Cover / Editorial / Make every patient contact a personal one: Why communication is everything to your patients / Embrace the cloud and inherit the Earth / Being direct with extraoral imaging / Choosing intraoral radiography / Secure your reputation with secure-mail / Earn an extra $10 - 000 a month with just your phone!
Cover
01 - 01 viewEditorial
03 - 03 viewMake every patient contact a personal one: Why communication is everything to your patients
04 - 05 viewEmbrace the cloud and inherit the Earth
06 - 07 viewBeing direct with extraoral imaging
09 - 10 viewChoosing intraoral radiography
12 - 13 viewSecure your reputation with secure-mail
14 - 15 viewEarn an extra $10 - 000 a month with just your phone!
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[1] =>
Winter 2017
The Modern
Dental Practice
_email
_communication
_technology platform
_imaging
_imaging
_training
Secure your reputation
with secure-mail
Embrace the cloud
and inherit the Earth
Choosing intraoral
radiography
Make every patient
contact a personal one
Being direct with
extraoral imaging
Earn an extra $10,000 a
month with just your phone!
[2] =>
[3] =>
editorial _ modern dentistry
Greetings from
Dr. Lorne Lavine,
The Digital Dentist!
I
Dr. Lorne Lavine
_As many of you know, dentistry has gone through a paradigm shift in the past 25 years. The paperand-film-based practice has been replaced by paperless offices using practice management software,
digital radiography and 3-D imaging systems. Whether a practice is looking to upgrade its office, or a new
dentist has purchased an older practice and is making wholesale changes, a good understanding of the
modern systems available is a critical first step.
In this e-Book, I have worked with a number of companies to provide you important information to
assist you in bringing your practice into the 21st Century. Are you looking to modernize the most critical
component of your dental office, the practice management software? Then take a look at Curve, which
dispenses with the old client-server configuration and replaces it with a sleek and efficient web-based
system. Welcome to the cloud!
How about your imaging systems? Sure, film had its place, but whether it’s the fantastic intraoral
sensors from XDR, or the unbelievable images from Panoramic’ s extraoral units, there’s no better time to
enter the digital X-ray realm.
How about your phone system? Old-style analog phones are so passé. Not only should you be looking
at VOIP phones, but they should integrate tightly with your management software, something that Weave
has been doing for years.
Having a phone system really isn’t enough if you want to increase your revenues. For that, you’ll want
to pay close attention to how the folks at All-Star Dental Academy can teach you and your team the skills
to do wonders to your bottom line.
And, finally, if you have even the slightest desire to get your office more HIPAA compliant (and you
really should!), it all starts with an improvement to something we use every day: email. Brightsquid has
developed an easy-to-use encrypted email system that will protect your data but is a snap for your staff
to pick up within minutes.
If you are thinking about modernizing your practice but don’t know where to start, I would encourage
you to call me, The Digital Dentist, at (866) 204-3398 ext. 200 or email at drlavine@thedigitaldentist.com.
I will gladly provide a no-cost, no-obligation analysis of your practice and the steps you need to take now
to get started.
Enjoy the book and feel free to contact me with any questions.
All my best,
Dr. Lorne Lavine
The Digital Dentist
I 03
[4] =>
I modern dentistry_ communication
Make every patient
contact a personal one:
Why communication
is everything to your
patients
Author_Weave Staff
Patients want doctors who care. While
patients expect a high standard of care
from any practitioner they see, what keeps
them coming back is a feeling that they aren’t
just a number but an individual.
_When considering what is really important
to the success of your practice, clear, reliable
communication is likely at the heart of the matter.
But there is more to patient communication than you
might think — be careful not to overlook the following
factors when identifying how to provide the best
possible experience for your patients:
• Constantly transform customer service
efforts. Every practice must track the performance of
people, processes and workflows to know how well
they are delivering a satisfying patient experience.
Continually modifying policies, processes and
operations to enhance patient interactions — from
04 I
first contact to most recent — can greatly impact your
patient relationships.
• Focus on patient retention. With improved
communication, practices can quickly increase
patient satisfaction and easily reduce patient attrition.
