Sales is a Team Effort

This coming year we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of CEREC. The technology has been studied, debated, and ultimately proven successful. In 25 years thousands of doctors have placed millions of CEREC restorations worldwide. However, in just the last 5 years CEREC technology has begun to penetrate the mainstream market and capture the attention of the consumer public. Improved marketing efforts, software developments, stronger materials, and superior esthetics have increased the awareness and popularity of CEREC technology. We are now experiencing the most exciting advancements in CAD CAM systems and restorative options. Complimenting technologies are now able to offer dentists more accurate and convenient procedure options.

Most doctors identify chairside CAD/CAM systems as a way to decrease lab costs. However, further examination of the technology reveals multiple benefits beyond lab savings. CEREC allows dentists to treatment plan a wide array of options for patients while streamlining their practice and marketing a significant convenience option.

Bonded ceramics give doctors the ability to produce conservative partial coverage restorations while yielding a higher fee for service. Multi-surface resins are not ideal long-term solutions. They can be a challenge to fabricate, produce inconsistent occlusal relationships, and generate nominal revenue. CEREC inlays and onlays allow the doctor to offer superior restorative options while easily fabricating and controlling the final product. An equal amount of doctor time is required for both procedures if the dentist can delegate a portion of the CEREC procedure to his support team. However, CEREC inlays and onlays produce 2 to 5 times the amount of revenue over composite fillings.

Patient acceptance of the prescribed treatment plan begins well before the doctor ever enters the operatory. Diagnosis should be initially made by your hygiene team. After the initial diagnosis, your hygienist should inform the patient using a high resolution intra-oral camera like Digital Doc in combination with a patient education system like the materials found in the Computer Assisted Dentistry Marketing Package. Upon completion of proper patient education your hygienist should present CEREC as an exciting option with superior results. The dentist’s role is to support the findings of your qualified hygiene department at this point. You should always educate your patients using terms that start with, “Our goal is to save as much of your tooth as possible. CEREC is the best option for the most permanent result.” The rest of your team should be reinforcing this language throughout the office. Your patient should always be escorted to the front and a proper hand-off executed from your assistant or hygienist to the front office team. “Mr. Jones needs a CEREC restoration on tooth #19. Can you please help him schedule this appointment. Mr. Jones, Rebecca will help you with any further questions. I look forward to seeing you again during your next appointment.” Now your front office team should always stand up during this hand-off and confirm that the patient has made a wonderful decision and they will love their new CEREC restoration. If the patient is left to see themselves to the front then they will not value the prescribed treatment plan and not follow through. Medical procedures are not presented as optional and neither should dental care.

Effective scheduling should be a focus of every dental practice. No shows, late patients, and gaps in the schedule are all a form of overhead and help to decrease profit potential. CEREC not only allows you to market a significant difference in your practice but also eliminates most of the aforementioned revenue decreasing issues. Single visit dentistry with CEREC allows doctors to clean up scheduling and capitalize immediately on procedures that maybe forced to wait under traditional restorative dentistry. Educated patients make educated decisions, but the longer they are forced to wait the more likely they are to devalue the procedure and put off the prescribed treatment plan.

Many doctors have discovered the full capabilities of CEREC. Scheduled effectively and delegated appropriately, practices can reach new levels of production. Wiltrace has shown offices around the country how to realize a 10 unit CEREC day. Creating systems that provide consistent results and establishing defined roles for each team member is the key to achieving these record production numbers. CEREC can create a model of efficiency and convenience for every dental practice.

Scheduling like procedures in a single day is a very effective way to control your time and maximize your efficiency. By doing so, you are always comfortable with the scheduling blocks and your team can identify specific times related to “doctor time”, “assistant time” and “milling / down time.” You can now begin to identify where you can replace “down time” for “doctor time.” You have to associate values to these times. Doctors should be scheduling the most profitable blocks and delegating the other blocks of time to assistants. This is a system that can be quickly adapted and manipulated to your advantage. Once understood, you can easily have your CEREC machine milling uninterrupted all day. Remember, you are in control of your schedule and NOT the patient.

Never underestimate your patients’ desire for the best options in the market nor your own capabilities to achieve your dreams.

Same Day Crowns CEREC restorations

Breaking through to the ‘Crown of the Year” Club member

If your practice is like mine, you see a lot of crowns in December and January. I call them the “Crown of the Year” club members. These are the patients in your practice that no matter what Doctor tells them, or how many MODBLQRS alloys they have, still refuse to get more than one crown a year due to insurance annual benefit levels. December members typically consists of two subgroups: “I’ve got flex spending money I’ve got to use” and those that say “I’ve paid into this plan all year and I can’t let the insurance company keep my money”. The second subgroup knows that they must “use it or lose it,” because their benefits don’t roll over. The January members are a little different. They’ve seen the need for their crown for a long time, but wait until their benefits roll over for maximum coverage. Sometimes January club members even risk losing their tooth to gain the full 80% their plan covers.

