Supplements Vs. Substitutes

Over the years, I’ve seen too many dentists try to buy their way to DSM success. They think that subscribing to the right billing service or getting the right HST interpretation service is going to be the game-changer. This isn’t a CEREC problem. You can’t purchase an in-office mill and somehow treat more sleep patients. 

Do you know which home sleep testing unit is best? It’s the one the guy is selling.

Guess which billing company is best. You guessed it. It’s the one the rep you’re talking to works for. 

There are several stellar sleep testing units. Not all are created equally. You can compare features, pricing, et cetera. And you certainly should.

A couple exceptional billing companies exist, too. You should absolutely evaluate their pros and cons and consider how they’ll work with your practice. But don’t – not for one second – think that picking the right HST unit, medical billing company, or appliance manufacturer will catapult you to the outer reaches of the dental sleep stratosphere.

These tools are like supplements, like vitamins. Selecting the right ones may enhance your performance.

They aren’t substitutes though. Multivitamins may provide you with some added boosts, but you can’t eat them in lieu of meals. It just doesn’t work that way.

The right appliance or testing protocol won’t replace knowledge, effort, purpose, and commitment. It’ll help, but even the best multivitamin can’t replace normal meals. The right precision appliances can make your sleep practice operate more efficiently, reduce remakes, and potentially result in improved patient outcomes.

Streamlined HST protocols might reduce costs and expedite the timeline to seeing patients diagnosed. A good billing company will help your team minimize denials and simplify processes.

Purchasing any one of these products or subscribing to a software will not get you into the top 10% of DSM providers. They might help you do things better, but you still have to do the things. None of these supplements will guarantee you success. 

Certainly, aligning with best-in-class partners is necessary, but you can’t buy the same TaylorMade wedge Tiger Woods uses and suddenly chip 110 yards out of the sand directly into the hole. Tiger Woods could take a wiffle ball bat or some clubs picked up at the thrift store and shoot a round below par. 

Tiger had to do the work. He trained. He learned. He focused. He did some other things too, but you probably don’t want to do those.

Screen patients. Incorporate a repeatable testing protocol. Over-communicate with the team to guarantee that everyone knows their role. Monitor it. When patients decline treatment, figure out what you can do better next time.

Don’t make it harder on yourself. Use the right tools, but remember supplements are not substitutes. There is no substitute for doing the work.

Sharpen your skills, use the right tools, and make it happen.