IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE Module 6 Dental Hygiene Patient Exam Case Presentation and Case Acceptance

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE Module 6 Dental Hygiene Patient Exam Case Presentation and Case Acceptance Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 1

How many dollars does your dental office have in outstanding treatment plans? Can you easily run this report? Please contact us if you need assistance getting this dollar amount? What dollar amount would doctor like to see on the schedule over these next three months? What is a realistic goal? (A good goal is to have 80% of treatment plans come from the hygiene appointment and then 80% of those should be scheduled within the first week of the treatment plan) What is your current plan to enroll these patients into treamtent? What currently happens when a patient leaves the office without scheduling for treatment and even a next hygiene appointment? What is your follow up process? Can one auxiliary create a plan of action (A specific amount of time each day maybe even at night) to get these patients scheduled for their unscheduled treatment? Who is this person to lead this process in your office? What percentage of treatment plans are currently discussed during the hygienee appointment? (Provide an estimate if you don t know) What is a good goal for this percentage to improve over the next three months? What types of words, language will be helpful for the person calling patients so the patients understand the benefits of completing treatment sooner than later? Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 2

As you look at the below image discuss with your team your plan to bring the doctor into the hygiene appointment for the exam. How will proxemics support your patient in getting them to Yes? What is the importance of your position during the entire patient appointment? What will you have available for doctor when he or she enters to complete the hygiene patient exam. Below, right down everything that doctor would like to have available to streamline the hygiene patient exam. What are specific exams, services, patient information, etc., that doctor would like the hygienist to report on during the hygiene exam communication between the hygienist and doctor. List these before: Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 3

Who and when will the auxiliary direct doctor to complete the hygiene exam? How will this person know who needs an exam? What do you believe is the importance of the hygienist providing some personal information about the patient in the beginning of the hygiene exam? How long does a personal conversation between doctor and patient currently take? Hygienists, how long would you like this to take and keep you running on time and yet, continue rapport between the patient and doctor? If a patient currently declines, x-rays, treatment and/or the OralID screening, etc., does doctor currently discuss with patient during the hygiene exam to overcome their objection to any of the above mentioned? Does doctor believe it will benefit the patient if he or she talks to the patient to overcome their objections? Does feel this will irritate or anger the patient if they discuss a reason to have the service(s) completed? How do the team members currently ask for a close from the patient when discussing a treatment plan? Provide some examples below of sentences used to a trial close for treatment plans presented as of today: Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 4

Provide a list of current objections patients have expressed in the last 30 days: What is one service that hygienists can easily enroll patients into and it will support high-end treatment plans? What is one question you can ask patients to enroll them into various restorative treatment options? What is your plan to discuss high-end or costly treatment plans (Over $1,000 USD)? One example: Do you reschedule for a private consultation? If you don t have a consultation room where can you have a private discussion with your patients? Why is a patient objection actually not a negative situation? If you know a patient may have a specific objection, when it the best time to discreetly mention this in conversation? Which auxiliary in your office can discuss financial arrangements? At what point does this person discuss this with a patient? Do you provide your patients with a written treatment plan and have them sign at the bottom of the treatment plan to consent for treatment as well as confirm their payment arrangement? If you answered no, do you know where to get this form for patients to sign? Please contact our office if you need assistance getting this information. Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 5

Use this information to structure your case presentation, to organize your treatment recommendations and presentation a treatment sequence. It is important to create an awareness of the patient s role in all of their oral conditions and accepting treatment. CASE ACCEPTANCE PROCESS 1. Show the patient and look together and what you See in their mouth. This can be done using radiographs, a perio chart and/or intra-oral photographs, etc. 2. Inform the patient of the consequences if their condition(s) are left untreated. 3. Determine if the patient is concerned about the consequences of not accepting treatment to improve the oral conditions you have diagnosed. 4. Have a plan to overcome their objections Use the opposite of their objection. Flip this 180 degrees into an positive opportunity to not have for example: financial issues, or more time spent in the dental office or off work for dental appointments. Explain how more frequent dental appointments (maybe shorter appointments) will create less time spent in a dental chair. Think of your own examples. 5. Create solutions for your patients. Be their advocate. Show how much you care about them. You Matter to Us! What is the patient s awareness of their oral condition? To the patient you may ask any of the following questions or use these comments: Did you know? Or As you know Or As we can see here You may use any of these questions or statements to communicate consequences when a patient at first declines treatment for their oral condition: Other patients with similar oral conditions as yours, if untreated Over the years our science and research tells us that if untreated this gum disease can lead to other medical problems which can cost a lot more money with other hospitalizations, medications, etc. What else can you think of? Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 6

