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

Clackamas Dental Consultant | Steps to Keep Your Dental Patients Returning

By: admin

May 17, 2018

Patient Loyalty: Keep Your Dental Patients Returning

ONE OF THE MOST important things a dental practice can do is earn and keep patients returning. When patients return to your practice again and again, it’s better for their dental health, but it’s also better for your practice!

In today’s environment of consumerism, most dental patients in your dental practice are probably satisfied to be your patient but how many of them are truly loyal?

People in general, have high expectations. Not only are your patient’s insurance driven but they are more price-conscious than ever before.

People have more access to oral health information and comparison shopping in today’s world. Dental patients who are only satisfied will leave your office if or when a “better” offer comes along; especially if their insurance tells them which dental office will pay for their dental care.

Returning Patients

Patients judge your dentistry by how you make them feel. The patient loyalty process begins from the first “hello,” and it includes everything that happens even after you leave your office.

What are you doing in your dental practice that sets you apart from the other businesses, other dentists in your community?

Do you know how your patients feel after leaving your office?
Do you know what your patients are saying about your dental office and your team?

Ask your patients to complete a survey and ask them to add this to your online reviews.

The Benefits of Loyal Patients

Why do your patients continue returning to your office?

Having a schedule full of your favorite patients means your dental team doesn’t spend a lot of time calling, texting or emailing patients to fill the schedule. This most likely makes you feel more fulfilled in your career when you see patients you really LOVE!

When you love your patients, you most likely love your job. The day goes by quickly when you enjoy what you do, with the people you enjoy spending time with.

We Can Help You Increase Patient Retention

We are always here to help you find success in your practice. Improving your patient relationships is big part of your success!

Keeping patients returning to your office is the most cost-effective way to build your dental practice.

We have discovered that patients return to their dental office more frequently when the dental office has a WIIFM system. At Dental Practice Solutions, we created a Lifetime Whitening program that promotes your office and keeps your patients returning to your office. This has proven to reduce cancellations and no-shows.

If you have any questions about how you can earn patient loyalty, don’t hesitate to ask!

Check out our customized patient loyalty program. We offer premium whitening gel, customized with your name. your logo and at wholesale.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

ABOUT DEBBIE SEIDEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, is CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Dental Practice Solutions focuses on helping dentists around the world to achieve their personal and professional goals by optimizing their hygiene department. Debbie has a team of consultants who optimize your front office processes, insurance reimbursement, credentialing and so much more.

Debbie has amazing insight that will tap into the true profit potential of each practice. When using the systems and strategies created by Dental Practice Solutions, dental practices will dramatically grow their current hygiene productivity.

The experienced team at Dental Practice Solutions can help dentists create their dream practice and enjoy a more fulfilling life.

Give us a call to have Debbie speak at your next national, state or local event, or call for a no-cost practice boosting session: Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com. Call us at: 949-351-8741.

To learn more about the services of Dental Practice Solutions, visit their website: https://dentalpracticesolutions.com/

Dental Consultant in Oregon | How To Deal With The Stress of Being A Dentist

By: admin

May 10, 2018

How To Deal With The Stress of Being A Dentist

Written by Dr. Rachel Hall

It is true – being a dentist is stressful. Most patients dislike coming and are themselves stressed or anxious and this often comes across as rudeness, aggression and irrational behaviour. No one seems to appreciate or understand how hard it is to fix a tooth when you are leaning over, ruining your posture and straining your eyes.

Dentist Various Types of Stress

Many patients do not want to take your advice and simply think they know best despite the level of knowledge, experience and expertise you have.

Many complain about the bill, blow things out of proportion, ask the same question over and over even though you spent forever explaining it and even drew them a picture. And why do the challenging patients all seem to be booked in on the busiest and most demanding of days?

Then there is constantly being pushed for time, dealing with the bickering and team dynamics and their inability to think or organise anything for themselves – which come on doctor you know you’ve had a hand in as you are so controlling and need to micro-manage everything!

