Orthotown December 2017 - 7

embrace progress

Treating Transfer Patients
with Respect Earns Rewards
by Dan Grob, DDS, MS, editorial director, Orthotown magazine

M
If you feel like it's
tough to take on
a transfer patient,
put yourself in the
patient's position!

8

DECEMBER 2017 // orthotown.com

Many years ago, back in the golden
age, orthodontists enjoyed a legalized
monopoly. (Some say we still do.) All you
needed was a state-mandated education to
get a state-issued license and practice in an
area with a relative shortage of providers.
But, with Smile Direct Club and other
disruptors getting in our faces-and, more
importantly, our wallets-life is not so
simple anymore.
At one point, we enjoyed the respect of
most everyone. Our profession was easily in
the top 10 earning and regarded vocations
in countless polls published in national
magazines. All the parents of children
who played sports and danced with mine
wanted their kids to become orthodontists.
(I know it was only because I showed up
on time for practice and was rarely called
away because of a beeper going off during
an event or big game.) How did we get to
that vaunted position?
I'll be the first to admit that one of the
first hires an orthodontic practice makes-or
if it doesn't, it should be-is in sales and
marketing. Just like a Supreme Court justice
(the most celebrated profession when I was
in middle school), being recognized as a
respected professional requires a certain
type of behavior.
What behavior allowed for a profession
or trade to become respected or placed above
others? Integrity comes to mind-integrity
being defined as the quality of being honest
and having strong moral principles; moral
uprightness.
Are we practicing like this today? Just

as I railed against being a product pusher
rather than a principled provider in a
previous column, certain things come to
mind, like second opinions and transfer
patients, that can strengthen our position
in our communities and in the eyes of our
patients.
Look at orthodontists' websites, including
my own, and you'll see that the view of
transfer and second-opinion patients has
changed. After all, we are in the business
of treating patients. I cast a big net for all
patients and have a small referral base that
reaches across virtually all income and
educational levels. I don't wish to steal or
poach from others, but I truly enjoy fi xing
as many crooked teeth as possible for the
challenge and mental and financial reward.
So, how can we adjust to the new normal
of welcoming transfer cases and second
opinions? How do we avoid saying things
that may stir the pot or, worse yet, lead to
litigation or complaints?
Some concerns include:
* Big down payments required for
transfer patients to continue care.
* Patients saying the wrong braces were
applied by the previous orthodontist.
* Poor bracket placement by the
previous doctor.
* The wrong treatment plan
was adopted.
* Time estimate is way off.
Fortunately, typical patients don't care
or want to know about most of those
issues. What they want is to be respected,
managed well, treated fairly and move on
http://www.orthotown.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown December 2017
