By completing a less-than-ideal treatment, even though requested by the patient, involves risk for you as their dentist. Remember, you are the dentist they will tell others who “fixed their smile” and the quality of your dentistry will be judged by the success of each case you complete. Typically patients will not say, “My dentist thought I should have ten teeth done to give me a beautiful, full, smile, but I chose to only have six teeth done.” Your cosmetic patients are walking billboards for your practice, good or bad! They are also the best marketing tools you can possibly have when they leave your practice with a beautiful smile that you are proud of.

The patient’s desire for minimal teeth involvement often revolves around several issues. They can include:

• The fact that patients often only look at themselves “head on” in the mirror and don’t realize what others see when they look at them from the side. In their mind, the front six teeth “are” the smile.
  • Tip: When photographing the before smile, be sure to also include the “cocktail smile” shots to show what others see in social environments. *
  • Tip: Use imaging to show how their smile will look with a full makeover.
    
    
    
    In some cases it is worth the time and investment to show the difference by imaging a partial makeover, as well.
• Present options, based on cost.
  • Tip: Avoid quoting a per-tooth fee for your smile makeovers and instead give the patient a Smile Makeover case fee, similar to how a Plastic Surgeon would quote fees. Create value through the use of imaging and showing photographs of other cases you have completed. The photo at the beginning of this article could be an excellent way to show what not to do. So if you’ve been caught by a patient in a situation similar to this one, use it as a selling tool to prevent others from choosing a less-than-ideal treatment.
  • Tip: Have as many financing options available as possible and be creative and caring as you help your patients find ways to buy what is best for them. In the long run it is better to have the patient save their money or work on obtaining financing so the case can all be done at once, by the same technician, insuring that shade, contour, and symmetry will match.
  • Tip: Remind your patients of the value of quality and the “you get what you pay for” theory of buying. One dentist I know has his veneers done by a “Cheap Lab” (his words, not mine) when the patient can’t afford his regular prices, even though he says they are really “ugly”. This amazes me because those patients are still telling their friends who gave them their new smile. Duh?!
• They are concerned about cutting down “good teeth”. The dentist, rather than patient typically initiates this objection, since most patients are concerned with the outcome, not the process. In a recent AACD survey, only 16% of patients were concerned about the amount of tooth structure removed to create a beautiful smile. For fearful patients, however, this may be a genuine concern.
  • Tip: Once again, compare elective dentistry to plastic surgery explaining what needs to be done to achieve the desired result. In a tongue-in-cheek way you can remind the patient that plastic surgeons don’t have problems taking away from a person’s natural nose to create a more beautiful one.
  • Tip: Reassure fearful patients that you will make their visits comfortable using the latest in technolog

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Published by BECDEN Dental Laboratory 131 E. 13065 S. Draper, UT 84020 888-344-9991 toll-free 801-576-9991 phone

The editor of this newsletter is Emily Webb of Becden Dental Laboratory, Inc. Please send any questions or comments about this newsletter, or suggestions for articles to: emilyw@becdendental.com ©2006 BECDEN Dental Laboratory, Inc.