Add to that the bills are overdue, stock needs ordering, cash flow is a drip feed and the most vital piece of equipment has just blown up and yes…. It’s not surprising you’re stressed!

What Dentists Were Never Prepared For

Dental school fails to prepare the fresh-faced young and eager dentist to cope with the pressures they will face once graduated and working in dental practice. Instead it puts you under enormous amounts of pressure to learn, to achieve, and to come up to standard, pass exams and see patients on clinic at the same time.

You learn not to complain, to suck it up because you have to be the one to make it work, pay the bills, make the patients happy. You hold it all inside and put your brave face on as you dare not show you are overwhelmed and not handling the workload.

We come to rely on coping mechanisms like sugar, caffeine, alcohol and even drug abuse to handle the demands of daily practice; demands that we vent at our staff, patients, families and friends and then beat ourselves up over. Is a downward spiral!

Eventually we get sick, develop musculoskeletal problems, anxiety and depression, become de-motivated, resent our job, our staff and our patients and suffer from professional burnout and a higher than average rate of divorce, drug and alcohol addiction and suicide.

The statistics speak for themselves; in a study from the British Dental Journal July 2004, 90% of dentists said they drank alcohol regularly (with 1 in 7 dentists having an alcohol problem), 10% smoked and 35% were overweight. 62% suffered from heartburn, wind or indigestion, 60% reported being nervy, tense or depressed, 58% reported headache, 48% reported difficulty in sleeping and 48% reported feeling tired for no apparent reason.

Results also indicated that levels of minor psychiatric symptoms were high at 32%, similar to doctors at 27% and higher than the general population, which has been reported at 18%.

It is obvious from the studies that dentists do encounter numerous sources of professional stress, which can impact negatively on their personal and professional lives. Because of this dentists are prone to professional burnout, anxiety disorders and clinical depression and must be made aware of the importance of maintaining good physical and mental health to enjoy satisfying professional and personal lives.

Anecdotally, health professionals do not seek help for their own stress and personal frailty readily and instead are likely to put on a brave face and pretend they have the situation under control. Many often refuse to seek help for fear they will be stigmatised or lose their job whilst many others remain in denial.

Would it not then be sensible and beneficial to teach dental students and dentists a different way of managing stress and caring for themselves so they would be better equipped to deal with life? What if we could show dentists how to live in a way that supports them to deal with their issues and stresses and thus be able maintain their own health and remain fit and healthy both physically and mentally?

Solving the Dentist Stress Challenge

On a business level it’s important that you have systems and processes and are able to delegate to your team and have a team that is engaged and aligned to your practice values and mission. Sounds like a lot right there. Plus, as well as taking care of the business side of things you must learn to take care of your number one asset – YOU.

Here is a simple common sense approach to health and vitality that encourages you to care for and respect your body. This has worked well for me and many of my clients.

Eat to Support the Body

By assessing how the body reacts to foods (and situations) we can see what is beneficial and what to avoid such as gluten, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol as these can cause stress to the body or may make you feel unwell. It is also a well-known fact that what we eat can affect our mood and wellbeing.

Sleep Quality

Go to bed early after unwinding from your day to support you to get plenty of good quality sleep. Wake when your body feels to, not when the clock or society says you should, which may be earlier than you are used to. Once you establish a healthy sleep pattern you awake less exhausted and full of energy.

Be in Control of Your Choices

Every choice we make affects and contributes to what happens in our life. These choices can either be self-caring and nurturing or not. The body constantly communicates with us about how those choices impact on it. If we override or ignore those messages instead of addressing them then eventually the body will suffer aches and pains, digestive problems, emotional fluctuations, stress, tension etc and illness can result.

Gentle Exercise

Exercise gently to keep the body fit, strong and supple. This assists us to be physically healthy without over-stressing the body, causing muscle tears or injury and producing excess lactic acid build up which can cause pain and stiffness.

