Dental health is good for the patient and the practice

Have you ever wondered why all of the focus on dental health in the animal health industry is crammed into the month of February? Why would a clinic only turn their attention to such an important area of their practice for such a short period of time, especially when that part of the practice extends into so many other areas of the practice?

The dental health of a pet is very important. Proper dental care and maintenance can prevent disease, infection, and things as severe as cardiac issues. The proper level of dental care can’t truly be completed for all patients in one month. Additionally, one patient cannot possibly receive all of the dental care that they may need for the entire year in one visit. So, why is it that all of our efforts seem to peak in the month of February? It seems that the only additional focus during this timeframe comes from the manufacturers who provide new and unique products associated with dental health.

Time for reps to step up
If we are truly here to serve our customers we need to do a little homework for them. Dental procedures can be a profit center for the clinics that we serve. Dentals can also help a practice focus on an area of their client offering that cannot be matched by the “over the counter” (OTC) product suppliers. Major categories of products are already being targeted by the OTC market. Flea and tick products are some of the most prominent products that have been taken from the veterinarian and given to the OTC channel. Some of the major companies have chosen to take the veterinary formulations straight to the big box stores and internet outlets, which gives pet owners access to prevention without consulting a veterinarian. As professionals who serve veterinarians, we cannot allow them to be focused more on product sales than they are the services that only they can provide. The expansion of emphasis on dental health can bring additional value to a practice and the pet owners that they serve.

Dental care has many facets. Regular check-ups and cleaning can create a new revenue stream for a practice. The use of pre-anesthetic testing, the cleaning procedure, the products that are used during the procedure, and finally any products that may be prescribed as the patient is sent home can also provide a practice many opportunities for additional revenue. In addition to these, there is opportunity in the sales of additional products and treats that promote clean teeth and healthy gums. An expanded dental focus can help to replace some of the revenue that seems to be leaving the practice and going to the internet and big box stores.

By the numbers
Let’s look at the impact of growing a practice’s dental business by using numbers from a real life example. Let’s assume that the average dental visit is $166.50. The practice has 1,575 active clients and a 29 percent dental compliance rate. That means the practice sees approximately 457 dental visits per year. If we grow the practice’s business to a 40 percent dental compliance rate we can expect an increase in revenue of almost $29,000. The majority of this revenue comes from dental service, and the impact to the practice is impressive. As clinics move into an age of increased competition from OTC and internet product providers, they must turn to the services that cannot be taken out of the practice. There are many products used during a dental procedure and additional products prescribed or recommended after a dental procedure. We have not captured the value of these products or their margin opportunity in the example above. It is our duty to try and share this information with the veterinary customers that we serve.

Partner up with manufacturers
There are many companies that manufacture and promote dental products. You are in a unique position to provide value to the practices that you serve, the manufacturers that want to reach these practices, and the patients that our veterinary customers care for. By leveraging our position we may be able to provide additional value in all of these areas. As we bring more attention to dental health, we may be able to partner with some of the manufacturers to deliver additional motivation for our veterinary customers to increase their dental focus. Helping our customers deliver the message to their customers is probably the biggest initial hurdle because our customers are not typically sales oriented. We can get over this hurdle together if we can use our positions to assist them with materials and information to pass from the manufacturers to their patients to help them promote dental health. Sharing industry statistics is always a good way to get your message to your practice. Veterinarians benchmark themselves against their peers. Dental statistics can assist you in having an educated, motivating conversation with the practices that you are trying to help.

The most successful inside representatives are those that go the extra mile to help customers be more successful. This whole dental topic may be one that you can’t see yourself promoting or discussing yet. Do your homework. Try the conversation with your favorite practices. Stress the fact that you are interested in their success. Acknowledge and discuss some of the worst fears of losing their edge on product sales to the big box stores and the internet. Discuss the skills that they possess that cannot be taken away from them. Starting the conversation this way will prove to your customers that you are truly in this for their success. If you take the time and make the investment, your success will be the direct result of these conversations.

Todd Brodersen has more than 16 years of experience in the animal health industry, specifically in executive level sales and marketing management. Todd has first-hand knowledge in conceptualizing and implementing best practices in sales, marketing, distribution and procurement. Todd operates Same Page Consulting, Inc. out of his hometown of Omaha, Neb.