Dental Aggregate

The Southwest Dental Conference in Dallas Texas is scheduled for January 22-24, 2009 at the Dallas Convention Center, located at 650 S Griffin St. Dallas, TX 75202.

Features of the Southwest Dental Convention Include:

• More than 70 clinicians

• 3 days of non-stop CE courses for the entire dental profession

• Earn up to 22 credit hours

• Most courses are free - no additional charge above registration fee

• 375+ exhibit booths

Deadline Information:

Pre-registration Deadline…………………………..December 12, 2008
Hotel Reservation Deadline………………………..December 18, 2008
Cancellation/Refund Deadline…………………….December 29, 2008

On-Site Registration Hours:

Wednesday, January 21 ……………………………12:00 p.m-5:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 22 ………………………………..7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Friday, January 23 ……………………………………7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 24 ………………………………..8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hours:

Thursday and Friday……………………..10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday………………………………………10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

The Southwest Dental Conference downloadable brochure is available in pdf format for easy reading and printing.

Special Events:

Plan on attending the convention’s special event party, where The Argyles will be featured at The Adolphus on Thursday, January 22nd from 8 p.m. to Midnight. The Argyles are one of Texas’ premier event bands. They have headlined the stage for national organizations, and have opened shows for such performers as The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Producers, and Lee Greenwood. The event is FREE for all convention attendees, just be sure to bring along your SWDC badge for admission to the party.

Convention attendees should not delay in getting their hotel reservations taken care of well in advance, in order to not miss out on the best hotel prices while attending the conference. Hotel rooms in local Dallas hotels fill up months in advance of the convention, making it difficult for attendees to get the best hotel rates at hotels closest to the convention center.

More information about the Southwest Dental Conference can be found at http://www.swdentalconf.org/index.htm

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Continuing Ed, Dental Assisting, Dental Insurance, Dental Practice Management, Implants, Office Manager, Productivity, endodontics by D.A.
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I had a long discussion with The Boss this week about why patients leave and don’t come back, and I think he finally “got it”, but time will tell. Over the last two years I have noticed a steady increase in the number of existing patients who I have had to Archive or put into the Inactive files, and The Boss was none too happy about it.

Fortunately I keep very good records and notes any time I archive a patient or an entire family, and doing so helped reduce the angry tone in his voice when he asked me, “Why isn’t the schedule being kept as full as it used to be?!”

I had to explain to the good doctor that patients haven’t been coming in for treatments, or for their 6-month checkup’s for several reasons, and some of those reasons we have no control over. His question is a valid one and I don’t fault him for wondering or asking me about it since I’m the one responsible for keeping the schedule full of patients. I am not a magician and I cannot pull patients out of a hat and make them suddenly appear in our office to get their teeth cleaned or complete any other treatments. While the Hygienist’s schedule remains full at all times, there have been days where The Boss has zero patients scheduled for anything, and it bothers me just as much as it bothers him.

Why Patients Leave and Don’t Come Back

The number one reason patients leave and don’t come back is because they have moved away, with the majority of them moving to another state in order to have a job. Many of our previous patients worked for a large local corporation that completely dissolved, with thousands of workers being let go and desperately seeking another job wherever they could find one. Patient after patient called to ask if we knew a good dentist in their new location, or if we had recommendations on how to find a good dentist, since they hadn’t the chance to get to know very many people yet.

The number two reason for patients leaving is because we don’t offer what they want. Patients have heard all the buzz on the radio and television about Invisalign, one-day restorations with the CERAC machines, ZOOM whitening, etc. We don’t do root canals anymore, nor do we perform even a simple extraction, but patients are referred out for these treatments. Some patients have complained that we don’t offer these treatments anymore, and have elected to begin seeing a dentist that provides all of these treatments and more, all in one central location. We’re left with doing teeth cleanings, fillings, crowns, veneers, dentures and partials, and the occasional teeth whitening home-care kit using the Opalescence bleaching system.

