Perio Blog

Keepin’ It All in Perspective

2010-08-09T16:06:00.001-04:00

Just finished reviewing the preliminary data for the 2010 Dental Economics / Levin Group Annual Practice Survey (which will be published in November DE) and one thing is very clear—dentistry as a profession is in really good shape.

Practice production and doctor income remained about the same as in 2009. “How is that good?” you might ask.

In spite of one of the worst economic crises ever, practices on average managed to stay the course. While it might not be time for marching bands and fireworks, I’m seeing the data as a very positive sign, especially when you consider how many other industries have been slumping for the last 12 months.

To move forward, you need both the right attitude and the right actions. The right attitude starts with keeping things in perspective. When you do that, you’re in the best position to seize opportunities to grow your practice.

The Solution For Perio Growth

2010-07-21T13:50:00.002-04:00

It’s true. On the subject of what grows perio practices, my answer never changes—it’s systems, systems, systems!

Sure, systems may not seem exciting but what they accomplish for your practice is! Systems can maximize production and profitability while decreasing overhead and stress. In short, they make all the difference.

Levin Group perio clients had an amazing year in 2009 and are off to another great year in 2010. In fact, their results aren’t typical in the profession. Need proof? Have a look at what doctors are saying about their production in ADA quarterly surveys for the last 16 months. Most reported declines in production.

How do Levin Group perio clients do it? I think you know the answer—systems. Systems that deal with issues such as getting more hygiene and implant referrals from GPs, educating restorative doctors, correcting scheduling problems, eliminating last-minute cancellations, reducing overdue payments, increasing collections and, of course, properly implementing patient financing.

Is there one magic bullet or pearl that makes all the difference? I would say, “no.” But revamping your systems is by far your best chance to increase production—period!

Learn more about systems....

“I only need input from my advisors when my practice is in trouble.”*

2010-06-03T09:48:00.002-04:00

On the contrary, the most successful practices routinely seek help from advisors. Some periodontists are very well-off and simply want to take their practice to the next level. Others are perfectly satisfied with their production and want to concentrate on improving the quality of their lives.

Many periodontists also wish to work on financial management or need help with practice transitions. There are many needs that doctors have during the lifetime of their practices. In each phase of a periodontist’s life, a qualified consulting firm can provide valuable assistance.

Going it alone is dangerous—and unnecessary.

*Excerpted from the audio CD, 81 Obstacles To Practice Growth And How To Overcome Them.

Consulting—It’s More Than a Job to Us!

2010-05-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

Every day when I go to the office, I get excited… I mean really pumped up about helping periodontists grow their practices. Despite a tough economic environment out there, our clients are growing and it’s a great feeling to know Levin Group has helped them to do it!

When a consultant rushes into my office to relate how one of his or her clients just had the best month they’ve had since they opened their practice… well, I’ll tell you, it’s hard to put into words what a great feeling it is for us.

Part of what keeps us excited are the continuous improvements and enhancements we make to our consulting programs. For example, our Practice Production Generators™. These powerful tools have been designed to give clients the best and most productive consulting experience possible. They are part of our unending commitment to you!

If you want to know more about Practice Production Generators™, give us a call at 888-973-0000. We’d love to tell you all about them!

Predictions for Implant Dentistry

2010-04-05T08:55:00.001-04:00

Implants are poised for robust growth in the coming years. In fact, this is what I see happening in the next decade:

A bigger patient pool. As the US population (including baby boomers) continues to age, more and more people will choose implants over dentures and other traditional treatments.
More GPs adding implant services. An increasing number of general dentists will participate in implant dentistry. General dentists will become more educated about dental implants and begin to see them as more routine procedures. Routine does not mean performing 3 or 4 cases a year, but perhaps 30 or 40.
More referrals to specialists. More GPs will refer patients to specialists for implant treatment due to increased patient volume and a better understanding the treatment.
More patients excited about implants. Referring doctors will do a better job of educating and motivating referred patients. Better educated patients means more patients asking for implants and accepting treatment.
A brighter future. Both the surgical practice and restorative practice will have a better understanding of the expectations of the case allowing each to provide more efficient, effective and improved care for both practices and the patient.

As the economy improves, more patients will be looking for solutions to their edentulism. Position your implant practice for long-term success by updating your systems and building strong relationships with referring doctors.

Something Has Changed!

2010-03-26T15:22:00.000-04:00

In 25 years of lecturing, I have never witnessed the level of excitement that my newest seminars are generating.

