Episode 638: 2.0 Practices- Adjunct Services

A special treat of Brit and Dana for today’s consultant takeover! Once again, they’re giving tips on the most common questions they’re getting from dental practices these days. Today it’s how to add additional services successfully.

They talk about when the right time to add those services is, how to add them, what services practices are adding, and a ton more.

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Transcript:

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0:00:05.6 Kiera Dent: Hey, everyone. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you. Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental, and I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress and create A teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast.

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0:00:51.8 KD: Hello Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera, and you guys, you are in for the best treat of your life, consultant takeover. That's right. Get ready. They're dropping some dynamite. Our consulting team is incredible, guys, and we are so blessed and so fortunate to have them sharing tips and tricks with you today. And as always, thanks for listening, and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

0:01:14.3 Britt: Hello Dental A Team listeners. This is Britt and Dana's here with me, and you guys are here for Dental A Team consultant takeover where the consultants come in and we take over the podcast from Kiera and we take the mic and share tips and tricks from hundreds of offices nationwide that we consult in. So Dana, I'm excited to be here with you. How you doing?

0:01:38.3 Dana: I'm doing great. Thanks for having these consultant takeovers. They are always lots of fun.

0:01:43.5 Britt: It's always fun. We get to take it over, kick Kiera out of it, today, kick Tiff off of it, and we just get to hop in and talk about some awesome topics. So I agree, I think it's a good time. Always love being able to spend time with you in podcast and excited to be here with our awesome listeners. All right, well, let's hop into it. And Dana, I don't know about you but something I've been coming across lately in offices that I wanted to tackle today was adding additional services to the practice, which I think can go a couple directions. One, when do we know that we should add some additional services to the practice? And two, how do we add those additional services? So I don't know, what about you? What have you come across when it comes to finding that right time to add those services?

0:02:33.1 Dana: I think it is, one, noticing patterns. When we see that patients can benefit for something, we look at our patient base and constantly in exams we think, "Oh man, I have this patient that could really benefit from whatever service it is." And then also, too, if there's something that you just have a passion for, if there's a skillset that you just want to learn and grow because that will help you, love to do dentistry, enjoy being in your practice, enjoy taking care of your patients in a specific way, I also think those are avenues to dive into as well.

0:03:06.3 Britt: I hear it. I think that's awesome, for sure. Like what are the things that I feel like patients are coming to me for or asking about that I'm referring out somewhere else that potentially I could do? Agree with you on that one. And then I love that you said like what are the things you have a passion for? What do you enjoy? 'Cause anything you're gonna add to your practice when it comes to expanding, adding a new service, there's gonna be some energy involved in getting that up and running. You're gonna need to talk about it to a lot of patients to get it up and running. You're gonna need to work through the kinks, get it running really well within the practice. You can be really efficient with it. And if it's something you don't like to do, that's not gonna be fun.

0:03:47.9 Dana: Agreed. For sure, Britt.

0:03:49.9 Britt: And patients are gonna tell that it's not fun for you to do and then that doesn't really help us in the long run. So agreed. What do you have a passion for, what do you really enjoy, and getting it going. Some things that I've come across lately that people have been adding to their practices are things like building around implants, so oral surgery related things. Implants are big for people to do. All-on-X cases, so all-on-4, all-on-6, whatever you're doing. Those types of cases. I've seen more general dentists even doing some of those that they really enjoy. Cosmetic cases even, right? Really getting that dialed in, that's an additional service, not just doing your bread and butter, but doing more of those cosmetic cases. Invisalign, any sort of a aligner, clear aligner therapy, that's another one some doctors really enjoy. I'll put a plugin for that one on. If you've got the space and assistance with Invisalign, I'm like, "Oh, I just wanna see an assistant really right in that chair if you're gonna do it." So if you've got the space for it, that's a good one to do. What are some of the other things you've seen out there, Dana, that doctors have been adding?

0:05:01.2 Dana: Sleep, I've seen an increase in that. And then some hygiene, saliva testing, some like microbe stuff in a couple offices. And then I even have a couple offices looking at some more holistic options like ozone therapy, things like that. It fits their practice. Again, it's what drives them. They have a passion for it, so they look to those things too.

0:05:23.1 Britt: Yeah, those are some good ones for sure. Sleep is like the precipice of like everyone starting to do it. There's a lot of opportunity out there with it. So, again, if it's something you enjoy getting that incorporated into your practice, for sure. I think for doctors, if you haven't sat back and thought about like, "What do I enjoy doing that I would want to do more of?", or like, "What additional things do I want to learn?", then I think start of the year is a good time to go ahead and do that. To think about, what do I enjoy or what do I wanna learn about? Now, I've got some doctors out there who learn about a million different things and they love learning, which is awesome, and when it comes to actually implementing those things into their practice, that's where it's a little bit more of a struggle, right?

