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| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
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| #886: Hygiene Handoffs: Up Your Case Acceptance! | 05 Sep 2024 | 00:12:41 | |
Rereleasing one of DAT’s most popular episodes! Did you know there’s a direct correlation between a perfect handoff and your case acceptance? Kiera explains in this episode, sharing perspectives from both doctors and hygienists. Remember the ICRP method? She touches on that, and gives pro tips on upping that case acceptance through handoffs. Episode resources: Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:05.806) Hey everyone, welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, filler, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you.
Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A -Teams. Welcome to the Dental A -Team Podcast.
The Dental A Team (00:51.246) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and you guys. Happy day to you. I hope it's a great day. I hope you're having a ton of fun. I just hope you're loving life. I really do. And if it's a rough day, just know I'm giving you a virtual hug. It's going to be all right. Things always work out. I had somebody ask me the other day, said, Kiera, why is life so hard? I said, life is hard because we're not willing to accept that maybe our life looks different than what we were planning on it looking like. It's hard because we're resisting what's actually happening.
I've had that. I've had my whole identity shaken. I've had just some rough, rough things in life. And I think all of us have. I think that that's what makes us human. But I think at the end of the day, when you can look at life and say, you know what? I choose to love life. I choose to be happy. I choose to see the best in this. I choose to accept that life is happening for me and not to me. That's when a perspective changes and all of us have that opportunity. So I hope.
I hope that today is just a good day for you. hope that you choose that perspective to see that life is happening for you and not to you. It's growing you where you ultimately want to grow. It's pushing you. might not feel great, but it's pushing you where you ultimately want to go. All right. That's Kiera just a little like, hey, sending you some love in this world. So today's topic is nothing to do with that.
all about hygiene handoffs and why they're important to case acceptance. Yep. Super sexy, exciting. I hope you're ready. I hope you're just like, yep, let's do this. but hygiene handoffs guys, don't think we realize how much the hygiene department impacts case acceptance. Hi, Jenis, you are awesome. You help us so much. I, you guys, we've done quite a few podcasts around the hygiene department. So today we're going to dive into the hygiene department even more so. And with this hygiene department, first of all, we've done, what would doctor do?
And I just had somebody reach out and ask me, how do we really get this? What would doctor do? We just did a podcast on it. you've got to block it in your schedule. I recommend doing it for four weeks and I recommend doing it case study wise. So round Robin. And if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, go listen to that podcast, but that's just kind of a follow -up. Somebody reached out, asked me how to do this and then make sure that your doctors. Doctors, I've got to give you a huge tip on this. Please don't try to make our life hard like you did in dental school.
The Dental A Team (03:06.19) We understand that every FMX has about 75 ,000 different treatment plans that you all dentists will create. We understand that. What we need to know in this, what would doctor do exercise is what you normally will diagnose. I understand that that tooth might be a filling. It might be a crown. It might be a root canal. It might be an implant and it might be a bridge. I'm well aware of that, but please doctors for everything lovely and awesome in life, just tell us.
one simple thing that you normally will diagnose. understand you might go rogue. I understand it won't always be perfect and I'm not expecting you to be perfect. What I'm asking is that you give the hygienist and the clinical team an opportunity to feel confident teeing treatment up for you because that's most of the time what you're going to diagnose. We're going to give you a five to 10 % change. That's fine. You still have that, but please, like I said, for everything, holy, lovely, and good in this life, just choose one diagnosis for us.
That's your general go -to diagnosis. We're not putting you in dental school. You're not being graded on the boards. We just need your basic one so we can win and we can teach treatment up for you. Otherwise, if you make it too hard, we say, forget it. We don't want to do this. It's too hard. They're always going to change their treatment plan. They're never going to treatment plan what they, what we think they're going to. So forget it. They can do it all on their exam time. Your case acceptance will be lower. Your patient experience will be lower and doctors, you don't have any help. So that's just my.
I got on a little soap box for you, but I'm advocating for our teams and advocating for our doctors on this one. see both perspectives. So doctors just give us your normal go -to on that FMX. That way we can start to win and help you out as well. So then next is this handoff. We've talked about the I crap handoff. So when doctors come in, we introduce the patient, let them know if they've met them or not. Compliment the patient. They're doing great on their flossing. We give a recap of the treatment we've already discussed. Hashtag teed up.
And we do a personal note. We do it in that exact order as well. Reason being, if I say something personal, the doctor can then pick that up and they have an immediate connection with the patient. Exam time drastically reduces. So those are all things that we've already discussed on other podcasts. Again, if you haven't heard them, go listen to them. Alex is amazing. She links all these in the show notes so you guys can just quickly click on those other podcasts. Shout out to Alex. She's amazing. She's the wizard behind.
The Dental A Team (05:25.994) the keyboard for us that makes all of our show notes amazing and she makes your guys' life real easy. So with that said, next up is going to be these handoffs. So Hygienist giving that really awesome iCrap handoff, sorry it's the worst acronym but you won't forget it, to your doctor when they enter the room. Now some doctors are like, so Hygienist you gotta be on it. I hope you hear me snapping in the background. like, as soon as they walk through that door, you roll into your handoff.
A lot of people say, but cure, I want to go tell my doctor outside of the room. Fine. That's totally fine. You can team up outside of the room, but in front of the patient, you've got to have this handoff. Otherwise doctors got to go through the whole spiel. they've also did with something missed. That patient doesn't know what was being discussed. It brings the patient into the conversation versus the patient just watching the movie versus being an active participant in it. Get your patient to actively be engaged, get them involved in.
Like call your perio numbers out or your probing numbers out, help them co -diagnose with you. Have them look at x -rays with you. Have that patient be an active participant in the procedure versus a passive participant in the visit, if you will. So then doctors and hygienists, two pro tips that we've discussed before is getting them to say yes to you before we even present treatment. So, hey, can I put your bib on? Yes.
Can I lean you back? Yes. Getting them to do it versus saying, okay, now I'll lean you back. Having that patient have autonomy and getting them to say yes throughout your procedure is actually teeing them up to want to say yes for treatment. Psychological guys, I had my whole undergrad in psychology and I love it. And I had a hygienist email me and she's like, Kiera, I tried this. My floor at acceptance is a hundred percent. Rock on. Shout out to you. You know who you are. You emailed me and I loved hearing it. It was so cool. So with that,
Now doctors in the room, we do the treatment plan. Doctor gives a perfect handoff back to the hygienist. All right, it's Kiera. We want to get you back. So doctor is talking to the patient while giving the information to the hygienist. Do you see that triangle? I hope you do. Doctor talks to the patient. That way the hygienist hears what needs to happen. Patient is an active participant versus being just a silent listener. This way we have a perfect handoff. So then doctor gives the perfect handoff. Hey, all right, Kiera. So it looks like we've got some treatment that we want to get done.
The Dental A Team (07:49.762) The great news is you're in good hands and we're going to get your mouth healthy. We're going to do this really easy for you. Doctors, tee up some, some confidence there. Okay. I'd like to get you back in about two weeks. We'll start on that upper right. We'll get that crown and that filling done. I know that was your biggest concern. Don't worry. We'll get that taken care of that way. You can eat again. I'd like to see you back in about two weeks and I'll need about two hours for that appointment. What questions do you have for me? I didn't say, you have questions? I said, what questions do you have for me?
nothing. think I'm good. Fantastic. I can't wait to see you back. You're in great hands. Rachel, are your hygienist? She's going to take great care of you, get you scheduled back for that. Beautiful. Doctor, you did so many great things on that. You told us what they're coming back for. You gave us a timeframe of when they're coming back for it. You told us how much time they need. You edified the hygienist and you gave them confidence that you are a rock star dentist and they're in great hands. High five docs. That is something we need from you. Then we loop. Hygienist, you've just been edified. You've been given the information.
Your job now is to take that information and either schedule right then if you're, if that's your practice protocol or take them upfront with that exact information. This handoff is paramount. I can't tell you when I'm in offices, I sit as a little fly on the wall watching everything go on. I hear this awesome handoff from doctor. I see our hygienist write it down on the route slip or wherever you choose to write it, message it, whatever you choose to do in your practice. I'm big on having something that has to be filled in so we don't miss these boxes.
Then we walk up front and we're like, okay, front desk. Here we go. Cure is ready to go. We'll see you later. Cause you're busy and you're behind and you don't even say anything that doctor just said to you. Darn it. We just lost an opportunity right there. So now the front office is like, okay, we'll see you later. And then they're like, did you get them scheduled back? No, I didn't even know they had treatment. So this handoff hygienist is crucial and you guys are the best of the best of the best at it.
or you're the worst of the worst. It's one of the two. So let's get you to be the best of the best at this. So that's why I like a route slip. That's why I like something that's written. I don't care how you do it. You can use a reusable route slip. You can use a blue note message. I don't care, but it has to be a template of those items. Otherwise it gets messy and sloshy. The goal should be that this patient knows exactly what they're coming back for, when they should come back and how much time they need to come back for. I promise you, if you will do this handoff.
The Dental A Team (10:13.42) and make it your own, that's fine. I don't care how you do it. I don't care. I just care that you get these key pieces in it. If you will do this, your case acceptance will be increased. We won't have patients slipping through the crack and we'll be able to give them the best dental care possible. So then going up front, you literally say exactly what, what doctor said, Hey friend office, this is Kiera. So doctor did find some treatment on her and the great news is she's an awesome hands and doctor's going to do amazing work with her.
Doctor would like to get her back for the upper right for that crown and that filling. That's what she was mostly concerned about. Doctor would like to see her in two weeks for about two hours. I've already got her cleaning scheduled. And Kiera, what questions do you have for me? I've got nothing. Thanks so much. Awesome, Kiera. You are in great hands with the front office. Say their name. They're going to take amazing care of you. And I can't wait to see you back at your next cleaning. Hi, Jenice. You take off and right there front office. Just got the handoff to pick it up to schedule perfectly from there.
So hygienists do this, you edified the front office, you told them that they're great. So you left this patient in great hands. You also re -edified our doctor, reminding them that they're at the best place possible and you gave all the information. So now it's easy to schedule. Hygienists, you are a pivotal piece. You are like a cornerstone in this formula. You're the one who gets the information from the patient to hand off to the doctor. You're the one who gets the information from the doctor to hand off to the front office. You are literally this hinge between doctor, front office, doctor and patient.
you hinge into areas that are pivotal to the patient experience and the patient success. So try it out. Listen back to this podcast, deep dive on it, role play. I can't wait to hear it. You guys are going to do incredible. Hi, Janice. You are paramount and so, so, so valuable in these handoffs. So try it out. Let us know how it goes. And if you guys need help, we do this in practices. We role play it with you guys via zoom or in person and help you guys really dial this verbage in because at the end of the day,
I believe great case acceptance comes from great verbiage. It's all about our confidence and it's about the way we say things, making it easy for patients to say yes. All right guys, as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.
The Dental A Team (12:22.505) wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.
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| #885: Perks of Being an Associate Dentist | 04 Sep 2024 | 00:22:43 | |
Kiera joins Haley Schultz on The Dental Download podcast to talk about maximizing associate dentistry. They discuss how to go about learning about numbers, overhead, meeting cadence, leadership and more, as well as the Dental A-Team’s educational resource for new dental school grads. Episode resources: Listen and subscribe to The Dental Download podcast Listen to episode 654, Behind the Curtain of Dentistry Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.91) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera, and I am so excited because I actually did an amazing podcast with Haley from Dental Download, and it was all about associates, and I really feel like you guys are going to love it. And so I wanted to actually do a crossover episode on our podcast, so I really hope you guys enjoy. It was all about associates, getting you guys a ton of perks, coming out of school. I think it's great for you guys, and I hope you really enjoy it.
Haley Schultz All right, hello, everyone. Welcome back for another episode. I know last time I had you on, we talked a lot about kind of the business side of dentistry and a lot of what you do with improving practices. But today I thought we could talk more about kind of advice for people that are going in as associates. So maybe they're not owners yet, but how can they maximize that time to kind of be prepared for ownership? So I'd love kind of your opinion. So if someone is going in as an associate for their first time at an office,
Kiera Dent (01:20.878) Thank you.
Kiera Dent (01:33.806) Thank you.
Haley Schultz (01:39.466) What are some things that they can do or maybe what should they be trying to learn from the owner to get themselves prepared for ownership down the line?
Hey, I'm so glad you asked this question because I did work at Midwestern University's dental college for three years in Arizona and I just want to like plant a seed and then I'll answer your question. So planting the seed is I've talked to so many owner doctors. I know the students and I feel like sometimes what students do because they're in such a learning phase, right? I worked with hundreds of them and so many of them told me Kiera.
I know you told me this before, but I really wish I would have just taken the plunge into ownership. Initially, I was so afraid to do it, but really like an associateship is, it is beautiful, but I think it's kind of like dental school, right? You're D1, D2, D3, D4. It's almost like you guys have this path of D1, two, three, four, associateship, and then I'll become ready for it, or even residency associateship, then I'm ready for ownership. And I think it's similar. I mean, we don't have children. You can use this example. I've heard it many times of...
You're never really ready when you get married. You're never really ready for children, but you jump in and you know you're going to be able to figure it out and we learn it along the way. So I just want to plant a seed. Um, almost every single owner I've ever talked to asking about their associate path. They all have told me, I wish I would have just straight on into ownership. So I'm just going to plant some seeds out there. It does not mean you need to do it because I know it can feel scary, but maybe just like percolate on that a little bit. So if you do elect to, cause I think most people go into associateship cause you feel like.
I'm not prepared. And I want to say that most dental students, I'm saying most, you know yourself, so go for it what it is. But most dental students are actually more prepared than they think they are. You don't have as much like quote unquote, real life experience. And so I think the, the part that feels daunting is you don't really know how to like run a team. You don't know how to do the billing aspect of it. You don't know how it's, it's the nuances of running a business. But what I want to let you know is most associates in that they're super proactive, just like some of those students in school.
Kiera Dent (03:38.094) owning a business is still gonna feel very daunting when you do get to that point. So just throwing those ideas out there, like the pieces you don't know about ownership that you're scared about, it's gonna hit you when you do buy the practice regardless. So, but if I was saying like, okay, I know I wanna go into an associateship, I know I wanna go in and I wanna own, basically I'm gonna take this time as like my mini residency in business. That's how I would treat this as an associate of.
