Rachel Wall, RDH, BS, Founder & President Inspired Hygiene, Inc.
Rachel Wall, RDH, BS, touches on a very important issue when it comes to presenting dental treatment. Believing in the true health value and, very importantly, the monetary value of the treatment you are presenting plays a critical role in case acceptance.
By Rachel Wall, RDH, BS, Founder & President Inspired Hygiene, Inc.
In my coaching and live events, I always talk about the critical task of ‘Finding Your Why’. In fact, I have an entire course I teach on the concept of finding the deep down reason why you recommend a power brush over a manual brush, just for example. Or why you recommend perio therapy rather than a prophy when you see active infection.
The next step is to clear up any internal struggles you have with the treatment you recommend. One of the concepts we learned at the Mindset Retreat is this:
If there’s a struggle on the inside, there’s always a struggle on the outside.
So how does this translate to you as a dentist, hygienist or office manager? If you have a struggle on the inside with the cost of a procedure or you’re just not sure it’s necessary, there will always be a struggle recommending and enrolling it.
So if you have an internal conflict about the value of a crown, you may know in your head that it’s a valuable procedure but in your heart you may still think ‘why can’t we just do a filling that would last awhile and cost a lot less’. You’re not alone.
My advice is that you MUST find out the answers to those internal questions. You must get the information you need to resolve that internal struggle. Because if you don’t believe in the care you’re recommending, your patients won’t believe in it either.
If it’s an operative procedure, sit down with your doctor and have her explain to you why a crown is a better treatment than a large filling in that situation. If you’re a doctor, be sure you’re taking photos during the prep for all restorations. This will give your team a good, hard look at what’s really going on under that big, old filling. They can then see exactly how much decay is under it and how much tooth structure is gone which will give them the strong evidence needed to see why you recommend a crown.
And this is just one example. The same can be true for perio therapy, use of antibiotics with SRP, etc.
So the bottom line is, if you’re feeling an internal struggle when you are expected to recommend a certain service or procedure, find out what it is you need to resolve that. What do you need to know to totally believe in the value (monetary and health value) in that service! Until you do, your enrollment may be a struggle.
Would you like more information on how to unlock the untapped potential in your hygiene department? We are pleased to offer our popular CD, “Top 3 Secrets to Increased Hygiene Co-Diagnosis” absolutely FREE. Please visit www.inspiredhygiene.com to order your free CD and to register for our free weekly e-zine where we share weekly practice tips to improve your hygiene department profits, systems and service. Learn more about Rachel and how she can help you take your hygiene department to the next level at https://www.dentalconsultantconnection.com/consultant_bio27.php or call 727-447-4756.