422: This Verbiage Works EVERY SINGLE TIME

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: This is the BEST way to get your patient to say yes to fluoride! Kiera once again shares the best lingo for the job, but she first sets the stage by addressing two points:

1. Do you believe in fluoride?

2. Are you wary of the cost?

Now it’s time to hear what to say and how to say it. Listen to this episode to hear how, and know that offering fluoride is the most proactive thing you can EVER do for your patients!

(Not a fluoride believer? That’s okay, we still love you!)

Podcast 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 have 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, schedule filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of travelling consultants, where we have travelled 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.

0:00:50.1 KD: Hello, Dental A-Team listeners. This is Kiera, and you guys, happy, happy day to you. I don't know where you're at, I don't know what you're doing, but I hope today you just remember that it's a great day. It's a really, really great day, and I'm so happy that you're here joining us on the Dental A-Team podcast. Guys, if you have not done so, please go leave us a review, please do it. It will make my day, so thank you, and it's going to help way more offices and practices just like you be inspired, grow their practices. I can't tell you how many people, when they finally call us to become dental A-team clients, have said, "Kiera, I've listened to your podcast for years and I've implemented so many things. You've helped grow me so much for free." Guys, yes, these podcasts, I purposely made this podcast for you, to grow you, so leave a review, guys, tell us how much you love this podcast, because that way we're gonna help and find more offices just like you who need help, inspiration and guidance, and this podcast is created and designed for you for free. So go do it guys, I would love it and I appreciate it. For all of you who have left reviews, I'm giving you the biggest hug you've ever experienced and just telling you thank you so much. It means the world to me that you guys are here, that you're listening. Share this podcast with somebody who it can help them, inspire them.

0:02:01.6 KD: Alright guys, this is a podcast that I have gone over quite a few times, but hey, welcome to all of our new people. Some of you might not even know, so I wanna let you know any time you need a topic, any time you have a question, something, head on over to the dentalateam.com, click on our podcast tab, and there is a search box there. You can type in hygiene, and every single podcast I have ever created about hygiene will pull up for you. You can type in fluoride, any podcast that I've ever talked about with fluoride will come up for you. You can type in treatment or case acceptance, everything will come up for you. So many topics are there, so we try to make it really easy for you, because guess what, this is not in a specific order, and I purposely did that because I wanted to give you relevant podcasts when and where you need them. However, there's a lot of content in there guys that you could just go back in the archives, find them, share them, a lot of offices use these for meeting topics. I take dicey topics for you and I break it down, so if you want me to go over a meeting topic or you want help on anything, email us, [email protected]. I love to get topics from our listeners, so that way I'm making content that's relevant for you in your practice, and I'm happy to do so. So email us [email protected], I'd love to hear from you.

0:03:14.9 KD: So today's topic is one that I have done podcasts on before, but hey, why not bring it up again? It is on fluoride verbiage. That's right, guys. There's a really, really, really awesome podcast where me and [0:03:25.3] ____ a deep dive on how she was able to increase her fluoride acceptance. So I'm gonna give you guys a quick run through, don't worry, there's other ones, sometimes hearing it different ways can help you guys get the results you're looking for. So first and foremost, you gotta believe in fluoride. I know that there are some offices out there that do not believe in fluoride, and hey, hi five, I love you for being you and I do not judge you whatsoever. My belief is I really do love fluoride. You guys, as a kid, I took fluoride. I wish that I would have had a hygienist my entire life offer me fluoride. I didn't get a lot of cavities and I have very minimal plaque. Guess what? Fluoride for me, my opinion on it is that it is the best way that I can be proactive and preventative today. I can't go back in time, I'm 35, I cannot go back in time and re-apply fluoride and strengthen my teeth, I can do it today. So that's why I'm obsessed, obsessed with fluoride and night guards. You guys, my husband says if there's ever a fire, he is definitely taking his night guard before he's taking me. That's how much he loves his night guard. You better believe patients in my practice know I'm a huge proponent of fluoride and of night guards.