But that doesn't mean you're, I mean, cause you're also trying to learn like, Oh, I got to get my hand skills up and I've got to get my speed up and I've got to figure out how to work with an assistant. I think there's that piece that is beautiful that an associateship does allow you to do. But on the flip side of that, if you're going to go be an associate, I would definitely go learn all the billing and all the front office and go sit with the biller and say, Hey, I'm Haley. I have no clue what I'm doing here. I want to learn how to submit claims and just sit with them. They'll laugh at you. They'll giggle with you and be like, I have no idea what I'm doing.
teach me how to do this, and then you actually submit claims. You actually call on the insurance plans. You actually answer the phone and schedule a patient. You actually go through and you present a treatment plan with the treatment coordinator. You listen to them. Listening and observing is different than doing. And so I really would just take it as like, that's my mini residency because the business aspect is going to be the part that's going to rock your world of managing the team, of reading the books, getting the PNL.
I would talk to your owner doctor and say, hey, I'm super intrigued by business. Can you teach me? Like, I want to see how you look at your P &L. How do you talk to your bookkeeper? They might be willing to share. And if they're not, then hey, rock on. Come talk to me and I'll show you how to do a P &L. But really, I think that that's the pieces that are going to maximize you. You've got to learn the numbered aspects of the KPIs, the overhead, the bookkeeping, financial, the legal aspect. Like, that's the whole business side. And then the flip side is the billing, the office management.
how we run our meetings, what's the cadence. Those are, I think are the two pieces in addition to getting your hand skills up that really is, I think a great way for you to maximize your associateship if you elect to go that route. But remember sitting in someone's house, like think of us growing up in our parents homes. We lived in a home. We saw our parents pay the mortgage. We saw them pay the bills. So we saw it, but until you have that ownership piece on you, it is a magnitude that I don't think there's really a way to prepare you. You like,
Kiera Dent (05:55.662) It's up to here at your neck of like, oh my gosh, I have so much debt. And so just realizing that I haven't found a great simulator to prepare you for real life, just like our parents couldn't prepare us for marriage. Like we watch our parents with marriage. We watch tons of people with it, but living a day in and day out, I think there is an element that really you just have to jump in and then gain the mental stamina and grit. I think is the best advice of how can I manage those emotions, master my emotions to ride the tidal waves of life and not get thrown off.
Yeah, that's great insight. And I'm curious in terms of if you do work with doctors right out of school that are going into ownership, are you working with many people right when they are getting started on they just bought their practice from ground zero or are you mostly having clients come in years into ownership and like, okay, we need to turn things around, we're struggling with this?
Yeah. So, Haley, I'm glad you asked and you actually inspired me on our last podcast. I realized our consulting company didn't really have something that I felt was affordable for new grads. And I felt like that was just a zone. And we know my model is I just want to serve and help as many dentists as we possibly can to like love life and enjoy the aspects. So we actually just created a part of our consulting that is way more budget friendly, but gives the foundations.
of the practice, it's more of a kind of like there is some DIY, but also you get massive access to the consultants. It is more in a group setting mastermind style. So you're learning from other doctors. You can ask your questions. We almost walk you through, not almost, we do. We walk you through like the 12 systems of how to set up your practice based on the months of the year to like get you in this good place. But it's way, way, way more budget friendly because I can do it on more of a math scale. And then when you're ready, you can add on calls and whatnot, because I just noticed that was a gap.
And I feel like it's a gap in a lot of consulting because it's like kind of like financial advisors and me and Ryan Isaac, like we talk about this all the time. Like dentists, when you get out of school, you need a financial advisor to make these decisions, but financial advisors usually don't take you until you're making over a million. Well, same thing with consultants. Like we don't want to deal with they, you don't have the money. That just seems ludicrous to me. Cause then like you said, you're in hot water and now we're trying to bail you out of it. So, um, I'm actually really excited. We have.
Kiera Dent (08:11.118) quite a few new like brand new doctors in there. We've got some existing doctors too, because I didn't want to just like only have newbie docs. Like we do have some advanced doctors. So, and it's just been really, really fun to see it evolve, but the doctors are loving it because it's doctor and team. And we'll talk about it more at the end, but truly any person who comes from this podcast, just mention it. You guys are getting 25 % off your monthly fee for life because I want students to feel confident owning practices.
I want you to feel like you've got resources of a consultant on demand basically, because you're going to have a ton of questions. I know what you're going to go through. And I just saw that was a gap. So, math kudos to you of just planting the seed. And then our team went to work and we built a product that is beyond beautiful. And you get nine hours of consultant access per week or per month, excuse me, which right now most clients are only getting an hour and a half of time from a consultant. So we tried to just like...
maximize it. Yes, it's in a group setting, but I believe that there's a massive, massive, massive advancement. Think about in class, students raise their hand and they ask questions that you never would have thought of, but you at least get the answer to it, similar to our consulting, and you still can have access to answer all your questions. I just thought that that was a gap, so we decided to roll that out, and so 100%. Then there's also a lot of clients that when you're going to buy a practice, I think this is really important to note.
you usually see the cost of the practice and so you go to the bank to get that. And I recommended for years, ask for a little, like I'm talking 50 to 100K more of working capital if you can. And that's what you invest in CE and consulting and equipment because that's going to propel your business forward. It's not the actual line item of my practices as much. Tack it on and say, I'm hiring a consultant or convince the practice you're buying to hire a consultant. So it goes into the roll up fee.
Those are the things to do so that way you have the funds available when you really need the help the most.
Haley Schultz (10:07.85) That's awesome that you created that program. That's exactly like there was definitely a need for it. So I'm excited to know that that's available now for people. But when it comes to again, an associate perspective, and I mean, it can just be anything you're seeing with your clients for if they need to increase production, if that's one of their problems that maybe they're not producing enough. Do you feel like the time needs to be
Yeah.
Haley Schultz (10:31.082) towards clinical skills, actual CE, or is a lot of time it more communication skills that people need to really increase that production.
Hmm. I think that there's gosh like like tenfold I think there's a lot of things that can go into it and so I'll just kind of like hit the high points number one I think given a lengthy amount of time Students and new doctors tend to take that amount of time. So my biggest piece is timing yourself There's these cool little blocks on Amazon and you can get your assistant to do it where you can like wipe it and it can be clean But you can actually flip the timer once you walk into the operatory and see how long it's taking you to actually prep the crown. I
in addition to going and getting the exams and see how long your exams are taking you and just start timing yourself. It's kind of like when we train for like marathons or you're training for your race times. And if we're not tracking our metrics, you're actually not able to improve that. So I found like one of the biggest pieces of increasing production is just being able to shave off one, two, three, four minutes. That's going to radically help you. If you can shave five or 10 minutes for every procedure in a day, you're actually opening up space to add in one or two more procedures.
and you're getting that dollar per hour production up. That's also gonna track you in on your dollar per hour for production. And so, not on the, don't get wild on me. Let's not go for our gross. Let's go for our true like office fees of like what the insurance will pay you. So go off that number. But when you actually start tracking what your dollar per hour is, most associate doctors come out and they're producing about 500 per hour. So like trying to get us into that $4 ,000 a day.
But if you can get that up to even $600 an hour or up to $700 an hour and you productively schedule your day, that radically will increase that production. And so, and then also having confidence in yourself and pushing yourself, like you're going to get into a bind. And that's where I think communication skills come into play. If you know, I can push myself on my procedures and I can get my hand skills faster. I just need to have the word ninja skills to communicate to a patient in case something goes awry. Guys, it's dentistry. You are a real life artist working in someone's mouth.
Kiera Dent (12:34.83) own that and be okay with him. Be like, you know what? Things just didn't quite go as planned. Push the next patient down. You learn, but don't get scared of that because you're learning. It's like a child who falls off a bike. They're not, they need to get back on that bike and keep riding. Same thing with you. So I really feel like tracking your production per hour, timing yourself and making sure it's there. And then figuring out like what takes you a long time. Is it the crown prep? Is it because you're not using your assistants and so many associates right out of school don't use their assistants. Like I am an assistant.
Let me help you. Let me hand you the instruments because it's crazy. We think like, I'll just grab it. It's faster. No, if you can keep your hands right in the mouth and you've got a really good assistant that constantly is sending it to you and they're right there, your production is going to go up exponentially because, and then also have your assistant. Like I recommend associates going into a practice and find the most seasoned assistant and ask them like, Hey, when do I need to go to an exam? Like almost have them guide you.
of when you need to be leaving the room. Cause that assistant knows your most optimal time. Like get out of here. I'm going to take an X -ray and then get back in here in five minutes. And we're going to keep rocking and rolling. So I oftentimes, my opinion is when associates go work for practices to give that associate the most seasoned assistant. I know the doctor never wants to give their perfect assistant up, but that assistant is going to force an associate to move faster, show you how to really get the rope. So I think there's like multifaceted. Usually it's not CE right out of school. You might be struggling with like,
sensitivity on that, just get your owner doctor to come in and assist you, or you go assist your owner doctor and figure out like, how do they actually put the band then? How do they cure? When are they doing these things and pay attention to almost their efficiency flow? And I think if associates will also do that, like, I know it sounds weird to go assist them, but you're watching to see how quickly they move and when do they go do the exams? And I think you working with your owner doctor a little bit more can really increase that production up for you. So tracking your numbers.
figuring out how much time it really does take you, shaving it off one or two minutes every time to just get it a little bit more efficient, seeing that owner doctor and then getting those beautiful communication skills with your patient of like, it was a day today and this is just real life dentistry and real life and thank you for waiting. Never apologize. I think a good phrase is like, thank you so much for waiting. I really appreciate it and let's get rocking and rolling. Don't be like, I'm so sorry, I'm so, cause you put yourself in a wrong phase.
Kiera Dent (14:55.566) Thank you so much for waiting. Let's get rocking and rolling. I always give my best patient care to every patient and then figure out where you went awry that day and make it better the next day is what I'd recommend.
I love all those tips. And when it comes to communication skills in terms of like case acceptance, I know a lot of offices now have treatment coordinators anyways, so the doctors aren't so much like selling treatment anymore in a lot of cases, but at the end of the day, like the patients want to ask the doctor questions. So what are some things that you recommend people kind of hone in on when it comes to discussing treatment with patients?
Mm -hmm.
Kiera Dent (15:32.59) This will be my favorite thing that I'll ever give everyone. Doctors, remember you are selling treatment and they're buying your confidence. So many doctors push off like, oh, it's a TC. And the TC's are like, no, no, no, you T for me. You've got to get this T'd up for me and you're confident. And you've helped this patient realize this is what they need. So a lot of doctors feel bad because they don't want to give bad news. And I'm like, you're not giving bad news. You're just educating them what the state of the mouth is in. That patient, they made choices.
they chose to drink the diet sodas, they chose to like sip on this, like those are choices they made. Educate them and then always end it with like, and the great news is we're going to be able to get you healthy, I'm here for you. And then this is what I say of your best case acceptance tip and I call it NDTR is my perfect handoff. And I think in my, what I love and associates love this is it kind of gives you a framework of how do I do my exam? So I recommend comprehensive exam, walk them through it.
tell them everything that's going on and then you do NDTR. You can remember New Dentist, Tough Road, Newter, Nevada Dentist, Totally Rock. Like I've heard all the things, Never Date the Rookie. Like however you want to remember this, I don't care. But someone says Newter and that just makes me giggle. But it's next visit, the date to return, how much time is needed and make sure their re -care is scheduled. So at the end of it, and I call like putting a bow on your treatment plan package.
And so it's like, all right, Haley, I want to get you back. Like the great news is we're going to be able to get you healthy. And I'm excited to get your mouth healthy and clean again. So I want to see you back in about two weeks. We're going to get started on the upper right. We're going to get, take care of that crown and that root canal for you. It's going to take me about two hours for that. And I want to make sure you've got your cleaning scheduled. What questions do you have for me? Um, I want to make sure you're super confident. I didn't ask, do you have questions? I told them what needs to happen. They're super clear because oftentimes patients feel like.
Well, where are we starting? And a lot of new grads, especially really get funky on their, on their exam. Cause like in school, someone else does it. They bring them back. Like they have to come back. They're here for like 500 hours. Cause you guys have to get all the checks on it. And so in private practice, they have to know where you're starting. You have to know where you're starting and you'll get faster at that. So worst case scenarios, you just start in the upper right. Always like, okay, I go up for right. Like that's always my go -to until I get better at like where my chief concern is. But it's, I want to see you back in about two weeks.
Kiera Dent (17:52.654) Or if you know your schedule is wide open, I want to see you back in about a week. It's going to take me two hours for this. Please don't underestimate or overestimate. Like let's try and get that dialed in. This is where you also time yourself. So you're more confident on giving that timing. But if you will do that pretty bow and your team takes that up and they use that perfect bow, your treatment coordinator now can say, all right, Haley, let's get you scheduled. You're going to come back with Dr. Schultz. She's incredible. She wants you back in one week. So I'm going to schedule you on Wednesday at this time. She needs two hours for the crown, the root canal.
and then they'll go over the finances. Doctors, you are convincing this patient, they're buying your confidence. That's what they're buying. They're not buying the crown, they're not buying the root canal. And I do think you having that confidence and not like, well, you know, you kind of had this. And I'll say a lot of females tend to be a little more passive on their diagnosing. And I just want to give the female doctors the bike, girls, like we can do this and you are totally capable and like, don't feel bad about it. Cause I think we have these empathetic hearts.
Go in and diagnose confidently because they're buying your confidence is what they're buying. And looking at you, are you the person who can truly make my mouth healthy again? That's what I'm buying. And I'm looking at you of like, are you sure? And the more confident you doctors are, men have it too, don't worry. But I just watch it and Haley, you're a female, so I think I'm talking more to you than anyone else. But like truly, I hope that all doctors have the confidence in themselves. Another question is like, hey, how long have you been practicing dentistry? Four years.
You guys have been practicing for four years. Don't tell them you're brand new out of school. Like they don't need to know that move along. It's fine. In a year, you're going to look back at your treatment and be like, wow, that was terrible. It was the best you did at that time. And you're always going to judge yourself as you move on. And that's how you make yourself better. So like, don't feel bad about it. You can always fix it and you move on and you just make it better and better and better every single day.
