How I Grow My Practice With Whitening
By Robert Maher, DDS
Patients | Hygiene Check-ups | About Dr. Robert Maher
Like most dentists, I am not comfortable "selling" dentistry, so I worked out a way to present whitening in a way that I am comfortable with, and does not feel like "selling."
The first situation is that of the new patient. I have found that giving the new patient a "tour" of the office on their first visit is a great way to educate the patients. Most patients have no idea what our skill set is, or for that matter, what any dentist can do for them. How is a patient to know what you can do for them if you or your staff does not tell them?
What works for me is to have a staff member meet the patient at the door. Then take them around the office pointing out all of our technology and explaining its benefits. It also gives the staff a chance to brag about their doctor and tell the patient all about the doctor. We explain digital x-rays and their reduced radiation. We show them our hospital grade sterilization area. Patients are concerned about sterilization, so show them how you deal with it. We point out the Cerec machine and explain it. We show them all of our technology and explain how it benefits them. While showing the patient around the office, the staff member also introduces the patient to everyone. In one of our operatories in plain sight, is the light activated whitening lamp.
This is how we present whitening: As they get to the operatory that has the whitening lamp in it, the staff member says something like this: Pointing to the light she says: "That's the light that is used for the rapid whitening procedure that I'm sure you've heard about. Is whitening something you would be interested in?"
This is SO SIMPLE! "Is whitening something you would be interested in?" No pressure, no sales pitch, just a simple question that elicits a simple yes or no answer. If the answer is "yes," then she explains the two ways of whitening: rapid whitening vs. tray whitening.
The second situation is hygiene. We have shade guides that are arranged by value (brightness) rather than color groups in every operatory. The hygienist takes a shade on every patient every time. The hygienist shows the patient where their teeth are on the shade guide and then says: "Here's where your teeth are on this shade guide - it's very easy to get the shade somewhere over in this part of the shade guide; is that something you would be interested in?" Same question. Same result. If the patient has already whitened their teeth, we check to see if a touch-up is in order.
Using these methods we dramatically increased our whitening procedures over what we did previously. Additionally, as we all know, whitening opens the door to cosmetic dentistry so the more whitening you do, the more dentistry you will do.
Dr. Robert Maher is the innovator and founder of a unique clinical mentoring program (www.ClinicalMentoring.com) providing one-on-one clinical mentoring in the doctor/client's own office.
He is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, School of Dentistry, the esthetic continuum at Baylor College of Dentistry and the Advanced program at the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies. He went on to teach adhesive dentistry at the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, and was a founding faculty of the Pacific Esthetic Continuum (PAC~live).
He served seventeen years as member of the Contra Costa County Dental Society Peer Review committee, and three years as its chairman. He is a member of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the Academy of General Dentistry, the Academy of Forensic Dentistry, The Academy of Laser Dentistry as well as the ADA and CDA.
He has published several articles and lectures on esthetic dentistry, digital photography, peer review and high performance driving.
Currently, Dr Maher is on the faculty of the Northern California Institute of Cosmetic Dentistry. Dr. Maher is also on the faculty of the UCLA Esthetic Dental Residency program, the only program of its kind. He practices esthetic dentistry in Palm Desert, California.
