Posts Tagged ‘hygiene’

Our lives changed as our country changed last September 11th.

Friday, September 6th, 2002

A complimentary e-newsletter from Linda Miles for the professional dental community.

For subscription (or unsubscribe) details, as well as Miles & Associates contact information, please see the end of this newsletter.

Miles & Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757.721.3332
757.721-2892 (Fax)
800.922.0866 Toll-free
www.DentalManagementU.com

DYNAMIC DATA
September 2002

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Our lives changed as our country changed last September 11th. One of the things I’ve personally noticed over the past year is a new sense of hope and patriotism as we go about our personal and professional lives. In your office have you noticed that your staff seem more helpful to one another and your patients just a little bit more appreciative of the care rendered? Have you noticed a slow down or drastic improvement in your productivity? Many of our active clients are reporting their best year ever with numbers that have continually climbed in spite of other businesses slowing down.

Our business has been exceptionally busy the past few months with a surge of calls from meeting planners and a cry for in-office consulting from dentists who have never attended our seminars or been referred by another client. This, however is where almost all of our business came from over the past two decades. Is it because we offer hope? “When the times get tough, the tough get going!” I believe slow times are a resting spot in the road of life. How each practice deals with a slower time determines how fast the slow times last. Right now are you sharpening your axe while getting ready to “hit the ground running” in 2003. I was asked to give the dentists on Dental Town the Top 12 components of a successful practice. Following is an excerpt of that message:

1) A positive attitude. You get what you expect! Your attitude not only determines your ALTITUDE; it also determines your energy level. Without the proper mind-set and energy, one never reaches their full potential or happiness.

2) Outstanding clinical skills. Be a continuous student of the many fine clinicians mentioned on this site.

3) A well trained, trusted staff who believes in your dentistry, your fees and your goals.

4) Leadership at all levels. The dentist can’t be the only leader, but must be able to share this role with team members. (Accountability is a major form of leadership).

5) Up-to-date equipment and technology. Go to courses on technology and visit trade shows. They are there FOR YOU, not because they like standing on a concrete floor for three days at a stretch and smiling. (“Boothies” have my sympathies as I’ve done my share of booths over the years.) They love for curious dentists and staff members to come by and check everything out.

6) Management skills and the know-how to use your computer reports to become consultants to your own practice.

7) A facility that attracts the patients who want the best possible care in the cleanest and most efficiently run environment. Not every dentist has a new state of the art facility but every dentist should have a clean, uncluttered, and well-organized office.

8) Trusted advisors and mentors such as accountants, insurance advisors (business and personal), investment counselors, bankers, sales representatives, coaches and/or consultants.

9) A strong hygiene department as it “drives” the entire practice. In every successful practice I’ve followed for 20 years, hygiene is 1/3 of the total volume per month (40% if exams are counted). When hygiene goes down, so does the entire practice.

10)Outstanding communication skills not just from one person but the entire staff and dentist. You are only as strong as your weakest link in this area, so verbal skills must be superb at every stage of the patient’s visit.

11) A properly engineered schedule. Many practices take 30 names and throw them into the computer and pray they live through it. The key to low stress and high productivity is effective double scheduling of doctor time opposite assistant time. Show me a dentist who is working out of two rooms with only one assistant running from room to room, and I’ll show you a dentist who is losing $1000 (plus) per day. The dentist doesn’t have to be in two places at once. They have to hire, train and trust two very brilliant dental assistants. The dentists do not work harder, they work within the law, and they go home happy tired not stressed tired!

12)Presentation skills must be excellent. Someone had a seminar entitled “Nothing Happens Until the Patient Says Yes”. A big part of the yes comes from relationship building and creative financing options. A large percentage of cases fall apart in the financial discussions. This skill is by far as important as knowing how to do the dentistry.

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Beginning February 2003, my 6 US Certified Dental Business Conference Presenters will be giving the 2-Day DBCs across the country. Please refer to my updated web-site beginning September 15th for full details on cities and registration information. These programs are limited to 100 registrants for solid group interaction. Select the program nearest you (for the dentist and entire team), and know what it’s like to have everyone in the practice on the same page goals-wise. It gives me great pleasure to introduce my colleagues who are owners of their own consulting and speaking businesses in addition to being LLM&A DBC presenters. Joining Kathy Metaxas (Perth, W. Australia) is Lois Banta (MO), D’Jean Carter (SC), Gayle Christensen (MN), Lisa Grothouse (PA), Janelle Kent and Susan Kulakowski, (FL).

