After you have gone through and taken accurate records during the complete examination it is time to present the treatment plan. When it comes to presenting the treatment plan to a patient, there are two things you need to have with you.
Establish a Patient Communication Plan
The first thing is one treatment plan. Now, remember the treatment presentation should be part of a longer process. When you are designing a treatment plan, you have to start with a complete exam and records. After that appointment, I like to add one appointment, what we call the review findings. And this is where we sit down with the patient with a couple of goals in mind. The first thing is to get the patient to understand their problem, why it's happening, also to get them to own that problem.
Sit Down With The Patient
The second thing that they have to work together with us for is to come up with goals and limitations. And this is where we could talk about alternative treatments, get an idea of what their budget is and what they're going to tolerate, what kind of treatment they're interested in. After you get all this information, you sit down and you make your treatment plan for that patient.
The great thing about it is you can make one treatment plan because you're making the treatment plan with the patient, you're customizing it to them, and your case acceptance will go up. You'll get a yes, because you're basically presenting an idea that is the patient's own idea. And no idea sounds better than somebody's own idea.
Have Confidence
The second thing that you need at a treatment plan presentation is confidence. Patients are going to look at you and if you feel good about what you're presenting, they're going to say yes. Now, the key to confidence is simply preparation. Be prepared.
Learn a Checklist Style Approach to Treatment Planning
The Dawson Academy teaches a checklist style approach to treatment planning so no matter the size of the case or the constraints from the patient, you know exactly where to start and what your treatment entails. Begin your journey today at Functional Occlusion - From TMJ to Smile Design.
