Pediatric dental practice may need to make some changes should the federal government cut Medicaid funding for states.
Barry Lyon, DDS, the dental director for Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics and the chief clinical auditor for Dental Care Alliance, spoke with Becker’s to discuss the strategies pediatric dentists can use to maintain a successful practice.
Editor’s note: This Q&A is part of a weekly series featuring Dr. Lyon focused on topics in the dental industry and DSO field. The views expressed are those of Dr. Lyon and do not necessarily reflect those of Main Street Children’s Dentistry and Orthodontics or Dental Care Alliance.
This response was lightly edited for clarity and length.
Dr. Barry Lyon:
Of all the dental specialties facing uncertainty over the Trump administration and the dubious Make America Healthy Again plan, pediatric dentistry has the most to lose. If Medicaid funding is cut, pediatric dentists serving those patients need to prepare their practices for a worst-case scenario.
Fortunately, this is a period of robust innovation in dentistry, and there’s much to choose from when it comes to preparing a practice for difficult times. Here are some tools pediatric dentists can adopt to help protect their practices:
- Artificial intelligence: This is an astonishing tool that can significantly improve efficiency in diagnosis and treatment planning. Between the dentist’s own knowledge and the remarkable power of AI, pediatric dentists can be assured the genuine treatment needs of patients will not go undiagnosed.
- Laser therapy: Improved patient experiences with hard tissue lasers can be marketed as truly comfortable dentistry, while soft tissue lasers can open the door for a broader patient base and an expansion of services.
- Improving the patient experience: Adopting online scheduling, registration and bill payment not only makes it more convenient for patients but frees the office front desk staff to work more efficiently.
- Social media: Expanding a practice’s social media presence can be an inexpensive marketing tool that pays dividends and can reach a multitude of potential patients.
- Take advantage of the health-conscious consumer by marketing non-invasive remineralization therapies and the use of BPA-free or BPA-reduced dental materials. These are currently hot topics on social media.
If a pediatric dental practice loses its Medicaid segment, that loss must be offset by creative thinking and embracing innovation to capture as many new patients as possible. At the same time, cutting expenses, reviewing staffing needs and increasing hours can also compensate for a decline in patient flow.
