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Professional Courtesy Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

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Three Things to Think About
– by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine


Fee Update in 2010?
Everyone can agree that the economy has been in dire straits for more than a year – two years, in some communities. If you are anything like me, a bit of good Catholic guilt (or maybe procrastination) has prevented you from increasing fees to keep up with your increase in operating expenses. Yes, this is bad business on my part and yes I should increase fees a bit no matter what because every expense in my practice seems to increase a bit each year. It has been at least two years since my last adjustment and this year I will get my fee schedule back on track. Let my confession be your encouragement to do the same if you have been avoiding this tedious task.

For me, the final push came when the American Dental Association (ADA) recently released its 2009 Survey of Dental Fees. If you are an ADA member, you can get an electronic version of the 260-page report for free at: www.ada.org/goto/freereports. The survey was completed by 2,097 dentists and the results are adjusted statistically for each geographic region. I will also echo this disclaimer, which appears in the document word for word: The survey data should not be interpreted as constituting a fee schedule in any way and should not be used for that purpose. Dentists must establish their own fees based on their individual practice and market conditions.

One last thought pertaining to fees: Any treatment plans my practice has quoted will remain at the fees provided to the patient for one year from the date our new schedule goes into effect. I think it is important to stick to the fee you have quoted, but if the patient fails to have the treatment completed over the course of 12 months, the quote expires. This information should appear on the signed treatment plan. All new treatment plans will be quoted at the new fees.

Dexis Platinum Update
In my October 2009 column I highlighted the recent update to the Dexis X-ray line. I have been a Dexis owner for more than two years and the recently improved sensor caught my eye. Many dentists make purchases at the end of the calendar year and I am no different. At the close of 2009, I put my money where my mouth is and upgraded my office to the Platinum sensor. The improvement was noticeable from the first image. That is not to say that the prior sensor was poor, just that this technology continues to evolve in a big way. My hygienists made comments the first day at the improved clarity and streamlined process to capture images. It now takes one step to capture the image, instead of two with the classic sensor. The new interface is USB and it is the current standard for wired capture in my opinion. If you have not yet purchased digital X-rays, put Dexis on your short list and be sure to request demonstrations in your office from each vendor.

Dental Assistant Development
Hiring new team members will always be one of the greatest challenges to running a dental practice. More often than not, we prefer to fill an open position with experienced candidates. However, some smaller markets are starved for experienced candidates, so they need to be creative.

One of my patients recently expressed an interest in a dental career while she finished high school. We hired her over the summer to help scan paper charts into our computer system (we stopped creating folder-based charts 18 months ago). She is planning to work as a dental assistant and then follow her dream to become a hygienist. One of the dental assisting schools in the area connected her with a local practice that would pay her way through dental school in exchange to work there during and after school. The disadvantage to her was the fact that the practice could let her go for any reason and she would immediately owe the money to the school. I think the concept is good, but the deal is not fair. If you are having a difficult time finding a dental assistant or front-office personnel, I would suggest the following arrangement: When you meet a great candidate for employment, draw up an agreement that provides for their education with a promise of employment for a certain period of time. The rate of pay will be below market for the initial period of time to recover tuition expenses and naturally the agreement will include an option out for both parties. You must consult with an attorney to create any labor agreement to be certain you have followed all applicable laws.

As always, I enjoy hearing from you, and if you would like to send me a message you can do so by emailing tom@dentaltown.com.
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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