Episode 810: A Hot Topic for Practices

Did you know: presenting treatment plans is 80% psychology and 20% skill? In this episode, Kiera talks through the Dental A-Team tried and true method of treatment plans, both the psychology and skill aspects.

Episode resources:

Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:00.918)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kira, and I hope today's a great day for you. I hope you know that you are truly loved. It's so fun for me to be on this podcast journey with you, for you to be a part of our Dental A Team podcast family, because the reality is, you guys, I just love and adore each of you. I might not know you personally, but I want you to know that I love and adore you as a person. I love and adore you as...

is just you're needed in this world. You specifically are needed. And I don't know who on this podcast needed to hear that today, but I want you to know that I just love you and that you're doing better than you think you are. And this world needs you. I think I'm just very aware, I would say, is probably a good word of the hardships a lot of people are going through. I used to think that, I don't know, 50, 60, 70 years ago, I think the hardship was probably

financial, I'm not saying it's not there today, but I think a lot of things have become easier for us in our world today. And what I don't think is easy is the mental demons that we all face, the chitter chatter inside that tells us that we're not enough, that we're not needed, that we don't need to be here, that the world would be a better place if we weren't here. And I wanna tell you that that's just a bold face lie and it's not true. And that we need you, I need you, that I'm rooting for you and you don't need to do this alone. So if I can ever help you.

mentally or professionally, I'm here for you. So reach out hello at thedentaleateam.com. I'd love to be that person for you and to help you and just to be there with you. So today I wanted to dive into treatment planning. I feel like treatment planning has been a hot topic. It's something I love. It's something that I wanna share with you guys. And let's just kind of go through treatment planning step by step by step. Before we get started, I just wanna say thank you for those of you who have made Dental E Team.

one of the top dental podcasts in the entire globe. So please keep sharing with your friends, keep tagging us, go leave that review, tell us how much you love it because honestly I read them and I feel like those are your love notes to me. And just telling me how this podcast has helped shape your life. That gives me the motivation to continue to produce this podcast, to continue to share tips with you guys for free. So please do me a favor and if this podcast has blessed your life, if it's given you a tip, please go leave that review.

Kiera Dent (02:17.506)

today and share this with someone, that would just mean the world to me. All right, so treatment planning, step by step by step, how do we present a treatment plan? So I'm just gonna go through what I coach a lot of people on, that way you guys have it, it's a step by step for you. And really the number one thing you've gotta remember with treatment planning is 80% psychology and 20% skill. That's it, that's all it is. 80% psychology and what you're thinking about and what your mindset is and 20% skill. So.

To give you guys some quick tips on what is your psychology already, I just want you to answer a couple of questions. Doctors play along, office managers play along, all team members play along, it's for all of you. Because treatment planning is a full team effort, it's not just a one person effort. So my question is, what is a large treatment plan to you? What's the dollar amount of it? I don't wanna know procedures, I just wanna know the dollar amount. Is it 500, 5,000, 1,000, 1,200, 50,000? What's your number?

All right, everyone get their number. And then I wanna ask you, why is that a big number? Why? Why does that scare you? Because I believe that there are actually no big treatment plans. There are just treatment plans. And what I found is when we can eliminate that stressful, this is a large treatment plan or this is a big number, it actually takes that emotion out of there. Then it doesn't feel scary. Just like, oh, this is such a big presentation. We psych ourselves out on it, wouldn't know.

It's just a presentation. It's just another person. We don't have to create it to be scarier than it really is. It's just a treatment plan. And I want you to remember, people came to the dentist because they want dentistry done. People came to the dentist because they want dentistry done. Yeah, they want a healthy mouth. That's why they're at the dental office. And when you can realize that, you can actually do a lot of good.

We don't have to be afraid. We don't have to feel like, oh, we're embarrassing them. Guess what? People's mouths did not get to where they were overnight. It was a journey for them, and it might be a journey for them to get healthy again. And both are good. Both are totally normal. And so I want you guys to remember that. So when we can think about that, one, it's just a treatment plan. Two, people are at the dentist because they want to get dentistry done. And three, you didn't cause these problems. You're just there to help them find the solution. I believe that there is always a solution and I'm going to find it.

