“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Acronyms can be a highly effective mnemonic devices helping to commit ideas and processes to memory. S.E.T.T. stands for Screen, Engage, Test, and Treat. Get to the starting line, get S.E.T.T. and go. Stop thinking about who you could be or what you should be and transform into what you are.
SCREEN YOUR PATIENTS
Don’t take it from me. The American Dental Association and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine both recommend that dentists screen their patients for sleep-related breathing disorders. Seldom do patients stroll into the dentist’s office and plead for oral appliance therapy.
A low-friction, replicable screening protocol is paramount. Period. A good friend owned a medical billing company. Hundreds of dentists signed up for their DSM billing services. After their onboarding service reps contacted a practice innumerable times for onboarding—to no avail—the dentist would inevitably call the office and demand that all monies be refunded.
Their reason? “It didn’t work, and we didn’t get paid.”
“Tell me more, Doctor Dick.”
“None of my patients wanted to do this, and you never trained my team. I want my money back. And don’t even think about denying me. I’m very influential in the ADA.”
Most of the time, my friend just told them to get lost. Envious of her moxie, I wish I could’ve mustered the same fearlessness when dealing with Dr. Dumass back in the day. With the others, she’d mention the 17 times her colleagues emailed, called, and left messages to schedule billing training. She’d offer to play recordings of the team talking to his staff and being told they don’t want to be trained. Then she reminded him that he never actually submitted a claim. He admitted that was because he never actually got around to screening patients.
You have to actually screen your patients if you’re going to eventually get compensated for treating patients. If you don’t want to treat patients or get involved with DSM, there’s no law that says you have to. You can do whatever you want but make your choice. Don’t make a half-hearted attempt and then scapegoat your billing company. Like The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous says, “It works if you work it.”
ENGAGE YOUR PATIENTS
Engaging patients is different from making small talk or telling them what you see on the pano. Engage means connecting. Developing trust. Giving and taking.
Communication underpins engagement, case acceptance, and patient loyalty. It is in the DNA of successful sales processes too. The entire previous chapter was a love song to this concept. Go back and reread it if you need to. Relate to your patients and explore what their needs are. Advise workable solutions and deliver on your promises. Talk to them like human beings and show them you care.
TEST YOUR PATIENTS
There’s more than one way to do this, and the rationale is 20/20. Treating a patient without a proper diagnosis is never a good idea. As a matter of fact, it’s a terrible idea.
With that out of the way, should you purchase and dispense your own home sleep testing units? Or should you use a home sleep testing service to manage the process? Instead, what if you refer your patients to a sleep doc? The answer to those questions is simply “yes.” Depending on your practice’s situation, these might all be viable solutions. A hybrid is probably your best bet. Purchase several units for titration studies. Develop bilateral referral relationships with numerous physicians. Take advantage of a third-party HST service. Medicare guidelines, insurance plans, state dental practice acts all need to be considered.
Converse with a couple vendors. They’re exposed to more testing models in a single week than you’ll see in your entire career. They’re a fount of information. Ask a couple successful DSM practitioners how they do it. Then take this information and take action.
TREAT YOUR PATIENTS
This is the easy one. It’s in your wheelhouse. Look at the patient’s unique presentation, consider appliance selection criteria, and take accurate records. Follow up appropriately. Easy-peasy. Don’t over-complicate this one.
Maybe you’re thinking, “But, Jason, I don’t have any patients yet.” That’s nonsense. Start with your team and their spouses. It’s that simple. The best learning comes from doing.
REGISTER TODAY for the meeting hundreds of dental sleep professionals called “The BEST dental sleep event ever!”
Registration is now open for the Transform Dental Sleep Symposium to be held in Scottsdale, AZ January 31 – February 1, 2025. Don’t miss out on dozens of dynamic speakers presenting innovative information on practical topics designed to help your sleep practice grow.
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