Reclaiming Control: Insights from Dental Leaders on Profitable Growth and Well-being
Last month, we kicked off a webinar series with our friends at Overjet, diving into the future of AI in dentistry. We took a high-level look at where software and technology are heading, exploring the implications of AI for the back office, clinicians, and front office staff.
This time around, we decided to take the conversation a step further and look at where AI actually changes how you practice, how it changes the structure of a practice, and how it affects strategies for driving growth.
Reclaiming Control: How Dental Tech Made My Fee-for-Service Transition Possible welcomed two incredible guests, Dr. Bari Posner, owner of Dental Associates of Hoboken, and Dr. Eric Block, owner of Acton Dental Associates and The Stress-Free Dentist. Both dentists have successfully navigated significant strategic shifts in their practices, moving away from traditional PPO models to create more autonomy and drive growth. Here are some of the topics we covered:
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Implications of AI for the back office, clinicians, and front office
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How AI changes practice methods, structure, and strategies for growth
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Burnout in dentistry
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Balancing innovation and avoiding overwhelming teams.
Navigating the Shift Away from PPOs
Our discussion dove into what can be a controversial topic in dentistry: insurance. It's important to state clearly that insurance isn't the enemy. However, as practice owners, finding the best application for your patient population is key, as not every patient has insurance. Here are some reasons provided by Dr. Block and Dr. Posner for moving away from PPOs:
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Patients waiting months for appointments
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Burnout and stress for doctors and their teams
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Denying, delaying, declining, and downgrading treatment because of insurance issues
Dr. Block shared his journey, which started after the COVID-19 pandemic. "We really started to go out of network, and it was the perfect time to do it," he said. The practice started by moving away from their smallest insurance companies, then dropped Blue Cross Blue Shield, about 20% of their practice, and Delta Dental, about 50%, leading to him being entirely out of network. This transition brought a sense of relief and empowerment, allowing the practice to focus more on the quality of care, not just what's permitted or the annual maximum.
For Dr. Block, the shift was driven by capacity issues and burnout. Patients were waiting 8-9 months for cleanings, and they were constantly dealing with insurance denying, delaying, declining, and downgrading treatment. Dr. Block emphasizes that the biggest issue dentists face is the fear of losing all their patients and their practice imploding. His advice? "You have to do it the right way and strategically, and you can do it successfully. But you know, don't let the fear stop you.” The change allowed his practice to focus more on the quality of care, not just what's allowed or the annual maximum.
Dr. Posner's journey mirrors Dr. Block's. When she acquired her practice, they were only in-network with Delta Dental. Post-COVID, they were at full capacity, postponing patients for months, and both she and her team were burnt out and stressed. They also made the strategic decision to leave Delta Dental. Their success story is a testament to the fact that significant shifts in practice structure are possible and can lead to improved well-being and growth.
Team buy-in
Both doctors underscored the importance of team buy-in. It's not a decision a dentist makes alone. We delved into how they evaluated tools and systems to help with this shift, especially in communicating the change to patients. Dr. Posner shared that Dental Associates of Hoboken’s membership program provides patients a “fantastic alternative to your insurance.” Importantly, there really wasn't much extra to manage for her team.
Dr. Block agreed. His team worked on their verbiage (not just scripts, but controlling the conversation towards the quality of care) and used technology like call recording for coaching. “You have to have a membership plan. You need to give patients an alternative option that is powerful, especially for patients who lose their insurance or are new and without coverage.”
Seeing impact
Many dentists worry about the timeline for seeing benefits after dropping an insurer. Dr. Posner was pleasantly surprised that even though 30% of their patients had Delta, they only lost about 15%, and in 12 months, they saw zero change in revenue. The win was more about "more capacity and chair time than financial.”
Dr. Block advised planting seeds early, even a year ahead of time, mentioning potential changes. He noted that sometimes patients transition directly to the membership plan instead of renewing their insurance. While some patients leave, many stay, and a surprising number return later. This underscores the importance of controlling the narrative early through videos, emails, and conversations, ensuring patients understand and accept the changes well in advance.
Technology and patient trust
We explored how technology plays a role beyond just efficiency. Dr. Posner emphasized the patient experience. Leveraging technology like AI software from Overjet allows for consistency in care and gives patients more reason to trust the practice. It helps in "not only explaining to our patients but showing them" that the practice has invested in technology for the best care.
Dr. Posner shared a powerful story about a skeptical patient who didn't believe a previous diagnosis but returned and, seeing the evidence with AI software and a scanner, accepted treatment recommendations and even agreed to see the associate she had previously rejected. She told the patient who questioned the previous doctor's assessment, "I guess he doesn't have the technology we do here!”
Dr. Block uses wellness scans, 3D models, videos, and Overjet’s AI for case acceptance. These tools allow for a comprehensive understanding of the patient's oral health and make it easier to explain the treatment plan to patients. He recounted how, as a young dentist, looking at an FMX was intimidating. Still, AI makes it "so much easier to explain to patients,” opening up conversations like discussing obvious cavities or periodontal disease. "Patients are wowed by the AI," which can lead them to tell friends and family. This focus on providing a great experience is vital when new patients come from referrals or SEO, not PPO websites.
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Chris Herring is the Director of Partnerships at Kleer and Membersy.
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