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How A Dentist’s Tech-Forward Practice Can Transform Hearing Healthcare Patient Care

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What if your patients could watch quality take shape right in front of them? We sat down with a tech-forward dentist, Dr. Michael Walker, to map the playbook hearing clinics can use to boost trust, reduce returns, and deliver faster, more personal care. 
 
We unpack why visible technology changes everything. When patients see a crown modeled on-screen or their own eardrum on a large display, the process stops feeling mysterious and starts feeling valuable. That visibility pairs with efficiency: scanners, CAD/CAM, and in-office 3D printing turn two dental visits into one; ear impression scanning and instant file transfers can do the same for custom hearing protection and earmolds. Layer on best practices—like intraoral photos in dentistry and real-ear verification plus speech-in-noise testing in hearing care—and you replace guesswork with proof.
 
Case acceptance hinges on words, structure, and financing. Hear how “good, better, best” framing leads with the clinical ideal, how to avoid minimizing terms that create urgency, and how to normalize monthly payments without pressure. We dig into presenting benefits that matter—function, aesthetics, communication ease—and why you should never prejudge a patient’s budget. 

You’ll also learn practical rapport habits that scale: simple questions that build trust, small moments that make big decisions easier, and a smooth approach to practice transitions that keeps culture intact while elevating standards.

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Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

You're tuned in to the Hearing Matters Podcast, the show that discusses hearing technology, best practices, and a global epidemic. Hearing loss. Before we kick this episode off, a special thank you to our partners. Cycle, built for the entire hearing care practice. Caption call by Sorensen. Life is calling. Care credit. Here today to help more people here tomorrow. Fader Plugs, the world's first custom adjustable earplug. Welcome back to another episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast. I'm founder and host, Blaise Delfino. And as a friendly reminder, this podcast is separate from my work at Starkey. Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Blaise Delfino, host of the Hearing Matters Podcast. I'm joined by Dr. Michael Walker. He is a doctor of dental surgery. He is also a personal friend of mine. And yes, he is my dentist. Michael owns a dental practice on Johns Island in South Carolina. And Michael, really happy to have you here today.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Thanks for having me on. We've been talking about it for a while. So Michael, this finally worked out.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

We literally have been talking about this for months. And one of the reasons that I wanted to have you on the show and record a CEU webinar is because you are in private practice. Yep. Of course, specific to the dental field. And I believe that there's a lot of parallels between hearing health care and the dental industry. But I think that there's a lot that hearing healthcare professionals can learn from dentists, which is why I wanted to have you on the Hearing Matters podcast. And we wanted to record this as a CEU webinar for those tuned in. Most people tuned in today are hearing healthcare professionals and or private practice owners. So before we dive in, I just want to share something personal. So I present with bruxism, as you know. Um I always say I'm grinding in my sleep all 24-7.

Dr. Michael Walker:

That's right.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And Michael, what was really interesting is my first mouth guard that I was ever fit with was with the putty. And that's usually what majority of hearing care professionals take ear impressions with. And there's pros and cons to it, right? Absolutely, just like everything else in the medical field. But when I got my new mouth guard, you actually used a scanner, which we also have in the hearing health care industry. So when you used a scanner to take impressions for my night guard instead of the traditional putty approach, it reminded me in our industry, you know, the silicone versus scanning debate. You're a younger clinician who believes in the most updated tech as it relates to offering the best patient care. What led you to adopt that technology and how do patients respond to it?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, I mean, it's really come a long way. You know, even when um when I was in school um say eight years ago or so, um, it was relatively new. Um, we learned a little bit about it, but it wasn't the you know traditional way of doing things. Um, so just kind of breaking through, becoming more common, um, and really making some some nice advancements. And to today, I mean, it's just the way to go. I mean, it's it's become so much more precise, um, it's more efficient. Um, patients just really like the experience, um, they find it pretty cool. Um, so it's really just become the way to go. Um, and uh it's been it's been fun to incorporate.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I'm I'm curious because after today's CEU webinar, I'm actually going to be taking ear impressions of your ears for hearing protection. Now, let me ask you the precision of the scanner that you're using. When you first started to use the scanning system, were you ever worried about not getting the best scan? Or, well, putty is so precise, but you're also saying that scanning is pretty precise as well. So kind of walk us through that adoption of, you know, throwing away some of those fears.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. So some of the earlier models with the scanners, at least that I used, um, they just weren't easy to use. You know, there was all kinds of technical things that you had to do just to get a good impression. And there was just a lot of room for error. So that's what I didn't like really at first, um, until I really had a better understanding of it. And then kind of at the same time, the technology advanced a lot, where a lot of those additional steps needed just to get a good impression were gone, more uh streamlined. Um, so that kind of was just perfect timing where you know I learned kind of the harder way to do it, I guess you could say. And then um at the same time, it advanced anyway. So I kind of saw the improvements and could see the benefit in that technology.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Now, let me ask you, because the turnaround time for my night guard was pretty quick. Yes. Are you 3D printing those in the office?

