ORTHOBITES Classroom Financial “Pearls” One of the features and benefits of the Premier Orthodontic Clinical Courses are the clinical and financial pearls that we share with the participating doctors who are part of our six-session clinical course. Here are a few finan-cial pearls to help you as you start the New Year: Fig. 14 1. “Get ‘em while they’re hot!” Do not let the responsible party leave to go home to think about it. Take a down payment that day. 2. Take a discount to get paid in full. 3. See the patient every four weeks if patient is not paid Fig. 15 in full. 4. Do not finance treatment past 12 months. 5. Attempt to get 25 percent down payment minimum. 6. When close to finishing, be very aware of the patient’s financial situation. Fig. 16 The patient was also given a couple of tubes of 10% bleaching gel. The most interesting observation regard-ing this case was that no expansion appliances were employed on the patient (other than what was gained from the straight wire appliance. And even though he was a class III dental initially, he repostured to a dental Class I. The total treatment time was 19 months. I congratulate all of the Premiere doctors who participated in his treatment. 7. If the patient is behind in payments near the finish, ask the patient to catch up by simply saying, “You are behind, which credit card would you like to use to catch up today?” and then shut up. 8. The most satisfied patient is the patient who is paid in full. 9. Do not do the case if the child does not buy in. The money is not worth it. 10. Offer as many ways to pay as possible. www.orthodontics.com January/February 2012 13
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society January-February 2012: Page 13
