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End-of-the-Year Dental Billing Headaches and How to Avoid Them

11/12/2023

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The end of the year presents dentists and patients with many difficulties in navigating the confusing world of dental billing. From employers switching dental insurance companies to patients exhausting their dental benefits, the unique insurance hiccups that happen this time of year often result in unhappy patients, denied claims, and overextended staff. Thankfully, some of the most common year-end dental billing headaches can be mitigated by pay attention to a few specifics:

    1. Open Enrollment and Updated Benefits Many companies hold open enrollment in November and December, so this time of year often leads to surprise plan terminations and dental claim denials. Meanwhile, many existing plans modify the coming year’s benefits. Dentists can streamline the dental billing process by alerting their patients to open enrollment season and collecting next year’s dental insurance information ahead of time. By maintaining updated information, we keep the billing process working smoothly through the open enrollment season and the New Year. Similarly, getting ahead of the game helps us accurately verify coverage, which further prevents denials and unpaid patient portions.

  2. Tracking Insurance Maximums Patients generally don’t know the annual max on their insurance plan, but dental insurance companies track this number like a bloodhound. Unfortunately, that often results in denied dental claims, especially on work completed toward the end of the year, when patients begin to reach their annual max. However, our clients have an advantage because our dental billing service helps track insurance payouts. Once practices know that their patient has met their max, they can schedule future appointments after January 1st, allowing the max to reset and fully reimburse the dentist for their work.

  3. Informed Patients Stay Satisfied. Satisfied Patients Pay Fairly. The complexity of dental insurance baffles most people. When patients feel blindsided by unexpected out-of-pocket costs, they sometimes stop trusting their dentist, avoid payment, or even seek a different provider. At no time is this more apparent than at the turn of a new year when maximums and deductibles reset, plan benefits change, and new dental insurance companies come into play.

Providing comprehensive treatment plans can help bridge the provider-patient information gap, but treatment planning alone is not enough. Patients may need help understanding concepts like copays, deductibles, maximums, and coverage levels. Offer simple, jargon-free information to prevent delayed payment and keep patients satisfied.

Dental Billing Solutions Made Easy As dental practices educate their patients, we at SB Dental Billing Solutions support them with current insurance fee schedules and on-demand consultation. Together with our clients, we tackle the beast of year-end dental insurance issues effortlessly.

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What is the Best Way to Reduce Dental Appointment No-Shows?

10/24/2023

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No-shows can be incredibly frustrating for dental practices. Sometimes, last-minute cancellations are genuine mistakes, or have legitimate reasons. Regardless of why someone misses an appointment, the result is the same: Lost Money and Time. To minimize this issue, we’ll share our strategic steps to reducing dental appointment no-shows:

If you want patients to value your time, value theirs as well.
It's essential to show patients that you value their time. Work on reducing wait times and ensure prompt appointments. When patients feel their time is respected, they are more likely to keep their appointments and be considerate of your schedule. This builds trust and improves the overall patient experience while maximizing practice efficiency.

Offer Incentives Giving incentives to patients who consistently show up on time is an effective strategy for reducing no-shows and fostering a positive patient-provider relationship.
These incentives can come in various forms like goodie bags or gift cards. No one would say no to a 5$ Starbucks gift card just for showing up on time to the dentist. However, sometimes the most powerful incentives are non-material in nature. A heartfelt thank-you from the dentist for a patient's punctuality can go a long way in building trust and a strong foundation

Have an effective confirmation process

One of the most tedious aspects of running a dental practice is the constant need to make multiple appointment reminder calls to a patient. The patient might be in a business meeting, out with family, or just not have the habit of checking their phone. Our studies have shown that 80% of confirmation calls went to home answering machines unchecked. That’s why we recommend a robust automated appointment confirmation service. Confirming appointments in advance through emails and texts significantly reduces the likelihood of patients missing their scheduled visits. Incorporating automatic confirmation also gives your patients the power to handle booking changes, which cuts down on time wasted playing “phone tag”. Luckily for any of our current and future clients, SB Dental Solution is launching our own appointment confirmation service. With it, you can count on improved punctuality, reduced cancellations, and a more efficient dental practice.

Check out our Services page or contact us for more information.

