As a dentist, your e-mail is probably bombarded every day with various online marketing pitches. Everything from web design to e-mail marketing and copywriting—you name it, it’s there.
However, did you notice that neither of these sales letters tells you the most important thing, which is what your return on investment (ROI) will be, or how much money you can make if you invest in their services? They don’t, because in most cases, this is difficult to calculate. These online-marketing firms are not willing to go for such a commitment, and even if they do, the ROI doesn’t look that good.
On the other hand, there are services like search engine optimization (SEO), which delivers quite predictable results, and we can easily tell what your potential is if you invest in that. Furthermore, SEO is a long-term strategy. This means the ROI doesn’t fluctuate month by month. In fact, most of the time, the ROI increases every other month, even if you put the campaign on hold.
This is exactly what we’re going to teach you here. We’re here to help you form an easy way to estimate how much money you could make as a dentist practitioner if you invest in an SEO service.
Click the link below to read more on how you can estimate your ROI from search engine optimization.
One of the big controversies working with dental hygienists is “When do we begin screening for gum disease?
It is a common question and each office we work with has a different answer.
What is the correct answer to this question?
In 2011, the American Academy of Periodontology published the Comprehensive Periodontal Therapy Statement, which recommends that all adults receive an annual comprehensive evaluation of their periodontal health.
The periodontal exam begins for all adults.
Who is considered an adult?
As a former dental assistant and then clinical dental hygienist, I have learned from experience, over years seeing teens and watching them grow to be mature adults, that periodontal disease begins at a very young age.
The description of adult for a dental patient begins when the patient has all twenty-eight of their adult dentition. This is the best time to begin screening for gum disease.
The conversation about gum health should begin with a patient at a very young age. You may notice that during orthodontic treatment, young patients have gingivitis. This is a great time to begin treatment for gingivitis and this conversation about the benefits of oral health.
Start educating your patients about gum health at a young age.
As dental professionals, our goal needs to be not only optimal oral health but optimal health. We are in a great position to help our patients understand that a healthy mouth can lead to a longer and healthier life. This needs to be our overarching message as a dental healthcare provider.
What does a periodontal comprehensive exam include?
The American Academy of Periodontology has a checklist that you can download. You can download this checklist here.
Your periodontal exam will begin with an overview of the patients’ total health. This will include recent surgeries, medications; herbs are included with medications because some herbs will cause more bleeding.
Hereis a list of medications and herbs that may cause more bleeding then expected during a hygiene appointment or dental procedure.
What do we say when the CPE is not a good report for the patient?
It is very helpful when the clinician providing the CPE explains what is happening before they lie the patient back in the chair.
Next week I will walk you through the process on exactly what you should say before you begin the screening.
If you can explain what you are about to do for example, “I am going to use this ruler to take some measurements and these numbers mean X, Y & Z. When I am finished calling out these numbers, I will ask you “What is the highest and what is the lowest number you hear me call?”
When you explain this to your patients before you begin your screening, you will notice that patients tell you they have disease before you ask them what numbers they heard called out.
Your message
In conclusion, our goal is to help our patients live a longer and heathier life. When your patient has gingivitis, periodontitis or any type of infection in their mouth, it is a chance to sit with your patient and talk about the mouth-body connection.
We are in the business of helping people live a longer and healthier life.
When this is your message, you will have patients who schedule and pay for treatment. When this is your message you will have a dental practice of patients who return for routine care. This message shows how much you really care!
For more information about treating the patient with gingivitis and/or periodontitis downloadour free resource with a Hygiene Patient Flow Chart.
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
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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.
A CRUCIAL ELEMENT of every successful dental practice is your culture.
What type of patients do you want to serve?
How do you want your patients to feel when they are in your office?
One of the first tasks we have our clients complete is to write down the type of culture they want for their dental office. We have a short template the doctors fill in the blanks, so we can “nail” their delivery of culture. We want to help our clients attract and retain their best patients. It also helps enjoy your day when your schedule is filled with patients who enjoy you and you enjoy having them in your chair.
The next step we take with our clients is to support the doctor; our client, to attract their ideal patient. What the office culture represents must be a part of everything the patients see, feel, hear, etc., etc. This must appeal to all of your patients’ senses. This feeling is the real reason why your patients will choose to return to your office.
Patients don’t truly know how great your clinical skills are. All they know is if you made them feel good or bad. And yes, they will remember if you hurt them.
If you want to be a family friendly office, how does your practice reflect this message?
If you want your office to feel like the Ritz Carlton, how do you deliver this message to your patients?
Make Your Culture Delivery A Priority for Your Practice
Many of our clients want to have a family friendly office and if this sounds like an example of what you want in your dental office here are a few suggestions to make your office feel family friendly.
