Today, I want to share a really cool tip that will not only help a certain segment of your patients, but will nicely add to your bottom line, too.
 
Check this out:
 
According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), about 1 in every 5 adult males smoke (20.1%). 14.5% of females smoke. All in, 42 million Americans light up.
 
If half go to the dentist, a full 21 million smokers visit their dentist every year (approximately).
 
Did you know that by counseling your patients that smoke, you may be able to file an additional line item on your insurance billings for “smoking cessation & education?”
 
The ADA code is D1320: Tobacco counseling for the control and prevention of oral disease.
 
And, a quick Google Search landed me here (useful):
 
http://www1.umn.edu/perio/tobacco/brief_tcforms.pdf
 
Check it out. Add it to your hygiene and exam protocol. Or, wherever it makes sense.
 
A call to several of the insurance companies that my own dental office (Wellness Springs Dental of Salem) contracts with and we were given fees from $19 to $56 (Delta).
 
If only 10% of your patients smoke and you have a patient base of 1,500, that’s 150 additional folks you can help and receive reimbursement from insurance… 150 x a $37.50 average billing per consultation would result in an additional $5625 per year in production!
 
Oh, and one more thing…if you’re struggling to fill your appointment book with new patients, or, you’ve got no choice by to increase your profits to offset the “new taxes” we’re all paying, be sure to look into my ClearPath Society.
 
I share cool stuff like this with Members all the time…And, if your practice fits the above parameters and you’ve not been billing out ADA code 1320, and helping your patients, I just helped you cover your first year’s Membership dues, effectively making your Membership no cost to you!