Power up your dental conversations

Q After our doctors discuss pets’ dental diagnoses with clients, we email them estimates. A small number of clients call to schedule procedures. How can we improve our dental adherence?

A After clients hear that their pets have periodontal disease, they want to know, “How can I fix my pet’s health problem?” Two-way conversations need to happen during appointments—not later in emails. You cannot have an engaging discussion, share visual aids, and answer questions by email. Delaying delivery of treatment plans tells clients that professional care is not urgent or important.

Increasing pet owner education and leading clients to schedule procedures during appointment will improve dental adherence.¹ Follow these strategies.

1 Update your terminology

Stop saying estimate, which makes conversations all about the money. The term treatment plan shifts the focus to necessary medical care. A treatment plan serves 4 purposes:

• Explains needed medical services
• Gives you legal permission to treat
• Shares the expected cost of care
• States payment policies

Avoid saying teeth cleaning because nearby groomers may offer a service with a similar name for a fraction of the cost, advises Paul Camilo, CVPM, of Veterinary Consultation Services in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.² Better phrases are oral assessment, treatment, and prevention or comprehensive oral health assessment and treatment.

2 Present treatment plans on the day of diagnosis

After veterinarians explain dental diagnoses and the health benefits of treatment, have technicians or assistants present treatment plans. For examination efficiency and fee consistency, create templates for Grade 1 to 4 dental treatment plans with core services and then add extractions and specific services based on patients’ diagnoses. List services in the order they will be delivered because technicians and assistants will explain each item line by line. For example, preanesthetic testing should be listed before anesthesia. Treatment plans will have a high and low range.

3 Show how procedures happen

Because it is human nature to look at the total cost first, share slideshows, videos, or photo books of the steps of a dental procedure before giving treatment plans. When creating slideshows or photo books, photograph each service on your treatment plan, such as preanesthetic testing, surgical monitoring, intravenous catheter, and dental x-rays. Design slideshows or photo books using PowerPoint or Canva. Include your hospital’s logo, photos, and captions on each slide or page. Play slideshows on computers or digital photo frames in examination rooms.

Covina Animal Hospital in California worked with Veteos to create a customized video on “What to Expect From a Dental Cleaning.” The short video—available on the hospital’s website—explains the exam, anesthetic safety, dental cleaning, probing, x-rays, recovery, and discharge. Because the video features Covina Animal Hospital’s staff and facility, clients see exactly what their pets will experience during professional dental care.

Photo: Habitante Stock

4 Address fear of anesthesia

Clients may hear a parental “don’t worry” from veterinarians but have real concerns about anesthetic safety and potential risks. How you handle conversations about anesthesia can have different results, advises Ryane E. Englar, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice), associate professor at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine in Tucson and author of A Guide to Oral Communication in Veterinary Medicine.³ The directness of asking, “What makes you uncomfortable about placing your cat under anesthesia?” may make the client reluctant to share. Using the third person when phrasing your question can allow a hesitant client to speak up. Say, “Some of my clients are concerned about anesthesia for older pets. Can we talk about that?”

5 Offer financial solutions

Do not wait until the end of the appointment to mention financing. Address cost head-on because it is the elephant in the room, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Language That Works: Changing the Way We Talk About Veterinary Care.⁴ Explain that “we can help you with payment options for veterinary care.”

Let pet owners know they do not have to come up with all the money up front and share the monthly payment plan. Include links or QR codes to third-party financing on treatment plans and provide brochures. Say, “The expected amount for your pet’s dental procedure ranges from $__ to $__. Our hospital accepts cash, checks, and credit cards. We offer financing through [third-party provider]. The treatment plan includes a link to learn more about payment options.”

6 Ask for a commitment to treat

After presenting the treatment plan and answering questions, ask for a treatment commitment. Use the yes-or-yes technique. Say, “Dr [Name]’s next available procedure days are [date 1] and [date 2]. Which do you prefer?”

7 Schedule in exam rooms

Have technicians schedule procedures while in exam rooms. It is not just what you say but where you say it. Do not leave booking procedures up to client service representatives (CSRs) at the checkout desk. When pet owners leave exam rooms, they have mentally checked out and may dismiss CSRs’ attempts to schedule follow-up care.

8 Call clients who do not book

An American Animal Hospital Association study found that 38% of pet owners will return for procedures as directed by their veterinarians if the team follows up.⁵ Create Grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 “dental procedure needed” codes that will print the medical recommendation on today’s receipt and trigger a callback in 1 week. Your invoice description might say, “Your pet was diagnosed with Grade 2 dental disease today. Please schedule treatment. We will follow up with a courtesy reminder call in 1 week.” Calling within 7 days is key—do not wait 30 days because clients will not remember details of exam conversations.

Say, “Dr [Name] needs to schedule [pet’s name] dental procedure so we may treat their infection and slow the progression of the dental disease. We can perform the dental procedure on [date 1] or [date 2]. Which do you prefer?” Using the veterinarian’s name brings credibility and authority to the call. “Infection” indicates treatment is urgent and medically necessary.

Takeaway

Talk with your team about these strategies and write a standard operating procedure for your staff’s steps when pets are diagnosed with periodontal disease. Map out scripts, callbacks, reminders, and actions that will improve adherence. Dentistry represents 6.3% of revenue.⁶ Your goal is to meet or exceed this benchmark. Go for it.

Wendy S. Myers, CVJ, is best known as the Queen of Scripts. Myers knows the right words will lead clients to accept your medical advice, driving patient and practice health. As founder of Communication Solutions for Veterinarians, she teaches practical skills through online courses, conferences, and onsite consulting. Myers’ experience as a partner in a specialty and emergency hospital helped her understand issues that owners and managers face. Learn how Myers can train your team at csvetscourses.com.

REFERENCES

1. Six Steps to Higher Quality Patient Care. American Animal Hospital Association; 2009.
2. Burke J. 3 tips for marketing veterinary dental services. dvm360. January 18, 2023. Accessed January 3, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/3-tips-for-marketing-veterinary-dental-services
3. Englar R. A Guide to Oral Communication in Veterinary Medicine. 5m Publishing; 2020.
4. New ebook reveals the best language to use with clients. American Veterinary Medical Association. September 20, 2021. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.avma.org/blog/new-ebook-reveals-best-language-use-clients
5. The Path to High-Quality Care: Practical Tips for Improving Compliance. American Animal Hospital Association; 2003.
6. Larkin M. Increasing practice profitability requires benchmarking, defining core values. American Veterinary Medical Association. November 18, 2024. Accessed January 2, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/increasing-practice-profitabilityrequires-benchmarking-defining-core-values

Do you need a script for a client conversation? Submit your scenario to info@csvets.com for consideration in future columns.