Dr. Michael Walker:

We are, yeah. So the same company that uh makes the 3D printer has essentially like an online uh lab design. Um, so we'll we we'll scan someone's entire mouth, upload it uh to their website, it's back in 45 minutes, and then the design is, and then we can 3D print it right on at our in our 3D printer.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So this is so interesting, Michael, because when we talk about patient experience, and that's what we're talking about today, patient care, case management. At what point do you talk about offering financing to your patients? So again, this is an opportunity for hearing care professionals to learn from the dental industry in terms of patient flow and process. Because you're seeing a lot of patients every single day, correct? Yes. How many, how many per week are you seeing?

Dr. Michael Walker:

As far as just patients? Just patients. Oh my gosh. Um probably close to 100.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Okay. I would say so. We have clinics that are probably seeing a hundred patients, maybe a little bit more. But my question is this in terms of patient flow, what has that patient flow been like using this scanner?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Because this is more than just scanning, this is adopting technology to um positively influence the patient experience.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, 100%. I'd say the biggest thing with that is saving appointments overall. So tell me more about that. Yeah, if you're doing something like a crown or some sort of restoration that you're gonna make with the mill, that's traditionally a two-appointment process. And the scanner plus additional um technology you would need, but essentially that scanner allows you to do that in one visit. And that's been the most positive feedback I've heard from patients over the years is just, you know, I don't have to come back in two weeks to get the actual restoration put in. No, it'll be done today. And they just can't believe that. So even if the appointment lasts, you know, say an additional 30 minutes or 45 minutes or something like that for that um, you know, time to make the crown, let's say, um, patients don't care. They're they're great, they've got a little downtime, they can hop on their phone, do their work, emails, whatever it is, and boom, it's done 45 minutes later.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Well, and whenever there's customization that has to be implemented with a specific case, like whenever we customize hearing protection, let's say, um, I will be using putty, but um, it's that time to then UPS that shipment to the manufacturer.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Absolutely.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

But I see a world in hearing healthcare where every hearing care clinic has an ear impression scanner. So even if you are using silicone, you can put the impressions on the scanner, scans it in like two minutes, creates a file, and then you email that to the manufacturer to build either the custom hearing aids, um, custom earpiece for the receiver and canal hearing aid or hearing protection. And I know that there are currently offices doing this today, but it seems in the dental industry, majority of offices are offering this scanning.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. Yeah, I would say so. Um, that's a good point, though, with the time you save with shipping and and everything, because we'll use a couple of labs all over the country, one's in California, for example, and you know, we'll we'll scan whatever it is for this particular example, literally send it from that same software, and you know, we'll tell the patient, all right, the lab in California already has your information and you know they can't believe it. So um versus the traditional, you know, pouring up a model, having to send that out. Um, there's a couple of days right there.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So it's like faxing, it's like sending it out, dying it back, it's bringing it back. Yeah.

Dr. Michael Walker:

