Quick Bites for your Dental Office

https://bonddentalbilling.com/online-courses/

These laws are called “Non-Covered Services”. (NCS) bills. They protect dentists' regular fees for services that the dental plan does not cover. Read more:https://www.nadp.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/ncs_consumer_v1.pdf?sfvrsn=0Remote Dental Billing Help: https://bonddentalbilling.com

If you would like my claim attachment cheat sheet, email me at Ashley.bond@bonddentalbilling.comRemote Dental Billing: https://bonddentalbilling.com

If you would like my claim attachment cheat sheet, email me at Ashley.bond@bonddentalbilling.comRemote Dental Billing: https://bonddentalbilling.com

https://bonddentalbilling.comSchedule your complimentary practice analysis: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/meetEmail me today: ashley@bonddentalconsulting.comCollecting Payment at Time of ServiceMake sure to collect family balance including previous balances and balances from other family members. Don't just collect today's portion due.Make sure to $0-out estimated insurance payment on any procedures not covered by insurance before batching claim to collect that $ at time of service. (I.E. Vel., laser, adult FL, D4910, guards, etc)When reviewing treatment plans, let patients know that their estimated portion is due at the time of service, so there won't be any surprises. Even better- collect when you schedule that appointment (before they come in) Options: offer 3%/5% pre-pay discount (depending on credit card or cash/check). Not only does this help KEEP their appointment, it also helps us from chasing down payment. You can collect for treatment BEFORE the patient goes back into the treatment room. “[Patient Name], before you go back to see [Dr Name], I'll take care of your estimated portion due today. (If they ask why-) I know you'll be numb when you leave, so this is our standard protocol to make it easier on our patients.” (Present it as a courtesy to THEM) Make sure every team member is on the same page and follows the same protocols for collections.

Schedule Your Complimentary Practice Analysis: https://bonddentalbilling.com/contact/Collections Challenge: Run numbers for July to see your baseline. Collections/Net production= collections % -we are shooting for at least 98% collection. If we don't collect it, we don't produce itInsurance breakdownsResource bundleCollect upfront velscope fees, laser fees, adult FL, D4910 third or fourth, max met, fee schedule vs UCR, etcCollecting co-pay at time of serviceResource bundle and scriptAugust 1: 1 person in charge of accurate breakdowns for each patient- review at morning huddle that everyone is checked1 person in charge of tracking daily collections- who did not pay at time of service and why? -report morning huddleCheck-out script: Use magical three sentencesIf you want me to take a look at your practice numbers and see what I fell would best help your office, reach out to me today. With our remote billing, we are unique in that we also offer consulting for offices. We aren't just cleaning up your A/R, but we are helping create systems for longterm practice growth. Contact me directly: https://bonddentalbilling.com/contactEmail me: ashley@bonddentalconsulting.com

Att: Dentrix users!!! DO YOU SPLIT YOUR CLAIMS?? Don't lose money for your practice! See what I'm taking about in today's podcast. Need help locating this feature? Reach out to me today at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.com Ready to outsource your insurnace headaches? Contact us today!https://bonddentalbilling.com

Resources from today's episode:Front Office Coaching: http://www.firstimpressiondentalcoaching.comSmile Advantage-Dental Care Plan: https://mysmileadvantage.comGoing out of network letter/scripts:  email me Ashley.bond@bonddentalbilling.comHow to tell patients you are going out of network?First, be very up front with your patients. I recommend sending a letter before the move because chances are the insurance company WILL send them notification prompting them to leave your practice. Get in front of it by sending them a letter discussing that they CAN stay and a lot of times the difference between in and out of network rates are small. Be willing to do a breakdown of benefits for each patient before they come in and try to give them the best estimate you can. You can really prompt your in house membership plan which may save the patient money and keep them committed to your practice. Especially patients who do not have a lot of treatment, this could be a perfect solution. It's super easy now to implement an in house membership plan. I recommend a company called Smile Advantage. Instead of charging your office for each patient's visit, they help your office set up a DIY membership plan. They help with the tracking and marketing for a low monthly fee.It should be a methodical dropping. Not a quick thing. Get in contact with and invest in training for your staff- front office coaching - Kortney LeDuc with first impression dental coachingAnswer questions like why are you going out of network?How will it change my costs?Increase Customer Service What to say when new patient callI have some scripts and a letter for your team- send me an email at ashley@bonddentaconsulting.com and I would be happy to share them with youGet in contact with a company to help you with your in-house membership plan like Smile Advantage or start one yourself. Create that option for patientsCall the insurance company and ask the steps to go from in network to out of networkSend a letter to your patients BEFORE you submit the paperwork needed by the insurance company. I have a free example; just email me.Submit the necessary paperwork to go out of network- this can take months to processHave a team members designated to make sure the transition with the insurance company stays on track- they will attempt to delay it

https://bonddentalbilling.comOut of network practice:Cons: it is harder to get a patient an accurate estimate. While it is still 100% possible to get accurate estimates- it takes a little more skill, knowledge and digging on the office's part. Listen to episode on 16 on difference between fee schedule/table of allowance and UCR- important to know as a fee for service practicePros: Freedom to pick your own fees for your services. Insurance does not dictate what you do. Nor should it ever, but insurance can dictate what you get paid for if you are in network. If a procedure is not paid due to the plan's limits you don't have to eat the cost. Example: build upsTypically more money goes to the practice. You can see less patients for the same $ amount since your fees are not dictated. Better quality of life.Going out of network: What you will need: well trained staff, great verbal skills, and spectacular customer service.

