{"id":7063,"date":"2020-02-01T00:00:19","date_gmt":"2020-02-01T08:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=7063"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:45:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:45:15","slug":"dental-care-agreements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/dental-care-agreements\/","title":{"rendered":"Oral Agreements"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have a confession. Gidget, my beloved long-haired dachshund, needs dental care. She has bad breath, mild gingivitis, tartar and evidence of early infection on her back molars. So, why haven\u2019t I scheduled her appointment? Aside from the fact that I\u2019m super busy, I dread leaving her at the hospital and waiting for the call that she has recovered from anesthesia. And much of the time, I can easily forget to make an appointment since Gidget is eating fine and playful. It\u2019s not like there\u2019s a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d bet many of you are in the same situation with your pets. My reasons, or shall we say excuses, for not immediately getting Gidget the care she needs are the same reasons that clients don\u2019t schedule dentistry appointments. Of course, the cost of care can be an issue, too.<\/p>\n

National averages show that general practices get only about 4% of their revenue from dentistry. This fact is staggering when you consider that most pets need some level of oral health care.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore what your team can do to motivate pet owners like me to schedule dental procedures.<\/p>\n

Get Everyone on Board<\/span><\/h3>\n

The first, often overlooked, step for improving client compliance with dental recommendations is to gain team buy-in and enthusiasm for the hospital\u2019s marketing efforts. Several hurdles need to be overcome so that team members can do a better job talking with pet owners about dentistry. Remember that some of your employees might not be able to afford dentistry for their pets, which can lead them to focus concern on the owner\u2019s financial situation rather than the value of the dental services. Another common challenge is that busy paraprofessional staff and doctors might not take the time for meaningful dental care conversations with clients, especially if a pet owner appears reluctant to follow through on recommendations.<\/p>\n

Creating dialogue during staff meetings can help address these barriers. Engage the team with questions such as \u201cHow do you feel about the cost of our dental care procedures?\u201d and \u201cWhat ideas can you share about how to manage our time during appointments and still have excellent client interactions about dentistry?\u201d Identify who is passionate about the value of dentistry and which team members can be your dental care champions.<\/p>\n

The second way to get the team to improve compliance is to establish clear goals and directives. Don\u2019t make the mistake of telling employees, \u201cWe all need to do a better job to improve dental compliance<\/a>.\u201d That\u2019s what every hospital wants, but how will it happen?<\/p>\n

Successful practices set specific goals and tactics. For example, the goal might be to increase dentistry revenues by 25% in 2020. To achieve the goal, the team might need to schedule at least two more dental procedures a week. Be sure to allow time for employees to contribute ideas so that they have a sense of ownership of client compliance efforts. And don\u2019t forget to reach out to industry partners for help.<\/p>\n

Words Matter<\/span><\/h3>\n

In my experience, the primary reason that pet owners shun dentistry services is that teams aren\u2019t well-trained on client communication. Veterinary teams hate hearing \u201cno,\u201d and some default to assuming that clients will reject dental recommendations. Indeed, some clients can\u2019t afford dental procedures that require anesthesia<\/a>. But many others don\u2019t schedule appointments that might be costly because the team hasn\u2019t successfully communicated the value of dental services and created a sense of urgency.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to motivate pet owners to take action.<\/p>\n

1. Use Contemporary Terminology<\/span><\/h3>\n

Most practice teams still use the language of scheduling \u201cdentals.\u201d This terminology harkens back to the days when dental cleanings and the extraction of loose, infected teeth were the only services performed by general practices. Now, hospitals use digital radiography and teams perform multiple therapeutic procedures. These advances need to be communicated to clients.<\/p>\n

More contemporary terminology is to speak about an \u201coral ATP,\u201d which stands for assessment, treatment and prevention. This recommendation has been around for many years but isn\u2019t widely embraced by practice teams.<\/p>\n

The American Animal Hospital Association states: \u201cThe consensus viewpoint of the guidelines task force is that using the simplified term \u2018prophy\u2019 is incorrect and misleading because our dental patients often have calculus and gingivitis before prophylactic therapy is recommended. Neither prophy nor the term \u2018dental\u2019 adequately convey the breadth or complexity of oral health services offered in primary care or referral practices. The broader terminology \u2018oral health\u2019 better conveys the full scope of this aspect of pet health care.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Focus on Value<\/span><\/h3>\n

When the cost of services isn\u2019t fully explained, clients are left to wonder why a dental cleaning is so expensive. Teams need to take time to convey the value of dental radiographs and all therapeutic procedures, including surgical extractions. Be sure everyone knows how to focus on the benefits, not just the features, of services. I find that veterinary nurses and doctors often describe the medical care but then don\u2019t convey the patient benefits.<\/p>\n

Here are two examples of how to better communicate value:<\/p>\n