So um that's a good point.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Well, it's the it's the perceived value of care.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So as your patient, the experience that I had, I was like, wow, like I've never ex I've never experienced this before. And I remember coming home and telling my wife, um, I had a really great experience. And obviously, you know, we're friends, but it's it was so cool to see you in that professional light. And the experience felt modern and non-invasive. So, do you think that incorporating visible technology, whether it be a scanner, whether it be a CRM system where patients can fill out their information, they come in, do you think that can shift to how patients perceive the value that your office can provide?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Definitely.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Because you've been in different offices as well.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. Yeah, no, it definitely is. Um, like I said before, patients find it so cool. You know, it's um not just a scanner, but it's the computer that's attached to the scanner essentially that you're doing the design portion on as well. And that's all chair side. Um, so patients, you I if anyone has shows any interest in it whatsoever, I'm I'm showing them. You know, some patients don't care. They're like, hey man, that's your world. Tell me when we're ready. You got it. Um, but most people do find it pretty cool. I'd say the vast majority of patients are very interested in it, um, even though it's totally new to them. They, you know, they're not familiar with it, but they find it very interesting.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And you're meeting patients where they're at. And that's really cool, Michael.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, exactly. And we've already, you know, essentially done the work. We've worked on the tooth, whatever it is. Now it's time to the fun part, design it and show them what we're doing and um, you know, have it ready in 30 minutes, kind of thing. Um, so I'm always showing patients as I'm working through it, you know, what we're doing, why we're doing it this way. And everyone finds it really cool. Um, and I always find it too, it's it's pretty interesting, um, the parallels between industries such as this. Um, but I've had patients say, Oh, you know, I use uh uh a CAD machine at my you know engineering company or whatever. And I said, Well, this is CAD CAM, computer-aided design, computer-aided milling. So it's it's very similar. And patients just find it cool that there's a parallel, there's some connection, and um, they there's definitely perceived value there.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And and it shows as a practice because in hearing healthcare, of course, in in your industry too, you have best practices, right? Every medical industry has a best practice and what's under your scope. But unfortunately, we have something called real ear measurement. And what we're able to do is program the hearing aids to the patient's target. So we're not guessing, Michael. We're saying we know with real ear measurement that we are hitting your targets for best speech understanding and intelligibility. Now that's step one because the patient, if they're new, they're probably not gonna like the way that that sounds. But when we display to our patients, we're conducting real ear measurement, we have a hearing aid test box, we're conducting speech and noise testing, which unfortunately a lot of hearing care professionals don't implement these best practices. And then the question is, well, why do I have so many returns? Or why aren't patients happy with their hearing aids? I believe a lot of it has to do with investing in new tools. So we're talking about modern technology, modern hearing health care practices. What advice would you give to providers in hearing health care who are unsure of adopting and investing in the technology to improve the patient experience?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. Um, well, I would say that there's again, like we said, there's so much value there. Um, if it's something that can be done essentially chair side, have the patients seeing it. Um they just find it so interesting. And then too, with the efficiency side of thing, I mean, it just can't be beat. I mean, it's I it seems like all industries are headed in that direction. Um, it's definitely time to to adopt that and and see how it can help your business.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And when you say help your business, because I did some research, a dental chair is not cheap. Right. It's often more expensive than a vehicle.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

But when we talk about med tech and the importance of investing in our business, when your patients have that experience and they're comfortable in your office, like just how I was, as an early adopter of technology, I want to be with the professional who is investing in their practice because I know, okay, they're most likely up to date on evidence-based practice, on research, things of that nature.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, that's a good point. I mean, you know, it's probably the next thing they think of. Okay, I doubt it ends here, right? They're obviously invested in the newest practices and and the best practices. Um, so you know, with someone that that I can trust and I like how they're doing things.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So, Michael, for undergrad, you went to South Carolina University. Yep. And then for dental school, you went to Maryland.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yes, University of Maryland.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

University of Maryland. Yes. So you are obviously a game cox fan. Yes, that's right. Go Clemson.

Dr. Michael Walker:

I'm converting, yeah. A couple more years here. We'll we'll get there.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Michael, I want to talk about case acceptance because in our industry in hearing health care, patients will wait seven to ten years to address their hearing loss. Now that's a long time. And we know that Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, she introduced these stages of grief. And patients usually, and more often than not, go through that grieving process. So when they come to us as hearing care professionals, they might be somewhere in that grieving process or they fully accepted their hearing loss. Dentistry seems to implement case acceptance incredibly well. Like when a patient needs braces, implants, or restorative work, they're often more receptive than our patients with hearing treatment. Why do you think that is? We talked a little bit about, you know, hearing loss being invisible, dental being visible. Like, let's really unpack this here because I feel like this is where hearing healthcare professionals can learn from dentists.

