have more new patient phone calls and reduce last-minute cancellations. Book a quick time to chat and learn. When you book a call we will mail you a SMILE CLUB whitening kit with the LED Blue and Red Lights (Similar nano watts as the ZOOM in-office light). There is no chair time to use this system. BOOK HERE —https://calendly.com/debbie-111/caseacceptance

Unlock the Secrets to Higher Case Acceptance

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

September 12, 2023

As a dentist, your primary goal is to provide exceptional oral health to your patients.

Even the most skilled and compassionate dental professionals may encounter challenges when it comes to getting their patients to accept recommended treatment plans.

Dental patient case acceptance is a critical aspect of your dental practice’s success, as it not only ensures your patients receive the care they need but also contributes to the financial health of your dental clinic.

In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of case acceptance and reveal the one thing that has proven to increase it.

Why is Dental Patient Case Acceptance Crucial?

Dental treatment plans often involve a range of dental procedures, from routine preventive care and fillings to more complex treatments like full mouth rehabilitation, Invisalign, veneers, and implants. Achieving case acceptance means patients are not only willing to schedule the recommended treatment but also follow through by paying and then keep their scheduled appointments.

Answers to The Above Question:

Improved Oral Health: Accepting and completing recommended treatment leads to better oral health outcomes for patients. Untreated dental issues potentially resulting in more extensive and expensive procedures down the road. Oral inflammation will lead to systemic inflammation.
- This cascading inflammatory response contributes to other systemic diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Crohn’s Disease, and even Alzheimers Disease.
Practice Growth: A high case acceptance rate is essential for the financial viability of your dental practice.
- Your case acceptance rate should exceed 60%.
- This ensures a steady flow of revenue and enables you to invest in state-of-the-art equipment, continuing education, and providing the best possible care to your patients.
Patient Satisfaction: Patients who receive the care they want and need are more likely to be raving fans. Raving fans refer friends and family, contributing to the growth of your patient base.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Patients who pay a “reservation fee” at the time they schedule for high end treatment means they are committed to accepting your care.

Think: Less last minute cancellations and less changes in your schedule. Paying a reservation fee means you have a more committed patient!

Dental Case Acceptance Challenges:

Despite the importance of case acceptance, many dental practices do not achieve at least 60% case acceptance.

Common Barriers:

Financial Concerns: Dental treatment can be costly, and some patients may hesitate to proceed with treatment due to financial concerns, even if it’s essential for their oral health.
Fear and Anxiety: Dental anxiety is a common issue that can prevent patients from accepting treatment.
- Patients may delay or avoid necessary procedures due to fear of pain or discomfort.
Lack of Understanding: Patients may not fully comprehend the urgency or importance of recommended treatments, leading to delays or non-acceptance.

The one thing that Increases Case Acceptance year after year is when you understand what your patients want for their smile.

It’s not enough to simply diagnose and recommend treatment; you must also ensure that your patients understand and feel comfortable with the proposed plan. You must have patients “own their disease” and “want what they need.”

How to Initiate Higher Cosmetic Case Acceptance:

Build Trust: Establishing trust is the foundation of effective communication. Patients are more likely to accept treatment recommendations when they trust their dentist.

First ask your patients,”What do you want your smile to look like?” or ask, “What is one thing you would like to change about your smile?”

Switch up your questions about the patients smile desires and make it fun for you and your patients.

Notice how these are not “Yes” or “No” questions. They are open-ended questions that inspire your patients to “think.”

Always be empathetic, listen to the patient concerns, and address all questions and any fears. Learn motivational interviewing skills to more easily show empathy and compassion. *See resources below.

Create Raving Fans: Once you have established trust with your patients and to gain trust, you want to offer something of great value to your patients.

Asking what your patient wants is a great opening to gain patient trust and show that you are doing more than treating a tooth!

The one answer most patients respond with when asked what they want for their smile is, “Whiter teeth.” The 2nd most popular answer is “straight teeth.:”

The list of what patients want for their smile goes on but first learn what your patient wants. As you are seating patients ask what you can do to make the appointment and their smile the very best.

Let’s change the negative connotation around dental appointments into something our patients look forward to!

The Smile Club is a fun way to:

Give patients what they want (Whiter teeth) more easily (Same day)
Give patients what they want, costing them less money and something they want
Increase your cosmetic cases

Educate and Inform: Take the time to educate your patients about their oral health. Use visual aids like X-rays, intra-oral cameras, scanners, and/or dental models to show what’s happening in their mouth. Explain the consequences of not completing necessary treatment.

When patients leave without scheduling appointments always follow-up with a phone call and an email with a video that explains the risks and benefits of the specific treatment.

Offer Options: Whenever possible, provide patients with different treatment options.
- This not only gives them a sense of control over their care but also accommodates their budget and comfort level.
Clear Financial Discussions: Be transparent about the cost of treatment and discuss flexible payment options and/or insurance coverage.
- Patients are more likely to accept treatment when they understand the financial aspect of treating disease and abnormalities.
- Patients respond favorably when they have a plan in place.
Follow-Up: After presenting a treatment plan, follow up with your patients. Address any lingering questions or concerns and remind them of the importance of timely treatment.
- Call patients within 48 hours if they leave the office and don’t schedule for your care.
- Email videos explaining the necessary treatment needed.
  - In the subject line of this video write, [Video] because people are more likely to open and view a video.

