How can I maximize case acceptance for both myself and my referring
doctors?
I am a board certified oral surgeon with a slow, but, growing dental implant practice. Some of my oral surgeon colleagues are encouraging referring dentists to refer the patient for treatment planning, diagnostic casts, index impressions, etc. These surgeons end up doing most of the restorative work and all the GP is doing is torquing down the abutment and cementing the crown. Is this what I should be doing? What else can I do to grow my dental implant practice?
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I’ve helped over 500 oral surgeons/periodontists build their referral base and educate their referrals on implant dentistry. I think the key is NOT to enable your referral base – there are all these ‘techniques’ out there – with little experience, alot of restorative dentists can become overwhelmed, so much so that they don’t offer the treatment (dental implants) with confidence. I’ve been successful helping doctors (specialists and restorative doctors)achieve the practice of their dreams by focusing on three points:
1. An excellent technical foundation.
2. Systematizing treatment.
3. Focusing on patient acceptance.
Irregardless of the implant system in use, these three points can successfully integrate dental implants into the restorative practice – I know, I’ve seen it happen, both in my own prosthetic practice and in hundreds of practices around the country. If I can help let me know.
The oral surgeons that I deal with have doubled and tripled the # of implants they are placing without doing the resorative work. My implant awareness program focuses on education of genereal doctors and every member of their staff being albe to discuss the risk benifits and alternatives to implant dentisty as well as they can discuss any any other treatment done in the office. Only then can they educate the patient fully so that the patient can make an informed decicision. Usually if the patient is educated properly and percieved value is explained the patient will usually make the right decision.
Consider a referral appreciation seminar to educate them and lunch and learns in some of the larger offices. Most implant complanies that i have dealt with are happy to sponsor such a program. If you would like any further information i would be happy to help