I’m not being harsh on our Doctors. Trust me, you all can improve at this. So, we aren’t just singling them out on this one.
When we are working at helping patients, we want to keep their focus on the main thing; which is NOT money, NOT insurance, NOT anything other than a health-based decision.
We started this discussion a few weeks ago concerning how we let money be the patients’ biggest obstacles. It becomes the culprit for your inability to get patients to really fully commit and desire the treatment, benefits of and solutions for solving the problems in their mouths.
This is our fault; not theirs. Why? Because money is not an excuse for lack of commitment.
It maybe an excuse for some patients who simply can’t possibly afford or find a way to move forward with the treatment plan – BUT – it is NOT an excuse for lack of commitment.
That is something all by itself. As I have expressed before (and if you have listened, you have already learned and experience first-hand), if you take care of the commitment part on behalf of the patients and get them to believe, want and deserve the treatment solution – all of a sudden money is much less of an issue.
Now, there are some other things that are said that we often do to ourselves in the treatment room or really at any point in the patient communication, engagement, experience, interaction. That would be these three big ones…
“Where should we start” or “Let’s start with xyz”
“Have we checked their insurance” or “Let’s see what insurance will pay”
“Let’s watch it” or “We can check back next time”
Go ahead, record yourself if you don’t believe me. See how many times a phrase similar to those three is mentioned during a patient visit.
As a team, identify how many places or times you put your foot in your mouth by bringing up some escape route for the patient that is not leading them to victory. Make the list and then never say these things again.
If these habits are too hard to break, you can use the jar technique (often employed by people who want to stop cursing), by putting money in every time you make a mistake. Of course, I prefer you just focus on celebrating your victories and focusing on what you want more of rather than fixating on trying to prevent mishaps. Set yourself up for success and FOCUS ON DOING GREAT by being the person that motivates your patients to move forward.
I’d like to remind you of two mottoes…
“If it is diagnosed, it must be done.”
and my favorite…
“All the dentistry, all the time.”
The point is not to do something that ‘isn’t needed’ (though need is relative to a patient’s objective and desired outcome).
The point is to simply tell patients the truth about their mouths and then act on that truth to make it the way they deserve it to be.
The point is not to break apart treatment and have the patient come back as many times as possible or get healthy as slow as possible.
The point is to help the patient as fast as you can by doing as much dentistry as you are capable of so you make it more convenient for them and more efficient for you.
Besides, who wants to come back again and again, get numbed up and go through the emotional (and physical) feelings of the ‘operative’ side of the dental experience?
No one; and we all know it. So, make it easy on you and everybody else.
Master this and you will help more patients, lessen daily stress and prevent most of these problems from even coming up. All by being focused on the outcomes you want instead of bringing up the things you hope the patient doesn’t mention anyway.
Think through this and help each other. It’s all about communication, both within your team and with your patients. Never forget that.