Communicate this important message:

“Prevention saves money. Treating disease costs a lot of money.”

In conclusion, dental patient case acceptance is a critical aspect of every successful dental practice. To increase case acceptance, focus on effective communication. Great communication begins with listening and understanding your patients desires.

Building trust through motivational communication, educating patients, offering options, and addressing financial concerns are all part of this process.

Begin by asking how your patient wants their smile to appear. Listen to the answers they provide you.

By listening to understand your patients desires, you ensure that your patients not only receive the care they need but also feel confident and comfortable in their decisions regarding their oral health.

Remember, the one thing that has proven to increase case acceptance is The Smile Club patient loyalty system. The Smile Club begins by understanding what each individual patient wants.

Grab your Free Case Acceptance eBook HERE.

*Resources.

Motivational Interviewing. https://bit.ly/MotivationalInterview12 Accessed September 12, 2023.
Prima Health Credit. https://bit.ly/3RiT2ri
More about The Smile Club: https://bit.ly/PtRewards

Maximizing Dental Hygiene Department Production: Key Strategies

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

August 22, 2023

Maintaining a successful dental practice involves more than just delivering quality dental care; it also requires effective management and a keen understanding of the industry’s evolving trends. In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, dentists are constantly seeking ways to boost production and enhance various systems, and services especially in your dental hygiene department.

As our dental profession evolves, the dental hygiene department becomes more and more important to patient care and your dental practice growth. In this blog, we will delve into the topic that will elevate your dental hygiene department’s productivity and overall success.

The Digital Revolution in Dental Hygiene

The advent of digital technology has transformed many aspects of dentistry, and the dental hygiene department is no exception. Dentists are increasingly exploring digital tools such as iTero, etc., to streamline operations and improve patient care.

One of the key areas where digital innovation is making a significant impact is patient communication and education.

Incorporating interactive tools like digital scans, intra-oral cameras, and educational videos can empower patients to take charge of their oral health. Making the patient part of their treatment plan and the discovery about what is happening in their mouth makes case acceptance much easier.

Through technology and various tools you can educate patient you boost patient engagement and the ability to “want the care they need.” This will also help you get patients to continue returning to your office.

A high-level of patient engagement builds trust and trust means patients are more likely to accept your care and return for future appointments.

Telehealth and Virtual Consultations

Another emerging trend that dentists are exploring to enhance their dental hygiene department is tele-health consultations. This innovative approach allows dental hygienists to connect with patients remotely, providing consultations, answering questions, and offering guidance on oral health routines.

Tele-health can be a great way to meet potential new patients and hygienists can offer post-op care to their patients more easily.

Consider using tele-health to meet new patients, especially patients who may be fearful about going to a dental appointment. You can also do a dental exam to assess a patients smile, maybe assess their shade when patients are interested in teeth whitening services.

Check out the Smile Club which will allow you to virtually assess a patients shade and they can now come by your office, register for the Smile Club, hopefully feel more comfortable to schedule a new patient appointment. The Smile Club uses Celebrity Smiles teeth whitening and patients leave with their whitening kit that same day.

There are no impressions, trays to make, etc, etc. Your ROI can be huge when you use tele-health for cosmetic dentistry initial exams.

Tele-health allows you to reach a wider audience, ultimately boosting production by catering to different patient preferences.

Data-Driven Analytics

Data driven analytics is rapidly transforming our dental profession is no different. Dentists are recognizing the value of data-driven decision-making to optimize their dental hygiene department’s productivity. By harnessing the power of patient data, practices can gain insights into patient behaviors, treatment preferences, and patterns in oral health issues.

What matters to you will always get measured. Without looking at what is working and not working you can never assess you future success potential.

Ultimately, data-driven decision-making can enhance patient satisfaction, leading to higher retention rates and increased referrals.

Continuing Education and Dental Hygiene Department Training

As a dental professional you most likely understand that the expertise of the dental hygiene team directly impacts the success of the hygiene department. Investing in continuing education and training for dental hygienists is a strategy that dentists are actively pursuing to boost production.

Staying updated with the latest advancements in dental hygiene techniques, innovative tools, technologies and time saving systems, ensures that dental hygienists can provide the highest level of care to their patients.

Moreover, skilled and knowledgeable hygienists are more likely to spot early signs of dental disease and any abnormalities. They know how to more easily and effectively educate patients, performing more than just a cleaning.

All of the above contribute to improved patient outcomes and loyalty for patients to return to your dental office.

Collaboration and Workflow Optimization

Collaboration within the dental practice is essential for efficient operations and patient satisfaction. Dentists are recognizing that a streamlined workflow between the dental hygiene department and other areas of the dental practice, such as scheduling, billing, and treatment planning for improved case acceptance, can significantly impact overall productivity.

Implementing strategic and time-saving solutions facilitate seamless communication between the various areas of your dental practice.