That was good advice as well. And before we wrap up, I know you've already given us like so many great pearls, but I like to give people a chance for just like any closing thoughts in terms of advice for dentists that are just getting started.
Kiera Dent (19:53.934) when you have way more skills than you think you do. And I think like having that confidence within you, you went to a great school and you're going to make mistakes. And I remember, so I started with a dental, a dentist, she was straight out of school and we started our first practice and we took our practice from 500 ,000 to 2 .4 million in nine months as a brand new grad. So I like to paint that story, not that you need to do that, but I love to hear what's possible because then you can expand what's possible for you. And I remember there was one night we were sitting there and she,
bombed a root canal. Like I'm telling you, it was a bomb. Like we broke off a file. Like it was awful. And I remember we were sitting there at the end of the day and I said, you're better than this. And I remember she was like, wow, you're like cut throat when she's down. But I think it was one of the best things I ever said because she is better than that. And she knew she's better than that. And so because like she made that one mistake, she could have let that haunt her or she can make it like make her better. And so you will make mistakes. And that's part of being a dentist.
but it's how quickly can you recover from that mistake and make it better and realizing nothing is permanent in dentistry. Like everything can be fixed, everything can be resolved. Like most of the time we're probably not gonna kill a patient. So our risk isn't super high. And I just really wanna give you that vote of confidence that you are well -trained, you are going to learn, you are going to make mistakes and that's part of the journey, but the faster you can learn from that mistake and do better and be better.
the better you're going to be for those patients. And to me, I feel like as a dentist, this isn't about you. It's about you being the best for your patients and giving them the best clinical care. And when you remove yourself from it and your ego and realize I got to be the best for this patient, it gives you that motivation to rise up, to do the best treatment plans, to give them the confidence of when they need to come back, to realize like, if they don't come to me and I know I'm a good dentist, they're going to go to someone else who might not be as good of a dentist. And I owe it to my patients to be giving them the best dentistry possible.
We only have our 32, which most of us only have 28 teeth. We get one set and you as a dentist, I want you to take that on and realize you are the best for those patients. Rise up to the level you're capable of and believe in yourself more than you give yourself credit. Cause gosh, I've seen a lot of rough dentistry and most students coming out of school are not that way. You've been trained, grow, evolve and realize you've got so much potential in you. Don't give up. Even when you have that bad case, do better, be better and come in tomorrow and be better.
Haley Schultz Thank you so much and thank you again for your time today.
Kiera Dent Of course, thank you. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.
| |||
| #876: Have a Slam-Dunk September | 14 Aug 2024 | 00:15:38 | |
Kiera encourages practices to send out end-of-year benefit letters now, just in time for the slow-down in September. As a bonus, she includes the lingo those letters can include. Episode resources: Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.634) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and welcome I hope you guys are doing so incredible and I hope that you guys just remember how great life is for you and That we're so lucky and blessed to be living in the day that we are and that we're able to be a part of dentistry And it's kind of crazy to be podcasting again. I took a little bit of time for myself I had some things come up and so it's kind of fun to be back to the podcast world and just mad kudos to our team So you guys today I wanted to give you a quick tip
to hopefully help you not have a suck -tem -ber as it has been known in the industry for years. I have an office, shout out to them, they know who they are and they call themselves the slam dunk September. And so how do you prevent that suck -tem -ber now to ensure that you have that slam dunk September? And if it's not September for you, maybe it's October, but typically around fall, things tend to be a little bit more slow. People are getting back to school.
The holidays are coming up and so people are kind of in this funky zone. feel like September is really that like shifting. It's a shifting from summer to fall. It's a shifting from being in summer, going back to school. It's a shifting from summertime into end of your holidays. And so how can we ensure that you guys are truly successful and set up for that? And it's a very simple tip that I think is so relevant for you just to put on your radar and to remind you. And sometimes you may have heard
Sometimes you'll hear things on the podcast that maybe we've talked about in the past I try really hard to give you guys new podcasts all the time But I think one of the most important things is just for us to remember things that we know to set them on automatic cadences So we don't have to remember as much and that we can become very proficient and efficient are the things that I like to do So before we get into that, I just want to say thank you for being a podcast listener. Thank you for being a part of my life Thank you for being people that I know rally in dentistry and are here and committed to
making changes into dentistry. And I just want to ask you to please go leave that review for us. Share this with a friend, put it in a Facebook place, on a post, in an Instagram question, share it with people when they ask questions. You guys know you can always go to TheDentalATeam.com, click on our podcast page and be sure to search any of your questions, any of your topics. And I guarantee you in the almost 900 episodes we have that there will be answers and solutions for you. If you're like me and you prefer it to be a little bit easier.
Kiera Dent (02:20.642) Be sure to just email us Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We can help you, we can reach out with you, you can join our family. We have virtual, we've got group, and we've got one -on -one consulting options for you. So really trying to accommodate all the budgets out there and all the styles and preferences and just really wanting to make sure you feel supported. I know the world can feel a little funny right now. The world can feel a little uncertain. What is going to happen with the election? What's going to happen with our patients? What's happening with insurances?
What's happening with the turnover? Am I going to have a team? I think all those questions really having a coach to guide you to give that guidance. I know I lean on my coach all the time and that's honestly why I'm obsessed with consulting our practices and being on coaching calls today. Just being able to help guide them and give them that sounding board and giving them tips and advice and shortcuts really I think is a helpful thing. And so that's really what we're about at Dental A Team. And if that inspires you, if you feel like maybe there is an easier path we've helped.
offices from startup to selling to transitions to multi -practice ownership. So whatever your path, whatever your journey is, Dental A Team's not a one size fits all. Dental A Team is here to support you, your team and your ultimate goals and desires. And we do it from people who have been there, done that and done it successfully many times over. And so really that's our goal. That's our love. And that's our obsession is you giving you and your team the happiness, the ease. Now that doesn't come without you having to put in the work too. Some people just think that we're a magic diet pill and we're not.
but we do try to eliminate the stress and make it easy for you. today, like I said, let's help you guys not have that September. Let's help you have that amazing September. And one of the easiest things is to, think it's so funny as a society, we send our end of year benefit letters at the end of the year, right? And I thought about it. Most people have already been to the dentist come August, especially mid August. We are past that six month mark. July was
A lot of people's benefits are either partially used, some of them are maxed, but most of them still have some insurance remaining. And I think it's so silly that we send out our end of year benefit letters in October. I did the exact same thing, but then I started thinking, well, if we have a hard September and we're going to be sending out end of year benefit letters in October, could we not combine the two and be able to, utilize that? And so, just something to think about. I don't think there's anything wrong with sending at least seven letters and also incorporating
Kiera Dent (04:40.886) Phone calls in it as well kind of like our reactivation of two two two. So two weeks two months Excuse me two days two weeks two months is how we like to reactivate patients You could do the same thing with reactivation and we could be sending it out say in August September October November And then we really start hitting it in November harder But something I found when I was sending letters is my October November December are pretty darn busy And it was my September that was very light and so why not send these
mid August. We're going to try and get this released early for you guys. So you're catching this podcast right at the time and sending out these email blasts of a use it or lose it or early bird gets the worm or let's schedule on your time schedule, not when it's packed. Or why don't you take advantage of the benefits that your insurance gave you instead of having it go back to your insurance company or Hey, our schedules get really, really busy or specifically targeting certain cases right now where you can go through your own scheduled treatment plans and look for them.
and see what you can do for them to be able to get them in on your schedules. And I just think it's something where we, I think end of year benefit letters came because our September's were slow. And so I'm like, why not be proactive? Why not set in our schedule that in August every year we start sending letters. And so there are a couple letter templates that we've been doing for some of our offices. And of course our offices get VIP. We share everything with them on the podcast. I will definitely give you guys a sample of it for sure, but.
Like one blast could be like dear patient name. Can you believe it's the end of the year is already approaching Halloween will be here before you know it and we're going to be into fall spice and pumpkin spice and making this up because this one's specifically for the New Year's ball drop. That's a little bit closer to end of year, but you could be saying like right now like truly pumpkin spice seasons about to be upon us knowing that time flies when we're all having so much fun. We wanted to take a moment to remind you that your dental care is a top priority. If you're seeing our practice as a patient with dental insurance now is the time to get
Most insurance plans renew annually, that's what the air quotes, renew annually in January and run on a use it or lose it motto. Don't waste what you've got. If you have a cleaning to reserve or maybe dental treatment that's been recommended, let's help you find the best day and time to use what you've got left on your insurance plan. Like we said, pumpkin spice is going to be here before we know it. Call and reserve your next appointment with us. We want to make sure that we can accommodate your schedule before our schedules get packed. Look forward to seeing you soon. regards, best regards to your dental office.
Kiera Dent (07:04.824) So something as simple, I love to correlate my emails with the holidays that are coming around. So it could be like, no tricks, just treats. Let's get you scheduled today. Or you could do something around like, it's pumpkin spice day. Be sure to use up your benefits. Or you can say like, it's time to give like gratitude. Could you imagine what your life would be like without teeth? We get to smile, we get to speak, we get to eat. Like all these things like Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without our teeth.
let's be sure we're taking care of them. So you really can play into some fun things, make them fun letters that your patients will be reading, and do something where, again, we're doing a benefit. I understand that it's going to benefit you as a practice for September, but truly as a patient wasting money on insurance, I think is the dumbest thing that they can ever do. Like that is Kiera's rant where I will go off on that because I just think it's, it's so unfortunate. People pay their premiums, people pay for their insurance and yet we don't use our insurance and
What happens is that money goes back to the insurance companies and that patient who paid their premiums, they're not able to maximize it. Now, if your patients have already maxed out, that's okay. Depending upon the state that you're in, some offices, again, it's state laws, so be sure to look into your state laws. Some stay in network, so they'll still honor the insurance fees. And if you're a state that does that, I always tell the patients like, hey, your insurance company gets to change every single year. They get to be doing things differently. And I would hate for
to legitimately have them come up with a policy and a plan next year that doesn't cover the treatment. We know this year, right here, right now, that this is what your insurance company is covering. Let's maximize the discounts that you still get. I explained to patients the difference between dental insurance and medical insurance. Dental insurance is like a coupon. They give us a bucket of money is another way to describe it. And once that money is gone, that's all we can use.
But medical insurance, we pay our deductible and then they cover the rest. so dental insurance is very different and we want to make sure we maximize it, utilize it, and then also get the discounts and benefits that come along with it. Because again, it's just a cute fun plan and let's make sure that we're getting everything on sale. Prices do go up next year for us and also for insurances, not your amount that they're going to cover, but the differences of what they will cover. And they often do change that from year to year. So we know today, we know we've got treatment, more treatments coming next year.
Kiera Dent (09:23.79) So let's maximize and utilize those benefits. Now, if you're a state that doesn't do that and you actually go into your office fees, totally fine. We let them know we've maximized and utilized all of your benefits. Let's make sure we get the treatment done today because treatment will come up and we don't want it to stack up on you and it will never be cheaper or more predictable than it is today. So really helping your patients realize like we're proactive. I remember when I was dating my husband, I drove a 97 Honda Civic, it was cherry red.
I called her Rosie Anne named after my mower on my family's lawn business. I mowed lawns all growing up and I named my mower Rosie Anne. She was red as well and hence my car became Rosie Anne. I remember my husband, I was in college and like money just felt tight and I remember my window broke one time and I told my husband, said, I just don't know if I want to fix it. And he gave me something that I thought of so much. said, Kiera, always fix it when it happens because more things will break down.
our teeth are like, they're not like cars, but they are continually breaking down. Our bodies are continually breaking down. Cars are breaking down. and he said, always fix it because otherwise it just becomes more expensive. And I thought about that. Think about my window would break and then, you know, the AC breaks and then the clutch goes out and then the windshield wiper needs to be replaced in, you know, when we do it in small chunks, it doesn't seem as drastic, but think about our patients, the patients who come and get their small little fillings fixed. it's, know, a couple hundred dollars here.
versus our patients who have put off dental care for so long, and then they come in and they have these giant treatment plans that are 30 ,000 plus to get their mouths back to where they were. I think being proactive and taking care of them while they're small is something that we can do as a huge benefit to our patients. so helping our patients understand like, no, we wanna help you be proactive because it's smaller, we get to preserve more tooth. And I don't know, I have such a passion for teeth, clearly, that's why I do what I do.
But just helping our patients realize like our teeth like I said really truly are I think the It's funny. I say the mouthpiece to your soul, but it really is it's the way we smile It's the way we communicate the way we eat and enjoy food without our teeth It really would make it quite hard and the confidence that's there with it as well And so I think even if your patients might not prioritize it as much as you do Helping them see that like hey as problems come up because they're going to continue
Kiera Dent (11:48.396) Our bodies are going to continue to get older. Our teeth are going to continue to age with us. And so let's be proactive on it now. So that's really how I'm able to help patients. And I think as long as we're not basing it on insurance, we're using insurance as a coupon. We're using it as a way to help our patients get the treatment done that's necessary. But at the end of the day, they're worth it. And being able to have that confidence, being able to have their teeth long term. Jason, my husband, his grandma.
gave him some great advice. She was much older and she said one of the greatest things she's so grateful she did for herself was to take care of her teeth. She said, Jason, I want you to floss every night and I want you to brush your teeth. And she died many years later. She was well into her nineties and she had all of her original teeth. And she said she was so grateful because she was still able to maintain a high quality of life. She's able to still smile with confidence. And she said she was so grateful.
that she was able to take care of her teeth. And that's something that she told all of her grandkids to do is make sure you prioritize and take care of your teeth. And so again, I think hearing from wiser generations than us, people that have lived through things, if as we get older, to be able to maintain and sustain our teeth, to be able to take care of them now, to be able to help our patients take care of them while they're small still, small little fillings, different things, really is such a blessing that we can give their older selves as well. And so,
I think right now this is a great time for us to be sending out those end of year benefit letters to help our patients know that now is the time. Let's get you in before our schedules get swamped and we're not able to accommodate you. And then also schedulers, make sure you're proactive. Let's not just throw in any patient because guess what? When everybody wants to come in, we get to pick and choose who we schedule. That's called supply and demand. And if we don't have as much supply of appointment spots, then the demand is for the patients that are going to ultimately
need it and also we prioritize different procedures in there as well. And this is why we start telling them in August, mid August, come in, we want to help you. So when they're calling me in December, my schedule is full. We're not making our lives crazy because I believe that everybody gets to make choices and choices do have consequences and rewards. And so let's reward our early bird patients. Let's get the word out. Let's share them with
Kiera Dent (13:56.514) That way you and your practice have a slam dunk September, not a September. I would love to hear from you. I'd love to hear how your slam dunk September is going. I'd love to hear things that you're doing to be proactive. Some people are throwing in Invisalign days. Other people are looking for back to school specials that they can do to really start pumping those. But I believe practices who are proactive and prepared are the practices who thrive with ease.
