There is a Glo in my e-mail

I love make-up. I don't necessarily enjoy the process of applying it, yet I never really feel "ready" until I have it on. I also love Sephora, the cosmetics store. There are make-up and skin products I have never heard of before, and they always have something new.

Today, I had an email newsletter from Sephora, waiting in my inbox. Like you, I don't always have time to read every newsletter or offer I received. However, I do pay attention to things that interest me.

Sephora's newsletter subject read, "Do you want whiter teeth?' While this is a common question to come from a dental practice, I was surprised to see it coming from Sephora. I clicked the link and received quite an education. There is a new whitening system, named Glo, which is available at Sephora for $250. This system takes whitening beyond the "strips" that are available at the local drugstore, it includes a light as well.

For many of us in dentistry, teeth whitening is yesterday's news. However, I am amazed at how many friends and acquaintances ask my opinion about teeth whitening. It happens all the time.

The heart of the matter is that prospects and patients want whiter teeth. Professional whitening trays and take-home gel are relatively inexpensive, yet in many practices, the fee to the patient is cost prohibitive. Nothing creates easier referral conversations for your patients like helping them improve their smile. Get with your team and work to make whitening more affordable. It will draw new patients in like a magnet. As for in-office whitening, look at what your real cost is. In most cases, the doctor has little or no chair time in delivering this service. Of course you want to do better than break-even on the procedure.

Yes, I believe that patients who have whiter teeth, smile more and are more apt to talk about their smile with others. Also, most people love to share a "great deal" with their friends. It makes them feel smart and savvy. Use whitening as a marketing tool and promote it at a competitive price.

And be sure to check out the Sephora link http://bit.ly/khud1S and the Glo product. Your patients will see it, and want to know the difference between Glo and the whitening you provide. Turn that question into an opportunity to whiten their teeth and create raving fans.

Empty Chair or Open for Business?

It's funny how learning can occur in the oddest of places. This past weekend, I was having a pedicure to get the ole feet ready for spring and put a little glamour on my toes. I was intently focused on bracing myself for a little torture as I have incredibly ticklish feet and truly do not enjoy the pedicure process.

As I sat in my massage chair while my feet enjoyed a calm jacuzzi bath before their scrubbing of terror, I noticed how busy the salon was. There was only one open chair at 9:30am on a Saturday morning. This made me feel a little better about my decision to be there. If this many other people were willing to risk their dignity to have their feet dolled up, then I must have made the right decision by being there myself.

At that moment, a potential customer walked in to the salon. She looked wide-eyed at how full the chairs were and said, "Oh, you are full. I will come back later." I watched to see how the technicians responded. A few of them looked around and then, it became clear who the owner was. I watched as Tony sprung into action. In a flash he gracefully made it out the front door, and walked back in with young lady who had left only seconds ago because she thought the salon was full. In a moment, she had chosen her polish and was seated in the empty chair as Tony, the owner and manager, began to take care of her.

Tony made a brilliant decision when he went the extra mile to bring the potential customer back in. He knew that this one additional customer would bring him as close to 100% profit on a sale as he would ever get. He already had the team there, and the chair was available. His only additional expenses were the nail polish and other products used to treat the customer.

Then it hit me. How many times in a dental practice is the empty chair really open for business? Maybe we frown on walk-ins. Or perhaps we are afraid that the patient we work in before lunch will prevent us from being able to have lunch together as a team. Or, if we add the patient with a toothache into the schedule, we won't have time to place our dental supply order. No matter the reason, many times our empty chairs are not "open chairs." Take some time in your team meeting this week and look at how many empty chair hours you have. What would it take to turn them from empty... to open for business?

Who Said Dental Coding Is Only For The Front Desk Team?

Admit it, if you haven't said it yourself, you've heard other dentists and clinical team members say it dozens of times. Maybe all dentists secretly wish to avoid the procedure codes. My dear friends, this is a myth that must be busted. Let's start today!

Appropriate coding starts with the clinical team. Their eyes witnessed the intraoral photos, x-rays and hands-on exam. Let's enter the age of enlightenment where we chart and code for what we do.

Accurate coding is not only a team sport, but the beginning step in streamlining the reimbursement process. Most claims are delayed or denied due to inaccurate or missing information.

Today's Reimbursement tip:

"A picture is worth 1000 words," yet how many times a day do we take pre- op and post-op intraoral photos? Make this part of your protocol in treating each and every patient and include it as a standard operating procedure in your clinical documentation. This can be a great learning tool for the patient as well. Maybe they don't "feel" like you really did anything to their tooth. Show them photos along the way as well as after their procedure. They'll feel like the most cared about and respected patients in town.