Focusing the Mind

The constant chatter of our mind and thinking about other things and situations instead of the task at hand is draining and stressful. It is like a computer trying to run several programs at once, it uses up a lot of energy and drains the batteries. By remaining more present and focusing the mind to what is occurring in each moment we save energy and reduce stress levels. By switching off the incessant brain chatter it is easier to connect to the body and how we feel and thus remain calm.

The Gentle Breath Meditation can help to calm and de-stress the body and provide a moment to stop and reflect on how we are. Being aware of our breath allows us to feel when we are stressed or holding tension. By breathing gently we can slow the heart rate, reduce our blood pressure and let go of tension. By tuning in with our body we can feel where we are tight and holding tension; e.g. if our jaw is clenched, shoulders are up around our ears, our breath is laboured or whether our movements are rigid, tense and rushed or not; and then choose to let that tension go and allow the body to relax.

Seek Support

Sometimes our issues and the pressures that we face are too much for us to handle alone. It is important that we realise that everyone at some point in their life finds it hard to cope and that it is perfectly acceptable to seek support and ask for help.

Self-care is an integral and essential part of having a long and healthy dental career and should be incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum and be offered as part of our continuing professional development education. By equipping people with the tools of self-care that they can carry throughout their career; ill health and the need to use sugar, caffeine and alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms could be reduced and avoided. In this way our health care providers including us dentists would be a living example to those that we are caring for, treating and educating on wellbeing.

About the Author

Dr Rachel Hall, business coach and founder of Ascendancy Business Coaching for Dentists, dentist and practice owner. Rachel’s coaching helps you develop tools and skills for a dental office that is less dependent on you, so you can do what you love and focus on being productive and happy through planning, strategy and systems – “without them you don’t own your business it owns you”.

You can learn more about her by going to one of her websites:

www.ascendancybusinesscoaching.com or https://www.facebook.com/AscendancyBusinessCoaching/

Or you can directly contact her at this email: contact@ascendancybusinesscoaching.com

The Dentist Freedom Blueprint Podcast

By: admin

May 4, 2018

Driving Your Dental Practice to its Highest Level of Success

Episode #162: Debbie Seidel-Bittke – Driving Your Dental Practice to Its Highest Level of Success

Dental Consultant in Oregon | The Ketogenic Diet and Periodontal Disease

By: admin

May 3, 2018

The Ketogenic Diet and Periodontal Disease: Could Eating More Fat Help Reduce Periodontal Disease?

Written by Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS

Inflammation has been found to be associated with just about every health condition. Chronic inflammation is a common thread among many conditions like stroke, cancer, heart disease, obesity, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and depression. So, it would make sense that it is also associated with periodontal disease.

How Inflammation is Associated to Periodontal Disease

For starters, inflammation is right there in the name periodontitis. Itis is defined as a medical condition accompanied by inflammation. Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease initiated by oral microbial biofilm. This distinction implies that it is the host’s response to the biofilm that destroys the periodontium in the pathogenesis of the disease.

Five Signs of Inflammation

Heat
Pain
Redness
Swelling
Loss of Function

The Ketogenic Diet

If it is the host’s response of inflammation that is destroying the periodontium, then maybe we can control this response by following an anti-inflammatory diet. The ketogenic diet is a very effective anti-inflammatory diet.

The Ketogenic diet is known for being a low carb diet, but it is much more than a low carb diet and different than the Atkins Diet. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate protein and low carbohydrate diet.

When following this diet, your body is forced to burn fats rather than carbohydrates for energy. If there are little carbohydrates in the diet, the liver converts fats into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketones replace glucose as an energy source. Food that are high in carbohydrate will cause your body to produce glucose and insulin. Glucose is the easiest molecule for your body to convert and as energy so it chosen first over any other energy source. Insulin is produced to process the glucose in your bloodstream by taking it around the body. When glucose is being used as primary energy, the fats you eat are not needed and are therefore stored around your body.

Ketosis is a natural process that the body uses to survive when food intake is low. Ketosis happens when you have lowered your intake of carbohydrates to the point that your body is forced to use fat as energy. When this happens, ketones are produced from the breakdown of fats in the liver.

