The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes 2426: Boosting Treatment Acceptance Without Overwhelming Patients
Jan 19, 2026
Dr. Summer Kassmel, a seasoned dental entrepreneur and DSI Black Belt coach, shares invaluable insights on enhancing treatment acceptance. She outlines her step-by-step strategy, emphasizing a unified team approach and clearly defined care pillars. Summer discusses the importance of personalized communication and using analogies to engage patients effectively. She highlights the power of recording interactions to improve case acceptance and trains teams in emotional intelligence. Her approach balances patient comfort with ethical care, ensuring long-term health is prioritized.
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Write Down Your Pillars Of Care
- Define and document your practice's pillars of optimal care so every team member knows what you offer.
- Display and update these pillars yearly to create consistency and clarity for patients and staff.
Use Six Pillars To Structure Treatment
- Break care into clear pillars (soft tissue, hard tissue, occlusion, missing teeth, aesthetics, sleep/airway) and define optimal treatment for each.
- Use these pillars to communicate scope and prioritize what to address per appointment.
Standardize Exams And Pace Visits
- Give hygienists a standardized exam sheet tied to your pillars so every clinician gathers and presents the same diagnostic story.
- Train them to stop at realistic goals per visit and explain what will come next to avoid overwhelming patients.
