Looking for insights on how to build your cosmetic dentistry practice? This veteran cosmetic dentistry practice management consultant offers advice designed to expand your cosmetic dentistry practice in 48 hours.
by Harvey N. Silverman, DMD, FASDA, FABAD
The purpose of this series of articles in Dentistry Today is to help dentists determine where the latent demand exists in their dental practice from patients who want to change something about the appearance of their teeth. It is a true paradigm shift in cosmetic dentistry practice management. Additionally, later on in the series I will reveal a new approach to providing same-day cosmetic dentistry services that assures patient satisfaction before treatment is provided. Patients love it. You will too.
While this series initially focuses on the patient education piece that you will need to embrace, rest assured this will not be about how to sell cosmetic dentistry. In reality, the suggestions in this series are designed to provide you with the patient education tools to do more elective cosmetic dentistry while never selling anything.
Using our patient centered team approach to inform and educate patients you will find the Silverman Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry’s Practice Growth System seamlessly fits into your daily regimen. This series will also help you set up an Action Plan based on our recommendations which is the key to building your cosmetic dentistry practice.
THIS APPROACH WORKS
For over 2 decades, I lectured throughout the country and abroad on cosmetic dentistry, wrote articles in dental journals, developed/invented cosmetic dental technologies including refining/developing the original porcelain veneer, patented the original OTC tooth-whitening system, and also worked 1:1 with dentists and team members doing onsite boot camp training programs. In the training programs it was gratifying to see how our cosmetic practice growth system worked with predictable success to help dentists take their cosmetic dentistry practice to the next level.
However, with the COVID pandemic causing havoc around the world in 2020, we, too, witnessed its impact on the dental profession. This resulted in a dramatic drop in cosmetic dentistry services, which was unfortunate but understandable.
The good news is there is a way to do more cosmetic dentistry now. The time-tested suggestions in this updated system was refined and developed over many years. Our goal is to help dentists find more joy and pleasure in their daily routine while eliminating stress in their teams’ busy schedules. Additionally, you will only need 60 seconds for every patient to see if they are a candidate. Clinicians really like that!
WHY YOU SHOULD DO THIS NOW
After giving a lecture recently to a large study club, I was surprised to find that most dentists felt leaving patient education materials in their reception area was the best way to grow their cosmetic dentistry practice. You may feel that way as well. I am not going to be critical of that approach. Indeed, it helps.
However, our time-tested cosmetic dentistry coaching program has shown if you want to take your cosmetic dentistry practice to the next level this is not the most effective approach. While leaving brochures out in your office is easy to do, time and motion studies done during our onsite visits reveal only a limited number of patients look at the brochures and very little elective cosmetic dentistry was being done at these practices. As a result, the Silverman Institute developed a new paradigm shift, called TIMS (Team Impact Multiplier System), which is designed to resolve that issue.
Once dentists implement TIMS they immediately start doing more cosmetic dentistry. TIMS works so effectively that while you are treating one patient a team member using TIMS uncovers the latent demand for cosmetic dentistry from another patient. Brochures do not and cannot do this as effectively. With TIMS you and your team discover which patients want to change the appearance of one or more teeth that you were never aware of. There will be much more detail on why TIMS works and how you and your team will professionally and ethically use TIMS in future articles. Stay tuned.
With that in mind when I lecture or consult in offices, I ask dentists the following question “How many elective cosmetic veneers did you do in the past week?” The common response is “None”. That was true at the 100+ lectures/consults I have given over the years as well as at my recent lecture to the study club. There seldom is a dentist who has done an elective veneer in the past 2-3 weeks. That changes with TIMS.
Anecdotal studies by the Silverman Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry over the past several decades has consistently shown that 8 out of 10 patients would still like to change either the size, shape, color or something else about the appearance of their teeth. Even for subtle cases like this. With that in mind the latent demand for cosmetic dentistry in your practice is mind boggling. Dentists can be doing 2 or more elective cosmetic dentistry cases a day (actually more) if they had the keys to unlock this demand.
It is disappointing so little elective cosmetic dentistry is being done when there is so much latent demand. This series will share with you how to tap into that demand.