Excess carbohydrates are converted into pyruvate, then to acetyl-CoA and then into HMG-CoA. Cholesterol is formed when HMB-CoA is converted into cholesterol by the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Statins lower cholesterol by blocking HMG-CoA reductase.

High carbohydrate diets lead to the overproduction of insulin, and insulin stimulates HMG-CoA reductase. High carbohydrate diets and its associated hyperinsulinemia equals hypercholesterolemia.

Why Ketones Help Reduce Periodontitis

An anti-inflammatory diet works like a natural statin. With the release of ketones in the body, the body is in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a desirable anti-inflammatory state. Ketone bodies reduce oxidative stress, which is very important, because an excess production of free radicals is implicated as a promotor of most chronic inflammatory diseases.

Getting into a State of Ketosis

To get into ketosis, you must eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day. Most carbohydrates should come from non-starchy vegetables, nuts and dairy. Refined carbohydrates, starch and fruit are off limits with the exception of avocados. Berries and star fruit can be eaten in moderation once you have entered ketosis. It is recommended that you take supplements as well.

DO NOT EAT:

Grains- wheat, corn, rice, cereal, etc.
Sugar- honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.
Fruit- oranges, apples, bananas, etc.
Starchy vegetables- potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, etc.

DO EAT:

Meat- beef, chicken, lamb, pork, eggs, etc.
Nuts and seeds- almonds, walnuts, macadamias, sunflower, etc.
High fat dairy- cream, butter, hard cheese, etc.
Leafy greens- kale, spinach, etc.
Avacado
Berries- raspberries, blackberries, other low glycemic berries
Vegetables- above ground such as cauliflower, broccoli, etc.
Fats- coconut oil, loive oil, salad dressing, etc.
Sweetners- stevia, erythritol (try mixing together for a better taste)
Anti-inflammatory supplements- magnesium, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, chromium, ginger, turmeric and garlic

Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS is a dental consultant, coach, speaker, and author for Dental Practice Solutions. Cindy coaches in the areas of front office systems and processes as well as the hygiene department. People love the calm ZEN vibe that comes with Cindy but don’t be surprised at her “Inspiring and Motivating” ability when working with your team! Please contact Cindy for a complimentary Profit Boosting Session:

cindy@dentalpracticesoultions.com or call 949-351-8741 Visit the website for valuable resources and schedule your complimentary session today: https://dentalpracticesolutions.com/

What Most Successful Dentists Are Doing Right

By: admin

April 26, 2018

Written by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Dentists go to dental school to be a clinician. Most dentists do not go to dental school to become a business owner.

Dental schools do not provide much education on business and owning or running a dental office.

The reason why successful dental practices are profitable and have little employee turn-over is because the doctor-owner has qualities of a great leader.

What are the qualities of a great leader?

You can ask to google or Siri this question however, I have put together a list of what I know to be true.

1. Trust

Often the team is intimidated by not only the doctor/owner/DDS/ DMD title but it is possible that the employee has never worked in a professional atmosphere before. It is important to encourage the team to express their opinions and the owner of the dental practice must have patience and a willingness to listen to what the other employees believe, feel or think.

The owner of the dental practice must provide a safe environment where the employees are not afraid to communicate. It is important the doctor is approachable.

2. Decisive

Successful dental practice owners and leaders are expert decision makers. They either facilitate the dialogue to empower their team (employees) to reach a strategic conclusion or they do it

themselves. They focus on “making things happen” at all times – decision making activities that sustain progress and profitability of their dental business. Successful leaders don’t waste their time on issues that disrupt momentum. It is important that business owners can make decisions in 3 mins, 3 days and for big decisions, in less than 3 weeks.

3. Communicate Expectations

All successful leaders will communicate their vision, mission and the culture they expect their employees to live by. Successful leaders are great communicators and it is important that they communicate their expectations about their employee’s performance, what systems and processes they expect to be completed and when these are to be completed.

