Lesson series
Top 10 Mistakes Young Dentists Make
Case acceptance skills for the new dentist
In today's Sharecast we center on many of the mistakes that the young dentist makes when discussing treatment with their patients. Before reviewing these common mistakes, Paul and Dennis discuss many topics, including the difference between ‘Standard of Care’ – all the clinical techniques that we learned in dental school, versus ‘Standard of Caring’. Standard of Caring is the internal feeling that the patient experiences when they have a feeling of being well cared for by their provider.
This experience is not related to customer service or comfort amenities like birthday cards, headphones or a blanket (although these external experiences are important as well). Standard of Caring is the inner experience the patient has as they are reflecting on their visit. Does the patient feel overwhelmed and suspicious, or do they feel peaceful and confident?
It is important to recognize that patients can sense the care intentions their providers evoke. In other words, from the patient’s perspective, is my provider viewing our visit as a commodity service or as an opportunity to build a relationship with me. The goal is getting the patient to feel like you are going to give them the best possible care, based on their needs and their desires.
In order to give your patients this feeling of connection, you have to become a leader. Leaders make it easy for other people to succeed. This includes your support team and patients. Am I making it easy for my support team to do their best work and am I making it easy for patients to accept my care? Before you can become a leader, it is necessary to be self-aware.
The question becomes, what constitutes self-awareness?
One tool to help a person understand themselves a little better is the Meyers Briggs assessment. You can take it here.
It’s a great way to understand how you process different situations in order to understand yourself better.
“Leaders make it easy for someone to be at their best, they feel better about who they are when they're with you.” - Dr. Homoly
Ask yourself, “Am I making it easy to allow patients to accept my care? In order to perform the highest level of standard of caring, we first must understand:
Read also: Defining Your Practice Culture
Mistake #10
New dentists get sucked into feeling sorry for patients
Dr. Homoly explains:
“In dentistry, if you're overly empathetic, it’s something to guard against. You did not cause these problems, and it's not your responsibility to fix them, it's your responsibility to show the patient what the problems are and offer them treatment.”
Our role as dentists is to help the patient – we cannot own their problem. We need to help them understand the solutions and treatment options for their dental issues.
Mistake #9
Young dentists are unsure of the treatment plan
It is important to look at a few things when deciding the best treatment plan.
1. Medical history
2. Mental health
3. Budget
After you look at those 3 things, you can carefully decide the optimal care needed. When you are speaking with the patient, always lead them down the road of success while not overwhelming them.
Mistake #8
Giving too many options “we can do this, or we can do this, or we can do THAT”
Dental school teaches the ‘Trojan Horse’ approach – give the patient all the treatment options available and have them choose. The Trojan Horse technique uses the treatment plan is to discover the patient’s budget. This technique can be very confusing for patients because they may not choose the dentistry that is best for them but instead is focusing on costs.
Dr. Homoly explains that before he talks about treatment, he finds out financial budget of his patient. We want to be sensitive to where the patient is in their life. You must always be on the same page and be careful to never overwhelm the patient with too many problems or treatment plans.
Mistake #7
Trying to overcome the patient’s objections to fees
Advice for young dentists: talk to patients about the fees
• Quote the fee
• Quote the time and treatment
• Quote the financial relationship
Then ask the patient, “is that comfortable for you?”
As a leader you are responsible for:
1. Giving patients a destination or behavioral outcomes they can expect
2. Talk about the resources that you have available for reach in those destinations. For example, well trained staff, a high level of standard and caring, etc.
3. How do you give patients the confidence to advance in the direction of what you consider is in their best interest. Ex: if they are surprised about the cost, you didn't do a good job preparing them
Mistake #6
When dentists call out ‘treatment’ rather than ‘conditions’ during the new patient exam
The problem is that young dentists call out the conditions and treatment at the same time.
There is no empathy or discussion, and so the only thing that the patients hears is “you need.” Perhaps, it started in dental school, but never call out the treatment when doing the exam. Presenting treatment needs to be done with a Standard of Caring.
Mistake #5
Poor personal connection
Dr. Homoly explains that connections are all about nurturing relationships. If the patient doesn't get a sense that they have a relationship with you, then you are immediately starting out on the wrong foot. Dentistry is personal. Patients can sense impatience. One behavioral skill young dentists must learn is to connect with people such a way that they feel it's personal to you too. The way to do that is to be curious, ask more questions, and to tell stories. We must afford the time to establish ‘trust’.