Those who don't are the ones that are reactive and they're always struggling. So which type of a practice are you going to be? Let me know, email me in Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on The Dental A Team Podcast. | |||
| #786: Writing Ads to Attract Your Dream Team 101 | 17 Jan 2024 | 00:18:08 | |
Hiring a fantastic team member starts with writing the perfect ad. Tiff and Dana share tips on how to approach writing and distributing ads to hire. They touch on creating job descriptions, including core values, teasing culture style, and more. Episode resources: Reserve your spot at Master Momentum 2024! Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #785: Gain Business Momentum! | 16 Jan 2024 | 00:30:49 | |
January is a tactical month, and the Dental A-Team is lending a helping hand. On January 26, attend Master Momentum 2024, a free webinar for dentists. Attendees will learn to build a master plan for maximum momentum, set goals, and get your team on board to increase practice profitability. Sign up here to attend the webinar from 8 to 10 a.m. In this episode, Kiera and Tiff tease out what will be touched on at Master Momentum 2024, and give tactical tips for viewers to be aware of heading into it, including how to master your time, what to do when a goal isn’t tracking, and a ton more. Episode resources: Reserve your spot at Master Momentum 2024! Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #784: Differentiating Between an OM and a Personal Assistant | 11 Jan 2024 | 00:28:33 | |
Kiera breaks down the difference between these two positions that are game-changing in the best way. She talks about tips to hiring, what to consider for assigning tasks, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #783: The Magic Sauce to Excellent Hires | 10 Jan 2024 | 00:20:28 | |
Tiff and Dana discuss practices learning to fine-tune their hiring methods from the get-go. Specifically, hiring team members with your practice’s core values in mind. In this episode, they review the biggest hurdle to get over in creating core values (and using them), and the biggest successes in using core values to hire. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #782: How to Go From To Do to DONE | 09 Jan 2024 | 00:18:48 | |
At the start of a new year, it’s easy to get lost in all the to-do lists. In this episode, Kiera encourages listeners to remember to give themselves grace. When you’re overwhelmed, it’s important to remember to take a breath and consider three approaches:
Kiera breaks down each of these steps and reminds everyone to take a well-deserved breath. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #781: How To Hire the Right Person | 04 Jan 2024 | 00:19:56 | |
DAT consultants Tiff and Dana walk listeners through the steps of coming up with the ideal avatar for your next team member. With hiring happening fast right now, it’s important to have a clear plan and expectations in place before you even extend an offer. Tiff and Dana review the following:
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #780: How To Sustain Excellence | 03 Jan 2024 | 00:15:49 | |
It’s one thing reaching excellence, but sustaining it? In this episode, Kiera talks about steps practices can take to maintain excellence in their dentistry.
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #779: Ensure Success in 2024! | 02 Jan 2024 | 00:13:10 | |
2024 is here, and so is Kiera to help listeners have success in the new year. She talks about three ways to start things off right:
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #778: Supply and Demand — Are You Doing it Right? | 28 Dec 2023 | 00:21:47 | |
Consultants Tiff and Denae address a top concern of many dental practices: supply budget and tracking. They break down their advice into four main points:
Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Denae: hello@thedentalateam.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #777: The Female Experience in Dentistry | 27 Dec 2023 | 00:40:04 | |
Kiera is joined by Victoria Hughes, CFP and financial advisor with Dentist Advisors, to talk about women in dentistry. They talk about challenges/trends in the field; financial health as women’s number one stressor; imposter syndrome; and perfectionism. They both share their own challenges and how they’ve overcome (and are still overcoming) them today. Episode resources: Get in touch with Victoria directly: victoria@dentsitadvisors.com Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #875: Keep Those Hygiene Schedules Full | 13 Aug 2024 | 00:15:51 | |
Tiff and Dana drill down on how practices can avoid their hygiene schedules falling apart, including the benefit of ASAP lists and their opinions on re-care. Episode resources: Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:06.99) Hey, Dental A Team podcast listeners, we are back at you again. We are so excited to be here. I have Miss Dana with me today. You guys know she's one of my favorites to podcast with. Dana, I have to say, I know a couple podcasts ago, you guys may remember, I asked her about some legging recommendations. She gave me some hiking, like legging recommendations. I wasn't able to find the specific pair that you talked about yet, but I did find a Lulu pair.
that I used in Yosemite last week. And honestly, I've used them for a couple of hikes here in the Valley as well in Phoenix. Amazing. I was so happy because they were specifically that material. It was a different kind of material than regular leggings. And I'm so happy. And I was thinking of you the whole time. And I was like, my gosh, she was right. And it had so many pockets for my phone and all the things. So thank you, Dana. And I know you've also been really, you've been working really, really hard.
in personal life in your world of fitness. And I think it's really cool. And I wanted to acknowledge that today. And I wanted to let the world know that Dana is a freaking rock star. She was so strong. saw, I don't even remember the rec the other day that I saw you, you posted something and I was like, holy cow, like the things that this woman is capable of doing are incredible. So kudos to you, Dana. I love it. What is your, I always like to ask you a question. What's the most fun
thing in CrossFit that you're doing right now. Like what's something that you're working to overcome, accomplish, you're killing it on, something that you're really having fun with right
Dana (01:40.331) Yeah, I mean, I feel like I'm always working on something, right? And I think this year I turned 40. It was a big birthday. And my goal was to be the strongest that I've ever been. So I've been focusing a lot on strength, but I always am practicing skill work. And I finally got my rope climbs down. So I can actually do those like consecutively. So that's exciting. And I've been working on my handstand pushups to the point where I can do five in a row. So I'll take that.
The Dental A Team (02:02.895) So cool.
Nice.
The Dental A Team (02:09.935) Okay. Well, I mean, I struggle with five regular pushups, not on my head. So that's impressive to me. I know that in CrossFit there's people that are doing a lot of amazing, wild things, but to me that is amazing and wild. So congratulations. That's huge. Awesome. I love it. I love it. Well, you work really hard in and out of the quote unquote office. So thank you for always being here and thank you for always being willing
Dana (02:24.629) Thanks.
The Dental A Team (02:39.722) record these podcasts with me for our listeners. I know they're super beneficial. Today's content is actually really fun for me because by trade in case you guys did not know, Dana is a licensed and trained professional hygienist. That is what she did. I mean, she's done it all. She's done all the positions really most of them I should say not dentist, none of us has been a dentist, whatever, it's fine. But she was a hygienist, you guys for a long time and she still is a hygienist.
I think it's really cool. think it's always fun for me to have these conversations with you to gain your perspective from your side as well. Today I wanted to talk about really keeping the hygiene schedule full. So I know from my perspective from dental assistant and then from my perspective as a front office, which you also have that perspective, it's kind of like a free for all a lot of the times. And it's really just not always first or high priority.
But from the hygiene standpoint, Dana, what is that like? Let's just go through, what does it feel like when you look at a schedule and you're like, great, this is a killer day, it's gonna be awesome. You get through your first patient and then you look back at your schedule and it's totally falling apart. Or you look ahead and you're like, gosh, I only have scheduled, I'm only scheduled out a week and a half. Like, what is that like as a hygienist looking at your schedule and seeing
Dana (03:55.689) Yeah, I mean, it can be stressful because really for me, I mean, you probably know this about me, Tiff, but I'm pretty goal oriented. And so obviously, I know when I don't have patients on my schedule, that affects my ability to get to goal. then to like, I am there, the reason why I'm there and what I love is that patient care and being able to take care of my patients and do the things that they need when they're in my chair. And so if my schedule isn't full or isn't ideal, I don't get to do that as much as I ideally would love. And so it can be stressful, it
The Dental A Team (04:01.997) Yeah.
Dana (04:25.633) be frustrating, right? Because so many times, like hygiene is just like your routine care, right? And so it's, it doesn't, it is stressful as far as like, did I not build enough importance for that visit? Or where did maybe, you know, my communication with that patient make it so that they didn't value their time with me? And so I think that it can be frustrating and stressful for every hygienist.
The Dental A Team (04:49.836) Yeah, I think that makes sense. And I think that's important what you just said, because you just took it from a spin that I didn't even expect. And I think most probably team members for an office workers and assistants don't expect that either because it feels, or we allow it to feel, we take it very personally when a hygienist is like what happens to our schedule. But you have taken it personally when a patient falls off of your schedule. So you're already in a space
unrest of like upset of gosh, what could I have done differently? Or how could I have been better? And then we come out I'm gonna say we for the front office, we come out at oftentimes of like, hey, I did the best that I could, what do you expect from me? So then you're already you're already in a space of upset and unrest and, and trying to figure it out. And then we come at you like, don't come at me. And now you're you know, the hygiene team
then maybe take offense to that and become defensive. So that makes sense. I'm actually really glad I asked you that question, because I'm not sure I've ever asked that or dove into that. And I hope the listeners heard what Dana said as well as, and then can kind of see that picture painted of how an upset could occur between two people or two groups of people very easily because of one misunderstanding. We're both kind of taking offense to a situation without understanding the other person's point of view.
That was actually incredible. Thank you. I knew you would say something really great, but I wasn't even expecting as far as that went. So that was really fantastic. Thank you. I see within that a space of communication. So making sure clear expectations are made from the get -go. That we're always asking more questions and assuming less. That's a reminder I love to give everyone in my life. Ask more questions, assume less.
and assume the only assumption can be that you don't know the answer.
The Dental A Team (06:50.57) ask more questions and assume less and assume the only thing you can assume is that you don't actually know the answer because you're not the other person. So that's huge right there because I think that's a space where people can really say, hey, let's talk about this. And if we have solid systems set up from the get -go, a good foundation of what do we do if something falls off the schedule? What do we do when the schedule falls apart?
That's a really easy space to meet expectations and hopefully refill a schedule before a hygienist even notices. That's my favorite thing to do is to make sure that he or she has a full schedule and doesn't even know it fell apart. So with that, some common, common ways to do that, we're gonna dive into a few for you guys today so that you can really be prepared to meet those expectations and really clear up a lot of communication between the two of those two departments or three departments.
My favorite and Dana, think we work on this a lot with practices, blocked scheduling and ASAP lists. Those are my two favorites. I love blocked scheduling. We talk about this in a lot of different podcasts for a lot of different reasons, but within hygiene, it really helps set and build the value and ensures that your new patients are scheduled where they need to be. When those new patients schedule blocks and those SRP blocks are in place correctly, we're scheduling
out into the future. as they come off, it's very easy if someone falls off the schedule, maybe an SRP got called into work and can't come later today. Well, guess what, I've got another SRP that's very easy to find, that's probably about the same time, if not exactly the same time of day, that can likely come in and I can choose that one to call and bring them in earlier. The ASAP list is super similar, like what time of day are they looking to come in, making sure we're notating all of those things, every system as far as I know,
Has the capability of an ASAP list. know Dentrix does, Open Dental does, Dana's saying yes, so that means Eagle Soft does. She knew that was my crux. Ascend, I can't answer that question. And then Curve does, and I bet Care Stack does as well. So utilize those ASAP lists. If you don't know how to do it within your system, Google you guys. I know we get a lot of those questions and I'm happy to answer them. So you can reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com as
The Dental A Team (09:08.058) But usually if we don't know the answer, we're typing it in Google for you guys. So Google at first reach out to us if you need it or if you need help creating the system around it. But that ASAP space with those blocked schedules really helped to solidify a grouping of people to pull into those holes. Dana, how do you help practices see the system behind a good ASAP list? Because I know a lot of practices really struggle to see the value
creating it and can sometimes feel like it's redundant or they're like, gosh, I've called all these people. What kind of systems do you put in place for
Dana (09:46.707) And I think this keeps coming up more and more right now because a lot of offices are short on hygiene hours and so the last thing we want to do is have an opening and there have been an easy person to put in there but it's not easy because we rely on our memory and let's face it as much as our memory is great, right? Four or five even close to six months later not so great if we're all being honest with ourselves and so I think the Where I see a lot of the pushback on the ASAP list is if they've tried it and it's messy,
The Dental A Team (10:09.57) Mm -hmm.
Dana (10:16.373) There's no cleanup system. There's no like we just keep calling the same people. There's no anything There's not great notes in there So my first thing is who do you put on the ASAP list and really the ASAP list is anyone who rescheduled who canceled right or rescheduled and didn't get back on our schedule I guess so they just canceled or
The Dental A Team (10:30.012) sorry.
Dana (10:35.749) They didn't and they didn't reappoint so putting those people on your ASAP list because you know They were due or our past do and need to get in fairly quickly Anyone who we had to schedule out a little bit farther than we'd like to and who wanted sooner or anyone who we put in a not ideal time for them and they would actually prefer something different so those are who goes on your ASAP list and then it's a really it is just when do we call them and When do we clean them
Right? And so it's just kind of creating those rules of thumb. So when we call them, obviously when we have a cancellation or we have somebody who even we anticipate calling side booking if we need to. So that would be when you would use the list and then it's just an easy cleanup
how many times are we gonna reach out to this patient and offer them something sooner before we take them off and we just give them their original appointment because we've tried to make it within our schedule and we don't wanna keep also bugging them to a certain extent. So it's just kind of coming up with that cutoff. I usually say like three or four times and then they just come up the ASAP list or making sure that we're checking our ASAP list and is somebody on there already have a sooner appointment? Like did we already do something and we just left them?
The Dental A Team (11:23.946) Okay.
Dana (11:49.039) on there. So it's just having those strategies that make ASAP list work. just oftentimes can get clunky because we don't have those strategies in place when we start it.
