4 Steps to Comprehensive Treatment Planning That You MUST Master

[00:00:00] Hi, everybody. Welcome back Dentistry Beyond The Numbers. I'm Dr. Marc Liechtung and thank you so much for making this a climbing, growing, expanding, received hotcast with all the information.

[00:00:15] I hope I'm giving out people are telling me it's great stuff they love my content. Got to share some great news with everybody that's been on my mind the last couple of days.

[00:00:24] I became a grandfather, my wife and I became grandparents for the very first time to an absolute gorgeous Me a row, like Tom, me a row is what a beautiful name and what a beautiful young gal

[00:00:36] And I look so forward to spending so much time with her in the future, spoiling the heck out of her. And get weight is like I raised three boys, so I've never had a girl in my life, rather than having girls in my life.

[00:00:48] And I never had a baby girl in my life and I just can't wait till every aspect of her life. You know what? I can't wait.

[00:00:55] I want to enjoy every minute because seeing that little baby is so precious and you know, one thing I will say this is not part of dental podcasting, but seeing your children or seeing people you love and care for

[00:01:06] Become caring and loving. It's a joy beyond. I think one of the joys of being a grandparent or being a parent is watching our kids take on roles that we've never thought they could.

[00:01:17] I'm going to make the analogy it's sort of like what I do for for guardian dentistry partners in all practices and practices around the country is

[00:01:24] Make dentists better make them grow in their hourly production. You know, for lack of a better term, it's like young doctors that I'm raising and I see them grow

[00:01:33] And I see them really take on beautiful cases. I could just tell you in the same just about the same day my granddaughter was was born

[00:01:42] And it was really an exceptional moment in my life and the associate of my Manhattan office who's been with me a very long time and has really grasped the super general as concept, which is what we are going to pound today and talk about from a standpoint of you know

[00:01:59] Just I'm a believer of these of us doctors becoming super dentists. We can handle it, we could do it. We have the ability to talent. So that day he turns to me, so doc take a look at the final result of Mr Jones

[00:02:13] He says this was a full extraction case bone grafting temporary all on X today we put the final in I will tell you one day I will share the x-rays with you it is absolutely perfect and you know the x-rays show perfect implant placement perfect superstructure just

[00:02:33] You know the the off angled screws the whole the whole case was done which such care such perfection and there's somebody who's been doing it for five six seven years

[00:02:45] Consistently doing that all day long as implants and surgery and he loves root canals loves cosmetics thus makes a super generals that to me is what we see the beauty in the virtues of what I do

[00:02:57] The education from the growth of other doctors. I can't tell you what a joy it is to see doctors going and we mentioned this all the time, you're not going to just tell a doctor produced an industry

[00:03:07] You've got to educate you've got to understand something I've been sing lately is the lack of understanding about comprehensive dental care and what I mean about that is comprehensive comprehensive dental treatment plan

[00:03:20] When I go to a physician, I want to know what's wrong with me. I don't want them to determine what is wrong, what they want to let me know and what they're going to go and address

[00:03:30] That's not what I'm going to my doctor for. I'm telling my doctor. I want to know if I'm healthy please tell me how I look what's going on do a body scan do a body search do whatever you got to do but I want to know

[00:03:46] How do I look going forward and I feel the same compassion the same need that we have as dentists and I've said this a number of times already

[00:03:56] As comprehensive dentists we cannot hold back what is wrong but the way we phrase the treatment planning the way we phrase the sequence of case presentation makes all the difference in the world and that's something that we're going to dive into in the future

[00:04:13] University of Pennsylvania dental school and at you pan they talk about like many dental schools around the country

[00:04:19] We talk about phase one phase two trip. You know somebody comes into fixed their front of the mouth and they have rampant gum disease rampant decay need a few teeth out

[00:04:28] We are not going to fix their front of the mouth unless we fix the disease and that is the angle the issue that I present no no an angle. It's just transparency

[00:04:38] Mary you have excessive amount of decay. You have teeth that may need to come out before we address your smile and you're beautiful smile Line that's going to be a magnificent outcome. We want to get you healthy So when we talk about health that's phase one