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The Most Common Questions Endodontic Patients Ask About Root Canals

10/15/2023

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Endodontists perform many root canals every day, so most practitioners understand them inside and out. For patients, however, root canals often seem daunting and unfamiliar. Providing thorough and clear explanations can help patients feel comfortable enough to schedule their needed endodontic treatment, which not only improves their dental health, but also leads to a more lucrative endodontic practice. Increase profitability and efficacy by addressing endodontic patients’ five most common questions:

How do I know if I need a root canal?

Many symptoms may point to the need for endodontic intervention. Teeth requiring root canals typically have had severe decay, infection, or traumatic injury, which may cause noticeable issues. Symptoms to watch for include a severe toothache, especially when chewing or applying pressure to the affected tooth; sensitivity to hot or cold; a persistent pustule on the gums near the tooth; discoloration of the tooth; and/or swelling or tenderness in the surrounding gum tissue. Patients experiencing any of these symptoms should seek help from a qualified endodontist as soon as possible, and the endodontist will confirm whether the tooth requires a root canal. Will a root canal hurt? Root canals do not have to cause pain! Instead, modern procedures typically ease any discomfort created by infection or damage to the nerves inside the tooth pulp. Endodontists can also help relieve post-operative pain thanks to their special training in pain management.

What can I expect during a root canal?

Here is a summary of the procedure: First, an endodontist takes radiographs to help guide them through the internal tooth structure. Then, they numb the site and place a dental dam over the tooth to prevent spreading bacteria. Next, the endodontist drills an access hole in the chewing surface of the tooth. The internal structures of the tooth are then thoroughly cleaned, shaped, and filled in. Once the pulp chamber and roots have been filled, the dentist covers the opening with a temporary filling. After a few weeks, the patient will return for the final step – receiving a crown to permanently close the area. How long does recovery take? Recovery time varies slightly from case to case. Generally, patients experience mild tenderness for a few days, usually limited to the treatment area. Endodontists address this with over the counter or prescription pain relievers. Such discomfort should not last more than a week. Patients who experience severe pain, significant swelling, or loss of a temporary filling, must contact their endodontist as soon as possible.

Why not just pull my tooth instead of a root canal?

While some advanced cases require tooth extraction rather than a root canal, keeping original teeth reduces bone loss, and can prevent the need for costly implants or dentures. Tooth loss is also associated with higher rates of malnutrition, especially among elderly populations. Therefore, saving teeth with endodontic treatment can benefit a patient’s overall health and longevity. With that in mind, endodontists avoid extracting teeth whenever possible.

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3 Lucrative Procedures All Endodontists Can Offer to Increase Profit

9/21/2023

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At SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company, we aim to boost the bottom-line for our many clients. We focus on assisting Endodontic Practices to reach their full income potential using optimal endodontic dental billing strategies. Despite playing a vital role in a patient’s healthcare team, Endodontists sometimes get boxed into the same few basic treatments. But offering new procedures can be easy and profitable, even for the most niche of dental specialists. Take the following endodontic treatment enhancements for example:

Internal Bleaching
Whitening therapies that work on the outside of the enamel, like toothpastes, rinses, and gels, only treat the surface of the teeth. But Endodontists know that discoloration can go much deeper. A tooth with infected or dead pulp will often look dingier than its neighboring healthy teeth. Teeth that darken following injury or disease don't respond to traditional whitening treatments, but Endodontists can easily solve the problem by adding internal bleaching as an optional addition to Root Canal Therapy. Since the tooth’s root has already been exposed for necessary endodontic treatment, why not help improve its appearance at the same time?

Laser Dentistry
Numerous different dental and surgical lasers have come out recently, increasing their availability and affordability. What’s more, both patients and providers report better results from laser therapy than from traditional treatments. Lasers cauterize soft tissue, producing less blood than a scalpel and improving recovery time. And with Fewer or no shots to administer, Endodontists can economize while helping anxious patients feel more comfortable. That’s why patients often seek out providers who offer laser dentistry, making this technology as profitable as it is advanced.

