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Practice Management: Providing Exceptional Care for Mutual Patients Jay B. Reznick, DMD, MD

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Providing Exceptional Care for Mutual Patients








































As an oral surgeon, I rely on a strong network of general dentists to refer patients to my practice. The goal of the specialist is to help patients achieve their oral health objectives and goals, and to create such a positive experience that the general dentist continues to trust the specialist and refer additional cases. Creating this wow experience requires both clinical excellence and a commitment to an exceptional patient experience.

A Patient's Story of Clinical Excellence
General dentists refer patients to specialists for specific procedures or treatment. The outcome of the specialists' care is integrated into the overall oral health treatment plan for the patient, and therefore must represent clinical excellence. This often requires that the specialist continue to embrace and invest in new technology, new techniques and new products that enhance outcomes. One of my referring dental partners sent a patient, Ron Schwolsky, to my office. The dentist gave us Ron's background and detailed the significant functional and cosmetic treatment he required. Ron is the owner and co-founder of Residential Energy Assessment Services, Inc., and his job requires interaction with clients and peers. Ron was unhappy with the appearance of his smile and had been dealing with ongoing dental problems for more than 35 years. Ron had lost tooth #8 in a sports-related accident at age 11 and had a bridge from #7 to #10, which was mobile and failing. Ron had seen numerous dentists and none could find a permanent solution for him that did not result in additional problems and treatment every few years. When I saw Ron, numbers 7, 9 and 10 were all periodontically compromised and needed to be extracted. When we removed the teeth we discovered that there was bone loss. In preparation of the site for implants, bony augmentation of the ridge height would be necessary. This first phase of treatment went well and a six-month period was allowed for healing to prepare for his implants.

After he healed, Ron was ready to begin the implant phase of his treatment. Because of Ron's work situation, he wanted to minimize the length of time he would need to use a removable prosthesis before his implants were restored. In order to accommodate this request, we used 3-D CT scanning technology for treatment planning to make sure the implants were placed as ideally as possible. A surgical guide was generated from the CT scan data and our lab fabricated the master model before we'd even done the surgery. We placed the implants and provisional prosthesis at the same time with minimal adjustment, so Ron was able to eliminate his flipper and have four implants supporting a provisional bridge during his healing period. Because of the technology we utilized, we were able to precisely and accurately place the implants, which allowed the final restorations to be individual crowns, which gave the patients the most favorable outcome. The crowns looked like natural teeth that he could actually floss between.

A Practice's Commitment to Exceptional Care
I have had relationships with most of the doctors in my referring network for a long time. These relationships are built on trust - the trust between the referring dentist and the specialist and the trust between the referring dentist and his or her patient. As Ron said when he initially came to our office, "A strong referral is critical in any area where you need to have a high level of trust. Of course you do your own evaluation, too. But the referral played a significant role in the decision of what type of dentistry I was going to commit to having done."

In my experience I've found there are two critical components to providing top-quality care and an exceptional experience as the patient goes between two practices: communication and commitment. Communication must be ongoing and detailed. It must also be a two-way dialogue. The referring doctor often has known the patient for a number of years and has insight and knowledge that the specialists cannot possibly acquire in one consultation meeting. This relevant information must be provided to the specialist and conversely, the specialist must keep the general dentist well apprised of the treatment needed, the status of treatment and the patient's experience and outcome. This can be done in many different ways, depending upon the case and the communication styles of the doctors. We often use a "referral slip," which is a standardized sheet on which the referring doctor can outline key information including the patient's overall treatment plan and any patient fears and concerns. If the case is complicated, like in Ron's situation, I will communicate with the referring doctor on a weekly basis either in person, by telephone or via e-mail. I asked Ron his impression of the relationship between our practice and his referring dentist and he said, "Your communication was excellent. There were even a few times when I was in the chair at (Dr. Reznick's) office and the two of you would have a conversation right then. It made it all connected, continuous and streamlined." In my opinion, when it comes to patient care, there can never be too much communication between the two dental teams.

The other component - commitment - simply means that the specialist will provide the patient with an experience that reflects positively on the referring dentist. From the way the patient is greeted in the practice through to the final postcare follow-up, every step is exceptional. The experience should be as seamless as possible and the patient should be made as comfortable as possible. For example, most of the doctors in my network are big fans of CareCredit, which is one of the reasons we chose in 2005 to offer the program at our practice. It makes the entire experience easier when the patient has secured a preferred way to pay for both his general and specialty treatment. And, even though patients understand how necessary treatment is when they get to my practice and will find a way to pay, by offering CareCredit we can reduce stress and increase the patient's comfort level, enhancing their experience. Another way to make mutual care as seamless and effortless as possible is a continuity of values between the referring doctor and specialist. Although this might naturally occur as you develop your network, it's worth the investment in the beginning of the relationship to have an open and honest discussion with the general dentist on expectations, vision and patient care.

Mutual Care's Ideal Outcome
In mutual care cases, trust is a key ingredient for a successful outcome. The patient would not be at your practice if he or she did not trust the referring dentist. Nor would the patient be at your practice if the referring dentist did not trust your skills and your values. Trust is hard to earn, yet very easy to lose. In Ron's case, the outcome was exceptional and every phase of the treatment went smoothly. Rather than a bridge, he was able to have individual crowns placed on his implants. Aesthetically and functionally, the case could not have had a happier ending.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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