Remember: Retaining customers and reducing churn
is less costly than attracting a new patient.
• Analyze patient data in new and powerful
ways. Focus your production and service efforts by
better understanding what your patients need and
how they prefer to interact. Find profitability gaps
in your schedule and patient data so you can
determine where to best spend your time and effort
[5] =>
modern dentistry_ communication
I
to improve the efficiency and profitability of your
practice.
• Track performance across your practice. Gain
insights into call volume, average call duration,
peak call times, frequency with which patient issues
are resolved on a single call and more to assist
management in making your practice more effective
at handling patient calls.
_Simplify your systems, improve your
service, enjoy greater success
Today, many of the tools used to manage patient
data and communication are found in a range of
applications, software packages and phone systems
made by a variety of companies.
Having that technology seamlessly interact
with the information that will help you create an
immediate connection and a lasting impression
on your patients will go far in keeping them happy
and ensuring they stick around. With the following
capabilities, you will keep patients coming back time
and time again:
• Know who customers are the moment they call.
Ensure vital customer details pop up on a computer
screen the moment the phone rings. Give your staff
a 360-degree view of each customer, including
notes regarding previous and future care, insurance
information, balances owed, etc., as soon as that
customer calls. You’ll save time for your customers
and employees and make a better impression.
• Ensure patient data is always there when you
need it. Provide tools that allow your employees
to view and interact with information about your
patient via computer, phone or other device. Instant
access to patient data provides familiarity that
can enhance the conversation and ensure that
important details like missed appointments and
overdue balances are easily handled.
• Take advantage of all the features you need
today — and tomorrow. It’s no use spending on
technology that doesn’t meet your practice’s most
basic — but crucially important — needs. And it’s no use
spending on a system that doesn’t allow you to grow,
scale and adapt quickly to changing technologies and
patient demand. Your phone system is your lifeblood.
Integrating your phones with applications that
allow you to more easily connect with your patients
and more effectively manage your staff’s time and
success can make a tremendous difference to your
bottom line.
_Make every interaction meaningful and
effective
for many offices. Customer communication is the key
to business growth, which depends on making them
feel well cared for and cared about.
Enter Weave.
Weave is a simple but powerful tool that provides
timely insights to make everyday interactions
with customers more meaningful and effective —
improving patient communication efforts by working
seamlessly with existing practice management
software and making patient data instantly available
when a phone call is answered by your office.
Benefits of Weave features that contribute to
excellent customer communication:
• Screen pop: Instant, on-screen, caller-ID displays
patient information needed to provide the best
possible patient experience.
• Conversational text messaging: Text in your
own way and in your own words, so your patients
always feel there is a person on the other end of the
communication, not a computer.
• Calendaring tasks: Receive prompts to act on
outstanding tasks so you never miss an opportunity
to schedule an appointment, collect a balance or even
schedule appointments with other members of your
patient’s family.
• Reviews app: Increase your online search
presence and grow revenues with quality reviews
from your patients. You can automate review
invitations for each patient after their appointment
and make sure their reviews are automatically posted
online to the most effective sites.
• Mobile app: Follow up on patient care and call
or text them from your mobile device anywhere,
anytime.
The complex and time-consuming nature of running a practice is often one of the biggest challenges
Learn more about what Weave can do for your
practice today: www.getweave.com._
(Photo/Provided by Weave)
I 05
[6] =>
I modern dentistry_ technology platforms
Embrace the
cloud and
inherit the Earth
Author_Andy Jensen
_The only global constant is change.
As far as technology platforms are concerned,
something more efficient is guaranteed to change
the status quo, and generally speaking, Windows was
proving to be much more flexible than DOS — and
certainly far more appealing.
Let us admit that DOS had a perception problem
when placed next to Windows. What patient wants
to trust their oral health to a doctor who is holding on
to yesterday’s technology? DOS quickly became the
poster child for everything outdated, from 8-track
tapes to laser disk players. Every dental practice
was chucking their green screen CRTs and paper
appointment books for monster client-server setups.
And the DOS revolution ended.
But that’s not the end of the story. (Actually there
is no end to this story.)
