The Dental Billing Podcast

Defying the Odds: How Martell Coke, RDH Became a Dental Hygiene Trailblazer

• Ericka Aguilar • Season 6 • Episode 3

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Growing up as a daddy's girl, Martell Coke faced incredible obstacles, from a family of 10 siblings to surviving a tough childhood without amenities such as toothbrushes or clean drinking water. But through determination and a fierce passion for education, she defied the odds and became an accomplished dental hygienist. Join me in this powerful episode as we uncover Martell's extraordinary journey and the lessons we can all learn from her resilience.

Martell and I dive into her backstory, exploring her experiences in two vastly different school systems and how they shaped her view of her own intelligence. We discuss the challenges she faced in pursuing her dreams and the financial obstacles that threatened to derail her success. As we delve further into her story, we uncover the realities of starting a nonprofit, Brown Girl RDH and building a thriving dental practice. 

In this inspiring conversation, Martell shares valuable insights on navigating patient balances, working with insurance companies, and understanding the financial side of running a successful dental practice. We also tackle the importance of authenticity and overcoming imposter syndrome. Don't miss this captivating episode as we celebrate the power of determination in the face of adversity and the impact of Martell's mission to empower other hygienists to be the best version of themselves.

Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:

https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-

Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka or Jen? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions!

Email Ericka:
ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

Email Jen:
jen@dentalbillingdoneright.com

Perio performance formula:

(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)


Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com


Speaker 1:

Martell Koch, welcome to the Dental Billing podcast. I'm really excited about having you here because you and I have had so many behind the scene conversations about dental billing, dental hygiene, dental everything. You are currently a practice owner and I have been to offices as a non-dentist, so you and I have shared a lot of stories that I wish people could have been a fly on the wall about, but maybe we'll get into some of that today. But before we do and before we get going, i want to know what Martell was like as a little girl and what made you decide to become a hygienist.

Speaker 2:

Okay, so hi everybody. Here's Martell Koch. So what Martell was like as a little girl. So I was definitely a daddy's girl, believe it or not. My mom had 10 kids is 10 of us And I was the second. Well, i was the second oldest, which was the first girl, so I was the baby. But my dad was like a straight guy. If you Google my dad, there's a court case against him in the Supreme Court because he was the guy who was getting drugs, getting guns, selling them back then in the 80s and the 90s. That was big to be dailin' arms. He was like all the things you hear about on TV, like these mafia movies. That was my dad. Then he got incarcerated, he went away. I had no dad anymore.

Speaker 2:

So I was always that little shy girl that was really spoiled, up until I was like six when my dad went away, and then my mom was a single mom and my mom had five kids. So then it was like my mom went to hustler mode. She was always trying to figure out how to take care of her children as a single mom. So my mom went back in the 80s and 90s. She had the big gold jewelry. My dad bought her cars, they had Cadillacs, she had everything. We look at baby pictures. We all had Adidas suits on, we all had little chains, little kids, and it was one of those things like quick money, fast money doesn't last long. So anyways, growing up I saw my mom really never working. She never worked for anybody. She always was hustling. She always was trying to make money by herself. Today you call them entrepreneurs, but it's the difference between an entrepreneur and a boss. My mom was definitely a boss. She did not clock in for nobody. So growing up I saw that hustle, that life of what she did, the whole disclaimer. My mom did sell drugs. She was on ad, just so y'all know. I did see that in.

Speaker 2:

My mom had me with her because back then if a little kid gets caught with drugs, they would give the kids drugs a hold. They couldn't take them to jail And it wasn't like it was on the adult as a possession. My mom used to take me to the bars with her. She used to be selling dope and I used to just be watching and looking at everything, all the transactions, and I used to be sitting in the car while she was at these clubs and at these bars and stuff. And then my mom went to federal prison because she got caught, because she was like big, big, big prison. Unless they have a case on you, the feds are watching, was watching her. Anyways, she went to federal prison.

Speaker 2:

We went to my mom, shipped us all off to Jamaica. By that time My mom had eight kids. She sent us to Jamaica to live with my granddad. So when we went to Jamaica and the reason why she did that backstory so the state didn't take us. So mom goes to jail, kids go to foster care and they're in the system. So my mom like shipped us off to Jamaica. She knew that indictment was coming up and she was going to do fed time, so she shipped us to Jamaica. I love my granddad in Jamaica. Now Jamaica, y'all might be thinking like oh, it's vacation, blah, blah, blah. Hell. No, we didn't even have toothbrushes. We was catching chickens, we was tying out goats, we were fighting pigs, feeding rabbits. We were really on a farm.