Periodontists are craving new models and ideas to help their practices grow despite the current economy. The philosophy of my newest seminar, Increase Production By Increasing Referrals, is this… what you did before is simply not good enough. Just imagine having 90% of all parents accepting recommended treatment, growing your referrals like never before and a host of other radically improved Key Practice Expanders™.

I think the reason this has been so exciting for periodontists is that they are finally ready to reach for their practice potential and not simply “get through” this year. This thinking will create a situation where more and more periodontists can improve the quality of their lives, save more for their long-term retirement and lower their stress along the way. My suggestion—join me on May 21-22 in Chicago and Increase Production By Increasing Referrals!

Get Paid For What You Do

2010-02-15T16:34:00.001-05:00

Money is tight for just about everyone. Companies are dropping their dental insurance or reducing the coverage they provide. Many patients are struggling to keep up in this tight economy.

In this environment, collections can turn into a real challenge for some perio practices… if they let things get out of control. Don’t let that happen to your practice.

Always build value for the services and care you provide. Reinforce your collections policies to patients. Most patients will pay on time when guided to do so.

When special circumstances will occur sometimes, be flexible and work with patients. That doesn’t mean letting payment go uncollected, however. The ultimate goal should always be to collect payment for the services provided.

For more on collections, view this 2-Minute Seminar.

A Ringing Endorsement of Implants in the News

2010-01-04T13:44:00.000-05:00

Recently, there was a great article in the New York Times regarding the efficacy of implants. It was one of the best endorsements of implants in a non-dental publication that I have ever seen. Entitled “A Dental Shift: Implants Instead of Bridges,” this article depicts implants as the new standard of care for missing teeth, which should be the attitude of every implant doctor as well.

The author pretty much runs down the entire list of implant benefits we wish every patient would understand—implants don’t decay, they don’t need to be replaced, adjacent healthy teeth don’t require crowns to support them, etc. It even makes a point that many implant doctors don’t stress often enough—in the long run, implants are more economical than bridges.

I highly recommend not only reading this article but also printing it out and making it readily available for patients to read in your office. However, don’t stop there! Think about sending an email about it (with a link, of course) to your referring doctors.

In addition to your case presentation, this is an excellent way to reinforce to patients the many benefits of implants.

An Incredible Weekend in Orlando

2009-11-29T11:56:00.003-05:00

I had the honor of teaching more than 60 doctors and their spouses at the First Annual Life Plan Summit earlier this month in beautiful Orlando. Life Plan is about turning professional success into lifelong personal success.

The energy and the passion that Life Plan participants brought to the seminars and workshops was just amazing. Seeing so many committed professionals focused on unleashing their true potential is what Life Plan is all about.

“Life Plan was great. It provides clarity beyond the office,” said one participant.

The Life Plan Summit was open to doctors who attended a previous Life Plan course. The next course will be offered June 25–26 in Chicago followed by the 2nd Annual Life Plan Summit, November 5–6, in Las Vegas. For more information, send an e-mail to customerservice@levingroup.com with “Life Plan” in the subject line.

Need Patients? Referral Marketing is the Answer!

2009-10-22T16:16:00.001-04:00

I was talking to a leading periodontist last week. We were looking at the history of the decline of periodontics. It began in the 1980’s when general dentists started doing their own initial therapy and referrals began to decline.

Thankfully, implants emerged. They became the growth factor for many periodontal practices. That is until the current recession… when implants experienced declines.

What can periodontists do to start growing their practices? Educate GPs about the value and benefits of working with a skilled periodontist. You can easily do this through an effective referral marketing program.

Referral marketing means helping general dentists understand when and why to refer, adding new referral sources and stimulating growth—these all will help periodontists grow their practices now and in the future.

Accountability and Leadership

2009-09-30T14:08:00.000-04:00

I was recently talking to one of our new periodontal clients who was having trouble getting his team to perform their required duties. After a series of questions, it became evident that the periodontist wasn’t leading effectively as he might. This created a lack of accountability throughout the office.

One solution is to have clear job descriptions that list responsibilities and accountabilities. It is also necessary to have daily checklists for each position in the practice. Bear in mind that there are also monthly, quarterly and annual checklists that must be developed as well.

The best businesses have the clearest understanding of measureable accountability for each team member. In a world where individuals join perio practices with less training than ever before, accountability is increasingly essential.

Once this client instituted job descriptions and trained his team on their duties, his staff began performing at a far higher level.

Summer Vacation

2009-08-20T15:03:00.008-04:00

“Summer is here, and the time is right for dancin’ in the streets.”
– Martha and the Vandellas

I’m not sure about the dancing, but summer is the time for vacation. I urge you take one. You deserve it. It’s been a tough year so far for many periodontal practices, so it’s time to take off a week or two and recharge your batteries for the rest of the year.

