Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions

Stop Treating Your Schedule Like a Video Game; How to quit messing around and schedule your day for success

By: admin

August 21, 2018

Written by: Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS, OMT, Lead Hygiene and Business Coach.

I admit that while I was a scheduling coordinator, I was treating the schedule as if it were a video game. I would squish and stretch appointments to make them into pretty colored boxes that all fit nice and tightly together. I thought to create a productive day meant to have all the blocks filled in

It did not occur to me that these pretty little boxes basically controlled how the clinical teams’ day would run. Yes, they did often come up and kindly tell me to stop treating the schedule like a video game. I was told that they needed more time for this or that and that they could not possibly do a root canal at the same time as an extraction. I did not really understand what they meant. All I knew is that my pretty boxes needed to match up and their demands were messing that up.

After being reminded a few hundred times and working with some great consultants, I got better at this, but still did not truly understand why my boxes couldn’t just fit together nicely.

Now that I am a hygienist, I totally understand and often apologize to my previous team for all of the agony I must have caused them. I figure the reason they supported my transition into hygiene was so that I would get my payback.

Five main points to consider when planning your day

I would like to now share five points to consider when planning your day. These steps will help make your day successful both in production and in keeping your team mates on your side:

How much time does each procedure require?

Make a list of how much time each doctor needs for treatment procedures. (i.e., 60 minutes for one crown, 90 minutes for two)

What hygiene visits do NOT require an exam?

Typically, gum treatment appointments do not always require an exam. This is where you will be matching up time for the doctor to perform procedures that are hard to break away from.

What time of day do the providers prefer to perform longer procedures?

Let’s face it, some of us are morning people, and some of us aren’t. Why not do your patients a favor and find out.

What is a good time to save for new and emergency patients?

You should have time set aside for emergencies and new patients. You want to be able to offer these patients an opportunity to come in within 72 hours of them calling. Often, offices will block out time right before lunch. This way they have time to perform palliative treatment if needed, and a longer lunch if not.

What is your daily production goal for each provider?

Each provider should have a daily production goal. When you mix and match these procedures during the day, they should add up to reach this goal.

Now you want to match up the hygiene appointments that do not require an exam with the longer treatment appointments. These will be your rocks for the day and time where the providers can work uninterrupted.

Next, schedule treatment such as composites, and preventative hygiene. These will be your pebbles. After the foundation of rocks and pebbles are set in place, you can sprinkle some sand around them. Sand will be your crown seats, limited exams, and hygiene re-evaluations.

Each day should be balanced this way to assure your goals are met and that you are not running around crazy seating crowns and doing limited exams one day and sitting for 8 hours straight the next. Everyone on your team will be much happier and more productive. Remember that the daily schedule is your plan for the day. If you plan poorly, chances are your day will run poorly.

Written By: Coach Cindy Rogers, RDH

For many years Cindy has been an integral part of successfully building dental practices from the group up. Cindy is known for creating a harmonious work environment where the whole team looks forward to coming to work every day. The result of this has been massive growth for the practice.

Her passion is to share her success and knowledge with other practices so that they can experience a great team working environment while watching their profitably explode. What you will experience with coaching by Cindy, is somebody that can bring your team together to create your ultimate dental practice, and the ultimate patient experience.

It is through her years of experience in the dental field and the methodologies of Dental Practice Solutions that Cindy creates the next level of success for each dental practice she touches

When not focusing of dentistry, Cindy spend her time with her family exploring the outdoors in beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Contact Cindy: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com

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

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.

Dental Consultant in Clackamas | Give your dental marketing a boost in 2018

By: admin

February 14, 2018

Guest Blog By: Mandy Fischer of LocalMed.

Was one of your New Year resolutions for 2018 to improve your marketing strategy and bring in record numbers of new patients?

If it was, but you’re not entirely sure where to begin – we have some suggestions for you! These 5 action points can help you decide where to focus your time and effort this year in order to take your marketing to the next level.

Take advantage of peer-sharing groups.