Each article will share with you how to implement our Action Steps into your daily regimen so more patients will say, “Wow! That looks great. Can you do it today?”
So why are dentists doing very little cosmetic dentistry? The answer is self-evident.
Cosmetic dentistry is want based. It is not need based. The dental profession knows how to diagnose and treat need based scenarios such as restoring a fractured tooth. Unfortunately, this is not the case when it comes to services that are want based.
If you would like to do more want based elective cosmetic dentistry the first step is to understand what are the unspoken cosmetic dentistry changes patients want and why are they unspoken? The reason is clear. Many patients have anxieties at the dentist. Concerns such as cost, discomfort, shots, time, etc., are on their mind. That is why their interest remains unspoken. Think about that. However, that’s where the latent demand for cosmetic dentistry is found. The good news is we can help patients overcome these concerns with our new paradigm shift in cosmetic dentistry communication.
This may have been a challenge to our colleagues in the past, but it is no longer a problem for you today. There may be a solution… it will be fun and enjoyable for you and your team to implement and your patients will be happy you did since they want this.
TESTING IF THIS APPLIES TO YOUR PRACTICE
For your convenience each article in this series will require 10 minutes or less of your time so there really is no excuse not to read it. Best of all you will find it’s easy to do more cosmetic dentistry, indeed a lot more cosmetic dentistry, starting within 48 hours of implementing the system.
That said, let’s get started. How can you determine where the latent demand exists in your practice for cosmetic dentistry that you may not be aware of?
When I do a boot camp program here’s how I find out. I start every consultation by creating an eye-opening, enlightening experience for the dentist. The goal of the following exercise I use is to eliminate preconceived notions dentists and team members have regarding who is interested in a smile makeover. To accomplish that I ask the dentist and their team members to answer the following questions:
Invariably when the team fills out the questionnaire (Figure 1) the dentist discovers 8 out of 10 team members have at least one YES response. That is an eye-opening experience for the dentist and team. Why? Because when I first arrived at the office most dentists tell me “Everyone in my team who wanted cosmetic dentistry already had it done”. After the exercise that quickly changes to “I never knew”.
The teams’ responses to the questionnaire teaches the dentist that when patients do not ask about having cosmetic dentistry it does not mean there is no interest. Once this realization sinks in a light bulb will go off and the dentist knows it is time for a paradigm shift if they want to do more cosmetic dentistry.
The interactive questionnaire (and not a Smile Analysis Form, which I originally developed in the 80’s as a consultant to dental manufacturers and while working with the beauty industry) lets us open a dialogue and find out what our patients want to change. This is the first step in taking your cosmetic dentistry practice to the next level. It’s part of our power education program and it works with predictability.
Now ponder that for a minute. If 8 out of 10 team members still have something they would like to change about their smile, the same is most likely true as it relates to your patients. We found that to be a consistent truth everywhere.
Action Step 1: Have your team members fill out this form, discuss the findings in a team meeting and then let me know if your team fits in with our anecdotal average. If they do there’s a simple fix for that. Best of all you will find your team will be excited and energized by this.
Up Next—in future articles I will provide more action steps for building your cosmetic dentistry practice. You will find all the suggestions are fun, professional, ethical, effective and will take your cosmetic dentistry practice to the next level.
Additionally feel free to fill out the questionnaire (Figure 2) and I will be happy to provide you with complimentary feedback on how you can expand your cosmetic practice and reach your goals.
Up Next In This Series: The Receptionist’s Key Role In Building Your Cosmetic Dentistry Practice; Power Educating In 60 Seconds and The Results Are Unbelievable
About The Author
Dr. Harvey Silverman is the founder of the Silverman Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry which offers training to other dentists on same-day smile transformations. The Institute provides virtual as well as on-site training on cosmetic dentistry innovations, focusing on precision & smile makeover techniques. He also offers guidance to dentists on marketing their cosmetic dentistry services, including using the right messages to attract patients seeking cosmetic enhancements. For more info: Contact Dr Silverman at 216-256-4599: Email [email protected].