4. Mindset

The mindset of a successful leader/ dental business owner is one who has a positive attitude. They are open to looking at various systems and processes “Outside the box.” These successful leaders are always looking for areas of improvement not only within themselves but within their business. They have a constant and never-ending commitment for improvement.

5. Accountability

Outside of mentoring their employees to be their very best, a successful dental practice owner will hold others accountable and they will also allow others to hold them accountable. They will also allow the team (their employees) to drive the practice so they can be the expert clinician they set out to be at the beginning of their career. The doctor/leader allows the team to sit in the drives seat.

6. Lead by Example

Successful leaders practice what they preach and are mindful of their actions. They know everyone is watching them and therefore are incredibly intuitive about detecting those who are observing their every move, waiting to detect a performance shortfall

7. Know Their Numbers & Reward Performance

Great leaders always have a strong “pulse” on business. They are looking at end of day reports and they always follow end-of month protocols: looking at where their business numbers are and understanding areas of inefficiency in their business; sooner than later. They also review and check-in with their employee’s performance and are quickly to change a pattern of poor performance and they reward when the practice and employees are successful.

8. Seek Expert Advise

Successful leaders will seek the counsel of an expert when they have questions or believe the business is not functioning at its full capacity. From the outside, successful leaders appear to know-it-all – yet on the inside, they have a deep thirst for knowledge and always are on the look-out for new information because of their commitment to making themselves better through the wisdom of others.

9. Problem Solve

Successful leaders tackle issues head-on and know how to discover the heart of the matter at hand, they don’t procrastinate. They become incredibly proficient at problem solving; they learn from and don’t avoid uncomfortable circumstances; they welcome them. Getting ahead in life is about doing the things that most people don’t like doing.

10. Positive Energy & Attitude

Successful leaders create a positive and inspiring workplace culture. Let’s face it, dentistry can be stressful. It is not a place where patients are excited to be. I have to admit that it can be difficult when we have a lot of estrogen trapped between four walls, 8-10 hours a day. Most weeks we spend more time together with our team members than we do with our family so let’s make it a fun place to be.

These ten things are only a few things that will ultimately allow dentist/leaders and business owners to increase the value of their business brand, while at the same time minimize stress and business failure no matter what the economic climate is.

If you would like to know more about your office having a harmonious atmosphere and/or build your leadership skills to create a higher level of success please contact our office to schedule a complimentary practice boost session. Email: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or call: 949-351-8741.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is a dental consultant, coach, speaker and author. She is also CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Debbie is a world-class leader in creating profitable hygiene departments. She is 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. She can be reached at (888) 816-1511. Send an e-mail to info@dentalpracticesolutions.com or go to her website: https://dentalpracticesolutions.com

Check out the Free 3-Part Hygiene Department Training: http://www.dentalhygiene.solutions

Dental Coaching | A Thief In Your Dental Office. What Will You Do? Are You In Compliance?

By: admin

April 19, 2018

Guest Blog Written by: Shawn M. Lindsay, Esq

Last fall, a small local doctor’s office was robbed. During the lunch hour, while staff members were in the back office, a thief walked into the doctor’s copy room and stole a laptop containing protected health information (PHI). Eight months and $20,000 later, the good doctor narrowly avoided a possible $1.5 million governmental fine.

In the healthcare compliance system, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is both the referee and governing body.

Once the OCR received a report that the doctor’s laptop was stolen, they came marching in to conduct an inquiry. The OCR asked for:

A formal written description of the event;
Evidence of corrective action taken by the doctor’s office;
Documentation of mitigation steps taken;
A copy of the doctor’s policies and procedures to safeguard PHI;
Copies of any risk analyses assessing potential threats and vulnerabilities to the office’s PHI;
Documentation showing the office had implemented security measures sufficient to reduce risks;
Documentation showing the office had implemented a mechanism to encrypt and decrypt electronic PHI;
Confirmation of whether the theft was reported to the OCR’s web portal; and
Many other weighty requests.