https://bonddentalbilling.comPros and Cons In vs Out of Network:Being in a network is not this “bad thing”. Many dentists are in-network. I have a personal recommendation I would give my offices: Continue to practice as you are until it jeopardizes either your Quality of care or your quality of life. The second an insurance contract jeopardizes the dentistry you perform- drop them. The second their reimbursements rates are making you choose materials that won't last as long, use labs that aren't as good, drop them. The second being in-network causes your blood pressure to get out of control in order to keep up with the number of patients you must see each day. The second it causes you to lie awake at night. The second you're running around your office all day feeling like a hamster on a wheel instead of enjoying why you become a dentist, to help other, then drop them. More new patients are not worth jeopardizing your quality of care or quality of life. In-Network Pros:Great exposure for new patients, especially in an insurance driven world. This is especially true for new dentists who are starting from ground zeroTalking to patients about their co-pays and bills is typically easier and more straightforward. Not as much as a guessing game.In-Network Cons:Renegotiate fee schedules every few years. Credentialing time. More staff time. They dictate at times the treatment you can perform. Pay attention to your contracts! If they don't feel a service is necessary they won't allow you to charge your patient. Low reimbursement rates which ultimately affect your bottom line. Which may lead to you having to decrease your individual time with the patient, work out of multiple rooms, and or change your materials used.https://bonddentalbilling.com

Create a link for your patients to write you a Google review:If you have a Google My Business Page:Go to your google my business pageOn the home page, click on the “Share Review Form” under Get More ReviewsTes the link then copy the linkGoogle “Free QR code” Paste your link to create and download a QR codeAdd this to a flyer, business cards, etc to have and pass out in your officePatients can easily scan and be sent directly to write a review for your practiceIf you do/do not have a Google My Business Page:Visit Google Place ID: https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/places/web-service/place-idIn the ‘Enter a location‘ field write your office/company nameClick on your company name that appears in the drop-down listYour Place ID will appear in the popover. Copy it.Paste the Place ID number at the end of this link (after the = sign) https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=Test the link. Then copy it. Google “Free QR code” Paste your link to create and download a QR codeAdd this to a flyer, business cards, etc to have and pass out in your officePatients can easily scan and be sent directly to write a review for your practiceFree QR code websites:https://www.qrcode-monkey.comhttps://www.qr-code-generator.comhttps://www.the-qrcode-generator.comCreate your flyer or business card:Canva: www.canva.comVistaprint: www.vistaprint.comFREE CANVA TEMPLATE: https://www.canva.com/design/DAEgQLiMkM4/twn1x_LCA-esmLn_92yB3A/view?utm_content=DAEgQLiMkM4&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview

https://bonddentalbilling.comInsurance Claim Status Notes: (softdent-  use excel)-Insert Date Stamp_Claim Status: What is the status of the claim (i.e. not on file, denied, processed and paid, needs add. information…)Action Taken: What did you do today to reverse the claim status if neededRep Name: Who did you speak to todayRef #: Especially if this is not the first time you have called, you will want a reference number to protect you from starting all overYour initialsReady to outsource your insurance headaches? Contact me today:https://bonddentalbilling.com/contact/ 

https://bonddentalbilling.com/online-courses/3 Tips for a Better Morning Huddle10 minutes before first scheduled patientsEach team member presentsFill and and use a morning huddle sheetTreatment coordinator- who did not schedule next visit yesterday and why- what is the follow upFinancial coordinator- who has a balance that you need to see today- maybe even before apptAppointment coordinator- openings in the schedule over the next 2 days, give downtime jobs to clinical teamOffice manager- production and collection goals, np goal, special campaign- google reviews, etcHygienists- who has unscheduled tx, what family members are not scheduled for recare, who is due for velscope, laser, fl, lapt. Who needs an updated health history, who will you ask for a referral from todayAssistants- are all the lab cases back, who has next treatment, have all io photos/xrays for crowns, who isn't scheduled for next recare, any ER or NP today

Here are three quick tips to help with those darn insurance rejections. Stop denying payment and start collecting on time, every time!If you are ready to outsource your insurance billing to a company you can trust, visit us at https://bonddentalbilling.com

