Many years ago most dental practices gave the hygienist 40 – 50 minutes to provide preventive and non-surgical periodontal treatment for their patients. The hygienist had one treatment room to complete the appointment.

Dentistry changes very quickly and with research and technology we have many paradigm shifts. Most offices now offer one hour hygiene appointments for their patients. Many offices also have an untapped hygiene potential. Many offices also have empty treatment rooms or their treatment rooms are filled with an overflow of unused equipment, offices supplies or just a place to put an overflow of patients.

How can we take advantage of the untapped revenue from patients who have not been into your office for the past year or two? What about those patients who have not said “Yes” to non-surgical periodontal treatment? Where will all these patients be put into a schedule which has one hygienist and four days in the week which you are open to see patients?

How can you develop a positive patient centered plan so patients can been seen in the hygiene room and you don’t have to add another $150.00 per hour to your overhead and more days of work to your schedule?

Having a plan in place can be one of with a “win-win” result. The patients can leave your office feeling well cared for and your end of the revenue will be sky high when you implement a well thought out plan.

Meetings are number one

Everyone on the team needs to embrace this new working model or possibly you are revisiting the assisted hygiene model you currently have in place. Patients also need to become aware that you are an office that is preventive and patient centered practice. These thoughts and your vision can be shared through implementation of your mission statement and code of ethics. (aka: Practice Principles) Share these important statements in everything you do; on the walls of the office, in your newsletters, brochures, website, Facebook Fan Page, etc. The take away here is that patients need to understand they are Number 1 and they are important. The assisted hygiene model will not work if patients don’t feel like they are a priority. Patients will leave the office if they feel it’s all about the money. Sometimes you may need to bring in a coach or consultant who can direct this assisted hygiene model.

Communication is key

We know that with good oral health patients can improve their overall health. This is scientifically proven. When you begin asking patients “How long do you want to live a healthy life”, when you share your knowledge about the oral/systemic link, patients will sit up and listen. Patients will absolutely know you care about their total well being when you communicate in this manner.

This is only one way to get patients to say “Yes” to their treatment needs and schedule their appointments no matter if money is an objection. People buy what they want not necessarily want they need. Most people want to live a longer and healthier life.

Communication is also key within the team. When setting up the assisted hygiene model it is of primary importance not only to communicate with all but delegate to the team members. When delegating, also have written protocols so everyone can remain on the same page. Identify all the auxiliaries’ duties and have them written down in a notebook or manual. The goal of assisted hygiene is not to hire an assistant to seat the patient and then clean up. Plan out who will seat the patient and then review the medical history, take x-rays, provide oral hygiene instructions and even make future appointments. Making appointments in the hygiene room can be a new concept to many but it makes perfect sense to have future hygiene appointments scheduled in the hygiene room. The hygiene department knows exactly what the patient needs are and this is where the initial buy in of future treatment came from. When you understand a working communication model this makes sense. It keeps a direct line of communication.

The goal of assisted hygiene is to improve patient care, provide optimal care for all patients in the practice, provide a less stressful atmosphere for the team and increase the bottom line of the dental business. The hygiene department when set up correctly is a profit center and a valuable department in the dental business model. The hygiene department when set up correctly adds great value to your dental practice.

When the assistant and hygienist(s) have communicated and written their responsibilities and expectations down you will have a dynamic team that is patient centered. Your patients will know they are well cared for, your team will be happy and the bottom line (your revenue) will be in the black.

Happy Patient = Happy Team = Successful Dental Practice

More on this next week….

No, this isn’t going to be another article about recession, dodging economic downturn or how to brace for this year financially. My intention is to paint a beautiful picture of the reality you can create in practice for yourself…truly by design!

It is amazing to me when I think about the history of dentistry, how far we’ve come yet, how young we still are as a profession. Years ago, the thought of a dentist advertising or marketing was inconceivable. In fact, one of the first matters at hand in the establishment of the ADA was addressing the ‘undignified’ practice of advertising. This belief permeated the minds of dentists for decades, which I suspect led to many precautions taken around seeing dentistry as a business. Undoubtedly, the stigma about soliciting referrals and even carrying products in the office were all a result of upholding this ‘professional’ posture in dentistry.