0:04:31.2 KD: So I'm gonna give you guys the verbiage for fluoride. So that's why I say number one, you gotta believe in fluoride, that's where it starts, is do you believe in fluoride and do you think that it's the most proactive and preventative thing you can do? If so, rock on, keep listening. If not, hey, you can still keep listening. Sometimes hearing other people's opinions might change your opinion, and that's okay, I'm also happy to hear your side of it. I am all about learning and growing and realising this is what I know today, and in the future it might change, and I might change my opinion on things, and you might too. So have an open mind, be open to becoming the best version of you, and I really do love to hear opposing opinions to me because it helps me just be a better person. So with fluoride, if you're a believer in it, fantastic.

0:05:12.2 KD: The second thing is a lot of people are like, "Well, Kiera, it's a lot of money out of pocket." Let's just talk about this. Number one, if I could be proactive and preventative on my teeth, I don't think you could really put a price tag on that. I probably would be willing to pay $100 to $500 every single six months if I knew it would protect my teeth, and I would probably not get cavities, I'd be able to maintain them longer, because my driving forces are cosmetics, I like the way they look, and longevity. That's what drives me. That's what drives me. So, I mean, I might even be willing to pay up to $1,000 because I wanna protect and preserve my teeth. I get one set of teeth. So I think the most I've ever heard of fluoride being charged is $65 per application. I think the least amount is like 15 bucks.

0:05:56.6 KD: I am not here to judge, to tell you what to do, I'm literally here as just a person to give you some ideas on how you can implement it in your practice. I don't really care what you charge for fluoride, I don't. Whatever is reasonable and fair to your patients is what I recommend that you do. Whatever feels right to you in your practice and in your area is what I recommend you charge. But just know, I think the most expensive fluoride application I heard was $65, the cheapest, like I said, I think was $10 or $15. So see where your range is at. Again, I'm not here to judge, I don't honestly care what you charge, I just think we need to realise that's dirt cheap to be proactive and preventative. If I just told you I was willing to pay $100 to $500 to even $1,000 to be proactive and preventative on my teeth, something I can never go back in time for, we gotta realise that's a huge benefit that we're doing for our patients.

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0:06:47.5 KD: Are you guys sick of trying to figure it out on your own? I know I am. When I'm trying to run a business, sometimes I just think, "There's got to be a better way to do this." And so for me, my answer has been to find someone who's done it and does it really, really, really well, like I'm talking the best of the best of the best. I want someone who's been in my shoes, somebody who understands what I'm going through. When I was looking for the consulting business, I found a coach who literally has run a consulting business. Well, that seemed like the perfect fit. So you guys, right now, we have a few spaces open in our Platinum consulting. That is in the consulting where we actually come to your practice. We help you get systems implemented. We don't just tell you a system to implement, we actually implement them with you and for you. You guys, it is one of the best investments I have ever made is to hire a coach who understands the business I'm in, who's lived it, who's done it. And that's what we in the Dental A-Team do. We literally physically fly to you. So if you're sick of trying to figure it out on your own, if you just want somebody who understands you, join our Platinum. I'd love to have you, I'd love to have our consulting team come out and see you, be in your office, be with your team and truly help you get on to the easy path of dentistry. It doesn't have to be hard. So join us in the Platinum, we'd love to have you.

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0:08:07.9 KD: So that's a second hurdle. So number one is do you believe in fluoride? Number two is recognising that this is a huge, huge, huge advantage and benefit you're doing for your patients. When you can see it like that, it's no longer about money. I do not care if insurance covers it or not, because think about how much you guys spend on Starbucks every single day. Think about how much those patients are spending on Starbucks. Let's just say, okay, this isn't even real, but let's say you're spending $5 and we're not even doing it all five days of the week, you're doing it three days a week, that's $15. In three weeks, their fluoride at $45 is covered. They're spending that money anyway. It's just a matter of do they see the benefit of it, and are you presenting the value of this fluoride to them? So that's the next piece. Fluoride being covered by insurance or not being covered to me really is irrelevant. Why does it matter? You guys know, and if you don't know, you should know that insurance is literally just a coupon. If we allowed insurance to dictate, we would all have amalgams and our teeth extracted. To me, that's not ideal, they haven't updated it for about a thousand years [chuckle] in my opinion. Insurances are not there to benefit or to help us. They're a coupon, that's all they are, so it's maximise those coupon benefits, but let's make sure our patients are also getting the best benefits now and today for the long term of their teeth.