The Dental A Team (11:57.04) Mm -hmm. I totally agree. I totally agree. And there have been so many times when I was in practice that I would say to a patient, like, gosh, I know for me it would be really hard, you know, to move my appointment up in my life, but I like to think that it would be easy. So I know we've offered a couple of times, but I don't want to keep bugging you. Do you me to keep calling if they come up, or do you want me to take you off the list? And oftentimes patients will be like, no, it's not a bother at all. And I know it's annoying. Like, I can't make this one, but please keep trying. And I'd be like, totally fine. It's not a problem whatsoever. I just want to make sure I
driving you crazy with the phone calls or patients would be like, yeah, you know what, you're right. Like, I'm probably never going to be able to come in early. So just take me off. I'd rather just keep the plan that I have. So it helps to clean it up. Just asking a simple question of, is this beneficial for you? Or is it a nuisance? Because either way, I want to make sure that you're satisfied. So and I think we think we're invading, right? That's always the issue. We always feel like we're invading somebody's bubble or we're bothering them. And we don't want to be a
So then we shy away from calling them or like, gosh, I just called them two days ago. I'm not going to call them again. But if we ask them upfront and they tell us it is, or is not a bother, now we can make that decision that goes back to not making assumptions. So I think that's huge. Now, Dana, I preach this to all of my clients, all of my practices I work with, re care, make her re care, re care. When I was first new into dentistry, I was a few years into dentistry, my
dearest doctor they worked for for a long time. He was a re -care maniac and he used to drive me insane until I saw, okay, I get it. He's like, we're not six months booked, we've got a problem and he was just hammering this re -care constantly and I was like, what is the deal? But when we stop calling people and we stop being like front of mind, right? Top of mind, we're not in front of them anymore is when they forget about us. So whether they're scheduling or not,
us sending the reminders, the text messages, the emails, the quick phone calls, it's just like, hey, checking in on you just wanted to see where you're at in life. That's putting us top of mind so that when they do have a second to schedule that appointment, we are the place that they're calling. I say, call until call and text and remind until someone says I'm not coming back. Dana, what's your philosophy on re care, especially coming from a hygiene standpoint, right from a hygienist?
The Dental A Team (14:21.601) who needs to see these patients and wants to see these patients again in your chair, how do you feel about the repair space?
Dana (14:27.531) I mean, I 100 % agree with you. I consider myself a fairly good patient, but I'll be honest that it's most important when I'm in your office. And so if I don't schedule when I'm in your office, I'm going to need those touch points because life happens. And as much as I want to stay on top of my dental care, I want to be there every six months. Sometimes I just do that friendly nudge of like, hey, don't forget, you never did schedule with us, give us a call. And so I agree with you. think putting it in automated and then also reaching out personally, I think hitting it from both sides.
really can help keep people consistent and keep you, like you said, top of mind.
The Dental A Team (15:02.156) Totally agree Dana. I think that was beautiful. You have such an amazing perspective coming from the hygiene side and really just seeing how the dental assisting side, the hygiene side, the front office side, like all of these departments just combined together to get the job done on keeping a hygiene schedule full. It's just so important. It's so imperative. And I love what you said there. And just gathering all of those pieces, hygiene department, this is coming from you guys in my opinion. And I hope you guys share in that because it was a really cool perspective. Now,
I just want to recap, Dana, thank you so much for being here with me today and for allowing me to pick your brain and put you on the spot. I know you're never expecting all of the questions that I ask you and you take them with grace and with love and dignity and all of the pieces and you showed us some aspects of hygiene and that I wasn't expecting today. So was really, really cool. So thank you. And you guys out there, I really want you to put this powerful message into play. I want you to take all of these bits and pieces and really help keep your own hygiene schedule.
super full, that's what we're here to do today. That's what we're hoping for is to just have this amazingly full hygiene schedule. Now, here are the things you guys ASAP list if you're not using it within your system, do it now. I know a lot of people like the handwritten notes, like we said, but put it in place. Always, always, always be calling your re -care. You guys, I know this can be scary when you don't have anywhere to put them or you're worried about where you're going to put them,
When we back off is when we start to see in the future, the schedule really start to slow down. Blocking out new patient spots. And then you guys just have a plan for what happens, what you're going to do, what your team is supposed to do. What's the system for when things fall off the schedule? Who is responsible? How are they going to fill it? And who are they going to enlist to help if they can't do it themselves? So make sure that you have all of these systems in play, you guys, and in place.
The plan is going to be my number one spot because all those other pieces fall into that plan. You guys go do it, go implement it and let's see what you can do with this hygiene schedule. As always, thank you for being here with Dana and I today. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast. And if you have ideas that you're open to sharing to the dental industry and the dental world, drop them below in a five star review so people can see them. They do read the reviews, especially when it comes to individual
The Dental A Team (02:26.671) podcast so if you've got some ideas pop them in there otherwise find us on our social platforms as well the dental a team and then Hello@TheDentalATeam.com is where you can submit any emails over to us if you have ideas if you have questions if you want some systems if you want to bounce ideas off of us we're here for that and open to it thank you so much guys and we'll catch you next time.
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| #776: How to Tackle Obstacles with Ease | 26 Dec 2023 | 00:20:41 | |
It’s the final book club selection of 2023! Kiera shares her thoughts on The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday and how we can turn adversity into success. She talks about common obstacles in the practices the DAT is visiting, like operations manuals, and how each practice can overcome these challenges. Don’t let the boulder in your path stay there. Episode resources: Check out the full list of DAT’s 2023 book club here. Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #775: The Magic In Finding Joy | 21 Dec 2023 | 00:14:05 | |
Kiera takes a moment to encourage a re-centering in your personal and professional life. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #773: Small Tweaks For Major Tax Breaks | 20 Dec 2023 | 00:41:01 | |
Derick Van Ness of Big Life Financial is spilling more tax-related secrets, and just in time for the end of the year. He talks with Kiera about tax strategies you have and haven’t heard about, including tax-smart investments, when tax planning should start, and how to make dollars productive instead of consumptive. Episode resources: Learn more about Big Life Financial Download for free: Tax Strategies Your CPA Isn’t Telling You Get in touch with Derick directly: derick@biglifefinancial.com Listen to episode 693, Strategically Prepare for Economic Downfall Listen to episode 511, Tax Time: Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck Listen to episode 462, Get Tax Savvy Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #774: Are Consent Forms a Stumbling Block for Your Patients? | 19 Dec 2023 | 00:23:27 | |
DAT consultants Tiff and Denae address a hot topic for practices to plan to improve for the new year: online paperwork. They give insight on benefits, integration, best software, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #772: Dentists’ Most Common Billing Pitfalls | 14 Dec 2023 | 00:30:00 | |
Kiera is joined by dental billing expert Shasta Clark, of Paragon Dental Solutions. They talk about how billing is one of dentists’ biggest traps, and common pitfalls to keep an eye out for, including…
Episode resources: Learn more about Paragon Dental Solutions Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #771: End of Year Prep: Assessing 2023 + Forecasting 2024 | 13 Dec 2023 | 00:24:49 | |
Folks, it’s time to start wrapping up this year and prepping for next. Kiera talks about how to put a bow on 2023 through three steps:
Beyond that, she encourages offices to seek ways to maximize efforts and exponentially grow next year, and gives ideas on how to go about that. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum!
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| #770: I Did a Digital Scan … Now What? | 12 Dec 2023 | 00:23:28 | |
Tiff and Dana continue with their series of efficiency hacks. In this episode, they look at digital scanners and x-rays — setting up a standard protocol to ensure quality diagnostics and after-the-fact expectations. You’ll hear the two specifically touch on:
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #769: Hot Tips for Making Dental Memberships Work For You and Your Patients With Paul Lowry | 07 Dec 2023 | 00:34:31 | |
Ever wondered what makes a dental membership plan a game-changer? Paul Lowry, the CEO and Founder of Dental Menu goes into great detail on how to make membership plans work for you and your patients. What does that mean for you? A simple path to more patients on your plans! Email Paul: paul@dentalmenu.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #768: Maximize Your Software | 06 Dec 2023 | 00:20:29 | |
Tiff and Dana return with efficiency hacks for going paperless in your practice. They touch on softwares to utilize, how to set expectations from the beginning, where you can go paperless right now, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #767: Increasing Profitability Hacks | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:18:27 | |
Did you know that team members can be more profitable with accurate deep work time than just producing from the chair? In this episode, Kiera talks about intentional block scheduling for all positions in the office. She poses questions everyone needs to ask themselves, suggests amounts of time for deep work each week, gives ideas for priorities to pursue, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #874: Vibe Check! Patient Experience A-Z | 08 Aug 2024 | 00:13:35 | |
Rereleasing one of DAT’s most popular episodes! Want to know the secret to wowing your patients? Kiera shares it in THIS episode. Some spoilers to ask yourself:
Once these questions are answered, you can roll your practice’s vibe into your social media and other marketing efforts. Episode resources: Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:05.742) Hey everyone, welcome to The Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, pillar, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you.
Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A -Teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast.
The Dental A Team (00:51.064) Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and all right, let's chat about how you guys can do the patient experience. As you guys know, patient experience is something really big in every single practice and making sure you guys are really solid and set for it is a huge indicating factor. What do I mean by patient experience? Patient experience is everything from A to Z. How do we answer the phones? How do we walk our patients back to the rooms? How do we present treatment plans?
Honestly, the number one thing you should be asking when you dive into this patient experience is, what do we want our patients to experience? Okay, so let's start there. I'm gonna walk this down with you guys. What companies, what experience do you want your patients to have? I would start there. Do you want it to feel spa -like? Do you want it to feel fun and peppy? Do you want it to feel relaxing? Do you want it to feel professional? Do you want it to feel modern and chic?
Do you want it to feel family -friendly? Every single one of those you guys could feel a different color scheme You could feel a different style You could have just a completely different experience based on what you want your patients to experience So at Dental A Team, I want everybody to have an incredible experience and that means I want it to be fun I want us to be very approachable very Just I always say I'm cured it from the block. I'm not a dentist. We're not scary So we have cartoon characters
We want you to feel like it is very doable. We want it to be very simple and we want to have a lot of ease. That is what we want our clients to feel. And we want them to feel that they're going to get results and they're going to get massive results working with us. That is the experience. I want you to walk in with the most white glove. We take care of you. You have never been treated better by another company. We respond within 24 hours. That is the vibe of Dental A Team. And I will tell you that did not come overnight. We have worked really hard on that.
We used to not have VIP patient experience. We used to have a lot of struggles in our company, but that is the experience. When I think of a client calling us, I want them to have happy people on the other side. I want us to be very complimentary. I want us to be very understanding. I want you to have a ton of fun when you work with us while seeing insane results. That was my vision for Dental A Team, and yet it's changed over the years. So that's first and foremost, like what is the actual experience that you want? Number
The Dental A Team (03:15.424) is come up with companies that resemble the experience you want. So the companies we model off after our Disneyland, you guys think about Disneyland, they go above and beyond on every single thing that they do. That's what I want Denali team to be. I want our company to go above and beyond. I want us to do things to just blow your minds like our swag boxes for summit. Super fun. All of our clients just got a book called the Humanized Leader by Mary Pat Knight. I want to surprise and dazzle our clients.
with amazing value. Everything we ever do has value behind it. Disneyland, everything they do is to create magic. That is something, that's a company we model after. We also model after Amazon. Amazon is insanely easy. Everybody uses them. They are the best out there right now. Okay? So Amazon's a huge company we model after. We also model after Apple in the sense that everything they do, you guys can judge me or not, you can agree or disagree. Apple, everything they do is very simple.
It's very easy to use. Children can use an iPhone. AirPods connect in. They think of little easy ways to make it all connect together. Of course, it doesn't always work. That's OK. But even like the boxes that they send to you are amazing and simple, a simple design, easy to use. I love that everything's white. All the cords are white. Everything is square. It's very clean cut. They have a very strong brand. That's what we thought. So those are the companies we model after Disneyland, Apple.
Google, Google's another one that we model after, because Google is so simple. They're on top of it. They have a very fun culture. Their employees love to be there. How many of you have wished that there was an easy way to get that dang operations manual done? Well, guess what? We are here to deliver. That's right. Join us for an entire eight hours and get eight hours of CE, Friday, September 17th, for our operations manual creation. That's right. We are literally going to walk you and your team through step by
workshop style. It's virtual and you're going to get that operations manual started and quite a few pieces completed. So join us on Friday, September 17th. Utilize our coupon code podcast ops. That's podcast OPS. Head on over to thedenaliateam .com backslash events. I cannot wait to see you. Let's get that operations manual done, done and done. Bring your entire team and I'll see you guys there.
The Dental A Team (05:36.952) So I would choose number one, what's the experience you want your patients to have? And then number two, what are some companies that your practice models after? What's really helpful is what I'm trying to do is paint pictures for your team members to be able to model and mirror. All of us use Amazon, all of us use Apple, all of us use Google, all of us, hopefully, and if not, call me up, I'll be your friend, have gone to Disneyland. So those are very easy pictures for my team to understand. These are the companies we wanna be
This is the experience that we want our clients to feel. And so for you guys in your dental practices, creating this patient experience is going to be tenfold for you. You're going to be able to have them then tangibly taste it, feel it, experience it. And then from there, we start to fine tune our handoffs, our phone calls, because now I can think of, OK, if I was working at Disneyland, how would I answer the phone? Well, I'm going to answer it a lot differently than when I say,
We are always amazing on our customer service, right? Like people can physically feel the difference. They can see it. If I were working at Google, how would I treat our clients? How would I treat our patients? If we were Amazon, Amazon's quick. If something's not delivered to your house, no problem. They fix it for you. That's the type of culture that we want our patients to experience. So I really want you guys to pay attention to what is your patient experience? What do you want your clients to have? And then what are the companies that you're practice models after? Choose them.
Doctors, this is usually driven by you, office managers you can influence. We've got to make sure it's the feel, vibe. Our dental practice in Colorado was a very hipster feel. We wanted people to feel like it was modern, it was chic. Because we literally played Drake. That was the music we played. We did not appeal to all clients and that was fine. Our doctor had a mohawk, she called it a prohawk. We had a very, very unique practice. We had modern, we were downtown Denver and that was the vibe we wanted. We had modern art in there.
And it was a very fun, different culture vibe. We attracted those people. We wanted them to have this very chic experience. So we had this coffee bar, we had different menus, we had different pieces because that was the vibe we wanted them to have. I did not tell them companies we should have modeled after. That would have helped my team understand more tangibly all of us being able to offer the exact same patient experience. And then you want to make sure every team is providing the exact same type of patient experience. You don't want them to go to Kiera and have one experience.