[00:04:54] Right, we want to get them healthy so we don't want to overbear them with everything but what we need to do is get healthy then we can also mention that you need eight laminates two implants two crowns and a a few on-lights

[00:05:08] And that will be after we get you healthy. Oh, Dr. Great shows many things and we're going to get into that It shows that you are Carrying about the disease that is in one patient's mouth It shows that you have the knowledge to sequence the cases

[00:05:25] So you're not lost You're not looking at something going oh my god because no patient wants to hear or oh my god Right, you have it down

[00:05:34] You know what you're tackling quadrant by quadrant. You can see the hygienist of two visits as you get numb for those visits We are going to bring you into my opportunity and we are going to treat those

[00:05:44] Numb quadrants as best as we can so I said this before and what I'm learning is Comprehensive dental treatment planning means a lot to a lot of people but to me it only means one thing It means explaining to the patients Getting them to commit and

[00:06:01] Then having them make a deposit or some sort of financial commitment through the practice So there are a couple of phrases that I use phrase number one is Exceptional important to me and I've never heard it used

[00:06:16] But I use it. I use it all the every day all the time in my practices and that is and in my podcasts And that is we aim to do two things in the scope of treating planning We aim to give the patient a perceived value

[00:06:33] Now that oh yeah, of course. I'll tell them what they need no no no no It's not just saying oh you need two cabbages filled here you need a crown and you can use your knife art Okay, no

[00:06:42] You've got to give them the perceived value we talked about this before that 30 to 60 second Why you need the crown why we should do a A crown other than a filling why Mary should we take this to the out not?

[00:06:58] We're going to take this to the not standing over the patient We give them the perceived value that we are getting get you healthy and then we're gonna give you a beautiful smile

[00:07:07] Oh, we're gonna get you healthy and then we'll be giving you maintenance as we go along with the hygienist and remember the hygienist doesn't have and doesn't have the hygienist it's Sarah It's Michelle those are the people right

[00:07:21] You want to call your hygienist by their first name so it's part of the family. I don't care if she's a one week old hygienist You know, then I'm gonna I'm gonna let you marry. I'm gonna have you see Sarah for the deep cleaning She's wonderful. Okay. Okay

[00:07:35] Like when you put a name the patients are starting to feel secure What does that mean? It's perceived value this doctor cares this practice is all about me But what's the next thing we can do we need to worry about and remember

[00:07:53] Not necessarily worried about I'm here to help you worry less right by education But by understanding that every treating plan needs a commitment to dentistry So there's a perceived value and there's a commitment to dentistry

[00:08:07] our job doctors is to give that patient the most perceived value we can Does that mean perceived value Somebody walks in go, yeah, I know you're gonna tell me. I heard it all the time. Well I got a whole sequence we're gonna review starts with the pan

[00:08:24] All of a sudden you're telling remember I said we're gonna check the angle of the mandible Health patient there is no hands-sourous lesions. No, but he said that to me perceived value

[00:08:37] Look at the angle in the bone level really good really beautiful level of bone it's like a teenager really perceived value What we are trying to do in the first 10 to 15 minutes of our Examination is give all patients the

[00:08:56] Competence that they're with the right doctor in the right office with the right team at the right time That's what we do that's perception or perceived value

[00:09:07] So if you remember one of the cast back before and we're gonna get into it even in depth because we're gonna talk about that is What I look to do Right by giving that perceived value is broke it down to four steps to panoracks

[00:09:22] Which we're gonna talk about we're gonna bring up a panoracks when we wait and we're gonna talk about how we can make that again Such little hints that make a patient go like this

[00:09:35] Like that in all the senior patients leaning back you could tell by the body language They're asking questions like will it hurt? They're not asking questions like how much? How many times do I have to come they're asking can we get it done soon?

