Value for Your Profession: Does Dentistry Have an Essential Role in the Fight Against Coronavirus, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis and More?

VALUE for your profession

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DOES DENTISTRY HAVE AN ESSENTIAL ROLE

in the Fight Against Coronavirus, Heart Disease, Osteoporosis, and More?

By Gary Kadi for CareCredit

The coronavirus (COVID-19) helped educate patients how good hygiene habits, such as hand washing, can help prevent contagious infection. It also highlighted how important having a healthy immune system is if you do become exposed and contract an infection. As patients return to the practice for hygiene and clinical care, it may be valuable to ensure they understand the connection between their oral health and other health issues in their body, including their immune system. When talking with patients about the connection between their oral and overall health, it’s important

to introduce the topic and provide details in a way patients can understand and absorb the information. Having patients complete health history forms, taking their blood pressure and proactively discussing the oral systemic health connection may be well received and appreciated. I have found a system, which I call the 5 Ps, that creates a great framework for this important conversation.

STEP 1: POSITIONING

To start the conversation, you want to set patient expectations that you and your practice are unique in your approach to oral health because you understand the systemic oral health link. It’s important that you introduce the idea and value of oral systemic health early in your patient’s journey.

STEP 2: PLEASING BENEFIT

The next step is to explain, in easy to understand language, what a total health practice is and how it directly benefits the patient. It’s important that the patient understands this is added value you are providing, not added cost, as cost is often the barrier to treatment acceptance.

STEP 3: PROOF STORY

If possible, having a summary of the oral system health connection available to review with the patient and adding a story of a patient who has benefited from total health dentistry can help new patients understand the value in real-life terms.

STEP 4: ASK PERMISSION

The fourth step is to gain the patient’s permission to be treated with total health dentistry as the foundation of their ongoing care. Ultimately it is the patient’s decision on the level and type of care they want to receive. We have found that when patients have a choice, they usually select the option that will benefit them most.

STEP 5: PRESENT A PAYMENT SOLUTION

When patients value their oral health by seeing how it connects to their overall health, they are often more willing to invest in needed dentistry. Then, all that remains is enabling them to get the care by overcoming other barriers, such as cost and time. Addressing cost concerns, especially as the economy recovers, will be more important than ever. Having a financing solution like the CareCredit credit card can help in this area by enabling patients to use promotional financing and pay over time. Dentistry is essential health care and it’s important for patients to understand how oral health is connected to conditions such as heart health, diabetes, transient ischemic attack, osteoporosis and their immune system. When you provide total health dentistry, you provide value which not only builds patient trust and loyalty, it differentiates your practice from others and helps patients understand that dentistry is not a commodity—it is a pathway to overall health and wellness.

TDA Perks Partner CareCredit makes it easier for patients to access care by providing a healthcare credit card that helps families manage out-of-pocket expenses for dental procedures. For information on CareCredit, visit tdaperks. com (Insurance, Dental Benefits & Marketing) or call 800-300-3046 x 4519. Author Gary Kadi is CEO of dental education company NextLevel Practice.

This content is subject to change without notice and offered for informational use only. You are urged to consult with your individual business, financial, legal, tax and/or other advisors with respect to any information presented. Synchrony and any of its affiliates, including CareCredit (collectively, “Synchrony”), makes no representations or warranties regarding this content and accepts no liability for any loss or harm arising from the use of the information provided. All statements and opinions in this podcast are the sole opinions of Gary Kadi. Your receipt of this material constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

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