Dental Trends and Insights by Dan Blair, MBA

Building Associate Doctor Confidence

danblair@icloud.com (Dan Blair) — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 22:13:51 GMT

Building Associate Doctor Confidence

The most important vehicle you have as an owner doctor of ensuring your long-term success in your practice is simply coaching your associates. We polled over 30 owner doctors and over 80 patients to provide valuable feedback on building associate doctor confidence.

Based on feedback from the owner doctors polled there are three areas of focus:

- Building clinical confidence.

- Building trust and confidence with every patient, resulting in case acceptance.

- Coaching associates to effectively refer to in house specialty.

Two factors lead most to the patient putting trust and confidence in the dentist based on input from the patient polled:

- Connection – Uncovering the patient’s emotional wants and needs.

- Effective communication of patient’s treatment plan via choices and commitment.

- The dentist clearly is the difference maker in patients choosing to be loyal to your practice (according to the patient survey results).

- The dentist’s confidence translates directly in the patient valuing the dentistry and placing their trust in the dentist and the practice.

In conclusion, you must spend both quality and quantity time as an owner doctor in the development and growth of your Associate’s confidence.

How do I that:

It is necessary to develop the confidence of the new associate in relation to his or her clinical success in generating value for the patient.

- Conduct a Connection meeting with every associate. Establish their vision and goals.

- Meet with all your associates once per month after the connection meeting. To learn from them, use this meeting to build a clinical team that pulls in the same direction.

o Identify one thing for each associate that will most impact their confidence.

o Write this in the solutions and challenge section of their plan.

o Dedicate at least one day /week with your associate working with them on this one thing.

o Work to establish this change in behavior during the month.

o Review progress with your Consultant. Brainstorm to continue to help them overcome their challenge.

o Celebrate victories and breakthroughs any chance you can.

Coaching principles to help you build associates confidence:

• Let them know that your desire is to see them grow in their confidence. There is nothing more important to you than that.

• Adults learn best in a self-discovery mode. Use questions to open dialogue.

• Create a safe environment that encourages self-evaluation/awareness. The more they can determine their best opportunity, the better and easier for you.

• Positive feedback – Focus on what they are doing well and encourage it.

• Positive ideas – If change is needed, present it as something to do next time.

o Remember, the past is done and there is nothing we can do to change it.

o The future is yet to be determined and is our opportunity to make positive changes.

• Momentum will ultimately determine confidence. Small victories month over month will result in positive momentum leading to confidence.

• Change your schedule to accommodate for the additional time required to be successful in developing your Associates.

If you need help in developing your associate, I can help you develop a successful plan of action.

'WORDS' THAT RUIN CASE ACCEPTANCE

danblair@icloud.com (Dan Blair) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 20:38:25 GMT

'WORDS' THAT RUIN CASE ACCEPTANCE

Are you getting the case acceptance from your patients that you want? Do you hear your patients saying, "I'll check my schedule and call you back," or "Let me talk with my spouse and I'll let you know . . ."

We found the average case acceptance rate to be just 25% when surveying our consulting customers when they first employed us. How would you like it to be 75% or 85%?

For your patients, there are many keys to good communication that will motivate them to want the dentistry they deserve. One of those keys is not to say those terms and phrases that will ruin your case acceptance rate.

It is critical that you engage with your patients in ways that express the urgency and relevance of the dentistry they need. When I listen to new-patient exams, I generally hear them use " words" that undermine the value of dentistry.

These are some of those terms and phrases that ruin your case acceptance rate.

"I recommend"

"Mr. Smith, I recommend that you get a crown on that tooth." The assumption here is that anything new may be suggested by another dentist. This also causes patients to believe that because it is just a "recommendation" and not necessarily a need, they should get a second opinion or just wait for the crown.

"Possibly," "Probably," "I think," and "Think about."

"Mr. Smith, you possibly need a crown on that tooth." "Mr. Smith, I think you might need a crown on that tooth." "Mr. Smith, you should probably think about getting a crown on that tooth." All these words absolutely diminish the need for treatment. They say that dentistry is not that necessary and that it is optional.