Optimizing your current systems will eliminate bottlenecks, reduce last-minute cancellations, and enhance the patient experience. When different aspects of your dental practice work in harmony, this translates into more patient appointments, an optimized patient schedule, higher production without running on a treadmill and an overall positive impression of the practice.

Conclusion

Our dental industry is evolving at a rapid pace, and most dentists are proactively seeking strategies to boost production and enhance various departments. The dental hygiene department, in particular, plays a crucial role in patient care and practice growth.

By embracing the latest technology, incorporating tele-health, making data-driven decisions, investing in continuing education, and optimizing collaboration, dentists can elevate their dental hygiene department’s productivity and provide exceptional patient care.

Staying attuned to the latest trends and innovations in dentistry ensures that dentists remain competitive and capable of meeting the evolving needs of their patients. As the landscape continues to evolve, dental practices that embrace these strategies are well-positioned to thrive in the ever-changing world of oral healthcare.

If you found this blog valuable and if you are curious about how you can optimize your dental hygiene department and boost production more easily, schedule a complimentary discovery call. This will only cost you time. Time can be a valuable asset when you have a goal that becomes your next level of success.

Schedule your call here.

Can’t find a time on the calendar? Please send us a message here with a day and time that does work.

Mastering Hygiene Patient-Doctor Exams: 5 Steps to Boost Case Acceptance

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

August 14, 2023

One dental practice goal is to provide comprehensive care to every patient. The dental hygiene patient-doctor exam is a crucial opportunity to assess your patient’s oral health, discuss treatment options, and foster a strong patient-dentist relationship.

Dental hygienists, you can boost case acceptance by building a strong foundation during the first part of each dental hygiene appointment.

In this blog, you will learn five steps to effectively complete the hygiene patient-doctor exam, ensuring your patients receive the utmost care and attention they deserve.

The bottom line is a boost in your case acceptance and keeping patients returning to your dental office.

Step 1: Review the patient’s clinical record.

Before seating patients, at the beginning of the day, it’s imperative to gather your team for a quick team huddle.

Before the team huddle begins, hygienists must thoroughly review notes in each patient’s clinical record and during the team huddle, they must communicate important patient information about patients being seen that day.

This does not mean flipping through patient charts or scanning the online schedule! *Preparation before the team huddle is imperative to make this an efficient huddle.

Every team member comes to the morning huddle prepared to communicate important information. Coming prepared means your huddle will take approximately ten minutes.

If you are not currently holding morning team huddles this will take practice. You must have a huddle strategy and you will create a quick huddle and the result is an amazing day! Think less stress and more productivity!

** Time Management Example

Example of huddle hygienist communication:

Any health issues the team should be aware of? Ex: pre-med? Etc.
Does the patient need X-rays today?
1. What type of x-rays do they need?
What type of exam is the patient scheduled for?
1. Comprehensive exam (more than a quick 5 mins exam)
2. Periodic exam
Does the patient have unscheduled restorative needs?
Etc.

Step 2: Seat and greet the patient:

This is a time for rapport and discovering what the patient wants their smile to look like.

Does the patient have any areas of concern?
If the patient has unscheduled treatment, this is a great time to use motivational interviewing to discover how you can get the patient to schedule for necessary care.

This is your time to review the medical history, ask about surgeries, new medications, etc. See the above image. During the first 15-20 minutes of the hygiene appointment, this is your time to collect all the important data.

Always explain to the patient what they can expect during their time in your chair.

Make your patient a part of the data collection and treatment process. This also alleviates any confusion around what they are seating in your chair for.

True story! Once I started teaching this one thing, patients were stating they thought they were coming to the office for “A” when they were scheduled for “Z”!

Examples of data collection: RMH, blood pressure screening, “cavity detecting x-rays”, “gum exam using a ruler to look for any abnormalities of the gums”, etc., etc.

Step 3: Treatment planning.

Show the patient any abnormalities you discover during the exam process. Use an intra-oral camera or an iTero scan to show patients what is happening in their mouth and with their total health. Collaborate with your patient. Make them part of the process.

Now is the time to communicate the risks and benefits for accepting your care. Explain if, and when your patient does have oral inflammation, that inflammation (“gingivitis and gum inflammation”) can cause other systemic diseases such as stroke, heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Use words that are descriptive and easy for the patient to understand what is happening in their mouth.

Examples of words to use: inflammation, infection, bleeding, pus, hole, bacteria, prevention, gum disease, etc.

Step 4: Timing of the hygiene patient-doctor exam

At about 30 minutes into a sixty-minute hygiene appointment, the hygienist should have completed all the patient assessments and reviewed a plan of care with the patient.

This is the perfect time for the hygiene patient-doctor exam. There is no need to wait until the end of a dental hygiene appointment to complete the patient exam.

Refer to step 1. The morning huddle is the best time to orchestrate which hygiene patients need an exam and the doctors assistant knows ahead of time when they will direct/lead the doctor in to the hygiene room for an exam.

The doctor’s assistants are responsible for guiding the doctor to be where they need to be, when they need to be there. Think about hygienists as the air traffic controllers.