Unfortunately, the doctor only had a hand-me-down notice of privacy policies that staffers routinely gave to new patients. That was it. Nothing else. Risk Analysis? Encryption? Mitigation? Security measures? OCR web portal? The doctor had no idea what any of that meant.

Consequently, the doctor had to retain legal counsel and an information security expert to build and implement — retroactively — new policies, procedures and practices that were compliant with HIPAA’s privacy rule, breach notification rule, and security rule. These professionals also assisted the doctor with the careful response and communications to the OCR. Thankfully, the doctor’s retroactive (and very expensive) efforts helped him avoid the fine. The OCR is typically not so lenient. He also narrowly avoided having to notify more than a few thousand patients, which would have been a significant expense and likely embarrassment. The national average for notification and credit monitoring is $214 per patient.

The OCR has very publicly announced that it is picking up its audit program and will begin a new round of audits starting soon. Healthcare professionals need to be prepared by not only understanding, but by meeting privacy, security and breach notification requirements. Pleading ignorance is not a defense when the OCR calls.

The doctor in this account could have completely avoided all the time, expense, and financial risk had he:

Spent a few hours to implement written privacy, security and breach notification policies and procedures; and
Implemented some simple security measures, such as encryption

Every practitioner should recognize the seriousness of compliance and the OCR. As a result, we have prepared and are making available a template of policies and procedures for you to use in your practice. We can also refer you to professionals who will provide tips and actionable items to help you win compliance and protect your practice.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shawn M. Lindsay, Esq., partner at Harris Berne Christensen LLP. Mr. Lindsay is a skilled business and intellectual property attorney. He is also a former member of the Oregon State House of Representatives.

Shawn’s experience includes representing clients in the following areas: software and commercial licensing; establishing, acquiring, transferring, and preserving intellectual property rights; business entity formation and structuring; business transitions and successions; mergers and acquisitions; privacy and security; HIPAA compliance; and government relations. Shawn is one of the few attorneys in Oregon who has passed the International Association of Privacy Professionals’ (“IAPP”) Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (“CIPP/US”) exam.

You can reach Mr. Lindsay at 503-968- 1475 or shawn@hbclawyers.com.

Oregon Dental Consultant | How to Increase New Patient Production

By: admin

April 12, 2018

Written by Cindy Rogers, RDH

A potential new patient calls your office and says that he has a tooth ache and would like to be seen as soon as possible because he is in pain. Excited at the opportunity to fill a hole in your schedule, you gleefully say “we have some time available today to do an exam and x-ray and get you out of pain.” Great, that is all the guy wants, right? Well not exactly.

This patient has to this pain because he has not had comprehensive dental care in a while; maybe even years. His dental care has consisted of seeking relief from toothache to toothache. He would get a toothache, go to the dentist, get out of pain and then repeat the cycle of limited exams, PA’s and limited treatment. He was never offered the option of having a comprehensive exam and full mouth x-rays.

You see, this guy is a general contractor, he does not work in dentistry and does not really know much about it. All he knows it that he is in pain and he needs dentistry to help him get out of it. It is our job to educate him on dentistry and what is best for him. It is also our job as a business to determine what is best for us. This is a win-win opportunity.

Why is a Comprehensive Exam and FMX Best for the Patient?

The patient has an active infection spreading throughout his body and it needs to be treated. Caries and periodontal disease are infectious. If one area is infected then it is likely that others are as well. Bacteria travels throughout the blood stream to vital organs.
The patient is valuable as a person and a patient in your dental practice. They need to get as much treatment completed as possible in one appointment to eliminate returning to your office and leaving their job. A limited exam and Periapical are usually scheduled for 30 minutes in your day. A comprehensive exam is usually scheduled for 60 minutes. The patient will have a diagnosis and treatment plan for his whole mouth in one appointment instead of retuning numerous times.
This patient works hard and wants to get the most out of his insurance and the almighty pocket book. The majority of insurance companies only cover two exams of any type per year, regardless if they are a comprehensive or a limited exam. Most insurance companies will cover preventative services at 100%. To the patient, with insurance, there is no difference in cost for a comprehensive or a limited exam. They will get the most savings and a valuable benefit by having insurance pay for a comprehensive exam and Full mouth x-rays.