The third reason is because patients have no idea what all we do, and what cosmetic choices they have available to them to enhance their smile. Some patients have come in for their regular checkup, and we’ve discovered they had gotten anterior veneers done at another dental office saying, “I didn’t know you do veneers”. Patients sometimes will call and talk to me about how they aren’t happy with having discolored teeth, and when I’ve suggested teeth whitening or even coming in for a consultation to discuss veneers, The Boss gets upset at me because he “doesn’t like” the patient and would prefer they go elsewhere. This week we had a patient who was getting his teeth cleaned and the Hygienist determined three old crowns needed to be redone due to recurrent decay, and The Boss got mad because he doesn’t want to do the crowns. The patient was referred to a Prosthodontist instead. Sigh…

Here I am doing everything within my power to bring patients in, fill the schedule and increase production, and he’s going to get mad at me because there’s a personality clash? Damned if I do, and damned if I don’t. What good does it do me to keep up with the latest dental technology and advancements, regularly reading dental magazines, taking hours upon hours of continuing ed courses in order to stay on top of everything going on in the dental industry, only to have The Boss shoot down everything I try to do for his office?! To say that I’ve grown disillusioned with my job is an enormous understatement.

The fourth reason patients have left is because their insurance changed and we don’t take it. Some patients have chosen an insurance plan that requires them to see a contracted In-Network dentist on their list, and if they were to see a dentist not found on the list, they are not given any benefits whatsoever or benefits are greatly reduced to the point where treatments are not financially possible for patients. This hasn’t been a problem for the majority of our patients, but it has put a real dent into our existing patient database, as I’ve had to archive those patients who left due to insurance reasons.

The fifth reason patients have left, and I believe this is the most important one, is that patients don’t think we care about them. Some of our existing patients have been with us since The Boss’ father was in practice, and chose to stay with us when he retired back in the late 80’s. The problem is, many of these patients are now elderly and their health has declined to the point where they are unable to come in on a regular basis anymore. Several of our elderly patients have passed away over the last year or two, but the great majority of existing and new patients are much younger.

One of the things that I always admired about The Boss when I first began working for him nearly twenty years ago, was how the dental practice felt like a big family. Whenever we’d be working on a male patient, there were always general discussions about sports, fishing and hunting, and that sort of conversation. The ladies would discuss their children or grandchildren, what was going on in the political arena, but things have changed where these discussions aren’t happening so much anymore. The Boss tends to focus more attention now on the clinical aspect of treatment and getting the job done, rather than spending those extra few moments to really connect with the patient on a more personal level.

I’ve begun to wonder if The Boss has lost much of his passion for his own career, which has subsequently rubbed off on me to where I now dread going to work each day. What used to be fun and challenging has morphed into monotony, and I truly believe I could do much of my job blindfolded. The Boss claims he doesn’t have interest in retiring for another ten years, but from what I’m seeing going on in our office, I’m thinking that his retirement may happen much sooner than that.

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Business Relationships, Communication, Continuing Ed, Dental Assisting, Dental Insurance, Dental Practice Management, Productivity, endodontics by D.A.
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There are times in everyone’s life where we must interact with people that are difficult to get along with, whether in personal relationships or in our professional lives. Dealing with difficult people in a way that not only displays self-confidence and respect for our own needs and personal boundaries, but also respects the wishes and rights of others is what assertiveness is all about.

Examples of Aggressive and Assertive Communication Styles

There are occasions in our office where a patient (usually a brand new patient), is rather gruff and rude in how they attempt to communicate with me at the front desk, not realizing or caring that I am the Office Manager in charge of the efficient running of the office, as well as the doctor‘s chair-side assistant.

Sometimes they will complain to me about the extensive health history forms they must fill out as a new patient, rudely asking if I “want their blood type and serial number too?“, along with complaints about the HIPAA consent forms that we must keep in each patients chart. Some patients call to respectfully ask about things to consider when choosing dental insurance, while others go so far as to call with demands that I find affordable dental insurance FOR them!

On other occasions, some patients will actually blame me for their missing an appointment, claiming that I did not call and remind them the day prior to their appointment. Being assertive, I respectfully request the patient go back and check their voice-mail messages where, low and behold….there is my reminder message.

Using assertive techniques, I explain to the patient that appointment reminder calls are provided as a courtesy for our patients (and are not a requirement), and that it is up to each patient to do whatever is necessary to remember and show up for their scheduled appointments, and on time. More often than not, these patients immediately begin to “back peddle” in their tone of voice, but rarely take the time to apologize for being so aggressive towards me.