I’ve known doctors who either don’t take a vacation or who take off but stay at home and work around the house for two weeks. My advice—Get away!

Even if it’s for a long weekend… see different sights… do different things… eat at different restaurants… just get away from it all for a few days or longer.

Remember, you have a well-trained staff who will be handle things while you are gone.

When you come back, you’ll feel refreshed and ready for the second half of 2009.

Referrals, The Key to Perio Recovery

2009-07-15T14:53:00.002-04:00

I got a call from a periodontist yesterday lamenting that he was down by 17 percent. In talking to him, I learned that he hadn’t done anything to grow his practice. His only approach was hoping and waiting for the economy to improve.

The reality is that periodontists must take action. The economy has plummeted, and nobody knows exactly when it will recover. Waiting it out is not an option. In fact, many periodontal practices are doing extremely well. These doctors discovered how to break old habits and embrace new systems—especially in the area of referral marketing.

I suggest that every periodontist have a referral marketing system in place with a minimum of 15 marketing strategies for attracting new referring dentists and maintaining current doctors. Have you addressed your referral marketing program with a minimum of 15 strategies? Have you developed a scientific referral marketing program for general dentists?

Part of Levin Group’s Science of Referral Marketing™ system is to show periodontists how to create consistent, powerful and profitable referral relationships, with multiple referral sources.

By attending my seminar, Triple Your Referrals, in Las Vegas, Sept 16 – 17, 2009, you will discover the necessary strategies to achieve the referral growth your perio practice needs. Click here to learn more.

Rethink Customer Service

2009-06-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

I have noticed in dealing with all different dental specialties over the years that GPs have a tendency to pay more attention to customer service than specialists do. That’s not a good course of action!

Why do GPs concentrate so much on customer service? They are trying to preserve what they hope will be a relationship that lasts for many years. It can be tempting for periodontists to under-emphasize customer service based on a presumption that once a patient leaves, that person may not be back.

Here’s why you should be as concerned about customer service as your GPs... Suppose a patient, Mrs. Jones, does not have a good experience in your practice. She returns to her GP, Dr. Smith, and subsequently complains about you. Dr. Smith is embarrassed and worried that Mrs. Jones has lost trust in his practice for sending her to a periodontist’s office for an experience that didn’t turn out well. Dr. Smith could very well begin steering referrals elsewhere.

Remember that superior customer service—Stage III Customer Service™—is vital to your practice growth!

What’s The Best At-Home Implant Care?

2009-05-26T15:00:00.002-04:00

Implants are an investment in your patients’ well-being. Treatment is the first step, and caring for implants is the second step. Protecting that investment is a priority for your patients.

A recent study proves that implant patients using a Waterpik with the Irrigation Pik Pocket® tip is 350% more effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis, and 87% more effective at reducing gingival bleeding than chlorhexidine rinse.

Help your patients protect their new implants and gums by recommending the best home-care products available. Waterpik is an effective and outstanding option for your patients to maintain optimal oral health following implant surgery.

To review the Waterpik study, click here.

Grow Your Periodontal Practice

2009-04-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

You’ve heard the rumors and whisperings out there… periodontics is on the way out… it’s a dying specialty… the glory days are over for periodontics.

I’ve got three words for you—Don’t believe it!

Of course, practice success is not as easy as it was in the past. But what is? Yet, with the right service mix and a strong referral marketing program, perio practices can grow in this economy… and grow significantly!

Implants are poised for explosive growth in the coming years. As baby boomers get older, more and more will experience some form of edentulism. Boomers will opt for implants in far greater numbers than previous generations. Strengthen relationships with your referring doctors and watch referrals for implants and other services continue to grow.

Don’t listen to the naysayers! The potential is there for much greater success. You’ve just got to find a way to unleash that potential. Come to my upcoming seminar and I’ll show you how to do just that!

Get Out of Jail Free with Implants

2009-03-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

Last week I spoke with one of Levin Group’s top periodontal clients—a doctor who produces $1.9 million per year working four days a week. I bet you’re thinking that’s an outrageous figure, but here’s why it’s not…

The topic was implants, which greatly contribute to his annual net revenue.

He said to me “if you took implants out of periodontics, I think that 60 percent or more of periodontists would be bankrupt within six months.”

I responded in agreement. I certainly have felt for some time that implant dentistry is a key factor in the future of periodontics. In fact, I believe that implants are going to be what “bails” periodontists out of “economic jail.”