Over the years, dentistry has cleansed itself of those positions and evolved into realizing that we can absolutely carry out a patient-centered, health care practice that is prosperous. Actually, we cannot afford to NOT employ sound business principles and expect our practice to be an environment in which our team has an opportunity to build a rewarding career and our patients receive extraordinary care and service. Therefore, in moving forward, we’re in an exciting and expansive period of discovering new technologies, marketing strategies, building websites and looking for ways to set our practice apart from the rest. We pay close attention to increasing profitability, efficiency and our overhead while providing a high level of quality, attention and detail in our patient care. These are exciting times in dentistry as we explore and implement new strategies to enhance our practice.

One sound business strategy constantly evolving is profit centers within the practice. Profit centers can be a positive and pro-active step for any practice and for every aspect of the practice, particularly one that involves home care products. Home care products not only make an unbelievable profit center but are truly a practice builder for any office. Because of the small investment upfront, home care products may not seem like much of a profit center initially. However, with a minimal investment in product, not only do you get an unbeatable return on investment; what emerges in the environment of your practice is priceless. It really is that simple. Let us take a look at the four cornerstones of how this profit center can impact your practice.

Patients

Despite the economic climate of this country, our patients still have the same dental goals. They want a pain-free, healthy mouth and they prefer white, straight teeth and fresh breath. One thing that may change for our patients is a re-adjustment of their priorities as it relates to their treatment plan. The reality is, patients may delay or post-pone treatment for now. However, one thing that will not change is they will continue to brush their teeth, use mouthwash and try new products for better taste, fresher breath and whiter smiles. In fact, the latest consumer spending report on dental care basics (toothpaste, mouthrinse and floss) is roughly 2.7 billion annually. To push a patient into treatment may not only cost you the case, it may cause you to lose your patient’s trust and perhaps a patient for good. An alternative is to take a patient-focused approach by listening for what it is your patient can do, reinforcing prevention with home care and ultimately protecting the investment in their smile. Not a bad holding pattern until they can move forward with treatment.

Consider this…

You know exactly who is more qualified to recommend home care products to your patients…so why would you hesitate? You know the materials in their mouth, the condition of the tissues, their oral and medical history and health. It makes no sense to leave this final step in the hands of patients, advertisers or the grocery store clerk. Carrying products in the office not only resolves the confusion plagued by patients who have seemingly endless choices when it comes to home care products. And it raises the bar by increasing the level of service, care and professional guidance your patient can’t (and shouldn’t) get anywhere else.

Team

With a cross-training system put in place, your entire team is enrolled in providing patient education, delivering home care instruction and increasing the patient’s dental IQ. This can provide a rich environment for enthusiastic teamwork, enhanced level of communication and a committed effort to improving the overall health and wellness of your patients. With a team fully engaged, your patients begin to connect and establish trust with your entire team and view them as an invaluable resource for their oral health care. This provides an immediate and lasting impression your team can have on your patient base – talk about internal marketing. Additionally, a profit center like this can generate its own pool and provide profit-sharing opportunities for the entire team — without taking money out of your pocket.

Practice

Increasing productivity does not have to involve loading up the schedule with patients, running a prophy mill in the hygiene department or coming in early, working through lunch and staying late. You can increase your bottom line with a home care product profit center by $25,000 to $50,000 without adding one more patient to the schedule. Could you ever imagine patients coming by the office even when they don’t have an appointment? They do when they purchase home care products from you. That’s one more opportunity for personal touch, service and exposure to your patient without marketing, taking time out of your schedule or making one phone call.

You

Do you want a piece of that 2.7 billion? You deserve it. You are the professional and these are your patients who are also consumers. Find a system you can stand behind and embrace it. Your leadership will be the inspiration your team is yearning for and the guidance your patients appreciate. Don’t add to the confusion by loading up on an array of commercial products your patients can get in the stores. Research products and programs that offer superior benefits, are unique, exclusive and fully support your cosmetic, restorative and hygiene services. Offer products and programs that you and your team personally use and are in alignment with your values and the service you provide.

Homecare products can bring out the vision, values and quality of the practice and set your practice up to harness the waves and ride any economic climate, both good and bad.

It’s priceless!

We have experienced some challenging economic times lately. Since January 1, 2010 we seem to be seeing some recovery. As this recovery occurs how will you claim or reclaim your vitality? What are you plans? We are well into the year 2010 and where are you headed?

If you knew that there were 4 specific tools to take you to your goal would you use these tools? How will you feel when you see a turn around of possibly $2,000.00 each day from this day forward? If you work 50 days each year this will be $100,000.00 additional revenue this year. If this were to continue you will be adding millions to your revenue over the next 5 years.