Discovering the patient s thoughts and/or concerns regarding their oral condition: Are you concerned? I know you re concerned Patient Challenges, their readiness to accept treatment, how this will Fit into their life: Unconcerned / Concerned Patient s Awareness of their oral condition: Apathetic Compelled Clueless Aggravated Are the ready to hear more information about treatment? Acknowledge if this will or will not fit into their life. When patient is ready: Discuss the benefits of treatment This is opposite of their oral condition (Example: Missing teeth benefit can be related to their appearance or possibly the future of the adjacent teeth and loss of bone and more teeth, etc.) Discussion of the Treatment Process: This is a simple How to : When the patient has accepted how treatment will fit into their life, now you will talk fees and flexible financial arrangements as necessary. If their treatment will be more than one appointment (Or if over a set amount of money i.e. $1,000 USD), or if they have financial questions (objections), etc., always use a private area to discuss money. This also allows the patient to speak more freely when they have privacy. For large cases it will be most beneficial to have doctor review the large treatment plan over a 20 minute private consultation. Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 7

Case Presentation Example Today our patient is Bobby and he has not been back to the office over the past year due to his challenging financial situation. Bobby thought that he could save money by not seeing his dentist over the past year. When Bobby came in today, new diagnostic images were taken and when reviewed it was discovered that he had new areas of decay and the small areas of previous (untreated decay) are now larger. Bobby now has a diagnosis of 4 quadrants of scaling and root planing. As a team decide how you will communicate these findings with Bobby. List out in the areas on the Patient Examination for Bobby s feelings about treatment. Above are a few words such as compelled or apathetic to choose from or create your own. List in each quadrant he needs care, if he has a challenge with fitting this area of treatment into his life. Discuss with the team the level of readiness Bobby has to proceed with treatment. What can the hygienist and doctor say during the appointment and again during the hygiene/doctor exam to add value to continuing future hygiene appointments in a timely manner? Roleplay and discuss as a team how you can implement these conversations even with the entire team participating in communicating home care products and instructions with patients. How can everyone on the team be a key player in keeping patients on-time for future hygiene preventive care? What can you do to not only retain patients in your office but help them understand the importance of prevention? Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 8

MAPPING PROCESS Patients Name: Date: PATIENTS AWARENESS OF CONDITION What is the patients current awareness of their condition? Words you may want to use are: PATIENT OBJECTIONS What is the patients main objection if they are not ready to schedule for treatment: Apathetic Clueless Compelled Aggravated Concerned Anxious TALKING PATIENT BENEFITS What are the benefits to the patient accepted treatment? List the benefits and use words that are opposite of the patients objection. For example: if money is an objection, how will completing treatment help them save money in the future? TREATMENT SEQUENCE & FOLLOW UP What will the treatment sequence be? Example: Phase I this year and Phase II next year. How do you follow up with patients who are not ready to schedule? TEAM ACTIVITY Choose five patients who have outstanding treatment. Create a plan to overcome their objections using this mapping process. Use the following maps to create your plan and then measure the follow up process over the next week and month. Use the Patient Mapping Process on the following pages to get these patients scheduled. Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 9

Patients Name: Date: PATIENTS AWARENESS OF CONDITION PATIENT OBJECTIONS TALKING PATIENT BENEFITS TREATMENT SEQUENCE & FOLLOW UP What words will inspire or motivate the patient to schedule for their treatment? Does this patient need to return for a new exam? Does doctor need time to talk privately with the patient? Does this patient need third party financing? Do you believe this patient completely understands how treatment will benefit them? Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 10

Patients Name: Date: PATIENTS AWARENESS OF CONDITION PATIENT OBJECTIONS TALKING PATIENT BENEFITS TREATMENT SEQUENCE & FOLLOW UP What will you say to the patient to get them scheduled? Does this patient need to return for a new exam? Does doctor need time to talk privately with the patient? Does this patient need third party financing? Do you believe this patient completely understands how treatment will benefit them? Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 14

CASE ACCEPTANCE PLAN OF ACTION Patient Name Date of Call Conversation Details Treatment $s Scheduled Date of treatment scheduled Follow needed? Yes or No Date to Follow Up (if needed) DATE: TOTAL DOLLARS SCHEDULED: $ Dental Hygiene Solutions Module 6 Dentalhygiene.solutions 15