I will personally be presenting my last 4 DBCs in Panama City Beach, FL September 20-21; Vienna VA, November 1-2; Fairfield NJ, November 15-16; and San Antonio, TX February 7-8, 2003. With the annual Speaking/Consulting Network growing at a steady pace, I must share this wonderful teaching experience with those in my network who have the same philosophy of management and the same love of dentistry that I have. Teaching management principles is easy. Teaching others to go back to their practices and make a huge difference by their improved attitudes and new skills is the key to long term success. WE don’t call the DBC a seminar or workshop, it’s an experience! Long after the conference is over, many attendees keep in touch with each other and form lasting friendships for a continuation of shared information. Call Lee at 800-922-0866.

At last count our SunFun W. Caribbean Team Appreciation Cruise has over 300 registered for next March 26-30. Don’t miss the boat! Call our toll free SunFun hot line for more information. 877-673-4270. The top five states registered to date includes: Ohio, NC, GA, MI and RI, next are IA, VA, TN and ME. Make plans now to award your hard working team with an end of the year holiday gift they will talk about for years.

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ATTENTION: If your chair side dental assistants need an opportunity to strengthen their clinical assisting and communication skills, mark this date on your calendar. Friday, November 15th from 9-4. Sheila Dalton and Courtney Wooten, Co-owners of EDA (Exceptional Dental Assistants) a Richmond, VA based firm will sponsor a hands-on seminar in Richmond. All dental assistants are encouraged to take their skills from “good to great” in the duties of fail-proof impressions, temporaries, sealants, x-ray techniques, and organizational skills. The role of the assistant in the New Patient Interview, and complete patient education chair side will be emphasized. To register or for more information call 804-739-4375. Watch you mail for an upcoming flier with all the details of this exciting learning experience.

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PATIENT PRO, (DENTISTRY’S NEWEST LEADER IN ON-HOLD MESSAGES)

What do your patients hear while they’re on hold? Yearly, the average dental practice is missing the opportunity to tell over 2500 patients about their favorite procedures and their practice philosophy. If your patients are hearing elevator music or, worse yet, silence, you may want to consider a custom on hold message. This system will portray professionalism as well as give you the opportunity to talk about your most profitable procedures. Here’s a list of all the benefits an on hold message will provide:

Entertain callers while your business staff is helping other patients

Calm fearful patients

Portray cutting edge technology and professionalism

Increase profitability

Patient Pro, INC provides customized on hold messaging systems for general dentists as well as all specialists. They provide state-of-the-art digital messaging components that are compatible with every phone system. In addition, they have ten different professional voice talents, and over 60 pieces of background music to choose from. And because they write the script for you after a brief interview, it’s quick and painless! For more information on this exciting new product, which I have invested in for my own office, call toll free, (866) 865-4055.

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On this eve of 9-11, I’d like to close with the message I received yesterday from my friend and speaking mentor, Mr. Nido Qubein:

This complimentary newsletter is published by Nido Qubein — an international speaker and consultant addressing more than 100 business and professional groups around the world each year. He is the recipient of the highest awards given for professional speakers and the author of numerous books and audio and video learning programs. He is chairman of an international consulting firm, chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company (200 stores in 35 states), chairman of Business Life, Inc., and chairman of McNeill Lehman, a public relations company serving clients in the US and Europe.
Visit Nido online at www.nidoqubein.com.

QUBEIN’S EXECUTIVE BRIEFING

GOD BLESS AMERICA: A PRAYER AND A FACT
By Nido Qubein

While the World Trade Center was burning and collapsing, while the Pentagon was absorbing the crash of a commercial airliner filled with innocent souls, and while a wounded nation gathered the evidence of heroism aboard United Airlines Flight 93, I was preparing to give the keynote address to the North Carolina Telephone Association Executives Conference at the Pinehurst Hotel.

The ominous reports began arriving seconds before I stepped to the microphone. The executives, with only sketchy details of what was happening, decided that I should go on with my remarks.

As I looked out over my audience at this pivotal moment in our national experience, I felt a brotherly solidarity with the people in that room. We were Americans. And I knew that whatever the threat, whatever the origin of this instant of infamy, this nation — our country — would endure and excel.

I am an American by conviction, a North Carolinian by choice. When I came to the United States as a penniless youth, I knew — even before I knew the language — that this was my country. I had to fill out 38 forms, side A & B, to become an American, and I’ve told 5,000 audiences over the last 30 years how thankful we all should be to live in a land so abundant in material and spiritual riches.

As I look back over the year that has passed since that awful morning, I am heartened by the outpouring of patriotic sentiment from Americans of all races, creeds, and economic levels.

As I have crisscrossed America to address audiences in all corners of the land, I have spotted a heartwarming trend. I find myself much more often flanked by the national colors as I stand on the podium. I hear the National Anthem played much more frequently. And I have noticed the re-emergence of our “Second National Anthem,” the poignant call to patriotism sounded by Irvin G. Berlin in 1938 “while the storm clouds gather from across the sea”: God Bless America.