The Dental A Team (08:00.802) and then go to Tiffany and have another experience. You want it to be a very similar experience whether they see your dental assistant, your hygienist, your front office, the dentist. All of us are speaking similar languages. And not all of us have to have same personalities. Tiffany, Brittany, and I all have very different personalities. Yet we all have the same type of style, the same type of fun, but yet we come with our own flair to it. And that's what you want to make sure your practice is doing. I'm really impressed.
with offices that are able to be consistent on their patient experience. If you guys have not read the E -Myth Revisited, read it. There's a really great story where they talk about the haircut. It's a famous, famous example where this guy goes in to get his haircut and the first time he gets like a neck massage, he gets a glass of brandy, I think, and gets an amazing haircut. The next time he goes in, they don't give him the head massage, they give him a glass of brandy. The next time he goes in, he gets a head massage.
but no brandy. And the idea behind it was he actually stopped going because it was not consistent. And so having a consistent patient experience every time they call, how are we answering the phone? How do we handle their billing? How do we handle their handoffs? How do we communicate inpatient charts to ensure that every patient's having the exact same experience? These are pieces that are really going to grow your practice, which it sounds silly, it sounds ridiculous, but that consistency piece is going to help
I know a lot of consultants, actually just sent Brittany and Tiffany into an office that I was in. Yes, they're going to bring a different flair. However, the experience, not the how -to, but the experience, the way our clients felt of positive, they're able to do this, that they feel empowered, that it was a fun experience, that it was done with ease. All of that, our client should have picked up. It should have felt like Disneyland. It should have felt like Apple and Google and Amazon. That's how it should have felt.
And I know that office felt that way and they felt massive value from it. So that way your team can start to feel that way. Then you guys can go on to a fun brainstorming exercise of, so let's say our practice was Nordstrom. That was the example of the dental college I was at. Midwestern University in Arizona, the dean told us, Kiera, I want our office, our dental practice to feel like Nordstrom. Great, I got it. He was like, you always have excessive composite out for them.
The Dental A Team (10:20.118) We never have it feel like we're running out on supplies. You go above and beyond. Yes, that meant that I had to definitely go into some of those students' drawers and recoup all the composite that they were hoarding because they were scared that we wouldn't have enough. However, my job was to always make sure that there was more than enough out there because he wanted them to feel like they were at the Nordstrom of dental schools. And that was literally what we created. So let's say you'd say your practice is the Nordstrom of dental practices. How would you treat your patients?
Well, when they come in, you're probably gonna give them a really nice folder. They're probably gonna have nice velvet or leather chairs to sit in. It's gonna be very relaxed. You're gonna be playing more spa -like music. Your team member's gonna come out and call them by name and not shout across the waiting room. You're gonna escort them back. You're probably gonna have very neutral, beautiful colors in there. All these things are the experience that that patient's having, and then staying consistent with that patient experience is going to allow your entire team
to deliver again and again and again. And people love consistency. People love knowing that when they come to the dental practice, it's going to be the same. It does not matter if you change team members. Like I get it, it's the great resignation across the nation. I understand. But what is the experience they're getting? What do you want them to? Have you even thought about these things? Cause I know I haven't. And then I don't even know where I made it up. just, I hope I probably read it in a book, but I just thought I need my team to be able to understand who we are and what we are and what we're not.
This is kind of part of marketing as well, because then that will fall into your social media. It will come across on all your marketing materials that go out. Every marketing material that we send out to people should be fun, should be positive, should be lighthearted and empowering. That is the vibe. That's what we're pushing out. It should be easy. Our podcast is always quick, easy, down and dirty things you can implement. There is a reason that is our brand, that is our style. So once you guys figure out this patient experience, then roll it into your marketing, then roll it into your social media. But practice this.
Ask your team, have them feel it, talk about it every single week, literally in the Dental A Team. You guys, one of the reasons I love doing the podcast is because I got so sick of listening to certain podcasts where people would say something on the podcast and I'd go meet them in real life and that wasn't how they were. And I've tried and vowed that if I say something on the podcast, guys, I'm sure I've made some mistakes. I try really, really, really hard to be honest and authentic. So when I say that we do this every week, that is not an exaggeration.
The Dental A Team (12:43.118) every single week in our level 10 meeting with our whole team, whether I'm present or not, they just did the meeting without me today, we go over our core values, the companies we model after, and what our experience is every single time. I don't say our experience is what our niche is, what our mission and vision statements are, what our core values are, and the companies we model after every single week, because I believe this is something that should be over -communicated so your whole team knows what they should be experiencing and what you want your patients to experience. So with that, guys,
Action time is come up with the feel you want them to feel. Come up with the companies you want them to model after. Come up with what that experience should feel like within, like tangible. So what should our handouts be? What should our phone calls be? What should, when they walk into the office, what should it be? What should they be getting for their injections? How should we be explaining Perio? Every single one of those pieces. And then over communicate it every single week. Ask your team. Continue to refine, refine, refine.
because patient experience is all about consistency and making sure your team knows that this is your culture because I believe patient experience number one is driven by culture. All right, you guys, as always, thank you for listening. If you find this podcast helpful, download it, subscribe to our podcast, share this with a friend, leave us a review. I love hearing from you or email us, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I'd love to hear from you. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on The Dental A Team Podcast.
The Dental A Team (14:06.062) that wraps it up for another episode of the Dental A Team Podcast. Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.
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| #766: Successful End-of-Year Benefits Tips! | 30 Nov 2023 | 00:24:38 | |
Kiera is joined by Billing Extraordinaire Sarah O’Brien to talk about hot ticket end-of-year benefits! They discuss ways to get patients to use their benefits, being strategic with scheduling so things don’t become overwhelming, how to address those who’ve used up their benefits, and a whole lot more. Episode resources: Connect with Sarah: sarah@evolutiondentalbilling.com or 602-318-9396 Learn more about Evolution Dental Billing Listen to episode 648, Billing in 2023: New and Exciting Updates Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #765: How To Grow As A Team | 29 Nov 2023 | 00:26:32 | |
Another DAT book club session! In this episode, Kiera, Dana, and Britt give listeners a taste of what book clubs look like for DAT team members. They discuss Medical Medium Revised and Expanded Edition: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal by Anthony William. Additionally, they touch on how to make a successful book club for your team, how to find the books to read, and what types of discussions should be had as follow-up. Episode resources: Check out the full list of DAT’s 2023 book club here. Reach out to Kiera, Dana, and Britt Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #764: Getting Real About Raises + Reviews | 28 Nov 2023 | 00:18:15 | |
Popular end-of-the-year topics: raises and reviews for your team members. Kiera shares Dental A-Team’s approach for creating happier teams via feedback, rewards, and accountability. She talks about…
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum!
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| #763: How to Infuse Gratitude Into Your Practice | 23 Nov 2023 | 00:23:47 | |
Happy Thanksgiving! Kiera talks about how grateful she is for her team, her business, and her listeners — and gives advice on how you can incorporate more service into each of your own practices. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum!
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| #762: The Perfect Morning Huddle | 22 Nov 2023 | 00:15:32 | |
Tiff and Britt detail how to perfectly prep each day at your practice through the art of morning huddles. They give advice on what needs to be reviewed, what should’ve been done yesterday, and how each department can help. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #761: Dental Marketing Is Not One-Size-Fits-All | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:36:49 | |
Kiera is joined by Josh Scott of Studio EightyEight to talk about marketing and the development of dental practices. Practices often underestimate the power of marketing budgets over the long term, and Josh gives advice on how not to fall short. He touches on:
Episode resources: Learn more about Studio EightyEight Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #760: Why Is It So Hard to Stay Disciplined? | 16 Nov 2023 | 00:17:02 | |
This episode topic was born out of a conversation Kiera had with her husband: Why in the world is it so difficult to stay disciplined? Kiera applies this question to personal and professional lives. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #759: How Do You Podcast? | 15 Nov 2023 | 00:27:01 | |
Kiera is joined by Melissa King, a long-time practice team member who’s been in a lot of roles and has listened to ALL DAT podcast episodes! She shares what tips and tricks she’s taken from this podcast into her practice. Melissa also gets a chance to ask her own burning questions about the podcast process and Kiera herself. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #758: Making Exams As Easy As Possible | 14 Nov 2023 | 00:19:29 | |
Britt and Tiff focus on ways teams can streamline skills in 2024. This episode is all about standardizing exams, for one doctor or multiple. They talk about ideas to streamline, how to involve the right people in implementation, and more Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #757: Finally Make Ordering Supplies Easy | 09 Nov 2023 | 00:28:08 | |
Kiera is joined by Deren Flesher, co-founder of Modento, to talk about a brand new product: Ordo! Ordo is a procurement software to help practices manage and order supplies. It’s built by dentists and refined by team members, so you know you’re getting a tried-and-true product. Dr. Flesher talks about the benefits of Ordo, how it integrates into systems you’re already using, and how it affects the team as a whole. Episode resources: Email Dr. Flesher directly: deren@joinordo.com Listen to episode 346, Modento: A Personal, Automated Approach Listen to episode 136, Deep Dive on Bonuses with Dr. Deren Flesher Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #873: Create Lasting Impressions With Your Patients | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:21:18 | |
Focusing on relationship-building with your patients is a surprisingly effective way to establish long-term success in the practice. Tiff and Dana discuss why these relationships are such difference-makers, the two methods most critical to creating connection, and how to start implementing that success today. Episode resources: Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01.71) Hello everyone. I'm so excited to be here today. Dana, thank you for being here. You completely rearranged your schedule for me today. Moving all things around, I know you had kid stuff going on. It's kind of the beginning of the school year for us here on the West Coast. I know East Coasters, you guys have a different timeframe that you work with, but here in Arizona, we start really early and my kids been in school for almost a week now. Dana, I know your kids are in school and you've got all this stuff happening. So thank you so much. How are you today? I know you rushed.
to get here with me and we rescheduled it and all the pieces to fit my schedule. So thank you. How are you doing today? How are the kids? Are they ready for school?
Dana (00:39.79) Doing good, I'm doing good. Thank you so much for being willing and flexible. I know you know all about this time of year. Kids are doing good. I think it's mixed here in my house. I've got some that are ready to see their friends get back to more of like the social aspects of school and then I more focused more on the learning aspects and not super excited to get back.
The Dental A Team (00:54.953) Absolutely.
The Dental A Team (00:59.533) You've a mixed bag over there. You've got so many personalities in your household. You probably pretty well fit every every genre you possibly could on most things in life. So I love that Brody is like whatever. He's like whatever. He's been super proactive because he's a junior this year and he's got to start thinking about college and he's being super proactive. So I'm a mom that's like cool. Take care of that. Tell
tell me what I have to do later. So I'm in the lucky stages of life and praying for you over there with all your littles. Good luck. Today, I really thought it would be fun for us to chat about relationship building and what that looks like in the dental practice and how that can positively affect long term success in general. I know we've chatted about this before and you and I had a good conversation about it a couple weeks ago.
But really looking at all of the pieces that encompass what a good relationship looks like within the dental practice. I think for us in the dental world, it's hard to differentiate health from, you know, relationship and mixing those two things can be a little bit difficult because we want to stay professional. I want to stay super like, you know, I kind of think it's a little cold or icy or medically, right? We want to be seen as a medical professionals that we
So it kind of can be difficult to mix those two things together, but I really wanted to chat about how that positively affects long -term success in the dental practice. So I think, Dana, from my perspective, I think relationships affect long -term success in general. And I think in the dental practice, our patients are really looking for that. I think in the dental world, you know, we're not really seen as the medical professionals all the time. We're not always seen as the same space as your PCPs and your pediatricians and all of
primary care physicians are seen. We're looked at in a different realm and I think we need to remember that. We need to take that to heart and we need to see what we can do with that information. It's very easy for that medical side to gain new patients and to gain recurring patients because there's just not a lot of places for them to go and they follow their insurance. But in dental, people are looking to understand. They're looking to feel seen and feel heard. So I think that relationship aspect makes a huge difference. Dana?
The Dental A Team (03:21.604) I know you've got a ton of clients that you work with all the time on things just like this. A lot of the systems that you work on with practices are wrapped around the idea of relationship building. What are some of the key tips and takeaways I think that you've been working on recently with some of your clients that have really turned the corner for them on that relationship piece?
Dana (03:43.32) Yeah, and I think that that's truly what makes dentistry unique in the medical profession is the relationships that we get to build because not only do we get to see them multiple times in a year, oftentimes it's for decades and it's that relationship piece I think that keeps patients coming back and they send their family and then you end up having generations all in one practice, which I think it is just highlighting that to teams that this is really a special unique place where we get to take care of our patients but also build
relationships with them. And so I think it is something in the health industry that's super unique to dentistry. I think other professions see them maybe when something is wrong or, you know, once a year or for a short term. And we get to see them again throughout decades of their lives. And so it is truly unique and I think it has to be purposeful. And so that's really what I highlight with teams. is finding those systems and finding those ways to make building that relationship purposeful in a practice.
you know, adding personal pieces to the handoff, making sure that we're asking personal questions as we seat the patient, making sure that there's a spot in our software system to put notes about patients and the things that we learn so that we don't forget to touch base on it when we see them again, because we've got lots of patients and we always want to make it seem as if we remember the last time you were here, we're just jumping off from where we left off with you. So it is one, getting team members to understand that that's what sets you apart. All the
really focus on the big things. It's the practices that well, that focus on the little things and relationship building is one of those things that is a big thing, but little things that we do make the magic there.
The Dental A Team (05:24.378) Yeah, I totally agree. I love that. I love that you said the word purposeful. think that's huge. And I think getting the team buying in on that is something that we overlook and allow that to be overshadowed by other pieces and other like busyness within the dental practice. And really it's just all of those busy things, all of the things that we don't have time to get done in a day, all of the things that we're complaining about or saying we need help with, those are distractions from the ultimate goal.
