How would it be if all our patients accepted our treatment recommendations without having to be pressured, without stress or rejection? Why do dental patients reject appropriate treatment? Why do they nod their heads in agreement clinically, yet somehow never get around to proceeding with treatment?
The success of a dental practice is completely dependent on how effective the team is at influencing patients to say “Yes” to recommended care. If the patient doesn’t accept the recommended treatment or doesn’t want to pay us an appropriate fee, then the dentistry can’t get done.
85% of case acceptance is related to our social skills and ability to relate to people, 15% is due to technical system and examination appointment flow.
The 85% behavioural side of case presentation system involves a process of communication that begins at greeting, first impressions, and interest you take in the patient and their needs. The finesse of connecting with another person, building rapport, establishing trust is set up via master interviewing skills, impactful listening and categorizing and organizing the patient’s unique answers into a way that drives the customized presentation and financial arrangements.
The 15% technical aspects of case acceptance system involve the comprehensive, recall and emergency exams on new patients, existing patients and urgency patient visits. The system of technique, documentation, diagnostic philosophy, treatment planning forms and computer posting, pre determination management and financial policy and arrangements are all part of a predictable order and flow to case acceptance.
The combination of the above is the “fulcrum” of the dental practice; everything else depends on this system and flow working well. When it is run poorly: without proper structure, organization, guidance and is insurance driven, patients won’t choose quality dental care and the practice suffers consequences such as lower productivity, patients receiving less than optimum care and they don’t honour their retention intervals and sometimes walk out the door, never to return.
Foundational beliefs in the practice that lead to optimal case acceptance are:
- Oral health is the gateway to overall body wellness.
- Every patient DESERVES the right to know all dentistry has to offer with comprehensive and aesthetic services so they can make their own decisions.
- The more time taken to learn about the patient will create connection and trust which makes it easier to present their case.
- Patients will not buy solutions to problems they do not perceive they own/have
- Patients say YES, when their mouth is moving not ours
- A smile and a nod in the clinical area doesn’t mean a true YES
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, or by any means whatsoever, without written permission from Transitions Consulting Group Inc. If you would like further information about Transitions Group Inc.’s services please telephone 800-345-5157, fax 905-681-1180, email: [email protected].
Score & Rank Your Practice with our Practice Assessment Score Card
Signature Coaching Program 
CE Dental Training Modules
Virtual Dental CE Courses
New Dentist Business Consulting & Coaching
Dr. Robertson is a founding partner and lead appraiser of The Dental Broker Team. A graduate of the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, he has also studied with the Canadian Chartered Business Valuation program. Beyond the scope of appraising and selling practices, he has worked hard to establish solid relationships with executives at the major Canadian banks with whom he has developed the appraisal formulas used by our firm. Because of this dialogue, his reputation, and his grounded research based approach to valuation, he has been called upon by the major Canadian banks to consult on trends, predictions, and perspectives in the Ontario and Canadian dental practice marketplace. He has authored articles on the topic of practice appraisal rationale in Ontario Dentist, The Journal of The Ontario Dental Association, and presented publicly with the Canadian Dental Association on the topic. As a dentist and brokerage partner, he contributed to the development of the Career Options Initiative with the Canadian Dental Association. Dr. Robertson is the author of The Science of Opinion, a research-based paper that establishes the only known evidence-based formula specific to dental practice appraisal value. He is the author of the book, From DEBTistry to Dentistry: A Buyer’s Guide to Successful Transitions.