Dr. Michael Walker:

I think it comes down to the visual aids. Um, intra-oral photographs go a long way when it comes to case acceptance. Um, I'm not sure in hearing healthcare how that can really be done.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

But uh I will tell you before you you go on, we use what are called video autoscopes. So you can see the eardrum on the big screen. But again, there are some practices who are not implementing video autoscopy. And I will say when I ran my practice as a former private practice owner, video autoscopy was game-changing because patients can see, oh, that's my ear, that's my eardrum. Oh, you have a perforated tympanic membrane. This is, you know, this means X, Y, and Z. Sure. Do you think that with that case acceptance? Because I remember going through school, elementary, middle school, you know, we're taught about the importance of brushing our teeth. Do you think it's because it's instilled in us so early? And how what can hearing healthcare learn from that?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, I do too. I think we've got it a little bit easier. Um, everyone knows what their tooth looks like. Something happens to it, they can see, okay, that doesn't look right. Something like that, you know, as cool as I'm sure those images are to see inside the ear. I probably, unless it's something glaring obvious, I probably wouldn't know what it looks like, what it's supposed to look like. Sure. You know, so we do have a little easier there. I'm sure it's a lot harder to uh to walk your patients through that kind of thing on your end. Just as far as case acceptance in general, I think it is as far as um easier since it's so instilled in us, you're right. You know, most people know, hey, I should probably get a cleaning every six months, um, things like that. So having those time frames and and habits instilled in us from a young age definitely plays a part.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

In hearing healthcare, we're we're essentially fighting the stigma associated with the use of hearing aids, but we know that oftentimes the price of hearing technology can be a barrier. And when you talk about patient experience, we dove into modern tech being implemented into our practices today, the importance of that, the importance of displaying to our patients that we are read up on the latest and greatest evidence-based practice and best practices. You do advanced work like dental implants. So I want you to just briefly share your passion there because that's you are an artist. When someone needs an implant, how do you approach that conversation? Yeah, because being blunt, that's not cheap.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Right. Um, and the implant conversation is different from most other dental-related conversations because it is not pain-driven, right? They've already been without a tooth for however long. Um, then being in pain is not what's driving that decision to have an implant done. Um, so is it aesthetics? It's either it comes down to aesthetics or it comes down to function. So anything towards the front of the mouth is usually aesthetically driven. I'm tired of having this space. I've been wearing a partial for two years. I don't like this anymore. I don't like the way it looks. Um, what's my better option? Or two, function-wise, you know, hey, I can't really chew on the right side of my mouth. I'm tired of dealing with that, having to think about where I'm taking every bite. Um, I'm ready to fill this back in. And, you know, I just don't want something that I have to take in and out of my mouth every day. Um, what's my next best option? Um, so that's usually a lot of where the implant conversation starts and and uh is implemented.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So again, this is it's so interesting because in hearing health it absolutely has to, and maybe it's a vanity thing because with a dentition and you smile, you it's like how you present yourself. Whereas with hearing aids, it's like that status of oh, I'm I'm old. And and this is this is part of the stigma, Michael. This is why I want to have these conversations with you and your fellow colleagues, because it's like, okay, both of our industries are moving incredibly fast in terms of innovation and patient acceptance, case management. We know that dental implants aren't cheap. So how do you then have the conversation with regard to price?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Because there has to be a wide range. Like if someone's doing a full mouth implantation, that's going to be expensive. So how do you then have that conversation with that patient?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. There's a lot of levels to it. Sometimes, hey, a patient's actually, you know, running the conversation. They know what they want. Um, but more times than not, it's it's educating the patient on their options, pros and cons of all of those options, and cost being one of them. You know, some patients they may want sure for full mouth of implants, um, but it's just not what they're looking to spend. Um, others have, you know, uh a few options available, and it's up to me to kind of help steer them in the right direction. Um, and again, with education.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

