Are you missing important business opportunities and practice builders? Do you know that 75% of your patients would choose implants over traditional replacements for missing teeth, such as bridges and dentures and that 69% of your patients would be upset if they had chosen traditional dentistry and that their dentist had not discussed implants?
Your patients cannot see or feel bone loss from missing teeth until it affects them on an emotional level such as lifestyle factors and esthetics. Studies suggest that tooth loss affects not only physical health, but psychological well being. Tooth loss forces lifestyle changes for those who suffer from it and can negatively affect a patient’s esteem, self-confidence and ability to properly chew and digest food.
As dentists, you know that bone loss changes the facial contour, affects eating and digestion, causes additional strain on the joints and so on, but your patients don’t know the risks and consequences of bone loss caused by missing teeth. They expect their dental professional to tell them. They came to your office to receive your best possible diagnosis and treatment.
In 1999, the Institute for Dental Implant Awareness, a non-profit consumer education organization (www.dentalimplants.com) commissioned a survey. It was conducted in four major metropolitan areas of the country, in shopping malls. The results were significant:
Most people (64%) were not aware of the major consequence of tooth loss — bone resorption. Among those consumers who knew about dental implants, only 45% knew about the relationship between tooth loss and bone loss. More importantly, 75% of the respondents who had chosen traditional dentistry (bridges, partials and dentures) to replace missing teeth reported that they would have opted for implant treatment if they had understood the bone loss implications associated with tooth loss.
An eye opener from this survey is that 69% of the respondents said that they would be upset if they had chosen traditional dentistry and later discovered that their dental professionals had not discussed the implant solution.
This survey makes it very clear that we have an ethical obligation to offer our patients every treatment option, regardless of our opinion of the patient’s willingness to accept treatment or ability to afford it. We also have a credibility issue if we don’t offer implants and our patients learn about them from other sources.
Empower yourself — Make a positive assumption and then make a positive assertion
It is safe to assume that your patients have come to your office expecting a complete diagnosis and treatment plan. They expect their health care provider to offer what is in their best interest, regardless of cost and unrestricted by insurance concerns. It is up to the health care provider to make a positive assertion, “in my opinion, this is what you should do…”.
Dentistry is a relationship business built on trust. Your patients trust you and depend on you to offer the best possible treatment options and to maintain the doctor-patient relationship in your office. Your patients should not have to leave your office to seek the treatment that they want and need just because they have dentures. Your patients deserve and demand to know all of their options when making treatment decisions. They expect you to recommend what is best for their health, function and comfort and that your recommendations are not clouded by prejudgments.
Empower your patients
Empower your patients to make optimal treatment choices by making it easy for them to see the benefits of treatment and the ability to proceed. Every edentulous patient that you have in your practice has many potential patients attached through potential referrals. Doing what is right for the patient will increase loyalty and increase referrals. Happy satisfied patients are your walking and talking advertising beacons.
Provide financing options that are truly interest free and do not transfer the doctor-patient relationship to that of a third party. It’s easy to do. The advantages of offering your own internal financing are:
* It increases your patients’ ability to accept treatment.
* It’s an excellent marketing tool — you are offering a true “interest-free” loan.
* It improves cash flow to the practice and reduces accounts receivable.
* Most importantly, it maintains your relationship with your patient.
Offering your patients options and alternatives helps them to feel that they are getting what they want accomplished and that they have an impact on the way things turn out. Getting them involved in something that they don’t want may damage your relationship. Dental financing is easy and effective.
Empower your team
As dental implant treatment becomes a bigger part of your practice, the roles of your team members will grow and change. They need the clinical knowledge to help the dentist and advise patients, since they are often the “go to” person for patients’ questions. We all know that patients trust the team and are sometimes afraid to ask questions of the dentist. Every team member can be very instrumental in the growth of the practice when they learn to communicate the benefits of implants so effectively that case acceptance increases. They become even more valuable employees.
Provide your team with the tools to work with such as coding sheets, pricing, a template of appointment times and communication keys. Every team member should be ready to answer difficult questions with great answers. This will involve training and practice.
Dental implants can change the lives of patients, improve the quality of life for denture patients and elevate your practice to a new level. This business plan approach will help you to empower yourself, empower your patients and empower your team to reach new heights of clinical and financial success.
Integrating dental implant treatment into the practice can make a huge difference in your lives, as well as the life of your doctor. Providing implant restorations can set your practice apart, allowing you to grow the practice with those patients who appreciate your best and finest work — a fun way to spend your professional life!
REFERENCES — Straumann Canada Limited
Sandie Baillargeon is a business analyst/dental practice management consultant. She is an authority on how to increase the effectiveness of medical and dental business systems and is the author of two textbooks, Dental Office Administration and The Canadian Dental Office Administrator, published by ITP Nelson Canada. She created the first Certificate Course in Dental Practice Management at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Dentistry. As owner/operator of Dental Office Consulting Services, Sandie specializes in dental practice management consulting, hiring and coaching dental teams, implementation of in office programs, dental business and operational plans.
