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Whip Mix Blog

Making Splints Make Sense

How many of your patients are excited when you tell them they need an occlusal splint?

How many of them thank you for your explanations? It seems extremely unlikely that patients would be thankful for being told that they need to pay to wear a splint every day!

However, that is exactly what Dr. Richard Rogers, a leading dentist in Maryland, told us that patients tell him all the time! They consistently say how grateful they are to have found a dentist who can clearly explain their condition to them and help them see why they need the recommended appliance.

This connection with his patients has led Dr. Rogers to now place as many as 15 splints a month. We decided to capture on video how Dr. Rogers presents to his patients while he was taking part in a mastermind group we (BiteFX) organized in Truckee, California.

Our cameraman’s assistant (and wife), Sam, agreed to sit in as a pretend patient. Even though Dr. Rogers wasn’t talking about any problems Sam was experiencing, she was totally drawn into the presentation – so much so that here is how she reacted at the end:

 

“That was awesome!”

So, what charismatic magic spell did Dr. Rogers cast on Sam? None that we could observe! His presentation is low-key and matter of fact.

Key points we picked up about his explanation/presentation:

  • It was simple
  • It was short
  • It was clear
  • He engaged with the patient
  • He had great visuals

See what you think and determine if you can adapt what Dr. Rogers says to your style and manner.

A small increase in your splint acceptance rate can have a profound effect on your practice. Click here for more information from BiteFX.

Doug Brown

BiteFX President and CEO Founder of BiteFX LLC and parent company Dynamic Thought LLC. Designer and producer of the BiteFX animations and software on Windows and iPad. Author of “Becoming Your Patients’ Hero” – drawing out communication secrets from twelve BiteFX-supporting dentists. Has worked with many of the top names in occlusion teaching to produce new concept-enlightening animations. A math graduate from Cambridge University, England, Doug’s early career was as a product manager for a world-leading, specialist computer software company.