So, Michael, I want to bridge the gap here because it's the conversation about cost. Your patients might ask, well, how much is this gonna cost me for the full dental implantation? And I know that's not cheap. I know in hearing healthcare, we'll often take check, credit card. And usually financing might be that last piece of the puzzle. But when patients do finance, how do you have that conversation? Do you even bring it up as an option?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, yeah, I do. I offer it as an option for sure. Um, even going back to just explaining someone's options, there's always, I try to uh phrase it as there's a good, better, and best option for almost everything. Keep it simple, keep it to three options. Here's your pros and cons for each one. I also like to kind of cascade down those options. So start with the best option when I'm presenting the case and kind of walk it down to, you know, just that good option, let's say. Now, a lot of times from the financial side, it's a cascade down as well. Sure. So there's a little bit of uh, you know, science behind uh explaining things in that order. Um, if you start with kind of the lowest approach first, they've already got their mind made up because they're like, yeah, that sounds good enough. They've kind of turned off already by the time you even get to that middle option, right? So I do try to explain the best option for somebody first because at the end of the day, it is still what's best for them. You know, there are again pros and cons associated with every option, but I'm gonna present the best option for that patient first, regardless of these other factors like price and time and all these things. We'll get into all that. I'm fully transparent with patients. Um, but just from a quality of life, um, that sort of thing, I'm gonna start with the best option typically for a patient.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And and I feel like as hearing care professionals and dentists, we should because if I would be, I would be upset if I went to a healthcare professional and they didn't share the best option with me out of the gate, even if I couldn't afford it. That's right. I still want to know this is what I have available to me. Yeah. Because if I can't afford that, I will try to figure out, well, if it's my health, let me try to figure out how to afford that, especially as it relates to, you know, your dentition, yeah, your teeth, I mean, your hearing.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Right. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm making no predispositions about what someone can or can't afford. That's not really up to me to decide. And once you kind of accepted that and and truly bought into that approach, um, it actually becomes much easier because your conversation's the same every time, essentially, right? Sure, it varies case by case. But what I mean is, you know, you're not making about someone. Yes. You're you're just, hey, this is what I know is best as the professional. I'm going to explain it that way for every patient. And then it's up to them. And I'll try to help someone out any way I can and offer different options and whatnot. But I'm not, you know, gearing a uh treatment option based on what I think someone can afford.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Based on what they're wearing. Yeah, you never know. You never know. No, treating every patient, never prejudge. But when I would be working with my patients in the practice, I would I would either say check, credit card, or patient financing. And I would say majority of our patients do use patient financing. And I would say that, Michael, because number one, it was true. And number two, I never want my patients to feel like, oh, I can't afford this via check or credit card. So I need to pay over time. And that's so important because this patient is trusting you, the hearing care professional. And I remember a couple of weeks ago, you telling me about where patients will allocate their money, maybe not in material goods, but but health. Tell me more about that and how hearing care professionals can learn from this.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Well, it really just comes back to not judging a book by their cover. I mean, it's so true. I've had patients tell me um, you know, they see the value in their health care, and that's where they are more comfortable uh investing. So, you know, it may not be in the clothes they're wearing or the car they drive. Everyone's a little different. Sure. Um, but I've I've had firsthand experiences where someone will say, you know, I I don't spend money on things like my car, and you know, as long as I can get around, I'm good. But I really know I need these two implants here and I'm comfortable paying for that because I see the value in it.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Michael, I want to change gears a little bit because you recently acquired a practice, Johns Island, South Carolina. Yes. Super proud of you, super excited.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Thank you.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

But I want to bring this up because there's a lot of hearing care professionals who are doing the same thing or may want to do the same thing as you. What were your priorities in building trust with existing patients? And then also continuing the strong culture in that practice. Because this is all change management.

Dr. Michael Walker:

