IF IT’S A GOOD IDEA, DO IT NOW!
Mark Twain
Napoleon Hill
This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge to confidently return to your practice and immediately begin implementing new screening and treatment protocols.
In this 2 day seminar Dr. Marty Lipsey presents a Dental Sleep protocol from A to Z, including Medical Insurance billing- Codes, Fees and Procedures.
After the Seminar Dr. Lipsey will continue to Mentor you, giving you the confidence to be a Sleep Medicine Doctor.
Read the 2-day course outline and register here: http://sleepgroupsolutions.com/2.0/modules/piCal/index.php?action=View&event_id=0000001412
About Dr. Marty Lipsey the Instructor:
DON’T LOSE THAT PATIENT! SUCCESS is in the follow-thru.
A first time patient may have been very impressed with the warmth and consideration shown by the Dentist and the dental team. The patient seemed eager to get started and the next appointment was made. A Treatment Plan was prepared, to be presented, or to begin. A week has passed and the patient has just called to cancel or, even worse…. does not show for the appointment. What went wrong?
In almost all cases, the disjunction was caused by a lack of continuous COMMUNICATION.
Here are few ideas to keep our patient engaged between visits by follow-thru. Please add your great ideas to the list. The objective is to build a lifelong relationship with our patient.
1. Send a New Patient Welcome Package after their first call to let them know how pleased you are that they chose you.
2. A friendly, engaging Confirmation Call– referring to the patient’s “clinical concerns“. Remember that this appointment is about THEM.
3. A visit-ending “debriefing”, recapping what was done today and the importance of the next visit. Stress the clinical concerns. Do this for closure at the end of every visit.
4. A follow-up letter or e-mail .telling them how you enjoyed meeting them and welcoming them into your family of patients.
5. Ask for permission to send them monthly e-newsletters with timely, interesting and fun-packed health-oriented information.
Does this seem like a waste of important administrative (front desk) time? Compare this investment to the loss of one hour in your schedule.
Make the right pitch and follow-thru. To a baseball pitcher, the trajectory of your arm, after the release of the ball, is a critical component to get the ball to a predictable location. You’re playing on a large field; DON’T LOSE THAT PATIENT! SUCCESS is in the follow-thru.
These are a few ideas for a start. What do YOU do, between visits, to maintain and grow that relationship, and make your patient eagerly look forward to that next appointment?
Do you want to read more about Schedule Productivity?
http://wp.me/p1OXM3-aS : “How to fill a dental schedule hole caused by a last minute cancelation?”
Are you “too busy” to manage your Dental Practice?
A Pleasant Hills woman pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count each of mail fraud and embezzlement. Jill D’Angelo, 45, used her position as manager for a dental office in Pleasant Hills to submit false invoices to insurers and then intercept and cash the checks, pocketing about $307,000 between 2003 and 2010, prosecutors say.
U.S. District Judge Cathy Bissoon scheduled D’Angelo’s sentencing for Sept. 13.
From the American Dental Association news.
It’s that time of year to thank the assistants who help your practice succeed.
Dental offices throughout the world will celebrate Dental Assistants Recognition Week March 4–10. The theme for this year’s event is “Key to Productivity: The Professional Dental Assistant.“
Each year, dentists take a week to honor dental assistants for their role on the dental team, recognizing their broad spectrum of duties and highlighting their often unheralded contribution to quality dental care. The American Dental Assistants Association, American Dental Association, Canadian Dental Assistants Association and Canadian Dental Association jointly recognize the observance. Dental assistant associations, dental assisting schools, and U.S. Army and Air Force dental clinics all join dental offices in honoring dental assistants during this designated week.
“Dental assistants are valued members of the dental team. The role of assistants has become even more important in recent years with the advent of expanded functions,” said Dr. Mark Zust, chair of the ADA Council on Dental Practice. “More than ever, assistants achieve professional growth by studying and receiving advanced training. Dentists delegate more procedures and assistants take pride in their accomplishments.”
Dental assistants will celebrate their contributions to the profession by participating in educational and charity events and other team activities. Dentists typically show their respect for dental assistants’ diverse contributions to the dental profession and the public by providing perks such as luncheons, flowers or treats.
“Dental assistants show their value by providing everything from supportive procedures to direct patient care through expanded functions, which boosts productivity. The assistant provides a valuable connection with the patient; it is often the assistant that the patient turns to when they have questions, the assistant who explains the finances and the assistant who keeps the patient calm during treatment,” said Claudia Pohl, president of the American Dental Assistants Association.
Most of your patients will be “big picture” processors. They will want to know the BASICS- how long, how much, and the result. They may even tell you that. You can determine that from their metaphors and body language. The few “detail oriented” patients will be the accountants, engineers,… and other dentists. If you give too many details in your presentation, you will open Pandora’s Box for even the “Big Picture” patients to start a litany of questions. Avoid such statements as, “…then the Hygienist will scale, root plane and irrigate….”, or “… after I prepare your teeth, I’ll take some impressions, and….”
[ The Hygienist “removes disease” and you are “creating a great new smile”. It’s that simple! ]
There’s a time and a place for those detail explanations, but it is not during the case presentation. For now just concentrate on the value and the benefits. KISS. “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle
Make your presentations well planned-out and concise. Utilize visual aids and social confirmations.
Picture your desired OUTCOME, then trim away the excess like a Michelangelo:
A 15th Century admirer looked in awe at one of Michelangelo’s sculptures and asked the maestro how he could create such a magnificent sculpture from a block of marble. Michelangelo said, “I saw the angel in the marble and I carved away the excess until I set him free.”
Here’s a humorous example:
The young doctor had just completed his first Treatment Plan Presentation for a big cosmetic makeover. He followed all the rules given by his coach. He demonstrated with study models, radiographs and photographs, and clearly detailed to his patient every situation requiring treatment. His presentation was planned, orchestrated and smoothly presented.