If you’re looking for a sure-fire way to expand your marketing toolkit this year that requires nothing but your time and effort, check out and get involved in the groups that already exist for your benefit on social media.

There are dozens of groups and forums out there where dentists, office managers, consultants and marketing professionals are discussing best practices, what works and what doesn’t. Make it your mission to find at least one group that you can contribute and ask questions in this year!

2. Audit your digital presence.

Google yourself, and check out the first few pages of results. Make sure that your practice’s name, phone number, address, email address, web address and doctor’s name are all correct on every listing. If it isn’t – make a note of it, and fix it ASAP. If there’s differing information, you’re doing significant harm to your brand and likely losing potential patients.

Your digital presence is there to build trust with potential patients, and if you’re providing conflicting information, they’re just going to choose a different dentist.

3. Be strategically social with your patients.

Take a critical look at your social media strategy. Are your posts engaging people, or is nobody looking? Make it your mission to post relevant, fun, personable information that will make people WANT to come to your office! One of your most valuable assets is your branding – and that includes your social voice!

Post authentic photos of you and your staff having fun in the office, or happy patients (make sure to comply with HIPAA law) – and stay away from posting anything clinical that will scare away patients (i.e. a before and after of teeth whitening is fine, but a patient being prepped for implants is not!).

Diagnose your overall brand health.

Your brand includes your visual assets, your brand voice and your customer experience. Evaluate your office’s current efforts, and come up with a specific plan for improvement.

Some questions you can ask to diagnose how you’re doing:

What are your reviews saying? Do you have any reviews? Are they old or negative?
What is your social media interaction like? Is your social brand voice unique and engaging?
What’syour marketing materials look like? Do you have a library of mismatched assets that could be attributed to any dental practice? Do you have a brand guide that establishes standard fonts, colors and voice?
What are the common complaints or comments patients have made in regards to your calls, procedures or marketing? Ask your staff. What can you do to make their experience even better!

Close the loop on your marketing.

In addition to the tasks above, make sure you have a comprehensive marketing strategy in place. Facebook ads, direct mailers, referrals and ground marketing are all great ways of getting the word about your practice out.

But how do you convert leads into patients? If it’s by phone call only, or an “online request”, it’s time to upgrade to a better system.

Real-time online scheduling is the missing piece that closes the loop on your patient acquisition process. Enable patients to schedule an appointment with your office from wherever they find you, like your website, Google, Facebook, HealthGrades, Yelp, etc.

By giving patients the option of booking their appointment on the their own time, you can significantly increase your conversion rate on your current marketing efforts, meaning more patients in your door without needing to add any additional marketing strategies.

AUTHOR: Mandy Fischer
Marketing Coordinator for Local Med

Thank you to our guest blogger this month! We had a wonderful response a few months ago when Mandy wrote for us. We appreciate LocalMed and all they do to get patients scheduled even when you are not there to answer the phone call.

Clackamas Dental Consultant | 4 Tips for More Productive Employees

By: admin

January 23, 2018

Research has shown time and again that happiness plays a large role in the productivity of employees. For example, a study conducted by Google saw a 37% increase in productivity as a result of initiatives focused on improving employee morale. Financial incentives alone are often not enough to boost employee performance, as our brains are hardwired to respond to positivity.

Here are 5 simple tips you can follow to help improve happiness in your team. For more solutions for running a more productive practice, contact our firm today!

Give recognition where it’s due. Employees that feel valued are more likely feel happy about their work. Take time to recognize positive contributions of the team. Not only will this make the recognized employee feel proud of their work, it can also incentivize others to work harder to achieve the same praise.
Get them invested. It’s most likely the case that financial gain was not your sole reason for starting your business. Maybe you’ve had a lifelong passion for helping others. Maybe you’ve always been fascinated with the science of dentistry. Whatever those reasons were, share them with your team! Knowing that they’re contributing to something bigger can help employees take pride in the work they do, no matter their role.
Set clearer goals. When your employees don’t have a clear expectation of their role, it can be difficult for them to recognize whether or not they are performing well and lead to increased stress about their work. By setting clearer expectations of your employees and goals for your business as a whole, your employees will have a standard to judge their work against, and therefore be able to feel better about good performance.
Promote from within when possible. A common concern of employees is a fear that they won’t be able to grow in their current jobs. By establishing a culture of development and promotion from within the company, you’re clearly communicating to your employees that you want them to see your office as a long-term home, not just another job.

