How much does dental insurance impact your dental practice today? Specifically what impact are you allowing PPO"s to have on your practice? When you look back into the history of dental insurance 10 or 15 years ago PPO's didn't even exist. In todays dental market many practices feel they need to sign up for every PPO out there so they will have patients.

Unfortunately many dentists today have lost the mindset that if they are providing the very best care possible and providing the very best patient experience their practices will thrive. Ten to years or so ago in dentistry our mindset about how patients paid for care was very different. Before the economic crisis of 2008 dentist focused on their cash patient's and or that patients would pay for services that insurance did not cover.

Historically Dentists more often had the mindset that if the patient needed treatment the patient would pay for it, we had higher focus on complete treatment plans and cosmetic procedures. Many of the same practices that thrived with cash patients are practices that are struggling with insurance. In other words we have become focused on what insurance companies will allow or what they will pay for not what is in the best interest of the patient.

How much have you let the PPO system dictate the way you practice dentistry and what can you do about it? Do you have to participate in PPO's to be successful in today's dental market? How does our belief system keep you in the golden handcuffs. Do you believe that PPO's equal new patient flow? Have you bought into the mindset that being enrolled in every PPO is your only supply of a steady stream of patients? PPO's can supply patients but are they the right patients for your practice? Are they the patients that are going to go forward with necessary treatment regardless of insurance allowances? Are they good quality patients that show up on time and value your time and their health?

If the patients coming into your practice are cumbersome, wearing you and your staff out and not producing the profits you deserve think about changing your focus. When what we are doing isn't working the way we would like or producing the results and revenue we desire, it's time to look in another direction. Put your focus back on cash patients, patients who value you, you're staff and your time. Focus on the things you can do something about. You decide what does and doesn't work for your practice. Are these PPO's bringing you the kind of patients you need to practice the kind of dentistry you want to do. IF you decide that it's not currently working for your practice how are you able to make it work?

According to the ADA less than 50% of the population have any kind of dental insurance yet we seem to be in a race to get the PPO patients. Think about changing your focus back onto the cash patients and the cosmetic patients. Consider offering an Oral Health Plan that's customized to your practice and your patients. If you are striving for excellence, don't settle of mediocrity. If you are settling for mediocrity how can you be passionate about your practice and bring the very best to your patients? If you are going to practice dentistry be willing to give it your best. Don't let insurance companies dictate what your best is.

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