Speaker 1:

Why do I not know about this? I guess we've only ever talked about dentistry. We've never really talked about personal stuff.

Speaker 2:

I remember being over there and so my mom was away. We literally had to drink. They caught rainwater. It rains every day in Jamaica So they caught rainwater and we drank that. We really lived on a farm and my granddad would kill a goat and we would eat the goat and it would be hair in the food and I would be like a little American, like spoiled person. But the crazy thing is like over there everybody's like, oh, they are American, they're rich, but we was like yo, what we in the third world country? right now, to this day, i do not go to Jamaica to vacation.

Speaker 2:

I have flashbacks, nightmares like it's not, y'all can't add Jamaica. I'm not going to traumatize, for when I was a kid, how long were you in Jamaica? I was there probably, like probably like a year. Okay, so my mom sent eight, like eight of us over there and she only had money for a few of us to come back. I was like, no, i'm coming back. My sisters, they stayed, they had babies over there and then they came back to the US because healthcare is better over here, but they went to school there and you got to pay to go to school. I mean, these are kids that are sharpened in pencils with razor blades, like it's very different. Anyways, that was when I was like 10 or 11.

Speaker 2:

Then I got over here in my mom. She just kept popping out kids. She just had more and more kids. Every time she would have a kid, she would be like here, my tell, take care of this baby. And she was out in the streets Like wow, she was out there and I was like, damn, i'm not trying to raise all these kids.

Speaker 2:

And I was the oldest girl. So I would have to cook and I literally have burn marks on my stomach from cooking when I was 10. Like I would look for everybody and I would have to take care of everybody. and I would see my mom hustling and I would understand like, okay, what am I going to do to make money? So I started braiding hair and my mom had, like, her regulars. Like we live in Florida, my mom had her regular customers or clients or whatever you will call them. I don't care what you call them, i'm a client, but she had her regulars. That would come in One of the guys I remember he had hair and I was like, hey, i'll braid your hair for $10. So I started early. So every week or like two times a week, he would come and get his hair braided and I would be saving up my money And because my mom was a dope dealer, like the dope fiends would be in the house and I remember one time I had like $150 saved up and wanted a little crackhead and stole my money.

Speaker 2:

Oh yes, i hit it. I was like a dumb little girl and I hit it. Like in Florida they have like the cabinets and above the cabinets you can put your decorations on top. It's like an old thing and I had hid my money up there. You know I would climb up the cabinets and get on top and have my money and one of them damn crackheads took my money and I was like but anyways, no, no, in all seriousness, no, he did take my money But I just learned, like, the value of a dollar and the value of hard work.

Speaker 2:

Like I worked hard for that money and I, like you know you learn early these habits. Like nothing's given to you, everything's earned right, so you appreciate more. So fast forward. I was like I always want to go to school, like I was a little girl reading the encyclopedias and then dictionaries, and you know my mom would be like who wants to stay home and watch the kids. My sister would be like me. I would be like nope, i'm going to school. So I was always like I don't want to be like my mom, like I just don't want it. I knew what I didn't want to be. So it's like you know what you want to be and you know what you don't want to be. But the whole while I was like I want my dad, like it was like that little, like where's my dad?

Speaker 2:

You know, nobody else cared about that And it's a long story and that's a story for another. You know podcast. But when I was 33, i actually found my dad and reached out to him and, girl, i found him, reached out to him and it was just like I wish I never opened that box because all he cared about was some damn chicken wings. And I was like you know, he didn't care, we have like 20 kids and he just cared about some chicken wings. And I was like you know, this is my 17, 22 years, like I finally get to meet my dad. He's like, can you bring me some chicken wings? He didn't even care. So that goes back to like nobody's going to feel sorry for you.

Speaker 1:

Yep, yep, you know what I mean. That goes back to that same. you know, nobody's coming.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, It's all you, It's only you. You know, and that's like that tough skin that people have to have to like go out there and get it, And it's like you know, by any means necessary, not in a savage way, but in a way like I'm doing right Me you know nobody's coming, nobody's going to come help, like Mel Robin says, nobody's coming, right, right, right.