Why is this best for the Practice?

True, you could possibly add a little bonus in production by doing emergency treatment. Let’s take a look at the bigger production picture. Here is a possible scenario of the opportunity to increase production.

Scheduled Time	30 minutes	60 minutes
Production	$150	$300
Patient Cost	$0	$0
Possible Treatment Plan	$500	$5000

By doubling the initial appointment time, you will at least double the production. You will also be able to present him with a “whole mouth comprehensive treatment plan.” The patient will be so impressed that you took the extra time with them that they will refer their friends and family to your dental office.

What to Say to the Patient During the Initial Phone Call

Dental Office: “Mr. South, I understand that you have a toothache and it is our priority to get you out of pain. Let me explain how we can do that and prevent you from suffering again in a few months, all while saving you time and money. How does that sound?”

“Mr. South, I understand you are trying to save money by only fixing one tooth at a time. Let me explain why this is actually costing you more money and keeping you from using the insurance benefit that you pay for.”

“Mr. South, did you know that cavities are contagious? We are concerned that if we only fix the one tooth, that many others in your mouth are still infected and will be causing you pain in the near future. Let me explain how we can help prevent this from happening.”

Getting the patient out of pain is indeed a priority, but, let’s not forget about the big picture. The big picture for him and for your practice.

Your Goal: No more pain for the patient and in return you have a patient for life in your dental practice.

Dental Consulting | 5 Simple Steps to Implementing a Successful Oral Cancer Screening Protocol

By: admin

April 5, 2018

Dental Advisor

Written by: Kelly Kunkel, Director of Strategic Development at Forward Science

April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month and we have asked Forward Science to write a guest blog and share this important message. Thank you to Forward Science and Kelly Kunkel for your contribution to our guest blog series this month.

Educate your patients & community about oral cancer

The stereotypical demographic has changed from years past. While the traditional risk factors (smoking, drinking, family history, etc.) still apply, the fastest growing demographic of new oral cancer cases is younger patients without any of the traditional risk factors. Patients need to be aware and understand that everyone is at risk and should be screened annually for oral cancer. This is our industry’s cancer and we need to educate and make a difference in our communities. Forward Science works with each of our clients to help you spread the word and differentiate your practice.

Use adjunctive screening technology

Did you know that 69% of oral cancers are found in their later stages? Fluorescence technology for early discovery of this growing epidemic has continued to evolve and allows you to identify abnormalities such as oral cancer, pre-cancer and other abnormal lesions at an earlier stage, thus saving lives. Adjunctive devices that incorporate this proven technology have been simplified and made to be cost-efficient. With devices like OralID that allow clinicians to use the latest technology with no cost per patient, oral cancer screening has become a no-brainer.

Make sure EVERYONE on your team is trained

Like anything else you implement into your practice, training is key. Everyone in your practice, from front office to back, needs to be 100% comfortable talking to patients about the current statistics and why everyone needs to be screened, how the technology works, how to present the screening to the patient and do so with passion! If you’re going to talk the talk, you need to walk

To Charge or not to charge

Enhanced oral cancer screening is a service you provide, and it is perfectly acceptable to expect an increase in revenue in return for the service. How to charge for enhanced oral cancer screening can vary from office to office and can increase your revenue significantly if you choose. When you are thinking about whether “to charge or not to charge,” remember that there is no right or wrong answer. By making the simple choice to incorporate this technology into your practice, you could be making a life-changing decision for your patients.

