Building an empire, one implant at a time.

Never before in dentistry has it been more exciting or fulfilling to give patients an alternative to tooth replacement than it is today in the world of implant dentistry. Growing up in the southern part of West Virginia in the '50s was an eye opening experience for me, dental healthwise. I saw several young people I knew lose their teeth as teenagers when dentists convinced their caregivers that it would be much less expensive to make a nice denture rather than restore the patient's decayed teeth. After all, a nicely made denture was far less expensive than restorations, and the good news, there would never be another cavity.

Thirty years ago, implant dentistry was in its infancy. Today, thanks to the many dedicated pioneers of implant dentistry, it is commonplace for this procedure to be one of the several options dentists routinely offer their patients in comprehensive dental plans. How can the average dentist build an empire of a practice in today's dentistry with implants? First, they must get the proper implant training from a reputable instructor. They must then target market to the patients who may be good candidates for this procedure. Third, they must train their staff to recognize the new focus of the practice and share the doctor's and practice philosophy.

Practice Vision

Becoming well known in a community as an implant practice takes months of planning and years of perfection. Becoming the referred-to-by-colleagues implant guru is not something that happens overnight. Visualizing the practice five years from now as the Implant Center of location X must be seen before it can become a reality.

What are the pros of creating an Implant Boutique Practice?

* People are referred from a huge geographic area as the word spreads. Practice productivity increases significantly as most implant cases are several thousand dollars and the restorative that follows is easily over $20,000 in most cases.

* It's a tremendous ego boost to be known and recognized by one's peers.

* Staff feels privileged to work in a prestigious setting.

* Patients who lost hope with traditional tooth replacement sing the praises of implant cases that renew their hope in not being a dental "cripple."

What are the negatives associated with Implant Dentistry?

* Some cases are difficult with less than ideal outcomes.

* The dentist becomes "married to the patient" after such a sizable investment.

* Leaning heavily on the "Implant Image" dilutes the dental practice's ability to continue to do the "bread and butter dentistry" that is the foundation for most practices.

* Finding qualified team members who believe in high-end dentistry and high-end fees is not an easy task since one case is often more than their entire year's salary.

In a downturned economy, high-end items are normally the first to be postponed by about 60 percent of the buying public when their own job security and investments are threatened. Besides a vision, supportive staff, excellent implant skills and the facility in which to perform these procedures, what else is imperative to build an empire, one implant at a time?

Marketing

Marketing for any type of practice should be one-third external and two-thirds internal. I know of implant practices that spend thousands of dollars annually to bring implant patients into their practices yet they haven't spent a nickel training their employees how to treat the implant patient or their referral source. Is it any wonder why they struggle to make ends meet and yet their clinical skills are among the best of the best?

Business Systems

There are several business systems within all practices that are imperative to success. These include the scheduling of the implant patients, financial presentation skills, insurance management, and the recare system. Knowing an office is only as successful as its ability to schedule effectively, collect the fees, file the insurance, and bring the patient back at intervals that will preserve the investment of time and money the patient has made, are the keys to building this empire.

Communication

Of all the systems in dentistry that I consider to be important to the total success of the practice, communication is at the foundation. It is not what we say that makes a significant difference, but how we say it that matters. Body language is also a strong component of communication. Being "with" the implant patient in every phase of the treatment is of utmost importance in building the empire.

Conclusion

In summarizing the above information on building an empire, one implant at a time, the key components are: A firm vision of being known as an implant practice, the dentist's clinical ability, a supportive staff, financial options, verbal skills, and internal plus external marketing. May the next months and years be the best ever for your implant practice.

Suggested Conversations

Scheduling Coordinator: (On the telephone) "Mrs. Jones, we are happy to reserve a time for Doctor Miller to see you for an evaluation and consultation for implant dentistry. Please know that based on the feedback we receive from other implant patients, you are making a very wise decision in your total health. It is our pleasure to welcome you to our family of fine patients. Are mornings or afternoons better?"

