Dr. Johnson* is a colleague of mine with a terrific dental practice. Like me, he endured the 2020 roller-coaster and reached 80% of his pre-pandemic volume. According to the American Dental Association <\/a>, that\u2019s a plateau many practices still find themselves pushing through today. While he\u2019s aiming to accelerate growth in 2021, he\u2019s kept his team together, reassured patients, and maintained some profitability.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a gut-wrenching ride. We all relate, especially when we see a few more grey hairs in the mirror.<\/p>\n But Dr. J impresses me. While dentists often retract in the face of slowdowns, he\u2019s looking at new ways to engage and work with his patients. He recently launched teledentistry <\/a>consults that link a call-to-action from email and video campaigns. The awareness he\u2019s building with patients continues to open new doors, including elective cosmetic opportunities. He jumped all over paperless forms and curbside check-in. His patients responded, and so did his staff.<\/p>\n This past fall, we were discussing deferred treatment and the implications in each of our patient bases. The CDC determined that over 40% of people have delayed medical services <\/a>, especially routine care. Pain and infection motivate patients before, during, and after a pandemic. But it\u2019s easy for patients to push aside care that\u2019s not urgent or uncomfortable now. That\u2019s happening in our dental practices, too.<\/p>\n Every day, we see people who let a little bit of decay become a little bit more. The cavity that didn\u2019t hurt turned into cellulitis and a painful weekend. We understand the consequences during regular times. Naturally, many of us are concerned about what delayed dental care becomes during this unique stretch of history.<\/p>\n I suggested that Dr. J. run a quick report in his PMS to see how much unscheduled treatment sits in his charts. It\u2019s not an intuitive report in every software, but he looked and generated one.<\/p>\n I told him to sit down before he looked at the summary. He found high six-figures on the bottom line; almost every practice uncovers more than they expect.<\/p>\n Some of that unscheduled treatment tells the story of COVID-19. But it\u2019s also the story of every other year, too. We have patients that will eventually be in our chairs with a toothache because we didn\u2019t help them get the treatment they need.<\/p>\n We let them down.<\/p>\n That sounds a little harsh, but it\u2019s an insightful way for me to look at it as a dentist. I can do more to help my patients address the problems we\u2019ve already identified. We just need to help them fit it into their schedules, priorities, and budgets.<\/p>\n More so, I feel obligated to do so. And I need all the help I can get.<\/p>\n Legwork Treatment Opportunities <\/a>helps us serve our patients at the highest level, and our P&L statements thank us, too. This innovative tool quickly shows us which patients haven\u2019t scheduled yet, their last follow-up, and the benefits of completing treatment. Better yet, we can educate our patients on the value of the dentistry they need by linking to automated tools, like Legwork Campaigns <\/a>.<\/p>\n Many times, patients don\u2019t recognize why they need treatment when nothing hurts. When we bring their diagnosed care to the surface, we\u2019re able to help them get over the next hurdle\u2013scheduling.<\/p>\n Good dentistry isn\u2019t a one-stop proposition. Patients who show up for their diagnostic exams still have a long way to go. They need to understand, accept, schedule, pay, return, and remain advocates who leave reviews and refer their friends. A system for moving patients towards their care starts with constantly bringing their needs to the surface. Otherwise, busy lives and competing needs drown them out until pain or infection propels it to the forefront.<\/p>\n No one wins with that outcome.<\/p>\n Legwork Treatment Opportunities <\/a>may put more treatment in your chair than any marketing campaign for new patients. And our existing patients are just waiting for us to nudge them further along the journey.<\/p>\n As clinicians, we\u2019re most concerned about performing procedures. But our patients may be more concerned about paying for them. Well-defined financial policies help eliminate many misunderstandings, and online payment portals fit the modern consumer while increasing collections. A patient can pay their balance after a busy day at work by jumping on their phone. Otherwise, it\u2019s too easy to bury a paper statement on their desk.<\/p>\n Legwork Pay <\/a>gives consumers what they expect to find in a modern business. But it may also help patients stick around and complete more treatment. One study found that after a new visit to a physician, 80% of patients with portal accounts returned for a second <\/a>visit within 18 months. In comparison, patients without portal accounts returned only 67% of the time.<\/p>\n Generation X patients tend to be the most brand-loyal demographic. They\u2019re also a major contributor to practice revenue as they raise families and move through peak earning years. Everything we do to serve them better builds loyalty, and that\u2019s hard to replicate any other way. A simple feature like online bill payment or scheduling helps our businesses\u2019 efficiency, but it also helps patients perpetuate our brand.<\/p>\nThe Real Cost of Deferred, Forgotten Treatment<\/h2>\n
The Solution Is At Our Fingertips<\/h2>\n
One Key To Loyalty That We Often Overlook<\/h2>\n
Inspire Your Patients to Get Treatment<\/h2>\n