Implant case acceptance is something many practices unnecessarily struggle with. They spend time and money building and marketing an implant practice but struggle to get patients to move forward with treatment. The reality is, improving case acceptance for implant patients requires only one skill: showing patients how to fit treatment into their budgets.
Unlike many other patients, implant patients come in already wanting treatment. They know dental implants are their best solution. And they are generally educated about implant procedures. They have done their research before coming in for a consultation.
The real challenge with implant case acceptance is implant patients typically don’t have thousands of extra dollars lying around to pay for treatment. In fact, many end up needing implants because they lacked the financial ability to get proper dental care over a long period of time. But don’t prejudge these patients. Although many of them don’t have much money, they are often ready, willing, and able to finance their care.
Thus, if you can show them how to afford their treatment, you will have overcome the biggest issue with implant case acceptance. Developing the skill of showing implant patients how to fit treatment into their budgets is simple, too. Here’s all you need to do.
Start With the Right Mindset to Improve Implant Case Acceptance
Improving implant case acceptance starts with having the right mindset. You must take ownership of improving case acceptance and ditch the idea that you do not have the ability to do so.
Way too many practice owners resign themselves to the idea that case acceptance is beyond their control. They chalk up low case acceptance to bad luck or poor lead quality. But in helping hundreds of dental practices attract thousands of implant patient leads—and convert leads to patients—we know you can impact your implant case acceptance.
Before you can, however, you must believe you can. If you want to consistently close big cases you must take ownership of improving case acceptance. In fact, the dentist who can best solve the financing problem will be the top implant provider in their marketplace. It doesn’t matter if you are the most experienced implant dentist on the block, if a competent practice around the corner can help patients fit their treatment into their budget, patients will go there.
It’s easy to sit back and think there’s little we can do beyond presenting our treatment plan to patients. But sit on the patient’s side of the table for a moment. What would you want your dentist to say to you if you wanted to move forward but did not have money to pay in one lump sum? Would you want them to tell you every detail about the procedure? Probably not. Most implant patients come in already wanting an implant. They want to know how to fit their care in their budget.
Have options ready.
Some practices experience low case acceptance because they fail to have financing options for dental implants ready for their patients. This is a big mistake. Coming to the table with the right mindset and a list of ways to help people afford their care can have a big and instant boost to your case acceptance rate.
For example, you could adjust the treatment planning approach to help them spread out costs. Many patients will need some type of alternative treatment to help them get started. Thus, it is wise to present multiple options, give pros and cons, and let your patient decide which option they want to pursue. Be honest and open with them about costs and correct them if they come in with a wrong assumption. And be willing to perform whatever they decide they can afford.
In addition to offering a different treatment planning approach, have a list of third-party financing options, in-house financing options, or other creative or out-of-the-box financing options for dental implants. If someone has low income or poor credit, you could suggest getting a family member to cosign or sponsor their care, asking a current bank if they’re willing to give them a home equity loan or HELOC to help, or if they have a 401k or other retirement plan they can borrow from.
You could also do a combination of adjusted or phased treatment and financing options to help patients move forward. Be creative and help your patients solve the financing problem.
Get patients started with something.
The opportunity to improve implant case acceptance is huge. And the best way to move forward is with the right mindset and ready options. When you do, you will be able to get more patients to move forward with treatment. Even if they can’t fit a full treatment at the moment, getting them started with something will help them begin to experience the benefits and look for ways to get more treatment.
And you will even earn more referrals from patients, even if they can’t move forward. Your care and attention will be noticed. And you will develop a reputation as a caring practice who wants to help patients get the care they need. That’s a reputation practices want and need to thrive with high-value dental implant cases.
If you’re interested in learning more about how Driven Dental Marketing can help you to attract and convert more high-value patients, you can book a FREE 15-minute strategy session right here on DrivenDentalMarketing.com.