Speaker 1:

So how did you go from like that That's? I have not talked about my childhood, but I have some very traumatic stuff. That's happened as well And I do feel like it has shaped who I am and how I think. But how did you go from that? and what inspired you? Because fast forward friends like Martell is one like she's a powerhouse, like you are such a powerhouse and such an inspirational.

Speaker 1:

I did not know any of this, but now you're even more inspirational to me because there's the story that I do know about how you started. Brown Girl. Rdh already inspired me. We've talked about that. I truly believe in it, helping the black and brown community, and I'm committed to being a part of that per state. But I am so intrigued now about how you have become this powerhouse. Did you use all of these experiences as a means to get ahead? Because I know a lot of people have stories and they use those stories as the reason to stay down. You know like I don't understand that mentality. I'm sure you don't either. But talk to us about, like, your journey to where you are, like you are so accomplished, martell, and so inspirational Thank you.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much. So, honestly, i had a goal in mind. Like I know what I don't want to be. I knew I did not want to be another statistic. Like I wanted to be a dentist, right. So I wanted to be a dentist. My mom never took a dentist. My sister had a toothache and she took her to dentist and my sister came out smiling And I was like, oh, i want to do that. So I wanted to be a dentist.

Speaker 2:

Fast forward, i actually grew up and I went through elementary to fifth grade in Boston, massachusetts, and then we moved to Florida. So when we moved to Florida, the education system is very different. So when you take a young student from Massachusetts, where the education level is higher, and you bring him to Florida, then it's like, oh, this student is smarter, they're excellent. Like we knew a lot. Like I got in school in the middle of school and they were like, wow, this kid knows a lot. So I was always like the smartest one in the class because, months my peers, they were behind. So I think that's that confidence that you have going in there to know like, wow, i'm smart. Well, i want to be something great. So I know I didn't want to be a hustler like my mom. I didn't want to be a drug dealer. I didn't want to be like my uncles, who were like stealing cars and robbing. So I was like I want to be a dentist, like I want to help people And fast forward to high school.

Speaker 2:

Same thing with my high school. We ended up moving around and we were in North Carolina. And same thing with my high school. I started taking tests in high school and I was way above the students that were in school the whole year And the teachers are like wow, you're way ahead of people who've been here. So then that's that confidence again like okay, i can do anything.

Speaker 2:

And then I get in high school, 12th grade, graduate summer, i meet a guy and I get pregnant. So I had my first baby when I was 18. Then I was like damn, i can't go to dental school. So now I have this baby and I have to take care of this baby. Well, maybe I can do dental hygiene. So I call the dental hygiene school and I tell them I have a baby and I want to get the program. And they told me they were like you have a baby, you might want to try dental assisting. I look up dental assisting, i'm like what the hell is the certificate program? Okay, it's not even a degree, but whatever. So I did the certificate program And I was like, uh uh.

Speaker 2:

I'm like no shade to the dental assistants But I was like no, i need to be doing more. If I can't be the dentist, then I'm at least the hygienist. So I go to the hygienist yes, this white lady and she has a Hummer And I'm like bitch, i get a.

Speaker 1:

Hummer.

Speaker 2:

No, i see that Hummer. And that was back then when Hummers were big, remember. Like, yes, boss, lady, she has a Hummer, she's a hygienist. I was like that's what I want. So I was like, what did you do? Of course, this is a white woman. Dentistry is very white. I'm like, what did you do to like to get to a dental hygienist? And she's like, oh, you just have to do school And it's so hard And there's a point system, blah, blah, blah. And here I am, like school, that's it. Like I'm like I'm going to apply for dental hygiene. So I apply for dental hygiene And I got in that first applying.

Speaker 2:

I'm like why did she say there was, it was hard, there was a waitlist and everything, whatever. So I got in and then I get hit with the orientation list, like you guys need to have all of this stuff. And I'm like, oh, i don't have money for this. So I have some gold jewelry. Like I said, you know, one thing my mom always gave us was gold And I'm ponding the jewelry and trying to see how much money I can get. And I wasn't getting no money. So I was like, damn, i can't even go to school because I can't afford these supplies And it was like $2,000. Now I'm looking at like that's not a lot of money, but back then that was a lot for me having a little baby.

