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CDEN0310

I 09 special _ practice management I cosmeticdentistry 3_2010 here with us, or if there are financial issues I need to consider when planning your care. I want to reas- sure you that I am very good at helping patients fit their dentistry into what is going on in their life.” Whether you are using an indirect fit-chat or a direct approach to discovering fit issues, an ab- soluteprerequisitetoacomfortableconversationis for you to have a connected communication style. This means you hold good eye contact, listen care- fully and patiently; you maintain a conversational tone of voice and your speaking rate is relaxed. Be sure to pause long enough to let what you are saying sink in. If you attempt to use a direct approach to fit issues but have a disconnected style (do not look the patient in the eye, speak too quickly, do not listen attentively), your conversation may be per- ceived as being inappropriate, unprofessional and seeking to diagnose their pocketbook sneakily. _Advocacy Advocacyistheexperienceofpatientswhenthey realise that you are guiding them towards and not selling them into dental health. To be an advocate is to be a guide. To guide patients into complex care effectively you need to take the fit circumstances of their life into account and help them find a way tofixtheirteethinlightofthosecircumstances.This may mean fixing their teeth now, later, or over time. Here is something you say that propels the ad- vocacy experience. It occurs after the examination, but before any detailed conversation about clinical findings. Here is where you link the fit issues you discovered to your clinical findings. “Kevin, now that I have looked at your teeth, I know I can help you. We treat many patients like you with partial dentures that do not work well. IknowIcanhelp.WhatIdonotknowiswhetherthis is the right time for you. You mentioned you travel a lot and your company is in the middle of a big reorganisation.Doyougoaheadwithyourtreatment now?Dowewaituntillater?Ordowedoitovertime? HelpmeunderstandhowIcanbestfityourtreatment into everything that is going on in your life.” This advocacy statement leads to a conversa- tion about the patient’s fit issues. This conversation reveals what treatment fits and what does not. You will find that this approach results in many com- plex-care patients doing their treatment over time, allowingthemtostaywithinthelimitationsoftheir fit issues. This is a good thing. I would rather treat two patients for US$5,000 each than no patients for US$10,000. It also yields lifetime patients for you. Patients will exhibit fierce loyalty to you when they experience advocacy. _The decision to educate The decision when to educate and when to ad- vocate is situational. Figure 3 demonstrates that theimpactofpatienteducationoncaseacceptance is highest when the complexity of the care (and its associated fee) is minimal. Patient education is the driver of case acceptance when a patient’s condi- tionsandfeesareminimal.However,whenthecom- plexity of care increases, the role of advocacy takes over.Advocacyisthedriverofcaseacceptancewhen the patient’s conditions are complex and fees are high.CopyFigure3andkeepitinareawhereyouwill seeifoften.Then,rightbeforeyougointocasepres- entation,lookatitandaskyourself:doesthispatient neededucationoradvocacy?Letthesituationguide you. When you do, you will discover how to keep from educating your patients out the door._ Dr Paul Homoly is a world-class leader in dental education. As a comprehensive,restorative dentist and acclaimed educator for over 25 years,he is known for his innovative and practical approach to dentistry.Dr Homoly is now offering YES! On-Line as the solution for dentists and their teams to excel at case acceptance.This on-line, seven-module curriculum,which is supported by a matching set of DVDs,takes your dental team step-by-step through the essential dental team-patient conversations, and has proven successful for over 30 years. Distinguished by his focus on outcomes,Dr Homoly is legendary for his ability to teach and lead in a practical and engaging manner.For more information,visit www.paulhomoly.com or call Homoly Communications at +1 800 294 9370. cosmeticdentistry _about the author Fig. 3