You can also take these suggestions and tweak them to match your office culture:
1. Show off your family by inviting your employees to have pictures of their family around the office.
One of the doctors I worked for many years ago wanted to have a family friendly office. He also enjoyed photography. You can probably imagine what I am going to tell you about this doctor’s office. Yes, you guessed it! This doctor had a lot of beautiful pictures of his family throughout the walls of his office.
2. Make sure you invite the employees to have pictures of their family around the office. For example, in their operatory invite your employees to have pictures of their family, their pets, etc.
3. What type of reading materials do you have in your reception area?
Make sure you have family friendly reading materials for family members of every age.
4. What is playing on your tv if you have one in your reception area and in the operatories?
Make the viewing on your electronics: tv and music, family friendly. No obscenities or inappropriate language in the lyrics or messages/pictures on your TVs.
5. What are you giving patients as a “thank you for choosing our office?”
If this is a child or teenager, what do you hand out to them as a thank you? It is not only the parent you want to provide a “wow” experience for but the child or adolescent as well.
6. Be sure your schedule is blocked for those smaller children who need an early morning appointment and for school-aged children who need afterschool appointments.
We’re Here for You and Your Team!
We’re committed to providing you with almost everything you need to achieve your practice goals, whether you’re working to create a family-friendly environment for your patients or maybe you want to upgrade your hygiene department. If you have any questions about what more you could do in your practice, let us know in the comments below!
If we don’t provide something you need for success, we can direct you to the best expert.
We are here to serve you. Our team is growing so we can cover more of what your practice needs to be successful. Just ask us how we can support you and your dental practice. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Thank you for placing your trust in hiring us!
About the Author: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS
CEO: Dental Practice Solutions DENTISTRY TODAY considers Debbie a top dental consultant for the past 18 yrs.
The focus of Dental Practice Solutions is to create healthier, longer lives for your patients while supporting the practice to optimize their hygiene department. The team at Dental Practice Solutions, takes an integrative approach with your team to create an increase in your production and collections without working harder.
When you continue to use the systems implemented, your dental practice will sustain growth for years to come.
Schedule a no-cost profit boosting call today and discover how you can be your best in 2018: Email to schedule a call with Debbie: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or Call our office to schedule this today: 949-351-8741.
There have been many cases when patients who need certain expensive cosmetic or restorative dental procedures, cringe at the exorbitant cost and often forgo the expensive treatment completely.
It would seem that dentists are quick to recommend costly dental treatments with little or no regard to how their patients are going to pay for the costs.
The dentist is in a unique position to advise their patient on the best and most affordable dental care ensuring their patient is happy and financially comfortable.
How can your dental practice achieve this and keep or even grow your patient base?
Once a dental diagnosis has been made, use this time to educate the patient on the proposed procedure. The end goal should always be helping patients achieve and maintain their best oral health.
The patient should understand the benefits of the treatment plan and be able to make an informed decision, as opposed to opting out of the treatment because of what they believe is a high cost of dentistry.
The benefits you outline should focus on how the treatment will improve their overall health, comfort and appearance. This will help the patient make an educated choice based on your professional advice.
The patient may fully understand the benefits but still think the treatment is too pricey and not justified, but at least the patient sees you as being upfront and honest. This contributes to building your good reputation.
Be honest about the cost of the proposed treatment plan. This should also include all the dental appointments required and the length of time it takes to complete the treatment.
Being candid from the beginning is important in building a strong relationship, great rapport, between the dentist and patient, based on trust and honesty.
If you are able to offer an alternative treatment plan that takes less time or is less costly, be sure to offer it to your patient. This will leave the patient feeling like you have their best interests at heart rather than just making a quick buck!
It is a good idea to give your patient a written estimate of the treatment plan.
This shows that you are transparent about the costs and are willing to stick to the plan and the fees you’ve discussed; provided there are no “surprises” (aka: changes), during the treatment in the form of unexpected additional costs. Ensure the patient understands that “changes” to a treatment plan are possible.
The patient will also have a record for future reference during or after their treatment.
Some points to include in your written price estimate:
The treatment proposed with the time it will take to complete from start to finish. Ensure that you include a provision that complications may arise due to unforeseen circumstances- this may impact the length of time of the treatment and even the costs.
A breakdown of the fees as discussed with the patient at the initial consultation. This should clearly show what portion is covered by the patient’s dental/medical insurance and a fee the patient will have to cover “out-of-pocket.”
Outline any payment options your dental practice offers. Does your office offer a special patient discount plan? Be clear on the amount that needs to be paid upfront before treatment begins, if there is any.
