Course Title: Disease Management Modules

Course Title:Dental Practice Management Modules

Module 1: Developing Billing Excellence

Module 2: Fee Schedules, Sliding Fee Scales, and Management of the Self-Pay Patient

Module 3: Financial and Productivity Goals

Credits: 1.5 CE credit is available upon successful completion of Modules 1, 2 and 3. Both modules must be completed to receive the 1.5 CE Credit.

Course Description:

In Module 1: You will learn about the roles and responsibilities of staff and patients related to the billing and collections process. We review the common breakdowns in the billing system, determine ways to improve billing, and discuss what billing performance measures are and how to track them.

In Module 2: You will gain an understanding of how to set appropriate rates for dental services and how to develop an effective sliding fee scale for your dental program. We discuss the unique guidelines for Federally Qualified Health Center dental programs and their use of the sliding fee scale, as well as explain how self- pay patients can effectively fit into your safety net dental practice.

In Module 3: You will learn about what data should be collected in order to set and achieve financial and productivity goals in a safety net dental program. You will also learn how to complete key financial and productivity calculations as well as identify typical productivity benchmarks.

Educational Objectives:

Module 1: By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of all staff and patients related to the billing and collections process
• Understand common breakdowns in the billing system that can lead to financial losses
• Determine ways to improve and manage billing and collections within a dental department
• Learn what billing performance measures are and how to track them

Module 2: By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Understand how to set up rates for dental services
• Understand how to set an effective and financially non-detrimental sliding fee scale
• Discuss the unique guidelines for FQHC dental programs and their use of the sliding fee scale
• Explain how self-pay patients can effectively fit into your safety net dental practice

Module 3: By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Discuss what data should be collected to achieve financial and productivity goals
• Understand how to calculate key financial and productivity calculations
• Identify typical productivity benchmarks

Teaching Methods: Self Instructional

Authors/Instructors:

Mark Doherty, DMD - Dr. Doherty joined the DentaQuest Institute in 2005 as Director of the Institute’s Safety Net Solutions (SNS) program. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Doherty served as the Director of Oral Health Services at DorchesterHouseMulti-ServiceCenter in Boston, MA, where he built a safety net dental program that included three separate treatment sites, 18 dental providers, several specialty services, and a staff of more than 40. He currently serves as the Chief Dental Officer for the TauntonOralHealthCenter and for Commonwealth Mobile Oral Health Services, which provides portable oral health care at sites throughout Massachusetts.

Dori Bingham - Dori Bingham is the Program Manager of Safety Net Solutions (SNS) at DentaQuest Institute. In her role, she oversees all dental practice management clients and provides day-to-day support of SNS clients. She works closely with safety net dental program clients and provides support, coaching and help in problem-solving as they work to reach their unique practice goals.

Rob Compton, DDS - Dr. Robert Compton leads the DentaQuest Institute in its work with oral health professionals across the United States on quality, prevention and disease management in dental care delivery. Dr. Compton is a nationally recognized leader on issues of dental quality, dental reimbursement, dental analytics and oral health. Most recently, Dr. Compton served as vice president of business intelligence for DentaQuest, one of the nation's leading oral health companies. Dr. Compton also serves as President of the DentaQuestOralHealthCenter, a model dental office committed to prevention-focused care, which is co-located with the DentaQuest Institute in Westborough, Massachusetts. Fifteen years ago, Dr. Compton established the DentaQuestOralHealthCenter to be a model for prevention-focused dental care and minimally- invasive treatment. The OralHealthCenter has been recognized by the American Dental Association as an Adult Preventive Care Practice of the Year.

Susan Presnol - Susan is the Manager of Transformative Learning for the DentaQuest Institute. In her position, Susan is responsible to lead the development and implementation of all clinical training and technical assistance programs for the DentaQuest Institute. This role includes the translation of internally, and externally, developed clinical innovations into web-based, on-site and group training products and services that will support dental care providers in integrating prevention and disease management protocols into routine practice.

*Disclosures: The following are DentaQuest Institute employees: Rob Compton, Michael Monopoli, Mark Doherty and Susan Presnol.
The following are reimbursed consultants: Martin Lieberman and Mary Foley.

Danielle Apostolon - Danielle is the Technical Assistance Project Manager forSafety Net Solutions (SNS). She oversees the data collection and analysis process, and develops findings, recommendations and enhancement plans for safety net clinics.Danielle also offers support to dental programs during the implementation phase of the practice enhancement process, providing sample policies, individualized financial/productivity goals, business plans, job descriptions, coaching and motivation.Additionally, Danielle performs needs assessments and environmental assessments for clinic startups and feasibility studies.

Course Support: This course is supported by in-kind support from DentaQuest

Cost: Free

Refund/Cancellation Policy: Not Applicable

Original Release Date: May 2013

Date of revision: January 2017
Date of expiration: January 2020

Pre-requisites: None

Target Audience:This learning series is designed for dental directors and dental practice managers. The modules provide an overview of the main components of practice management for a safety net dental program. It is designed to accommodate learners with different backgrounds and varying levels of expertise in practice management.

Provider Contact Information: If you have any questions, please contact DanielleApostolon at

DentaQuest is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry.

DentaQuest designates this activity for 1.5 continuing education credit.