Clackamas Dental Consultant | Dental Practice Solutions

Change the Low Insurance Reimbursement and High Overhead Dilemma!

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

March 27, 2024

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

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

The Predicament: Low Insurance Reimbursement and High Overhead

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

The Smile Club: A Game-Changer

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

Empowering New Patient Appointments

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

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

Enhance Patient Retention

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

Boost Cosmetic Case Acceptance

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

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

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

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

That is no exaggeration!

Foster Patient Loyalty

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

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

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

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PATIENT!”

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

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

The Smile Club means less insurance dependence!

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

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

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

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

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

By: Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS

May 30, 2023

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

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

The Role of a Dentist

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

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

The Role of a Dental Hygienist

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

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

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

Collaboration and Communication

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

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

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

Teamwork and Patient Care

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

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

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

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

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

How Do You Improve Your Game of Dentistry?

By: admin

April 9, 2019

Do you have a favorite sport or hobby?

I have always enjoyed playing tennis and in high school I played on the tennis team.

If you are like me, then mediocrity is not an option and being “just” average at what you enjoy is a non-negotiable.

As a high school student and tennis player, it was very important to me, that I was one of THE BEST players and I did everything in my power to do just that!

In high school, I hired a coach, Manni Papparani. I got a part-time job to pay for a coach so I could be the best!

Each week my tennis coach helped me refine my skills as a tennis player. Back in the late 70’s video was not real popular but my tennis coach would record videos of my swing and my serve.

My tennis coach was a professional and definitely on the leading edge,

I had a minimum-wage job part-time, and yet, I paid to be the best on the tennis team!

Rafael Nadal is one of the best tennis players in today’s world of tennis.

Why would Rafael Nadal hire a coach?

He is one of the worlds best tennis players in the world afterall?!

Does this even make sense?!

Why hire a coach when you are at the top of your game?!

Rafael is at his peak. He knows what it takes to be a winner and yet, he hires a coach. He hired his uncle, Toni Nadal.

To some, this may sound like a waste of Rafael’s time and money but to those of us who think being at the top of our game; hiring a coach is a non-negotiable.

Rafael Nadal has always had a coach. This is a very important part of what makes him the best.

Do you intend to be your best?

Dental school gave you a great start to become a clinician but if you intend to be a successful dental practice owner, you must be at your best to play this game called “Dentistry.”

How do you consistently improve your game of dentistry?

How Do You Improve Your Game of Dentistry?

Let’s look at Rafael Nadal’s Coach.

Toni Nadal as an example of a great coach:

Toni Nadal has worked as a tennis coach and has been a manager for a tennis club for many years.
He went before Rafael as an expert/professional tennis player.
He has a trainer’s degree and taught at the tennis club.

This example demonstrates an expert who has been “in the trenches,” they have educated themself to know what it takes to be great!

“Your success is outside your comfort zone?”

What are the Qualities of a Great Coach?

Again, let’s look at Rafael’s uncle and personal coach as an example:

Discomfort.

Coach Toni is known for putting pressure on Rafael as he progressed forward in his career.

Most people don’t want to feel pressure. It’s human nature to not want to step outside our comfort zone.

Coach Nadal brought Rafael to the point of crying numerous times; but did this create success or failure?

The answer is an obvious NO.

Getting to the point of tears was part of Nadal’s journey. It’s part of what made him so tough.

Look at anyone who has accomplished great success.

Did they stay in their comfort zone or did they get out of their comfort zone?

They got out of their comfort zone? Right?!

Respect.

Respect for equipment. This means taking care of the office dental equipment. Nadal believed that throwing a tennis racket showed a lack of respect towards people who could not afford the same equipment and the sport itself.

Responsibility.

In the dental office this means you take responsibility for your actions. You show up on time to work. You have a sense of pride and ownership. This goes right alongside of respect.

Toni Nadal as a coach, trained Rafael on poor tennis courts with old tennis balls to show that it was not the equipment that would decide if he won or lost. He believed that losing was a fact of competing in sports and that the only one responsible for winning or losing was the player.

As a team member and even as the owner of your dental practice, how are you responsible for your success or loss of productivity?

Authoritative.

Coach Nadal had an authoritarian attitude with the players that he coached. Toni Nadal wanted his opinions to be important to players he was coaching rather than it just being advice.

As the owner and leader of your team, you must have the authority to make the best decisions, you must be looked as an authority in your patients eyes as well as your employees.

Look to an authority who can guide you doctor, someone who will take you to your next level of success.

Why Hire a Dental Practice Management Coach?

