Whenever I give a lecture with the Clinical Business of Dentistry Seminar, which is the introductory to our Clinical Business of Dentistry Training at My Practice My Business, I always ask a few questions to watch people squirm in their chairs.
Question 1: How many of you take intraoral photos on your patients to show or prove the need for treatment and charge for it like you would an x-ray?
Question 2: How many of you upgrade and charge for more expensive all porcelain crowns?
Question 3: How many of you take x-rays on cementations to make sure the crown is seated and the cement is gone, and charge for it?
I almost always get about 10-20% of the audience raising their hand in the positive to those questions. And then I ask the fourth and final question.
Question 4: What do those who charge for these services know about the clinical business of dentistry that the rest of you do not?
There are so many underutilized CDT Codes that offices do not charge for. Actually, most offices have no idea there are codes they should be charging for, and that insurance companies pay on. And why do dental practices continue to lose revenue through ignorance to codes they could and should be charging out? That question is for you to answer. Keep in mind, no business continues to give away services on a daily basis except for dentistry.
No business has the same price point when there is a differential in cost of goods, except dentistry.
Please, just read the CDT Code book from the ADA. Study it, and look for codes and services you are doing, but not charging out. That one discipline alone can mean thousands of dollars of increased revenue to your practice.
Rob Thorup, DDS
Clinical Director/Co-Founder
My Practice My Business