Do you think this question is too outrageous to even ask: “How do I do it?” Maybe you think this is all very interesting but are answering:”We are on track and don’t need to make any changes or do anything differently.”

I am amazed at what I see dentists put themselves through year after year. Everyday I see and experience dental offices that are left deep down under the weight of unnecessary stress and anxiety, telling themselves all the while that “this is just the way dentistry is.” Not true! This is the way you have chosen to spend your career. I want to invite you to take the next 12 months and spend a few dollars to make some necessary changes to improve just 4 systems. These are systems that are certain to change your dental practice and your life. I want to invite you to follow a new path. Let us take a look through the looking glass and move you towards the path of success. This is where a pot of gold awaits you and the entire team. May be hard to believe but it is the truth.

The numbers in the above paragraph are correct. This is what Dental Practice Solutions can do for all practices. We don’t have a cookie cutter solution but many solutions to guide each dental practice towards success.

With our 4 step process we are currently taking practices to over 100k in additional revenues this year – 2010. People coming on board now are still able to capture this lost revenue and make this success a reality in 2010; even one quarter of the way into 2010.

We are currently showing our clients 4 areas within the dental hygiene department which will increase patient value and practice revenues. It is not the amount of revenue alone that will begin to account for the huge improvement, but also in the quality of life and decreasing stress. The path of increased success will provide time to enjoy life and save for retirement, build a team that respects and works well together to be the best they can be.

With adding all of this you can be rest assured that your patients will be educated about dentistry and how important this is for their total health. They will say “Yes” to treatment plans you present. Your patients will appreciate what you do for them and they will be your best source of referrals spreading the good word about your dental team.

For most dentists the numbers and results are very important to see so we invite you to click on our link for the free practice assessment. When you take time to complete the assessment we can discuss with you and show you a clear view from where you stand now. We can show you the potential and uncaptured revenues in your practice. We are here to be your guide and your resource.

Many dental practices spend thousands of dollars in marketing their practice. We are here to find the upcaptured revenue with the patients you already have in your practice. We guide you and show you exactly how to add value and health to your current patients.

The choice is yours. You can continue on your current path with your head in the sand and. no changes you can choose to hold up a looking glass to view what is there, to build not only health but wealth with the patients currently in your practice. This suggestion and recommendation is regardless of a failing or profitable economy.

We invite you to take a look and increase your practice revenues. We want to guide you down the path that shows you the enjoyment and payoffs when utilizing our proven strategies. These are not strategies used 30 years ago but what we know works for a thriving practice in 20101! We will take you down the path called “success”!

Please call or email to walk that path of success today.

Much Success to you!

When asking dental team members about their role in the office most will respond that they are a clinician. This is a perfect answer. The entire office needs to be happy about this response and most importantly the patients. Most dental professionals have had hours of training and the dental hygienist spends many long hard hours not only studying but practicing in the mouths of volunteer patients. After years of practice the dental hygiene student will pass national and state exams to be licensed as a professional.

As healthcare professionals we are dedicated to our profession. The business owner and dentist is considered the CEO and team members in the dental business are the VIP’s of each department where they actively participate as a team member in the dental office. This is a time in history where these roles and how they are defined become very important. Now we have dentists who are cutting out their dental hygiene department all together. Some dental businesses are cutting their auxiliary salaries in half. Now is the time for dental auxiliaries to become very serious about the health of their career in the dental office. Each team member needs to be analyzing their production and what they bring to the dental practice

Every team member needs to be on board with the knowledge of business skills. Now is the time for the entire team to look at the numbers they produce in their dental department. Each team member needs to understand the business skills for running a dental practice = a business. The reasons for doing this are not only about employee compensation and job security but most importantly to be an active participant in the business of dentistry.

The majority of team members in a dental office are usually not personally invested as a business owner but when it becomes apparent that the team may need to take a cut in wages, benefits or reduce their hours, team members will pay attention to either directly make a change in what occurs or the business will make the unwanted change for them.

The dentist and business owner is the CEO of the business and the team members are the VIP’s. They are the Very Important Members of a dental business.

Each day, the previous day’s production needs to be discussed at the morning team meeting. This is also a great time to discuss the dental business goals for the year and where the business stands year to date.

