In this episode of Beyond Bitewings Ash and Erin continue their discussion on some of the biggest challenges dentists face today. Picking up from where they left off, Ash and Erin discuss how independent dental practice owners can compete with corporate dental organizations (DSOs) and private equity firms. The conversation shifts to the importance of focusing on the qualitative aspects of business, such as relationship dentistry, job satisfaction, and patient care, which can give smaller practices an edge over DSOs that are driven by numbers.

The episode also discusses the growing demand for cosmetic procedures and the need for dental practices to adapt to these trends. Ash shares insights on how incorporating new technologies and equipment can not only keep practices up-to-date but also make them more cost-effective. Finally, they discuss the crucial role of patient communication and engagement, highlighting the importance of continuous staff training and maintaining a user-friendly online presence for scheduling and other services.

If you have specific questions about embezzlement or if you'd like to have another question answered on a future podcast, please reach out to the Edwards & Associates team. (https://www.EandAssociates.com)

Key Topics Discussed:

• Competing with Corporate Dental Organizations
• Importance of Qualitative Aspects in Dentistry
• Personal Touches in Patient Care
• Incentivizing and Engaging Staff
• Financial Metrics and Team Performance
• Shift from Routine Care to Cosmetic Procedures
• Influence of Social Media on Cosmetic Dentistry
• Statistics and Market Growth in the Dental Industry
• Adapting to Patient Needs and Trends
• Partnering with Distribution Vendors

Welcome to Beyond by Wings, the business side of dentistry, brought to you by Edwards and Associates, PC. Join us as we discuss how to build your dental practice, optimize your income, and plan for your future. This podcast is distributed with the understanding that Edwards and Associates PC is not rendering legal, accounting, or professional advice. Listeners should consult with their business advisers before acting on any of the information that is shared. At Edwards and Associates, PC, our business is the business of dentistry. For help or more information, visit our website at enassociates.com. Hello, and welcome to part 2 of our previous episode. The biggest challenges dentists are facing today.

And I know I left you guys on a cliffhanger, but I was told that's the best way to do it. So, we have Erin again in our studio.

Yes. Hello. Thank you for having me.

Of course. Of course. So in our last episode we stopped at, you know, the competition from corporate dental organizations, right? So if you're in the market looking for talented team members to bring on, how do you compete with the PE folks? How do you compete with the DSOs, right? Because these folks, they have the economies of scale on their side, right?

Yes.

They get all these group rates, cheaper rates that let's say a single practice owner does not have access to. So again, this goes back to what we were talking about. You have to be creative. So you need to be able to offer something that let's say a DSO will not be able to offer to them. Now you have to understand, DSOs, most DSOs are run by numbers people. Right? Yeah. So they're quantitative people. Now as a business owner, especially if you just have 1 or 2 locations, focus more on the qualitative side because that is something that will give you an edge.

I mean, think about why do some people go to a convenience store as opposed to a Walmart when they clearly know the convenience store is charging them double for eggs or bread that Walmart would. It's for that customer care. Right? Yeah. So focusing on that part, the relationship dentistry side. Train your staff members better. Do yourself a favor and maybe attend some classes or, you know, hire a coach that will help you speak better so you can connect better with your patients. And trust me on this, that goes a long way.

Yeah. Well, we talked about this when it came to, like, hiring, right, and understanding that culture. And I think this is where you could get an advantage of your their numbers. Right? Maybe they have their mission statement, and I'm doing air quotes as I say this. Right? And their vision and their checking boxes.

Right.

But how can you because how can you do that better? How can you be very specific about that? Like, not just the relationship with the patients, but the relationship with your staff. You know, maybe they'll take less pay to enjoy their job versus they're gonna feel just like a number 2 in a lot of these DSOs. So there's still an advantage, but you've gotta find those ways of what can you do. Like you said, what's the qualitative side versus

Right.

Just a numbers game where you can really stand out and offer that that great experience where, again, there we're in a day and age where it's not suck it up and deal with it and go to your job anymore.

Mhmm.

It is about finding jobs we truly enjoy and and feel part of a company. And I just think there's there's opportunity there to really make your staff feel that they're part of something bigger than just, you know, clocking in and out every day.

Oh, yeah. Absolutely. And I'm sure even the team members or the employees, they do not want to be part of a culture like that.

No. No. Maybe they do. If it's more money, people don't care, but you gotta find those right the right fit. It's all about the right fit.

That's also true. That's also true. Yeah. Now I'm trying to think of what would be some specific qualitative advice that we can give to them. Well, one thing that I can think of is, your front desk person probably maintains a patient profile

Mhmm.