[00:09:52] That's when you know you've done your job. I used to engage my tree complaining really by the questions the patient asks Your doctor so this is gonna cost a lot right? Well, let's see what what this is you know

[00:10:05] I want to take a look and we go and we go through everything and we say right doctor It's gonna be tough. Well, let me show you this. You see this whole here This is what you're feeling sometimes you think it's from the top

[00:10:16] It's really from the bottom real and the one you thought needs to be fixed I don't I don't think we need to fix that right now. We can keep a watch on it. Wow. That's great You're seeing value When we tell them little tidbits don't level

[00:10:31] Old infection healing no problem like a Scottish you any little tidbit that you might you think is trivial It's not trivial to the layman what it is is building Perceive value So the first step is Tell the patient what they need

[00:10:50] Now that sounds just rattling off a grocery list. That's rattling off in your mind what they need But when you present it remember we are There's an actresses So when we present this it has to sound

[00:11:05] Like we care and pathetic because we are we're happy we have an opportunity to do all this work But we're not gonna go Great job We're gonna marry we got eight pounds three root get-outs do it. We're gonna go married unfortunately

[00:11:22] You need some work and we want to get it now before it gets really bad so first step Helen what they need Second step help them What happens if they don't do it? The grumpy guy who's sitting there like this waiting to hear Usually jallies

[00:11:46] You're saying well John You're gonna need a few crowns and if we don't do those crowns now. Yeah, I know it's of course a lot of money right? No, no, it's gonna cost what it'll cost but what I'm trying to do is not have you lose those teeth

[00:12:00] Get in plants Or need root canals doc. I don't want root this is why I'm telling you You need these crowns done if you don't do it within an acceptable month several months I never predict several months

[00:12:15] You're gonna need root canals or worse you're gonna break the teeth you're gonna lose the teeth You may need implants doc. I don't want implant Then what I'm saying to you is these crowns will definitely do the trick and help you all

[00:12:27] And take care of the issue well that's great all of a sudden Body language He's not protective anymore. He's now looking at you with respect So you just told them what he needs you're telling that patient or any patient what happens if they don't do number one

[00:12:46] What happens at number two number two is? Right you can get an infection you need a root canal. I said this before we'll say it over and over the beauty

[00:12:56] A dentistry is we have the ability to put in front of our patients what happens if they don't treat the teeth What happened you lose it you need the extraction you need implants

[00:13:07] You need a bridge you need a denture. I don't want a denture will do the case save your teeth We can get you financed We'll get into there the third thing is we tell them what it entails John and know you're very skeptical

[00:13:24] I know you're you've been through a couple of dentists and you're a little apprehensive But I could tell you that what we're gonna do is we're gonna get you numb

[00:13:32] Like you do a filling and we're gonna make sure you don't feel the thing and then it's gonna be about 10 to 12 minutes probably less of drilling maybe even less Just want to make sure it's all cleaned out maybe eight to 10 minutes of drilling for all the teeth

[00:13:45] We're gonna fix the teeth. It's gonna be very simple. You're gonna walk out of here with temporary Is they gonna look great you're gonna feel great. There's gonna be a perfect non-complicated procedure

[00:13:56] If it is gonna be a complicated procedure, tell the patient we're gonna do everything we can To avoid the root can house avoid any more damage avoid any more work But we need to do the definitive treatment and that's what we're going to do or

[00:14:11] Appropriation has been a patient in mind for a while. I say you know Mary you remember that filling We did a few months ago sure doctor. It's gonna be the same injection It's the same

[00:14:21] Right it's the same block or the same local anaesthetic that we use on the maxilla if we're gonna do a MOD A crown and frog and insect even a root canala or extraction. We're gonna get them numb And we're gonna make sure they're profoundly numb

[00:14:37] But it's the same avenue of administering the anesthesia Wow, the fourth thing is we get up as good as we are and as comprehensive as we might be

[00:14:47] We get up and say Mary Debbie from the front is gonna come in the back and she is gonna give you the numbers and the treatment plan I work everything out so it's to your satisfaction. It'll be fine

[00:14:58] But that tell me I'm like that's that's way over me let them deal with this This is what they do. I fixed teeth Mary I want to fix your teeth to the best of my ability But let they be coming and talk to you numbers Okay Four things

[00:15:14] Treatment plan one The patient what they need two tell the patient what happens if they don't do it. It's a simple playbook three Tell them how easy it is four get up and get the treatment coordinator I said this last time