That song became the unofficial anthem of Sept. 11, 2001, and it expresses not only a hope but also a fact: God has blessed America in manifold ways. It’s a fact that we seem to acknowledge most fervently in moments of national danger or distress, but it’s something we should keep in our hearts in good times and bad.

We are a strong people, a tough and stable alloy forged from the mettle of many lands. You need only run down a list of the victims of 9-11-01 to sense the aptness of the motto stamped on our coins: E pluribus unum — “Out of Many, One.”

While the debris was raining on Lower Manhattan, the smoke was enveloping the whole of New York, the president was assessing the situation from Air Force One, and the entire government was preparing for the worst, I reminded my Pinehurst audience of the gloomy day in 1974 when the president of the United States resigned. The next day, we went to work and school under a new president, chosen by a constitutional procedure that Americans everywhere accepted and abided by. We would meet this new challenge with the same unflappable calm.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have demonstrated anew the essential integrity of this blessed land. We have survived the attack, learned from it, and committed ourselves to work together to protect this country without sacrificing our freedom and values.

Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We salute them and their loved ones with our prayers, our support, and our desire to help rebuild that which was so unfairly destroyed.

Every day I thank God for the gift of freedom I enjoy as an American, for the blessing of purposeful work, and for the joy that stems from being a member of a vibrant and growing community.

By embracing the dream and applying our efforts and talents, we can have success and significance, happiness and joy, balance in business and in life. With open hearts and willing souls, we can create abundance from adversity and cross the difficult chasms of life with faith and fortitude.

I am eternally grateful to my country for opening these possibilities to me. I have made it my endeavor to repay this great land for the kindnesses it has rendered me and the opportunities it has offered me. So may we all.

© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.

If you received this e-mail from another person, find it valuable, and would like to receive your own complimentary subscription, contact vicki@nidoqubein.com.

Nido R. Qubein
Creative Services, Inc.
P. O. Box 6008
High Point, NC 27262
Phone: 336-889-3010 Fax 336-885-3001
Visit www.nidoqubein.com

Linda Miles, CEO, CSP, CMC

Linda Miles, CEO
LLMiles and Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
800.922.0866

Please keep in mind this newsletter is being offered complimentary in response to the many requests to stay in touch with our clients and followers. If you wish to unsubscribe to Dynamic Data please send an e-mail message to lindamiles@cox.net to let us know.

Miles & Associates’ corporate headquarters may be reached at 800.922.0866. Fax us at 757.721.2892. On the web at www.DentalManagementU.com, or via email at lindamiles@cox.net.

Miles & Associates – September 2002

Miles & Associates
Linda L Miles & Associates
P.O. Box 6249
Virginia Beach, VA 23456-0249
Phone: 757.721.3332
FAX: 757.721.2892
800.922.0866 Toll-free

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Happy Valentine’s Day on the 14th

Wednesday, February 6th, 2002

A complimentary e-newsletter from Linda Miles for the professional dental community.

For subscription (or unsubscribe) details, as well as Miles & Associates contact information, please see the end of this newsletter.

Miles & Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 757.721.3332 757.721.2892 (Fax) 800.922.0866 Toll-free www.DentalManagementU.com

DYNAMIC DATA

Dear Doctors and Staff,

Happy Valentine’s Day on the 14th. I hope your New Year is off to a great start in spite of the slow-down most practices experienced over the last quarter of 2001. They still had a good year, but compared to the last quarter of years past, it was a down quarter for most.

The seminar I did for our local dentists’ Wednesday night addressed the tell-tell signs of a declining economy and how to use these slower times as a springboard for better economic conditions. The four major signs are:

1) FEWER HYGIENE PATIENTS. Patient retention is the foundation to a solid practice and a solid economy. Because many patients view preventive care as something they can postpone when money is tight, making sure the hygiene department stays healthy is a must. Contrary to what a couple of consultants preach about not pre-appointing, the other 98% of us know that NOT pre-appointing is the kiss of death six months from the time it stops. Who wants to hire another employee to call, call and recall patients, which gives your practice a look of desperation? I wish I could count the number of dentists who have told me in my courses that it will take them two years to get back the losses of non pre-appointing their hygiene patients! As far as the myth that it causes broken appointments, I will gladly match my client patient retention rate with any practice in the country, as will the other consultants who stand by the pre-appointing System. Our theory is “if it isn’t broken, no need to fix it”. Some theories are obviously, “if it isn’t broken, let’s break it, so I can help you fix it!” If your new patient numbers are 200-400 per year and your number of hygiene patients are not increasing year after year; there’s more dentistry on the shelf than is being done. When Hygiene increases $3000 per month, total practice goes up $8,000 to $10,000. When hygiene increases $5000 per month total practice goes up $12,000 to $15,000 per month. Check your patient retention today. Assess your hygiene number of patients monthly in a comparison with the last few years.