On the management software. So anytime a patient walks in, especially a ongoing patient, you know, if let's say they've shared something in the last visit, like, hey, I'm in the process of buying a house. Teach or train your front desk person to jot that down Yeah. Under the notes section of the profile. So they can bring it up, hey, how was your closing? Or how did that go? Yeah. Or hey. Oh, I heard, you know, you're gonna fly to Miami for your vacation. How was your vacation? Little things like that.

Yes.

Human element goes a long way.

Yep. Do you watch The Bear on Hulu?

Oh my goodness. Yes.

Okay. So it's a restaurant for those that are watching. It's a fantastic show. I get like, I love a show, but they talked about that in a restaurant. Like, those high end restaurants, they are listening to your conversation. Like, there's an example where they overheard somebody say, I've not had pizza in Chicago because it's based out of Chicago. And they have this person that runs down the street and gets them this pizza, and they make it in a gourmet way. But there is nothing mentioned by chance.

The experience is everything. And I love like, just thinking of that and not to say that you have to run down and get somebody a pizza, but it's those little things that you're listening for and sending a thank you note. Or just like Yeah. When they know you're thinking about them, those little tiny things go a very long way, and that's what those high end restaurants are. It's those little

You're right.

Tiny details that don't go overlooked.

Right. Absolutely. Absolutely. So, yeah, those little tiny details with a huge impact. Yeah. Focus on those. Yeah. They're fairly easy.

You don't really have to spend a penny. No. Right? No. You can use your existing resources, existing human resources. Just train them a little bit, tell them, and then do it.

Yeah. I would say another one is offering, like, we talked about it in a previous episode, just like even the Google reviews and do the things that help you, but help your staff too. Can you offer, like, fun bonuses where, hey, when we get so many staff, when we get so many reviews, here's another bonus or like part of a end of year bonus type thing where you're setting incentivizing them where it's again, there are not everybody wants to own their own business, but it is our human desire to be part of something. Right. And how can you bring them in there? Again, DSO, maybe it's a numbers game, but how do you make them feel like they're part of growing this company, part of, you know, that relationship with customer or patients and

Right.

Just thinking of those ways, it again, it just little things go so far.

Right. Right. Absolutely. And that's the thing, you know, I'm thinking about DSOs. They do this thing where they see how much money is being made per hour. Yeah. And they're monitoring that on a regular basis. If that number falls just a little bit, they get, go into a panic and they want to figure out why, what happened.

Yeah. And because the main producer, they're not really selling retail goods.

Right.

They're selling services. Those services are coming from your team members. They go to them. Yeah. And like I said, it's a volume thing for them.

It's process. Yeah. Right? And

that doesn't have to be you. Right. So that's one quick, easy way to set that distinction. Yep. Now speaking of relationship dentistry, let's focus a little more on the patient side. What has changed now from what it used to be? Well, I will tell you this, dentistry, it just isn't about routine patient care and preventing dental problems from becoming severe. It's not just that anymore, right? And because of that, there's increased patient expectations and of course, the demand for cosmetic procedures. Because think about it, how a person's teeth look can affect their career, social and romantic life and overall confidence when she said.

Oh, it's huge.

Yeah. So, you know, I actually dug through and pulled out some stats. Like the Fortune Business Insights, right? The global dental market size, they're saying will be valued at 65,230,000,000 by 2,030. And they're saying that this growth is attributed to an increase in the number of patients seeking dental services as well as the launch of new dental products that dentists can use. The American Dental Association projects a 10.4% growth rate in the number of dentists per capita between 2020 and 2040, suggesting the demand for dental services will continue to increase. Now, the other thing is it's not just your routine care. Right. It's the cosmetic aspect, right? Now when I say cosmetic dentistry, I'm talking about procedures like teeth whitening, veneers, aligner system, Invisalign.

And they're also growing in popularity. I mean, social media has a lot to do with it.

I don't

know why. Right? They're seeing their friends. They're seeing what's trending. They see the influencers on those content and they're like, oh, how do I look like that? Or how do I get teeth that look like that? An image, you know, is a big thing these days. I mean, it's part of your branding.

A 100%.

So now even though cosmetic dentistry is elective procedure, Sometimes it can be used for restorative procedures such as porcelain crowns, tooth veneers and dental implants, especially if it's for things like accidents and birth defects. Yeah. So, wow. Okay. This part. Okay. I need to actually talk about this one. So when you understand that in this market, it's not just the routine care, right? You also have to focus on cosmetic dentistry.

It does, you have to ask yourself, do I set a boundary at just dentistry or do I go a little further? You may already have talked to a few peers that have incorporated, let's say Botox treatments as part of the cosmetic prescription.