Oral Sedation
Offering sedation dentistry may seem impractical, considering the added complication and expense required to bring in a qualified anesthesiologist. Many endodontists try to get by without offering sedation at all, relying instead on laughing gas to help calm their anxious patients. However, many patients (especially children and the developmentally delayed) require additional assistance during complex dental procedures. How can Endodontists cater to this demographic with the least cost and hassle? With just a little continuing education, any endodontist can perform semi-conscious oral sedation in-office. Using medications like Demerol or Versed, dentists can relax anxious patients far more effectively than they can with nitrous oxide alone. Best of all, patients can be monitored in-office by existing staff, without requiring additional practitioners.

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How Our Dental Billing Service Solves 3 Common Dental Office Disasters

6/28/2023

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Dental billing is often frustrating and can determine the productivity of a dental practice if staff members spend precious time and energy redoing their work to correct mistakes. No wonder problems crop up, since most dental offices are staffed with dental professionals, not billing and finance specialists, and dental billing keeps getting more complicated. That’s why many dental practices are turning to outsourced teams of specialists, like SB Dental Solutions, to handle their billing and coding responsibilities. Along with simplifying the dental billing process for both dentists and patients, outsourcing also solves other common problems faced by most dental offices.

1. Inaccurate Patient Portion Estimates, Fixed! When patients receive their initial treatment estimates, they expect their resulting bills to match. Unfortunately, offices often underestimate the patient’s final portion, causing frustration, anxiety, and frequently, an unpaid dental bill. Inaccurate estimates result from many intersecting variables, including incorrect insurance breakdowns, errors during the filing process, and more. When a trusted, team of dental billing specialists provides both cost estimates and final bills, there’s a much lower risk of inconsistencies. Knowledgeable billing specialists can devote all the time necessary to decipher and confirm each detail and deliver accurate cost estimates.

2. Confusing Customer Questions, Clarified! Patients calling into their dental office with billing questions might not consistently get reliable answers. Unpredictable customer service costs dentists valuable time and money and might even drive patients to seek another dental provider. But with our billing solution, patients benefit from qualified billing experts who can accurately break down their bills. Patients appreciate receiving consistent, correct, and clear answers straight from knowledgeable billing professionals.

3. Gridlock & Slow Cashflow, Cleared Up! Outsourcing increases accuracy and lowers the cost of labor compared to in-house billing, which frees up capital for dental practices to use elsewhere. Dentists also save the money that they'd otherwise spend to purchase dental billing software. Additionally, dentists frequently encounter bottlenecked cashflow because of inefficient billing practices, causing the business to struggle. On the other hand, using dedicated billing management through a specially trained team results in a faster, smoother billing process than in-house billing.

Outsourcing enables practices to better manage their assets and keep on top of any potential problems along the way. More Time for What Matters: The Patient Spending too much time on billing issues reduces the amount of time available to focus on delivering excellent patient care. Our services can help you to better focus your attention where it belongs. Call us to learn more about our dedicated dental billing professionals today.

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How Dental Billing Services Make Taxes Simpler

6/11/2023

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B Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company offers comprehensive billing services from insurance claims to patient statements. Since we’re all about dental billing, you may not know what a difference we can make to the process of filing your taxes. While we don’t file for you, taxation does play a significant role in dental practice finances, so we seek to support our clientele as much as possible, particularly during the dreaded tax season. We keep thorough and accessible financial records to help simplify tax filing and financial auditing. We also encourage our clients to work with trustworthy, well-informed accountants with whom we are happy to collaborate. Adding SB Dental Billing to your financial team can help to ensure a smooth, cost-effective, and worry-free tax season.

US Tax Changes That Could Affect Dentists
With each new presidential administration, various changes always take place. President Biden has proposed changes to the US tax code, many of which will affect dental offices. Staying informed can help prevent unpleasant surprises come next tax season, and as financial advocates in the world of dental billing, we found the following summary of changes, particularly helpful (original source https://www.dentistryiq.com/):

The top individual income tax rate for taxable incomes above $400,000 will change from 37% to 39.6%.
Congress will pass a 12.4% old age, survivors, and disability insurance (Social Security) payroll tax on income earned above $400,000, to be evenly split between employers and employees.
There will be caps on the tax benefit of itemized deductions to 28% of value for those earning more than $400,000. This means that taxpayers earning above that income threshold with tax rates higher than 28% will face limited itemized deductions.
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) will expand from a maximum of $3,000 in qualified expenses to $8,000 ($16,000 for multiple dependents) and the maximum reimbursement rate will increase from 35% to 50%.
The corporate income tax rate will increase from 21% to 28%.