2) INCREASED ACCOUNTS/RECEIVABLES. When times get tough, the tough gets smart in A/R management. The priorities of the paying public are; necessities first, which include mortgage or rent, car payments, food, insurance, clothing and entertainment. Their second priority is; those things with interest such as credit cards, and retail stores. Their third and final priority is; the rich dentist or physician who doesn’t really need the money and performs these services out of the goodness of their heart. Having firm yet friendly policies for collections, with the doctor standing behind these policies is a must. Offering creative financing, increasing the staff communication skills in the presentation of fees and discussion of financial arrangements is also key during economic downturns. And finally, giving the staff time during the week to make collection calls from an organized system is paramount. A/R management is easy when everyone in the practice realizes this is not just the Financial Co-ordinator’s job, but a total team effort. A/R balances over one month’s production is a serious problem that only gets worse in a sluggish economic state.

3) CASE ACCEPTANCE PERCENTAGES DECLINE. Are you using your computer-generated reports to track number of dollars presented daily versus number of dollars scheduled or performed? If not, please know that in an economic slump; case acceptance typically declines with people losing jobs or a fear of losing it. In the research I did for this seminar, “When Times are Tough, the Tough Get Smarter”, one dentist on the AADPA Forum actually reported an influx of patients in his city who were having cosmetic enhancement dentistry because they in fact were back on the job recruitment scene. They wanted to look their best while interviewing! In a practice with several hygienists, one was very good at chairside communication and the other two thought that all needed dentistry should be given by the dentist, while their job was to clean teeth. We developed THE HYGIENE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTABILITY FORM, which each hygienist filled out daily. It was amazing to see that the two who did not participate in setting the stage for case acceptance by enthusiastically educating patients had 38% and 41% acceptance, while the third hygienist had 87% appointed from the dentistry presented that month. Patients accept dentistry because they understand the benefit to the buyer. They also accept dentistry based on being treated special by people they like and trust. Money is only an obstacle when communication skills are poor and enthusiasm is weak.

4) PATIENTS WANT ONLY THE DENTISTRY THEIR INSURANCE WILL COVER. When times are tough, those practices with insurance co-dependency will notice the problem worsens in a weak economy. While I think going insurance free is the ideal model, many practices pull the rug out from under their solid foundation by listening to a speaker or reading an article that states “there is no other way in which to practice dentistry”. Making it easy for patients to do business with you is key and collecting all co-payments if you are accepting assignment, is a must. I do not advocate being on plans that do not allow co-payments unless you enjoy working about 10-20 days for free for the insurance companies! In our monthly client monitors, the red line is gross production, the blue line is net production and the green line is collections. All three lines are very close together in a healthy practice. The farther the space between red and blue, the more you work free, The farther between the net production and collections line, the more you are not collecting. We also know that “people who owe you money don’t like you”, something I learned from Omer Reed in 1976, in my first practice management seminar in Williamsburg. We can also add to that, “people who owe you money break appointments”, and “people who owe you money do not refer to you, and if they do, they refer others looking for free care”. Let your patients know their benefit plan covers basic care, (basic preventive and restorative). Let them also know that 95% of all adults need more than basic care. If the insurance companies had kept up with inflation, patients allowable benefit today would be between $5000 and $7000, not the same as it was 30 years ago!

If you have new staff or would like to refresh your practice management skills, register today for our two day Dental Business Conference in Virginia Beach at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference on March 22 and 23. The class is limited to fewer than 100 attendees, so call 800-922-0866 from 8:30-12:30 Mondays through Thursdays to get your names on the list. An overflow class is planned for late August. This two-day experience can fast forward new staff to excellence, which would take more than 6 months in-office with a busy schedule. Our breakouts will be for the Exceptional Dental Assistant, and Assisted Hygiene. One of our March attendees from Dr. Desiree Palmer’s office in NC couldn’t wait to get back to NC to try out her newly acquired telephone skills. She immediately started doing “courtesy calls” rather than confirmation calls by saying, “this is Tonia from Dr Palmer’s office, this is your courtesy call to let you know we’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10″. She said one of their new patients told her husband that she was anxious to go to the practice tomorrow, as from the call she knew they were nice people who cared.” It’s amazing how small changes in communication result in big dividends. Sounds so much better than “I’m calling to remind or confirm”.