0:09:28.1 KD: So with fluoride, the best verbiage I have ever heard, and I will say it again and again and again and again and again and again and again, because it works and it works every single time, you gotta have... The rules are you've gotta have at least two flavours of fluoride. So for me, it's usually mint or caramel, because I think bubblegum is disgusting, ugh. All you bubblegum lovers, email me, please do, [email protected]. I wanna know if you love bubblegum, 'cause I think it is so gross. [chuckle] I just wanna know who out there loves bubblegum because it'll make me really happy to hear from you as well.

0:10:00.5 KD: So with that, typically, you gotta have two flavours, and the best verbiage is, I assume that every patient wants to do fluoride. Why would I not assume that when I believe it's the best proactive and preventative care? So many hygienists tell me, "Kiera, it doesn't work because patients say no to me." And I will say to you, how do you say it? Because the way you say it to a patient is probably the number one predictor of if they're going to say yes to you or not. Words create worlds, guys. I can come up to you and say, "Hey, do you wanna get a shot?" You're gonna say, "No, I don't want a shot." If I were to say, "Hey, do you wanna get your entire smile redone and have it be the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen?" You'd say, "Heck, yeah." Well, guess what? You gotta get a shot to get that done. So the way I present it to you is the way that it's probably going to result in either a yes or a no. And again, that does not mean that I'm being manipulative or that I'm changing things on you or anything like that. What I'm doing is I'm presenting it in a way to make it easier for you to say yes. I'm presenting it in a way that's going to lead me to more yeses, because I don't like people to say no, but I wanna do it in a way that you feel really great about as well.

0:11:02.7 KD: So with that said, my favourite way that I've ever heard is, I have, number one, the fluoride varnish out on your tray. Get it on the tray, 'cause if you think every patient's gonna do it, guess what you're probably going to do? You're probably going to have it on your tray, yes or no? So that's what you've gotta do is have it on your tray. That way you're ready to go. It's not even a question of are we doing it or not? My favourite verbiage is, as the final part of your treatment, I recommend a fluoride varnish. You guys can tie it into whatever it is, you have cavities, you don't. Guys, even if they don't have cavities, I truly believe it's the most proactive and preventative thing you can ever do for a patient. I wish hygienists would have offered it to me.

0:11:41.0 KD: Your job, in my opinion, as a healthcare provider, is to offer it to me, then let me make the decision, but make sure you offer it to me in a way that I actually wanna say yes to, not in a way that doesn't sound very great, right? Do you wanna get a shot? No, thank you. Do you wanna change your whole life? Yes, I do. Okay, great. Two different ways, same result. So with that said, I recommend a fluoride varnish, it's $35 out of pocket. Notice I just go for the full shebang, the full fee. I don't care if insurance covers it or if insurance doesn't. It does not matter to me, 'cause guess what? Best-case scenario is, insurance covers it and they get a $35 reimbursement. Awesome, that's such a great day. Worst-case scenario is they don't cover it and they already are not frustrated with me because I've set a clear expectation for them that this fluoride is going to cost $35 out of pocket. So I say, "Alright, Kiera, as a final part of your treatment, I recommend a fluoride varnish, $35 out of pocket, and I have bubblegum or mint, which do you prefer?" I'm definitely gonna choose mint. I'm not gonna even question you because I'm like, "Yeah, let's do it, it's 35 bucks out of pocket." Now, people who don't wanna do it, they'll say, "No thank you, I'm good." But most people are going to say, "Okay, great, I'll do mint," or, "I'll do bubble gum." If they're weird, they'll say bubblegum. I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding [chuckle] But that's all you gotta say.

