We communicate daily with clinic owners, doctors, administrators, and dental technicians, sharing useful experiences with Cliniccards users. Today, Arsen Paraschuk, the head of Studiya 32 clinic, which he and his wife, orthodontist Sofia Paraschuk, founded in Ternopil in 2009, will share his experience with us.
You are not a dentist. Tell us how you ended up in dentistry.
I just wanted to help my wife. I admired her dedication to her work and her concern for her patients. She needed help because, in addition to the direct treatment process, a huge amount of information fell on her.
Back then, I worked for a major tire company, and initially, I could juggle helping my wife with my primary job. However, I eventually had to leave the job I had been dedicated to for 14 years. The clinic was growing, and the processes were increasing, so I needed to organize and streamline everything. Therefore, since 2014, I have been fully committed to managing the clinic.
My wife and I make a great team: she handles all the medical aspects, and I care financially. She tells me what she needs, and I handle the calculations. Sometimes, doctors are concerned that the high cost of a service may deter patients, causing them to turn down better treatment options. However, my wife is solely focused on providing the highest quality care to patients, without being overly concerned about the cost.
Did your management experience from your previous company help you in managing the clinic?
I realized from that experience that Ukraine is vast, and people in different regions have different mindsets. As a result, sales trends vary across regions: what succeeds in Kyiv may not succeed in other cities. Therefore, it's important to tailor your approach to working with each patient, just as you would with a client.
For instance, residents of Ternopil have more time to visit various dentists and compare prices at their leisure. Unfortunately, they often base their choice solely on the price, rather than the quality of treatment. They believe they will receive the same outcome as long as they find a cheaper option, but this is not the case. A person could visit 5 different dentists and receive 5 different approaches, 5 different price points, and, naturally, 5 different results.
Unfortunately, many people lack awareness and a desire for self-improvement. It's not surprising, as we only started to regularly brush our teeth after the 90s, thanks to companies like Blend-a-med and Colgate. However, even now people don't do it correctly. It's easier to teach an eight-year-old to brush their teeth properly than an adult. Sometimes, people only become aware of the importance of dental care after losing a tooth, but everyone has their own path to awareness.
Your clinic has a very interesting philosophy and approach to working with patients. Please tell us more about it.
Our approach is simple: since the bone structure of the jaw is formed before the age of 25, our goal during this time is to establish a comfortable bite and assist in its formation if necessary based on the clinical assessment. Unfortunately, many people in Ukraine overlook this critical period. As a result, by the age of 40, they may have lost 5-6 teeth and attribute these problems to the dentist. That’s why all dentistry is now focused on implantology and complex orthodontics, in other words on cases where the tooth is missing. As a co-owner of the clinic, this is beneficial to me. However, as a father of three children, I would not want my children to experience these dental issues.
I believe that it is better to work with healthy teeth. This involves performing high-quality hygiene, educating the patient about timely visits to the doctor, and providing guidance on proper oral health care. I think there is great demand for this approach, and a clinic that establishes a strong connection with the patient in this way will have no competition. A reputable clinic should be proud to have long-term patients who have never needed any implants. That's what makes a clinic truly outstanding!
How did you come to this understanding?
I became interested in how different countries approach dental health for their citizens. It turns out that even countries with strong economic indicators may not prioritize this.
For example, the Swiss are known for being extremely well-groomed. While some may attribute this to their high level of wealth, the reality is somewhat different. In Switzerland, the state covers dental treatment for individuals under 25 years old. This means that people are not required to pay out of pocket for dental care, but they are obligated to make regular visits to the dentist. Failure to comply with these conditions can result in fines or removal from the program.
Switzerland is the only country where orthodontic treatment is covered by the social package until the age of 18. As a result, the Swiss are believed to have the most symmetrical faces in the world. For comparison, the average age for the first loss of a permanent tooth in Switzerland is 42 years, while in Ukraine it is 18.
The effectiveness of the system depends on how it is constructed. It's not feasible for a single clinic to improve the health of all Ukrainians. Nonetheless, dentistry is a blend of business and medicine. As Ukrainians, our current focus should be on children. Unlike the 90s, we now have a dental infrastructure, but people's habits remain unchanged and are difficult to alter. Therefore, we should look to Switzerland as an example and concentrate on the health of the younger generation.
