Average Providers Are Losing Hundreds of Thousands in Unscheduled Treatment
Henry Schein One recently released our third annual Benchmark Study, sharing how the top 10% of dental practices from our collected data stack up against industry averages across key success metrics.
We’re sharing our treatment-related results along with strategies that'll help your practice differentiate itself from the pack.
|
Key Performance Indicator |
Definition |
Jarvis Average |
Top 10% |
|
Average Adult Fluoride Rate |
Proportion of adult hygiene visits that include fluoride treatment. |
33% |
91% |
|
Average Case Acceptance Rate |
Rate at which patients agree to the treatment plan presented to them. Accepted Treatment = Completed or Scheduled Treatment Planned Procedure. |
46% |
83% |
|
Average Perio to Prophy Rate |
Ratio of periodontal procedures to all hygiene procedures. |
24% |
70% |
Current patient data for the average dental practice indicates $1 to $1.5 million of annual revenue is being left on the table due to unscheduled treatment. Boost your bottom line with these simple strategies.
Present your case. Train your staff to promote treatment with clear, consistent messaging, visual aids, and a focus on urgency to educate patients and boost acceptance rates. Position your messaging to promote urgency: “I do not want this decay to worsen over the next few weeks and lead to additional treatment. Let’s get started today, I can work you into my schedule and save you a return trip to the office."
Follow up with patients. Follow-ups can easily improve case acceptance by 10% or more. Use your morning huddle to discuss which patients did not accept treatment the previous day and use a system that ensures these follow-ups are assigned to a specific person in the practice within three days.
Prioritize payment clarity. According to the ADA, nearly 60% of patients delay or avoid treatment due to cost. Ensure your practice offers all the approved methods of patient payment plans or financing. Flexible payment solutions, including membership plans that provide incentives for preventative care, go a long way in getting a patient to agree to treatment.
Implement regular periodontal assessments. The CDC reports that 47% of adults over 30 have some form of periodontal disease, yet 50% of practices don’t perform regular periodontal exams. Your dental hygiene team should complete a comprehensive 5-point periodontal assessment on every adult patient that includes a review of the patient’s current health status, history of the disease, and risk characteristics, the probing depths, recession, mobility, furcation, bleeding, and exudate.
Integrate technology for a more informative, personalized patient experience. Technology can enhance the initial verbal communication you and your team have with patients. That said, remember that patient education begins as a one-on-one conversation. It's essential to keep your language simple and clear as you educate your patients about a diagnosis, their treatment solutions, and their preventive care options.
Give AI a prominent place in your educational toolbox. AI used for patient education can be a game-changer for how you inform your patients about their treatment. AI tools have the potential to personalize the information you're sharing with patients, clarify their treatment options, and highlight preventive care.
Interested in the full results of our Benchmark Report? Download the report.