Here are a few tips to help combat those dreaded build-up denials and get you paid for what you do! Need help with your insurance department? Reach out to be today for a free assessment call! https://bonddentalbilling.com

As promised here is my full ER script from top to bottom. If you missed the New Patient Walk Through which handles the beginning portion of this call, head over to Episode 18.For more tips and trick head to my website athttps://bonddentalbilling.com

What information do we need to gather on the ER phone call to set up the doctor and clinical team for success? What to ask:Symptoms: “Tell me more about __________?” __________________________________________Where? __________________________________________ Pain 1-10? _______Off/ On   Constant   Swelling Sensitivity to:  Hot  Cold Broken Tooth –How big is the break?  Lost filling  CrownAccident _____________________________________________________________________Taking Pain Medication    What? ___________________________  How Often? __________Where to schedule your ER visits:1st: in open time2nd: on the side of an appointment that needs numbing, assistant work, or COE3rd: if dr is totally slammed, see if a hygienist is open to put them on their chair to get x-rays done. Dr can pop in when he would typically have done a hygiene exam4th: between two appointments on the doctor sideSeating ER patient:It is my best advice to make sure the front office is comfortable and confident in at least, being able to set up an ER visit. Have special cassettes labeled just for ER visits. The least they can do when the patient does arrive is get them seated, put on the bib, turn on the music or tv in the opportutory if you have one. Get them comfortable and ready so that Dr can pop in whenever he has a minute to diagnose what is going on. PRO TIP: Use a training day to teach the front office staff how to take a PA and BW. This can be a great asset for easily handling ER visits if you don't have multiple dental assistants. They can have the patient seated, x-rays taken and ready for the doctor to pop in when he has time. And bonus is you get to learn an awesome new skill you can always have in your back pocket. https://bonddentalbilling.com/online-courses/

Amy asks: "As my small practice has suddenly gotten busier post-Covid, the number of emergencies (or patients who believe they have an emergency) has increased tremendously.  I especially wanted to hear your suggestions on how to handle patients that call at the end of the week in pain but there is no time available for them until Monday (we are closed Fri-Sun)."I love talking about ER patients so I'm going to break this answer down into 3 parts and 3 podcasts. Part 1: Let me go over specifically how I would handle the question you asked. What do you do when a patient wants to be seen at a time we do not have available? Part 2: I want to talk about how to set up the doctor and clinical team for success. What info to get on the phone that needs to be relayed to them, where to schedule them on your books and what to do when they arrive?Part 3: I want to review the ER phone call and the exact scripting I would use for that call top to bottom.First off:Yes, don't we get this often. An “emergency” patient calls and needs to be seen, but only around their time. Let me tell you how to handle this while keeping customer service number one, but also being in charge of your schedule. First off, please know that a true emergency will do whatever they need in order to come in at your open time.The goal of an ER visit is to diagnose what is going on with the patient and hopefully get them out of pain. We can never guarantee tx the same day. Ideally, I would like you to see your ER patient same-day or next-day if possible. Even if they have to be put on the side and worked into the schedule. Now if it is the end of the day and at the end of a work week, I would offer them earliest you can Monday morning and again, work them into your schedule. You need to make it known to the patient that you have a full schedule of patients but we will work you in, but there may be a longer wait than usual. If they are adamant they need to be seen BEFORE your next business day and your doctor does not do out-of-office hours, then I would refer them to your endodontist and/or the ER room if it's a real emergency. You may just need to re-train the patient in these cases, that emergencies need to be scheduled around your office's availability, and that they can't get in whenever they want. email me: ashley@bonddentalconsulting.comwebsite: https://bonddentalbilling.com

Today we will explore the six reasons to use checklists in the dental office. If you want to be a part of my front office coaching program, head to https://bonddentalbilling.com/online-courses/ today!6 Reasons to use checklists in the dental office Sickness or Vacation CoverageEach One Teach One OpportunitiesStay on Task/ Multi-taskingTurn Over ProtectionTraining OpportunitiesAccountability

Splitting claims may be one of the most crucial feature to be using in Dentrix to successfully follow-up on unpaid claims. Don't know what I'm talking about? Listen today to get my quick and easy tip for SUCCESS.Are you ready to outsource your dental billing and insurance headaches to dental experts? Let us help you! Unlike other companies, I personally onboard each and every office myself to give you the quality service you deserve. Learn more about our services here:https://bonddentalbilling.com