During a five-day break in Cancun last week I put the beginning touches on the extensive workbook for our 6th Annual Speaking/Consulting Network. From the many inquiries we’ve had over the past few months, this will be the most power packed of all six. In addition to the regular format, which brings people back year after year, we will be doing hands on speech writing, and group consulting with actual cases in practice management. Don’t miss the fun and excitement of Las Vegas and this 3-day Network May 17th to 19th. One of our members, Kathy Metaxas will be coming back from Perth, Western Australia for her third year. Kathy is an independent consultant who owns Platinum Management of Australia, and is a certified presenter of the LLM&A Dental Business Conferences throughout Australia.

Watch for our full-page corporate ad in the March issue of Dental Economics introducing our two newest consultants, Susan Kulakowski and Janelle Kent of FL. Also check out our Menu of Services. We will be setting the dates soon for our 2003 SunFun Seminars, so get those continuing education incentives started now so you can learn and play at sea in 03.

Over the summer I’ll be writing my 3rd book with a release date by the fall. This is something I’ve wanted to do for years and my overly busy travel schedule did not allow it. Now I work hard January through May and September through October so I can enjoy the creative side of my business and spend more time with my family in Virginia Beach in the summer and around the holidays. My typical office day consists of 7-8 hours of telephone calls and 5-6 hours per day of computer time. I really must travel to get away from the work! But I love it, so it really isn’t work. My thanks to my meeting planners and clients in Toronto, Chicago, York, PA, Charlotte, NC (in St Thomas), Las Vegas, Houston, Virginia Beach and D.C. for keeping me busy the past 8 weeks. Until next month,

Linda

LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com

Please keep in mind this newsletter is being offered complimentary in response to the many requests to stay in touch with our clients and followers. If you wish to unsubscribe to Dynamic Data please send an e-mail message to lindamiles@cox.net to let us know.

Miles & Associates’ corporate headquarters may be reached at 800.922.0866. Fax us at 757.721.2892. On the web at www.DentalManagementU.com, or via email at lindamiles@cox.net.

Miles & Associates – Feb 2002

Miles & Associates Linda L Miles & Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456-0249 Phone: 757.721.3332 FAX: 757.721.2892 800.922.0866 Toll-free

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The month of December should be a time of relaxation and remembrance of fun when we were children.

Thursday, December 6th, 2001

A complimentary e-newsletter from Linda Miles for the professional dental community.

For subscription (or unsubscribe) details, as well as Miles & Associates contact information, please see the end of this newsletter.

Miles & Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 757.721.3332 757.721.2892 (Fax) 800.922.0866 Toll-free www.DentalManagementU.com

DYNAMIC DATA

DECEMBER 2001

Dear Doctors and Staff,

The month of December should be a time of relaxation and remembrance of fun when we were children. As busy adults, it is a time for year-end monitors, cards, gifts, and the hustle and bustle of getting ready for holiday gatherings. To add to the stress of holidays this year is the war in Afghanistan. As you read this message, look at the stressors in your life at the moment. Take inventory of them, and decide that you will not carry them into the New Year.

Our phones and e-mail lines have been exceptionally busy the past two months with requests for consulting and practice development. These requests have always been cyclic in the past, but are especially heavy with year-end numbers down for most practices. In talking with dentists who have made these calls and requests for assistance, they report that the month of September was great (it was already scheduled when 9-11 happened), but the bottom has fallen out the last two months of the year.

We have also been frequently asked to serve as a consultant to start up practices. So often recently that Pauline Grabowski, one of our new consultants, and I have designed a new practice consultation that will be tailored to the new dentist in four phases of assistance. >From the initial decision to open a practice, through the lease agreement, to the set-up of systems, interviewing and hiring of the initial staff, to the training and monitoring of the first months activities. This program is now available to dentists in all 50 states and will be part of the New Dentist Program being introduced at the Holiday Dental Conference in Charlotte, NC in Dec 2002. (More information to follow in Dynamic Data.)

The month of November has been extremely busy with the initial work being completed on the inception of our Dental Business Conferences being taken into ten states by mid 2002. If your state association would like to sponsor this sought after practice and team development program, please contact Lee Tarvin at our toll free number from 9-noon at 800-922-0866. Our congratulations to Kathy Metaxas for the success of her first DBC in Perth, Western Australia. Kathy is excited and has additional courses in motion for 2002 in other cities in Australia. Pauline Grabowski and I welcome you and your team to join us on March 22,23 in Virginia Beach for our second DBC. Our November course was a huge success with dentists and staff traveling from as far away as Michigan. Our thanks to our staff, Annie Seela and Lee Tarvin for their tireless effort in making the arrangements with the hotel and attendees. Our sincere thanks to our guest speakers who provided a wealth of information in the break-out sessions. Dr. Dick Wilson, my former employer from Richmond, VA, held court at a lunch and learn on the topic of “Staff, Your Greatest Asset”, Dr. Jeff Blackburn, also a very successful Richmond dentist, spoke on “Time Management”, Anastasia Turchetta, RDH from Edenton, NC spoke on “Assisted Hygiene”, Sheila Dalton and Courtney Wooten, dental assistants from Dr. Dick Wilson’s office spoke on “The Exceptional Dental Assistant”. Pauline and I held an optional no fee hour session from 4-5 on day one. Pauline’s course was on “Computer Utilization”, and my course was on “Leadership At All Levels”.

