The Very Dental Podcast Network Very Clinical: The "Resurrected" Patient...Sometimes They Come Back
Zach and Kevin welcome Alan back to the show by commiserating over those moments where you look at your schedule and wonder why you (or your past self) agreed to a specific procedure.
-
Kevin's #16 Crown Prep: Kevin recounts the dread of seeing a crown prep on a third molar (#16) at 8:00 AM. Despite the technical difficulty and the "Is this a joke?" feeling, it ended up being successful with a rubber dam.
-
Zach's "Self-Extracting" Molars: Zach shares a cautionary tale from his early career working with his father. He attempted to crown a second molar that was tilted so far distally it was practically trying to extract itself. The result? A lost contact, a lost crown, and eventually, a lost patient.
-
The Bioclear Pivot: Alan discusses a recent case where he planned a crown on #15 but found decay so deep it was near the crest. He pivoted to a side-by-side Bioclear composite, which was harder and more time-consuming but ultimately the right clinical choice.
The main theme of the episode focuses on patients who reappear after years—sometimes a decade—away from the chair. Alan and the hosts break these down into tiers:
1. The S-Tier (The Best Case)These are patients who didn't leave because of a conflict; they simply "had a gap in life."
-
Examples: Moving away and moving back, going through a divorce, or the "COVID-12" (people who stopped coming in 2020 and are just now emerging).
-
The Dynamic: They still feel like "your" patients. They often have a high follow-through rate because they are relieved to be back in a familiar, trusted environment.
Patients who left for a specific reason—usually insurance—and realized that "a dentist is a dentist" isn't actually true.
-
The Insurance Trap: Many leave because the office went out-of-network, only to find that the "in-network" experience lacked the technology or relationship they valued.
-
The Result: When they return, they often have a newfound appreciation for the higher level of service and clinical care provided.
-
The Billing "B-Tier": Patients who disappeared because they owed money. They usually only reappear when they have an emergency and are suddenly willing to pay their old balance to get out of pain.
-
The Personality "C-Tier": Patients who left after a confrontation or a bad review.
Alan reflects on how his clinical confidence has changed over the years. When a patient returns after 10 years, they aren't seeing the same dentist; they are seeing a version of Alan that is more skilled, has better tools (like new Bioclear matrices), and more experience.
When is a "Resurrection" a "Hard No"?
-
Abuse of Staff: Rudeness, yelling, or cussing out the team.
-
Chronic No-Shows: People who are "constitutionally incapable" of making it to an appointment.
-
The Dismissed: If a formal dismissal letter was sent, the door remains closed regardless of the patient's willingness to pay.
Join the Very Clinical Facebook group!
Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, or Lipscomb!
The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us!
I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products.
Are you a practice owner who feels like the bottleneck in your own business? If you're tired of being the hardest-working person in your office, I've got something you need to hear. Dr. Paul Etchison, is hosting a virtual event that is a total game-changer. Paul is honestly one of the most brilliant minds in dental leadership today, and he's hosting the 3-Day Freedom Practice Workshop from February 19th through the 21st. He's going to show you exactly how to break through that two-million-dollar revenue ceiling while actually compressing your clinical week. It's about building a leadership team that takes ownership so you can finally step into the CEO role you deserve. Head over to DentalPracticeHeroes.com/freedom to grab your spot. And do me a favor—mention the Very Dental podcast when you sign up. It's 100% guaranteed, so you've got nothing to lose but the stress.
Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time!
The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist!
Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products!
CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!