It’s Your Call
Don’t leave your dental office finances up to chance. Stay safe, relaxed, and informed with a trustworthy financial expert in your corner. Call SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company today for more information on how we make dental billing a breeze.

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Tedious Dental Billing Tasks We Make Look Easy

5/24/2023

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At SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company, we’ve seen many dental practices that are bogged down by the intricacies of insurance, coding, patient payments, and so on. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We offer easy, hands-off solutions for our clients that improve their revenue and relieve their staff from the most arduous aspects of dental office finance. Here are some of the tedious dental billing tasks that we easily implement for our clients:

Renegotiating Insurance Fees Insurance companies need to turn a profit, so it is to their advantage to pay the smallest possible rates. That’s where we come in. SB Dental Solutions will negotiate with your contracted insurance plans to get you the best reimbursement rates for your dental claims. No need to make another frustrating call to clueless insurance reps; we’ll take negotiations off your plate and get you the best deals available.
Updating Procedure Codes New dental codes come up all the time, and busy dental offices will lose out on potential revenue if they’re not informed. For example, during 2020 many dental insurance companies began reimbursing for additional Personal Protective Equipment due to Covid-19. As specialized dental billing professionals, we stay up to date on all dental billing procedures, including new opportunities for reimbursement.
Managing Payment Plans Offering flexible payment options improves treatment acceptance rates and increases revenue in the long term. As a part of our standard services, SB Dental Solutions will bill patient portions, manage patient payment installments, and offer additional financing options. These options often enable patients to complete otherwise cost-prohibitive procedures, which benefits the patient and the dentist. Best of all, we handle the nitty-gritty of payment plans, freeing the dental office to focus on treatment rather than enforcing financial policies.
Auditing Patient Info Dental insurance providers require everything on a claim to match their records, otherwise, they will deny the claim without a second glance. Unfortunately, busy office staff may forget to enter a piece of the required information into a patient’s file or may even enter incorrect information. This could include misspelling the name of a patient or policyholder, recording the wrong date of birth, or using an outdated billing address. To avoid denials, we transfer patient data electronically, regularly update billing information, and communicate directly between dental insurance companies and dental practices to ensure all patient files are accurate and complete.
Getting these tasks taken care of can be quick and easy. Call us today to find out how we can take over your least favorite dental billing responsibilities.

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AAE Declares May “Save Your Tooth Month” to Encourage Endodontic Treatment

5/2/2023

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The American Association of Endodontics (AAE) has declared May national “Save Your Tooth Month.” At risk teeth that require complex endodontic treatment often get postponed due to financial concerns, time constraints, or dental anxiety which can lead to the loss of natural teeth. However, the AAE has decided to take this opportunity to encourage patients to complete needed treatment, concentrate on prevention through hygiene, and receive frequent screenings.
According to the AAE, saving natural teeth has important impacts on health and quality of life. The AAE also points out that extracting salvageable teeth causes complications because, “Tooth extraction often is more painful than the infection itself, and replacing an extracted tooth with an artificial one requires additional dental visits that can quickly add up.”
Patient education is key. Many are unaware that with advanced endodontic procedures and techniques, Endodontists can treat even severely treated teeth. Natural tooth retention is correlated with better nutrition and longevity, especially in elderly populations. The message behind the AAE’s focus on tooth retention comes from the stunning health outcomes from tooth retention.
Endodontic Practices can participate in Save Your Tooth Month by informing their patients how endodontic procedures cure pain, infection, and traumatic tooth damage. Reaching out through local and traditional media can help get the message out about natural tooth retention.
In addition to improving patient outcomes, education can help endodontic offices meet their financial goals. To ensure the expert handling of increased business from Save Your Tooth Month observances, reach out to the dental billing experts at SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company. We specialize in Endodontic Dental billing, which means that our highly trained staff have the expertise needed to help your practice thrive. Keep your patients and your profits healthy with professional billing specialists, and celebrate Save Your Tooth Month along with us and the AAE.

