Long-term value promotes treatment acceptance

"Why is dentistry so expensive?"

Patients ask me this question all the time. When I'm chairside, I have a standard answer that satisfies for the moment. But at the desk, the same query comes in another form: "How am I going to pay for this?"

We have standard responses to this question too. Outside financing, we accept credit cards, cash, and checks. Many practices today also offer a dental membership plan that discounts most services. When a patient walks out the door and doesn't appoint, we wonder what else we could have done to help them.

Dr. James V. Anderson.

Experience tells us that there isn't a one size fits all approach to presenting treatment and payment options. Still, it usually becomes routine to avoid the emotion-charged rejection of patients who want the treatment but think they can't afford it.

How many times can one describe a composite, crown, or bridge without sounding bored beyond belief? Unfortunately, many treatment presentations lack excitement or individualization.

Worse, if the team isn't excited about creating great dental care, how can the patient believe in getting the procedure? The front office team may dislike presenting fees to the patient because they feel that dentistry is expensive, too.

Without understanding the long-term value of good dental care, they cannot communicate those values to motivate the patient.

Get the team involved

Get the team involved in understanding the procedures that result in the product. Team training can include watching videos or discreetly viewing a patient receiving a treatment such as a crown prep or an implant placement.

The entire team should know that a well-made crown can last decades if the patient comes in for routine maintenance. It's a value statement to health. If a zirconium crown costs $1,500 but can last at least ten years or more, then divide $1,500 by 10 -- or $150 per year or $12.50 per month as the base cost.

Another way to establish a new way to communicate treatment is to make it personal. At every appointment, the doctor and the team should learn one fact about each patient. The morning huddle is a good time to talk about patients as people, not procedures.

At the time of case presentation, doctors need to reference some of those personal facts in order to individualize the case presented before the patient is in the chair. Patients who feel such a connection may have a higher sense of belief, trust, and value for the practice and the recommended treatment.

Remember to let your patients see precisely what their options are in writing. Patients must always have a choice and a say in their treatment. Please don't assume patients' ability to pay based on their outward appearance and the car they drive.

A written treatment estimate form also will ensure presentation consistency among team members. If a patient later calls with questions about the costs, any team member can go to the treatment proposal in the chart. Should your patient want to discuss finances with a significant other, he or she can bring home an easy-to-understand form that contains all payment information.

For each patient, make it personal and make it easy to choose. Train the team to value the dental care that they are recommending to the patient. Ensure everyone is on the same page regarding the long-term health value of good dental care.

Dr. James V. Anderson is a practicing dentist in Syracuse, UT, and is the CEO and founder of eAssist Dental Solutions. He can be reached via email.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.