Testing

If during the screening an abnormal area is found, the typical protocol is to schedule the patient back for a follow up in approximately 2 weeks. If the lesion is still present and continues exhibit a loss of fluorescence, we will then move to the next step of the protocol; diagnostic testing. CytID is a simple and non-invasive test that will give a diagnostic result read by a pathologist on what is happening on a cellular level. CytID liquid based cytology is used “when you need to know more”, and is not a replacement for the standard of care biopsy. This will help you gain more information regarding the lesion, so we can have a more informed plan of action. In the common occurrence that the results come back normal, the patient’s mind will be at ease, but you as the clinician can also rest assured that you provided the best quality care.

Guest Blog Author

Kelly Kunkel is the Director of Strategic Development of Forward Science LLC. Forward

Science is a medical device company founded on advancing oral healthcare through early discovery (OralID), diagnostics (CytID, PathID, hpvID, phID), and treatment options (SalivaMAX & SalivaCAINE). Utilizing her 20 years of dental sales, marketing and practice management experience, Kelly continues to grow the Forward Science user base and develop strategic partnerships while revolutionizing the way dentists screen for oral cancer. You can contact Kelly at Forward Science: Email: kkunkel@forwardscience.com or Call: 480.734.3914. Website: www.ForwardScience.com

Dentistry: Get a Grip On Your Business and Grow Your Practice

By: admin

March 23, 2018

Date:

Fri, September 21, 2018

Presented by: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS, CEO of Dental Practice Solutions

Presenting Sponsor: Doug Fettig, CPA, MBA at Aldrich CPAs + Advisors LLP

6 CE Credit Hours – Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Snack – Lots of Fun Learning!

Location:

Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Airport

7900 Northeast 82nd Avenue

Portland, OR 97220

Time:

Fri, September 21, 2018

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM PD

Schedule:

Breakfast & Check-In – 8:00 AM to 9:00 M

Morning Session – 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Lunch – 12:00 PM to 1:15 PM

Afternoon Session – 1:15 PM to 4:15 PM

Closing Remarks & Questions – 4:15 PM to 4:30 PM

Click here to register

Dental Consultant in Oregon | Converting Leads into Patients

By: admin

March 22, 2018

Marketing is an essential part of attracting new business. Strong print and internet marketing materials can help introduce your practice to potential new patients. Glowing reviews and testimonials tell people that you have a trustworthy team and offer quality care. However, even the best marketing efforts won’t contribute anything to your business if you fail to convert leads into patients. There are a variety of reasons outside of your control that might stop someone from scheduling an appointment at your practice, but it’s important to make sure you do all you can to help motivate people to seek treatment with you. Below are some tips to help your team more effectively sell the value of your service to potential new patients.

Be responsive and available. As a dental professional, you know what it’s like to be busy. Often, your patients have busy lives of their own. Make sure your team is available to take calls as they come and try to offer flexible appointment times to help people work within their limited free time.

Don’t be too pushy. While it’s helpful to be clear about all the treatments offered at your practice, patients are often turned off by overly “salesy” approaches. Take the time to get to know a patient and their needs, goals, and budget before trying to sell them on dental solutions. This will make them feel valued and understood, increasing the likelihood of treatment plan acceptance.

Offer a friendly and welcoming environment. There are a number of people who absolutely dread going to the dentist. Because of that, some potential patients may already have a negative feeling towards you and your team despite no fault of your own. Work to overcome this discomfort quickly by offering a personable and kind environment. Make sure your team greets patients by name and gets to know a bit about them. A little can go a long way.

Don’t lose track of people. Repetition is one of the easiest techniques for cementing something into memory. If a potential new patient contacts your office, be sure to follow up if you don’t hear from them again. You never know the reason they didn’t call back, so taking that step for them can offer a second chance to make a connection and help your practice stand out more in their mind.

Many dentists find it difficult to think about their practice as a business. It is likely that you chose dentistry due to a passion for service and healing, not bookkeeping or sales. Yet nearly any successful retailer will say that the only way to gain business is to give customers what they want, when they want it. Contact us for more strategies on boosting new patient numbers and patient retention!

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

Check out the Free 3-Part Hygiene Department Training: http://www.dentalhygiene.solutions