And I think we get lost in that. So I love that you said purposeful. And I think to me, when I look at my practices and just Dental A Team practices in general, and the practices that are really thriving in this purposeful space of building that relationship and maintaining and keeping that relationship, they also have happier team members. Because I know for me, one of my favorite pieces of my entire day was when a patient walked in the door and we could have a conversation. took me out of
and put me in this like social aspect that didn't require my team members to fulfill and satisfy that social piece for me. I was really able to just be like, my gosh, Ms. Newman, I'm so excited to see you today. Tell me about your grandkids. What Lego set did you buy? I know you had a birthday, whatever it was. Like I would recall these things and it was fun for me to know my patients. And it made me feel like I was making a bigger impact on the people that were coming to our practice than if I were sitting in a position where
I couldn't do that or at a practice where they didn't allow it. So I think purposeful was like such a perfect word for you to use because not only are you putting purpose behind what you're doing with a relationship, but you're making people feel as though they have purpose in their positions and in their jobs and in what they're providing. So purpose was absolutely perfect. I think that flows into retention too, right? When we have a purpose and we have a place to be and we understand.
the impact that we're making on a community, we're much more likely to stay where we're at. With that comes the other side that you talked about, the systems behind it that make it purposeful, that keep those lines very clear and keep it very clear as to what your objective is. Because I can sit and chat with a patient all day long, but still not accomplish what I set out to as far as my job. So,
The Dental A Team (07:42.227) You noted some awesome things, making sure that the notes are in there, making sure we're asking personal questions. And I think to make it easy on people, because we definitely overcomplicate it, we could give some recommendations or some examples of things that just make it really easy. And I usually I tell practices and I know you work on this too with your practices, Dana, to look for three non dental questions that you can ask. I have to remind people Dana, you probably
go through this too, I have to remind people that you don't have to have 20 different options or 21 options of three different questions because you're asking each person as if it's a new conversation because to them, they've not had this conversation yet with you today. So my clients oftentimes get caught up in the minutia of trying to make things harder than they need to be. So that three question thing can kind of stump them. I tell practices, just make sure
Whatever information you gather from your patient, you're then passing off to your doctor because when it becomes repetitive is when your three questions are the same as your doctor's three questions. Your doctor comes in the room, you don't share your information and they're like, are you going back to work today? And that's what you just asked. So have variations for sure, but have at least three non -dental questions that you can ask your patient when they walk in. Have a really solid
from you to your doctor or the next team member that's gonna be working with them. Oftentimes we'll have patients that have exam and x -rays or fillings or whatever on doctor side and they're with a dental assistant first and our dental assistant knows their entire weekend plans and then hygiene comes in, grabs the patient and the patient has to repeat themselves and have that conversation. So even if you're passing off to another team member and maybe not you're providing doctor.
still have that handoff ready to go with that personal information, that personal touch. I think that was brilliant, Dana. And I think that's something that oftentimes we're missing. So keep that going. What are some non dental questions? Like I think there's some easy ones, right? What are you doing this weekend? I say it's Wednesday. When it's Wednesday, it's like, we can ask about last weekend or next weekend, which way are we going to go? So there's last weekend, next weekend, are you going back to work? Any fun vacations coming
The Dental A Team (09:57.449) What are some other good questions, Dana, that you've heard that are easily transferred in a personal
Dana (10:03.374) Yeah, I mean, one thing I always like to say is what have you been doing with your free time? Right? Like just a general question. Done anything fun or been to any new restaurants lately, right? Anything that you can ask as far as like, what do people do day to day? That's just an easy open space for them to start opening up.
The Dental A Team (10:20.785) I love that. And that kind of takes you into like the hobbies section as well. Right? I know, Brody and I got our cleanings at one of my practices I was just at in North Carolina. And this was his first time having his cleaning there and the first his first time really meeting the specific hygienist. He's a new team member to that practice. And Brody, I when I got back from consulting that day, he says, my gosh, I didn't know the hygienist Justin.
that he did rock climbing. And I'm like, that's a random conversation for you to have. He's like, Yeah, he asked me if I want to go rock climbing with him. And I'm like, What are you talking about? But he asked Brody that question, like, what do do in your free time? Like, what do you like to do? You know, what do you like to do for fun? I think is what he asked Brody. And so Brody starts talking about what he likes to do for fun, and they get on rock climbing. And I'm like, that was I told Brody in that moment, I was like, that was brilliant. Because this guy has no relationship to you at all. He has relationship with
no relationship to Brody, but Brody was bought in. Brody felt like he could go rock climbing with this hygienist, right? And I was like, gosh, you don't have to invite your patients to a rock climbing, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying it was very easy for him to find a space to have a solid conversation with Brody the entire duration of that appointment. They talked about rock climbing, they talked about mountain biking, they talked about all of the pieces that go into those types of hobbies for the whole appointment, and Brody was amped up and excited. And this is a 16 year old.
Not super easy to get a 16 year old amped up and excited about anything. So I felt like, gosh, that's one of those easy questions that you ask. Like, what do you do in your spare time? What have you been doing? I love the new restaurant question. gets you invested and involved in your community. And it allows people to give you a recommendation. We love as human beings sharing the things that we know. We love telling people what we know. We love giving them advice. We unsolicited or solicited. And we love telling people the things that we enjoy.
So when you ask a question like that, even the hobbies question, right? Dana can really spur some new activities in your community you didn't know about, or just conversation in general. Now, when we see this with practices, and Dana, I agree or disagree, when we see this with practices, I really see, like I said, the team unify. I see the team just excited to have a purpose individually and as a unit, but I see doctors more excited. I see practices more excited, and I see
The Dental A Team (12:42.923) the goals we're aiming to hit are a little bit easier because we're in that relationship space and we're having more fun getting to know each other than driving towards goals. So the goals actually come more naturally. Dana, do you see that as well? And what do you feel like are a couple of systems? We talked about the questions and we talked about making the notes in the system of those questions, passing it off. What are some systems really that you feel like solidify and dive into?
that space where it's like these goals are easy to meet because we're doing these things.
Dana (13:15.342) Yeah, and I think that it's easy as we're getting to know our patients to get to know each other. So if we say, Hey, Mr. Smith shared this new restaurant, it's great for the doctor to jump in and say, my gosh, I love Italian food. Do you? Right. And it's a three way engaged conversation. So we start to get to know our team members while we're engaging and getting to know our patients. You asked about systems specifically, and I do feel like morning huddle is a really good space here to kind of add on to those things when we're bringing personal pieces about our patients to morning huddle to make sure that team members
hitting on that. Hey, don't forget, know, Mrs. Jones just had a baby, right? Don't forget to touch on that or hey, it is Bob's birthday, right? So just making sure that when we bring those things up, it gets us excited for the day. And so I think that that's a really good system that ties that in. I think if you have something that you do to celebrate patients birthdays, where it comes to like sending out cards or sending out little video messages from the team or posting on social media, those pieces are systems that
us engage with our patients, get to know our patients, build relationships, but it also gets our team excited. And when we're excited about taking care of patients, when we're excited about building relationships and getting to know them, it for sure makes hitting goals easier because we know why we're there.
The Dental A Team (14:30.518) Yeah, I totally agree. I love that. I love that. So I think key takeaways, things that we can really look at for implementation wise that make this easy, you guys, because like we said at the beginning, the relationships really are the key to long term success, I think in anything that you do. Solid relationships are a solid foundation. So I think some key takeaways, gosh, guys, morning huddles is
the best place to start at the start of your day. So I think really just make sure that you're all unified as a team. You all have the same goals. You all are looking for the same things and you're sharing information about your patients that you guys may know. Two, make sure everybody is just like ready to go and you're armed with three non -dental questions and a system for passing off that information. I think if you do those three things, you're gonna see things really spear and change in your practice. Doctors, if you're not getting those handoffs from your support team,
or support team if your doctors aren't hearing the handoffs, okay, if it's a two way street there. If we're not able to accomplish those handoffs, break and say, hey, let's tackle this. We've got to make sure that this works. This is a huge piece of what we're trying to accomplish. And I want to make sure that our patients feel seen and feel heard as well as our team. So make sure that you really break your perfect handoff. We've talked about it before, and this is not NDTR. This is something completely different. But your perfect handoff is really going to have
that personal touch you're going to introduce, whether the doctor or a team member has met them before or not, you're introducing them to the room, not necessarily just the person. So make sure they're introduced to that party because you've been having this little dinner party without them. You've got to invite them in there. So make sure that there's an introduction. Make sure we're complimenting something. We're bringing that vibe up. We're saying something is fantastic. I like to get it towards them, so if you can. And we're recapping what we did, which is also
your time to co -diagnose and we're passing off something personal. And that personal piece comes from the conversation that you've had. So like Dana said, this is the restaurant that they recommended. This is the vacation they just had. They love going to the Bahamas. They just had a grand baby. There are so many things. They just had a baby. There's so many things that you guys can pass off to make a lasting impression where the patient feels heard by you, feels remembered and feels seen.
The Dental A Team (16:42.797) And it makes it that much easier not only to retain that patient, but to diagnose and get the case acceptance that you're looking for on those pieces. So if you don't implement anything else, I would implement at least three non -dental questions and a handoff. Morning huddle is strongly advised. For my ladies and gents who are sitting front row, front lines of the dental practice, you're the people when they walk in, make sure you've got some solid systems for acknowledging your patients when they walk in. How are you gonna know who they
I can't tell you enough, I don't know how to say this gently. I hate when I'm in a practice and I hear somebody say, what was your last name? Or who are you? Or what's your name? Like just make an educated guess. Just like you can ask, but guys, it's just not that hard. I used to look at the schedule, I was that position, and I used to look at the schedule and I'd evaluate. I'm like, all right, I've got four people, six people coming in at 10 a Four out of the six are male.
This is a female walking in, one of my females, age range, I don't know, 60 plus, the other one, 22. How old does she look? I'm gonna use deductive reasoning to figure out who the patient is that's walking through the door. And I cannot tell you how many times my patients walking through that door were like, Tiff, how do you do it? How do you always know who I am? And a couple of times I'd be like, I'm not gonna lie, I'm really good at deductive reasoning, and you're the only man coming in right now.
and they would laugh. They're like, that's brilliant. And I'm like, but I really do care. And I really do know who you are, right? But use your deductive reasoning skills, you guys figure it out and be more invested in the patients and that relationship than you are to whatever it is that's distracting you. So pass off that information, make sure you've got a solid system for handoffs. Make sure you've got three non dental questions, get your morning huddle going if it's not.
And ladies and gents on the front lines and that front facing, make sure you've got some really good systems up there to be present, to be with your patients and be super aware. Dana, can you think of anything else that we may have missed or something you want to dive in further on that has come up in practices recently? I feel like this is pretty dang solid right now, but what else do you have, if anything?
Dana (18:56.951) I think we hit it from a lot of different angles and I think just jump in and get started and make sure that patients always know that you're the top priority when they walk in the door.
The Dental A Team (19:06.459) I love that. I totally agree. I totally agree. You guys, we do this with practices all the time. We have group coaching that people are eating up this information right now. These are the systems that we're teaching in our group coaching courses and our online platforms. So reach out to us. Let us know how we can help. If you want ideas, if you need questions, you need whatever, reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. You know, we're always open and willing to help. And remember it's typically consultants
Dental A Team professionals always on the other side answering those questions. If it's something that our admin team doesn't know, it comes straight to us. So please reach out, drop us a five star review so we know that this was beneficial for you. And guys, we can't wait to catch you next time. Bye.
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| #756: Do You Want Dessert? | 08 Nov 2023 | 00:20:22 | |
Are you asking the right questions of your patients at the right time (and with the right energy)? Kiera and Tiff explain how to increase your practice’s case acceptance by assuming the yes. They compare it to the waiter asking if you want dessert at a restaurant: There’s a right way to go about it. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #755: Next Year's Strategy- Team Effort | 07 Nov 2023 | 00:20:39 | |
When it comes to setting annual goals, it’s critical to have the right people in the room. In this episode, Tiff and Britt talk about strategizing growth as a team. They give insight on who should be there, where it should happen, and how to keep the goals manageable. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #754: How to Overcome Burnout + Stress | 02 Nov 2023 | 00:42:03 | |
Kiera is joined by Steve Adams, CEO and founder of Tiger Medical Institute, to talk about the ever-timely topic of overcoming burnout and stress. Steve shares both quick tips and long-term strategies to disarm stress on demand and improve sleep methods, including:
About Steve: Steve Adams is a former corporate banker and veteran entrepreneur. His passion lies in optimizing the performance of entrepreneurs and high achievers. Steve has the expertise and extensive experience in building and scaling organizations through disciplined execution, direct-response marketing, and a culture that leads to extraordinary client experiences. Steve earned a bachelor’s in marketing (Northwood University) and MBA in Finance from Grand Valley State University. Steve is the founder and CEO of a personalized medicine organization based in Seattle called Tiger Medical Institute, serving individuals seeking comprehensive restorative medicine for professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs. Steve is also the author of several books, including Passionate Entrepreneur, Unleashing The Peak Performer Within You, The Eye of the Tiger Manifesto, and Patient Number One. Episode resources: Learn about Tiger Medical Institute Start this journey with a self-assessment Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #753: Do THIS To Reach 500 Reviews | 01 Nov 2023 | 00:23:57 | |
Tiff and Dana talk about an undervalued approach to boosting your practice’s marketing: having team members ask for Google reviews. They both give insight on benchmarks to look for, using third parties, personalizing the request, the easiest ways to ask, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #752: Staying Grateful When Things Get Hard | 31 Oct 2023 | 00:29:30 | |
It’s been a minute, but Kiera and Tiff are back together on the pod! In this episode, they discuss ways they each go about maintaining a grateful mindset, personally and professionally, when things get hard. Think of this as a grateful muscle you need to build and burn to keep it toned. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum!
