Dentaltown August 2017 - 14

professional courtesy
column

Special Relationships
(Love 'Em Before They Leave You)
An orthodontist colleague recently told me that there's
a trend within his specialty to focus more time, energy
and money on marketing directly to the public; the days
of catering to general dentists for referrals are ending.
I'm assuming that orthodontists don't believe their
marketing dollars were well-spent. Perhaps they think
patients will come anyway, because of proximity, or
maybe they just don't want to be judged by a dental
office based on how nice the latest gift basket looked
in the break room.
With the importance of social media and the
ubiquitous ratings and review sites, patients are
changing the ways they seek specialty care. Let's face
it-orthodontics is a specialty where patients are very
comfortable making their own diagnoses, like "my
teeth are crooked."
This conversation prompted a reflection on the
relationship between general dentists and their colleagues.
The nature of these relationships is influenced by different
factors, including geography, insurance participation and
specialty. Geography is the most obvious; patients are
reluctant to travel far unless there's a very good reason,
and if you happen to be the only specialist for miles,
patients will come to your office even if you're mediocre.
I'm fortunate to practice in a suburban area where the
specialists are near, and there are many to choose from.
Once I've assured the patient that a specialist is close
by, the question I hear is, "Are they on my insurance?"
Specialists and general dentists might initially
think about answering this question by saying, "It
doesn't matter whether the specialist
is on your insurance," but for most
patients, it does matter. Over the years,
I've convinced some patients to seek
care outside of their network, but
the majority reject this option for a
provider who's in-network. This can
be the burden of choice.

The specialty factors into it, too, based on how long
a relationship is expected to last. Sending a tyke to a
pediatric dentist is a referral relationship that might
last a dozen years or more; on the other hand, sending
someone to have a single extraction with local anesthesia
is often a question of convenience above all else.
So far I've discussed the general dentist and specialist
relationship in terms of a transaction, but I'd contend
that it needs to be much deeper than just sending
someone off to another office for treatment.
For the sake of their patients, general dentists should
be mindful of the inner workings of a specialist's office.
This will also help foster a long-term relationship. Have
you ever brought a gift basket or catered lunch to one
of your specialty colleagues? Do you discuss cases by
phone more than once a week?
I'm fortunate to have an associate dentist who owned
a practice in a small town for more than 30 years. He
understands the power of these relationships. Shortly
after he started working in my office, he reached out to
every specialist we worked with and scheduled a lunch or
a visit to their office. The specialists appreciated meeting
the newest member of our team, and our associate could
then talk with patients about the relationship he had
with that specialist when he referred them.
Every general dentist will work with many specialists
throughout his or her career, and it's important to view
them as a valuable resource and not as the people who
clean up your messes. Utilize their expertise, and if
you're a dentist who sends only patients with second
molars with curved canals to your endodontist, look for
an opportunity to brighten his day the next time you
come across a bicuspid that needs treatment.
I hope you'll use the remaining months of the year
to visit your specialist partners and tell them they are
appreciated. If you are a specialist, please send your notes
of appreciation to my email: tom@dentaltown.com or
appreciate me on Twitter: @ddsTom. ■

by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director, Dentaltown magazine

14

AUGUST 2017 // dentaltown.com
http://twitter.com/ddsTom http://www.dentaltown.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown August 2017