That's crazy to me, but yeah.

Yeah, it's crazy. Right? But if you think about it, you're like, okay, I'm going there to, you know, look my best.

Right, yeah.

Why does it have to stop at my teeth? Yeah. You know, why can't it not be my skin or other aspects of my aesthetics.

Right.

Right? So expanding your services from just dentistry to other aesthetics, facial aesthetics to be more specific. So know that a lot of your peers are already doing this. So you're not going to be a one off dental practice that's going to offer this. It's just you staying on par with the trend. Absolutely. And what's available out there in the market. So thinking of that as well. So there's a need, there's a want.

Yeah. How do I fulfill it? Right. Right? That's how you become a good business owner. Adapting, understanding the need, understanding the want, and then doing things to address it.

And I think too, like, I always give this example about Invisalign, so I won't say exactly who, but a relative of mine is always broke, always broke. Mhmm. Always broke. But somehow managed to find money for Invisalign.

Yep.

After they already had braces, but there was just, like, one little tooth that they didn't like. And so found the money for like, people will find money for this stuff. Yeah. And I would venture to bet they probably they would probably even put a cleaning on hold to help with the pain of Invisalign. Like but it's one of those things like people are and to your point, I don't think a lot of people even looked at teeth whiteners until social media.

Right. And

so they're there, but it does help with the care too. Like, I know Right. You know? Right. Your teeth are gonna be cleaner if they're straight. Right? It's just natural. There's not gonna be stuff getting stuck in the

That's right.

So it it may seem vain, but it does all fit in that total care of your of dental.

Yeah. No. Absolutely. So even though a part of me is like, oh, wow. You know, because I have seen the change, right? I've seen numbers of a certain practice, you know, offering just certain services. In that same practice, the number's declining. And when I have a talk with them, they're like, oh, wait, you're still doing things the way you used to 20 years ago. Why won't you change that? And then that brings me to the next point is certain procedures require certain new equipment, right? So assessing that, that the current set of equipment that you have, is that up to par with the treatment that is available in your profession? Yeah.

Right? Your competitors may have specific equipment pieces. Let's say, you know, the integration of digital tools such as a CAT cam system, right, or 3 d printing or a digital impression scanner, right? That gives them an edge. So it's not just that they're staying current with the technology that's out there, but at the same time, believe it or not, some of these toys actually allow you to be more cost effective.

Yeah. It's a it's a growth opportunity. Right? So some of those things you have to spend more money, but, a, you can do services faster Mhmm. You know, more inexpensively Mhmm. Offer more things, charge more. I mean, there's just a a lot of it can be, yes, there's an upfront cost, but the opportunity cost is greater by not doing it.

That's absolutely right. So that's the thing. To make money, you have to spend money. Right? So And

you may lose somebody if they're going, well, I want Invisalign. Right? But Right. I'll just go to a dentist who offers it so I don't have to go to 3 different places to get it done. So I'll just, you know, I'll go

That's right.

To to the person across the street.

Right. And then we also need to address the learning curve of it. Yes. Because you're a staff that's been with you for so long, they're not used to how to operate these new equipment. So there's going to be that. The need for continuous education training along with maybe phase into implementation Yeah. Of these new technologies can definitely help with the transition.

And didn't SmileDirectClub just go under like it was a big deal, right? Mhmm. So look at, you've got all this opportunity. Now people aren't going online. They gotta go somewhere.

That's right. That's right. Absolutely. And then how do you make sure that you are purchasing the right equipment? Yeah. Partner up with a good distribution vendor. And we actually have an episode on that as well.

We're gonna link all these episodes that we're talking about. I'll do that in the show notes. Yeah.

Okay. Perfect. Yeah. Talk to them. And, you know, there there are certain pointers that we mentioned in that specific episode. Look out for those. And then, yeah, find a great partner and then make sure that you guys are working as a team to make sure your practice is current with the technology that is needed. Not just because you want new toys, but it actually makes sense for you.

Yeah. All right. The next point I'll come to, and this is gonna be the last point before we do a part 3 to this series. Okay? And this one's an important one, which is patient communication and engagement. Right? You have to understand, how are you making money? Yeah. By selling your services. And depending on the quality of your services, you can make sure if that patient is going to be, and I hate to use this term, but it is a business. Is that patient going to be an ongoing customer? Right.

From a business perspective only, right? How do you make sure your customer is happy and they keep coming to you? Yeah. So you have to focus on customer care, customer service, and it starts with communication and engagement. So maybe set as If you're a business owner with, let's say, a couple of front desk people. Mhmm. Right? Maybe one hygienist, couple of dental assistants. Now, right off the bat, if you've hired excellent team members with great people skills, you don't have to worry about But let's say you're one of those few that were stuck with whoever you could find because you have to run a business. You may need to train them. So maybe set a script.

