Re: Tooth-Implant Borne RPD

Tips to Increase Case Acceptance
–by Paul Homoly, DDS, CSP
During the examination and presentation process, patients are far more able to judge compatibility issues than your technical abilities. While you’re doing your exam, patients are doing theirs—do they like you, are you interesting, do they “click” with you? This is especially relevant in a complex care high-fee cases like Dr. Abbo’s. If you and your complex care patients don’t “click,” your treatment plans become price sensitive and subject to second opinions.

Here are 2 steps to “clicking” with complex care patients.

Step 1. Discover the chief disability.

The chief disability is how the dental condition aggravates the patient. In this case Dr. Abbo reports that his patient’s chief disability is “discomfort due to the lack of chewing efficiency and a desire to improve his appearance.” My suggestion is to get curious and more specific about the chief disability. Here’s a statement to help discover specific chief disability: “Mr. Chambers, tell me about a time when your partial denture really bothered you the most.”

He might answer, “I was really embarrassed by my teeth when I was having a business lunch with my boss. I had to get up in the middle of the meal to rinse my mouth. I also think that these things look terrible and that doesn’t help me in my job.”

Discovering a specific chief disability now enables you to offer a specific chief benefit.

Step 2. Make it obvious to patients that you understand the chief benefit that they’re looking for.

The chief benefit is always the opposite of the chief disability. In Mr. Chambers’ case the chief benefit he’s looking for is more confidence in business situations. This now becomes his motive for accepting your recommendations. For example, in recommending a complete examination: “Mr. Chambers, I would like to do a thorough exam. This way I can better understand your situation and help you regain your confidence in business meals and other important situations.”

Speaking to complex care patients in terms of their chief benefits yields specific value and relevance to your recommendations. In absence of knowing the chief benefit, we are reduced to talking about technical processes.
If you were Mr. Chambers, which of the following statements would have a stronger influence on your decisions?

Technical process statement: “Mr. Chambers, I recommend that we use 2 dental implants in the posterior part of your mandible, provide full coverage crowns on your remaining front teeth, and replace your missing teeth with a removable partial denture.”

Chief benefit statement: “Mr. Chambers, I understand you’re especially aggravated in business situations by your teeth. I recommend that we restore your remaining teeth back to their original shape and size with an enamel-like material. Then we’ll stabilize a partial denture for you with man-made tooth roots so you don’t have to worry about your teeth during business meals and conversations.”

Learning how to speak in terms of chief benefits for dentists and team members can be like learning a new language.