Mistake #4
Young dentists give a treatment plan based on what the dentist can afford
A lot of times, dentists come out of school with a lot of debt. Sometimes they are really struggling to make ends meet, so a lot of newer dentists feel overwhelmed with the amount of debt they have. It’s not about what the dentist can afford, it's about what the patient values. You might not know what they value, but you know what you can offer. The young dentist needs to avoid the ‘scarcity mentality’ – that is “if I cannot afford the treatment, then the patient will not be able to afford the treatment recommended”.
Mistake #3
Giving a treatment plan based on what the insurance will pay
Many young dentists have problems with giving a treatment plan based on what the insurance will pay. The office manager or someone else with a high level within the office might insist on implementing a rule in which young dentists must look at what the patient's insurance will pay. This is a career de-railer. It is very difficult to get out of this mindset and office system. Again, avoid the scarcity mentality.
Mistake #2
Not discovering your ‘Chief Benefit’ and ‘Chief Fit’ issues
Dr. Homoly explains that he always likes to get a feel for why people want their teeth fixed. This is for patients with multiple conditions. For patients with limited treatment, patient education is probably enough. Make a connection, but if the patient just needs a cleaning and some limited treatment, then we are not getting into ‘Chief Benefit’ and ‘Chief Fit’ issues. But for patients with more complex treatment, discovering Chief Benefit and Chief Fit issues is a must - what's really important is you get an understanding of why they want their teeth fixed. The conversations we really need to have is why this is so important to them. What is motivating them? These conversations help us understand what the ‘benefits’ for treatment will be. What is going on in their life? Are they getting married…a new job…? Then we have to understand the ‘fit’ issues – what is their schedule like? What are their finances? ‘Fit issues’ need to be understood so that we can help them attain the benefits that they are seeking.
Mistake #1
Not connecting the ‘Chief Benefit’ with the ‘Chief Fit’ issues
Discover the ‘Fit’ and ‘Benefit’, then connect them together when reviewing the treatment options for the patients. All in all, in order for dentists to avoid these top mistakes early on in their career, use process centered conversations and try to understand why the patient is there, because there is always a reason. Get a sense of what's going on in their life. Most importantly, as a young dentist, always stay curious.
Check out more about Dr. Paul Homoly at his website: https://paulhomoly.com/
Yours for better dentistry,
Dennis Hartlieb, DDS, AAACD
DOT Founder
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Meet Dr. Dennis Hartlieb
Dr. Dennis Hartlieb owns his own practice in Chicago,IL and has been teaching dentistry for over 30 years. Dr. Hartlieb is the CEO and the main instructor at Dental Online Training. He is an active member in the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry where he’s both an Accredited Member and Examiner for Accreditation.
Dr. Hartlieb is also the President of the Chicago Academy of Interdisciplinary Dentofacial Therapy, and a member of the prestigious American Academy of Restorative Dentistry.
Dr. Hartlieb is also the President of the Chicago Academy of Interdisciplinary Dentofacial Therapy, and a member of the prestigious American Academy of Restorative Dentistry.
Meet Dr. Angela Luek
Dr. Angela M. Lueck is a Wisconsin native and was the youngest female in her class from Marquette University in 1998. Since completing her residency she has consistently taken more than 100 hours a year of continuing education to keep current on the latest trends, techniques, and materials available in dentistry.
She volunteers her time to teach at Marquette University providing the students additional training with anterior and posterior bonding techniques as well as dental photography. She is also the co-chair of the mentorship program at the University. Dr. Lueck has been voted as one of Milwaukee’s top dentists multiple times by Milwaukee Magazine.
She volunteers her time to teach at Marquette University providing the students additional training with anterior and posterior bonding techniques as well as dental photography. She is also the co-chair of the mentorship program at the University. Dr. Lueck has been voted as one of Milwaukee’s top dentists multiple times by Milwaukee Magazine.
Meet Clare O'Neill
Clare O’Neill is the Director of Operations at Dental Online Training and has a professional background in digital marketing. Clare has certifications in content marketing and digital advertising. Clare has expertise in social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, website management, and project management. Clare has been using Canva for over 5 years and is a self-proclaimed Canva Queen.
Clare graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor’s degree is Sociology. Clare wanted you to know that she is a dog person, loves the colors emerald green and periwinkle, and would eat french fries at every meal if she could!
Clare graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor’s degree is Sociology. Clare wanted you to know that she is a dog person, loves the colors emerald green and periwinkle, and would eat french fries at every meal if she could!