Studies indicate that US companies lose about $500 billion annually due to loss of productivity caused by unhappiness at work. Don’t let your team be a part of this problem. If you’re looking for additional strategies for running a happier, more productive office, contact our firm today!

Dental Consultant | Don’t Discredit Your Value

By: admin

January 2, 2018

Many people may not recognize the value that their dental provider brings to their lives. From the improved confidence that comes with a straighter, brighter smile to the life-saving benefits of regular dental care, you have the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of your patients. Finding ways to help patients recognize the value you offer will also help them recognize the importance of dental care and can turn your patients into raving fans. Below are some tips that can help patients better understand your value.

Build awareness of the dental solutions you offer.
Often, the reason patients fail to seek treatment from their dentist is simply a lack of information about available options. For example, if they don’t know you treat sleep apnea, they’ll never think to ask you about it. Make it easier for patients to learn about your offered services. Whether you do this through your website, printed materials, or simply by talking to them, this will be the most effective first step in opening the door to growth.

Be proud of your credentials.
People often fail to realize just how much work goes into becoming a dentist. From undergrad and dental school to continuing education, you should showcase your expertise. You can do this by hanging your diploma on the wall or by posting videos online about continuing education.

Build a connection.
Get to know your patients and what’s going on in their lives. This will show that you don’t just see them as another mouth to treat. These relationships will make your practice stand out in your patients’ minds and keep them coming back with referrals.

If you are having trouble maintaining patients or have low new patient numbers, an undervaluing of your service could be the problem. A simple way to begin resolving this is through building relationships with your patients and clearly explaining the expertise and solutions you offer.

For more guidance on how to share your value with current and potential patients, contact us today!

HOW TO SPOT AN OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL DISORDER DURING THE HYGIENE VISIT; Five signs to look for that could change a life

By: admin

December 13, 2017

Have you noticed that some patients tend to have more lunch stuck on their teeth then others?

You know the patient that comes in and apologizes for eating on the way to her appointment. You tell her that it is fine, that you are just glad she had lunch. When she opens her mouth, you are shocked. It appears that the entire bagel is still in her mouth, smashed up against her teeth. How is that possible?

Then there is the 60-year old man that instantly falls asleep when you lean the chair back and starts snoring just as you are going to give him an injection. How about the cute little six-year old girl that has a speech impediment, or the five-year old boy with an overjet and long skinny face with dark circles under his eyes.

You may have thought that the lady with the bagel mouth was just not kind enough to clean up before her appointment, and left you to do it for her. Well, it is very likely that she has an ankylosed tongue that does not allow her tongue to reach up high enough to clean food debris off of her teeth.

It may be obvious to you right away that the 60-year old man is suffering from sleep apnea, but did you know that is could be due to his tongue not being able to reach up to the roof of his mouth. It is literally blocking his airway at night because it rests on the floor of this mouth.

That cute little six-year old girl hasn’t been able to develop proper speech patterns due to a tongue thrust. And you got it, the five-year old boy is a thumb sucker. These are all signs of an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD).

HOW TO SCREEN FOR OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL DISORDERS

Dentists and hygienists are in a prime position to screen for Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders. There are several signs we can screen for to determine if the patient may have a disorder and benefit from seeing a trained therapist. The following are some of the most commons signs:

Upper or Lower Lip Frenum Restriction

Jaw Pain or Clicking/Popping

Mouth Breathing

Sleep Apnea

Snoring

Ankyloglossia (tongue tie)

Forward Head Posture

Neck Pain

Enlarged Tonsils/Adenoids

Acid Reflex

Narrow Palate or Crooked Teeth

ADHD

If you are new to learning about OMT, keep it simple by starting with these five signs and symptoms:

Ankyloglossia

Commonly referred to as “tongue-tie” occurs when the lingual frenulum is too short to allow for normal tongue movements. Best if done with the patient in an upright position. Have the patient open wide and lift his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Determine is he is able to reach his tongue up to his incisive papilla easily or if he struggles. Then have him stick his tongue straight out, if the tip appears heart shaped, this is a sign that he is tongue tied. The heart shape apex happens when the frenum is short and pulls down the center of the tongue.