"Watch it"

"Mr. Smith, I see a crack in your tooth. Let us just watch it for now." What are you going to watch it do? In dentistry nothing gets better over time. Wouldn’t it be better to fix it now or wait for a chunk of the tooth to break off and possibly need a root canal.

"Small" and "Little"

"Mr. Smith, you have a small crack in your tooth." "Mr. Smith, you have a little cavity." This gives the impression that there is no need to bother with doing something right now, whether it is small or little. Why not just wait for it to be a real issue and resolve it then?

"Consider"

"Mr. Smith, you should consider getting a crown on that tooth." This means that he should consider not having a crown on that tooth as well. This causes patients to believe that since the dentist just asks them to consider getting it done, the treatment may not be really important.

"Might" and "Maybe"

"Mr. Smith, we might be able to do a root canal and post on that tooth, or maybe an implant would be better." As you well know, when planning a case for treatment, there are a lot of clinical parameters to remember. This is what most patients do not understand. They think it is just "black and white," so you can communicate in a manner that fits their values.

The treatment plan you are contemplating in your mind may sound indecisive if you "think out loud," As you sound unsure of yourself, this also leaves patients uncertain whether they should continue with the treatment.

Teaching dentistry

"Mr. Jones, see those dark spots between your teeth on the radiograph? We call that interproximal caries. We restore this with a dental material called composite that is bonded chemically and mechanically to the tooth structure." Do you think Mr. Smith really cares about what you call the cavity or how the filling material fits between his teeth? Do you think he will remember what you taught him five minutes ago?

Try this, "You have some cavities between your teeth that need fillings." If you confuse your patients by attempting to teach them dentistry, they will always make no decision. In sales, there is an old saying: "Confused people don't buy."

One of the quickest methods of rising practice production is enhancing case presentation. Such terms and phrases to avoid can help practices reshape their method of case presentation. The more successful the case presentation, the better the outcomes would be.

Why Your Dental Practice Might Need a Fractional COO

danblair@icloud.com (Dan Blair) — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 05:39:56 GMT

Why Your Dental Practice Might Need a Fractional COO

As dental practices grow, many owners struggle to move their business forward. While each practice is unique, three common challenges often prevent them from achieving their goals:

- Lack of internal expertise to drive operational efficiencies

- Over-reliance on the owner(s) for revenue generation

- Inability to execute growth strategies or optimize key processes

If your practice faces similar roadblocks, it may be time to consider a fractional COO (Chief Operating Officer).

What Makes a Fractional COO Different?

Unlike traditional consultants who identify inefficiencies and suggest improvements, a fractional COO takes a hands-on approach to implementing necessary changes.

For example, many dental practices struggle with revenue cycle management. From patient check-in to billing and denials, a lack of standardization can lead to lost claims, errors, and ballooning accounts receivable. A fractional COO steps in to streamline these processes, enhance efficiency, and improve cash flow immediately.

Strengthening HR and Reducing Turnover

HR challenges—such as high turnover and recruitment struggles—are common in dental practices. Many practices fail to compete in the job market due to uncompetitive wages or benefits, leading to costly employee churn. While owners may believe they can’t afford to pay more, they often overlook the hidden costs of turnover and ongoing recruitment.

A fractional COO restructures HR strategies, ensuring that the practice attracts and retains top talent while optimizing costs.

Cutting Through the Noise

A major advantage of a fractional COO is their ability to identify and resolve operational inefficiencies quickly. Owners and leadership teams are often too close to the problem—or resistant to change—to pinpoint what’s holding them back.

By bringing an objective, strategic perspective, a fractional COO can uncover bottlenecks in leadership, delegation, or process standardization. Unlike consultants who merely advise, a fractional COO oversees implementation, ensuring lasting improvements.

Is Your Practice Ready to Scale?

If your dental practice struggles with efficiency, scalability, or profitability, a fractional COO could be the solution. With the right leadership in place, your practice can stop leaving money on the table and start operating at its full potential.