Dr. Jeff blackburn is a sought after speaker for dental groups across the country and is a member of our Speaker’s Bureau (see our website dentalmanagementU.com for complete details). Anastasia, the most positive hygienist in dentistry today, is also available to come into practices as a consultant to assist them in setting up the Assisted Hygiene Program for total success. Sheila and Courtney are the proud owners of a new consulting firm called “EDA” (Exceptional Dental Assistants). Their mission is to turn average and good dental assistants into exceptional assistants by teaching them the vital communication skills along with the advanced clinical skills the dental assistants of tomorrow must have.

It was an exciting past six weeks in our consulting division. We like to co-consult at least twice per year so I was honored to go on two assignments with our newest consultants in late November and early December. In late November the four of us, Susan Kulakowski, Janelle Kent, Pauline Grabowski and I were together in a lovely practice in Alabama. With the fine staff, good dentistry and improved systems, this will become our solo practice of the year for 2002. While Susan and Janelle were off to the Northwest, Pauline and I spent three days in Montana. In spite of wanting to get back to our families, Pauline and I fell in love with Montana and the wonderful people in that area. We were taken on a lunchtime trek to the foothills of Yellowstone National Park before our afternoon session the second day. By the end of our third day in-office, we knew this would become our best group practice in the 23 year history of our firm.

I was asked to write a monthly column for the Seattle King County newsletter each month. (I have been honored to be a speaker there annually for the past 14 years.) I thought the readers of Dynamic Data might like to have a review of this column as their “pearls” for the month. Please see the attached for those questions and answers.

And don’t forget to take some time for yourselves this busy holiday season. Schedule a one hour massage, reflexology for your tired feet, a half day of pampering at the local salons for women and men. And last but not least, take time to count your blessings, be with your loved ones, and pray for our peace in the coming New Year.

Seattle King County Question/Answer Attachment

Q 1- What do I say to a patient who will not schedule appointments that will go beyond their insurance maximum?

A 1- Remind patients that the employee benefit plan which their employer has chosen for them covers basic preventive and basic restorative care. Ninety-five percent of all adults need more than basic dentistry. You can also say, “Mrs. Winters, you are one of our fortunate patients. A portion of your needed treatment is covered by your benefit plan. How we wish all our patients were this lucky, as many of them must pay their entire fee themselves. ” The “kiss of death” phrase in a dental practice which causes patients to be co-dependent on their plan, is: “Mrs. Winters, I’ll have Judy call your insurance company to see what they’ll cover”. Implying that if it isn’t covered, the patient will not want to have the treatment is the very reason some practices have more trouble with insurance co-dependency than others.

Q 2- How do I know when my practice will support another hygienist?

A 2- First, know how many true active patients you have. You need one full-time hygienist for every 800-1000 active patients. (Depending on whether the practice sees patients 4, 4.5 or 5 days per week and also the mix of adults and children). The wave of the future is to have two chairs per hygienist and a designated assistant for those two hygiene chairs. The hygienist can see 14-15 patients per day in this model.

Q 3- What are your thoughts on confirming appointments? What is your thought on the patient who cancels their appointment when they are called to remind them of this appointment?

A 3- I’ve known for years that 1/3 of the patients are annoyed and frustrated with the confirmation call, 1/3 of the patients will not be there without it, and 1/3 of the patients use the call to say, “I was just getting ready to call and cancel that appointment”.

Rather than a reminder or confirmation call, I prefer to call it a courtesy call. The appointment cards should have at the bottom, “This time has been reserved just for you. Consider this card your confirmation”. In other words, the appointment is confirmed when the card is given. The courtesy caller should say, “hello Mrs. Winters. This is Beth from Doctor Brown’s office. This is your courtesy call to let you know, we’re looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 10″.

Q 4- How do you feel about having a senior citizen discount if you already offer a cash courtesy discount?

A 4- Twenty years ago, cash allowances for prompt payment or senior courtesies were popular. In today’s dentistry, we don’t see as many allowances due to the fact you can not discriminate with bank card patients. if you offer a 5 % cash courtesy for collecting the fees up front, you must also allow this on credit card patients which increases the write offs up to 8%. The percentage paid to use the credit cards is a business expense that is not allowed to be passed on to the patients. Senior citizens are often demanding of their senior courtesy when in fact, many seniors are financially well off. Most dentists realize when you take 10% off the top, you take 30% off the net. In fact, I no longer recommend any courtesies unless the practice wants to adopt a needy family or two and donate their services. Courtesies can get completely out of hand and are in fact an apology for one’s fees. NOTE: never refer to allowances or courtesies as “discounts”. These are blue light specials at K-Mart that tarnish one’s professional image.