Kiera Dent (04:38.574)

and I'm gonna do it with the patient. It's not just me, they're in this. Why do I have to solve their problems? They're in it with me. So my mantra, before I even go into it, remember it's 80% psychology and 20% skill. They are not, your patients are not buying a crown or a filling or a root canal or an SRP. They're buying a feeling and they're buying an emotion. They're buying the confidence to smile again. They're buying the confidence to eat. They're buying the confidence to be healthy. They're buying the opportunity to be able to.

smile with confidence, to be able to, you know, walk up to someone and be able to get a date, to be able to eat the foods that they've always wanted to eat. That's what people are buying. They're not buying the crown. They're not buying the SRP. They're buying those experiences and emotions. And when you can realize that that's what they're buying, fan-freaking-tastic, guess what? We can go for that. So number one is what do you think about when you go into it? There are no big treatment plans or just treatment plans. It's not your problem to solve.

and there's always a solution, let's find it. Okay, so I think about that before I go in. Then when we go in, we wanna make sure it's a comprehensive treatment plan. So doctors, please do us all a favor. And when you do a treatment plan, by all means comprehensively treatment plan, but give them a starting place. And you guys have heard me talk about it. If you're new to the podcast, welcome. It's the NDTR or the neuter or the never date the rookie or whatever you wanna remember this, NDTR handoff. Doctors, we need this from you. It's gonna be the next visit.

the date to return, so a week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, then we need to know, that's N, D, T, how much time is this procedure going to take, and R is are they scheduled for their recall. If you can get those four things in your handoff, we eliminate a ton of the objections. They wanna know how much time is it gonna take to have to take a whole day off of work? They wanna know when do they need to come back? Is this super serious or can I wait for like the next five years? And we need to know like where exactly are we starting?

because so many cases don't get accepted, not because patients don't want to, but because we've made them actually confused. Complexity is the enemy of execution. Confusion is the enemy of execution. If you don't know where you're supposed to go or what you're supposed to do, some people will still go along with it, but a lot of people will be like, whoa, I need more information. This is too hard. I'm just going to walk away from it. So you've got to also make it really easy for them to say yes. I love, love patient drivers.

Kiera Dent (07:00.682)

There's some other podcasts, we'll link it for you guys about patient drivers. Also, if you ever, ever want to know any podcast, I mean, we have like 800, go onto thedentalleteam.com, click on podcast and search any topic. Every podcast I've ever done will pull up for you guys. So go back to the patient drivers and most patients are driven by either cosmetic, longevity, function or cost. And you can actually ask your patient, which one do they care about the most for their dental needs and for the health of their mouth? Is it function?

Longevity, cosmetic or cost? Ask them that and then use that as leverage when you're presenting a treatment plan. If I know you care about cosmetics, or I know you care about longevity, or I know you care about cost, it does not matter what it is, I can tie all of that to your treatment plan. So we wanna tailor our treatment plans to our patient. For me, everyone says yes to Kira. I don't have people say no to me. Because why? They're at the dentist, they want treatment done, and my job's to help them say yes.

That is literally my job as a treatment coordinator. Doctors, your job is to diagnose. Clinical team, your job is to have great handoffs to help schedule them. And then it is literally my job to help them say yes to treatment. Why on earth would I let patients leave when they've got active decay sitting in their mouth? Why? We wouldn't. That just seems ludicrous to me. We would not do that. And so please just know, it's like your moral and ethical obligation to help these patients if they have treatment diagnosed to help them say yes.

So we're gonna go forward and what I love to do then is I always love to schedule first. Schedule the appointment first, why? Because that commits them to treatment. It's not giving them the option of are we doing treatment or are we not doing treatment? No, we're doing treatment and doctor is busy and I'm gonna get you in their books and then we're gonna discuss costs for you. And it's not a question of are we doing treatment or not, it's how do you wanna pay for this? That's it. I found that the more simple you can make it and the easier you can do, the better off it'll be.