Over the past 20 years, periodontists have seen a significant decrease in referrals for periodontal treatment, and that loss of referrals continues today. More GPs are reducing their referrals to make up for their own lost production in the current economy. And it’s a trend that won’t end anytime soon.

Implants are by far the best solution for edentulous patients. My advice to any periodontist is to build an implant practice now so that you are not left out in the future!

Periodontist… And Loving Every Minute of it

2009-02-26T14:30:00.002-05:00

One of our periodontal clients drinks from a mug that says “Periodontist and Loving Every Minute of it!” Little does he realize that this mug has a lot to do with his practice’s survival in today’s economy. You see, it’s not the mug itself… but the message!

Times are indeed tough, but a positive attitude can help a practice push through those tough times. Those who love what they do and remind themselves that they love their careers, even when times are challenging, have more motivation to set and reach goals. Setting goals within your practice, with your team, is vital to positive growth.

Of course, being positive doesn’t magically make your problems go away, but having a positive attitude will help you solve problems and meet challenges in today’s economy.

I’ll be speaking more about rising above today’s economic challenges at my upcoming Economic Recovery Summit in San Antonio on March 27. This summit is a one-time-only event, and will not be offered again. Also, for $99, you can bring your entire team!

Don’t miss this urgent opportunity. Click here for more information.

Where Does Perio Stand Today?

2009-02-16T17:00:00.000-05:00

I was speaking to one of the leading periodontists last week, and we were discussing the future of periodontics. The bad news is obvious—the number of referrals for periodontal cases is down. This number has declined since the 1980s when many GPs provided initial therapy without re-diagnosing or referring cases that still needed additional treatment. Today, more than ever before, GPs are holding off on referring and instead keeping these patients in-house.

So far, implants have kept periodontics afloat. They compensate for the lack of periodontal diagnosis and treatments. But, soon most specialties in dentistry will have some involvement in dental implants, which will continue to challenge periodontists.

So what is the future of periodontics? It all starts with where you are today. If you have a pure periodontal practice, you need to initiate a referral marketing program immediately. We still see practices that are very strong in periodontal treatment. In fact, the client I was talking to provides more than $2 million a year in pure periodontal treatment himself.

The reality is that when the economy gets tough and competition increases, you must accelerate your referral marketing by instituting a proper referral marketing program.

Systems Make All the Difference

2009-01-15T15:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 24 years, Levin Group has improved the lives of thousands of periodontists. And the #1 factor in creating greater practice success is, without a doubt, systems.

Nothing else comes close to the power of systems. Documented, step-by-step systems allow periodontists to master the marketing and management of their practices. It’s really that simple.

Today, our clients count on Levin Group systems such as Power Cell Scheduling™, Greenlight Case Presentation™, The Hygiene Maximizer™, Stage III Customer Service™, The Immediate Collection Process™ and a host of others to gain complete control of their practices while seeing consistent, significant growth.

Your most valuable investment is your practice. Documented systems can help you ensure your maximizing the value of your investment while securing a more lucrative and brighter future!

What Do Periodontists and Astronauts Have in Common?

2008-12-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

What do periodontists and astronauts have in common? Surprisingly, a lot. You see, it occurred to me while watching one of my favorite films, Apollo 13, that astronauts and periodontists dentists are quite similar.

In the movie, there are three strategies Tom Hanks uses to prepare his team for launch:

1) He and his team consistently practiced the procedures that would ensure a successful launch
2) He had his most valuable tools right at his fingertips
3) He stayed in constant communication with his team

The outcome? The astronauts were cleared for launch because they executed these vital methods each day, consistently.

Just like astronauts, you as a periodontist must implement procedures and strategies to ensure your practice’s successful growth. I call this process “frontloading”—the consistent execution of methods and strategies that position your practice for success.

Some of the 15-20 ways to frontload your practice are to:

Institute a patient referral program
Let every patient know about implant dentistry
Work closely with referral sources to increase referrals
Contact inactive patients and reschedule them
Establish flexible payment options for patients
Follow-up through post-ops with patients who have lost one or more teeth
Effectively communicate with your entire team about practice goals

I talk a lot about frontloading in my seminars… click on the link below to attend one in 2009!

http://www.levingroupperio.com/perio_seminars.html

It's the Economy, Stupid

2008-11-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

Some of you may remember when Bill Clinton was running for President he ran on the platform of, “it’s the economy, stupid.” In that case he meant that the election would be won or lost based on the economy.

