Dos and don'ts for patient service: Become the trusted home care resource

Your established patients already rely on you as their oral healthcare expert. They turn to you for treatment; to your hygienist for preventive care, screenings and cleanings; and to both of you for advice about keeping their teeth and gums healthy. So it makes perfect sense for your practice to complete the service spectrum by also offering recommended oral care products for patients to use at home. Think of this not as a way to generate more revenue but as a professional service available only to your patients and their families.

Be selective about what products you recommend and offer. Set high professional standards when deciding what products to endorse. Explain why you recommend them technically, yet in easy-to-understand terms. And always give instructions so patients can achieve the best possible results.

Don't approach this strictly as a money-making activity. Dispensing homecare products can certainly contribute to your practice's bottom line, but it may benefit you more long term if you think of it instead as a service for your patients. You'll probably be able to get products at a discounted, "wholesale" price. Pass along all or most of the savings to your patients (letting them know you're doing so!) and it will pay off in long-term patient loyalty.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the founder and CEO of Levin Group, the leading dental practice consulting firm in North America. For the complete list of dates and locations where you can attend his latest seminar, visit www.levingroup.com/gpseminars.

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