Meet Dr. Jim Mckee
Dr. McKee is a member of the Spear Resident Faculty. He has maintained a private practice since 1984 in Downers Grove, Illinois where he treats a wide variety of cases with a focus on predictable restorative dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and former president of the American Equilibration Society.
He has lectured both nationally and internationally for over 25 years and directs several study clubs. Dr. McKee graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 and earned his dental degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1984.
He has lectured both nationally and internationally for over 25 years and directs several study clubs. Dr. McKee graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 and earned his dental degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1984.
Meet Kirk Behrendt
Kirk Behrendt is a renowned consultant and speaker in the dental industry, known for his expertise in helping dentists create better practices and better lives.
With over 25 years of experience in the field, Kirk has dedicated his professional life to optimizing the best systems and practices in dentistry.
Kirk Behrendt is the founder of ACT Dental, and his vision is driven by the commitment to provide highly personalized care to the dental profession. By creating a talented team of experts, Kirk and his team continue to positively impact the practice of dentistry on practice at a time. Kirk lectures all over the world to help individuals take control of their own lives.
With over 25 years of experience in the field, Kirk has dedicated his professional life to optimizing the best systems and practices in dentistry.
Kirk Behrendt is the founder of ACT Dental, and his vision is driven by the commitment to provide highly personalized care to the dental profession. By creating a talented team of experts, Kirk and his team continue to positively impact the practice of dentistry on practice at a time. Kirk lectures all over the world to help individuals take control of their own lives.
Meet Dr. Melissa Seibert
Melissa Seibert is a comprehensive dentist proudly serving in the Air Force. She holds a dual faculty appointment at Uniformed Services University and Creighton Dental School. She serves on the editorial board for Inside Dentistry.
Her current research projects involve investigating ceramic overlays, zirconia and salivary contamination of universal adhesives. Dr. Seibert is the creator and host of the top dental podcast, Dental Digest. She lectures to national and international audiences.
Her current research projects involve investigating ceramic overlays, zirconia and salivary contamination of universal adhesives. Dr. Seibert is the creator and host of the top dental podcast, Dental Digest. She lectures to national and international audiences.
Meet Olivia Wisden
Olivia Wisden is the founder & CEO of TwoLips Creative. What started as an events discovery app pivoted into a creative agency that specializes in working with startups, small businesses, and organizations who are looking for bold, impactful designs and strategies.
She has worked with dozens of brands over the years ranging from the City of Madison to product launches and beyond.
She has worked with dozens of brands over the years ranging from the City of Madison to product launches and beyond.
Meet Dr. Sofya Kats
Dr. Sofya Kats is local to Milwaukee, WI. She grew up in Bayside and attended Nicolet HS, UW-Milwaukee and Marquette University School of Dentistry. Dr. Kats is a member of the Greater Milwaukee Dental Association, Wisconsin Dental Association, American Dental Association, and The Forum Study Club (oldest Dental Study Club in the United States).
Dr. Kats loves the art of dentistry, and healing it can bring to her patients. She volunteers her time by going on international dental mission trips and local events, such as the Mission of Mercy (free dental care sponsored by the Wisconsin Dental Association).
Dr. Kats loves the art of dentistry, and healing it can bring to her patients. She volunteers her time by going on international dental mission trips and local events, such as the Mission of Mercy (free dental care sponsored by the Wisconsin Dental Association).
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Day 1 (8 - 4 pm CST)
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Erosion and wear – the why and the how
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Adding length to teeth – when is it safe
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Opening VDO to compensate for lost tooth structure – where to begin
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Records visit and key points you need to understand before you start
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The smile – the 7 strategic points to consider when evaluating the smile
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Anterior tooth shape, morphology
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Clinical case review
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Upper Putty matrix construction
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Build lingual incisal wall with putty matrix #6 - #11/ Upper anteriors
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Full contour build-up #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, shape and polish/ Upper anteriors
Day 2 (8 - 2 pm CST)
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Who – which patients are candidates
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Why – explaining to patients the value of the prototype
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How – step-by-step techniques to maximize predictability, efficiency and success
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Getting to Yes: conversations with patients about esthetic and reconstructive dentistry
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The ‘Smile Preview’ – techniques to show the possibilities
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Lower Putty matrix construction
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Build lingual incisal wall with putty matrix #22 - #27 / lower anteriors
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Build-up #22 - #27, shape and polish / lower anteriors
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Build-up lower occlusal posteriors
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Demonstration of Smile Preview