Today it is not the same old “it’s the economy, stupid.” The economy is decimating portfolios and stifling practice production. Periodontists who get up every morning thinking about the economy get up to play defense. All of their decisions are filtered through defensive decisions that typically lead to paralysis. Why focus on the things you can’t control? Instead, direct your energy where it can have the greatest impact—and that’s your practice!

Here is a powerful solution: do not participate in economic defense. Instead, you should begin every day by saying, “I am not playing defense against the economy today.” I know this sounds illogical, but in fact, it is a very logical tool to assist you in pushing your practice forward.

If you follow football, you know that you cannot come back from a 30 point deficit by playing really good defense. At some point you have to play offense, which is often your best defense.

Move your practice forward by making positive decisions. Otherwise you will find that you are paralyzed and ultimately paralysis leads to no decisions, which are the same as bad decisions.

Update Your Systems

2008-11-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

How do you build a successful periodontal practice? Your clinical skills, your team and your office are all key factors, but what connects all three? Your systems do. They act as the connective tissue that holds the practice together. Your practice is your greatest investment, and it is imperative to maximize that investment, especially in this down economy. The stronger your systems, the more successful your practice will be.

If you are using inefficient systems, it will be difficult to achieve your practice potential unless they are updated or redesigned. Practices that have outgrown their systems often experience high-stress, declining customer service and referring doctor issues – all of which can be rectified if the proper systems are put in place.

I recommend redesigning out-of-date systems in a step-by-step manner for maximum efficiency. Documented business systems allow you to bring new team members into the practice and train them quickly and effectively. Many periodontists find it challenging to update their systems on their own, due to the hectic pace of their practices. While system redesign will not happen overnight, it is worth the time and effort to see your practice achieve success.

Can You Grow Your Periodontal Practice in a Bad Economy? Yes!

2008-09-01T11:45:00.000-04:00

Think that providing excellent periodontal care and hiring nice people ensures total practice success? Guess again! Your success isn’t guaranteed—far from it! A healthy number of patients this month could easily decline by the end of the year. Many periodontists tell us they are down 5%, even 10% because of the economy.

In today’s difficult economy, you have to plan for practice growth. You can’t simply “coast” and hope it happens because those days are history!

To get your periodontal house in order, you need to look with a critical eye at your practice systems, including:

Referrals – GPs referrals are your lifeblood. However, are you devoting enough time to cultivating relationships with them? You better!
Collections – Bad times mean delayed payments, look out!
Overhead – If it’s high, it’s not good (in any economy).

Your periodontal practice has huge potential. You just need to tap into it. Levin Group has consulted to many periodontal practices that have grown exponentially in tough economic times. It can be done. In each case, we helped periodontists implement highly effective management and marketing systems that have translated into periodontal practices growing 25%, 30% or more!

Remember, you can grow your practice—no matter what happens in the economy!

The High-Performance Team

2008-07-12T13:05:00.000-04:00

Team building is critical to the long-term health of the periodontal practice. The periodontist — no matter how talented — cannot run the practice alone. To achieve a high-performance practice, periodontists need to build high-performance teams. The benefits of a strong team are numerous—less stress, increased productivity and greater profitability.

Levin Group has guided thousands of periodontists in helping create superior periodontal teams by implementing expert systems, training the team on those systems, and empowering staff members to fulfill their potential. Remember, training is an ongoing process — it should not stop once new staff members have passed their 90-day probationary period. Periodontics is constantly changing, and the best teams are able to adapt to those changes.

The Power of Goals

2008-06-08T13:15:00.000-04:00

Do you want to be more successful? Of course you do! To reach the highest levels of success, you need to set and achieve goals throughout the life of your periodontal practice.

Identify What Is Most Important

Write down the 20 or 30 things you would like to accomplish during your life. Even if the goals may seem frivolous or unreachable at the time, write them down anyway. Levin Group has worked with many periodontists who presented us with goals thought to be unreachable. Yet, only a year later, these periodontists had achieved the goals they set.

Move Forward

Once you have written down your goals, the next step is to classify them. Which of these are short-term goals, meaning you can achieve them within the next 12 months? Review your short-term goals daily. Doing so will not only keep your objectives clear but also allow you to stay motivated. Your long-term goals will usually take more than a year to accomplish. These goals should help define your Life Plan, both personally and professionally.

To achieve success, you should review your long-term goals on a weekly or monthly basis—keeping in mind that you will not achieve any of them overnight. It may be helpful to jot down notes about your progress toward each goal.

Every periodontist wants to be successful. Setting and achieving goals will get you there!