As far as technology platforms are concerned,
something more efficient is always guaranteed to
change the status quo. For example, Windows, with
its graphical appeal and flexibility, replaced DOS as
the technology standard in the early 1990s.
Change is constant and change is afoot. At this
very moment, hundreds of doctors are in the process
of chucking their client-server setups and moving to
the cloud.
Indeed, so far this year, thousands of doctors have
already moved to the cloud. And thousands moved to
the cloud last year.
06 I
And, according to some polls, tens of thousands
will move to the cloud in the next two years. A new
cycle of change is whirling: The cloud has replaced
servers and client-server software as the technology
standard.
So what’s in your practice?
For many doctors across the country, they are
using the cloud every day to manage wonderful,
progressive practices. Their practices are not chained
to a server. Rather, they chucked their space-hogging
servers that were sitting in broom closets or under
desks to enjoy the natural benefits of the cloud.
What are the natural benefits of the cloud?
1. Always the latest and greatest. Are you ever
required by Amazon to install an upgrade so you can
use the latest shopping features? Nope. When you
use a cloud-based management system to manage
your practice, all of the latest features are always at
your fingertips.
2. Anywhere, anytime availability. You can shop
Amazon any time of the day from anywhere. All you
need is an Internet connection. Cloud-based dental
software, such as Curve Dental, provides access to
patient information all the time. No third-party, bolton communication software is required.
There’s a lifestyle and work-style quality here,
too. The cloud lets you work how, when and where
you want to work. You can swap time in the office for
time with the kids, as an example, choosing to review
[7] =>
modern dentistry_ technology platforms
patient charts and notes at home after bedtime.
3. Your data always backed up. If you’re constantly
worried about backups, don’t. The specifics are different with every vendor that provides cloud-based
dental software; however, with Curve Dental, your
data is backed up to multiple servers in multiple
locations with every keystroke. Even if your practice
burns, floods, is crushed or robbed, your data is preserved up to the last change in data.
4. Better HIPAA compliance. A server in your
practice is a magnet for potential HIPAA violations.
Nineteen different security rules dictate everything
about that server, such as access policies, disposal
and reuse of backup media, and requirements for
emergency availability.
5. Reduced technology footprint. It’s simple: Get
rid of your server and you get rid of the hassles that
come with it, such as the expense, maintenance,
backup, upgrades, wiring, space, clutter, etc. Cloudbased dental software requires a basic computer,
a browser and Internet access. That’s it! Keeping it
simple reduces IT and hardware costs.
The key to solid cloud-based dental software is
the stuff you can’t see, commonly referred to as the
infrastructure, the systems required to consistently
and quickly deliver the software to your computer.
Murphy’s Law states that if something can go wrong,
it will go wrong.
An occasional failure is part of learning and improving. Curve Dental, for example, has had more
than 11 years of cloud development experience.
Certainly, in the beginning, the company dropped a
few passes. But after 11 years, you should expect any
company to provide dependable service. Those with
less experience are going to drop more passes.
Naysayers are a dime a dozen.
The cloud is the current technology standard,
and it’s changing the dental profession — the way
you shop for dental supplies, communicate with
your patients, collaborate with colleagues, earn C.E.
credits and more. Amazon’s foray into the dental
profession and gain of market share is another
example of how the cloud is changing dentistry.
Eric Hoffer, one of America’s greatest philosophers and recipient of the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, said, “In times of change, learners inherit
the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer
exists.”
To this point, Darwin said, “It is not the strongest
of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent
that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to
change.”
Whether you like it or not the cloud is the current
technology standard.
What’s in your practice?_
I
(Photo/Provided by Curve Dental)
I 07
[8] =>
[9] =>
modern dentistry_ extraoral imaging
I
Being direct
with extraoral
imaging
Author_ Carey Sipe
_Over the years, dentists have shared insightful
feedback with us about what elements are of key
importance to them. One word routinely surfaces
over and over again: Direct.
_Direct digital
At a time when technology is changing and being
adopted at an extremely fast pace, it is critical to
offer solutions that provide the practitioner with
immediate results. In the past, with film X-ray
machines, processors and darkrooms, it would take
up valuable minutes to produce a panoramic image.