Example: The doctor is prepping a crown and waits for an impression. The assistant will direct doctor to complete the hygiene patient exam while the assistant is finishing up the impressions.

Step 5: Doctor-hygiene patient exam process

Collaboration is one key to building trust and accomplishing patient engagement. When the doctor walks into the hygiene treatment room to complete the patient exam, it’s possible the hygienist is polishing or scaling the patient’s teeth.

At this point, the hygienist will move to the side of the patient and bring the doctor into the loop of what has been discussed, etc.

Example: What did the hygienist discover during the seat and greet with their patient? Maybe Mrs. Jones is going to Europe for vacation next week. This is all part of rapport. Personal connection builds trust and patient loyalty.

The hygienist will report to the doctor all that has been completed up to this point and what the patient will return for in the future.

Example when doctor enters to do the hygiene patient exam: “Hi Doctor Good Tooth, I just found out that Mrs. Jones is going to Europe for six weeks this summer!

Doctor can respond as they are washing their hands, putting on their gloves, etc.

We reviewed her medical history and there are no changes, no significant findings. I asked her about one thing she would like to improve about her smile and she said she wants to whiten her teeth!

Doctor can respond as they are looking around the patients mouth.

I told her about our new Smile Club and she would like to get started whitening today! We checked her blood pressure and it’s great! It was 120/70. I completed an oral abnormality screening and her hard and soft tissues look healthy. Next, we checked the health of her gums and we did talk about a few areas of inflammation and bleeding. I am going to review her floss technique and next time she returns I think these areas will be much healthier.

Doctor can respond as appropriate.

Next time she returns in six months for her preventive care with me, she will need a full series of the x-rays and I will have her see you for a comprehensive exam in six months. I think that everything else looks great!”

Doctor can now look at the patient and respond accordingly.

Do you see how this communication can be completed while the doctor is visually looking around the patient’s mouth?
The hygienist made this super simple for the doctor to sit down, look in the patient’s mouth, have a quick, run conversation about Mrs. Jones’ trip to Europe and then the doctor is gone!

No one is waiting for the hygiene patient exam to be completed. The doctor left in five minutes to return and complete that prep patient in their other room and the hygienist finished up the patient on time.

**See above image which shows an example of how the hygienist can facilitate ease of the doctor- hygiene patient exam to increase case acceptance.

Conclusion:

Effectively completing the hygiene patient-doctor exam requires a seamless transition from the dental hygienist’s initial assessment to the treatment discussion.

By following these five steps—pre-planning patient care at the beginning of each day (the team huddle), simple discovery sessions between the hygienist and patient, treatment planning using visual aids prior to the hygiene patient–doctor exam, breaking down the words into what the patient understands and then using those same words during the doctor-patient exam, means you will more efficiently and effectively engage your patients to ensure they receive the highest level of care.

Remember, this approach enhances patient satisfaction and contributes to a thriving dental practice built on trust. This will allow patients to be in charge of their care.

This is one important method to get patients to “want what they need.”

Breaking down the words you use when communicating with patients and having everyone on the team use the same words will build trust, and help patients understand the value for completing necessary care- even preventive care.

The bottom line is happy patients, a boost in case acceptance and patient retention in your dental practice.

If you would like to learn more about integrating this process or other systems to optimize your hygiene department schedule a complimentary discovery call here.

Elevate Dental Practice Success: Unleash the Power of a Smile Evaluation

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

August 9, 2023

In the fast-evolving world of dentistry, staying ahead of the curve is crucial for maintaining a successful dental practice. One area that holds immense potential for boosting production and patient satisfaction is smile evaluations. By incorporating a smile evaluation for every dental patient you actively engage patients to understand their desired smile.

This increases the dentist’s opportunity to transform more patient smiles by doing veneers, implants, crowns, bridges, and even replacing old composites. It may be as simple as your patient asking to have whiter brighter teeth.

Today’s blog will share tips about understanding your patient’s desires for their smile and how to more easily move patients from routine services into high-end cosmetic care.

You will also discover how to enhance patient loyalty and increase the overall value of each patient long term.

The Power of a Smile Evaluation

A smile evaluation is more than just a clinical assessment; it’s a personalized journey that allows dentists to understand their patients’ unique desires and goals. The process involves a comprehensive analysis of a patient’s dental structure, facial features, and aesthetic preferences.

Your smile evaluation can be as simple as a brief questionnaire that asks patients to answer simple questions and tell you how they feel about their smile. You can also complete a smile evaluation by asking every patient as you are seating them in the treatment room,

“What is one thing we can do today that will leave you feeling better than ever about your smile?”

Notice this is an open ended question and not a yes or no answer from your patient.

If you have the technology available cutting-edge technology like digital imaging and 3D modeling, allow hygienists to use this and during the doctor-hygiene exam the dentist can visually demonstrate the potential outcomes of various treatments, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their dental care.

Engage Patients During The Smile Transformation

One of the keys to increase your value per patients is to engage your patient in their dental experience. Asking patients what they want their smile to look like not only fosters a sense of partnership but also allows dentists to tailor treatment plans to meet their patients’ specific aesthetic preferences. This collaborative approach enhances patient satisfaction, as individuals feel heard and valued throughout their dental journey.

