There is so much focus on dental insurance today, that it sometimes feels like that is the foundation of our relationships with patients. For me this does not feel like a solid foundation. When this is the basis of our relationship, the moment the plan changes there goes our relationship and they look for a new dental office. We have so many other choices of Read More

Recently I have been having a lot of conversations about dental team members taking time off. One way to improve this for everyone is to create a system to manage the process. Another way to look at this is to ask whether everyone understands the impact of time off. As the owner of the business we are very clear about the impact when we take time off, but Read More

If you remember the TV show MacGyver, the lead character was a master at using whatever he had at hand to solve complex problems. I worked once for a dentist that was like MacGyver. Patients would come in with a really old partial, and would ask if they could have it fixed, and I would watch the wheels turning in his head. Part of this was he loved thinking Read More

We often talk about phasing treatment for dental patients as a strategy for helping them afford care. Alternatively we look at it as following a model of care that is taught in dental school. I'd like to think about the gift of phasing care as a way to develop ownership over time. Each appointment is a chance to create new co-discovery experiences. This Read More

A recent experience with a home remodeling contractor had me thinking about what it takes for patients to understand and appreciate the care, skill and judgement being exercised by their dentist.  Dentistry is one of the most complex and precise professions, making it a challenge for dentists to communicate it, and patients to understand all that goes into Read More

Over the years I have heard many strategies that dental practices use for asking for referrals. I strongly believe that we need to ask for referrals. Patients do not always know we are accepting new patients. In my experience when we ask, our referrals will increase. The challenge for me has always been the way people ask, and feeling uncomfortable about the Read More

It is very common this time of year to send our email reminders to patients that as the year approaches the end they might want to utilize their remaining dental insurance benefits. I recently talked to a friend that received one of these emails. The conversation had me thinking about the power of personalizing our communication with patients. This may mean Read More

It is very common when scheduling a new patient to discuss dental X-rays, specifically asking if they have X-rays from their prior office. This is often balanced by resistance or concern about taking x-rays when the patient is in the office and we are having a conversation. Changing our language about x-rays, and incorporating that new language on the new Read More

Often when I am in practices I notice something missing in patient charts. Whether they are paper charts or electronic, we are always focused on very accurately documenting what we did, what materials we used, and even what we said. The missing element is what the patient said. Their thoughts and comments, what they shared with us are the key ingredients in Read More