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Patient Education Kills Case Acceptance Dr. Mike Kesner, DDS

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by Dr. Mike Kesner, DDS

Have you ever worked up a comprehensive treatment plan for a patient only to have them say… "I'll think about it"? Of course you have. And how often have you taken the time to thoroughly explain the desperately needed treatment only to have the patient say, "I can only do what my insurance pays," or "But Doc, nothing hurts," or to have them simply recoil in sticker shock and run from your office, never to return?

Getting your patients to say yes to needed treatment should be a successful, systematic and non-stressful event for you, your team and your patient. You can easily make this happen every day, even in today's economy, once you and your team understand how patients make decisions regarding their treatment. These principles are so powerful they helped take my practice from $675,000 a year in 2003 to $5.5 million in 2010.

Yes… you can build a multi-million dollar dental practice even in this recession.

We have been taught repeatedly that the key to case acceptance is patient education. In other words, give the patient enough information so they will be able to make an intelligent decision about their dental treatment. The only problem is that this approach kills case acceptance!

Now… before you start throwing rocks… hear me out. I am not saying that we should withhold necessary information from our patients. And I am not saying there is no place for education. What I am saying is if you want your case acceptance to go up you must learn to present treatment to our patients in a way that appeals to their emotions instead of their intellect. This is especially necessary in today's economy when our patients are fearfully clutching their wallets with both hands!

In my consulting business, Quantum Leap Success in Dentistry, we work with dentists all over the United States to build the practices of their dreams in 24 months or less. Most dentists have a case acceptance rate around 20 to 30 percent, which means about seven out of 10 new patients don't opt for the recommended treatment. After we work with these dentists and their staff on an effective way to do case presentations, their acceptance rates go up to around 70 to 80 percent. This is one of the key reasons our clients typically have a 50 percent jump in revenue the first six months.

First, you must realize that a patient's decision to do dental treatment is an emotional decision, not an intellectual decision. Dentists typically present treatment to patients from an educational and analytical perspective because this is the way dentists think about the treatments patients need.

When we look at a patient's mouth and radiographs, we are analytically processing a lot of information to come up with the diagnosis and treatment plan. We are thinking about occlusion, vertical dimension, perio, endo, ortho, onlays, crowns, implants, cosmetics, etc. Because of this thought process, dentists usually communicate these analytical and educational concepts to their patients. Educating patients focuses on giving them enough information so they can logically make an intellectual decision about their own treatment. In other words, a dentistry-101-type of approach to case presentation.

The problem with this approach is the patient's mind is processing and making decisions on an emotional level, while you are communicating to them on an intellectual level. This creates a disconnect in the patient's mind, which often leads to the response, "I'll think about it." You don't want your patients thinking about their treatment plan, you want to get the patients feeling about their treatment plan.

So how do we present treatment to patients so that it impacts them on an emotional level?

First of all, case presentation and case acceptance is a "team sport" and not just the dentist's responsibility. In my practice I want patients already sold on the dentistry they need before I even walk into the treatment room. My team has connected with the patient on an emotional level, created urgency for the treatment needed, and has moved the patient to the place where he or she emotionally wants the treatment as opposed to intellectually needing the treatment.

There are several moving parts which have to come together in order to make this effective and a well-trained staff can make this happen seamlessly. This process is much more efficient than the dentist trying to present treatment and educate the patient about the dentistry all by himself.

Another psychological aspect to consider: People will always find a way to pay for what they want, but not necessarily for what they need. How many times have you educated a patient about the need for a crown on their tooth, and when the patient gets up to the front desk he or she doesn't make an appointment because he or she wants to talk to their spouse about it first? This usually really means "I might need it, but I don't want it."

Since people will typically find a way to pay for what they want, our job is to get our patients to want the dental treatment they need. We must help patients make the jump from "need" to "want."

One strategy to connect emotionally with patients is to tell them what is going to happen if they don't fix the problem. Anytime you tell patients about a treatment they need, immediately follow it up by talking about how not fixing the problem is going to have a negative impact – via pain, more expenses, inconvenience, more involved treatment, etc.

Many dentists will typically talk about how the problem is going to be fixed. We do this because fixing the problem is the part we like to do and therefore the part we like to talk about. However, the "fixing" part is often boring and confusing to the patient. There is a basic sales principle: "confused minds don't buy." When you talk too much about how you are going to fix the problem, the patient will often get confused, bored and might even find what you say objectionable. Keep your presentation short and sweet. Don't go into a long explanation about the problem. Just keep it to one sentence – "Mrs. Jones, your tooth on the upper right side has a big crack running through it."

Next, talk to Mrs. Jones about what is going to happen if she doesn't fix the cracked tooth; that it could turn into a root canal or a bad toothache, or even require an implant, which would cost more to fix. You might also want to talk about experiences you have had when the patient did not fix the problem and the condition worsened. This is where you will want to take some time to talk and connect with the patient.

Lastly, talk about the solution. Keep this part extra short – "Your tooth needs a crown to strengthen it and keep it from breaking." That's it! Don't go into the details about margins, materials or crowns versus onlays. Remember you might enjoy this part but it is a real turn-off to patients (unless perhaps you have an engineer in your chair).

Getting your patients to say yes to the treatment they need is important for their health, and important for you to make the income you deserve. This is a crucial part of the success of your practice. Help your patients make good decisions about treatment!
Author’s Bio

Dr. Mike Kesner is a full-time practicing dentist and creator of PracticeWISE, a comprehensive method of practicing dentistry that creates wealth. He is the author of Multi-Million-Dollar Dental Practice, and founder and CEO of the consulting company Quantum Leap Success in Dentistry. Call 480-282- 8989 for more information.
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