Internal Marketing 101*Once a patient completes treatment or their hygiene visit, ask them what they think? Ask them how their experience was. Prompt a compliment so you can respond: “We are so glad that you are happy with your treatment/visit today! We love having you as our patient. If you have any friends or family members that are in need of a dentist, we'd love to see them and give them the same quality care.”*Clinical Team: Identify patients in morning huddle that you can market to (either you have a close relationship with them or they have referred patients in the past, etc):  “Mr. Smith, I see you have been coming to this office for over 15 years…we cannot tell you how much we appreciate that! If you know any friends or family that are in need of a dentist we would love to take care of them. You know, our best referrals come from our best patients like yourself!”*Get business cards for your dental team. (Vistaprint has very cost effective options) Your dental team is one of your best referral sources.  Have a referral program for your team member's who refer patients! *Thank you gifts: referral program: drawing, credit, tickets, gift cards, etc! Draw the attention so other's ask where it came from. Thank you gifts sent to the patient's workplace…it gets people talking.  Flowers or balloons and cookies draws the most attention. People will ask where it came from.*Market to your specialists, plastic surgeons, local businesses, health clubs around you. Have a referral program or incentive program between your offices. For MY PODCAST LISTENERS ONLY, get my office-changing online course for the front office team, where you will get all my tips and tricks AND coaching calls each and every week. 50% for podcast listeners with discount code: DISCOUNTBDC through May 21st (my birthday!)3 Monthly Payment Option:  https://bonddentalbilling.com/online-courses/

This is where great insurance breakdowns come in handy. Episode 8, 9, 10Sending Clean Claims: https://bonddentalbilling.com/7-steps-to-send-clean-claims/3 Sentences to skyrocket your collections:“We are ESTIMATING your portion to be $_______. How would you like to take care of that today.If there is any difference in your portion due after we receive insurance back, then we will send you a statement in the mail.” Are you ready to outsource your insurance headaches and dental billing to dental experts? Learn more about https://bonddentalbilling.com

Today's sponser: Master Your Intra-Oral CameraOnline Course: Learn how to bring your patients to YES! Learn how to identify and verbalize patient's need for treatment. Set your Doctor up for success before he/she enters the room. You'll also receive FIFTEEN step by step photos and guide to walk you through when to take IO photos and what to say to your patients. Only $43.00!https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/minicourseBring your patients through the tunnels in your office ------> T.N.U.L.S.T: Today's Visit: What was completed today?N: Next visit- what do they need to come back for?U: Urgency- when should they come back (i.e. 2 weeks)L: Length- how long does the dr or hygiene need for that next visit?S: Scheduled? Is their next recare appt scheduled?Don't let another patient slip through the cracks. Right the patient's N.U.L.S. at the bottom of EACH AND EVERY route slip and bring the patient through the T.N.U.L.S. after each appointment. 

In this episode I give my 6 quick tips to make social media easy for your dental office. If you like what you hear, subscribe today and leave us a review!Sharable Content- would you comment on this post?Automation- later, hootsuiteDesignated Person- spokespersonRun A Campaigns- on social media guess how many, like us on FB and check in to win ______Plan out your year's content- each month have a different topic. Feb- children's dental health month- coordinate your posts, specials, content around that. Look at holidays occurring that month.Jan- New year, New smile- whitening or Invisalign specialFeb- Valentines day- flowers for patients, Children's dental health monthMarch-St. Patty's Day- team dress upApril- April fools, EasterMay-summer time special, mothers day- get flowers for womenJune- Father's day-gifts, highlight team's summer plansJuly- Independence dayAug- Back to school specialSept- Use it or lose itOct- Halloween contest- dress upNov- Thankful for youDec- ChristmasSurprise patient appreciation dayshttp://www.bonddentalconsulting.com

If you liked my three tips you'll love this. Let's walk through the entire new patient phone call!To get my complete New Patient Phone Call Form and all your front office resources and needs met go to www.bonddentalconsulting.com/elevate-front-officeSpecial pricing through April 1st.

This is just a snippet of Lesson 8 from Elevate Your Front Office, a 12-week course to increase your collections, confidence and clarity in the Front Office. My online coaching call includes 12 weekly video lessons, live group coaching calls, and printable resources and scripts to keep for a lifetime. Limited pricing through April 1st. Visit: www.bonddentalconsulting.com/elevate-front-office to learn more. You are first impression for the dental office and first impressions stick with a patient. Prioritize your phone calls! Don't rush through them, even when you have a million things on your plate. Patients can FEEL how you FEEL on the phone. Returns messages by 9am from overnight and ASAP as they come in throughout the day. Answer by the third ring and say the same thing each time without rushing. Example: “Thank you for calling Dr. _____ office. My name is _______, how can I help you today?” “How can I make you smile today?” Be creative and have fun!Our main goal to to keep our patients satisfied. In today's world they can go to any dentist on the block, stand out from the crowd with your phone skills. Customer service is #1. Avoid words such as no, we can't do that, no problem… what CAN you do for them? Turn an otherwise negative into a positive. EXAMPLE:“I'm sorry, we don't work Fridays.”Instead: “While we don't work Fridays, I do have availability into the evening on Tuesdays or early morning on Wednesdays. What works best for you?”Be honest and sincere. If you don't know the answer to something, it is okay to say you don't know but will find out the answer and call them back. Authenticity goes a long way with trust. SMILE… you wouldn't believe that this is the honest to goodness BEST TIP I can give on phone skills. When you smile, your voice fluctuates, you sound and feel better, and customer service skills skyrocket. Try the mirror method.Talk slow and clearly. You are in no rush. Phone skills are a crucial piece in trust that leads to patients keeping their appointments, scheduling their treatment and paying their balances. This is just a snippet of Lesson 8 from Elevate Your Front Office, a 12-week course to increase your collections, confidence and clarity in the Front Office. Limited pricing through April 1st. Visit: www.bonddentalconsulting.com/elevate-front-office to learn more. 

