How many times have you seen a patient that has a full mouth of untreated dental needs say, "I know I should have come to the dentist a long time ago to get my teeth fixed."

You probably hear this more times than you can count....each week. This is a great time to ask a few questions to patients:

"What kept you from coming to the dentist?”

"Why is it important now?"

Many times when you ask these questions, you’ll find that they have been to the dentist several times over the last few years only to leave the dental office without beginning treatment.

They don't return and the dental problems only become worse.

Often after further conversation, you’ll learn they were overwhelmed by the amount of dental treatment needed, the time it would take, and the overall cost to complete. They left the office feeling hopeless. 

Hopelessness is one of the most devastating feelings one can have. It can be paralyzing.

Remember, every patient seen is someone's mom, dad, sister, or brother. Consider your own family, would you ever want someone, especially a healthcare provider, to make someone in your family feel hopeless? Of course not. However, that is how many dental patients can feel when they are presented with treatment in a manner which overwhelms them and prevents them from moving forward with the treatment they want, need, and deserve.

Focused treatment plans eliminate this hopelessness and present treatment in a more manageable way.

What is a focused treatment plan?

It is the treatment plan for only the treatment we will be doing at the next appointment. It is the next step plan.

Here's how it works:

First, discuss with the patient all dental concerns, and develop a comprehensive treatment plan. Give the patient a brief overview of the entire treatment plan, but do not discuss it in a detailed manner.

Next, discuss a specific area in detail with intraoral photos. Create a sense of urgency utilizing the photos and discuss specific treatment in this area. Let the patient know that you will begin treatment in this focused area as soon as possible. Present treatment plan and financial arrangements for the focused treatment area only repeating that this is what will be addressed at the next appointment.

Remind the patient that remaining areas will be addressed as quickly or slowly as the patient would like to address them. This helps to reassure patients that they have a level of control over the treatment and payment schedule.

This focused treatment plan allows the patient to complete treatment in specific areas one at a time.

It allows them to break down treatment into areas rather than their entire mouth. It eliminates the idea of treating everything or nothing. It gives the patient a feeling of control is how their treatment is broken down to fit in their time, their budget, their comfort zone. The hopeless feeling that no one can help them will start to dissolve, replaced by a feeling of joy and accomplishment that they will finally begin to get the dental treatment they have needed for so many years.

And it’s through these positive experiences of completed care that patients will look back on the appointment with relief, speak highly of your organization, refer friends and family, and continue to make appointments for years to come.