Low tongue rest posture

Think mouth breather. When nasal breathing is impaired, the jaw drops and the tongue rests low and forward in the mouth in order to open the airway for breathing. It may be that nasal breathing is not impaired, but mouth breathing has become a habit. Watch for your patients resting position. Is the mouth open? Is he breathing out of his mouth or nose?

Tongue Thrust

Tongue thrust is in which the anterior surface of the tongue makes repeated contact with any of the anterior teeth, or protrudes between the arches. Have the patient swallow for you while you are holding his bottom lip. If he has a tongue thrust he may have a very hard time swallowing. He may need to pull the lower lip out of your hand in order to complete the swallow. In a healthy swallow, the tongue rests in the palate, the teeth come together, and then the person swallows. The facial muscle should not move, so any lip puckering or licking of the lips before swallowing should be warning signs of tongue thrust. Another sign will be an anterior open bite.

Sleep Apnea

When you place a patient in the supine position and he immediately falls asleep and starts to snore, this is a sign that he may have sleep apnea or other conditions keeping him up at night. Luckily for us trying to get work done, this does not happen very often. In most cases you will need to question the patient. You will often get the response of “my wife tells me I snore, but I don’t know”. If nothing else, this is an opportunity for them to become mindful of possible snoring and to question their spouse or use a sleeping app to record their sleeping patterns and sounds. Referring the patient to have a sleep study or consult with his medical doctor is a good place to start.

Digit Sucking

Although there are adults that suck their thumb, odds are that most of your thumb sucking patients will be children. It may be an easy screening if you see the child suck his thumb, but often they will not do it in public and you will have to look for signs and question the parents. Look for an anterior open bite and a swollen nub on the patients thumb or fingers. One reason a child may suck his thumb at night is to help open his airway so he can breathe. If he has a tongue tie he may be using a digit to press the tongue down out of the way. Resting the tongue on the incisive papilla area is also soothing and if his habit is hold the tongue down, he is missing out on this natural soothing technique. OMT specialists have ways to help break the child of this habit and can help with underlying causes.

WHAT IS OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is the neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles. It is the establishment of correct functional activities of the tongue, lips and jaw, so that normal growth and development may progress in a stable, homeostatic environment. OMT specialists obtain training in this field in order to work with patients to correct disorders that are affecting their well-being. Think physical therapy for the mouth.

HOW TO BECOME A TRAINED OROLFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists include dentists, dental hygienists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists. Although OMT may be in the scope of our license, further training is required in order to properly treat patients. Training opportunities for those interested in learning more about Myofunctional Therapy include private mentoring from a current Myofunctional Therapist, courses through academies or associations, or information learned within the educational curriculum.

CONCLUSION

Proper treatment of OMD’s require a collaboration of dental and medical professionals. By being aware of the signs for these disorders, you are able to provide a screening for potential issues and refer them to seek treatment with a trained OMT. When you become aware of OMD’s you will start to see them everywhere- maybe even in the mirror.

References:

International Association of Orofacial Myology- www.iaom.com

Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy- www.aomtinfo.org

Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences- www.aamsinfo.org

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association- www.asha.org

Cindy Rogers, RDH, BS, OMT is the lead hygiene advisor for Dental Practice Solutions. She started in dentistry as the front desk girl in 1998, and has since been a business leader, dental hygienist, writer and untiring advocate of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy.

The Dental Hygienists Role in Keeping Doctor’s Schedule Full

By: admin

December 6, 2017

Every success schedule in the dental office begins with a strategy. Without a strategic plan, you are not able to meet the financial goals to keep your dental practice surviving.