But how profitable is it for the clinic to grow healthy patients "from scratch"?
If this service is in high demand, it will likely be profitable. However, due to human laziness, we have only managed to connect 20-25% of patients to such a system. Interestingly, many people consider spending $30,000 on a car to be normal, but spending $10,000 on dental work is seen as a problem. Yet, a car can be replaced several times in a lifetime, while teeth are permanent. This suggests that people have misplaced priorities. You are given a "car" at a young age to drive for the rest of your life. How should you take care of it?
Yes, there is a lot of money in implantology, but there are also substantial costs involved. Furthermore, a single surgeon can perform implant procedures on 2-3 patients per day, while professional hygiene treatments can be provided to 10 patients. By operating at this scale, it is possible to achieve even better profitability.
Let's return to Switzerland. Why does the country invest in its citizens under the age of 25? It's because they believe that by investing in the health and well-being of young people, they will have a stronger and more productive workforce in the future. This means more tax revenue for the government. It's a smart long-term strategy. In contrast, in some other places, it seems like everyone is left to fend for themselves.
Does it make sense to switch to such a system for a clinic that is primarily focused on treating patients with serious medical conditions? If so, how should we go about making this transition?
I experimented with Cliniccards users. First, I asked them which services they considered the most important in their clinics. Then, I asked them to open the Completed procedures report. Most of them mentioned implantology or similar services. However, when they checked the report, they were surprised to find that the top services in terms of profit were hygiene or small photopolymer seals. It was interesting that these seemingly small and often overlooked services contributed significantly to their profits.
I share a life hack: When you need to increase prices, review the 10 most profitable items in the Completed procedures report and adjust their prices first for immediate results.
Before 2017, I had to analyze all the clinic data using Excel. Cliniccards has made my work much easier by allowing me to consolidate all the information and conduct a comprehensive analysis of the clinic's operations. For me, Cliniccards is a way to streamline all our processes, including managing income and expenses, as well as organizing our medical knowledge. The most challenging part is integrating everything within the clinic, but Cliniccards has been a huge help. The system is evolving so quickly that I'm struggling to keep up!
How do you integrate updates into the clinic's work?
It's done element by element. We introduce and fix one element at a time. The larger the clinic, the more important it is to have a control tool, and the more time it takes to implement it. Cliniccards provides me with all of this. I've heard stories of people using Cliniccards and paying $3,000 for a clinic audit. To me, this is a misunderstanding of what kind of product they are dealing with. You could say they pay the auditor just to show them how to use Cliniccards (laughs). You have set the standards, and now virtually everyone is working in this area. Cliniccards is the macOS of dentistry.
We have seen many cases where clinics start using Cliniccards and experience significant growth within six months to a year. Why do you think this happens?
The answer is simple – because Cliniccards help remove the daily routine. This allows for more time to think, analyze, make quick decisions, and clearly see where the money comes from and where it is spent. With Cliniccards, everything is in one place. I feel calmer now because I have everything under control. The entire medical industry, not just dentistry, is now focused on marketing business. This is beneficial as it brings in competition, growth, and investments. I am pleasantly inspired by the enthusiasm of doctors, but we need more managers. Unfortunately, dentistry still lacks proper management. We also need more oversight from the state, as patients can't objectively assess the quality of treatment, only the emotional aspect. Apart from that, I think everything is fine. I just hope that victory comes sooner.
Do you have any practical advice for those planning to open a clinic?
I would advise clinic owners to delegate their management responsibilities to a dedicated employee. By doing so, you can effectively manage the clinic and increase your earnings. I personally believe in creating a structure that allows the clinic to function without my direct involvement. It's essential to treat the clinic as a business first and foremost, ensuring that it is built in a way that makes it sellable. Additionally, I recommend focusing on Cliniccards more, as it offers great opportunities. However, it's important to implement changes gradually rather than all at once. Utilize the Stock feature for accounting purposes, as it holds significant importance in the dental business. Cliniccards provides a robust stock accounting system. I hope Cliniccards continues to evolve in the same manner. It's impressive that the platform listens to user feedback and implements suggestions, creating a collective user experience. While I believe that 90 percent of users have not yet fully grasped the product's true value and capabilities, I see a positive trajectory. I am confident that in the future, we will be as good as Switzerland, thanks in part to Cliniccards!
