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

 
What Did You Miss at the ADA Meeting?
– by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, Editorial Director, Dentaltown Magazine

As of this writing, I have just left the 151st ADA meeting in Orlando. Attendance numbers were relatively low for an ADA meeting and the common explanation seems to be the economy. While some trade shows are struggling with sagging attendance numbers, most expected better attendance this year since the last meeting was held in Hawaii. Next year, the show will be in Las Vegas, October 10-13. Mark your calendars now and enjoy the highlights in the meantime.

Philips Sonicare has just made moves on both the business and clinical front. They just purchased Discus Dental for an undisclosed sum of money. It will be interesting to see how this acquisition will progress in the marketplace over the next 12 months. Clinically, they are working to promote a new Webinar "Using Motivational Interviewing Strategies for Impactful Patient Communication." Motivational Interviewing is a technique developed by Stephen Rollnick, PhD, and William R. Miller, PhD, which uses client-centered counseling to explore and resolve ambivalence. This translates to a teachable technique for communicating with our patients so they can be motivated to improve their dental health. To find the course, visit www.sonicare.com/dp and look in the Education & Resources section.

I have been using 3M ESPE fluoride varnish on my patients for a couple of years now and I love the concept. You can deliver a high dose of fluoride in less than a minute and the patient does not have to wait 30 minutes before their next meal. We recently posted a short technique video from 3M ESPE that reviews the application of fluoride varnish on the teeth. Take a moment to visit our Media Center on Dentaltown.com and watch the video. I also suggest that the dentist apply the fluoride right after they finish the patient exam. This is more efficient than having the hygienist reglove and move back into the chair to finish the appointment.

My visit to the CareCredit booth proved to be one of the most educational meetings on the exhibit floor. I visited with George, who took the time to review my practice performance report, which provided me with specific numbers related to use of CareCredit in my practice. While I'm not the financial coordinator in my practice, I learned a few valuable tips for the coordinators reading this column. First, describe your patient financing options to your patient as a "payment plan." You are not offering the patient CareCredit or ChaseHealthAdvance… you are asking them if they want to pay for their treatment with cash, check, credit card or a payment plan. Second, let the patient decide which method will work the best for them and I promise you will have fewer patients that leave the office without scheduling an appointment.

In other business news, the company formerly known as Matsco has just completed a three year process to rebrand themselves as Wells Fargo Practice Finance. This acquisition promises to deliver many advantages to clients via the multitude of services offered by Wells Fargo, as well as a continuation of knowledgeable lending that was a hallmark of Matsco.

The Greater New York Dental Meeting is up next and I have already heard about a few great surprises on the horizon. Stay tuned and send me a note if you have a question: tom@dentaltown.com
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