Treating the patient for what they need, not what their insurance pays

We all have patients whose dental problem has outstripped their insurance benefits. And that’s all right. And I always tell my patients, “You think of your insurance as if you put on a pair of pants and found a $20 bill in the pocket. It’s a bonus.”

Insurance is there to help, not cover a full mouth rehab

Whatever the insurance company can kick in, it’s fantastic and we’re happy to work with them too. We’re happy to work with the dental insurance. But what we know, through our training with The Dawson Academy, is that insurance is really there to help, but not pay for it completely, but to help single tooth problems. And what we’re looking at are problems with the entire system. And it’s really not what insurance is for.

Be an advocate for the patient

So our goal, our job is to get patients to understand that their problem is a little bigger than a single tooth problem. And we do that by getting on the same side of the table with them, and helping them understand that we’re there as their advocate. As their doctor, you have the doctor/patient relationship. The insurance company is not in a position and it isn’t their goal to help them achieve health. Their goal is to help themselves achieve a better bottom line.

Help them understand the scale of their problem

So through the complete exam and co-diagnosis, and by educating and teaching the patient as we go along as to what their needs are, and helping them understand that a broken tooth isn’t just a broken tooth. We first have to find out why did that tooth break. And once they understand that it’s a bigger problem, and they understand that we can take the time and put together a treatment plan that can be phased out over time to help maximize their insurance benefits, they really get to understand that we’re really working on their behalf and trying to be their advocate. And once they know that we’re on the same side of the table, they tend to accept treatment, especially once they realize how important that treatment is.

 Learn about phasing treatment and proper patients communication in our Core Curriculum

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