0:13:00.7 KD: Don't say... These are the ones to not say, "Hey, Kiera, do you wanna get a fluoride varnish today?" No, thank you. "Hey, Kiera, do you want fluoride today?" No, thank you. "Hey, Kiera... " And it's not because I actually don't want it. It's just the way that you're saying it to me. You guys, when I walk into that dental practice, I don't wanna be at the dental office, even to this day, and I work in dental practices, guys. I don't wanna be there. I don't want you judging me, I hate the sound of a scaler on my teeth, it gives me the worst chills. It's like worse than eating Lucky Charms marshmallows 'cause those give me the worst chills, guys. That's like the scraping on my teeth, oh my gosh, that's why I could never be a hygienist, I could not handle it. It gave me the worst heebie-jeebies, okay? I don't even enjoy going to the dentist myself, and I work with dental practices all the time.

0:13:46.1 KD: So you better believe when I walk through that door, everything I wanna say to you is, "No, no, I don't wanna be here. No, I don't want a shot. No, I don't want you to work on my mouth more." So it's just auto-pilot. So if you say, "Hey Kiera, do you wanna do this?" No, I'm on auto-pilot, I'm not even thinking. "Hey, Kiera, let's get this fluoride varnish done, it's $35 out of pocket, and I've got bubblegum or mint, which do you prefer?" "Okay, let's do a bubblegum." You just shook up my world and asked it to me in a different way, so I got out of auto-pilot and I answered you with, "Yep, let's do bubblegum." If I don't want to do it, I will promise you, I will tell you no. "Hey, I'm actually good. Thanks so much for offering though." They will say... So you're not forcing them, you're not pushing it upon them, I promise you it works.

0:14:26.9 KD: Same thing with treatment planning, goes into treatment planning, it's the same mindset, "Hey, let's get you scheduled for that treatment. I've got Monday or Wednesday, which works best for you?" I'm assuming that they wanna say yes. I promise you guys, if they don't want to, they will say no to you, I promise you. So try it out. Doctors, back up your hygienists, have that fluoride on the tray. At the end of your exam say, "Awesome, Kiera's gonna take great care of you, she's gonna do a fluoride varnish, and I can't wait to see you back in six months," or, "I can't wait to see you back for your fillings." I don't care what it is, but doctors, you can really help as well. If you do go in at the end of the exam, which I don't always recommend, 'cause we don't like to keep our hygienists waiting, but if you do, some of my doctors even just paint that fluoride right on for the patient. I have a doctor in California and she's like, "It's not even a question for me, all of my patients get fluoride." So it depends on what you wanna do, but those are a lot of different ways that you guys can help your patients, and one of, my opinion, the most proactive and preventative ways you could ever help them.

0:15:22.6 KD: I wish with all of my heart that I would have had a hygienist all growing up offer me fluoride. I wish they would have. I cannot go back in time and I cannot get that fluoride put back on my teeth, I can't, so I've gotta go for today. Still today, people don't offer me fluoride, and I'm like, "You guys, I'm literally a walking magnet for fluoride. If you literally just asked me, I would say yes." But so many times the opportunity is missed because they don't ask me. So many times we miss opportunities because of how we ask, so I'm gonna challenge you guys, step it up, try it out, have a fluoride challenge in your practice to see how many patients you guys are able to help, tally it up over the next six weeks. I promise you, with this verbiage you will see an increase in it. Make it awesome for your patients, get a couple different flavours. You guys can email us, [email protected], we've got a couple of companies that we really love for fluoride, you guys have them, this is your world, but at the end of the day, don't pre-assess what you think that your patient wants, ask them. Give them the opportunity, and make sure when you do ask them that your question actually counts versus not counting. I promise you you're gonna be able to do a lot of good for your patients.

0:16:28.6 KD: And if you're not a fluoride believer, hey, rock on, you're doing a lot of great for your patients in other ways, and I'm super proud of you as well. So guys, keep me posted, let's do a fluoride challenge, I would love to hear from you. Email us, [email protected], keep me posted. I'd love to hear from you. And as always guys, thanks so much for listening, I'll catch you next time on the Dental A-Team podcast.

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0:16:50.3 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.