Mention some pointers during your daily huddles. I'm a big proponent of daily huddles. I know some people say once a week, but now it helps. You know, in Japan, they actually do it every morning as a way to charge each other up. Yeah. You know, they do these like loud claps and they cheer each other on before they start working. I thought that was so amazing when I first saw that. So do a huddle and then of course, you'll hear from your other team members in what areas your certain team members can improve upon.

So give them that feedback in a positive manner, right? Not criticism, but just pass on that feedback and see if they're taking in that feedback to make a change. And that will also help you with their performance evaluation. So yeah, going back to setting the system. So write a script or tell them, hey, you know, next time have them read the profile notes on the software before addressing them. And then having a huge smile, a smile goes a long way. You know, that engagement piece, locking eyes, smiling when talking, little things like that. Now, on the technology side as well. So it's not just, you know, your front desk person who's interacting with the patients.

These days we live in the internet era. Yeah. So oftentimes, I hate to say it, the first point of contact is actually with your website.

100%, yeah.

Not your receptionist or your front desk person. So we also need to pay attention to the website. So what are some of the factors we need to pay attention to? Number 1, is it user friendly? Mhmm. Right? Is the interface fairly easy? Yeah. Is it cluttered or simple? What about the colors? You may want to actually talk to your marketing company if you have one, what colors to use? Certain colors stimulate certain senses within us. The other thing is, if you're setting a brand, a lot of times your brand will utilize certain specific colors. So making sure those colors are incorporated so that you have, one common theme. Right? So from the website to when they first enter through the doors of your practice, they see those same colors.

Appointment setting, scheduling. That's also another thing. I hear a lot about this, right, from my clients where they have something implemented on their website of online scheduling, But for some reason, it's not synced well with the actual system. Oh no. Yeah. So they'll set up an appointment online and and then the very next day, they'll get a call. If they're lucky, they'll get a call next day saying, oh, I'm sorry. That slot is already taken or the doctor's not gonna be here.

Can we reschedule you? Now, that's in a best case scenario. A lot of times they don't even get a call until it's like a day before. Yeah. So paying attention to things like that. Yeah. Right? So keeping your client, customer, patient, whatever you wanna call them in the forefront. Yeah. Right? So, you're in the business of providing a service and then making money from it.

So, the amount of money you are trying to make as a business owner will directly correlate to the kind and the quality of service that you're going to provide.

Well, and I think too, I mean, it's business 101. It costs less to keep a customer than it does to obtain a new customer. I think one of the important things as a business owner is, like for me at my dentist, I have a better relationship with my hygienist than I do my dentist. I'm much close she knows my family. She knows me. Yeah. My dentist may know it, but my dentist is coming through 5 minutes where I'm spending 30 minutes with her. I think when you notice things happening that aren't to your standards or are issues with your front desk staff, with the hygienist, address them immediately, like, or don't say, well, it could be worse.

Or, yeah, you know, she's got this quality. You know, we don't love it, but it is it's just Sharon. Right? I didn't use Karen. It's very close. But it's like, you've gotta be careful of those because those tiny things can become huge problems quickly.

Mhmm.

And so address it. And if if that person is not willing to take that coaching Mhmm. There's a problem. And it's not worth it to have them there. I mean, anytime I've had employees where there's trust broken or where there's something wrong, if they're not willing to have those conversations about it or, you know, it's it's very hard to ever get that fixed. And you as a business owner, it's hard. Those hard those conversations are difficult to have. Right.

Firing people is not a great experience.

I like that.

But if they're gonna cost you massive amounts of money or cause problems in your whatever

Right.

You gotta let those people go.

Right. And again, because of the shared value, keeping your patient in the forefront.

Exactly.

So it's nothing personal. Yeah. And I'm not gonna say it's business. It's for the best interest of your patient.

A 100%. Yeah.

So if you're not keeping team members that are following the same values, they're not stepping up to a standard that you've already set, you're actually doing a disservice to your patients.

Absolutely.

Right? You're not being fair to them. Yeah. So, it's in your best interest to do that. Again, nothing personal. It's just what you need to do to keep that culture intact. Yep. Well, thank you so much, Erin, for being on this episode. And again, we have a few more points to cover in our next episode.

So I look forward to hearing from you again, Erin.

Thank you so much for having me.

Of course, anytime. Thank you. Thanks for listening today. Be sure to subscribe to Beyond by Wings on your favorite podcast platform. For more information, you can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, or reach out to us on our website. You can also shoot us an email at info at e and associates dot com.