So how can you sign up these members to comprehensive care in February, July or October?

In order to move your patient from the “patch me up” mentality, they first need to be tied to your practice. Developing a relationship with your patient is key to crown acceptance. The hardest person to convince will be the patient that walked in or just made that emergency broken tooth appointment today by using the yellow pages. Unless a patient trusts you, has been referred to you, or you make them feel like family, it’s hard to get them to agree to anything but “the patch.”

There should be no selling in dentistry. If you want it more than they do, you’re selling it. Don’t come across as a car salesman in tough economic times with heavy surplus on the lot. All patients deserve to be told what the optimal treatment for them is. No judgment from you based on what you think they make annually, how they dress, how many kids they have in college or what they drive. Just tell them what they need. Crown is optimal and it is what that tooth really needs. Don’t start with the patch quote. Don’t mention you can patch it, until you get a definite “No” on the crown. When you see that sheared lingual wall off #30, it needs a crown–no question, no debate. If you have an intra oral camera take a picture. Patients understand photos better then xrays. Hey, it’s dark in there. They can feel with their tongue it’s bad–but can they see it well? Maybe the cusp hasn’t fractured yet, but they are experiencing sensitivity. Your camera easily shows them the crack.

Chances are, the last time they had their prophy, Doctor told them that a crown was needed. If your patient has cracked-tooth syndrome ,it is the perfect time to remind them that there is “no such thing as a convenient flat tire.” You don’t have a crystal ball, but this baby is going to break and you can not predict when. You have been in dentistry long enough to know that it can happen the day before their daughter gets married, the hour before they are to go on vacation, and sometimes during their class reunion. Find your own analogy. Something that people can relate to that doesn’t sound dental or technical.

Naturally, we all know that assistants are not allowed to “diagnose,” but we all know patients ask us what we think. “Joe, you know this tooth is broken. I’m hoping it can still be saved. Doctor will tells us for sure. But if it can be saved, the best way to restore its strength and stability is with a crown.” Hopefully, your office lets you do case presentation. Tell your patient about the crown. Show them one off your lab shelf that you are delivering this week. Recommend the optimal treatment. Ask if they have questions and then close your mouth and listen. “Yes” doesn’t always come fast. Don’t force them to make a commitment today. If they say they need to think it over, or talk it over with their spouse, then say “No problem.” Make sure they have a print-out of their treatment plan, a brochure for Care Credit, a photo if possible, and thank them for coming in today and walk them out.

If you attempt to give them more information after they have just indirectly told you that they are not deciding right now, you only risk confusing them or make them feel controlled. You have now moved to what they will perceive as “selling.”

They have all the information they now need. We know what is best, but they have to get there on their own. It’s still their choice, and we work for them.

I bet you have all heard the three reasons why people choose not to invest in a crown. 1) no perceived need. “It’s not broke yet” or “I can still patch it” 2) Time. “I can’t get time off”. Talk to your Doctor. If your office closes at 5pm, I have found many dentists are willing to stay “after hours” or work a different lunch hour to do a crown prep. Another option is the Cerec restoration. If your office has CAD/CAM technology, make sure your patient knows this. Show them the machine, show them a finished restoration on the screen. It’s impressive. No temporary, no fluctuating price of gold, no return visit. Sign me up! 3) Money. “That’s a lot of money.” I, too, used to think that a patient would say no to a crown based on money. To be honest with you, now I think they say that as an excuse they believe we will accept. Think about it. When you truly believe you or your family needs something, you make it work. Sure, money is a factor, but is it not what stops you from getting what you need or really want. Your husband found money for the boat, right? You found money for your son’s ortho, your daughter’s over-priced prom dress, and that Coach bag you’re carrying. People spend money when they believe in the value. I think the TIME and the MONEY excuse all relate back to the No Perceived Need excuse.

Remember, if they don’t believe or trust in your office, they may never get that crown–even the One-a-Year their insurance will largely provide for. If they don’t “see it,” by clearly showing them dental damage (the larger your monitor the better), they might not believe it. And by having various office financial options in place in your office, like Care Credit or automatic checking withdraw, you’ll make it easier for them to say Yes.

Hopefully, these few tips will help you get your Crown of the Year members to invest in their dental health anytime of the year.

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