Now, with direct digital imaging, the patient can view
the X-ray in real-time on the monitor.
This time savings yields many efficiency gains for
a practice while concurrently enhancing the patient
experience.
_Direct benefits
Extraoral imaging extends patients the opportunity to see their entire mouth in a single X-ray.
This allows the practitioner to identify problematic
areas and offer a thorough treatment plan. With
this co-diagnosis tool, the patient can be involved
in the process, increasing the likelihood of accepting
recommendations.
The clinical benefits of panoramic imaging have
been well-documented over the years, including:
anatomical assessment of the entire oral cavity
and surrounding structures; identification of jaw
fractures; development, position and eruption of
primary teeth; assessment and diagnosis of TMJ
disorders; locating hidden decay, dental abscesses,
cysts, tumors, impacted and supernumerary teeth;
early diagnosis of oral cancer; and assessment of
(Photos/Provided by Panoramic)
I 09
[10] =>
I modern dentistry_ extraoral imaging
The PC-4000, left,
and Encompass, right.
implant sites to name a few. Spatial relationships and
tooth positions are more easily viewed along with as
many as 50 distinct and relevant dental landmarks.
_Direct ROI
With available clinical data, the practitioner can
offer treatment plans to improve the overall health of
the patient. This will result in future production from
crowns, bridges, extractions, endodontic treatments
and implants.
Proper utilization of the panoramic imaging code
(D0330), in addition to new 3-D scanning options,
typically generates revenue for the practice to more
than pay for the equipment investment within just
one to two years.
_Direct support
None of us expect to have issues with the products
we buy or the services we receive. However, it is
always nice to know that if a problem arises, it will be
attended to in a timely manner by individuals who are
equipped and experienced in what they do.
Utilizing a nationwide network of certified technicians in the field, combined with in-house experts,
we surround offices with a unique level of attention
for product questions and assistance.
_Direct access
Another resounding theme for customers is the
10 I
importance of giving practitioners a direct line to
the manufacturer. Whether facility tours in Indiana
to watch products being made, an opportunity to
meet the customer-centric teams that daily serve
practices with focused excellence or just an outlet to
solicit feedback, most individuals want to know their
opinion matters.
This allows the manufacturer a powerful connection with the market for product improvements
and process refinement to accommodate those that
matter most: our customers and the patients they
serve.
Panoramic Corporation has been serving the
dental community for more than 30 years by offering
reliable equipment designed with intuitive operation,
yielding exceptional, consistent image quality.
Foundational principles of quality, service and
value guide our direction as we provide panoramic,
cephalometric and 3-D imaging solutions that not
only give clinicians the diagnostic capabilities they
need but also aid in the provision of extending encompassing care to the patients they serve.
It is our promise to embrace the heritage of our
past with award-winning products such as the
PC-1000, PC-4000 and Encompass, while creating
a customer experience which dental practitioners
can trust.
To learn more, contact us at www.pancorp.com
or call (800) 654-2027._
[11] =>
[12] =>
I modern dentistry_ intraoral imaging
Choosing
intraoral
radiography
Author_ Joel Karafin
_Ninety-eight percent of radiographs are still
taken intraorally. It’s certainly simple to buy whatever
your rep suggests. But he isn’t the one who has to live
with the choice. Here are some decision points you
may want to consider.
_Image quality
If you’re not getting great images, what’s the
point? High-contrast, high-resolution images yield
better diagnoses, easier patient acceptance and more
production. So how do you know what systems will
yield great images?
The last peer-reviewed research on the topic
was in 2013, in the December issue of OOOO. In the
article*, a result chart shows some clear leaders.
Combining results for both contrast and spatial
resolution, the leaders bunched at the top. In
alphabetical order, they were Carestream, DEXIS,
Gendex and XDR.
The old Schick Elites didn’t make the cut, but the
12 I
Schick 33s were just coming out; you may want to
add them to the list.
You can even buy the same phantom** they
used and do the tests for yourself. Interestingly, the
system’s software seemed to be important. Belgold’s
offering performed poorly even though they were
using the same pixel technology as XDR; XDR’s
software seemed to make the difference.