0:06:16.9 Dana: Yep. Absolutely. And I think that's great. Those forever learners, the forever students that continue their... And I think, too, if you have an interest in something, take that CE. Get out there, do some courses, really see if you actually do have a passion to bring it into your practice. So I think that that's great, to get out there and do the CE and learn about the things that you hope or are wanting to incorporate. Once we figure that out though, then implementation time. So looking at truly how are we going to implement it, bring it into our practice, how are we going to let patients know we now have it as part of our repertoire or our services? And really building those pieces out and thinking about them before D-day, right?

0:07:05.7 Britt: Yeah, for sure. So if you are that doctor goes out and takes a lot of courses, awesome. I don't wanna stop you and keep learning all the things. I think just choose wisely on what you really want to actually get implemented within the practice, and I highly recommend, choose one thing at a time that you get really good at. So if you're gonna implement aligners, great. Implement aligners, get that running before you go to implement the next thing, just so the team can get it down. We get to be really professionals at it. We get to be really efficient as well so that at the end of the day, we enjoy doing it and it feeds our bottom line. We're not wasting a lot of time on a lot of different things that we're not super efficient at.

0:07:48.3 Britt: We can get really good timing-wise really quick at those things so they are profitable for us. Absolutely. And when it goes to implementing, I'm big on, if you know there's gonna be something that you want to implement, whatever it may be, implants, laser, whatever it is you're gonna implement, have a team member who's gonna be a strong implement, like champion for that being with you. I'm big on that because it's gonna help you doctors that you're not the only one trying to push it along. You've got someone else to help you so we can actually make sure it happens and holding our doctors accountable to making sure it happens sometimes as well. That's what I think. What about you, Dana?

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0:08:34.1 KD: Hello Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera, and you guys, how was your 2022? I want you to look back and tell me was it the year of years or was it a really hard year? Did you crush it or did it crush you? This is the time, guys. For end of year, Dental A Team Platinum is welcoming you, where we will physically fly to your practice, we will come and we will elevate your dreams and make them into a reality. And guys, space is limited and prices are going up. This is not a sales pitch. This is not something where I'm trying to scare you into it. I'm just facing the reality of inflation is here, flights are expensive, and I want to see as many people as we possibly can and serve as many as we can. So if you wanna be part of our elite group of people, there are limited spaces 'cause our consultants can only see as many.

0:09:25.3 KD: We are taking on 10 new platinum offices by the end of the year and that's it. That's all we have space for. So if you wanna be one of the Elite 10, come join us. Be a part of our top-notch elite doctor community. Be a part of our office manager and hygiene and front office communities. Get your operations manual done and live the life that you have only been dreaming of today. Email me [email protected] and make 2023 truly a year that's unforgettable. We are a complete tax write-off, and like I said, we are only taking 10 offices. So don't get left behind. Be one of those 10, and I cannot wait to give you the biggest warmest welcome to completely and utterly changing your life for good. Welcome to the Dental A Team. I can't wait for you to join us, [email protected]. Cheers to 2023 and making you your best self yet.

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0:10:21.7 Dana: Yeah, I really agree. And I think too, kind of thinking and game planning and building out those team member pieces. So if we're bringing in sleep, let's make sure that our team is comfortable and confident in talking about it. If we're bringing in ortho, let's make sure that they are comfortable in talking about occlusion issues and things like that because they're going to be having a lot of the conversations. They're hopefully gonna be preheating a lot of the conversations. So making sure that while you've taken all the CE and you've gone out and you've gotten all the knowledge, we have to translate and give at least pieces of that to our team so that they're super confident and strong in it too.

0:10:55.7 Britt: 'Cause implementing anything, it's gonna take a lot of conversations. It's gonna take a lot of conversations with those patients to talk about that potential treatment, to start getting those cases coming in where they're accepting it. So agreed, team's gotta be on board, share that knowledge with them and really having someone who can drive it without you. That you get to like come in and say, "Great. Awesome. You guys have talked about that? Yep, I agree. That's a great course of treatment. Here's what we need to do next and make doctor's life easy, but the team can really set it up for you." For sure. So what are some other things, Dana, when it comes to getting to that implementation piece when a doctor's like, "Yep, I wanna add this additional service." Where do we go next other than having the team on board?