[00:15:29] And I want to dive in for a few minutes About the treatment coordinator The treatment coordinator's job is to come in and do the final of the two two verses Perception of value perceived value was given doctor did a great job led that patient right to the water

[00:15:47] That Debbie that front desk coordinator you you people are front male or female you're coming back there You're gonna be doing the closing of This treatment plan no matter if it's five and fifty eighty thousand dollars

[00:16:01] It's very important that there is no emotion when we talk money because doctors We have an emotional tie to these patients So that's why we don't want to talk numbers to these patients We want to talk teeth healing work treatment

[00:16:17] Post-stop sensitivity or lack there off and then get out of the room Let Debbie and everyone else like her Come in and close that case and commit to patients to dentistry what does that mean? It doesn't mean making an appointment

[00:16:34] It doesn't mean saying we're gonna take three hours next Tuesday and we'll book it out by Mary see you then No, it means presenting the treatment plan for forty eight thousand dollars And Mary's gonna go whoa

[00:16:50] Well, maybe you know there's a lot of work done but remember this phase one and phase two phase one is about $8,000 Mary we're gonna do some extractions a cleanup by the

[00:17:02] Sarah the hygienist we're gonna get your guns all healthy all the decays out the band teeth are out and then phase two is the Final phase we're gonna replace the teeth and make you smile and you're bite perfect Wow that's awesome

[00:17:15] So right now I want to make an appointment start the process of getting you healthy So we have a few choices I'm not gonna make or pretend to be a treatment coordinator

[00:17:26] But the way I look for it in my practice because I believe the term super generalist is If you're able to put in plants in Do cosmetic vineyards Crown and bridge adjusting bites putting people in centric

[00:17:43] If you're able to treat and plant cases like I'm describing you are able to run your business or at least know what you demand a few business and I demand of my business That we have three ways of getting this done one is the patient pays in full

[00:18:02] To the patient pays for phase one or three the patient puts down at the positive for the entire case I know we're not gonna have any misdeployments We're not gonna have any confusion

[00:18:14] Through my career and my experience the number one reason that a patient leads a practice is not because they got hurt Not because the wrong tooth was done not because they didn't like the shade it was financial

[00:18:27] Take the finances out get a treatment coordinator in your practice that could make that commitment to Dentistry in one of those three ways You want that patient coming in the next visit and not worrying about anything just worrying about

[00:18:42] How they're gonna feel after and making sure that the doctors are gonna treat them right and they know they're gonna be in good hands That's it if they come back the next time and they have to talk money I believe 40% of those patients don't show a grew up

[00:18:59] I practiced I raised my family in a city that had a dentist all over in New York City You might not be able to tell them from New York I always say this because of my accent, but I try hard to keep it there

[00:19:11] But in all or kidding aside That is the most amazing thing to me is that They're a dentist all over the city and I always practice and I tell this to my associate like my patients are going out and getting a second opinion What avoids them?

[00:19:27] From getting a second opinion what discourages them from getting a second opinion It's very discouraging when you already put down at the positive or paid info You don't even think about getting a second opinion because the perceived value was so great and the hand off to the commitment

[00:19:45] was so smooth This is the way a business of dentistry should run this keeps you book Fibreit this keeps your treatment planning Extensive and this keeps the production and the collection at capacity and that's what we look for

[00:20:03] So I want to bring that up because I'm hearing a lot of people talk to me about that A lot of people making comments that they thought though they think commitment to dentistry is the treatment coordinator

[00:20:13] Presents the case makes an appointment and says bring in 11 thousand dollars next time They're not bringing in 11 thousand dollars next time They're gonna find somebody where they have to bring in six and it's a little less expensive

[00:20:25] And if they go to another dentist and said the treatment planning game was for 48 can you do better? The patient the doctor is going to say yes I could do it for 42 done That's not commitment or perception we did not do our job We have to commit them

[00:20:41] And then there are patients and then they go in the book our book is all life line We don't put things in there unless they're committed and ready to go So I want to run that by everybody for a few minutes just to give you an update