Generally, there are two types of insurance and we need to determine this during the insurance break-down call. They are based on:TABLE OF ALLOWANCES/FEE SCHEDULE: This plan lists the treatments it pays for and the amount it pays. These amounts should be written in a benefits package. (NOTE; It is often implied that this plan pays by percentage; i.e. 100% for cleanings etc. In reality the pay a % of their fee schedule. This often does not reflect what dentists in the area actually charge.)UCR (Usual, reasonable, and customary):  UCR CAN BE RANDOM AND NOT BASED ON ACTUAL STATISTICS, OR THEY CAN BE BASED ON ACTUAL STATISTICS FOR A GIVEN AREA. The insurance company is not required to use a UCR based on what dentists actually charge. Please determine this at the insurance break-down call. UCR fees are typically more standard and fair than fee schedule fees.OUR FEES: We determine our fees based on the statistical data for our area. Dr. ______ desires to provide care at reasonable fees and to make high quality dentistry affordable for his patients needing care. www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebieswww.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-billing

Hygienists, take back your schedule and learn the key tips to pre-appointing your next patient's recare appointment with you.www.bonddentalconsulting.com/minicourse

Affordable intra-oral camera: https://www.mouthwatch.comOnly $43! Mastering Your Intra-Oral Camera Minicourse: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/minicourse

If you would have told me five years ago that I would have been running my own remote dental billing company, I would have never believed you! But how did I get here? My story is unlike any other billing company out there and I think it is something as a dentist, you'll be able to relate to.I started working for my Father's dental practice in 2009. I had no dental knowledge and worked my way up to the office manager of the office. If you think this was an easy task due to me being the dentist's daughter, let me tell you it was not. My father will proudly acknowledge that out of all his employees, he was always the hardest on his own children, and he had a lot of us working for him. In 2015, I had my second daughter and decided it was time for me to stay at home. Over the next four years my dad went through many employees in the front office. We lost some great ones and not so great ones. However, it became a clear pattern that after each turn over I would have to re-enter the office and “fix” billing issues specifically. This all came to a head in 2018, when my father, Dr. Stanford, feared the worst, that he was being embezzled. Adjustments on patient's accounts just did not add up. Fortunately when looking deeper into the issue, the employee did not return to work. Our billing transferred over to our newest employee and life seemed good again. It was not until late 2018, and when this new employee was gone from the office for a week, that we realized insurance payments were being cashed by the doctor but not posted into the patient's account. It was an accounting nightmare! My dad made the decision right then and there to outsource his dental billing back to me from home. I was able to fix all the billing errors from the past, and gave him the peace of mind to finally trust his billing was being done correctly. That is how Bond Dental Consulting began. It started with a desire to give peace to my Father, that his billing was being done the right way, and it evolved to helping dental offices around the country with the same. There are so many wonderful companies to choose from to outsource your dental billing. Why would you choose ours? The reason I started my company is unlike any other. I know what it is like for the dentist to not trust their billing is being handled correctly. I also have the perspective of working at the front desk, knowing how difficult it is to properly do billing while being distracted every other minute. I know what it is like to have upset patients call when their billing was done wrong. Your patients are too valuable to lose from incorrect billing.My top priority is your patient relationship and to increase your collection rate. I know how invaluable it is to have extreme attention to detail for each claim that comes in and that goes out of the office. I have seen first hand the stress for my Father when these details are not done correctly and the strain it causes on the practice. It bleeds over into all other areas of the dental office. That is my why. That is why the core values to our company is hard work, integrity, and getting the job done the right way, the first time. I pride myself on those three values and hope to help offices around the country in the year to come. See how we can give your office peace of mine, today. We would love to help you!

