It goes without saying that we are now counting down the days until our year (2019) comes to an end.
How many of your patients need a dental hygiene appointment?
How many patients have unscheduled dental treatment?
Do you know these numbers?
Have you looked at your numbers?
Some choose to not look because it causes more stress and it seems like a daunting task to figure out how to get these patients to “want” a dental appointment, let alone, pay for dental services.
Does it seem like your patients want what their dental insurance will pay for?
Do your patients truly understand “WHAT” their dental insurance benefits cover?!
Insurance is a benefit, NOT a free for all. That is another blog, another day!
I want to provide solid, proven, solutions for you to get your patients back on your schedule. It’s the end of year and time to reactivate your dental hygiene patients
Step 1. Run the reports
You must look at your numbers. We use Dental Intel to help our patients look at this #. It takes 5 minutes.
I want to help you save time and I am offering you a NO-COST profit boosting session. I will look over these numbers to see where you are and personally provide 3 steps to get the patients back on your schedule.
What do you need to do to get the no-cost session scheduled?
Email our office: admin@dentalpracticesolutions.com or you can call to schedule: 949-351-8741. Another simple way to get this scheduled is to click my personal calendar link here: http://bit.ly/PROFITBOOSTCALL
We are happy to provide Dental Intel for 30 days at no-charge when you schedule your call ($450 value).
2. Schedule time to call overdue hygiene patients and also patients with outstanding treatment.
When you call patients, you must first review WHY you are calling. Review their chart notes to see various reasons for patients to return.
We call this the R2R. This reason has to do with “What your patients’ value” and “What is the benefit” to them for completing treatment and for continuing their care with the hygienists.
R2R is a system I created to support case acceptance. It is also used when calling patients who need an appointment or when a patient calls to “change” their appointment.
Again, please schedule your free call with me and I am happy to share more about this with you.
3. Text message your patients.
Most people today (even a 90 yrs young patient!) prefer to text and most people in today’s world do not answer their phone if they don’t recognize the phone number calling.
Most offices I speak to do not actually have patients pick up their phone. The dental professional calling these patients will leave a message.
A text message is usually seen must faster than a voice message is heard by your patient.
4. Video message.
I know, it probably seems odd, but we recommend our clients use video. We teach and support our clients to create short generic videos to send various patients who do not schedule an appointment. This is sent via text (And this video can also be emailed) after leaving your office without scheduling a necessary dental appointment.
Again, I am happy to discuss how to do this during your scheduled call with me.
5. Send a letter to your patients with outstanding dental treatment and patients who are overdue for their hygiene appointment.
I do not recommend snail mail often but if these other solutions are not working you must absolutely, send a nice, short but to-the-point letter explaining about your concern for their oral and total health.
Also mention somewhere in your letter to your patient that treating disease costs a lot more than preventing disease.
Conclusion.
Today is the time to put your patient reactivation plan in place.
You and your team must work on this every day and never stop.
When patients leave without a next appointment, you must have a plan in place to contact them sooner than later. Waiting for a week or month to go by is not appropriate.
I have a passion for helping my colleagues implement systems and processes that work. I am on a mission to help you STOP working so hard!
I am serious when I say to schedule a call and let me help you STOP THE BLEEDING IN YOUR SCHEDULE!
These holes and the lack of patients scheduling are costing your business and your patients a lot of money. Its possible that your patients just don’t understand how important this is to their total health. They may not ‘get’ that spending money on prevention will save them more money than treating disease. They don’t speak “Dental.”
It’s our job to help patients understand their dental disease and want what they need.
ABOUT Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS
Debbie Seidel-Bittke, RDH, BS is founder and CEO of Dental Practice Solutions. Debbie is also a former dental hygiene program director. Her expertise is optimizing the hygiene department by taking a total team approach; including the doctor as the leader.