Dentaltown December 2017 - 77

should anticipate that he or she has sought, and wants, the deal. In addition, this patient is
aware that there may be a "catch"-expect a giant eye roll when you tell this patient that a $50
Groupon for an FMX, comp exam and "free cleaning" doesn't cover the four quads of scaling
and root planing needed, and that Susan will be back shortly to go over the out-of-pocket
fees for this treatment that, once Googled (see previous section,) yields many sources saying
SRPs are a ploy to get money from patients.
Disclaimer: Some patients truly want just their free cleaning and that's it. Others, however,
have sought out your office because they don't have a "dental home," and they'll respond to
your office manager if she, in some way, honors the fiscal responsibility of your periodontally
involved millennial.
Let's assume your practically periodontal patient in every way truly understands their need
for SRPs-his girlfriend complains about his perio breath, the tissues bleed just by looking
at them, and he has those perfect radiographic triangles of calculus.
Most millennials will respond in one of three ways:
1. They get the treatment completed but might need several monthly payments broken
up over an extended period. These are patients who will likely become tenured patients
of your practice (and a great referral source).
2. They seek an office that provides the same service but will offer
a deeper discount.
3. They demand that they receive their prophylaxis.
At this point, it's important to understand what your office's
bottom line is: In the latter two scenarios, these patients are not
only dictating their treatment but also may expect severe discounts
for all future work (and this is assuming they remain patients of
the practice). In my experience, these patients can often become
professional liabilities, and may not be the investment that you and
your doctor had in mind when bringing new patients on board.
As my doctor and I discussed these details and finished our
coffee, the next patient had arrived. This patient-coincidentally, a
millennial-warned that he hadn't had his teeth cleaned in more than
a decade, had a history of poor dental care and, most importantly, he
wasn't interested in paying anything out of pocket for procedures. By
the end of his appointment, I had completed a half-mouth scaling
and root planing that day, and he presented recently for Invisalign
impressions.
How did we do it? Through thorough assessments, an invested
interest in the patient, co-discovery techniques and the use of intraoral
photographs and transillumination techniques, the doctor and I were
able to deliver a comprehensive treatment plan involving complex
care to a patient who was ready to follow through with his treatment
recommendations.
Millennials can be a mystery, but with the proper attention to the
details presented in this article and an open-arms approach to this
particular type of patient's wants and needs, your office can achieve
the same level of success with patient acceptance. ■
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dentaltown.com \\ DECEMBER 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown December 2017