It often amazes me just how rude some people are, aggressively demanding an appointment where there is no open time slot, and are none too happy when I kindly suggest another day and time. Other times patients will call asking to speak with the doctor about a question or problem they are having, and don’t appreciate my saying “the doctor is with a patient right now, perhaps I can help you?”, sometimes being so rude as to hang up the phone without saying another word.

How To Be Assertive Without Being Aggressive

Fortunately, the doctor does not take kindly to patients speaking and acting with rude and aggressive behavior towards him or his staff. Each and every time a patient behaves this way towards him or any member of his staff, we immediately take assertive action to rectify the situation in a manner that shows respect for the rights and self esteem of the patient, but also upholds our own personal right to be treated equally and with respect.

Sometimes he personally handles these situations, directly speaking with patients who are rude and abusive towards his staff, but more often than not I am entrusted with this responsibility as his Office Manager. On most occasions, using a variety of assertive techniques learned over the years has proven to be very effective in completely eliminating these problems.

On rare occasions, the doctor or I have found it necessary to dismiss a patient from the dental practice entirely, due to their continued abusive and rude behaviors, providing them a copy of their patient chart and x-rays while they try to find a dentist to care for their dental needs.

Have you experienced the difficulties that go with dealing with difficult people? Do you sometimes find it difficult to be assertive in your personal and professional roles? What steps have you taken in your office to ensure everyone is treated equally and with respect?

Tags: Business Relationships, Communication, Dental Assisting, Dental Insurance, Dental Practice Management, Office Manager, Productivity by D.A.
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I often wish there were a clearer, more defined explanation of what Dental Practice Management involves, especially when it comes to the duties and responsibilities of a Dental Office Manager. I have carried that title in our Dental Office for many years, and yet continue to find numerous examples of dental offices who have completely different definitions and duties associated with this title.

In our Dental Office, I often find myself feeling very much like a Professional Juggler, due to the wide variety of responsibilities I hold in my position. I’m not strictly the Dental Office Manager, but I juggle several different titles and duties during the course of each day, that even I don’t know what exactly my title should be. Jokingly, I sometimes refer to myself as “The everything, everywhere person”, because I’m usually “changing hats” several times a day and if I’m not there every day the office closes; literally. (More about that in coming posts)

Not only do I carry the title of Office Manager, but I’m also the Dental Assistant; X-ray Tech; Sterilization/OSHA Manager; Recall Coordinator; Receptionist; Dental Insurance Coordinator; Patient Advocate; Appointment Scheduler, Accounts Receivable Manager, and the Emergency On-Call person during weekends. I’m sure there are a few more “titles” I could throw in, but I think you get the idea. I manage the Front Desk and everything associated with it, Assist the Doctor with procedures, take and process X-rays, help our Part-time Hygienist with any number of things in order to keep the normal daily flow going. And somehow manage to keep the schedule full of patients for the Doctor and the Hygienist, all at the same time.

I guess it isn’t any wonder why I sometimes feel frustration when leaving at the end of the day, knowing there were return phone calls to patients that I didn’t have time to make, letters to other doctors still needing to be typed and mailed, phone calls to insurance companies to inquire why a claim was denied, and so much more. I simply cannot fully complete all the aspects of my responsibilities during the course of a day, or even a full week, because there is always so much I haven’t literally had time to get to.

I try not to allow myself to become frustrated, and even depressed at times, about the responsibilities I carry as a, well…you pick the title. But every time I’m assisting the doctor and the phone starts ringing at the front desk, I feel a twinge of guilt that patients are not able to reach me easily to schedule an appointment or ask a question about treatment. After completing treatment on a patient, and cleaning and sterilizing the room, taking payment from the patient or submitting the insurance claim, I then have barely a few minutes to check for voice-mails and return their calls because the doctor is waiting for me to assist him on the next patient.

If I could choose one title, one position with clearly defined duties and responsibilities, one job that I would want to have, it would be that as a REAL Dental Office Manager. Unfortunately, I don’t think the doctor really knows what a dental office manager does. Take away the Chair-side Assisting (unless needed in a pinch), as that position is not the one that really makes me tick. What really gets my juices flowing is the interaction with the patients; discussing treatment options with patients; helping them to understand the need for treatment; providing affordable payment plans and options; and helping patients to feel more at ease and comfortable the moment they walk through the door, and doing everything possible to take the best care of our patients, and continue to work together as a team for the benefit of our patients.

