Super Bowl Dentistry with Dental Management

By Drs. Bill and Christina Blatchford Dental Management

Love football – college and NFL. No matter how great the players, there is always a surprise of some size.  We love the plays and nail biter finishes. Super Bowl was exciting, with both teams fiercely defended their turf, and pushed for more.

These professionals practice every play in every way. Yet, to win the game on the field, it takes a lot of moxie and intuition. Quarterbacks watch for possibilities on the field like substitutions and different lineups before making decisions. They may change a call at the last second if they perceive there is a possible opening. These are the audibles at the line of scrimmage. They make the game much more exciting and make a difference in the score.

In dentistry, we call audibles when we perceive an opening or possibility for a larger score. We call these Blatchford Audibles, as it is a real team effort. The quarterback may call them, or a team member might. A variety of situations may require an audible in a dental office. The bigger purpose is to serve our patients well with dental management.

You all have a daily goal for doctor production. In some offices, only the doctor knows his goal. We call this an invisible goal, which does not work as well as a known goal. If each team member knows the goal, we will meet that goal, even exceed it. Trust me – football teams know the goal.

If you reach your booking goal for the day, your perception might be “we are full.” However, if your team likes to play the game, they will love Blatchford Audibles.

If a hygiene patient has a broken cusp and the tooth next to it is in bad shape, and he has time today but is leaving on a trip for a month next week, can we find a way to change the game and take care of this patient immediately?

Your team knows their doctor is already a member of, “Audible United,” and is willing to make treatment happen. Most of the work of a successful audible is due to teamwork in preparing financial arrangements, room preparations, and communicating with the patient and team. We just need the doctor to do the licensed essentials and the team does the rest. We may choose to do two CAD/CAM crowns, requiring minimal doctor time.

Why would a team hustle to perform an audible?  If you have a strong structured bonus system in place, it is like a Super Bowl ring.  With an incentive in place, every player understands he or she is part of the team. They know the team shares 20% of the fee on additional treatment. This is a solid incentive to say, “Yes, we can do that today. We can be ready for you in half an hour.  Our team is ready to make this happen for busy you.  We can help you make financial arrangements for those two crowns now.”

At Blatchford dental management, we coach to a daily goal known by all. We encourage the team to call an audible and exceed the daily goal. It is very satisfying to help others in need and to increase the score.

When I was practicing in Corvallis, home of Oregon State, I loved oral surgery and wisdom teeth.  So often, students would wander in with all four wisdom teeth present and several hurting. Gradually, the team understood. No matter what, Bill was going to do those teeth today. You might as well take care of financial arrangements and prepare the room.  I remember a champion day of 22 wisdom teeth and only half were scheduled.

Watch for audibles in any football game. Even sportscasters are caught short sometimes. Can you see them and how they will impact the score?

You may become the Queen of Audibles in your office.  How would you and your team feel if you were able to add $2,000 a day to your daily goal?  Can you have too many touchdowns?  Can you be too successful?  Really?

Be an important part of a winning team.  Blatchford Coaching and dental management can help you increase your net. Have more time off with pay and return the joy to your practice. Call (888) 977-4600 or visit www.blatchford.com to be a part of Blatchford Solutions.