How will your business bounce back?
“As part of the ongoing response to the pandemic, the interruption to dental service provision has had, and will continue to have, an impact on the income and sustainability of practices”
Mintel Report, 2021
You are not alone...
In reality, the majority of dentists are struggling to increase treatment uptake. This can have a devastating impact on the profitability of a dental practice. In fact only 30%[i] of initial consultations result in treatment conversion when traditional impressions are used.
Have you ever calculated what losing 70% of all your treatment opportunities is costing your practice? It’s significant!
What many dentists don’t realise is that limiting themselves to the use of traditional methods in the initial consultation can lead to a significant reduction in treatment uptake due to a negative patient experience. This issue can be compounded by the fact that many patients remain unclear of what the next steps of their treatment journey should be after the initial consultation. These factors also have an impact on treatment acceptance, with many patients often going elsewhere for their treatments.
Now let's look at what this could be costing your business annually...
The loss of treatment opportunities can be costly for a practice, causing a negative impact on both current and future revenue. A typical full-time dental chair should see up to 216[ii] new patients a year for an initial consultation just to stand still.
According to the NHS, the average private orthodontic treatment revenue in the UK is around £4,000[iii], meaning that £605,000 (70%) in potential opportunity is lost by each full-time chair annually.
Failing to convert treatment plans means a practice not only loses out on projected revenue but may also find itself spending more than expected attempting to attract new patients to replace the shortfall.
Out with old, in with the new
Increasing treatment conversion rates is certainly achievable by taking steps to improve the patient experience. It is well documented[iv] that practices who have adopted digital technology have seen a significant increase in treatment uptake when compared to analogue workflows.
Taking a modest 10% increase in uptake of orthodontic treatment, such as clear aligners, from new patients alone through using digital, this equates to a revenue increase of £86,400 per annum for just one full-time dental chair - a significant return on investment in the longer term.
Many dentists are seeing big increases in treatment acceptance when they use an intraoral scanner. These devices allow you to educate your patients on the full treatment journey and to see for themselves their oral health.
Tools such as Digital Smile Design and Treatment Simulation help the patient visualise and sign up for the proposed treatment plan, all in one visit. With improved accuracy and predictability, you can be confident that the information you’re collecting will result in more consistent clinical case acceptance as well as a much-improved experience for your patients.
What would just 10% increase in treatment uptake mean to you?
Dentsply Sirona Primescan
3Shape TRIOS 4
3DISC Heron
3Shape TRIOS 5
Why are patients more likely to accept treatment following a digital consultation?
- Digital scanning allows a patient to see their teeth on screen in a way they never have before and never could with traditional methods.
- It enables patients to visualise not just the problem but also to understand the full effect of the treatment plan.
- They effectively get a before and after view which means that they are more likely to buy in to the proposed plan.
- They will often sign up at the first consultation for the full plan.
What leading dentists think
Dr. Doug Watt
Principal Dentist of Euston Place Dental Practice
“You’re doing things differently to other practices and the benefits are huge. Patients find it much more comfortable and notice the difference. They are very impressed to see the digital scans and what you will be able to achieve. From a patient education perspective, I think it’s hugely beneficial because patients can see why you are suggesting a particular treatment … and why it costs what it costs.”
Dr. Eimear O'Connell
Bite Dentistry Edinburgh
"Because of the erosion of trust in the dental profession caused by negativity in the media in recent years, new patients who haven't had a long-term relationship with you as their dentist can be sceptical about your motivation. With an intraoral scanner, both the dentist and the patient can see exactly what is going on. This immediately builds up trust in your diagnosis and treatment plan because the patient can see very clearly what is needed, which is a big advantage."
Dr. Simon Chard
Rothley Lodge Dental Practice
"The predictability and accuracy of a digital workflow virtually eliminates the need for remakes, makes considerable savings on lab fees and does away with the additional costs of impression materials. There is also a considerable environmental impact in that we are no longer using numerous plastic trays and large amounts of silicone, all of which has to be disposed of."
If you're not convinced, see what more of the leading digital dentists are saying here
Why Henry Schein?
At Henry Schein, we partner with practices to increase treatment uptake by implementing a full end-to-end digital service for the improvement of the patient experience.
Working with hundreds of dental practices, Henry Schein is the only provider in the market-place able to not only provide the digital equipment but monitor, measure and promote increased treatment uptake to maximise your return on investment.
We will help you to optimise the use of your scanner and provide training to familiarise you with its capabilities.
We also offer some of the best market-leading finance packages.
Want to find out more about our Intraoral Scanning range?
If you would like an in-practice demonstration or to have a chat about which scanner is the right one for you, request a call back below.
We will also have a variety of digital equipment on show at trade shows, you can find out what events we are attending here