Always appeal denied claims, unless it is due to waiting period, maximum, frequency or things that cannot be overturned.Ask for or locate the correct appeal's address and who to make it attention to. This is not always their regular mailing address. Give them more information than they could ever want. (i.e. pre and post x-rays, clinical notes, detailed written narrative from the doctor with add. information, IO photos, perio chart if needed, use the CDT book guidelines for the code guidelines)Circle/highlight and point out the evidence you have. i.e. fractures in the teeth, decay on your IO photos and x-rays. Make it obvious to the consultant!Don't stop after one appeal. Ask for a peer-to-peer review! Appeal up to four times. Each time a new consultant reviews the claim. Get your insurance commissioner involved, if need be.The squeaky wheel gets the grease! Insurance companies are counting on you NOT appealing. Show them that your office will be one to appeal over and over and they will deny less claims. Elevate your front office: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/elevate-front-office

Today I am so excited that I am here with special guest, my sister and registered dental hygienist, Lauren Stanford. The question of the day is “What do I do when a perio patient asks, “Why do I need 4 cleanings in a year?” This is a great question that gets asked often and is so important to create value and understanding of periodontal disease for your patient. I believe it all starts at the appointment when they receive the diagnosis. At that appointment much of the time should be spent explaining to the patient what periodontal disease is and what to expect going forward. Let me give you an example of how I would handle a situation like this with my patients. Let's pretend I have Sue in my chair you just got diagnosed with periodontal disease for the first time. This is what I would say to her:“Sue, as you heard from your periodontal measurements you do have some areas of concern. In the upper left and lower right you have areas of 5mm which means you've lost bone and are unable to successfully clean out those pockets. What the bacteria has done is accumulate in those pockets and become destructive and has destroyed the bone that holds your teeth in place. This is called periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a disease that can only be maintained, and cannot be cured. It is a disease that not only affects your teeth but also your overall health such as increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, to name a few. So going forward, this is what we are going to do. We will start with a procedure called scaling and root planing, which will remove the bacteria, tartar and toxins below the gumline in hopes that we will shrink these pocket depths to a level that you are able to clean at home. Going forward, it is crucial that I see you every 3 months. The reason behind this is that bacteria gets destructive and does damage and can destroy more bone in 90 days. The main objective with periodontal disease is not to lose more bone, so that is why is it critical for a patient to be seen every 90 days. Another difference going forward is you will no longer be a standard cleaning, that type of cleaning only cleans the surface above the gumline and your disease has spread below. Sue, now remember I will be here every step of the way to help you get healthy. What questions can I answer for you?”Before we go, if you liked what you heard here, you are going to LOVE Lauren's brand new minicourse for on Mastering Your IO Camera. Right now for a limited time it is 50% off. So you'll want to go grab that today. You can find all the details at www.bonddentalconsulting.com/minicourse . Trust me, you will not want to miss it!

Get my FREE detailed insurance breakdown form: www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebies

Get my FREE detailed insurance breakdown form here: www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebies

Get my FREE detailed insurance breakdown form here: www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebies

Here are three easy tips to make the new patient phone call the BEST first impression.The New Patient phone will be the most important first impression for your patient. This sets the stage for all their future appointments, if they'll schedule treatment, or follow through with sending their family and friends to your dental office. It's all about building relationships and trust. This is NOT a phone call to rush through! Drop everything you're doing and this is your chance to deeply engage with your new patient. When that new patient calls, here are three simple tips to give them a WOW experience:1. Smile when you are talking! As I was just starting out, it was hard for my introverted-self to be bubbly on the phone. As hard as it can be for some, it CAN be trained if you work hard enough. A great tip is to have a mirror on your desk and actually SMILE when you are talking on the phone. You wouldn't believe the effect it has on your voice. Don't believe me? Try it now!2. Don't start asking about their insurance and details right away. First, get to know the patient. Ask them who referred them (always assume your patients are raving about you and they didn't just find you on Google). Tell them about your Doctor and what makes your practice different. Ask them about their previous dental experiences and how we can make their visit with you more comfortable. Yes, you need to get the details but get those at the end of the phone call, not right away.3. At the end of the phone call simply ask, "What other family members can I get scheduled for you today?" Such a simple but impactful sentence! While you have them impressed and comfortable on the phone, schedule their spouse or the kid's appointments. This simple question can make one phone call equal multiple appointments.At BDC, we believe the new patient phone call may be the most important phone call you take. Don't wing it! We have scripts to walk you through the entire call from start to finish. Email me your questions at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.comGet my Dental Freebies: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebies

Here I will share my five easy DIY SEO tips. Search Engine Optimization does not have to be scary. Before you pay the big bucks to outsource this marketing tool, here are some things you can do in-office first."SEO"- the mysterious three letter acronym. Don't let tech mumbo jumbo paralyze you from knowing how to effectively increase your SEO (A.K.A. search engine optimization) for your dental office today. Today, I will share with you FIVE easy tips to increase your ranking on search engines:1. NAP- No, I don't mean it's time to take a rest. N.A.P. stands for Name, Address, and Phone Number. These three key elements are so important to have displayed accurately and in the exact same way across all your directories. What is a directory? A directory is any website that stores your office information. Think Yellowpages, Facebook, Healthgrades, Yelp, Angieslist... the list can literally go on forever.2. Speaking of directories- this is what you can pay other companies thousands of dollars to work on! You need to claim your directories and keep them updated. However, it is possible to update your directories yourself and save a lot of money. An easy way to do this is to search your practice name in different search engines. See the directories that pop up. Claim your listing on the directory sites and keep a spreadsheet of all your log-ins for future updating. Keep digging and updating as you go.3. Update your website! Google likes to see consistent changes to your website. An easy way to tackle this is to add a blog or FAQs to your site. Make sure to write blogs including search-engine friendly key terms, but not too obvious, that are at least 300-500 words long. Anything above 300 words is in Google's sweet spot.4. Google My Business Page. You should be using your Google My Business page just like Facebook! Posting status changes bi-weekly and adding as many pictures as you can. This will help you stand apart from the crowd, as well as improve your SEO.5. Reviews, reviews, reviews. I saved the best for last! Having your patients leave 5-star reviews may give you the biggest BUMP in your SEO. Word to the wise, make sure your patients are not using your office's WIFI to write these reviews. Google will notice they are written from the same IP address and you risk the chance of them deleting all your coveted Google reviews.SEO doesn't have to be scary and it doesn't have to be expensive, but SEO does take a lot of time to do it right. If you want your dental SEO handled by a professional, reach out to Bond Dental Consulting for support. Email me your questions at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.comGet your Dental Freebies at: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebies

Set clear payment expectations with your patients upfront: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/blog/can-i-just-be-billedWhat if patients don't want to pay their bills or want to break it up into smaller payments then your office allows? This is what this podcast is all about.Email me your questions at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.com

In this podcast, I will share a few of my secrets to make calling outstanding insurance claims more productive for your office. Is it that day of the week again? Time for your insurance aging calls, ugh! If only these calls didn't have to take up all my afternoon. Could there be an easier and more effective way to track down insurance claims? There is! Let me give you 4 easy tricks to save your time, sanity, and collect more.1. Gather Your DataFor the majority of us, we use a clearinghouse to electronically submit insurance claims. No more are the days of printing and mailing off our submissions, thank goodness! Not only is this much faster, but it gives us very important tracking information for calling on outstanding claims. Each time you send a claim electronically, it gives you the date and time stamp that it was accepted by the carrier. This information is vital when calling on overdue claims. When the agent says the claim is not on file, simply give them the date and time the “Carrier Acknowledges Receipt Of Claim”, along with the corresponding claim number. Are they stating that they did not receive an attachment? Have the NEA# ready. This usually solves most of the issues when a claim is “not on file.” Even before you call, in doing this step first, you may see that the claim was rejected for wrong subscriber information, incorrect payor ID, or invalid code. You may also find the attachment was rejected because the carrier does not accept electronic attachments. Save your precious minutes that you would have been on hold and check your submission data FIRST.2. Insurance Portals and Mulit-taskingSpend the extra time creating insurance logins for all the major insurance companies that you bill to. While this is front-loaded work, it saves hours of time you will spend on hold calling on one insurance claim. Save all your insurance login information on an excel sheet and update as password changes are needed. Save time: Click here for my insurance FREEBIES!What about when you have to call? As we all know you can be on hold for five minutes and up to an hour in some cases. Make sure you have another task you can complete during this time. Can you check other claims on the portals? Can you send letters to your new patients, overdue accounts, or recare? Link together your on-hold time with other weekly activities where you do not need a phone. Get double the work done in the same amount of time.3. Notes, Notes, and NotesMost dental softwares have a note section to keep all your claim status notes updated. This spot is your best friend! If you are like me, with all the conversations you are having during the day, it is impossible to remember every little thing a representative said about every patient's claim. This is where notes are so important. Track everything- what the representative said, where the resubmission needs to be faxed/mailed, the representative's name, a reference number and your initials. If you utilize Softdent, which doesn't have a notes section, that is where EXCEL or Google Sheets will come in handy. Detailed notes get you very far the next time you have to call on a claim. Don't make double work for yourself and notate it the first time.My Example Note Section:-Insert Date-Claim Status: _____, Action Taken: ______, Ref#_____, Rep Name: _____ -My Initials-Next time you print your insurance aging report, make sure you checkmark to print your claim status notes. Keep it all in one place!If your software does not have a note section, reach out to me for my free outstanding insurance claim tracking form.4. Change in Your AttitudeWe all know that call

Insurance breakdowns are so important to collect 100% of what is rightfully yours. Get your FREE detailed insurance breakdown form here: https://www.bonddentalconsulting.com/dental-freebiesWhat is usually the first task that we give to our untrained or new-to-the-dental-field employees? Insurance breakdowns! We all have to do them and to the dental veteran it seems like it's as easy as 1-2-3. But is a breakdown really just a breakdown? Is your office just utilizing faxbacks or generic online portal information?What if I told you that an insurance breakdown is one of the first steps in collecting 100% of what is rightfully yours. A great insurance breakdown keeps account balances from moving from current to the dreaded aging report.But why are insurance breakdowns so important? Let's look at an example on how an accurate insurance breakdown could save your office from sending a patient to collections or possibly losing them:Scenario 1: Susie calls the office as a new patient. She has Metlife insurance and wants to come in for a new patient exam. You get Susie scheduled and then quickly get a faxback of her insurance breakdown. You are ecstatic that she has 100% coverage for preventative and diagnostic and scan her breakdown into her document center without second guessing a thing. Susie comes in for her comprehensive oral examination and a full-set of x-rays (FMS) and is on her way after scheduling her cleaning. About twenty days later you get Susie's insurance payment back and realize they did not cover her FMS. It appears she was not eligible. Now Susie surprisingly owes your practice over $100 without even getting her cleaning or consultation yet.What could you have done?Scenario 2: The minute after you get off the phone with Susie, you call and get her insurance breakdown and history. When you follow-up on Susie's history, the insurance representative lets you know that she is not eligible for a FMS because she had a Panoramic X-ray done a year ago at another dental office. You gather the rest of your information and call Susie back right away. When calling Susie, you let her know that in order to properly diagnose her, your office typically does a full-set of x-rays upon her first appointment with them. You continue to tell her that she is not eligible as her insurance company only pays for those x-rays once every three years. With plenty of time before Susie's scheduled appointment, you ask her to follow-up with her previous dentist to get her x-rays transferred to us and let her know that if they are of diagnostic quality then you will not have to retake them. If they are not of diagnostic quality, then you can let Susie know what her estimated portion will be when she comes in for her visit. You are able to explain to her that your office strives on getting your patients the best estimates possible to prevent any surprise bills as best as you can.Keep in mind, you need to always make the patient aware that insurance is always an estimation and ultimately they need to know the design of their plan, as it may jeopardize their benefits. However, it is my belief that we are to give our patients the most accurate estimation we can. One thing I like to say when it comes to insurance breakdowns and collections is:For the most part, patients do not mind paying their dental bills, what they do mind is paying SURPRISE dental bills.Take the surprise out of it, and give your patients the best and most accurate insurance estimates before they come in. Does their plan downgrade to amalgam for posterior comps, tell the patient as you schedule their treatment. Do they have a waiting period on crowns for 12 months? Edit their insurance estimation accordingly. Do they cover guards for bruxism or for after perio surgery

In this episode Ashley Bond discusses the top FOUR tips to  increase your new patient base for your dental office. Leave this conversation with tools you can start implementing TODAY in your dental practice.Email me your dental questions at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.comwww.bonddentalconsulting.com

In this podcast I will answer your question on the best type of patient communication and give you one take-away you can start implanting today!In the twenty-first century, communication with our patients has become a breeze, but has it become more effective? We now have patient communication services that offer texting and email to patients. However, some argue that it seems like we have lost the ability to mix it up a bit and truly reach our patient base effectively. I'm not going to lie, I think texting is an amazing feature for dental offices, especially in the busy dental office. It can help book last minute cancellations and even get into contact with a patient you haven't spoken to in 18 months. If you do not currently have this feature, I definitely recommend it. There are many amazing companies that offer this service and I really believe it is needed in order to have effective communication with your patients in today's age.However, my fear is that dental offices are getting stuck relying on only texting their patients, which leaves out the personal touch. I know a phone conversation can be scary and awkward at times, especially when you are collecting payments, calling on outstanding treatment, or scheduling past-due recare. Honestly, sometimes it may feel like you just don't have the time to make phone calls. However, while I know texting is easy and efficient for your team, I would not say it is the best way of communication. The best type of communication is a mixture of all four approaches: text, email, phone and the good old snail mail. Take the temperature of how your office is currently doing in communication? Do you rely heavily on one method over another? Try simply changing up the way you communicate, especially if your aging reports are high or your books are open,Let's look at example of this in action:Overdue Patient A/R:Contact 1: letter in mail and emailContact 2: phone call and textContact 3: letter in mail and emailContact 4: phone call and textThink about it, today our patients are getting bombarded with texts and emails all day long. Soon enough, your messages will fall into spam or just get blindly deleted. You can stand out from the pack by embracing personalized phone calls and hand-written letters. Yes, I said it, hand-written letters. Do you remember the last time you received a hand-written letter in the mail? How did it make you feel? Special, didn't it. Let's make our patients feel special and stand out from the crowd of overloaded noise in their inboxes. This tactic is especially helpful for collections and unscheduled appointments.What can you implement today? Start sending all your recare patients who are 6 months overdue a hand-written letter from their hygienist or a team member. Mix up your communication styles and utilize all four avenues: texting, email, phone calls, and mail. For all my dental freebies sent directly to your inbox, visit my website at www.bonddentalconsultling.com/dental-freebiesEmail me your dental questions at ashley@bonddentalconsulting.com