Periodontal disease is the most common clinical condition in cats and dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medicine Association.
Although periodontal disease is entirely preventable, a recent survey of dog parents published in BMC Veterinary Research found that fewer than 4% brushed their pet’s teeth daily.
This unfortunate reality helps explain why most pets typically show early evidence of periodontal disease by age 3. Left untreated, their dental health will worsen with age without effective preventive measures.
Thankfully, the VCP platform offers the flexibility to improve dental compliance by:
- Offering stand-alone dental plans
- Adding dental cleanings and other services to an existing wellness plan
Stand-alone dental plans and wellness plans with dental options give pet parents peace of mind by offering the means to budget for cleanings and extractions.
By providing both of these options, your practice can help ensure pets receive the proper dental care, promoting good dental health year-round. And, you’ll grow an important source of revenue for your practice.
Stand-Alone Dental Plans
The VCP platform provides the flexibility to create stand-alone dental plans to promote dental compliance. For example, say dental care is recommended for a pet patient, but your client needs help budgeting for dental treatment, and then there is the possibility of extractions.
Extractions can be a source of anxiety. It’s unknown whether they’ll be needed until the dental procedure is underway, plus your client likely hasn’t budgeted for the cost.
This can lead to a difficult conversation with your client. A dental care plan is a proactive solution that can aid in your extraction discussion. Here’s how it works:
Basic Plan
- The basic plan consists of a grade two cleaning
- The plan outlines what is to be expected
- The pet patient is enrolled with a down payment, then monthly payments begin
VCP separates payment and service terms. For example, your practice might take 4 payments but render the dental services over 6 months, ensuring costs are covered.
Extractions Treated as Optional Services in Dental Care Plans
VCP’s smart option alleviates the often uncomfortable discussion about extractions. Any necessary extractions can be added as options to a dental treatment plan, allowing you to add the appropriate quantity of extractions at the time of need.
All or part of the extraction cost can then be added to the plan with the cost prorated over the remaining payment period. The system also gives you the ability to charge to fit your preferred method, such as:
- Increments of time
- Type of tooth – Number of roots
With the dental treatment plan, you can add options to the current plan for extra increments of time and the number of extractions by number or roots. Simply go back to the plan, select the option for extractions, and add them to the plan.
The dental plan renews annually, but the options do not. With this capability, your pet patient is set for a stand-alone cleaning, but you can easily add extractions, as needed, just like before — thus avoiding an uncomfortable discussion.
Add Dentistry as an Option
VCP’s wellness plans also offer the freedom to add dentistry options at any time, even for pet parents who had initially opted out. Simply go into the wellness plan and add the dental cleaning. The service cost is then spread across the remaining plan term — it’s that easy.
With two effective options to improve oral health, your practice can promote greater compliance and give your clients the means to budget for cleanings and extractions. By doing so, you make it easy for the pet parent to say yes to the appropriate care for their furry friend.