[00:20:58] of what is Talked about in some of my chats and and some of the people that have responded to me and please like me on all the

[00:21:05] Major Spotify Instagram Facebook and of course linked in please like me or comment or just follow me because there's gonna be some exciting things and You know talking about exciting things you know with the addition of a granddaughter the month of August coming

[00:21:21] Which is my birthday and I've decided to take a pause for a couple of weeks and rest my body rest my mind But more importantly spend some time with me a row, you know and spend some time with the family

[00:21:32] I don't want to put out half half baked episodes from a poolside or from going somewhere So we're gonna take a couple of weeks It's gonna be three weeks that we're gonna post our next podcast and I did want to get into some of the things

[00:21:45] I've been seeing at them and then understand why I'm doing this okay somebody asked me what do you want to do? I'd love to educate I believe that if you make the money and you're doing quality work not matter

[00:21:56] What are you gonna love what you do and they say if you love what you do? You never worked a day in your life and I see and I hear many dentists, you know people used to say we know about dentistry and suicide

[00:22:07] No that crap. I'm not a believer. I think that comes from just mental illness But that's not for me to discuss I think that I really believe in my experience I haven't met many dentists that walk around hating dentistry

[00:22:21] If they made dentistry not only a phenomenal profession but a great business And for that my commitment to my podcast of dentistry beyond the numbers is not marketing What I'm gonna do is present to you what I believe is the best

[00:22:36] Avenue and pathway to being a super general dentist and in my opinion in the next 20 to 25 years of dentistry It's all gonna be about the super general dentist. It's all gonna be about the general dentist The gay keeper how high and how much do they want to do?

[00:22:57] Are you a one-to-kind? Are you somebody who really loves surgery loves cosmetics? Want to do it all loves crime and rage why not? Dventors out there are training us is such an air the so many avenues of learning how to do it So why not do it?

[00:23:14] That's what I want to bring you what I started this podcast with was my dental hand my dental humsa why Because I'm about making the dentist great, you know I think making the dent discreet encompasses everything in the practice that we need to know to look for

[00:23:31] In order for us to be a very very successful practice a very successful doctor like the dental humsa says You know like we learn we went through it before you know it's clear liners Rooking our therapy crannand bridge cosmetics

[00:23:46] surgical extraction and bone grafting and implant placement to me That's a procedure hand that is a An oddmentarium of procedures that is dentist if you can master those you are what we call a super generalists

[00:24:04] But I believe there's more to it. We just touched on comprehensive treatment planning Right financial understanding we are going to dive into these things But not by me alone because we talked about doctor vbeta

[00:24:20] Practice efficiency financial sustainability work like balance and a great exit so what I want to do is This is a learning center for dentists that want to be great. What is great? Go from 253 350 in hour to 1213 1400 now or production Think about that

[00:24:46] Every day you walk in you're producing between 152 thousand dollars You're producing between 12 and 15 sometimes 20 thousand because you can do all these procedures What we're going to do after our short pull is a few weeks is we're gonna line up some of the best to the best

[00:25:04] Clear liners I want I don't want somebody who does clear liners I want somebody who invented and understands the concept but also understands the meaning of bringing clear Aligners into our practices and how much that grows up perio Occasmetics a crown of bridge and dare I say implants

[00:25:23] Clear liners moving teeth Subsequently as I always say dentistry begets dentistry Rooking al therapy Sending who can else out and I'm talking pre-molors anterior is an even mullers is a crime It's a crown without a lab bill

[00:25:43] We must have the understanding of why we bring it into the office Why we want to be proficient in the different calibers of percentages that will mean to our growing business Crown and bridge cosmetics And I don't want to

[00:25:59] I've been I've been contacted by one of the best cosmetic guys in the country Because Mark I want to just get on your wagon boy He goes man I want to be with you. I want to educate your listeners and I want him to

[00:26:13] Because it pearls that he'll bring to a cosmetic case is unbounding Surgeical extractions and bone grafting think about that emergency that walked in and needs two mullers extracted And you're just saying

[00:26:27] But if you were trained if you knew what it meant if you hadn't understanding of the next step with a graft That's not only a 1500 to you know could be 1500 dollars a revenue It's also leading to the next

