The Recent Dramatic Economic Events In American Dentistry Fostered A Great Paradox: For Some Practices, It’s Unprecedented Opportunity. Yet For Others It’s Monumental Challenges And Painful Setbacks!

Virtually unknown among the occupational community of dentists and their business handlers, the recent events were literally the most important events in the private practice of dentistry since Chapin A. Harris, MD, DDS started the profession back in the 1840s. These dramatic events changed dental practice forever. Yet, most dentists and their practice management advisers are not fully prepared to cope with the threats and to capitalize on the opportunities.

Interestingly, the dramatic events of 2009 were predicted by one of the pundits in American dentistry years ago. Burton L. Edelstein, DDS, MPH, professor at the School of Dental and Oral Surgery at the Columbia University in New York City predicted that American dentistry would face a ‘tectonic shift.” His prediction was accurate; it was the unprecedented “paradigm shift” in American dentistry

Briefly, during the birth and growth stage of the perennially robust US Dental Services Industry, American dentistry grew about 3,000% or about 35 times faster than the US population from about 1960 until 1987.

Then the first crash (1987-90) triggered and drove the industry into the mature stage of its life cycle. Equivalent to ten 1929 stock market crashes, this first crash produced the first-ever dental “shakeout,” marked by high rates of business failures. Dentistry was stagnating and stayed in the highly unstable, mature stage of its life cycle for about 24 years, a very long time. Dentistry was stagnating and “teetering.”

Then, in 2009, while the industry posted record-breaking annual revenues of $102 billion, suddenly and violently this once-robust industry suffered one of the most violent implosions in American economic history! Similar to what happened in the US Housing Industry, the “bubble burst.” This “killer” crash was equivalent to forty-three 1929 stock market crashes.

Surprisingly, this crash was a classic evolutionary event that plunged the traditional model of dentistry, the bio-mechanical model (referred to as “drill, fill, and bill”), into the decline stage of its life cycle. Likewise, this event triggered the classic, mandatory “paradigm shift” into the new, emerging model of dental practice. Twenty years in the making, the new model is the “biopsychosocial” model; this model is based on the life-long work of George L. Engel, MD (1913-1999). Everyone in American dentistry would be well-advised to learn more about this seminal work.

It's a sobering historical fact: Practices that do not duly make the paradigm shift will perish. It’s the law of evolution at work.

Without going into all of the details now, the new paradigm of dental practice fosters a major shift from the traditional “drill, fill’ and bill’ model of dental practice to an in-depth management of both the social and the psychological aspects of caring for dental patients. Some call it “patient-centered” dentistry; but it’s more.

Based on hundreds of interviews, dentist claim, anecdotally, that they are patient-centered and that they have“highly satisfied patients,” yet few private practice dentists employ the level of management know-how that’s now required to proactively and intelligently manage patient satisfaction, especially given the threatening economic times and growing patient consumerism.

Recognizing the paradigm shift to the biopsychosocial model of dentistry, Chester W. Douglass, DMD,
PhD at the Harvard University said (in an article entitled: Patient’s Expectations for Oral Health in the 21st Century, appearing in the Journal of the ADA , June 2000) that the main goal of contemporary dental practice today is patient satisfaction! The phenomenon of patient satisfactions is the "psycho-social" cornerstone of the new model of dentistry.

The private 27-year R&D program in the San Diego produced and has extensively proven the most sophisticated knowledge-base in patient satisfaction in the healthcare industry. The foundation of this knowledge-base is thousands of published works that include the doctor-patient relationship, patient help-seeking, doctor selection, the ideal dentist profile, and more. This work is being made available to dental practices and practice managers and consultants who have an interest in further developing this crucial phenomenon.

The R&D program demonstrated that there are nine dimensions of patient satisfaction; not surprisingly these same nine dimensions were discovered to be the top factors by which patients select their dentists. Surprisingly, patient satisfaction is established before a patient receives any type of treatment! High levels of patient satisfaction tend to produce the best treatment outcomes, too. There is some type of synergistic action at work.

Surprisingly, patient satisfaction and dissatisfaction are not related to patient complaining behavior. Generally, highly dissatisfied patients don’t complain, they simply move on to a different dental practice.

Simple, do-it-yourself patient satisfaction surveys do not accurately capture the real satisfaction patients experience. In fact, do-it-yourself assessments of patient satisfaction are likely to backfire.

Patient satisfaction and patient dissatisfaction are not simply opposite ends of the same spectrum but are different phenomena.  It is well established that satisfied patients make the best referrals and demonstrate high levels of consumer loyalty. Dissatisfied patients repeatedly tell dozens of their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers of their dissatisfaction anytime the opportunity arises. In fact, this predicament may last for years, long after they have forgotten the dentist’s name.

Given the sluggish economy where up to one-third of dental patients say that they are going to cut back on their dental spending, it would be a good idea for progressive dental practices and their business handlers to focus attention on patient satisfaction during the coming new year. A highly satisfied patient is the best marketing tool by far.

Surprising, the present challenging economic environment is a period of great, if not unprecedented, opportunity for private practices that master the innovation process. It’s making the right moves at the right time, in the right way.

Best Regards,
Frank Toto
San Diego, at 858-278-5050

Incidentally, for more information, please visit:
http://www.rightmovesproject.com  and http://dental.rightmovesproject.com