So many treatment coordinators that I listen to ramble. So watch yourself, record yourself, listen to a back. Are you rambling? Are you creating problems that they didn't think that they have? Doctors, are you doing the same thing? Are we saying, well, you know, I know cost might be an issue. If they didn't tell you cost was an issue, do not ever say those words. If they didn't tell you time was an issue, do not say those words. If they didn't tell you that pain was an issue, do not say those words. We plant little seeds without realizing we're planting seeds and then we're like, why aren't they closing cases?

Kiera Dent (09:21.71)

because you basically told them not to close the case. So be super careful of the seeds you're planting when you're presenting a treatment plan. So I always love schedule first. You might feel like, Keira, that's so weird. Yes, it is different. Schedule first, because that way I'm putting, for me, I always assume every patient wants to say yes to me. If you're not assuming that they wanna say yes to you, then you're assuming they don't. Both are right. But what outcome do you want?

For me, I do not want an outcome that people do not say yes to me in treatment. I want an outcome that every person says yes to me and I help all patients get healthy. That's my outcome. So I'm gonna assume that you want to get treatment done. I'm gonna assume that you're going to move forward with this treatment. Why would I assume otherwise? You're at the dental office, let's assume that. So then from there, I schedule them. Then I present the treatment plan. Now, if for three seconds, you even think that insurance is an issue, stop right now. And I'm just going to teach you that insurance is a coupon and it is not.

what directs treatment. If you are struggling with insurance, it is only because you are scared of the numbers, truly. So you're trying to like soften the blow like, oh, you know, we have insurance over here and you know, insurance should help you and if it's max, we can wait till next year. You're scared of the number, face that, realize that it's just a number. And guess what? People always pay for what they believe in. People pay for Starbucks. People pay for Uber Eats. People have a lot of things that they pay for.

video games, going out to eat, going on vacations. People have money for what they believe in. So if someone tells you they don't have money, I say, yeah, right. Every person has a way to make money. Please tell me, can you go do Uber Eats? Can you go drive Uber? Can you rent your house on Airbnb? Can you sell the junk in your house on Facebook Marketplace? The answer is yes, money is all around us. So when people tell you that and for yourself, check that limiting belief and see where it's at because you're limiting belief.

is driving your patients limiting beliefs. Oh, Kira's dropping some truth bombs today. Your limiting beliefs are just reflecting back in your patients. Your patients are a mirror to you. So whatever they're saying back to you is a mirror of what you believe inside yourself. And you can choose to believe me or not. And you guys, I'm a dang good treatment coordinator and I can close case after case after case, which is why I'm telling you exactly how to do it. Your patients are reflecting back to you, doctors, OMS, TC schedulers of what you believe. If you think it's hard to schedule, then your patients will think it's hard to schedule.

Kiera Dent (11:47.05)

If you think insurance should be the driver of your treatment plans, your patients will think it's the driver of their treatment plans. For me, insurance is simply a coupon. And guess what? I'm gonna maximize that. I also want you to always present your treatment plan. Of that doctor is the greatest doctor and they're on the winning team. So I tell my patients like, oh my gosh, I'm so glad you got to be with Dr. Smiles. Dr. Smiles is truly the best dentist and you are so lucky. They're gonna take such great care of you. And I know you're gonna get healthy and it's gonna be so wonderful.

So let's get you scheduled. I have Monday or Wednesday at three o'clock, which works best for you. Perfect, so the treatment that Dr. Smiles recommended for you is a crown, a buildup, and then we're also gonna do that deep clean with you. We'll get it done same day, easy peasy, lemon squeezy. So the total for that is going to be here. Insurance is estimated for this portion. This will be your total out of pocket when I see you on Wednesday at four o'clock. What questions do you have for me? Kara, I don't think I can afford that.

Fantastic, thank you so much for telling me. I really appreciate that. Let's find some solutions for you. Do you have savings set up for this? Or do you prefer third party financing? Let's get you, let's check in with Care Credit. I've got Care Credit and Lending Tree. Let's just find out what you're approved for and then we can figure out that solution there. I'm going to apply with you right here today and let's see, so we have the answers and then we can find a solution that works for you. Literally so many people don't get closes because we're like, oh, just take this pack at home.