Financial Coordinator: (When the patient expresses a strong desire for implant dentistry but also expresses that the budget will not allow this type of treatment.) "Mrs. Jones, it is our goal to help you make important dental decisions that will benefit you for a lifetime. Making this type of dentistry affordable for you is our second goal. We are excited to have a financial partner (Care Credit) that makes quality care affordable for all budgets. If I can secure for you a 12-month interest-free loan of the total treatment plan, how does $225 per month sound?" (Making this type of dentistry affordable is the key to case acceptance.)

Dental Assistant: In addition to being highly skilled in the treatment of implant dentistry, and having the proper inventory of implant materials, the assistant must also have excellent communication skills. Many "would have been accepted" cases have fallen apart in the treatment arena when the dental assistant talked with the patient. Patients look to the assistant for affirmation that this is indeed a wise investment or that it isn't a "fate worse than death." Assistants in an implant practice should use every opportunity to positively re-enforce the treatment plan when the doctor is out of the treatment room.

"Mrs. Jones, you are very lucky to have the opportunity to replace your teeth with implant dentistry. Twenty years ago this treatment was not an option in most practices." Or, "Mrs. Jones, you are in good hands, as Dr. Miller is lauded as one of the best clinicians in the world of implant dentistry. In fact, he lectures extensively at major dental meetings and for his local study clubs on the subject of implant dentistry." (Having printed materials on hand for the patient to take home is also a benefit of marketing and patient education.)

Hygienist: Maintenance of the implant patient is crucial for long-term success. In specialty practices that do not employ hygienists (Oral Surgery), the specialists and their staff should be well versed in promoting proper hygiene visits back to their referring dentists' practices. In perio and general practices, every member of the team from the scheduling coordinator to the dentist should emphasize the importance of proper intervals for hygiene visits. The hygienist must be an expert in implant dentistry maintenance and proper skills in patient education of the implant patient home care rituals.

"Mrs. Jones, to preserve the investment you have made, it is my duty to instruct you on proper home care. At the same time, you must also be accountable for the success of this exciting procedure. What you do at home daily will be more important than what I do for you on your maintenance visits." (There is nothing more disheartening to the dentist and implant team than to see a patient leave the practice and return several years later in worse condition than before the implant due to poor home care habits. It is a total team effort to ensure that this does not happen.)

Dentist: The implant dentist has many skills that must be blended to have an empire implant practice. In addition to his or her excellent clinical skills, he or she must possess superior diagnostic skills to determine the best candidates for implant dentistry. They must possess the personality that makes other dentists like them, and trust them with the care of their referred patients. More than anything else, they must have the communication skills to be able to connect their patients with the implant dentistry the patient deserves. How sad it is to see a dentist invest hundreds of thousands of dollars into the best implant courses available, mark off days or weeks of production time for these courses, yet fail in case acceptance because their communication skills are inadequate. Consultants see this very often in many practices, not just implant offices. Being able to look the patient in the eye, having the confidence (not arrogance) to let the patient know the benefits of having one of the best tooth replacement procedures in dentistry, and having close to 100 percent acceptance is an art to be developed just as the art of performing the treatment.

"Mrs. Jones, you are a perfect candidate for implant dentistry!" These are the characteristics that must be present to make this statement. (List the patient's clinical characteristics here.) "Your short-term benefits include: --. Your long-term benefits are: --. I will now refer you back to my scheduling coordinator, Pare. It was a pleasure seeing you today and I look forward to seeing your name on my schedule within the next 30 days, so we can get started!"

Too many dentists go on and on with way too much clinical jargon that in most cases frightens the patient away from acceptance. Or, in still too many implant practices, the dentists sound unsure of the treatment, the outcome, or their own clinical abilities. Confidence is the key to implant case acceptance.

Lastly, many dentists do not "close" the sale by assuming the patient will have the treatment done. The phrases or words, "one day, some day and eventually," kill the acceptance faster than any others as they demonstrate an assurance the patient wants to think it over.

Linda L. Miles, CEO of LLM&A, one of dentistry's premier speaking and consulting firms, celebrated her 25th year in business in 2003. Linda has spoken at every major meeting, in every state, and on four continents. She can be reached by calling 800-922-0866 or visiting her website at www.DentalManagementU.com