It is. It is, but the biggest thing is I'm trying to minimize the change. I think that's where I love that. Tell me more. Yeah, so that just keeps everyone comfortable, right? Um, we're keeping the same staff, we're keeping the same everything start to finish essentially, um, with the exception of me being an addition to the practice. Um, but so the patients coming in see the same people on the front, have their same hygienists, see the same assistant, so on and so forth. And this was a really perfect opportunity where there was already two associates at this practice and they are still there. So patients coming in seeing all the same faces has just really made it just a nice smooth transition.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Michael, I love the fact that you said the only change management is me. Because when a system and process is built to a point that works well, like the case presentation, like when you're talking about patient financing with your patients, whether they're getting dental implants or hearing technology, keeping that same system and process, which is then you have the ability to duplicate yourself. And what I'm excited about is you've also talked about not only working in the business because of your passion for um being hands-on with patients, but working on the business as well. Because you talked about this vision two years ago. So to see it come to fruition now is absolutely incredible. I mean, it's again super excited for you. And thank you for sharing this knowledge with all of our hearing care professionals tuned in today. Absolutely. Michael, when you are recommending something big like an implant, how do you explain the need and benefit? Yeah. And again, you had said that well, patients are usually coming in asking for this. Sometimes. But for those who are coming in and you're recommending this, how do you explain the benefit in a way that builds confidence and not fear?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of different ways to do it, uh, for sure. And every case can be just a little bit different, but there's always something, right? So it can be um keeping the other teeth where they are. Um, if someone loses a tooth, the other teeth are typically drifting around, changing someone's bite. It can be a whole snowball effect. Okay. Um, so again, going back to the visual aids with things, I can snap one picture and show them a tooth already starting to drift and say, hey, if you were to wait another year theoretically, um, this tooth is likely to be in this position. And you can see how that will kind of throw off your bite. Or um a lot of times if someone loses a lower tooth, their upper tooth, same thing, is kind of drifting down into that space, is looking for its counterpart. So, and that typically happens pretty quickly. Um, so if I can kind of get a picture again of a tooth already starting to kind of migrate and show bring it up on the the big TV and someone's, oh yeah, I can see that. You know, that doesn't look good. Um, I'd imagine if that grows another, you know, half inch down in this space, I'm probably my bite's gonna feel crazy, right? Sure. So um almost with every case, there's something already kind of starting to change that I can say, hey, we can probably halt this right in its tracks if we go ahead and you know get this done. Um, and people see a lot of value there.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I want to bring up briefly, because I know we're we're coming up on time, the case presentation when recommending hearing aids. And we actually did a full episode on the hearing aid recommendation process, and motivational interviewing is so important in our industry. When patients would come to the office, we would always encourage them bringing their spouse, a friend, or a loved one. Yeah, because this is not only an investment monetarily, but also you're gonna be wearing hearing technology the rest of your life. And we wanted to ensure that patients were comfortable. So we really integrated the spouse or the friend. Yeah, and I would say, Mr. Smith, what would you like to accomplish today? Well, I want to hear better, I want to go to restaurants and not feel left out. And then I would turn and I would say, Mrs. Smith, what would you like to accomplish today? Just that reframe there, Michael, because I genuinely wanted to know as his wife, someone who's known him for 30, 40 years, what would you like to accomplish? Because you've seen him communicate differently here. Sure. So I love how you have that educational approach. It's not to scare them, it's not scare tactics. And whenever we would talk about the comorbidities linked to untreated hearing loss, like you're talking about what if. Yep. If I don't address this now, then what? And hearing healthcare, and even today, what hearing care professionals should absolutely do is not use comorbidities like untreated hearing losses linked to cognitive decline. Don't market that as a scare tactic. Because number one, that's just not ethical, in my professional opinion. I think you would agree. Absolutely. But educate them. You want your patients to leave your office heard.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

You want your patients to leave your office heard. Language really does matter, and language is a code in which ideas are shared. So Are there any words or phrases that you avoid in the dental industry that would create resistance?

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah, there's quite a bit actually. I don't know.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Let's hear the glossary.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Essentially, anything that does not create the urgency that is appropriate, we want to avoid using. So someone has a cavity present, right? Uh avoiding words like little cavity. Someone who's in the chair hears, oh, it's a little cavity. It'll probably be all right for six months, right? And sometimes it's not, you know, sometimes six months from now, they're in pain. And it's because, you know, we didn't educate them on the urgency to get this treated. Um, so that's probably that's one of the biggest ones. Uh little.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

It reminds me in hearing healthcare mild. So we have well, it's mild, it's mild here. But no one, not many people are gonna act on. I have mild vision loss, right? And I can tell, like at night, if I'm not wearing my glasses, even just watching television, I'm like, no, that's pretty off. And it's more than mild. So yeah, in our industry, it's mild. And yeah, and not just saying, oh, it's you have a mild hearing loss, you'll be fine. Right. We know that there are comorbidities linked to mild hearing loss. Sorry, Michael, continue on the glossary of words not to use.