Tags: Basic Dental Care, Business Relationships, Communication, Dental Insurance, Dental Practice Management, Personal, Productivity by D.A.
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There are many facts to consider when trying to choose a cheap or affordable dental insurance plan. The task can often be daunting trying to find dental insurance for yourself or your family, as some employers do not offer dental insurance to their employees, leaving it entirely up to you.

Having dental insurance that is not only affordable, but also covers a broad range of common dental treatments, can be an effective way to offset mounting dental costs which often deters people from going to the dentist.

In/Out of Network Providers-

When choosing affordable dental insurance, it’s important to understand what is covered and what is not covered and at what percentages, and how it might relate to your personal dental needs. Some insurance plans only pay for Preventive care (routine cleanings, doctor’s exam, fluoride, sealants, and some dental x-rays). Other dental insurance plans pay for Preventive, Basic Restorative (fillings, root canals and simple extractions); and Major (crowns, bridges, dentures, partials, surgical extractions, dental implants, orthodontics). Some dental insurance companies only pay for Preventive and Basic, with no coverage for Major dental treatment.

UCR (Usual Customary and Reasonable)

Understanding what is meant by “Usual, Customary and Reasonable” is a topic many people find confusing. What does “Usual, Customary and Reasonable” mean? This means that the insurance company has a pre-set price that they will allow for every dental treatment procedure covered on the plan. It has nothing to do with the fees the doctor charges for any given procedure, but only what the insurance company chooses to cover. For example: Let’s say that your dentist charges $85.00 for a dental cleaning, but your insurance company will only allow $65.00 for dental cleanings because that is the UCR fee that they have set.

If your insurance plan requires you to see an In-Network dental provider, you should not be charged the difference of $20.00, because the dentist has contracted with the insurance company to write off the difference. If your insurance plan allows you to see the dentist of your choice, or an Out-of-Network provider, you will likely be charged the difference between the two fees, meaning you will receive a bill for the $20.00. You simply must decide how much of a price tag, if any, you will place on quality dental care vs. cheap or Affordable Dental Care.

Annual Maximums and Waiting Periods-

The annual maximum is the amount of money the dental insurance company will pay within one full year, renewing automatically as the anniversary date approaches. Some dental insurance companies have a pre-set maximum of $1,000 while another insurance company may have a pre-set maximum of $1,500.

A waiting period is the period of time an insurance company requires you to wait before having certain procedures such as crowns, dentures, partials, etc. Let’s say that your dentist tells you that you need a crown but your insurance policy has a 12-month waiting period for any Major work, your insurance company will not pay for the crown until the 12-month waiting period expires.

Questions to consider when choosing dental insurance:

1. Will I be able to choose my own dentist? This is an important question to ask since some insurance plans restrict your choices to those currently contracted with the insurance company, often referred to as an In-Network Dentist. If you choose an insurance plan that requires you to stay In-Network, ask for a list of participating dentists in your area so you can decide if they have a dentist you would consider seeing.

If you already have a dentist you wish to continue seeing, ask what dental insurance plans he/she participates in as a contracted provider, otherwise you will need to choose dental insurance that allows you to see an Out-of-Network Dentist.

2. What will or will not be covered? It is important to not only determine what dental procedures will or will not be covered, but also by how much. Some insurance companies cover Preventive dental care at 100% UCR (see UCR above), while still others cover the same procedures at lesser percentage amounts. Basic Restorative is often covered at 80% UCR minus any annual deductible, but this is also variable. Major dental coverage is typically covered at 50% UCR, but some insurance plans cover it at a higher percentage rate.

3. What will my out-of-pocket premiums be? Dental insurance premiums sponsored by an employer are usually the best deal, with personal out-of-pocket expense being much less than if a family pays for dental treatment without any dental insurance. If shopping for dental insurance independently, it’s important to consider the quality of dental care you wish vs. rushing to the cheapest or most affordable insurance.

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Tags: Basic Dental Care, Dental Insurance by D.A.
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