Patients don't know what they need — until you show them! Without talking about comprehensive care, they will never know that they want or need it for better overall health. To help you start the conversation with patients, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT’s director of education, to explain what it means to be comprehensive, why it’s important, and how it will transform patient care and your practice. To learn how to transition from reactive, single-tooth dentistry to proactive, comprehensive care, listen to Episode 831 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Miranda:

• Send Miranda an email: [email protected] 
• Follow Miranda on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdental
• Send Gina an email: [email protected] 
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (January 17, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-january-17-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1012930712027
• Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (January 24, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-january-24-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1012960511157
• Register for ACT’s BPA: https://www.actdental.com/bpa

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 831: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Download ACT’s Identify Your Core Purpose tool: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/Identify%20Your%20Core%20Purpose%20Tool.pdf

Main Takeaways:

• You can't do it alone. Align with your team on what a comprehensive approach means.
• Educate patients about your comprehensive philosophy in the new patient exam.
• Your focus should be on how you can help patients, not on selling dentistry.
• Share what you see, then let patients decide what to do for themselves.
• Help patients understand the big picture with a proactive approach.
• Don't forget about retired patients. They have dental needs too!
• Stop assuming what treatment patients will or will not accept.
• Offer financial options for patients with larger cases.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

0:33 Why this is an important topic.

4:56 Why dentists default to single-tooth style treatment planning.

9:40 Comprehensive treatment planning, explained.

15:25 Get rid of self-limiting beliefs and assumptions.

17:14 Focus on being helpful, not on selling dentistry.

19:44 Give patients control and choice by sharing information.

26:55 Elevate your new patient exam.

28:30 Explain the why behind your recommendations.

30:47 Involve your entire team.

32:35 Create value for patients.

34:20 Don't forget retired or about-to-retire patients.

38:29 Align on what a true emergency patient is.

41:22 Have financial options available.

Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH Bio:

Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.