The Growth of Itinerant Dental Specialists

1
The Growth of Itinerant Dental Specialists Itinera
nt dental specialists are growing in numbers and
popularity. Due to dentists declining income
and patients increased demand for special dental
services, these specialists are in high demand.
Still, many dentists are reluctant to work with
an itinerant dental specialist. They have
questions about how it works, or are not sure if
it is right for their practice. In this article,
we will talk about what an itinerant dental
specialist does and how they can help your
business. What is an Itinerant Dental
Specialist? An itinerant dental specialist
travels to other dentists offices to perform
services. Itinerant dental specialists may
rotate between several different dentists
offices on a weekly or monthly basis, or they
may be contracted on an as-needed basis. This
differs from the traditional model, where
dentists refer patients out to specialists. A
wide variety of specialists choose to
travelperiodontists, endodontists, and oral
surgeons can all be itinerant dental specialists.
They perform services such as dental implants,
extractions, or root canals, all in the offices
of a general dentist. Itinerant Dental
Specialists vs. the Traditional Referral
Model How does using an itinerant dental
specialist compare to the traditional model of
referring patients out? There are several
advantages to working with a travelling
specialist. First, general dentists lose money
when they refer patients out. Each year, dentists
refer out billions of dollars worth of services
to specialists. By using an itinerant dental
specialist, these services are kept in office.
The dentist now controls the billing and
contracts with the local traveling specialist to
perform the treatment services. The dentist and
specialist will agree on a treatment sharing
percentage which typically includes sharing the
costs associated with performing the
treatment. Without an itinerant dental
specialist, dentists may feel that the only way
to keep their clients in house is to hire a
full-time specialist. This can leave already
struggling dentists paying another salary. Other
dentists have chosen to perform minor procedures
themselves, such as extractions. While this may
work financially, it means patients are not
receiving the high-quality services they would
get from a dedicated specialist. The assumption
of treatment liability becomes a major hurdle for
private practice dentists who feel compelled to
perform specialty dental services. When case
treatment becomes compromised such as when there
is a catastrophic failure of an implant, the cost
and complications of remediating these cases
rises substantially. It is simply a matter of
numbers. Private practice dentists typically do
not see enough cases in a month or year to
provide the patient with the necessary care and
experience when cases become unexpectedly
challenged. An oral surgeon, on the other hand,
will often see 10-50 times more implant cases in
a month then the average individual dentist. In
addition, the ongoing education that an oral
surgeon goes through every year is utterly
dedicated to these types of specialty treatments
whereas a general dentist may have different
educational and training priorities.
2
There are also advantages for specialists who
choose to travel. Itinerant dental specialists
can travel full time and avoid the high cost of
renting and maintain medical office space and
running their own private practice. They may also
decide to have their own practice, then travel
specific days out of the month to supplement
their income. This works well for dental
specialists who do not have enough clients to
fill their schedule. It is also an extremely
powerful method for strengthening the
relationships with their existing referral base
who are undoubtedly being courted by other local
specialists. Dental specialists who are in high
demand may especially benefit from travelling.
Often, dentists and patients are willing to pay
a premium for itinerant dental specialists.
Highly qualified itinerant dental specialists
can make hundreds or thousands of dollars in a
days work, without worrying about the overhead
costs that come with a private practice. Finally,
there are major benefits for patients. When
patients require special services, a referral to
an outside specialist can be a hassle. The
patient has to call the specialist, set up an
appointment, and go to an office they do not
know for a procedure that is expensive and
complex in nature. There is also more paperwork
involved for the patient. Not surprisingly, many
patients do not follow through when they receive
a referral from their dentist and in many cases,
the patient never returns to the original dental
office. With an itinerant dental specialist,
patients do not have to go anywherethey can
receive treatments right in their regular
dentists office. Studies have demonstrated that
patients are much more likely to accept
treatment when the treatment is provided within
the office of the general dentist. A Growing
Market The market for itinerant dental
specialists is growing fast. More dentists are
employing itinerant specialists rather than
referring patients out. This is due to a number
of factors, specifically, the rising costs of
running a dental practice, dentists declining
income, and the easy availability of itinerant
dental specialists. As the cost of doing
business rises and dentists income fall, many
dentists are looking for new ways to increase
revenue. Adding the services of an itinerant
dental specialist provides dentists an
opportunity to accomplish this goal. In addition
to bringing specialty dental treatment revenue
back into the dentist, the patient enjoys a much
more comfortable and convenient dental treatment
experience. Today, nearly 25 of private practice
dentists have reduced or eliminated the tradition
of referring patients to specialists. They do
this by either acquiring the specialty clinical
skills themselves or by hiring itinerant
specialists a few times each month. It seems
pretty clear that more and more specialty work
will continue to be performed within the confines
of the private practice dental office. How To
Find A Local Traveling Specialist The internet
has made it easier for dentists to locate
specialists. One of the fastest-growing of these
sites is mypractice9. Mypractice9 is a bit
different than other sites in that it connect
dentists and specialists in a 100 web-based
application. On mypractice9, dentists can use the
site for free. The site quickly and easily
provides a thoughtful method for dentists to
identify and hire itinerant specialists like
oral surgeons, orthodontists and prosthodontists.
It took us less than 45 seconds to fill out their
short registration information and with one
click we were ready to post a case. Dentists
post jobs that they
3
need completedfor example, a dentist may have a
patient in need of an implant. Specialists can
search and find jobs that are in their local
geographic area and area of expertise. By
matching general dentists and itinerant dental
specialists in this way, mypractice9 is creating
a new kind of market for dental services.
Mypractice9 charges a flat monthly membership fee
to specialists. There are several other sites
that help dentists connect with itinerant dental
specialists who can perform the services they
need. Sites like Dental Specialist Network and
Synergy Specialists provide a pool of dental
specialists from which dentists can select
through a contracted basis. These services can
be expensive but they do provide a nice resource
for dentists looking for help within their
practice. Unfortunately, these sites offer
services in very limited markets. The advantages
to dentists partnering up with itinerant dental
specialists are numerous. By working with a
travelling specialist, dentists can save money
and provide better care for patients. Now that it
has become easier than ever for dentists and
itinerant dental specialists to connect, there is
no reason all dentists cannot offer high-quality
specialty services in their own office.