0:11:40.8 Dana: I think we need to have a way of coding it in our systems. So tracking and knowing how often we're doing this procedure. So if it isn't something... If it's something that we have to have a 999 code for, or we have to have just an internal code, making sure we have that created, the team knows what it is and they can utilize it. And then, two, if it is something that there's a fee associated with, it's assigning a fee. So looking at how much time it takes, what the materials are, what the technology is that we need for it, all of those pieces, making sure that we build our fee. And then, if it is pieces that we have to purchase, building that in. So we could say, "Hey, I really wanna implement ortho. I wanna get a scanner."

0:12:24.7 Dana: Scanners can be pretty expensive. So if we have to build that into our overhead for a couple months ahead of time, give yourself that date of, "Hey, I'd like to have a scanner by now. This is where I kind of have to fit it in," to be able to afford those expenses, to set yourself up to be able to implement it. Then I really think it is letting patients know that we offer this service. And even if we can choose strategically, think about how are we going to broach the topic with patients. If we are doing ortho, are we gonna have a smile reader? Are we gonna add something like that to our new patient paperwork if they're interested in it? Do they like the appearance of their smile? How are we going to broach those conversations? And sometimes if we have those little pieces in place, that makes it easier.

0:13:06.6 Britt: I agree, Dana. I think those are huge. So kind of what I'm hearing when it comes to this, once we've picked that additional service that we wanna implement, making sure the team understands the service so that they know how to talk about it, they know how to help us find those patients. We've got some way to find them, whether it's screening questions within a medical history or questions that our team are asking those patients to be able to screen for 'em, and then making sure we've got the steps worked out kind of from A to Z, right? So how are we gonna charge it out? What are all the supplies we need to be able to get what we need done? What are all the steps to that procedure from beginning to end so the team knows what needs to be done when? And then factoring in that cost piece, right?

0:13:50.6 Britt: Like what do we need to purchase? How can we plan for that purchase? And then I'll also say, when we're figuring out the steps and what to charge out and fees and everything, making sure it's a profitable addition to the practice. So, I'll tell you, somewhere I've personally learning experience gotten in hot water on are, as an office manager, starting to add in those All-on-X cases, if we're in network with insurance, that adds like another piece to it. What am I paying for my lab fee? How much money am I actually making off of this case? So take all those things into account when you're figuring out those fees so we make sure that at the end of the day we're not losing money on it, we're making money on it.

0:14:35.2 Dana: Yeah, for sure.

0:14:36.7 Britt: Okay, I like it guys. So doctors out there, this is the time. If you haven't added anything recently, if you haven't expanded your services, if you've thought about it but haven't taken any further steps, ask yourself some questions. One, what do you enjoy doing that you would want to do more of? That's question number one. And number two is, what do you wanna learn more about that you might wanna get into or at least learn a little more to see if it's something you wanna incorporate into your practice? So those are the first questions to ask if you haven't asked them recently. And then once you find those things that you wanna add to your practice, Dana had a good question too, like what does our patient need? That's another one that I forgot. What do our patients need that you might also enjoy doing that we could expand, learn about, be able to take care of that for them within the practice instead of having to refer them out?

0:15:31.4 Britt: And then once you've decided on something to incorporate into the practice, make sure you've got a plan for it. So make sure our team knows how to talk about it so that they can go out, find those cases for us, talk to our patients about it, make sure we've got some sort of screening tool, whether it's in medical history or team members asking questions. And then make sure we've got steps planned out, kind of A to Z, what are we gonna charge for it? What codes? What are the appointments gonna look like? What do we need in each of those appointments? And how do we wrap that up for the patient at the end as well? And always look at that profitability. So once we've got all those pieces figured out that we know how much time it's gonna take, we know what our cost is gonna be for the procedure, we know what we're gonna charge the patient, make sure it all adds up to where it is a profitable procedure for us. So those are kind of like our steps. Dana, anything else to add?

0:16:21.3 Dana: No, I think you nailed it. I love that A to Z prep, get yourself ready, get yourself prepared. Know what you're getting into as far as profitability. I love that piece too.

0:16:31.9 Britt: Yeah, 'cause when you know, when your team knows we've worked out all the details, then they can speak confidently to patients as well to, one, be able to speak confidently about what the steps are gonna be, what the patient can expect, and also to speak confidently about costs, which confidence is huge when it comes to being able to present those cases well and close those cases. So, yeah, this is a fun one. I always love, beginning of the year, learning, expanding new things. Always a fun topic to talk about, and guys, thanks for letting us take over the podcast today. So that wraps us up today for the Dental A Team Podcast consultant takeover. Let us know what you think. We love hearing from our listeners. So drop us a five star review or email us over at [email protected] with any comments or suggestions you've got for us on topics. And thanks so much for listening and we'll catch up next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

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0:17:23.5 KD: And that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.

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