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| #751: To Set up a 401(k) or Not for Your Business | 26 Oct 2023 | 00:54:34 | |
Ryan Isaac of The Dentist Money Show (and common guest on the DAT process) joins Kiera to dive very deeply into 401(k) plans for your business. Ryan simplifies a lot of the intimidating information, including what the heck 401(k) even means, the logistics of setting up a plan, how to know what type of plan to choose for your company, and more. Episode resources: Tune in to The Dentist Money Show Listen to episode 746, A Consultant, Financial Advisor + Dentist Perspective On Life Listen to episode 590, Unfiltered Advice on Choosing a Financial Advisor Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #750: The People Code in Your Practice | 25 Oct 2023 | 00:26:31 | |
It’s time for another book club episode! Kiera and Britt review The People Code and the Character Code by Taylor Hartman (also known as The Color Code). This book is a way of understanding different personalities in a practice, and provides insight on how the different drives can mesh together. Episode resources: Check out the full list of DAT’s 2023 book club here. Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #749: How to Know if Your Marketing Is Actually Working | 24 Oct 2023 | 00:18:31 | |
Episode 749: How to Know if Your Marketing Is Actually Working Tiff and Denae are back to talk about marketing — this time, how to know if what you’re doing as a practice is working. They touch on the following:
They also specify two very important points to add to your tracker which will help your practice know if your marketing is working or not. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #748: Do You Have Right Person, Right Seat for Maximum Momentum? | 19 Oct 2023 | 00:29:08 | |
Kiera is joined by DAT team member Britt to talk about getting the right staffers in the best possible seat (for them and the practice). This is an experience Kiera and Britt navigated with Britt’s role with Dental A-Team. The pair talks about how they handled those conversations together, and how practices in general can make sure the best possible team members are in an optimal position. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #747: Creating A Raving Fan Patient | 18 Oct 2023 | 00:16:27 | |
Tiff and Dana talk about creating an ideal patient avatar to help boost your marketing efforts and payouts. They discuss the following steps:
Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #872: Are Your Systems Outdated? | 06 Aug 2024 | 00:14:33 | |
It’s a very techie world out there, meaning there’s probably a more streamlined way to perform some of the systems in your practice. In this episode, Kiera talks about how to go about innovating before you're forced to. She touches on different points to check on in your practice, and gives ideas for outsourcing opportunities to make that day-to-day all the easier. Episode resources: Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.91) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I love podcasting. I love when I get to hang out with you guys. I know I'm not sitting there with you, but I just truly do get excited. I told my husband I had to like take a shower and wash my hair fully and as women, those of you who know, you know, but washing the hair to get it ready to go is a big deal. My husband's like, you got to do your hair. And I was like, yeah, because tomorrow's podcast day. And he said,
then you must love it tomorrow because you always love podcasting. He's like, I always know when you're doing podcasts because you're so happy. And I really am. I enjoy being able to share ideas with you. I love to be able to give you guys tangible tips. I love to work with our sponsors and looking for industry leaders and share them with you. And truly it's just a joy for me to serve and to be able to give back to an industry that I love so much. I hope you guys love today. I hope you are enjoying today. And as always, please go leave us that review. Those of you who are doing it, I just want to say thank you.
Go leave a review wherever it is because your reviews keep us as the top podcast. So leaving the reviews and also sharing this in Facebook groups. You guys are hanging out in there. People are asking for it. Just be like, Hey guys, I love the Dental A Team podcast. If you're ever looking for a new podcast, something as simple as that is going to help us truly get into the hands of every single dental practice to bring positivity, to bring joy and to bring tactical practical that they can implement today. So today I wanted to dive into
are your systems dated? And the reason that this came to me is because my grandma is quite elderly. So my grandma and I actually share the same birthday. That's kind of fun. My grandma, great grandma and myself all actually have the same birthday. So all on the maternal line as well. It's a very random fact about me. And I was born at 11 55 p at night. So I barely made the day. My grandma, she is very elderly.
But I was watching her and my grandma was very disappointed because in the past, what she used to do is she would have a system for printing pictures. My grandma loved to take pictures. And I remember my grandma and grandpa, whenever they'd come, she had her little camera and she had a little notebook and a teeny tiny pencil. Like my grandma would like sharpen that thing clear to the little like aluminum portion of the eraser. But my grandma always had her little pencil and they had it numbered for the film numbers and she would write what every picture was and where she was at.
Kiera Dent (02:18.734) And I remember I was talking to her a couple of days ago and she's like, I just get so annoyed, Kara, because there's nowhere that prints film pictures for me anymore. And I have to do it on my phone. And I was thinking about my grandma and I thought about some practices. And so I wrote down the podcast topic of are your systems dated? Meaning are we doing things just because we've always done them, but there could be a better way to do it. So for example, I did a podcast with Moolah, a credit card processing company and
just hearing all the things they do of managing memberships and having online payments and being able to send statements and be able to have drip campaigns, be able to have texts to pay. How many of practices are not staying up to date with the technology that's coming into play? There's another office that we chatted with and they have a virtual assistant who's working in the front office and it's very cool through Reach, which is another company that I love. But they're using a virtual assistant that's in Brazil that's actually sitting on camera.
and they're able to answer phone calls and they're able to have real time training with the practice. So it's basically like you have somebody there, but it's for a discounted rate for sure. There's virtual assistants in the Philippines. I've got some companies that I'm currently vetting for you guys. And as soon as I love them, I'm going to refer them and share them with you. But just thinking about the systems, thinking about how we set up for crowns, thinking about how we do our sterilization, thinking about how we answer our phones, thinking about how we do our insurance verification with so much technology coming into play.
are your systems dated or do you have systems that people are even following? Like I said, I thought about my grandma with her little camera and her camera roll and all of us would be like, that is ridiculous. But it was a good system. My grandma always knew what her photos were. She knew where she was at. She knew which ones to do. She knew who was in the photo and she had a very good system for that. But that's a very dated system for today's world. And so thinking about our charts and like if you go back in time and we all had charts, I hope you don't have paper charts.
There's one office I'm calling them out. They do listen to the podcast and he had paper charts when I met him and I'm like, you didn't think to tell me that? Like that is a very dated thing, but he progressed and we use route slips and we have different types of handoffs that you can give people or different route slips or different charting that you can have, but just really going through and assessing. And so to give you guys kind of just an overview of some systems to be looking at, we have our 12 systems, which I'm sure you guys all know of and.
Kiera Dent (04:35.758) The reality is I love our 12 systems because I think it's just a good overview checklist for you of looking at them. So what I have is like looking at your leadership and your office manager and like, what about your systems? And I read a good book, we did the book club on it, but come up for air really talked about systems and are we dated and are there ways that we could do it simpler, like a different way for email and for communication and Slack and how do we respond to it? We're in such a digital age of...
are we staying up to date or are we becoming dated and outdated like my grandma? I don't want you guys to get there. So looking at these 12 systems, I'll go through them and just kind of thinking of, is there a way that we could optimize and make it a little bit more efficient or are we doing some things a little more archaic and is there maybe a company that could offload this and make it a little bit easier would be a question I'd ask. So in our leadership and our office management, have we read the books like Come Up for Air or Buy Back Your Time or Traction? Are we implementing those things? Are we kind of dated and...
you know, we don't delegate, we don't have a process, do we have a software where we track all of our action items and that we're, we have a project management software where we're truly tracking it. I know that sounds silly and you're like, no, we have a piece of paper, Kiera. Well, truth be told, that's dated. It might work for you, but it is dated. I had an office that I was consulting and she's like, Kiera, I track all my numbers. And then I showed her a digital KPI scorecard that's in the cloud in the drive.
So when she's not at home or not in the office, she could actually see all these numbers and metrics. And she's like, gosh, Kara, I've been doing this. But again, that is a dated system. I'm not saying that paper is wrong, but I'm saying, is there a way that you could have better metrics, better ways that you could be tracking this more consistently if you just updated your system? So looking at all the things, what am I doing? And is there an easier, faster, more effective way that I could do this? And I know it sounds timely and it sounds like, well, why do I want to spend that much time on it?
The answer is because yes, there might be a startup cost of time, but then it becomes easy because for this doctor, for example, with the KPI she was tracking, what's awesome is now that we put it digital and it's in the cloud. All of her team can actually put in all those KPIs for her every single week. They're now looking at the numbers along with her and she doesn't have to do all the work. So yes, it's going to be a lift of about five ish hours for her to transfer the data. I think that that's still.
Kiera Dent (06:56.014) ridiculous, I would say more like two hours to transfer it in and to get it all into place. But then she delegates it to her team. And now she doesn't have to track those numbers. And it's all there for her. Also, what's amazing about it being digital is she can actually create graphs of year over year over year growth to see how is she doing year over year, what's going on with it. And then she can also track and measure month over month as well. So just so many things that can be done. And that might even be a data system. And there might be an even easier way, but at least getting it to current to digital.
is going to help out. So back to our 12 systems, leadership and office managers, accountability and KPI tracking. What about our marketing plan? How's our marketing and is it dated? And can we digitize it? Can we make it more up to current times and trends? What about our patient journey and experience? What about tracking results? So KPIs, metrics, production per hour, diagnosing and closing, our reputation management.
quality control within the practice, time management and delegation, our meetings, and then our fulfillment in life. So that's for the doctors and for teams. I kind of have it a little bit different where I've got the leadership, then accountability. Sorry. For the teams, that's going to be a little bit different of a 12 system. So for the teams, what we do for them.
to see edit this portion. So for the teams, what it's going to be is we start out with that ownership in addition to leadership. Then we go to culture and accountability, then raving fans. What's our process for raving fans in our practice and getting those reviews?
Five -star patient experience, the journey, our billing department, our scheduling, our case acceptance and treatment coordinators, our dental assistants, our hygienists, our operations manual and systems, again, going back to meetings and then hiring and onboarding. What are the systems in all those different areas for you and how is your practice doing on those areas? So really looking at those 12 systems to see, are we dated in our culture? I was just asked the other day about,
Kiera Dent (09:16.878) What can we do to incentivize our teams and how can we make this more fun? And I'm like, you could do an Amazon shopping spree, give them 10 minutes and people be like, my gosh, I never thought about that. That's getting up to current speed. So looking at other industries and sometimes even looking outside of dentistry, I love to pay attention when I go to grocery stores or to Home Depot, I love to pay attention to Amazon. I love to read up on books of bigger companies. How did they do it? But really listening, like that's why I recommended the book, Come Up for Air. That's why I recommended some of these other.
books, buy back your time, because they'll teach you efficiency models that you could do. So instead of being like my grandma, I think all of us would be, we think it's ridiculous. My grandma like, no grandma, you can just go click on that picture. You can see where you are. If you even search somebody's name, it's so smart. It will pull up all the pictures of that person. You can put them up in the cloud. You can put them in the drive. You can have them in Dropbox. You can print them out if you want. You can even buy a camera where you can take those photos and have it print out in a Polaroid. But for my grandma,
That feels hard for her. That feels like, no, the paper and pencil work just fine. And my grandma, she's well into her 80s. So maybe it's not time for her to update that system. And for some of you who might have an older practice or you might not want to be as innovative, sure. But I think modernizing it and getting it up to speed, looking at our payment processors, looking at how we do insurance verification, can we cluster things, looking at how we schedule, are there softwares out there that could help us? Are there virtual assistants that could cut down the time?
It was so crazy. I was talking to some really, really successful business owners and they said that they had a virtual assistant for every lead on their team. And I thought, how crazy would that be if offices actually did that? And all those mundane things could actually be transferred over to a virtual assistant that would be able to take it all. What about AI and what things have come into play? Are you using your softwares to the fullest? Are we using them so when we...
close it, are we actually doing like monthly CE within our software to figure out how to maximize and optimize our software? Are we looking to see how can we make our crown preps more efficient and effective? Are we doing trainings to get it even faster when we're doing scans in the mouth? Are we looking for our patient experience and optimizing that? Are we tracking our cases and making sure we're following up on that? What systems do we have dated?
Kiera Dent (11:30.926) and how can you modernize them is my question. So I love to do this. I love to work with practices. I love to give them ideas. I love to help them set up Google Drive. I love to help them see how they can use these. I love to show them how to run traction and use a leadership team. I love to show them how to track KPIs. And so if that's something you're like, I don't even know if my systems are dated, sometimes having an outside come into your practice and take a look can help you figure out where could we optimize and make it more efficient.
based on looking at hundreds of practices, because that's a vantage point we have as consultants that maybe you don't get to have. So I'd love to help you see are your systems dated, but really pick one or two, read some books, look to see where can we have it. So that way you're not like my grandma being so dated that you actually have missed the mark to get back on track. I'm so proud of my grandma that she doesn't just use a camera anymore, but the reality is she would still to this day be using a camera if they were still like printing film photos. So force her to innovate. And I say,
practices innovate before you're forced to because it's much easier, more efficient for your time and you'll be able to get a better bang for your buck with time, with team turnover, with team morale, with being able to minimize that team turnover and have better morale because we're actually maximizing and we don't have to work as hard and we can work on higher level projects as human beings and let softwares and technologies help with those lower projects. So really truly, I would just encourage you guys to reach out, look at it, reach out if I can help in any way. Hello @ TheDentalATeam .com.
but let's not have our systems dated. Let's be up to date. Let's be current. Let's optimize one area within each of those 12 systems and see where could we make one small shift that would help. I guarantee you we did it in our company and it's crazy because we switched to all internal communications in Slack and only external communications in email. Well, now for me to go retrieve information, I'm like, okay, I had that conversation with Shelby. It will be in Slack versus thing like, is it in the drive? Is it in Gmail? Is it there?
It sounds like the simplest, smallest change, but that truly did update our system. And now all of us know where to go to retrieve information. And it has truly cut down the scavenger hunt of trying to figure out information. So looking to see where do you maybe have some scavenger hunts? Where do things get clunky? And could we fix that in one way or another? That might be a good place to start. As always, we're here to serve. We're here to help. We're here to make your life easier. Hello @TheDentalATeam .com. And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast. | |||
| #746: A Consultant, Financial Advisor + Dentist Perspective On Life | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:46:33 | |
If you’re wondering where to find insight from a dental consultant, dental financial advisor, and dentist in one go, THIS is the episode you're looking for! Kiera, Ryan Isaac, and Dr. Ashley Joves come together to talk about common industry trends from three different perspectives. They discuss:
Episode resources: Tune in to The Dentist Money Show Listen to episode 590, Unfiltered Advise on Choosing a Financial Advisor Listen to episode 742, Secret Sauce to Having an Engaged Team | |||
| #744: Best Practices for Marketing | 11 Oct 2023 | 00:17:18 | |
In this episode, consultants Tiff and Denae break down internal and external marketing and the power of each. Specifically they discuss:
Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Denae: hello@thedentalateam.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||
| #743: Birdseye View: Practical Application for Growth | 10 Oct 2023 | 00:18:38 | |
Kiera shares what happens when the Dental A-Team comes to your practice — the prep before a consultant shows up, the assessment once boots are on the ground, and the implementations that can bring about a maximum gain with the least amount of effort. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast | |||