Do you have difficulty communicating the need for dental implants to your patients?
In a recent webinar, Dr. Germain Jean-Charles of General Dentistry and Implantology of Canandaigua shared his advice for how to increase patient case acceptance rates.
Dr. Charles says,
Patients may tell you that their function or self-image is affected by their dental health. As a dentist, when you hear this, you know that you can do something to directly improve your patient’s well-being.... The big question for many full-arch treatment specialists is: Will the patient pay for treatment?
To address his patients' concerns, Dr. Charles uses biometric standards to clearly communicate the need for treatment.
Digital dentistry tools and patient intake
Dr. Charles has developed in entire workflow specifically for patient intake. In this workflow he uses a variety of digital dentistry technologies, including:
AI segmentation
Advanced facial scanning
Photogrammetry
Quantitative bite force measurements
Dental Implant Detection System (proprietary)
Latest generation medical grade 3D printing
Latest generation milling systems
Dr. Charles says that these technologies help build patient confidence and provide an evidence-based approach. Most importantly, they help demonstrate the potential for improvement, which is critical when a patient struggles to decide whether or not to pursue treatment.
He adds, “A lot of dentists don’t like to talk about selling – we aren’t truly “selling,” but if we don’t have patients, we can’t help them.” New technologies can be vital tools in helping patients agree to the treatment they need.
Dental Case Study: Implants and Bite Force Measurements
To demonstrate the effectiveness of using digital dental technology to improve case acceptance, Dr. Charles shares the story of this patient Nicholas:
Patient information [excerpt}:
Nicholas
45 YO male
Moderate to severe pain and discomfort while chewing
Self-conscious about the appearance of his teeth
Referred by cardiologist; currently under treatment for congestive heart failure
During Nick's intake meeting, Dr. Charles took baseline measurements of Nick's dental health, including his bite force.
Using the Innobyte bite force device, Dr. Charles quanitified Nick’s bite force at 111 newtons (N) .
By comparison, a normal human bite force is between 650-1000 N (absolute force).
Dr. Charles showed Nick his bite force measurement on the Innobyte device and the reference chart (right).
Nick did not accept treatment right away. As Dr. Charles explains, a patient’s etiology didn’t develop overnight, and their acceptance of treatment may also take some time.
But the clear biometric results that Dr. Charles shared with Nick stayed with him.
He returned to Dr. Charles several months later, saying that seeing his bite force deficiency relative to normal ranges was a game-changer. He decided to go forward with Dr. Charles recommended implant treatment.
Immediately after treatment, Dr. Charles took a new measurement of Nick's bite force with Innobyte. Dr. Charles shared it with Nick and his webinar viewers, saying ”What I love about the Innobyte - we are just after rehabilitation – we haven’t even sent the patient home! And we registered 553N on the Innobyte.”
Why Innobyte makes the difference in case acceptance rates
In his webinar, Dr. Charles shares:
Innobyte has brought the clarity that we have always missed — It allows us to know and understand, at the time of inception, how much force a patient can exert, to use that information in treatment planning and to take it into rehabilitation. There is no element of guessing. Show the patient their bite force. When they see it they are shocked. Until you can show them their force, they have not known why their function is so affected.
Learn more about how Dr. Charles increases case acceptance rates
Want to learn more? Watch the webinar feature Dr. Charles!
Watch for free here on our website
Watch for free on our Academy and register to receive 1 free CE credit!