Q 5- How do you convince patients to come in the middle of the day or take their children out of school for appointments. How do you deal with everyone wanting the after 3 PM appointments?

A 5- Some practices that are a true “bedroom community” (people take public transportation into town and are only in their homes to sleep), give incentives for patients who can come between 10 AM and 3 PM. For every appointment made between 10 and 3, the patients’ names go into a fish bowl for an end of the month drawing for four $50 gift certificates. These can be for a local restaurant, movie tickets, floral shops, food and toy stores.

It is amazing that the same parents who claim they can’t take their children out of school for dental appointments now find a way to get them there when they learn of the mid day incentives. They now say, “Oh, I’m sure they can all come in mid day, my mother-in-law will bring them.

Q 6- How much detail should go into an office/financial policy sheet that is given to each new patient?

A 6- Firm yet friendly financial guidelines must be fully understood by the entire dental team before they can be introduced to new patients. Making the patients feel you are more interested in their care than their money should come across, yet the practice must be run like a successful business which requires certain policies.

Using positive words for positive results is the key to successful collections. Patients should be given a list of the financial options available. IE: “Mrs. Wagner, for your convenience we also offer Visa, Master Card and Discover, in addition to our normal cash or check services”.

“We are also happy to let our patients know we have a financial partner called _________________ , for those patients who wish to have interest free, longer-term financial assistance”.

Q 7-How can an office without a hygienist (due to the shortage) maintain a strong continuing care program while also doing the restorative, meet production goals and stay on time?

A 7- The hygiene department is the “backbone” of the practice. Finding a hygienist is not impossible even in remote areas. If however, all resources have been tapped, and there is still no hygienist, there is no way the dentist can continue to do the restorative, meet production goals and stay on time. I have consulted two practices in 23 years that have in fact, a successful practice without a practicing hygienist. These dentists have become proficient in delegating everything in their state dental practice act that dental assistants can do. They delegate most of the patient education to the qualified assistants. This helps in rare occasions when a practice is between hygienists. I would not recommend this pace to all practitioners.

Q 8- How do you approach a patient (who has a crown or bridge to do so it can be spaced out , and who can’t pay their portion of treatment) about a finance program when they say they aren’t interested, (don’t use credit cards, etc. or you know they may not qualify)?

A 8- I use the friendly, “we’re here to help you Mrs. Weaver” routine. “In fact, at our practice we believe in doing the dentistry right, not over. You’ve had a lot of break and fix dentistry in the past. If we can find a way to deliver total quality care, and make it affordable to you, do you mind if we introduce you to this type of care?” Patients will then find a way to pay for good dentistry just the way they find the way to pay for anything else they want.

If there’s a fear of them not qualifying, I would be very hesitant to do a major treatment plan without strict, yet friendly fee arrangements. Most people have a source of money in time of need. It is our job as dental professionals to make the patients want what they need by outlining the benefits of the care. It is also the job of the care-givers to be upbeat and not too dogmatic about the fees which is a turn off to all levels of socio-economic patients. Linda Miles, CEO LLMiles and Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456 800.922.0866

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com

Please keep in mind this newsletter is being offered complimentary in response to the many requests to stay in touch with our clients and followers. If you wish to unsubscribe to Dynamic Data please send an e-mail message to lindamiles@cox.net to let us know.

Miles & Associates’ corporate headquarters may be reached at 800.922.0866. Fax us at 757.721.2892. On the web at www.DentalManagementU.com, or via email at lindamiles@cox.net.

Miles & Associates – DEC 2001

Miles & Associates Linda L Miles & Associates P.O. Box 6249 Virginia Beach, VA 23456-0249 Phone: 757.721.3332 FAX: 757.721.2892 800.922.0866 Toll-free

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Spring is in the air which signifies a fresh new beginning to many projects.

Friday, April 6th, 2001

A complimentary e-newsletter from Linda Miles for the professional dental community.

For subscription (or unsubscription) details, as well as Miles & Associates contact information, please see the end of this newsletter.

Visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com.

Spring is in the air which signifies a fresh new beginning to many projects. Summer vacations lie ahead, and the beginning of the second quarter of 2001. Compared to the first quarter of 2000, how does your practice measure up? Typical of the first two years of a new decade, the economy has been weak, lay-offs are occurring left and right (which can impact even the strongest practice), and you stopped looking at your investment portfolio months ago. For the younger dentists and teams in their 30’s and 40’s, this is just a slight wrinkle in the economy and we all know it will be back up soon. For those dentists who are near retirement age, the thought of working a few more years until the market recovers, is more than a mere thought. When the economy slumps, the demand for our services doubles. Many dentists wish to rethink their exit strategy. Younger dentists and those in the “go-go” stage of phenomenal growth use this relaxed window of time to get their systems in place, their teams well-trained and their goals well-defined.