The best plan is to not survive, but thrive.

What is the dental hygienist’s role in keeping doctor’s schedule full?

1^st Step to Doctor’s Success Schedule

The first step for hygienists to help keep doctors schedule full is to have a mindset that they are like an associate to doctor; helping the practice to grow.

2^nd Step to Successful Scheduling

The next step is actually two-pronged. The hygienist needs to audit all patient records before their day at the office begins. This audit serves many purposes but for this blog we will stick to the topic of what a hygienist’s role is for successful scheduling and helping doctor’s schedule stay full all day.

When auditing the patient’s records look to see what outstanding treatment is necessary. Why does the patient need to schedule this? What is the urgency the hygienist and all the clinicians will speak to this patient about?

For example: Does the patient have a dark spot on their bite-wing x-ray and when you audit the patients record you feel concerned they may very soon have a toothache.

Why did this patient not want to schedule this appointment? It is important to understand the patient’s objection so that when the hygienist has the patient in their chair they can immediately address the patient’s previous objection.

Example: Without even saying; “I know money is a concern,” what you can say is (Have the patient seated upright in the chair with x-rays, and/or intra-oral photos there in front of the patient), “Mrs. Jones, doctor and I are both concerned about this black spot on your x-ray. Let me show you this area. Do you see this black spot? Here is the nerve of your tooth and as you can see this black spot is very close to the nerve which means that once it reaches the nerve it will cause a toothache and also means we probably need to do a root canal and a tooth with a root canal needs a tooth. This means spending a lot more money to keep this tooth.”

Notice how the hygienist in this example address the patients concern before they could even give their objection which they stated at their last appointment and this is the reason the treatment is unscheduled.

It is also very important that hygienists not only think about the gum health of their patients but provide a visual exam.

After the hygienist completes all of their screenings, it is a great time to sit the patient upright in the chair and show them what you see. Look together with the patient. Make the patient part of this process. This means that you look together and ask the patient if they see what you see.

Use words that the patient understands. Saying words like “periodontal disease,” and “tooth decay” probably don’t mean as much to your patient as if the words: gum infection, inflammation, active disease, cavity, black soft spot, etc.”

When you see holes in doctor’s schedule it’s time to take a look at the hygiene patient exam process. It’s a great time to look at patient records who have not scheduled their appointment and discuss as a team what you can do differently so these patients will schedule and pay.

The best way to get patients scheduled and paying for the care you offer is to communicate (your words and actions) in a way that helps the patient to feel and believe they want what they need.

Many of your patients have left your office without committing to schedule and pay for your care. Many of these patients also took very nice vacations this summer, they already plan to buy that new iPhone X, some have spent a lot of money on a really nice car and many have spent thousands of dollars on a sleeve of body of tattoo’s.

Our job? We have a responsibility to help our patients want what they need. Don’t most people want to live a longer and healthier life? This is our overarching message, “Optimal oral health will help you live a longer and healthier life!”

Still have holes in your schedule? Please feel free to reach out to an expert. This is one area that we have created a success strategy around. Our client offices have many patients who now schedule and pay for treatment AND many of their patients pay before their treatment is complete.

Our client offices have a system in place for big cases where patients are currently paying in advance for doctor and hygienist’s services.

Most of the medical cosmetic offices have patients pay in advance and why can’t your patients feel urgency to pay for keeping a healthy mouth?!

It’s all in how you are delivering your message to the patient in your chair.

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is a dental consultant, coach, speaker and author. She is also CEO of Dental Hygiene Solutions, powered by 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.

DENTISTRY TODAY considers her a top dental consultant for the past 16 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, you will benefit from production that creates dividends year after year, for the life of your dental practice.

Debbie is also a former Hygiene Program Director and clinical assistant professor for the dental hygiene program at USC in Los Angeles.

Debbie is passionate about supporting dental teams to provide a profitable, patient-centered dental practice through improving systems and efficiencies in the dental hygiene department