Actively involving patients in the decision-making process leads to greater acceptance of comprehensive treatment plans. Patients who have a clear vision of their desired smile are more likely to commit to multiple procedures, contributing to increased production for the dental office.

Understanding Patient Dynamics

It’s important to acknowledge that the landscape of dental patient loyalty is changing. Current data reveals that patients typically don’t remain with a dental office for more than 10 years. This dynamic highlights the importance of consistently delivering exceptional patient experiences and demonstrating the value of long-term care.

While a patient’s tenure may be limited, the potential value they bring to a dental practice over a decade is substantial. With an average expenditure of $10,000 over 10 years, each patient represents a significant revenue stream. This is why maximizing the value of each patient is crucial for long-term practice success.

Increasing the Value of Production Per Patient

Now, let’s address the pivotal question: How can a dental office increase the value of production for each patient?

- Personalized Treatment Plans: Taylor treatment plans to address patients’ specific needs and desires not only improves patient satisfaction but also encourages them to pursue comprehensive procedures that lead to higher production value.

Communication and Education: Effective communication is the cornerstone of patient engagement. Explaining treatment options, procedures, and potential outcomes in clear, jargon-free language helps patients make informed decisions, fostering trust and loyalty.
Break it down into words your patient easily understands.

Use words and phrases such as: infection, inflammation, bleeding, hole, pus, etc, etc.

- Technology Integration: Embrace technology like digital smile simulations and intraoral cameras empowers patients to visualize their potential transformations. This interactive experience creates excitement and encourages patients to explore a range of treatments.
- Long-Term Relationship Building: While dental patients may not remain in the same dental office for decades, building strong relationships during their time with your dental practice can lead to referrals and positive online reviews. These factors contribute to new patient acquisition and increased production.
- Membership Plans and Preventive Care: Offering membership plans that include preventive care services can incentivize patients to stay committed to their dental health. The Smile Club can be included as an add-on or upgrade to your current patient membership plans.
- These plans can result in consistent revenue streams while reducing the need for reactive, costly dental care.

Patient Education Materials: Providing patients with educational materials, both in-person and digitally, ensures they have the information needed to maintain their oral health between visits. Empowered patients are more likely to invest in their dental well-being.
Continuing Education for the Dental Team: Equip the dental team with the latest knowledge and communication skills to ensure a consistent and exceptional patient experience. Well-informed team members can effectively explain specific dental treatment and the value of ongoing care.

Make sure every team member can speak easily about the benefits of prevention and how this does cost a little money but treating disease is very expensive. Today’s dental profession is all about creating optimal oral health. Optimal oral health leads to a longer, healthier life.

Every team member must be able to share this important message. This message leaves patients with a feeling of kindness and caring about them as a human not pursestrings!

In conclusion, integrating smile evaluations and actively involving patients in their smile transformations can significantly enhance production and patient loyalty.

By adapting to changing patient dynamics, providing personalized experiences, and leveraging technology, dental practices can increase the value of each patient over the long term. Remember, a patient’s smile journey is not just about dental procedures—it’s about creating a positive impact that resonates for years to come.

Dental Practice Solutions has a dental patient reward loyalty system that uses teeth whitening as a “carrot.” Patients are screened with a smile evaluation and given an opportunity to express what they want their smile to look like. 70% of your adult patients, when asked what they want their smile to look like, will respond they want “Whiter teeth!”

You now enroll your patients into The Smile Club which has a nominal fee. Once enrolled, patients understand they must pre-schedule all routine hygiene appointments and call at least 48 hours in advance when they need to change an appointment. When patients are enrolled in the Smile Club and follow the guidelines, at their routine hygiene appointments, they receive one complimentary whitening pen.

At the initial enrollment they leave with a teeth whitening kit. This is an LED blue and red light Cool Light technology mouthpiece with shade guide and a whitening pen. You buy dental grade professional whitening products at wholesale. These products were created by Dental Practice Solutions founder, Debbie Seidel-Bittke. You save an pass along the savings to your patients.

*Teeth whitening is a 6 BILLION Dollar industry but most people are buying their teeth whitening online or in a retail store. Why not ride the wave and tap into this huge profit center in your dental practice?

Ask me how to create a 100k annual net profit center around teeth whitening plust the turn-key system will grow your new patient numbers, increase cosmetic dental services and reduces those last minute cancellations.

Currently, the web portal of information about implementing this patient loyalty-rewards system is no-cost when you click the link here.

Reference.

* Teeth Whitening Market Outlook: https://bit.ly/10BILby2026

Build A Thriving Cosmetic Dental Practice: Understanding Your Patient’s Desires

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

July 25, 2023

A successful cosmetic dental practice goes beyond providing excellent services; it requires understanding what patients truly desire. People are more likely to invest in what they want rather than what they are told they need. By implementing a smile evaluation and asking open-ended questions, dental practices can discover what patients truly want, leading to increased patient satisfaction and the opportunity to grow the practice further.