Explain your dental practice’s billing options- whether you have convenient online payment options or how often invoices are sent out- either via email or postage. This will improve patient payment compliance. Who needs an inconvenience when trying to pay a bill?!
Clarify how any amounts that are in arrears are dealt with. It is expected that some patients will not be able to pay their bills on time. This gives the patient options without impacting the reputation of your dental practice.
When you make an effort to connect with the patient you are able to explore all the available alternatives for his dental treatment but within his budgetary constraints. This builds a strong relationship between the dentist and patient.
A happy patient is one who returns to your practice for all future dental care, brings the whole family and recommends you to friends thus, growing your patient base.
Author bio:
Dr. Nabil Mockbil received his DDS in 2001 from Umea University in Sweden, regarded as having the best dentist programme in Sweden for undergraduates. He’s now the founder of Swedish Dental Clinic in Dubai
Contact your highly trained and experienced dentist
How many times have you heard a patient say: “I hate the dentist.”? Well, they don’t actually mean they hate the dentist. More than likely they have dental anxiety. It has been estimated that 9% to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of anxiety and fear.
Fear of the drill, fear of the needle, fear of the cost, fear of the white coat, fear of small spaces, fear of being lectured, fear of bad past experiences, and fear of being embarrassed. These are all fears that can bring on anxiety about going to see a dentist.
There are many options we can offer our patients to help them conquer their anxiety. Some options are: listening to headphones, taking anti-anxiety medication, breathing exercises, etc. One option you may not have heard about is Emotional Freedom Technique, commonly referred to as tapping.
What is Emotional Freedom Technique (Tapping)?
Emotional Freedom Technique, often referred to as tapping, is a form of psychological acupressure that is meant to help your body focus on healing its self. It has been shown to help relieve a wide range of emotional and physical issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, pain and trauma. It can be done anywhere and anytime without any tools, needles or side effects, which makes it very convenient.
Think of it as a form of acupuncture where you use your fingers instead of needles. Using your fingertips to tap on your energy meridians using a sequence which helps release blockages within your energy system.
The Three Parts to Tapping
Part One: The Setup Statement- Have the patient focus on their feelings of anxiety. They should come up with a statement that addresses that anxiety. The more specific they are with the statement, the better. An example is: “Even though I have dental anxiety, I love and accept myself.”
Part Two: The Reminder phase – The reminder phrase should be a very short version of your setup statement that states the issue. An example is: “This dental anxiety” The reminder phrase will be used as they continue through the tapping sequence.
Part Three: The Sequence- Start by having your patient rate their anxiety on a scale of 1-10. Then have them start the sequence by repeating the setup statement three times aloud, while tapping on their first meridian point, the karate chop. Next, have them tap 7-9 times on the reminding eight points in order listed below. As they are tapping on the eight remaining points, have them repeat the reminder phase.
The Nine Meridian Points Used for Tapping
www.TheTappingSolution.Com
Karate Chop – Located on the fleshy, outside part of the hand between the top of the wrist and the bottom of the pinkie finger
Eyebrow – Located just above the nose where the eyebrow starts, slightly to the side.
Corner of the Eye– Located on the bone alongside the corner of the eye.
Under the Eye – Located an inch under the pupil.
Below the Nose– Located in the area between your nose and upper lip.
Under the Mouth – Located below your bottom lip and above your chin.
Collar Bone – Located where your collarbone and first rib meet.To find it, locate the U-shaped indentation at the top at the bottom of your throat (then move down 1 inch and to the side 1 inch.
Under the Arm – Located about 4 inches below the armpit.
Top of the Head- Located on the top of your skull in the middle of your head.
After they have completed the tapping sequence, have them take a deep breath and concentrate on how they are feeling. Now have them rate their anxiety again on a scale of 1-10. They should feel a sense of relief, but they may want to repeat the sequence for even better results.
Once your patient has perfected this sequence, they can perform this any time during their dental appointment to help ease their anxiety.
We now have several resources to offer our patients when it comes to dental anxiety. Tapping might be the best option as it is proven to be highly effective and does not require any equipment or medication. The patient is totally in control of the tapping and this helps ease their fear and anxiety even more.
Cindy Rogers, RDH, 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 the website for valuable resources and schedule your complimentary Profit Boosting Session today. Check out more information on our website: https://dentalpracticesolutions.com/
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.
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.
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/
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
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
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
DENTISTRY TODAY considers Debbie a top dental consultant for the past 18 yrs.
Dr. Nabil Mockbil received his DDS in 2001 from Umea University in Sweden, regarded as having the best dentist programme in Sweden for undergraduates. He’s now the founder of Swedish Dental Clinic in Dubai
Cindy Rogers, RDH, 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:
