Thursday, January 22, 2015
Each New Year, I look back to the previous year and ponder what shaped our industry. What challenges did we face? What products altered our thinking or our approach to treatment? Are we doing better in our task to get the job done, to maximize our effectiveness at improving a patient’s experience while guarding their oral health? And most importantly, how will all that shape the year to come?
Considering all we have experienced, here are my predictions for what will become the defining trends that will irreversibly alter how we perceive patient care in 2015.
The Oral-Systemic Connection
While dentists have known that the mouth is connected to the rest of the body for years, it turns out the rest of the world has finally discovered this fact. Studies are popping up on the evening news, and The American Academy of Periodontics has pioneered the way in showing correlation between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease among other conditions. We now see early diagnosis of everything from acid reflux, to diabetes based on oral conditions. And with all of this available knowledge, dental professionals can no longer ignore the crucial role we play in our patients’ overall health. Saying “It’s just a cleaning” is no longer good enough. This year will show a proliferation in awareness of this connection, especially on the side of our patients, and this new knowledge will drastically change their expectations of their dental care team. We will see not only a more focused approach to preventive care, but an improved team relationship between the dental office, and a patients’ physician.
Technology as a Category
Speaking of no longer being able to ignore a trend, this year we will see a new definition of the standard of care in what we do. Technology is not just a fad to be used as a marketing tool for your practice. It is an essential element to providing your patients with the highest quality in care. Digital x-rays mean less radiation for patients and staff with better resolution than film for enhanced diagnostics. Cone beam sees what you cannot see in 2D for improved diagnostics and treatment planning, and it’s an important tool for far more than just implants. But when it comes to implants, saying “Well that’s where I had bone.” will no longer be acceptable justification when placing implants. Guided surgery is so readily available and this means implants can be placed to provide both optimal function and esthetics. And on the practice management side, electronic claims and statements will be essential to guarding the bottom line of your business. None of these technologies is new. In fact they are all established and proven. If you’re not already using these technologies, you should start finding the ones that fit your practice right away.
Our Kids, Our Future
This coming year, we will also see a change in how our kids perceive dentistry, and as parents how we will expect better care for our children. Schools are adopting “No Sugar” policies, and we have more caries prevention products than ever. On the clinical side, we are seeing a rash of over-treatment, over-diagnosis, and overuse of anesthesia. This year we will see a higher adoption of available options that negate the risk of sedation as parents demand more for their kids. For example, the Solea CO2 hard/soft laser from Convergent Dental enables us to do cavity preparations without the need for local anesthesia or a handpiece, much less Ketamine to calm the child down. Tongue tied newborns failing to thrive due to difficulty with nursing can have bloodless lingual frenectomies with no anesthesia as well. Clinically, it means we can achieve better, safer care with less noise and few post-op discomforts. This lucky generation of kids will never know what it means to fear the dentist.
The Rise of the PPO, and How to Overcome it
Over the last few years we have seen a shift of adoption to PPO insurances. As these companies put profitability first, we are seeing a drop in compensation, and this is likely to continue. At my practice we have seen patients switch offices simply because they wanted to remain in network. The way a patient views this is why should I pay a co-pay when the cleaning could be free, especially for a family of five? Because of this, I believe dental offices are going to have to find ways to work more efficiently and improve the bottom line in the wake of reduced fees. Adopting key technologies is one way to achieve savings in both time and money. For example, In-office CAD/CAM can shorten appointment times and deliver a same-day restoration at a lower cost than what a lab can provide. As a bonus, even if you prefer to send a case to the lab, many labs are reducing the cost of the restoration if you are sending a case as a digital impression. The worry is that there will be this huge payment for this big piece of equipment, but the reality is the overall ROI will always be better when digital dental systems are made a part of the practice’s every day routine. Further, this year we will see multiple chairside systems emerging and expanding to offer a range of dental CAD/CAM workflows as well as superior materials to fabricate in the practice.
On My Personal Wish List
While all these advances are incredible, the reality is the majority of the world does not have access to care like this. As Fred Joyal mentions in his landmark book “Everything is Marketing” the standard of care on this planet is an extraction for a hopeless tooth at best. My hope is 2015 sees an increase in the number of practitioners who step outside their own practice to treat the marginalized patients in our country, and reach out to help those with no access to care outside our borders. The need is great, and our skills even greater. I guarantee the satisfaction of giving your talents away is far greater than any financial reward.
As we have seen in past years, our industry continues to evolve at an exponential rate. Do you have a prediction of your own? Drop a comment below.