Read this blog, and explore the importance of understanding patient desires. Learn how enrolling patients into a patient membership/loyalty program such as the Celebrity Smiles Club will significantly contribute to the success of a cosmetic dental practice.

Understand What Your Patient Desires

As cosmetic dentists, our primary goal is to enhance smiles and boost self-confidence in our patients. However, it is crucial to remember that each individual has unique desires and expectations. Using a smile evaluation and asking open-ended questions can help us uncover those desires effectively.

A smile evaluation is a comprehensive process that involves a thorough examination of a patient’s oral health, cosmetic concerns, and overall smile goals. Ask questions to understand what your patient wants. Make it fun when you’re asking your patient what they want their smile to look like.

One fun example. Background: We just had a multi-million dollar lottery.

Scenario: As you are seating your patient, while establishing rapport, getting caught up, with a smile on your face ask:

“Mr. Smith, when you win the lottery this week, what do you want your smile to look like?” Wink.

You are certain to get a smile from your patient when you make the questions fun.

By asking open-ended questions and actively listening to patients, we can delve deeper into their preferences and aspirations.

The Power of Open-Ended Questions

Open-ended questions invite patients to express themselves freely, giving us valuable insights into their desires. Instead of asking yes or no questions, we can inquire about their dream smile, the aspects they wish to improve, or the emotions they associate with their current dental condition.

This approach not only strengthens the dentist-patient relationship but also enables us to tailor personalized treatment plans that align with their wishes.

“People buy what they want, not what they need.”

Introducing the Patient Membership/Loyalty Plan: The Smile Club

One way to offer patients exactly what they desire is by introducing them to The Smile Club. This exclusive club offers cutting-edge teeth whitening solutions, ensuring patients achieve the radiant smile they’ve always dreamed of. Teeth whitening is one of the most sought-after cosmetic dental procedures, and by incorporating this into your services, you tap into a significant market demand.

Teeth whitening is exploding since 2020! Never in our history have so many people sought-out whiter teeth. Unfortunately, patients are not buying their whitening products from their dentist. Let’s create a paradigm shift and tap into this simple, easy profit center.

A turn-key system is included when you use Celebrity Smiles Club whitening products. The system will grow your dental practice with more new patients and more patients will schedule cosmetic cases. The turn-key systems included with The Smile Club, when implemented, sustains high productivity in your dental practice for years to come.

No need to see more patients or increase your overhead when you implement The Smile Club web-portal of resources.

Benefits of Your Smile Club Patient Membership

Patient Loyalty!
- - Patients join The Smile Club and pay a nominal fee for a take home whitening kit.
  - No impressions, no trays to fabricate, no added patient chair time.
  - Patients agree to your “change of appointment procedure.” Last minute cancellations and no-shows become a distant memory.
  - Patients agree to pre-schedule and show up for their routine preventive care, dental hygiene appointments.
  - Patients buy more whitening products from your office at a reduced fee. buy and save.
  - You buy your teeth whitening products at wholesale and now you can afford to give away a whitening pen as a reward for pre-scheduling and keeping their appointments.
  - Patients buy and save. You passed along the savings and created more profitability with less overhead!
Quick and Effective Results: The Celebrity Smiles Club patient membership/loyalty plan, uses advanced teeth whitening techniques, delivering fast and impressive results.
Patient Reward
- Free whitening pens at routine hygiene appointments are the carrot used to grow your dental practice new patients, enroll more cosmetic cases and a lot more.
- The Smile Club keep patients returning to your dental office.
- You buy whitening products wholesale and pass the savings on to your patients. You give them a toothbrush and floss and what they really want are whiter teeth! Consider this a win-win.
Fast, effective, no-sensitivity
- Dental grade, no-sensitivity teeth whitening, is highly appealing to patients seeking immediate smile enhancements.
- Ten minutes to a whiter-brighter smile.
- Celebrity Smiles Club uses Carbamide Peroxide + Potassium Nitrate ingredients combined with Cool Light Technology Blue and Red LED Lights mouthpiece.
- * Red LED lights have evidence-based science stating they soothe, comfort and heal mouth sores, canker sores, etc. Great for post-op care! *
  - Think: Photobiomodulation.

** Teeth Whitening is projected to reach 11.6 Billion Dollars by 2030. **

Most people buy teeth whitening online or in a drugstore. What’s wrong with this picture?!

Let’s change this statistic and have our patients get their teeth whitening from their dental office. It’s easy money. No added time to your schedule or more patients in the chair.

Enroll for free and receive access to the resources, the system, included with The Smile Club. Discover how to create a $70,000+ net production profit center in your dental practice annually, and without more patient time or increased overhead when you tap into the sizzle of teeth whitening in North America!

Click the link at the end of this blog and implement the free resources.

Think: No impressions, no pouring models, no need to make whitening trays. No need for patients to return and pick up their whitening trays.

Increase This Simple Service & Profit Center: By offering a very popular and super simple service like teeth whitening using Celebrity Smiles Club whitening products, you will motivate and inspire more patients to consider cosmetic dentistry. Using the Smile evaluation opens the door to additional cosmetic services that both you and your patient may have initially overlooked.

Think: Teeth whitening simplified. More cosmetic cases: more veneers, Invisalign, implants, and crowns, etc.

Grow New Patient Numbers: Members of your patient rewards program, The Smile Club, are more likely to share their positive experiences with family and friends. This is a great way to attract new patients to your dental practice which will increase your reach within the community.
Market the Smile Club benefits everywhere possible: on your website, social media, and your monthly newsletter, etc.
- Use The Smile Club marketing images around your dental office and on your website.
Enhanced Patient Retention: Enrolling patients into the Smile Club establishes a long-term relationship with your patients. Patients are motivated to return for routine preventive care dental hygiene appointments because of The Smile Club benefits.
- When patients enroll they agree, they understand your procedure to change appointments.
- Patients prioritize their dental appointments.
Brand Loyalty: The Smile Club becomes synonymous with quality cosmetic dental care, fostering strong brand loyalty among your patients who enjoy its benefits.

Conclusion

Understanding what your patients truly want is at the heart of building a successful cosmetic dental practice. By completing smile evaluations and utilizing open-ended questions, you uncover your patients desires and craft personalized treatment plans to fulfill them.

The Celebrity Smiles Club plays a crucial role in achieving long-term dental practice success. This loyalty plan offers patients the opportunity to achieve a bright, white smile quickly and effectively. Enrolling patients into The Smile Club, will not only enhance the success of your cosmetic dental practice but also fosters patient loyalty. This is a system that will boost new patient numbers, creating a thriving and satisfying dental environment for everyone involved.

The Smile Club, when all its systems are thoroughly implemented, will not only grow your new patient numbers, but it will increase case acceptance for cosmetic cases and last-minute cancellations become a distant memory.

Enroll today to learn more about the Celebrity Smiles Club system. Start today and all the benefits created for your dental practice here.

There is no cost when you enroll today!

References.

* Photobiomodulation. Accessed July 1, 2023 here.
** Teeth Whitening projected to reach 11.6 Billion Dollars by 2030. Accessed on July 1, 2023 here.
Adjunctive Therapy with Blue LED Lights. Accessed July 1, 2023 here.

The Dynamic Partnership: Dentist and Dental Hygienist in a Dental Office

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

May 30, 2023

In our world of dentistry, the harmonious collaboration between a dentist and dental hygienist is crucial for providing exceptional oral healthcare services. Together dental hygienists and dentists form a dynamic partnership that ensures comprehensive patient care, effective case acceptance, optimal oral health which can lead to improved health, and a positive experience for the dental patient.

This blog post explores the roles and responsibilities of dentists and dental hygienists, highlighting the importance of their working relationship in a dental office.

The Role of a Dentist

Dentists are highly skilled professionals who play a central role in dental offices. They are responsible for diagnosing and treating various oral health issues, developing treatment plans, and performing complex dental procedures. Dentists are trained extensively in areas such as oral pathology, restorative dentistry, and oral surgery.

They must be a leader for the dental team, oversee patient care, make crucial decisions, and ensure high standards for their dental practice. Dentists also support the patient’s proper oral hygiene practices and preventive measures to maintain optimal oral health.

The Role of a Dental Hygienist

Dental hygienists are valuable members of the dental team, working closely with dentists to provide preventive dental care. They perform tasks such as dental cleanings, scaling and root planing, soft-tissue diode laser therapy and various oral health assessments. Dental hygienists are experts in educating patients about oral hygiene practices, including brushing techniques, the importance of flossing and the role of inflammation in prevention of systemic diseases.

They also play a pivotal role in detecting early signs of gum disease and dental decay, thus aiding in the prevention and early intervention of oral health issues. Dental hygienists in today’s world do more than clean teeth. They are a patient advocate to prevent oral disease which will help their patients live a longer, healthier life!

The dental hygienist should be like a mini associate to the dentist. Think of them as like a Physician’s Assistant or Nurse Practitioner.

Collaboration and Communication

Effective collaboration and communication between dentists and dental hygienists are key to ensuring the smooth operation of a dental office. Regular communication allows them to discuss patient cases, exchange information, and coordinate treatment plans.

Dentists rely on dental hygienists to provide thorough patient assessments, report any concerns, and communicate patient needs accurately. In turn, dental hygienists depend on dentists to provide guidance, clinical expertise, and oversight. This symbiotic relationship fosters a cohesive work environment, promotes better patient outcomes, and enhances the overall quality of care.

The hygiene patient, doctor exam is a critical system that must be effective for patients to receive the highest level of care. This collaboration produces optimal patient care and in return a higher ROI for your dental practice.

Teamwork and Patient Care

The dental office functions as a team, and the collaborative efforts between dentists and dental hygienists are essential for comprehensive patient care. Dentists and dental hygienists must work together effectively to assess patients’ oral health, develop personalized treatment plans, and ensure optimal oral hygiene practices.

Dental hygienists often spend more time with patients during routine preventive care appointments and they can easily build trust and rapport. Their close interaction allows them to identify potential problems, educate patients on preventive measures, and address any concerns.

Dentists rely on the valuable insights and observations of dental hygienists to make informed treatment decisions and provide the best care possible. When you have streamlined your hygiene patient-doctor exams, your case acceptance will be much higher, patients will want and pay for what they need more easily.

