Determining How Dental Practice Consulting Should Be Critical
In this day and age it is important for a dentist to have “Dental IQ.” This has to do with knowing the patient, particularly their financial abilities. It has been determined that most patients will complete a treatment plan for $3500 or less. However, once the tab goes over the $3500 mark patients start to have second thoughts. This knowledge is important for improving dental case acceptance.
To understand dental case acceptance, you must know once the dental health exam has been completed each dentist has his or her own way of presenting the diagnosis to the patient. The suggested treatment plan can be presented. The important ingredient here is to inform the patient of what may or may not happen should the treatment plan not be followed.
Too many dentists assume each patient will complete the treatment plan as prescribed by the dentist. This is why it is so important for the patient to know and understand the consequences if the plan is not followed. What the dentist must realize and fully understand, however, is the fact that just because a patient has a treatment plan it does not mean the patient can or will follow through to completion. There are numerous reasons for this such as money, fear, no dental insurance, and other reasons the patient stops to think about it.
It has been determined that most patients will agree to a plan of $3500 or less. This amount of money will not present too many inconveniences or hardships in comparison to what might happen down the road should the work not be completed. However, once the bill tips over $3500 this reduces the odds the patient will comply with the treatment plan – instead stalling or postponing the treatment or even choosing to go to another dentist.
The dentist, therefore, needs to gather some information and learn more about each of his/her patients. It is important to understand, upfront, the concerns the patients has. It is important to know the patient’s situation in regards to finances and if there is dental insurance. This will, in the end, save time for everyone involved.
Other factors the dentist needs to know and understand include evaluating how dentist treatment fits into the life of the patient. Will expensive treatments be an inconvenience or cause problems. What are the financial abilities of the patient as well as the health problems? More information, more personal, such as a newly divorced or a newly married patient, a newborn in the family, a new job each of these plays a role in what a patient might be able to afford.
These situations are often referred to by dentists as the “fit factors.” This involves getting in touch with your patient and understanding their overall situation. Once this information has been obtained it allows the dentist to help fit dentistry into the patient’s situation.
Now we return to “Dental IQ.” Once the dentist completes her/his dental practice coaching homework s/he will have a much stronger background in fully understanding the patient. This knowledge will equip the dentist to make better decisions when presenting the treatment plan to the patient. This knowledge should improve dental coaching, which is a good thing since it is so important.
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Tagged with: dental case acceptance • dental case presentation • dental coaching • dental practice coaching
Filed under: Wellness
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