dental videos Archives - The Wealthy Dentist

Dental Licensing in the USA (Video)

January 26, 2020 By Jim Du Molin

Dental licensing often keeps dentists tethered to the state in which they are licensed. In contrast, Universal licensure by credentials would allow a dentist to practice throughout the country.

The Wealthy Dentist conducted a survey asking dentists if they are satisfied with the current system of dental licensing in the U.S.

Only one in five dentists say they like the dental licensing system as it stands. Fully 61% would prefer a universal system of licensure by credentials instead.

It’s no wonder. Dental licenses can truly impede a doctor’s freedom of movement.

Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey talk about what kind of licensing system U.S. dentists would like to see:

“I am licensed in 4 states, and it is truly a nightmare process! From fingerprinting to accounting for every month of my 35-year career, the system is broken.” Pennsylvania dentist

“Dental licensing should be national, not state-based, just like medical licenses,” declared a New York dentist. “Many states do not offer licensing by reciprocity, making licensing difficult for licensed dentists wanting to move to those states.”

“If a dentist is Board Certified in an ADA-recognized specialty, he/she should be able to practice that specialty in any state without taking a general dental licensing examination, as that individual has attained the highest level of professional scrutiny!” said a Pennsylvania oral surgeon.

What are your thoughts on universal dental licensing in the U.S.?

Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: dental licensing, dental videos

Dental Practice Management & Dental Insurance (Video)

January 26, 2020 By Jim Du Molin

Dental insurance is such a mixed bag. It can make patients more likely to seek treatment. dental insurance can bring new patients into a practice, and it’s the core of many dental practices.

Unfortunately, it can also lead not just to headaches, but also to lost income. Dentists know the fault lies not with the patients, but with the dental plans and insurance companies.

“Taking dental insurance allowances is a recipe for financial failure. Just look at the numbers,” said a Pennsylvania dentist.

This survey by The Wealthy Dentist asked doctors what percentage of their dental patients use dental insurance.

Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey discuss the dental practice management issues surrounding accepting dental insurance:

Of dentists responding to this survey, two out of five said that at least 70% of their patients have dental coverage.

“We will file for all our patients but are not in network with any insurance companies. I see about 50% of patients with insurance,” said a general dentist.

“We are not a preferred provider for anyone, but we accept any insurance that allows out-of-network dentists. We do charge the patient the difference between our fees and what the insurance pays,” said a Texas dentist.

What percentage of your patients still carry dental insurance?

Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: dental insurance, dental practice management, dental videos

Sedation Dentistry Fees (Video)

January 26, 2020 By Jim Du Molin

Sedation dentistry can allow patients to overcome dental anxiety and fear.

Jim Du Molin spent years working on dental marketing and sedation dentistry, and co-founded the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation.

He knows the issues from both sides — dentists and patients. Not every dentist is a sedation dentist – and for good reason.

The Wealthy Dentist conducted a survey asking dentists if they offer sedation dentistry.

Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey report on typical dentist fees for various kinds of dental sedation:

Three out of four dentists in this survey say they provide sedation dentistry.

What’s the typical cost of oral conscious sedation?

Conscious sedation dentistry costs an average of about $300. In this survey, the lowest cost was $70, and the highest charge was $680.

How about IV sedation dentistry?

You’re looking at an average cost of about $450, ranging from a low of $225 up to a high of $1,200.

What about pediatric sedation?

The average charge was about $300.

And the cost of nitrous oxide?

Laughing gas averaged $80 in this survey.

“I am a dentist anesthesiologist. I am perfectly fine with my client doctors doing oral sedation with proper training. I think it is important that they have someone like me to check with if they have a question or concern,” said a dentist anesthesiologist.

“Having well-trained providers of sedation is a key to our success as a profession. I offer pediatric sedation for $225,” said a pediatric dentist.

To see the results of this and other surveys of dentists, visit http://TheWealthyDentist.com.

And if you’d like to share your opinions in future surveys, just sign up for our weekly dental marketing and management newsletter at TheWealthyDentist.com.

Filed Under: Dental Videos Tagged With: dental sedation, dental videos, oral conscious sedation, pediatric sedation dentistry, sedation dentistry

Dentist Survey: How Are Your Retirement Plans? (video)

January 26, 2020 By Jim Du Molin

Dentist retirement plans have been thrown off track by the recession economy. Fortunately, may dentists like practicing dentistry so they are not too worried.

“I’m not interested in retiring,” said one 63-year-old dentist. “I do want to change my practice to do more dental implants, dentures, and ortho.”

We conducted a survey that asked dentists if their retirement plans have changed as a result of the recession. Two out of three dentists surveyed acknowledged that the present economy means they plan to work longer than they expected.

Click on play to watch the survey video –

103-Dentist_Retirement_Plans.mp4

“Work is not a bad thing. How many folks do you know who waited to enjoy life until they retired and moved to Florida? Two years later they were dead. I say life is filled with choices. Choose what you enjoy and do it until the day you die!” advised a 71-years-young Texas dentist.

Financial planning for retirement is important — both from a professional and personal point of view, but the real question is choice. Every doctor out there should be planning their financial future so that when the day comes they have the choice to continue working, cut back of their days, or retire to the country club.

If you would like to participate in future dentist surveys, please sign up for The Wealthy Dentist newsletter to cast your own vote.

Filed Under: Dental Videos, The Wealthy Dentist Tagged With: dental marketing videos, dental practice management, dental retirement planning, dental surveys, dental videos, dentist, videos

Has Over-the-Counter Teeth Whitening Demand Gone Up or Down? (Video)

January 26, 2020 By Jim Du Molin

Teeth whitening has gone mainstream, with lots of different tooth whiteners now available over the counter.

But tooth whitening from a dentist is still the quickest and most effective way to quickly get whiter teeth.

“A lot of patients have whitened their teeth. It seems that the ones who wanted whiter teeth have already done it,” said an Oklahoma dentist.

“With the cost of in-office whitening treatments going down, we have seen the demand for over-the-counter whiteners decrease,” said a Wisconsin dentist.

We conducted a survey asking dentists about the popularity of over-the-counter tooth whitening methods.

h3<>Jim Du Molin and Julie Frey report on whether demand for at-home whiteners gone up or down.

Dentists are pretty evenly split. In this survey, 43% said demand has increased, while 35% feel it’s decreased, and 22% say demand has held steady.

Some of these tooth whiteners can have far higher levels of peroxide than they’re supposed to. Do dentist have patients who have damaged their teeth with OTC whitening methods?

Most haven’t but, 18% have noted issues here and there.

At-home teeth bleaching can be a mixed bag for dentists. It raises the overall profile of tooth whitening, but it leaves patients with a lot of options outside of the dentist’s office.

“White Strips have had a significant impact on our office’s billings for cosmetic procedures. Revenues are down as patients use these instead of chair-side and tray whitening,” said a Georgia dentist.

“At-home whiteners are the best place for patients to start if they have had a dental exam to rule out contraindications to whitening,” said a New York dentist.

“With over-the-counter products, patients can run the risk of over-whitening their teeth and making them susceptible to brittleness and sensitivity, which can lead to bigger issues down the road,” said a general dentist.

“We have had many patients complain that over-the-counter whiteners did not whiten their teeth enough or did not whiten interproximally very well. Take-home professional whitening with trays is one of the best available because we can whiten the whole tooth on all surfaces to get the tooth the whitest in can be,” said an Ohio prosthodontist.

Patients in the US these days are very interested in having whiter teeth.

While they have plenty of options they can buy at the grocery store or pharmacy, none of these are as safe or effective as in-office whitening.