Lie #9: Is reception really an entry-level job?
They spend thousands a month trying to make the phone ring. Then they hand the phone to the least trained person in the office. Interesting strategy.
Lie #8: Associate doctors should see your new patients
The associate has openings. The owner is booked solid. Somebody has to see the new patients, so why not the associate? Because that's a business decision, not a scheduling decision.
Lie #7: Hygiene isn't profitable
That isn't just a cleaning appointment. That's a sales opportunity. Roughly sixty percent of the charts in most practices contain outstanding treatment, already diagnosed, waiting for someone to help the patient understand why they need it.
Lie #6: Umbrella Plans Have Better Fee Schedules
Months later you're holding an EOB from a carrier you've barely heard of, wondering when you agreed to this. The day you signed the contract. You just didn't know that's what you were signing.
Lie #5: To be Successful you Have to be In-Network
In all my years working with dental practices, I have never seen one fail because it went out of network. Not once. Here's what actually happens.
Lie #4: Lower Fees Attract More Patients
If price won, every restaurant would be a drive-through. Patients aren't looking for the cheapest. They're looking for value.
Lie #3: Insurance Companies Have All the Power
They don't. They just know the rules better than you do. Nobody has time to chase a thirty-seven dollar underpayment, and that's exactly what they're counting on.
Lie #2: I Need a Preauthorization
It doesn't authorize treatment and says right on the form that it isn't a guarantee of payment. What it does reliably is add two weeks to your case acceptance.
Lie #1: I Have Dental “Insurance”
One of the biggest communication problems in dentistry starts with five innocent words. “I have dental insurance.” Every dental office hears it every day. The patient isn’t trying to create a problem. They’re simply repeating something they’ve believed for years. The problem is that we’ve all been repeating it too.