In the early 80’s my business rose to the top of the charts when many start-ups failed. By the early 90’s when things were a little slow in the country, we had our peak years. The early 00’s find our consultants very much in demand because the practicality of our systems help clients and their staffs rebound quickly and without the huge investment some management companies charge.

In a recap of our clients of the past five years, 69.5% had doubled their practices in 12 to 24 months. Many had the same or 80% of their well-trained loyal team members who are on fire for the practice and their profession. Most of our clients work – to one day less per week, take more major meeting CE, and are rescheduled for a day of fine-tuning this year with their LLM&A consultant. We do not believe in holding the trump card in consulting. It is our goal to teach the dentists and their teams to become consultants to their own business. We do not return to client offices monthly, which can cause co-dependency and non-creative problem-solving by teams. We are available to our clients through conference calls, monthly monitoring, and annual follow-up. Our fees are very reasonable for the return of investment which should be 8 – 10 times what clients spend annually.

HYGIENE PROGRAM

Monday, our Virtual Classroom with Office Administrators was wonderful! Our topic was Hygiene Department Efficiencies, and it was one of our strongest classrooms yet.

Does your Hygiene Department measure up? Following is a review of our hygiene discussion from the classroom.

Sit down with the entire team in your practices and outline the perio protocol. There are many good programs available today. Also, the local periodontist each practice refers to will gladly assist any general practice in setting up this program of when to refer, how to refer, and how to have the early diagnosis implemented immediately in each practice they serve. The hygiene department efficiencies are one of the main reasons for these dramatic increases. On occasion, we have also referred to some hygiene consultants when there are distinct weaknesses they can assist with for the results we need to achieve.

THOMAS P. HINMAN MEETING

The Hinman Meeting in Atlanta was a BIG HOME RUN for our firm. Nine consultants and friends of LLM&A were on the program this year. Six of us were part of our new TTC (Total Team Concept) Program. I spoke for three hours two mornings on “The Four Cornerstones of A Successful Practice” and “The Philosophy Of Excellence”. My five consultants did three hour break-out sessions twice on the various systems of Practice Management. Anne Knouse spoke on Scheduling, Cindy Ishimoto spoke on team building, Vicki Turner presented the Hygiene Department Efficiencies, Denise Holick spoke on Marketing, and one of my Speaking Consulting Network members, Lois Banta spoke on Insurance and AR Management. Char Sweeney who has been part of LLM&A since the early 90’s was also a Featured Clinician at Hinman. Denise Hecht and Mark Hyman, members of the SCN were also there as clinicians. All in all, a very wonderful meeting.

SUNFUN 2001

We are gearing up for our SunFun Four Day Western Caribbean Cruise the end of April. We have over 500 people registered. If you are tired of the cold weather, call our office today and get the remaining cabins for you and your team. See our web-site www.dentalmanagementu.com, or call toll-free 800.922.0866 for complete details.

SPEAKING CONSULTING NETWORK

In early June, we are anticipating the largest group ever for our Speaking Consulting Network at Hilton Head, SC. This is our fifth annual meeting of how to start or enhance one’s own speaking consulting business. This gives each member the tools to market and manage their own independent business while forming a network of speakers and consultants who share ideas and tips in a close-knit forum. Due to the progressive growth, this may be the last year we invite new members in order to keep the program manageable. If you have considered speaking or consulting seriously, call Annie Seela, Director of SCN at our Corporate office today 800.922.0866. Many members have reported that this Network has been the single best professional investment they have ever made. It has helped them by-pass the first five difficult years of starting their business without support from SCN.

Happy Spring to all,

Linda

If you are not a client, and would like to become one of Miles’ & Associates’ superior practices, please call 800.922.0866, email us at LLMiles@ix.netcom.com or visit us at www.DentalManagementU.com.

Please keep in mind that this newsletter is being offered FREE in response to your request for information. If you would like to unsubscribe to Dynamic Data please send an email to LLMiles@ix.netcom.com to let us know.

Miles & Associates’ corporate headquarters may be reached at 800.922.0866 or 757.498.0014, on the web at www.DentalManagementU.com or via email at LLMiles@ix.netcom.com.

Miles & Associates – April 2001 Miles & Associates 4356 Bonney Road Suite 2-103 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23452 757-498-0014 757-498-0290 FAX 800-922-0866 Toll-free www.DentalManagementU.com

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