Dr. Michael Walker:

No, I mean that's a big one, of course. Um, and on the other side of the coin, using things like, I'm worried about this current state. This is a pre whatever the situation is, pre-toothache situation as it stands right now. It just raises the urgency enough that they see the importance in treating it sooner than later. And it does all go back to it truly is what's best for the patient. You know, I don't want to give the impression that we're trying to sell something that isn't necessary, something that doesn't need to be done right now. That's not it at all. But it's helping a patient understand the appropriate urgency to get what's necessary done. And sometimes patients, you know, need a little push to do that.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Accountability. Yeah. It's accountability. And we are all humans, and oftentimes, especially whether you're going to the gym, you all need that accountability.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Hearing professionals will sometimes struggle with the confidence recommending a treatment plan. What would you say to someone who needs to kind of get comfortable having those conversations as they relate to price? Because there's a difference between then, so you're in your clinical realm, right? Like you're a clinician, but then you're also talking financing with your patients as well.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And and the monetary aspect of that. Yes.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Um, it does get easier with repetition, I would say. Um, kind of going back to treating everyone the same, uh, not having any predetermination about what the patient's response will be makes it easier and is just there's more uh confidence with your delivery, I would say. And that's perceived by the patient as well. You know, if you're um kind of beating around the bush, not really being direct with any of those details, um, it's there's gonna be more pushback from a patient just naturally. Um so having confidence in your presentation, again, knowing that you are telling them what's best for them, um, and everything else will kind of work itself out.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

I like how you said the repetition and that confidence because you're obviously a confident individual, uh, but you're humble, which is so important to be in healthcare, right? Like I know my stuff, but my patient doesn't, so I'm not gonna word vomit.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Right.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Um the repetition, but also when you exude confidence to your patients, they're gonna feel that and they're gonna say, Yes, I I want to work with you. Yeah, absolutely.

Dr. Michael Walker:

100%. And I think too, just um always trying to relate to the patient one way or another, starting there, right? There are people, like you said, at the end of the day, connecting on something on just a personal level, right out right out of the gate, just kind of sets the tone, sets the stage. Um, you know, you're already kind of have that trust working. Um, and then the rest of the conversation just becomes a little bit easier, right? It's more like you're talking to a friend, you're not a salesman. Right. Um, you've already connected with someone, they can kind of feel that you have their best interests at heart. And as long as that's true, the rest just becomes a little bit easier.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

And I love, you know, your practice, you are essentially a family practice, right? And a lot of the hearing healthcare professionals in our industry and the practices, they are family practices. So your patients are coming in and you're saying, Oh, how's football season? How's little Timmy doing? How nice is that? In a in a day and age where everything is so tech driven, we are social beings. That's a whole other CEU webinar. But um, Michael, final question. And you know, you've been really gracious with your time today, and this has been a lot of fun recording this CEU webinar. If a provider wants to start improving their patient experience tomorrow, what are a few golden nuggets you would share with them? Like, I just want to make it 15, 20% better.

Dr. Michael Walker:

Yeah. What would you recommend? Yeah. Um, I'd say make it maybe taking a step back from even the clinical side and again, kind of just trying to find something to relate with the patient. Um, I've just really put a lot of effort into doing that. Um, you know, as a day gets busy, you jump in to do someone's exam, you want to just jump right into work. Yeah. Um, naturally, you know, in your back of your mind, you're saying, I've got someone else waiting already. You know, I need to really speed through this. And it's just not good for anybody. Um, it's not a good experience. Um, they're probably not gonna, you know, feel like you, again, you had their kind of best interests at heart as you're um doing the exam, explaining whatever you need to explain to them. So um just kind of making it a more personal experience, um, taking a minute to just again ask how they're doing today. If you've already met them before, how's you know, your kid doing whatever the case is? How was that trip you were talking about last time? How did that go? Um and actually care. And actually care. Like listen, it's gotta be legit and be present and just run through the motions and have a script. It's you gotta kind of be good on your feet and and uh be ready to switch, you know, audible a little bit. Um, but uh that that's been a good way to just kind of reach the reach patients a little more and um have allow everyone to have better experience.

Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS:

Well, Dr. Walker, thank you so much for joining us on the Hearing Matters Podcast. Congratulations to you on this new venture. Thank you all for tuning in to the Hearing Matters Podcast and today's CEU webinar event to follow Dr. Walker's story because after this, we're actually taking impressions of his ears and we're gonna be fitting him with active hearing protection that you're gonna be actually field testing with. Yes. And we're going to do a follow up episode on your experience because there's been some research about uh dentists uh and hearing loss. Yes. And we're gonna talk more about that another time. But this is the Hearing Matters podcast. Keep listening well. I'm your host, Blaze Delfino, and until

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Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS

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