In dental school dentists learn all about teeth, but very little about bookkeeping, cash‑flow, accounting, traditional & online marketing, hiring/terminating employees and so much more.

Dentists who try to do everything alone usually find it impossible to grow to a level of sustainability for the lifetime of their dental career. These are the dentists who can’t survive an economic decline.

Business experts, dental coaches, practice management consultants will help a dentist and their dental practice work more efficiently and accomplish more in less time and with less effort.

Hiring a dental coach, practice management consultant, will support the systems (or lack of) to optimize your dental practice productivity.

Asking for support from specialists will help you achieve more personal fulfillment and reduce your chances of the proverbial “burn-out.”

It’s Time to Take Action!

No matter where you are in the life of your dental career, you will benefit from hiring an expert practice management coach/consultant.

Without the support of a dental practice expert, you will work harder, you will work longer hours, you will not be as effective: as a leader, a husband and/or parent. If you want to enjoy your life more, you need to have a coach, and expert to support you in many different ways.

Most dentists want to have consistent growth and you need consistent growth in any business.

The best dental coach / consultant, will help you work smarter, not so hard. They will guide you to be the best leader of your dental practice. Your leadership skills will need constant refinement. This is just how successful businesses operate.

Never let your P & L, your budget, your production dollars today, stop you from hiring an expert.

The best expert for your dental practice will support you to optimize your systems and create a harmonious team. In return your level of productivity will receive annual dividends.

Hiring a dental expert should bring you continuous dividends.

Your part is to “show up.” When you take action, if you show up, you are a winner with a high ROI…..for the life of your dental practice.

When you take action now you can participate in our Dental Practice University (DPU) with up-to-date systems for you and the entire team. This also includes 16 AGD CE Credits when you are enrolled over the next year.

DPU has video trainings for everyone on the team, it includes scripts and forms to customize and use immediately. You can try out DPU now for ONLY $9.99.

ENROLL HERE TODAY!

ABOUT DEBBIE SEDIEL-BITTKE, RDH, BS

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Debbie is also a former dental hygiene program director. Her expertise is optimizing the hygiene department by taking a total team approach; including the doctor as the leader.

Schedule a FREE Profit Boosting Session Here today.

Happiness is NOT an Option!

By: admin

March 25, 2019

Most dental professionals begin their career with a very noble passion to serve others.

Doctors, dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, physicians, nurses, etc., want to make a difference in the health care industry and help people live a healthy life.

Once you graduate dental school and begin work in the real world as a dentist, life, for many, begins to feel overwhelming.

You may now decide to buy a dental practice. Now you find yourself overseeing your practice marketing, looking at your P & L, dealing with HR issues, managing people and so much more!

And on top of all this, as if this were not enough, you must keep up with all the changes in our dental industry, rising costs of supplies, equipment, technology; updates and repairs.

I can totally relate because I have experienced this in my life personally as a business owner.

The days, weeks and months, move so quickly that we lose sight of ourselves and our own needs. We forget to put self-care on our list of priorities.

Our families and loved ones suffer because of this overwhelm.

We arrive to the office irritable and out of focus.
We leave the office and return to our family, our loved ones, worn out.
We are physically in our home but mentally we are absent.

As a result, our loved ones cannot connect with us.

We miss out on a lot of relational cues that our family is giving us and there is a big disconnect that happens.

This happens because usually IQ (Intelligence Quotient) doesn’t match the EQ (Emotional Quotient). Growing your IQ is great for many reasons however, growing our EQ is equally just as important.

We are learning that EQ is actually more important than IQ when dealing with people and living your best life.

If we leave our emotional quotient behind there is usually an imbalance that happens and we think the more we do, the more we achieve.

The truth is that more equals less; we’re less efficient.

We become more diluted and spread too thin. We are not able to recharge as much as we need.

When we allow this to happen we become consumed with too much negativity. Eventually burn out gets the best of us.

Next, we notice physical, mental and emotional symptoms. We get fatigued, suffer heart attacks, anxiety, and depression takes over our life.

Truth be told, dentists have one of the highest suicide rates today.

So how do we change all this?

We can’t very well expect things to magically change if we do the same things over and over again, right? So, we have to rewire our brains.
We have to allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zone.
We need to shift the way we deal with our challenges our perspective, increased resilience and delve into the zone of being aware of who we are as humans.
We have to forgive ourselves more, we have to break out that pattern of imposing self-inflictive pain; take a step back and acknowledge that our emotions have a purpose.

We gain back our kindness and compassion by indulging in self-care. This is a must. If we can just take 5-10 minutes a day to reflect, journal, listen to music or work out, etc.

