We just completed THE GREAT DENTAL MARKETING SUMMIT: Eight hours of nothing but marketing, nothing but meat, and yes, you missed it. We revealed how to create a marketing faucet that will guarantee you as many new patients as you can handle. If you missed this first ever event, we did film it and if you will call (800-252-0955) or contact us at [email protected], Max will be happy to tell you how to get a copy.
During the eight hours of fast-paced marketing insider information, we covered some internal marketing tactics. One of these is how to stage your clinical practice in such a way that you consistently have “painless” procedures and countless patients telling everyone they know about how different you and your office are from every other “wannabe” in your zip code. Below you will find a fast and furious list of the top 20 things we did for over three decades to be considered the best dentists in town.
1. We were always on time. I don’t mean 90% of the time. I truly mean every patient was seen on or before his or her scheduled time. We were obsessive about meeting or exceeding our client’s expectations, and this is a huge one. If you run late, you show a complete disregard for the person you are about to work on. Be on time and give them a reason to tell the 200 people they know on social media how awesome the entire office was.
2. Pre-med patients with two Ibuprofen (600mg.), and two extra strength Tylenol (500mg.) and get the same efficacy as Vicodin. This will smooth them right out if they don’t have any issues with their stomach.
3. Nitrous Oxide on every patient. I could probably count the number of patients that we did not use nitrous on monthly, because there were so few. It was a rare occasion indeed that someone in my practice did not use it, and no, we did not charge for using it. It even became common-place for patients to request it in hygiene and again, no, we did not charge for it. Keep in mind that you can’t pay for the positive word of mouth promotion (WOMP) that being on time, and being painless will create. In fact, if I didn’t use nitrous, I almost felt like charging them more. Using nitrous meant they were calmer, time passed more quickly for them, they were relaxed, and felt less, and in some cases had a sort of “amnesia” to the clinical details. Over all, it just created a better environment for both the doctor and patient. We always added headphones, and dark glasses to further insulate them from the clinical environment. I can’t understand why everyone doesn’t use it.
4. Use IV Sedation on those folks that don’t want to be there. Sure oral sedation is easy, but because of absorption and titration, can be more dangerous for the patient. With IV we can knock them down and wake them up instantly. Faster, more predictable, and truly those who need sedation really don’t want to be there. If you don’t want to do or can’t, just hire someone to do it for you and market it everywhere.
5. Profound Gel from Steven’s Pharmacy. This stuff is amazing. Use it as a topical, numb baby teeth, use it in a Centrix syringe and numb for deep pocket scaling. Use their Cyclone DS for gaggers. Steven’s Pharmacy
1525 Mesa Verde Drive East
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(800) 352-DRUG
www.stevensrx.com
6. Use Septoject needles from Septodont with their tri-beveled edges and siliconized metal needles. There is nothing as smooth, quick, and painless. Be sure to use a 30-guage. (Yes you can aspirate with it.)
7. Use Articaine from Septodont.com for anesthetic. Great, profound, and lasts well.
8. Use X-tip or Stabident for those patients hard to numb, for kids, and for folks where you need profound anesthesia or a lack of peripheral soft tissue numbness. It makes you faster and everyone will compliment you on the profoundness and lack of any sensation from your dentistry.
9. Use Vibra-ject ITL (800-277-0073) for painless injections. It attaches to any syringe and makes you look like you walk on water.
10. Use a carpule warmer and add a PH chemical to your anesthetic to diminish any sensitivity to gradients of PH or temperature during the injection. It will also speed numbing and increase the profoundness of anesthesia.
11. Always use a McKesson medium mouth prop with clinical procedures. It diminishes postoperative TMJ soreness, creates consistent working arena for the dentist, allows the patients to relax, and speeds the procedures with improved visibility. If you have a little more money to spend, the Isolate system is awesome. Great visibility, ergonomics, light, and suction.
12. Every prep should be cleaned with Chlorahexidine. I don’t get it. Dentists don’t incorporate even the simplest most tried and true systems to minimize bacterial encroachment, and postoperative pain and sensitivity due to bacterial growth at the interfaces and surfaces of their crown and operative preps. I would never place a filling or crown without using an antibacterial scrub to eliminate the bacterial, smear layer, and desiccated dental tubules.
13. Use Hema Glu on every filling and crown prep to desensitize and increase bond strength. You will become the painless dentist.
14. Use reinforced glass ionomer for bases, pedo fillings, and buildups to eliminate sensitivity and recurrent decay. We all know about the effect of the Fluoride release but also remember that this is a dual cure material with almost no shrinkage compared to any type of composite. Mix it up and bulk fill, hit it with the light, prep or finish and you are done. No sensitivity, decay, or postop problems.
15. Use Accufilm for occlusal adjustments. There is no thinner carbon paper on the market. The thick stuff does not work and you will eliminate all contacts if you don’t switch.
16. Every filling or crown receives a buccal injection following the appointment of Dexamethasone 4mg/ml. It is a steroid and will eliminate almost all postoperative sensitivity and pain or swelling. Works great for extractions (Oral Surgeons use it in their IVs). This is the single best thing I have done for over 20 years to create a reputation of no pain with my patients. The only contraindication would be Insulin dependent diabetics: It throws off their dosage.
17. The use of Medrol 4mg at about three a day as a prophylactic or after the fact anti-inflammatory to eliminate the general tenderness or slight discomfort following any procedure. Works great, and you look like a miracle worker without prescribing a bunch of narcotics.
18. Use a little Polysporin powder placed in any extraction socket prior to having the patient bite on a moistened 2X2 gauze. You will stop almost all dry sockets. Got this on my first job from a dentist who was in his late 80’s.
19. Give every patient your cell number after any appointment that you numb for. It will make you look like a saint and they will never call.
20. Write a “Terrific Patient” card to every patient that you numb, every day, all day long. (http://www.abbottcards.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PA301W) I usually just hand write a note that says: You were a great patient today. If you need anything at all, just give me a call on my cell at 972-523-4660. Don’t forget to send me two more patients just like you. It goes in an envelope and goes with the assistant to the front desk staff that addresses it and mails it that same day.
Michael Abernathy, DDS
[email protected]
972-523-4660 cell