Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions | Dental Consultant Near Me

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

By: admin

April 23, 2019

April is Oral Cancer Awareness month, and this is a perfect time to think about how you can better serve your patients’ oral healthcare needs. Oral cancer screenings by dental professionals will reduce the incidences of oral cancer diagnosed each year.

The rise in oral cancer is up, higher than every before. There is no decline in this rate in sight, so as dental professionals we have our work cut out for us.

New cases of oral cancer, no matter age, race, and gender; overall is 10.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females.

Oral cancer rates are higher for Hispanic and Black males than for White males.

If dental professionals can participate in early diagnosis for oral cancer, if we can help discover an abnormality sooner, we can increase the changes of improved survival rates. An estimated

Raise oral cancer awareness and make a difference in your community by arranging an office event where people can walk in and get screened during a certain timeframe.

One of the best ways to screen is using fluorescence technology.

OralID’s fluorescence technology uses a blue light (435–460 nm) that provides the clinician an aid in visualization of oral mucosal abnormalities, such as oral cancer and pre-cancer. The other medical applications of fluorescence technology include highlighting abnormalities of the GI tract, cervix, lung, and skin.

You can learn more about the OralID® by visiting the Forward Science website: http://www.oralid.com/

For more information about oral cancer awareness and simplified, cost-effective ways to screen your patients plan to join the Oral Cancer Awareness Socialthon on Friday April 26, 2019. The socialthon will be hosted on Facebook, all day on Friday April 26, 2019.

Join us for the Socialthon here: http://bit.ly/OralcancerSocialthon

REFERENCES.

https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/oral-cancer/incidence
https://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/
- Feb 27, 2019 – The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cancers which we hear about routinely such as cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma…
- Key Statistics for Oral Cavity and Oropharyngeal Cancers
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/oral-cavity-and…cancer/about/key-statistics.html
- Jan 9, 2019 – In recent years, the overall rate of new cases of human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers has been…
- Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race, and Gender …
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/oral-cancer/incidence
- Oral Cancer Incidence (New Cases) by Age, Race, and Gender. … Overall, 10.5 adults per 100,000 will develop oral cancer. Oral cancer rates are significantly higher for males than for females. Oral cancer rates are higher for Hispanic and Black males than for White males.
- Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer statistics. … Modeled trend lines were calculated from the underlying rates using the Joinpoint Trend Analysis Software.
- DM Laronde; HPV-Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer Rates by Race and Ethnicity
https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/statistics/headneck.htm

1. Provide Patient Education

Adopting a protocol at the office for patient education regarding oral cancer can help with early detection.

2. Help Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment Find Relief

Patients currently undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation often suffer from mouth sores. Because cancer treatments impact the body’s immune system so severely, patients become more prone to mouth sores.

These sores can appear on the lips, tongue or roof and floor of the mouth, causing pain and discomfort while eating, talking and even breathing.

We often hear from our dental pros how much their patients find relief with our Super Relief Dental Gel, powered by healing aloe vera, folic acid, zinc and Oxygene®.

3. Screen at Every Checkup

According to the “2016 Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Survey,” only 37% of survey respondents recall being screened for oral cancer at their last dental checkup.

Furthermore, 83% of respondents said they’d like to be screened for oral cancer at every checkup, and 86% would like their dental pro to talk to them about oral cancer.

If there isn’t a regular screening policy in place at your office, now’s a great time to adopt one!

Patients are sure to appreciate this, especially new patients who were used to getting screened at every appointment by their past provider.

4. Help Patients Establish a Oral Routine

Oral Cancer Awareness Month can be another incentive to motivate good oral health routines in your patient’s lives.

Brushing twice a day, flossing and using quality dental products will always be the key to maintaining good oral health.

Oxyfresh Lemon-Mint Power Rinse Mouthwash is our most popular alcohol-free mouthwash for a reason. Besides its unique and refreshing blend of essential oils, it contains aloe vera to moisten the mouth and comfort the gum tissues, plus Oxygene® and zinc for powerful deodorizing action.

Recommend this powerful mouthwash to your dental patients so they can ditch dry mouth and have fresher breath as they work on quitting the habit

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Debbie founded Dental Practice Solutions in 2000. She speaks at dental conferences throughout the world and also coaches and consults with dental practices worldwide.

The team at Dental Practice Solutions takes a holistic approach working with each dental practice. Debbie understands how to quickly tap into productivity of the dental hygiene department to optimize systems with the entire team, showing everyone how to work smarter and not work so hard.

Check out how the team at Dental Practice Solutions adds to your productivity without working harder or more days. Schedule a FREE 30-minute call now.

How to Grow an In-House Membership Program

By: admin

January 9, 2019

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, talked to Jordon Comstock, founder and CEO of Boomcloud about their membership program.

Dental Practice Solutions niche is teaching hygienists how to talk to patients about necessary treatment and Boomcloud is a great adjunct to helping patients pay for the dental treatment they need.

dental-practice-solution-inhouse-membership-program

During this short podcast, Debbie and Jordon talk about:

1. A predictable, recurring revenue stream for your dental practice.

2. They talk about a specific tool to help market your dental practice.

Attrition is a part of every business so this is one important tool you must learn about to help market your dental practice and create sustainable profits.

3. They also talk about reducing a dentist’ dependence on PPO’s.

4. When you listen to the podcast you will learn the benefits of a “subscription system.”

a. Think Amazon Prime but for your dental practice.

We are in a new age of dentistry and this information will bring you into a forward-thinking world to grow your dental practice.

How can we help you grow your dental practice in 2019?

Please call us @ 949-351-8741 or Email Us to schedule a No-cost profit boosting session Click to Schedule and discover the easiest way to make 2019 your best year ever!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, is one of Dentistry Today’s top dental consultants. She is an international coach, speaker and author. Debbie is the CEO of Dental Practice Solutions.

Debbie is a world-class leader in creating profitable dental hygiene departments. She is a well-known as a former clinical assistant professor at USC in Los Angeles and a former hygiene department program director.

Dentistry Today recognizes Debbie as a Leader in Dental Consulting for the past 16 years.

Dental Practice Consultant | Use it or Lose it!

By: admin

August 14, 2018

It’s hard to believe but the end of 2018 is near.

This is the best time of year to contact your patients about their unscheduled dental treatment and/or dental hygiene appointment.

Your message to your patients’ needs to say, “Use it, or lose it!”

Why now?

I am certain if you work in the front office of your dental practice, you have a long list of “to-dos’” every day and this only compounds your work!

The reason August is an important month to send out this message is because your patients will possibly not be able to schedule their appointment until September.

Calling overdue hygiene patients can mean there is a lot of work for them to schedule and time is running out!

For your patients who do have insurance benefits, these benefits typically run out on December 31^st. This means if they can’t get their treatment completed by December 31^st they will lose their benefits this year.

Last week our I wrote in the blog about texting your overdue hygiene patients to come in for their appointment.

You may want to refer back to this blog for more information about this topic.

As a dental consultant, it is my goal to bring out clients and the dental profession, new and up-to-date information.

I wrote about a system I created called the R2R.

What is R2R?

R2R means Reason to Return.

Why did your patient leave the office without scheduling their important restorative care?

Now that you have run your report of patients with outstanding treatment, I recommend that you send a text message.

Your Text Message.

Your 1st text message must only say, “Please call our office about your dental appointment.”

When you only text this message it does peak a patients’ curiosity. Most patients will call your office and they will be curious about this message since they know they don’t have a dental appointment.

What to do when the patient calls your office.

Once you answer the phone and you identify this is a patient responding to your text message, place the patient on a very short hold (maybe 10 seconds) letting them know you want to check their patient record.
Check what happened at their last appointment and what they need to schedule an appointment for.
1. It is possible the patient not only needs restorative care but also, they now need a hygiene appointment.
  1. In this scenario schedule the patient for a hygiene appointment with x-rays and exam as appropriate.
  2. It is possible this patient needs a new exam because the area of concern (area that needs restorative care) may need more extensive care than when first diagnosed.

Explain this to the patient so they understand, it’s been too long to schedule for the same treatment they need X months ago. At this point, you don’t know exactly what is needed until the hygienist and doctor re-examine this area in need of care.

Once these patients do return begin to write your R2R.
1. Ex: Mr. Williams had large decay (MOB) on the upper left first molar (Tooth #14) at his appointment eight months ago.
2. He comes in for his hygiene appointment and the hygienist completes new x-rays (Last x-rays were over 12 mos. ago) and doctor completes an exam.
  1. The x-rays show this upper left first molar (Tooth #14) needs an onlay and the hygienist completed a gingivitis treatment today.
  2. The patient also has high blood pressure.

In the R2R the hygienist writes in the notes (Last line of the notes) R2R: Pt now has high blood pressure and he also has gingivitis today. Doctor and I are concerned about this inflammation in his mouth creating the inflammation in his body—i.e. high blood pressure. Very important to have pt return in two to four weeks to re-evaluate the oral inflammation and if this is improved I will complete a prophy appointment. Pt wants to preserve his teeth, so doctor recommended he schedule for the tooth to be prepped for the onlay at the time of the next hygiene appointment in about two to four weeks.

Value of using the R2R.

This R2R serves numerous purposes. It supports a conversation that will need to be addressed when patient schedules his next appointments and needs to know his financial obligations. Should Mr. Williams not want to “NOW” spend the money to reduce the oral inflammation and preserve his teeth, the financial coordinator will refer to these notes as discussed with the hygienist and doctor.

Most offices we talk to have at least one patient call each day to cancel their appointment and unfortunately, this is a patient calling last minute to change their appointment on the day of their appointment.

Whenever a patient does call about an appointment: Making an appointment or changing an appointment, once your clinicians are documenting the R2R, the person answering these calls will always refer to these notes to understand exactly why the patient needs to schedule.

If the patient is calling to change their appointment, referring to the R2R is very helpful when you refer to these notes and address the value of completing treatment sooner than later and when you know what is valuable to your patient (money, time or fear), you can turn this patient objection into a reason to keep their appointment.

Ex. Of turning around their objection to spending money would be that Mr. Williams would save money if he doesn’t wait to restore a filing. Currently, he can no longer have a filling but will need an onlay, if he waits longer this could mean an infection in his tooth. An infection in his tooth also means this infection goes into his bloodstream causing other health-systemic challenges beyond the high blood pressure.

Talk about how treatment now will save money (and improve their health) now when they complete they keep their appointment.

Mr. Williams is an example of someone who did not understand how keeping his original appointment for a filling would cost less than waiting and in the meantime the decay (Words patient may be more likely to relate to: cavity, hole in the tooth, etc.), became larger and needed more extensive treatment, which costs a lot more money.

Your Words.

When speaking to patients always break-down the dental words into works that your patients can easily understand.

For example:

Periodontal disease say, gum disease

Tooth decay say cavity or actually show the patient the black hole in their mouth and/or on an x-ray

Scaling and root planing say gum treatment

Recall or recare say preventive care or hygiene appointment

Also use pictures as much as possible. If you have the opportunity to take intra-oral pictures, take the pictures. Sit your patient upright in the chair and show them. Ask your patient if they see what you see. Engage them and make them part of this decision-making process.

Your Plan.

When patients do leave your office without scheduling a next appointment, always let them know that you will be contacting them to scheduling later that week.

Urgency is key when scheduling dental appointments.

We should all care enough about our patient’s total health, reducing inflammation and infection in their mouth and body, that we will not allow our patients to not schedule preventive care.

What you are all saying as a team with your patients, while they are in your office, will make or break, the opportunity for patients to pay and schedule before they leave their current dental appointment.

Would you like to learn more about the value of using the R2R for your office? This has been a huge benefit to our clients who use this system.

Let us know how we can help your team to improve your case acceptance and reduce those last-minute changes to your patient appointments.

Drop us a line or email/call our office to schedule a training for your entire team! We offer AGD CE Credits for Virtual or in-office training.

This year all of our clients will make not less than $125,000 more in production and without working harder or more days.

Let us help you be the next dental practice get this type of success.

To schedule a call, it costs doctor nothing except 30 minutes of your time.

How can we help you be the next success story in 2018?

Call us to find out how to get training virtually or in-office. We are here to help!

Your team will receive AGD CE Credits with any training we complete for you. Contact us today. Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call our office: 949-351-8741

Need help implementing the R2R or any other systems?

We are here to help you! Call us to find out how to get training virtually or in-office. We are here to help!

Your team will receive AGD CE Credits with any training we complete for you. Contact us today. Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call our office: 949-351-8741

ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke is the CEO of Dental Practice Solutions and has over 15 years of business and consulting experience, as well as 30 plus years of working knowledge as a dental professional.

Having the unique ability to understand dentists’ need, Debbie can help each dental practice grow to be efficient and profitable. The growth occurs by optimizing your dental hygiene department. She has a team of experts that will work in the other areas of your dental practice as necessary. Debbie’s insight allows her to effectively communicate and implement success strategies while strategically addressing productivity challenges in the dental practice.

As a dental hygiene business coach, a former clinician and educator, she is adept at collaborating with dentists and their team to incorporate her expertise to see a dental practice grow to levels beyond their imagination. Debbie and her team of experts will increase the profitability of each dental practice. This year, 2018, no client of Dental Practice Solutions will increase production less than $125,000 and without working more days in the office. Ask us how you can be next to do this!

Call or email our office to schedule for your Free Profit Boosting Session:

Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call our office: 949-351-8741

Dental Consultant | The End of Year is Near. How to Get Dental Hygiene Patients to Return Now.

By: admin

August 8, 2018

The end of the year is near. In today’s blog you will read how to get your dental hygiene patients to return now.

Summer is coming to an end. The kids are going back to school. Parents are busy with work, back-to-school shopping and it seem there is not time to visit the dental office

Many of your dental patients haven’t scheduled necessary dental treatment for themselves or their family.

Most dental benefits will not roll over to the next year and that means you are wasting insurance benefits for your patients.

Now is the time to try and help your patients maximize their dental insurance coverage. Many of your patients are overdue for a routine hygiene appointment.

August is the best time to be looking over your list of overdue hygiene patients and also patients with outstanding treatment.

Every month of each year, plan a day to run a report of overdue hygiene patients. Mark your calendar to run this report the first week of each month.

At this point in the year, it is crucial to focus on contacting your overdue hygiene patients as well as get patients to return who have unscheduled treatment to complete.

How do you contact your patients?

It is important to contact your patients in a way that creates a quick response.

With today’s world of technology, you may notice that most people don’t pick up their phone (of not often), they don’t check their personal emails throughout the day and not many people go to their mailbox to pick up their mail each day.

We suggest that you have the ability to two-way text all of your patients.

To begin the two-way texting, you need to have the technology connected to your practice management software.

We recommend SolutionReach to our clients because not only does this company offer two-way texting, but you can add a link for your patients to click which will allow them to immediately schedule their appointment.

What does your text message say?

You will at the very least want to text all overdue patients with only a sentence that says, please call our office about your dental appointment.

We have found this works very well for patients to call your office and especially when they know they don’t have an appointment.

Once the patient does call they will most likely let you know, “I don’t have an appointment.”

Your response will sound like this:

“Mrs. Smith, please let me check your patient record to find out exactly what is happening here. May I put you on a brief hold? This will take me less than ten seconds to check.”

Most patients will be patient enough to wait a few seconds.

Here is the part that may be new to you.

The team of consultants at Dental Practice Solutions, teaches clients this acronym called, R2R.

What does R2R mean?

R2R means “Reason to Return.”

The R2R is a brief description each clinician writes on the last line of the patients record, each time the patient is seen in the office.

This means that the clinician has discussed, communicated, with their patient the reason why they need to return, and that reason will not only be a clinical reason but a benefit to the patient.

If the patient you just took a call from, has a clinical R2R note that states, Pt has bleeding gums, infection around all the back molars and heavy tartar build-up in lower front teeth. Pt has diabetes and I explained that treating gum disease will put a halt to the life-altering challenges of diabetes that can be prevented when their mouth is healthy.

Using the R2R. What to say to the patient.

Once your team of clinicians begin to use the R2R the person answering the phone call will always put a patient who calls about an appointment on a short hold while they check the R2R.

Now that your patient is on the phone, let them know that doctor (and you can include the hygienists’ who last saw the patient) is concerned about their health. Explain that last time they saw doctor and hygienist they had infection in their gums and this can make their diabetes worse which causes other serious health problems. Let the patient know it is extremely important to complete the gum treatment because now we know this will help improve their diabetes.

What do we do if we have not used the R2R?

If you are reading about the R2R for the first time, when you look at a patients’ record, there will not be an R2R and I suggest that you have each of your team members learn about this.

Please contact our office and a dental consultant on our team will be happy to provide a training for your team. We can offer AGD CE Credits if you like.

Steps to reactivate overdue hygiene patients:

Step 1. Run your reports

1. Run an overdue hygiene patient report for the past 6 or 12 months.
  1. If you don’t usually run this report monthly you will want to go back at least 12 months when you begin running this report.

Step 2. Send a text message

Use your patient engagement software (Ex. SolutionReach) to contact overdue hygiene patients
Your first text message should only say “Please call our office today about your dental appointment.”

Step 3. In one week for the patients who have not responded to your text message, send them an email.

In your email you can now include your scheduling link, so these patients can easily click the link to schedule their hygiene appointment.
Your email message can be customized with each patients’ name, but the same email goes out to every patient who needs a dental hygiene appointment.
As a dental consultant I have learned that people respond more favorably to this email when you offer them an incentive to return for their appointment.

We know that free tray whitening works well when attempting to get overdue hygiene patients back to your office.

1. 1. You can also use other special offers to motivate patients to return such as money of Invisalign.

Step 3. Understand the specific type of appointment needed.

When you do have patients calling to schedule their appointment, be sure to look at their patient record to understand what type of appointment they need.

Step 4. Begin using the R2R.

1. All clinicians must make this part of their patient record.
2. When a patient calls to schedule or change an appointment, the front office person answering the patient call, will look up the R2R so they know exactly what the patient needs to schedule for (Ex. Prophy, x-rays and doctor exam, etc.) can speak to the patient about the necessary service and value/benefits for scheduling.
3. This R2R can and should be used every time a patient calls to change a dental appointment. Use the value and benefit to the patient to get them to keep their appointment not change it.

The number 1 focus this month needs to be contacting all patients who need to return this year for a hygiene appointment.

Need help implementing the R2R or any other systems?

We are here to help you! Call us to find out how to get training virtually or in-office. We are here to help! Your team will receive AGD CE Credits with any training we complete for you. Contact us today. Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call our office: 949-351-8741

Next week I will return with information to contact patients with outstanding treatment. I will also write about how overcome this big challenge of patients leaving without scheduling their important restorative care.

ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke is the CEO of Dental Practice Solutions and has over 15 years of business and consulting experience, as well as 30 plus years of working knowledge as a dental professional.

Call or email our office to schedule for your Free Profit Boosting Session:

Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call our office: 949-351-8741

Dental Consulting | Dental Hygiene Patients: Keep the Back Door Closed

By: admin

August 1, 2018

Written by: JoAnn Leon, Front Office, Insurance Credential / Reimbursement Coach

We hear this question all the time, “Can you help me get more new patients to my office?

The answer is, “Doctor, do you realize that you have 1,560 patients and 300 of these patients have not returned to your office in the last eighteen months?”

How to keep the back door closed when new dental patients come to your office.

The most effective plan you can have in place is to reactivate your over-due hygiene patients. If you have a program such as SolutionReach, you can very easily reactivate these 300 over-due hygiene patients.

STEPS TO KEEP THE BACK DOOR CLOSED

Step 1. Know Your Numbers.

The team at Dental Practice Solutions, recommends that you run a hygiene report, so you know how needs to return for a hygiene appointment in the last eighteen months.

Step 2. Send a Special “We Miss You Letter.”

Send this e-newsletter to over-due hygiene patients. SolutionReach has great template to send patients an eye-grabbing e-newsletter.

Step 3. Offer an Incentive to patients who receive your e-Newsletter.

We have created a system around reactivation of your overdue hygiene patients. Without a doubt it works well to offer patients a gift for returning. This is the WIIFM syndrome. You know what I mean by WIIFM? I mean the “What’s in it for me” syndrome.

What has worked well for numerous years is offering your patients free tooth whitening when they do complete their hygiene appointment, pay for the prophy or necessary treatment, along with appropriate x-rays (BWX, FMX, etc.) and doctor exam. At the end of the hygiene appointment the hygienist or a clinician will take impressions and the patient returns in a day or two to pick. Up their whitening trays and two syringes of gel.

You can also have your whitening gel syringes customized here.

Step 4. Call Your Overdue Hygiene Patients.

Each day someone in your office should be working on calling overdue hygiene patients. Not too many people actually answer their phone these days so if you don’t get ahold of your patient, your next step is to text your patient.

Step 5. Texting Overdue Hygiene Patients.

What do you text a patient, so they want to call your office and schedule their hygiene appointment?

First of all, let me say that it is important that you have two-way texting set up if you do have the ability to text your patients. In today’s fast-paced and technologically oriented world, it is important that you can text two-ways with patients of record.

Your text should only say this: Please give our office a call about your appointment.

“They don’t have an appointment,” you say!

That is correct, the don’t have an appointment and you do want them to call about an appointment………one they need to schedule.

This one sentence works in a phone message or text and…. btw, it works very well when you are calling to collect money. That is

another blog, another day.

Step 6. What You Must Say When You Do Talk to the Patient?

Before you pick up the phone to call a patient and even if a patient calls about an appointment, it is important to look at the patients record, if you have electronic patient charts.

You need to look at the patient’s ledger to see if they owe money, etc. Very important is to look at the patient’s clinical notes and read about the reason WHY they need to return.

Ask yourself before you call the patient:

When was the last time there were in our office?
What do they need to return for?
- Is it only (Not just lol) a hygiene appointment?
- Do they have outstanding/unscheduled treatment?
What do you know if valuable to the patient?
- For example, is money a possible concern and maybe a reason they have not returned?
  - Be prepared to overcome money objections by offering solutions and changing the loss of money into this appointment will help them save money
    - For example: Patients who have diabetes or high blood pressure, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about the mouth-body connection. Let them know that a healthy mouth means less money on medications and doctor/hospital visits

Step 7. Try Something Different Than You Have Been Doing.

You know what they say about insanity?

Doing the same thing over and over does not typically yield a good outcome. Take one or all of these steps and begin today implementing one. Just try one of these.

Go to your calendar and on today’s date write “Begin Reactivation.” Write down how many overdue patients you have on this day. Next turn to your calendar six months out and write a reminder to check the number of overdue hygiene patients.

The goal is for this number to be less than it is today.

And do remember to be patient with yourself (And the team) as you implement these new steps.

Each month you must run a hygiene report and reach out to your overdue hygiene patients. It still surprises me, the number of offices we work with. When we investigate a new clients reactivation process, it happens too often, that there is no reactivation system hence, hundreds, thousands of overdue hygiene patients.

Do you have an over-abundance of overdue hygiene patients? Does reactivating them seem like a daunting task? Reach out to use. Let’s create your strategy and close the back door for new patients as well as your current patients of record. Schedule a no-cost Profit Boosting Session Here.

You can also email us or call: 949-351-8741 to get this scheduled now.

ABOUT JOANN LEON

For many decades, Joann Leon, has worked alongside various doctors from international backgrounds she has obtained extensive knowledge in management, insurance contracting and clinical aspects of various types of dental practices. Joann is able to provide unbiased, objective advice on selecting the right insurance plans, maximizing fee schedules, and streamlining accounts receivable collections.

– Certified Procedural Quality Assurance Consultant Eagle Soft Setup
– Insurance Credentialing & Contracting Dentrix Software Setup
– Human Resources/Legal Compliance Easy Dental Software Setup
– Filing Grievances Insurance/Patient New Practice Startup/Established Practice Analysis
– Fee Schedule Analysis Loss Prevention/Staff Accountability
– Digital/Hard Copy Filing Front Desk Employee Training
– Purchase/Sale of Practice Audit Preparation of Charts

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her sons and grandchildren; serving her spiritual community as a lector and Eucharistic minister. She enjoys spiritual retreats at least twice a year, the beach, dancing, and going out on scenic drives.

Contact JoAnn: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

Do you feel like your dental practice runs your life? Do you wish that you did not have to concern yourself with running the business of dentistry? Do you want to not worry about the marketing, deal with payroll, worry about open holes in your schedule and a bank account that does not grow?

I feel your pain and I have created an all-day live CE Event in Portland, Oregon. Plan to join Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, CEO of Dental Practice Solutions, along with Doug Fettig of Aldrich Advisors.

We have planned a life-changing event so you don’t need to worry about your dental business but you can focus on your clinical dentistry.

Plan to bring your team so they can learn and begin implementing what they learn. This will leave you feeling like you have a new lease on life!

You get 6 AGD Credits, breakfast, lunch, snacks, coffee, tea, soft-drinks plus we will give away prizes all throughout the day: valued at $50-$1,500. You will walk away with your customized blueprint.

More information and Register Now. Early-bird Pricing Expires August 21, 2018.

Dental Consulting | Are You Setting the Right Goals?

By: admin

July 5, 2018

Oregon Dental Coach

No matter how effective you are at vision casting, dreams require hard work and strategic planning to become a reality. Highly successful business owners know the benefits of setting realistic and measurable goals. Rethink the way you are setting goals for your business. Your ambitious plans will be successful only if you have a road map to reach them. By mastering the art of setting incremental, measurable goals, you’ll be able to more effectively to reach them. For more tips on managing your practice, contact our firm today.

Plan out the steps, not just the big picture.

Start small by establishing smaller goals on a quarterly, monthly, or even daily basis. It can be easy to let ambition take over and lose track of the work required to reach your ultimate objective. Setting smaller, incremental goals provides the opportunity for you to celebrate the small victories along the journey and reassess early if something isn’t working.

Measure your success.

How will you know if you achieved your goal if you cannot measure it? Goals should have a measurable standard. Perhaps you want to see 5 more new patients each month or to increase the number of referrals by 50%. Set specific goals that are easy to track. This will help you to definitively know whether or not you’ve reached them and, if not, have a tangible metric of how much you still need to accomplish.

Make your goals visible.

The more visible your goals are, the greater pressure you’ll feel to meet them. Make sure everyone in your practice is aware of what you’re trying to achieve. This will not only ensure that they’re actively helping you reach your goals, but will also provide a source of accountability to hold you to your word. Putting up visual reminders can also be a simple way to accomplish a similar effect. The more you’re reminded of your goal, the more likely you are to work towards it.

Real growth doesn’t happen passively. In order to take your practice to the next level, you need to set goals to help you get there. Whether these goals are financial, patient-oriented, or focused on personal development, we’re here to help. Contact us today to learn more!

Dental Practice Solutions
(888) 816-1511

Dental Consultant | Building a Better Team

By: admin

June 28, 2018

Oregon Dental Consultant

Recruiting employees can be a time-consuming, stressful, and sometimes costly endeavor. When you’re looking to build an optimal team, it can be tempting to hold onto old employees for too long and hesitate to hire new ones until you’re confident you’ve found the “perfect” fit. However, both of these common mistakes can be damaging to the efficiency and culture of your business in the long term. Building an ideal team can take time, but keeping the following tips in mind can help ensure your business is able to thrive.

Out with the old…

It can be hard to let go of any employee. Ideally, everyone you bring to your business will become a valuable member of the team. Unfortunately, that’s not always going to be the case. If an employee is displaying any of the following signs, it might be time to consider letting them go:

Bad Attitude: This includes eye-rolling, snide comments, complaints, confrontational tone, and passive-aggressive speech or actions. An employee that disrespects their co-workers won’t have the best interests of the team or the business at heart.
Lack of Engagement: Whether unfocused at work or unresponsive during meetings, an employee that’s not mentally present can’t give their best to their work.
Dishonesty: Whether this involves refusal to accept accountability, blaming others for mistakes, or outright lies, dishonesty is harmful to your business and your team.
Poor Performance: While it’s expected that an employee in a new role may need an adjustment period, if that employee shows an ongoing inability to grow professionally or meet the expectations of their position, it might be a harbinger of even bigger problems down the road.

In with the new…

Whether you’re looking to replace current employees or meet the demands of a growing business, you want to do everything you can to make sure you’re hiring the right people for your team. Here are some tips that can help streamline the hiring process:

There’s No Such Thing as Perfect: When looking to bring in new employees, it can be tempting to wait until you’ve found the “perfect” fit. However, that can unnecessarily slow down the process and cause you to skip over individuals who might become great assets for your team in time. Keep in mind that a good employee is one that grows and performs well, and look for individuals that possess the qualities needed to thrive long-term.
Follow Your Gut: Instincts exist for a reason. If something about a prospective employee isn’t sitting right with you, it could be a sign that there’s a deeper problem you’ll have to address in the future. While you shouldn’t necessarily make quick decisions on feelings alone, it’s worthwhile to take them into account.
Listen to Your Team: The members of your staff will often be able to offer good insights into how the company can grow. Whether a trusted employee is revealing the poor performance of a co-worker or a team is asking for another member to help manage their growing responsibilities, it’s worth seeking their input when making decisions.

Though there’s no exact science to building a successful team, there are proven strategies you can use to help the process be as painless as possible. By holding current employees to a clearer standard and exercising discernment with new and prospective employees, you can make the hiring process operate more smoothly and increase the overall productivity and happiness of your team.

For more advice on building a better team and managing your practice growth, contact our office.

Dental Practice Solutions
(888) 816-1511

Clackamas Dental Consulting | SEO and Its Real ROI

By: admin

March 1, 2018

SEO has developed a bit of a bad reputation as of late. It’s true that some companies or individuals might try to cheat the system in unethical ways, putting you at risk of being blacklisted by Google. These spamming techniques include keyword stuffing, buying links, article stuffing, and more. While they might have worked to give you good results in the past, Google’s ever-learning algorithms have become much more adept at catching these tactics and punishing websites for them. However, a properly implemented SEO strategy is an invaluable part of a strong internet marketing plan. In order to understand the true value that SEO provides, you must first understand what it is and how it works.

What is SEO, Really?

While many individuals might be familiar with the term “SEO,” fewer know what it stands for, or how it really works. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is an umbrella term for a variety of strategies one might use to try and increase the ranking of a website on Google and other search engines. These techniques can include strategic keyword integration, off-site link-building, social media integration, and more. As search engines recognize an increased proliferation of your site across the web, your site will move up in rankings.

The Benefits of a Comprehensive Strategy

SEO is most effective as a part of a larger internet marketing strategy. In order to see a real improvement in your ranking results, it’s important to have an online presence that will get your site noticed and foster an increase in online engagement. By making sure that this engagement is all tied back to your site, you can organically boost the results. Having a site that’s SEO-optimized and kept up-to-date with the latest changes in Google’s algorithms will ensure that you’re making the most of the traffic and links to your site.

Why does this matter for me?

90% of individuals never venture past page one of web search results. If you’re trying to attract more people to your business, it’s important to ensure that your website ranks well for a variety of keyword combinations. Maintaining a consistent SEO strategy of keyword integration and diversified backlinks is your best bet for seeing a stable increase in your rankings on Google and other search engines. Don’t let poor rankings cause you to miss potential new business!

Grace is the proud owner of Identity Dental Marketing where she has made it her personal mission to improve the business of each dental practice she works with by a measurable amount. In her first position as a Marketing Director for a multiple location dental practice, she tripled the number of new patients seen on a monthly basis (in 3 short months, on the same marketing budget). From there, she created a variety of sales-focused training workshops, attended many marketing seminars and became obsessed with dental marketing and branding as whole.

Dental Consultant Clackamas | How Expanding Your Services Can Expand Your Dental Business

By: admin

February 23, 2018

Written by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

AS YOU KNOW, patients don’t just visit their dentist for bi-annual hygiene appointments, aka: Preventive Care. There are a host of services available to promote great oral health and create beautiful smiles.

Is It Time to Expand Your Services?

Expanding the services, you offer can be a great way to improve value for your current patients and pique the interest of prospective patients as well. Have you considered expanding the services in your practice?

Here’s a few simple value-add services to consider:

April is oral cancer awareness month so offer your patients a no-cost screening using the latest technology such as the Oral ID. Does your hygienist understand how valuable sleep apnea screenings are for all patients (even children)? Another simple service your dental hygienist can offer is a TMJ exam. This is easily administered during the oral cancer screening.

Other simple, same-day, adjunctive services are: fluoride varnish and whitening services, just to name a few.

I just had my teeth whitening using a 4 minute system called Uphoria. It was created for hygienists to use after the hygiene appointment. It was a simple ultrasonic device that added a hydrogen peroxide to my teeth. It was simple, no sensitivity or awful taste in my mouth. My teeth lighted by 3 shades in those 4 minutes.

We’re Here for You at Every Stage of Your Business

It’s never wise to bite off more than you can chew, but strategically expanding your services can yield huge dividends—for your patients and your business. If you have any questions about expanding the services your practice offers, let us know! We can guide you through all of your options and help you select the best solutions for your unique needs.

We’re grateful for our clients!

AUTHOR Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions

Debbie can’t remember life without dentistry. She has worked in the dental field as a dental assistant, hygienist, former assistant clinical professor, hygiene department program director and for eighteen years as a coach, consultant, author and speaker.

In 2000, Debbie founded Dental Practice Solutions and she has helped thousands of dental offices world-wide share the important message that oral health will help people live a longer, healthier life.

When a dental office is able to share this message with their patients they will discover patients are most likely to continue returning to their office. These are patients for life when they understand how much you care about them.

Email us or call to schedule a Profit Boosting No-Cost Training with Doctor your Hygiene Department. Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or Call to schedule a training: 949-351-8741.

Dental Consultant | Sleep Apnea and the Elderly Population

By: admin

Written by: Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS

Why is it that the older we get, the less we sleep? It is well known that the elderly in general do not sleep well at night. Many stay up late, sleep in their recliner, and get up in the morning before the crack of dawn. Yet, they are tired during the day and plan social activities around their naps. As people age, they tend to have a harder time falling asleep and more trouble staying asleep. It is a misconception that sleep needs decline with age. In fact, research shows that our sleep needs remain the same during adulthood.

So then, why do people sleep less as they age? One very possible reason is that they may be suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition characterized by frequent episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep.

OSA is comprised of two types of events. Apnea, in which there is 100% flow limitation for at least 10 seconds. And, Hypopnea in which there is at least a 30% decrease in airflow lasting 10 seconds or greater with oxygen desaturations greater than or equal to 4%.

How Common is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

According to the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine- September 2014, 40% of adults over 40 snore (approximately 87 million Americans). 18% of men and 8 % of women between 30-70 suffer from some form of OSA. Less than 10% o OSA sufferers have been diagnosed. Of those 10%, less than 25% have been successfully treated.

The risks of untreated sleep apnea include cardiovascular disease, memory loss, depression, lack of energy, sleepiness, mood changes, social implications, irritability and more. Does this sound like anyone you know?

Should Dentures and Partials Be Worn at Night

We have been trained to advise our patients to remove their dentures and partials at night so that the gums and tissues can rest. However, without the dentures and partials in place, there is less support for the lips and cheeks. When a person lays down without this support for his lips and cheeks, they collapse further into the mouth cavity adding to the obstruction of the airway. Perhaps we should recommend that our elderly patients wear their dentures and partials to bed and let them soak during the day.

Screening Signs and Symptoms of OSA

Does your patient snores? Do they suffer from acid reflex or G.E.R.D? Do they get headaches such as migraines, cluster headaches, or dull morning headaches? Do they urinate frequently at night? Do they have enlarged tonsils? Do they suffer from excessive sleepiness and fatigue? Do they have high blood pressure? Do they have diabetes? Do they have a scalloped tongue? Do they show signs of clinching and bruxing? What is their Malampatti class?

OSA, High Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, and Stroke

There is a sympathetic response in the body every time an apnea or hypopnea occurs. This causes the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. People with OSA have hundreds of events per night, thus the body remains in a constant state of elevated blood pressure. The body does not get sufficient oxygen, because of this it is not converting enough into nitric oxide. Without enough nitric oxide, the blood vessels narrow and the endothelial lining of the arteries break down making them more susceptible to plaque building up. Narrow arteries, with risk of blockage equal high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

OSA Diagnostics and Treatment

If you suspect a that a patient of any age may suffer from OSA, they should be referred to their physician or a sleep MD to have a sleep study done. Once diagnosed with OSA, there are several options for treatment. The standard of care and best option is still a CPAP machine. However, it only works if the patient wears it, which can be difficult for some patients. Another great option is a sleep appliance that Dentists can provide with proper training and a written prescription from the MD. I would also encourage Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in conjunction with any of these options.

References

1.American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine web site. http:/www.aadsm.org/

2.Sleep Group Solutions- Dental Sleep Medicine Seminar

3.Somnomed web site. http:www.somnomed.com/

Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS, is a dental consultant, coach, speaker, and author. She is office and hygiene coach with Dental Practice Solutions. Please contact Cindy for a complimentary Profit Boosting Session at no cost: cindy@dentalpracticesolutions.com or Call to schedule: 949-351-8741.