We must take a step back to see what we’re letting ourselves get drained with and what we should be thankful for. When you do this, you will feel recharged. You become more productive and stresses that seem so big before, will now appear smaller.

It’s important to reconnect with your roots. Ask yourself, “What are my non-negotiables? “

SOLUTIONS TO GET YOUR LIFE BACK

We must reset, enjoy our home with family.
We must be able to enjoy the office with our dental team members.
We must figure out what our emotions mean and how to reconnect with ourselves. Ask yourself, “What is this trying to tell me?”
We can train our brain to wind down.

One example where we can do this is to remove our self from the social media vortex.

It can be a difficult habit to kick and that’s why it’s even more important to do this. In doing so, we can focus on what our day really looked like and just what happened that our day did not go well.

They say that if you place a dot on a white sheet of paper, people naturally notice the black dot first when in truth, 99% of that paper is white.

We have to bear in mind that when you start doing something that feels uncomfortable, this actually has the potential to make your life happier.

When you think about it, leaning into the discomfort is where the growth starts. It’s like trying something new that leads us to a new level we’ve never been before.

I hope you are able to get the gist of this truth that I am trying to relay to you.

If this article has spoken to you and you would like to know more, feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll help you achieve the change you need and desire.

We are only a call away or email away.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is the founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. She is a dental consultant, coach, speaker and author. Debbie is a world-class leader in creating profitable hygiene departments and does this by taking an integrative approach with the entire team. Debbie 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.

Check out the Dental Practice University to participate in one of our trainings. The training is at your leisure, from your computer, alone or with your team. It is intended for doctor and the entire team plus, it includes 16 AGD CE Credits. Enroll now and you can choose to be locked into a low monthly tuition. There are no contracts; you pay to play….monthly. If you no longer want the information, you don’t pay for the trainings. What you paid for is yours to keep indefinitely.

How to Grow an In-House Membership Program

By: admin

January 9, 2019

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

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

dental-practice-solution-inhouse-membership-program

During this short podcast, Debbie and Jordon talk about:

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

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

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

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

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

a. Think Amazon Prime but for your dental practice.

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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

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

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

How to Become a Great Leader as a Dental Practice Owner

By: admin

December 17, 2018

In today’s Live Interview Debbie Seidel Bittke, RDH, BS, talks to Dr. Racheal Hall and being a dentist and why leadership skills are key to your success as a dental practice owner.

Dr. Rachel Hall is a dentist for Evolve Dental Healing and has a passion for helping dentists create systems that build fortunes and have fun while doing this.

Most dentists did not begin their career thinking about leadership skills. They went to dental school to provide clinical dentistry. Some dentists saw a great fit for themselves, combing art with science.

As a dentist leading your dental practice success means you must learn how to become a great leader, whether you like it or not.

What Rachel shares about how she became a great leader was the ability to always be open to learning. When you learn something new you need to practice, practice, practice to be your very best at the new skill or dental practice system, etc.

We also talk about Trust and how you must have trust in your team.

During our chat we also talk about:

The importance of everyone on the team to work towards one goal
Delegation of responsibilities
The importance of consistency (You will hear an example of what needs to be consistent)
Defining your values and self-worth
Importance of the team in helping to make changes

There is so much more that we talked about for thirty-five minutes.

If you are a dentist or dental practice owner, this is a short interview you must check out. Take a few minutes to listen and learn how you too can achieve and exceed your goals. You will understand how important it is for your team to drive your dental practice systems!

Every week we have a special guest interview and it is live on our Business FB Page. Please like and follow the FB Page to receive daily inspiration, tips to grow your hygiene department and hear from other dental influencers, dentists and your colleagues.

The Dental Hygienist’s Role in Maintaining Dental Implants

By: admin

May 10, 2017

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Dental Implants are an expensive alternative to tooth replacement and they must last a lifetime. This is our ultimate goal when placing implants.

If our desire is to keep implants for a lifetime of the patient, as it has been made evident by the publications from LA Dental Town, it is important for the dental hygienist to understand the morphology of the peri-implant mucosa, the attachment between the mucosa and the titanium implant. This area comprises the junctional epithelium, about 2 mm high, and the connective tissue zone of greater than or equal to 1 mm in height. This is the zone that protects the osseointegrated surface from environmental factors, such as plaque in the oral cavity.

It is this zone where the health and longevity of a dental implant is imperative and it is a major role for dental hygienists is to maintain dental implants.

An important role of the hygienist is to assess if their patient as a potential implant candidate. Many people know about dental implants but choose not to inquire about them and they choose not to consider them for tooth replacement.