During the morning team meeting (Morning team huddle) the VIP of Finance needs to give a report on the financial health of the dental business. Each team member should keep a log of patients they see; if they cancel, no show and all procedures performed. Along side of patient information team members should also keep a log of the number of hours they are paid each day. Track how many hours each day you work with non-patient time. Keep a record of the fees for each patient seen and the amount of production produced from the operatory you work in. These are minutes or hours which the CEO- your dental employer pays you for and has no income to support your salary.

Once you have created your log you can now begin to determine production per hour, add up your total production for that day and divide it by the hours you were paid, not just the hours you saw patients. If you’re paid for an eight hour day but only saw ten patients, you will take the total daily amount, let’s say it is $10,000, and divide it by ten. This means that the office produced $1,250.00 per hour. You can take this same formula and apply it to only the amount of production produced by the patients you saw in your operatory. Divide this amount by your paid salary. If you bring in $1,250.00 and are paid $300.00 then the percentage of salary to your production will be 42%. If the employee benefits should be approximately 1/3 of the production this would be over and above the amount the employee should be making.

This entire process can be eye opening. It can tell you if the office is losing money during the day while you worked. It can also be a guide to increasing your salary when the time comes. It gives team members a reason to ask for a raise and it can also give the CEO a reason to decline a raise. The CEO, business manager or practice owner will now with reason explain the dental business can’t afford to give an increase in benefits and the proof is written in ink.

It has been well written that the hygiene department needs to produce three times what they are paid. What are you getting paid per hour? When you do the math from the information given above you have reason to rejoice and find a solution to increase the profits. The math can produce a winning solution.

As dental professionals we sometimes feel like we are changing our dance steps too quickly and without preparation. These past 2 months we have been talking about adding to your hygiene profitability. We told you about 10 assessments you need to implement on a daily basis with each of your recare clients. We are not asking for you to add all 10 assessments but to take it a step at a time. We want you to choose one or two assessments which you may not be providing your recare patients and begin this month with just one or two from the list. If we learn all the steps at the same time we may begin to feel frustrated and quit very easily. When you teach your patients a new home care technique you may tell them to “Be patient.” “This is a process of time.” We are going to tell you the same thing. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with each member of your team. This is a process of time. Pick two assessments from our list below or maybe one. Make it a point to begin implementing one or two of these tomorrow.

You may ask “How can I do this when I only have one hour with each patient?” We hope you are spending the first 10 minutes each morning with you team to plan your day. (The team huddle) If you need to complete a full mouth perio assessment today then please ask another member of the team to come and assist with this. With help and assistance it takes 10 mins max and not 20 minutes. If you need to implement the new CAMBRA protocols have the front desk give the patient a risk assessment form when the patient checks in at the front desk. When we work as a team we can dance to the tune and stay in harmony. When we fail to plan we can end with a migraine. How do you plan your day? Dancing with the stars or ending with a migraine? This what a difference the team huddle can make!

Our hope is that each patient is already receiving the majority of the assessments on the list below. CAMBA (Caries management by risk assessment) is very new. We have many of the assessment forms on our website under the membership area.(www.dentalpracticesolutions.com) Smile analysis is another assessment which can be completed at the front desk upon check in. Choose one or two today. Next week we will share about the non-surgical periodontal treatment and how you may be missing six figures to your revenue in 2010.

At first, it may feel awkward to add one or two of these missing steps. (assessments) It will begin to feel easier and more comfortable as you practice the new “dance steps”. Before you know it, you’re an expert at completing all the steps on the list. Your patients will feel wowed, your profits and value will increase right alongside as this dance takes place. Take the time to learn how you can put these assessments together one by one- step by step. You will feel ready to dance and enjoy your day with the team and patients who value your services.

Below is a list of 10 to do’s with your recare patients.

10 (Assessments) Profit Centers in the Dental Hygiene Department

1. Perform oral health care assessments that include the review of patients’ health history, oral cancer exam, biofilm assessment, salivary pH test.
2. Expose and interpret dental radiographs (x-rays); co-diagnose
3. Non- Surgical Periodontal Treatment, FM periodontal screening exam, scaling and root planing, antimicrobial agents, laser therapy, etc
4. CAMBRA (Caries Management by Risk Assessment)
5. Apply cavity-preventive agents such as fluorides varnish and sealants to the teeth
6. Administer local anesthetic and / or nitrous oxide analgesia
7. Home care products
8. Discuss whitening treatment and take impressions when applicable
9. Administer smoking cessation programs
10. Smile Analysis