_Getting the shot
If you can’t capture the entire canine in your PA,
or can’t image its distal aspect in your bitewing, then
you just end up taking extra radiographs, wasting
time and needlessly exposing your patient.
So check out the length of each sensor’s actual
imaging area. And check out each sensor’s dead
space, especially at the narrow edge where the cord is.
Every millimeter of dead space there makes it that
much harder to capture the canine/premolar contact
with proper paralleling technique.
[13] =>
modern dentistry_ intraoral imaging
I
Minimal dead space, rounded corners
and a white face are important for getting
the mesial of the first premolar.
(Photos/Provided by XDR)
_Software
Try the software! If it doesn’t seem immediately
easy to use, just imagine the time your staff will waste
wrestling with it in the first weeks and over the years.
Check the image manipulation. You should
find single-click abilities for modifying contrast
and brightness, multiple levels of sharpening, and
specialty filters for hard and soft tissues. And
some sort of feedback on exposure will help your
auxiliaries train themselves to stop underexposing
your images.
Make sure that you can design your own mounts,
that cumulative measurements are simple, and that
exams are easy to transfer from the wrong to the right
patient. See if it can send and receive secure emails
in DICOM format.
And don’t be afraid to switch — database
conversions are getting better all the time.
_Cost
Consider all the costs. If you have to pay every
year for a warranty — guess what — that’s part of
the cost of the sensor. And if someone promises a
long warranty, get the details of what happens if
there’s a failure during the second year. If you have to
pay for a replacement sensor, that’s not a warranty;
it’s a replacement plan.
Figure on your staff damaging a sensor at least
once every five years. And consider software costs.
If the software is installed on 10 computers but you
only use four of them at any one time, are you paying
for 10 licenses or just four?
_Ergonomics
tems, but is an extra click worth having lower-quality
images or software that’s under-featured or hard to
use? And don’t forget the advantages of having both
software and sensor provided by the same manufacturer. Both image quality and service may depend on
it. And who needs finger pointing?
_Service
How much will it cost you to be without your
imaging even for one day?
Don’t be shy about asking imaging vendors for
statistics about their response time, or about paying a
nominal sum for such support. Make sure you’re talking to the manufacturer of the sensor, to the writer
of the software.
Have your IT guy interview them. See how long the
same owners have been in charge. Ask friends. Check
on message boards.
There’s no question that doing a bit of research,
considering a five-year cost of ownership and asking
questions can save you time, money and frustration.
Over decades of experience, doctors who did this
were far happier. Know the differences. Make your
own choice._
Is the sensor rounded enough? That will make
your patients more comfortable and your assistants
faster. Is the sensor easy to see inside the mouth? Easy
to clean? Can you plug it directly into the computer,
or do you have to fret with an interface box?
_References
_Integration
**
The conglomerates like to talk about integration
between practice management and imaging sys-
*
Software controls to promote
optimal diagnosis.
Udupa H, Mah P, et. al. “Evaluation of image quality
parameter of representative intraoral digital radiographic
systems.” Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral
Radiology. 2013 December; 116(6): 774-783.
Mah, Peter, W. Doss McDavid, and S. Brent Dove. “Quality
assurance phantom for digital dental imaging.” Oral
Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology,
and Endodontology 112.5 (2011): 632-639.
I 13
[14] =>
I modern dentistry_ email
Secure your
reputation with
secure-mail
Author_ Dr. Lorne Lavine
_Your success hinges on your reputation. Patients
remain loyal, or refer your clinic, because of how they
feel about the care you provide.
They want to feel they’re receiving the most
appropriate care, and they want to feel you have their
best interests at heart. The way you communicate
with patients can significantly influence their
feelings in both categories.
By using secure-mail to keep patients and
colleagues informed, you can strengthen and protect
your reputation because you 1. Are able to more
quickly inform patients about their care so they see
you as a thorough practitioner (plus, as we know,
more informed patients are more satisfied), and 2.
Demonstrate your commitment to protecting patient
privacy — a concern more and more important to
everyone.