It is the open-ended questions, a smile evaluation and communication with a potential implant patient will begin a foundation for case acceptance of dental implants. When you allow the patient to complete a smile evaluation, you allow the patient to be the one asking about the area where a tooth is missing.

Allowing your patient to be the one inquiring about treatment will put them in the drivers seat and you are only there to offer answers to the area the patient has checked off in their smile evaluation that the are not 100% satisfied with.

You can now lead this conversation into a discussion about the consequences of not having an implant. You now have an opportunity to discuss why implant therapy a good option for a particular patient.

Continuing with your conversation you may talk about adjunctive or alternative forms of therapy/treatment that can be utilized.

It is very important for all the auxiliaries to understand why implants work, how well they work, and everyone on the dental team must understand all aspects of implant care so communications and explanations to the patient, that based on the doctor’s diagnosis, is a seamless process. This means that you have had role-play sessions as a team about “what to say,” “Who are the patients that doctor considers a good implant candidate, etc.”

When your patient accepts treatment, it’s the hygienist who will be responsible for educating the patient about oral care during the surgical and prosthetic phases of treatment. It is important for all the clinicians to understand the surgical treatment your patient will undergo and the types of restorations that will be placed. It is imperative that you recommend the appropriate oral hygiene techniques during healing phases.

Clinical hygiene and routine home-care procedures need to be effective but non-invasive so the healing tissues are not disturbed. It is also important for the patient to be aware that gentle debridement will only be effective while tissues are healing. Once healing and restoration are complete, a new hygiene routine will need to be established, learned, and complied with.

It crucial for the hygienist to educate their patients about the need for routine, maintenance. This is not an option if the patient has a desire to keep their implants for the rest of their life. Explain to your patient what can happen when their implants are not properly cared for at home and maintained by their dental hygienist.

Dentists: How to Choose an SEO Company

By: admin

April 14, 2017

While there may be simple dental SEO factors within a website’s coding that need to be addressed, most competitive areas require ongoing monitoring to ensure no other dental website passes you up. If SEO is priced at $300/month, they can’t create useful, engaging content. Especially after half of your money goes to pay the sales force that cold called you in the first place.

#2 Bragging About The Size of Sales Force

A true dental SEO expert doesn’t brag about his sales force. Rather, you should inquire about the kinds of relationships the SEO expert has with people within the dental industry or other websites they can publish on.

Dr. Seth Lookhart has dental offices in 3 countries and is widely considered an accomplished dentist. He says “When looking for an SEO consultant, I wasn’t interested in finding the cheapest there is. It’s about ROI, and knowing that everything is running efficiently.”

More and more dental offices are interested in knowing the SEO tactics actually being used, rather than getting sucked into a sales process with fancy buzzwords. This dentist in Apex, NC found that the key was learning the basics about SEO, in order to gain new patients for his growing practice.

The quality of your SEO expert’s writing skills, or their staff’s ability to produce remarkable content is important. Does the writing team create stories that people care about? Does the content consistently rank atop Google? How does the SEO company handle satisfying searcher intent? There are many ways to show how successful you are in SEO, but having a boiler room full of salesmen dialing-for-dollars isn’t one of them.

#3 “Secret Sauce” SEO

Transparency in SEO is a great sign. Being able to cogently identify exactly what’s being done for your SEO is of paramount importance.

Most SEO firms who are transparent in their tactics are much more likely to have an SEO strategy that involves both higher quality content, and relevant inbound links. While you should only work with an SEO professional you trust, nothing replaces great communication about what’s actually being done. My general rule of thumb is this: if they can’t explain in plain english what’s being done, it probably isn’t that great.

So what SHOULD you look for?

Look for an SEO expert that teaches about SEO. Thought leadership is a great sign in a consultant or company that claims to understand Google’s algorithms.
Work with an SEO expert that assesses your unique needs, before pitching a “sale.” By doing some quick keyword research, you can find out exactly how many people are searching for dental services in your area. Before you make the upfront investment.
A firm grasp of the dental industry. The SEO expert should be able to provide a wide array of dental marketing ideas that help SEO, and new patient flow. By knowing about the dental industry, SEO works much more seamlessly. From knowing which types of websites to earn links from, to knowing the kind of dental content Google favors, you can be sure that a dental SEO expert can be superior to a general SEO company.

Justin L. Morgan, known in the dental industry as “The Dental Marketing Guy,” teaches about dental marketing on his blog and YouTube show. Justin has been featured in major media outlets such as Dental Products Report, Dentistry Today, Dentistry IQ, Dental Town, Entrepreneur, and a number of Fortune 500 company blogs. He is the creator of The Invisalinks Method, the first and only SEO course for dental professionals.