Dear Friends,
Last week, our new President challenged us to commit ourselves to service. With more people out of work and unable to pay for basic care, you may be considering how you can help your community. Providing free or discounted care can be a great way to give back and create goodwill.
In our feature article, FREE DENTISTRY DAY, you will read about our own Dr. Doug Roth's effort to serve his community in a very special way.
You also may be considering discounting your services to some individuals. Whether you are thinking about it or you already have a policy in place, read our article on DISCOUNTS which sheds light on how this choice impacts your practice.
We would love to hear your stories and pass them on in future newsletters.
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Free Dentistry Day
by MaryBeth Head
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The idea came from Stan Brock's Remote Area Medical, a non-profit organization providing free medical, dental and veterinary care to the underserved in remote areas of the US and the world.
Upon seeing the report on 60 Minutes, Dr. Doug Roth realized his own Central Florida community had the same need. His staff agreed and they set the date for their first Free Dentistry Day.
Doug's family values and upbringing establish the importance of giving to others. "I have small town roots in me and you just do that sort of thing. My dad was a dentist who cared for people in need whenever he could. We dentists are so fortunate".
Doug placed ads in all the local newspapers and contacted the local television and radio stations to get the word out. One paper sent a reporter who wrote a feature article about Free Dentistry Day. "Patients started calling to get more information. Other professionals called to volunteer their time or make donations of materials and supplies. It was pretty remarkable", Doug said.
Read on
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Discounts
by Sandy Roth
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Sometimes we voluntarily put ourselves into situations that we later regret. For many dentists, discounting is one of those things. It may have sounded like a good idea in the beginning, but it can easily come back to haunt them.
Over the years, I've seen many practices struggling with how to handle discounts. It is important to understand that the decision to offer or agree to discounts for any category of patients is first and foremost a business decision. That means the business owner must determine whether the discount will ultimately be more advantageous to the practice than the cost of offering it. I suspect that there are many practice management experts who have set guidelines to help their clients determine the costs of such discounts.
The bottom line, however, is that the entire amount deducted from the regular fees - the discount - comes entirely from the dentist's potential income.
This is a simple business matter. First you pay the bills. The balance belongs to the owner. I understand that many dentists try to pay themselves first, but ultimately the bills must be paid or the business becomes insolvent. And ultimately the only income the dentist can take is that which is available from the business after paying the bills.
The dentist, of course, has a great deal of discretion in determining what those bills will be. He or she also has a great deal of discretion in determining fees, financial arrangement options and discounts.
Continue
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