_Secure-mail is familiar and new
Although there is more than one service on the
market called Secure-Mail, secure-mail is actually
a product category. The idea behind these services
is that you can share information in a way that is
very similar to the user experience of email — data
is shared via text or attachment; there’s a compose,
reply and forward button; you have a contact list;
14 I
and notifications usually arrive in the inbox of your
regular email.
Unlike traditional email, secure-mail services
protect the privacy of the information contained
within the message, eliminating the threat of a HIPAA
breach.
The way secure-mail builds in compliance and
protects privacy is by keeping the patient-specific
information that you exchange off the public Internet
— where it can easily be intercepted and read by
unintended and unauthorized recipients.
Messages are stored in a central location that
senders and receivers log in to using a web browser
(such as Explorer, Firefox or Chrome) so they
can securely access the information shared with
them.
The similarity to email is no accident. Everyone
already knows how to use email, so implementing
this technology into your office is effortless. More
importantly, text-based email-like exchanges are
preferred by patients and colleagues over phone, fax
and mail for ease of use, accessibility and tracking
of information, and the fact that communication
doesn’t require alignment of schedules.
For you, it saves time and money associated
with calling, faxing and mailing or sending files via
courier.
[15] =>
modern dentistry_ email
_How to choose your secure-mail vendor
As in any product category, you’ll find a range of
quality in secure-mail services. This list of important
considerations will give you the ability to quickly
separate the top from the bottom and decide on an
option that will secure your reputation while also
providing the desired clinic efficiency.
1. Usability: The service should feel a lot like
email. You want to get your new communications
up and running with minimal interruption to your
productivity. Look for a proven platform that has
already made improvements to the user interface
based on user feedback. The best user experiences
usually come from providers who are specialists
in communication software rather than, say, a
company that also builds websites.
2. Support: At some point, you will need help
with the system. Ask providers what their support
availability is, what response times are and how
quickly they typically resolve problems. You will
also want to choose a service that supports the
patients and colleagues you invite to use the service;
otherwise, when patients have trouble, it’s you they’ll
call for help.
3. True HIPAA compliance: Remember, encryption
does not mean compliant. You are required to have a
compliance officer in your clinic. Have them review
the requirements and quiz vendors on their approach
to protecting patient data and ensuring HIPAA
compliance.
4. Integration: To optimize the boost to your
productivity, look for a solution that integrates with
your practice management software. Integration will
save time and data entry workload for your staff. This
is not a deal breaker.
Established, well-thought-out secure-mail
services easily work with most practice management
software but may require a few extra clicks to get
information where you need it to go.
5. Attachment size matters: Many files dental
practices need to send are high-resolution scans
that exceed the limits of regular email anyway. Some
secure-mail providers allow large attachment sizes
of 500mb or more — plenty of room for any collection
of files you’ll ever need to send.
Another consideration while we’re on the topic
of size is storage space. Because HIPAA mandates
storage for seven years, you want to steer clear of
providers that limit the amount of data they’ll store
for you or charge extra for additional space.
6. Free use for invitees: In order to get benefits from
a secure-mail service, everyone you send messages
to must have free access to receive, view and reply.
If a provider requires the other end to pay, your
subscription will be essentially useless._
I
(Photo/Brian Lary,
www.freeimages.com)
I 15
[16] =>
[17] =>
modern dentistry_ training
I
Earn an extra
$10,000 a month
with just your
phone!
Author_ Alex Nottingham
_I’m often asked a tough question: What can an
independent dentist easily do to improve the practice’s production? And the tenor of these queries
is growing ever-more frantic as competition gets
fiercer (especially competition from corporate practices). I have an answer to that question, and while it
is not effortless, what I offer is extremely effective.
Solution: Improve your call conversion.
One of the critical steps in attracting new patients
to your practice is converting interest generated by
your advertising efforts into actual patients in the
chair. In almost every case, this conversion takes
place over the phone. A well-crafted marketing
strategy is important in this process, but for potential
patients to become actual patients, there absolutely
must be a kind and engaged voice on the phone representing your practice that works effectively to get
callers to book appointments.