Guys, make it easy for them. Help them apply for it. Help them figure out what they're, because if they don't get qualified for the third party financing, guess what? That's a roadblock. Our job is to take away those roadblocks. Let's go through the financing. Let's see if you qualify for it. If not, then let's find another solution. Do we have family members? Do we have savings? Do we have a 401k that we could draw on? Could we go get a loan from our bank? You deserve to have a healthy mouth. You deserve.

to be able to smile with confidence. Like you deserve to get these things done. So let's find a way to do that. It might take them a while to get the treatment done and that's okay. Our job is not to dictate that. Our job is to find a way to help them say yes. And so many people don't do that. But doctors giving that perfect NDTR, team members handing it off exactly what the doctor said. This is Kira, she needs to come back in two weeks for the crown, the buildup and the deep clean.

Kiera Dent (14:04.15)

Doctor needs about an hour and a half for that treatment and she's already got her next cleaning scheduled. Boom, boom, all of us taking care of. Perfect handoffs, then we pick it up. It's a baton that's passing from every single team member. Hygienist, you should be the first person to talk to your patients about it. Doctor should be the second opinion on treatment planning. Clinical team members, if you see something, you're not diagnosing, but you're teeing it up so that way doctors are the second opinion. People feel more confident when they see it as the second opinion. Use AI if you're not confident.

but we've got to do comprehensive treatment plans. And we've also got to not be afraid to diagnose what's there and then find a solution for our patients. I do not like lots of options for financing options. It's too confusing for me as a treatment coordinator and for a patient. So I have my one or two options for them. I ask them about savings. I talk to them about family members. And then if it's like, no, I say, fantastic. John, let's talk about this.

We have this treatment. What questions do you have about the treatment? Because I want you to be rock solid on this treatment moving forward. What questions do you have about it? Right there, notice I'm always using the phrase, what questions? I don't ask, do you have questions? They're going to tell me no, and I never wanna be told no. So what questions do you have? I want you to be rock solid confident on moving forward with this. What questions do you have? If they tell you it's a spouse, if they tell you it's money, if they tell you any objection, just realize you don't know what's really going on.

and you haven't gotten to the root of it because people will always pay for things 90% of the time. There's a 10% objection. Like I understand there are some people that truly do need to get permission from their spouses. There are some people who truly do have that, but that's like 10%. The rest of the 90% will pay for things right then and there if they believe in it. You've got to do a little more digging. What questions do you have for me? I want you to be rock solid confident. And then I listen and I don't plant seeds. I don't say, hey, what questions do you have about financing?

I say, what questions do you have? I want you to be rock solid confident. Guys, if you will just take one or two or three of these ideas, your case acceptance will increase. And why do I spend the time teaching you how to do this? Cause I believe if your dentist is the best dentist and doctors, if you're the best doctor, we all have an obligation to help those patients have healthy mouths. That's our job. We're providers, we're clinicians. Our job is to help patients get healthy. That's what we're paid to do.

Kiera Dent (16:27.05)

is to help them have healthy mouths and to live for a long time and to be able to eat and smile and have the quality of life that only our mouths can do for us. So try it out, take one. I have so many offices where I literally will coach this every other week. I listen back to their treatment plans. I listen back to their presentations. I listen back to how we're presenting it. I listen to doctor's exams. I can do this virtually or in person. And it is something that is so crazy because if you're open to changing and you're open to like,

It doesn't matter, there are no failures, there are just results. If you're not closing cases and if we're not diagnosing enough, guess what, it doesn't matter. We're failing and let's find a way to make that better. Like I said, there are no failures, there are just results. And if our results are not what we want them to be, we need to improve that. So for all of you, please take the challenge on. Take one or two of these. You are committed, you have a job to do to help patients say yes. Reach out if I can help, reach out if our team can help train your team.

So many offices use this for us. Cause guess what doctors, you weren't trained this. It's psychology. This isn't something that just happens. This is coming from years and years and years of practice and training and trying and coaching hundreds of offices and looking at it. That's where I get all this knowledge. And I know it works. And I've seen case acceptance increase. I've seen case acceptance radically increase. And I want to do that for your practice. So reach out hello at thedentalateam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental Elite Team podcast.