[00:26:45] The implant placement fast is growing procedure in dentistry by a lot these are the things we want to Expound on so when we start up next time We're gonna bring Pillars of our industry to explain why doing this in your practice. I'm not just saying

[00:27:03] Bring in a specialist no I'm saying within us when you have young docs that are what you know are begging for education They want to be this cancer they want to incorporate great dentistry

[00:27:18] They don't want our patients going cross town up down through town across the whole not control we could do it

[00:27:24] And we could do it as well and as proficient as others somebody said to me why would I go to a doctor like you or is if I go to a specialist Great question If you're a specialist patient you're gonna want to go to a specialist

[00:27:37] But if the patient and the doctor meet and the doctor gives perceived value Trust me that patient will commit to dentistry in your practice with you And I'm not saying we as doctor should do every single thing There is a need for difficult cases tortures tortures roots

[00:27:59] Calcified roots but straight up molars Three four canals I don't think that should be a problem today And we're gonna go into it and know why We're then gonna deal with the bottom of the hand. We're gonna deal with financial understanding

[00:28:14] I want to bring in some real great Operators not dentists Dental practice operations people and understand their numbers and what do they look for and how do they grow their practices How do they look at what what percentage should be what and how to work on it?

[00:28:32] Let's pick the brains of the great ones who my experience. I'm gonna bring you those And my goal is to educate you to develop an unbelievable efficient practice Unreal financial sustainability at the hourly rate and the quality

[00:28:49] We're not redoing dentistry. We're just keep growing and that's the goal Redo's kill Remakes are not acceptable we all have a percentage somebody breaks it some miss But at this point when you grow and you learn You should have a tremendous work life balance

[00:29:10] You should have a tremendous work life balance you would love to come to work because you're doing the things you love And you love to go home do whatever you want to do because you know tomorrow

[00:29:21] The way you have it situated we're gonna go out of the game. It's no longer what I call the crap shoe What's today like uh three cancellations two new patients make sure that's the crap

[00:29:33] What is it look today? Oh, you got two crowns in the morning and implant you got a rooking out midday emergency coming in You know Mary Smith lost such a broke a tooth you got two implants in the afternoon

[00:29:44] You got a big case that you're in sorry what a day that's every day That's 15 grand every day So those are the things because as we grow And we get older all we get it the inch we have a great exit I call it a fantastic exit

[00:30:03] So we're gonna dive into these things in a few weeks We're gonna have it lined up. It's gonna be great. I'm the guy who wants to train you the dentist and you the team

[00:30:12] To become great to become the best practice you could be by the liberating the best dentistry Giving the most perceived value and committing over nine at a ten patients in your treatment plan Committed to your practice This is what we're gonna do

[00:30:31] This is how it's all tied in the one thing I do love about dentistry and I say it a lot is it's just an organism You have the front you have the middle and you have the back

[00:30:42] We have the front which is booking and getting those patients committed We have the middle which is the billing and understanding the runnings of the office and we have the back And the back is all the treatment the staff the team that works well together like a machine

[00:30:57] Of course the hygiene is absolutely paramount That's what we're gonna get into on our next stand Stance of dentistry beyond the numbers. I'm always available to chat I get a lot of requests these days. It's kind of exciting to talk and and speak about things and

[00:31:13] Really give some questions like how you address today I think it's a very important aspect and not misunderstood But to really understand we have the ability to stop standing over our patients and make our patients feel like they're part of the family It takes a minute

[00:31:30] longer give that patient that perceive value But you keep that patient forever Once they commit it that's what I have for you today I think it's pretty darn good stuff that we have to embark on. It's Really the guts of dentistry

[00:31:48] So I really hope you join me in the next phase of dentistry beyond the numbers We're gonna rip apart the hamsa We're gonna understand our value and we're gonna so like eagles in our practices

[00:32:00] Thank you so much. This is Dr. Mark Leigtown. This is dentistry beyond the numbers. I'm a new granddad I'm excited but more important for now. I will see you next time well rested Excited ready to go on dentistry beyond the numbers