Why is call conversion important? The answers to
that should be obvious: First, call conversion directly
affects revenue. Consider that when prospective patients call, they have acknowledged a need for dental
work, researched your office, found your phone
number and made the time to call. They are primed to
do business with you.
The average dental practice receives 135 new
patient opportunities per month, but only 48 of those
opportunities convert to appointments. That’s only a
35 percent conversion rate. Basically, two-thirds of
calls into the practice are not booking appointments.
That’s 87 appointments not booked.
_The COSTS of poor conversion
According to the American Dental Association,
the first-year value of a new patient averages $642.
If the typical dental office is open four days per week,
we have 16 working days per month. For simplicity,
let’s assume only one missed conversion opportunity
per day. From those statistics above, you can see that
typically it is much, much more than one per day. But
for our calculations, we’ll just say one per day. That’s
16 missed opportunities per month, at the ADA’s
$642 per new patient.
I 17
[18] =>
I modern dentistry_ training
(Photo/Svilen Milev,
www.freeimages.com)
Add it up and you are losing out on more than
$10,000 in missed revenue per month.
And if you look long-term at the lifetime value of
a new patient, with the lifetime averaging 10 years,
that’s approximately $100,000 that you just lost
over the next 10 years from one month of failing to
convert just that one call per day.
The second reason call conversion is important is
that to make up for lost opportunities, you’re going
to have to work harder. You’re going to spend more
money on marketing and be in the office for more
hours. So you’re working harder — not smarter.
Finally, missed call conversion opportunities are
a drain on energy. You have to keep trying to fix the
same problems again, again and again. Not only are
you losing money but you’re losing energy. You are
not focused on what you do best — dentistry. You’re
going home saying, “What did I accomplish today? I
was busy but I wasn’t productive.”
_What to do?
The solution to poor call conversion is a Fortune500-based-system of training that empowers your
front office team to increase their effectiveness.
All-Star Dental Academy teaches a patient-centric,
service-based system of call conversion called the
GREAT Call Process™.
GREAT is an acronym. It stands for Greeting, Rapport, Engage, Asking for the appointment, and Taking
Information.
The cornerstone of the GREAT Call Process is that
18 I
it helps your front office team create a connection —
or rapport — with callers. This is a critical component
of establishing long-lasting, profitable relationships
with patients.
You will see three significant benefits of employing the GREAT Call Process to build relationships
with patients. First, you’re going to have more highquality patients that make appointments. Second,
those patients are going to accept treatment because
they trust you and your practice. And finally, they are
going to refer their friends and family because they
feel like they are treated with care.
Compared to your competition, you stand out.
Ultimately, through building rapport with your
patients, they will show up and are set up to accept
treatment.
Evidence of the value All-Star Dental Academy
and the GREAT Call Process bring to the industry
is our relationships with leading dental organizations, such as the American Academy of Cosmetic
Dentistry, American Academy of Implant Dentistry
and The Academy of General Dentistry. They agree
that a relationship-focused philosophy is best for the
patient and the practice.
I want to invite you to learn more about All-Star
Dental Academy and the GREAT Call Process at our
website, www.allstardentalacademy.com, or sign
up for a free online training event where we dive
deeper into the power of phone skills to transform
your practice.
Visit www.allstardentalpractice.com and choose
a day and time that works best for you._
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Table of contents
-
Cover
01 - 01
view
-
Editorial
03 - 03
view
-
Make every patient contact a personal one: Why communication is everything to your patients
04 - 05
view
-
Embrace the cloud and inherit the Earth
06 - 07
view
-
Being direct with extraoral imaging
09 - 10
view
-
Choosing intraoral radiography
12 - 13
view
-
Secure your reputation with secure-mail
14 - 15
view
-
Earn an extra $10 - 000 a month with just your phone!
17 - 18
view
[toc_titles] => Cover
/ Editorial
/ Make every patient contact a personal one: Why communication is everything to your patients
/ Embrace the cloud and inherit the Earth
/ Being direct with extraoral imaging
/ Choosing intraoral radiography
/ Secure your reputation with secure-mail
/ Earn an extra $10 - 000 a month with just your phone!
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