Dr. John
Halmaghi is in private practice in Southfield, MI, and has been
a pioneer in cosmetic dentistry and complex dental care. A graduate
of The University of Michigan, Medical College of Ohio, and University
of Buffalo, he has maintained over ten times the national continuing
education credits, and has written and published numerous articles and
textbooks sold internationally. He loves to take on challenging cases.
Visit his website.
Once you have made the great decision
to start performing Halitosis treatment, you will have to decide how
you are going to market this service. Here are some ideas you may
want to keep in mind. The logical way to tell patients about your
treatment is to send a letter to all of them, informing them of your
new service. Include a coupon either for a free consultation or 50%
off of your regular fee for the breath treatment. Then, post an announcement
in your office indicating to all patients that you are now performing
breath cure. Place brochures at your front desk, and distribute any
other visual material that you can throughout the office. Also consider
doing free Halimeter® tests on all of your patients.
Inform all patients about the new treatment! Let everyone know how
you can help them, in an unobtrusive and inoffensive manner. Please
remember that patients are very sensitive about breath issues. Here
are some good opening lines:
"Mrs. Jones, we now have a computer that can
detect possible breath problems."
"Even I didn't know I needed help until we
bought this computer and I analyzed my breath."
"The Halimeter® has helped
me and my staff because it gives us an insight on how to help prevent
or cure such problems. Would you like a free reading today?"
Instruct your front office on this new protocol,
and don't be afraid to bring up the issue of halitosis. You already
have a relationship with your patients and you're not getting more "personal,"
you are just informing them of a new service. Do the reading before
any dental work is performed, so that you get an accurate level. Here
is an excerpt of the letter that I sent to all of my patients when I
started doing breath treatment:
Dear friends, our office is now performing one of the greatest
services possible for all of you. It is called Halitosis Treatment,
and it can change your life. Nearly every one of us suffers from
bad breath problems at some point. One in four of us suffers from
chronic bad breath, a condition that can have serious personal and
professional implications. We all use mints and mouthwashes to try
to get relief; however these products actually make our breath worse.
We can show you why!
Some of us may not be aware of the problem that may be plaguing
us. If you're not sure about your breath, then do the following:
Lick the back of you hand, wait 5 seconds, and smell it. Sorry
about the disgusting part, but now you realize what other people
may be sensing about your breath. Don't wait any longer to schedule
an appointment. Our new Halimeter® computer will
assess the severity of your problem, and we can show you how to
cure your bad breath for the rest of your life. The analysis is
free, and all of the products that you need are only $27. Wait no
longer...call us today!!!
As an immediate result of this letter, I scheduled
25 patients, and now we see a minimum of two patients per day for
this service. We have expanded to do some outside marketing, including
cable commercials and Yellow Page ads. You can actually get a free
listing in your Yellow Pages under Halitosis Treatment. If your local
Yellow Pages does not have this section, then ask your rep to make
up a Halitosis section in the Pages and place your listing for free.
If you like, you can also take out small ads
in local health magazines or local newspapers. You can also do press
releases or write a column for the health editor. Free publicity is
the key! Don't forget about internet marketing. It's inexpensive and
can bring you many patients.
We see at least two or three patients per week
that come from other offices for our breath cure. I always hear the
same thing:
"I have been getting regular cleanings all
of my life, but I am concerned about my breath. My dentist just tells
me to use mouthwash, brush, and floss. However, I still feel that
my breath is really bad."
Oh, how I love these patients! It takes me about
10 minutes to get a Halimeter® reading and inform them about curing
their breath problem. Guess who their new dentist is?
Obviously, you have to decide what you are going
to charge for this service. You are not going to make a huge profit
directly from doing bad breath treatment. Don't do this service if
you think that your bottom line will improve by $100,000 a year -
directly. I stress the word "directly" because you have to consider
that most patients who have breath problems also have many other dental
needs. It is these other dental problems that will improve your bottom
line. You will get to do more dentistry for new patients that come
to you for this treatment.
At my office we charge $95 for new patients.
This includes two bitewing X-rays to detect periodontal problems,
a Halimeter® reading, a periodontal screening, and
all of the education and products necessary to treat halitosis. We
use Oxyfresh products, and if you need more information, please send
me an e-mail.