Conclusion

In a dental office, the partnership between a dentist and a dental hygienist forms the foundation of excellent oral healthcare. Their collaboration, effective communication, and shared responsibility for patient care are vital in promoting dental health and the patient’s overall well-being.

This working partnership exemplifies the synergy that leads to a successful, profitable dental practice with raving patients and happy employees.

Is your doctor, hygiene patient exam system supporting case acceptance where at least 70% of your patients accept diagnosed treatment?
Is your hygiene department optimized with systems that support productivity and a high level of profitability?
Do you enjoy your career as a dental professional?

Check out our 21 Day Hygiene Department Challenge to update and/or optimize your hygiene department. Click for More Info & Registration

Many of our clients start with this training to update their systems or optimize their hygiene department with a team approach.

Tips to Improve Case Acceptance

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

May 3, 2023

What is your current percentage of patients who have accepted your care this year?

Case acceptance in the dental practice is at an all-time low. If you notice 50% of your patients are leaving with the “I need to think about it syndrome,” continue reading and discover a few tips to optimize your treatment acceptance.

It’s essential that dental professionals are able to communicate the diagnosis and recommend a treatment plan in a way that patients can more easy to understand their oral conditions, how inflammation and infection will affect their overall health.

We must take the time to truly understand our patients, their concerns and what they value for their life and overall health.

Truly understanding our patients requires a certain level of skill, which includes the ability to actively listen, understand the patient’s needs and concerns, and articulate the benefits of the recommended treatment according to their needs and values.

By asking open-ended questions about what the patient hopes to accomplish with their smile, and what their main concerns are, dental professionals can gain valuable insights into the patient’s goals and expectations. This information can then be used to tailor the treatment plan to better meet the patient’s needs and preferences.

It’s also important for dental professionals to understand the emotional factors that may be influencing the patient’s decision-making process. Patients may have fears or anxieties about dental procedures, or they may be seeking a cosmetic improvement to boost their self-confidence. By understanding these underlying emotions, dental professionals can frame their services in a way that resonates with the patient and addresses their concerns.

We must use words our patient understands and not speak in dental lingo which patients most likely do not understand. Use words that paint pictures of what is happening in their mouth.

Break it down into a conversation centered around what your patient values and use words to describe their dental condition. Use words they can easily understand.

These are tips that build trust and trust is a #1 reason your patients will accept your care.

Examples of descriptive words:

Bleeding
Inflammation
Infection
Hole
Crack
Etc, etc.

Take intra oral images. Show the patient these images while you are seated with your patient knee-to-knee and eye-to-eye. Make your patient part of the decision-making process. Help your patient “Own their disease.”

This is called Proxemics which is part of rapport and building trust.

When dental professionals improve case acceptance they provide better care to their patients. Ultimately, the goal is to build trust and establish a long-term relationship with patients by providing the best possible care and a patient-centered experience.

Engaging in non-interruptive conversation is a great way for dental professionals to better understand their patients and their needs.

When you seek to understand what your patients desires and attach the benefits of your services around a benefit for them, case acceptance improves.

What are the primary values of dental patients?

Money
Aesthetics
Health
Time
Pain

Ultimately, it’s important for dental professionals to recognize that patients make decisions for their own reasons, and that it’s the dental professional’s role to provide patients with the information and guidance they need to make informed choices. By adopting a patient-centered approach and focusing on building relationships, dental professionals can help their patients achieve their oral health goals in a way that feels comfortable and supportive.

Patients often feel more comfortable and engaged when they are given the opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings about a proposed treatment plan. Encourage a dialogue to help patients take ownership of the decision-making process. Patient’s will feel more confident about scheduling and paying for treatment when you make treatment planning a partnership with patients not a one-way path.

In addition to promoting a more comfortable atmosphere, a conversational approach to case presentation can also help to build trust and establish a stronger relationship between the patient and you, the expert.

By demonstrating a genuine interest in the patient’s concerns and needs, and by providing clear and honest information about the proposed treatment plan, dental professionals can help patients feel more confident about the care they are receiving.

Ultimately, the key to improving case acceptance rates is to focus on building strong relationships with patients, and this can be accomplished through open dialogue, active listening, and a patient-centered approach to care. By putting the patient’s needs and concerns first, dental professionals can help their patients achieve better oral health outcomes while also building a loyal and satisfied patient base.

The motivational interview (MI) philosophy is a great way to create a partnership with your patient, understand their needs, get them to own their disease and accept your best care.

Below I have attached a resource to learn more about motivational interviewing. I believe you will discover this philosophy is very helpful to overcome challenging case acceptance.

How do you get patients to “Own their disease?”
When was the last time you looked at your percentage of patients who have outstanding treatment?
What’s is your plan to get these patients to schedule their necessary treatment?

Please know that I am here to support you and your team to have your best year ever.

Schedule a coffee chat and let’s determine your best path to achieve your goals this year.

References.

Motivational Interviewing. https://bit.ly/VideoMI411
https://bit.ly/ProxemicsRapport