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Root Canals Not So Scary? New Research Could Help Endodontic Patients Complete Treatment

4/18/2023

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Patient follow-through can present one of the most difficult aspects of endodontic practice. As your endodontic billing specialist, SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing company shares our clients’ concerns regarding incomplete planned treatments. In many cases, fear accounts for the lack of patient follow-through. After all, root canals are one of the most common phobias in the United States. However, research into endodontic treatment now suggests that root canal work isn't as scary as it seems.
According to a study from the University of Adelaide, when researchers surveyed over one thousand randomly selected dental patients, “Patients who had root canal work reported similar oral health-related quality of life as people who had other types of dental work.”
The study compared root canals to other treatments, such as tooth extraction, restorations, repairs, gum treatment, and cleanings. Not only did root canals prove no worse in terms of pain during treatment and recovery, but patients benefited from the endodontic interventions as they cured the pain of dental infection.
Hopefully, endodontists will find these results helpful in encouraging their fearful patients to complete needed treatment. Rossi-Fedele, Professor at the Adelaide school of dentistry and co-author of the study emphasizes the importance of considering patient perspectives in dentistry, saying:
“Treatment outcomes need to be re-examined from a patient-based perspective using self-reported measures as this more accurately reflects the patients' perception of treatment outcomes and the effect it has on their overall well-being.
"Patient-reported treatment outcomes are now the principal driving force behind treatment needs, as opposed to clinician-based treatment outcomes.
"With this change in emphasis, the perspectives of patients and their relatives are important factors in identifying need for treatment, treatment planning, and determining outcomes from any health care intervention as part of shared decision making.”
By listening to patient perspectives, fears, and feedback, endodontists will see better patient follow-through and higher patient satisfaction. Better follow-through and satisfaction will allow endodontists to bill more complete root canals, improve their revenue, and reap the rewards of specialized endodontic billing assistance.

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Increased Stress Bad for Teeth, Says ADA Report

4/10/2023

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A 2021 American Dental Association (ADA) report finds an increase in stress related dental conditions. Recent times have presented many increased stressors across the world, from massive wide-spread wildfires to a global pandemic larger than any in over 100 years. Unstable world and US economic futures, record unemployment rates, and social and political upheaval also contribute to higher rates of anxiety, stress, and panic related health complications. Dental disease is no different.
According to the ADA instances of grinding and clenching teeth have increased by 71% in the last year. The report also found 63% more chipped or cracked teeth, and 62% more Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ or TMD) related symptoms. What’s more, the vast majority of Dentists surveyed have observed that these stress-related symptoms have increased in their practice, with 70% of respondents reporting the trend.
According to ADA representatives, global conditions relate directly to these findings. The report added, “Our polling has served as a barometer for pandemic stress affecting patients and communities seen through the eyes of dentists. The increase over time suggests stress-related conditions have become substantially more prevalent since the recent COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, after a significant portion of Americans were vaccinated, dental office patients report higher levels of confidence in returning to the dentist. 90% of patients report that they’ve already been back to the dentist or plan to go soon. Dentists can expect an increased patient load in addition to increases in treatment for stress-related conditions. This means a major expansion of insurance verifications, claims submissions, patient bills, and all dental billing responsibilities.
What can SB Dental Solutions Dental Billing Company do to help with this increase? By relieving your staff of the burden of dental billing, we allow our clients more time and resources to address patient concerns. We can ensure better reimbursement for treating stress-conditions by assessing insurance contracts and staying informed of billing guidelines in these areas. Finally, we offer accurate patient portion estimates and handle payment plans, which helps remove financial barriers to cosmetic restorations for stress related chips or cracks.

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End-of-the-Year Dental Billing Headaches and How to Avoid Them

What is the Best Way to Reduce Dental Appointment No-Shows?

The Most Common Questions Endodontic Patients Ask About Root Canals

3 Lucrative Procedures All Endodontists Can Offer to Increase Profit

How Our Dental Billing Service Solves 3 Common Dental Office Disasters

How Dental Billing Services Make Taxes Simpler

Tedious Dental Billing Tasks We Make Look Easy

AAE Declares May “Save Your Tooth Month” to Encourage Endodontic Treatment

Root Canals Not So Scary? New Research Could Help Endodontic Patients Complete Treatment

Increased Stress Bad for Teeth, Says ADA Report

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