Speaker 2:

I was talking to my friend and her mom was a maid. Her mom was actually a maid and took care of these wealthy kids. My friend was like you need to go apply for student loans in financial aid. And I'm like what? And she's like go to the financial aid office and tell them you want to take out loans so that you can use your loans for your books and stuff. So I did that. I had no clue, So I did that.

Speaker 2:

I got in the program. I was able to use my student loans which I didn't know about to pay for the program. But it's just like those resources, that things I don't know. I was super, super street smart And I was book smart, but I didn't know the basics. Like you can go and get student loans to pay for school. So, anyways, got through the program to your program is the only black girl in my program. They always say, oh, she had an attitude. I didn't have an attitude. I was dealing with real life Like I had a baby. Nobody else had a baby, like, yeah, and I had a 4.0 the entire program And that's very unheard of in a dental hygiene program because I was just like I got to study, like remember, school was everything for me.

Speaker 2:

So then, after that, graduating in dental hygiene school in 2011, i was like I want to be a dentist, i really want to be a dentist. So from 2011, all the way up until 2020, covid, i was working on trying to get into dental school. For some reason, it was not happening, girl, it was not happening Like my brother, my nephew, died And then a year later, my brother died and I was taking care of family members and always trying to help other people out. And then COVID hit. We all got laid off. This lady was telling me, like I have this opportunity for you to go to Georgia and you can manage this dentist's office. And I was like yeah, i'm a producer, like I'll see three or four patients at one time, and she's like we'll come down here and see. So I went to Georgia, worked in his office. He was making like $15,000 a month And I brought him up to like 80 to $90,000 a month And we were going come turn around find out.

Speaker 2:

the guy tried to sell the office to a dentist that I brought in. So I was like wow, he really tried to sell it behind my back. So always protect yourself. You guys get an attorney if you're going to go into practice management. So when he tried to sell it to the lady behind my back, i ended up just going and open up shop and find another dentist And we opened another practice together in a better area and we've been doing that for two years already.

Speaker 2:

So then it is a gorgeous office, But it's like he took the other guy like, took everything, like he changed the logs, he took all the equipment. I was like, oh, like I've had nothing before, so it wasn't devastating to me. Like you know, nobody can take anything from you. If you built it, you know you have that. So now I didn't go to dental school, but I do have dentists that work for me And I do have an office and I just I stay out the way, i play the back end, like I just tell people hey, i'm the manager, nobody needs to know who I am. You never see real bosses, y'all.

Speaker 2:

So all the people that want to do, all the people that want to be so true, so true like you know, that would be skeptical for people to like, look at me, look at me Like I'm always in the back, you know, in between, then I did start Brown Girl RDH in 2018 after my nephew passed away and then my brother died, and then I actually was like you know, because I went through all of these hardships in dental hygiene school, i was like I need to give scholarships to people who are just like me, who are smart enough, who just come from the backgrounds, and they just need that push, they just need that support.

Speaker 2:

So Brown Girl RDH has been established for about five years now and we give scholarships to students, minority students, in dental hygiene. I mean, if you're not a minority you can still apply. but we, our mission is really to increase the representation for diverse faces in our field And we're doing it. And now it's to the point to where it took me from working doing hygiene, paying money out of my pocket, starting scholarship funds, to now just sponsors just coming to me and really saying like how can we help? So now I don't really have to do anything, like we're getting scholarship funds left and right.

Speaker 1:

I remember so I was a part of the last conference in November. You had that out in Charlotte, north Carolina, and I had the pleasure of being one of the speakers and we talked about coding and billing the hygiene revenue cycle, as I think what we, what we called it, and you spoke right after I did And I loved. I still remember like you're so inspirational to me. I remember I can probably tell you majority of what you said. So I remember you saying next year's conference is already covered. We have sponsorship.

Speaker 1:

Like you threw some crazy number out there. I don't remember what it was, but I do remember it was six figures And you were like we already got the funds, like it's covered and we're gonna be helping more and more brown girls, and it was just such a like it gave me chills because I know the feeling of having like a vision and then it coming to life And I can't even imagine how you felt like even stating that you know because you lived it. You were that hygienist that you almost dropped out because $2,000 almost took you out.

Speaker 2:

Right And I didn't have a call. Yeah, it wasn't anyone to call or wasn't a credit card to put it on or anything like that. Exactly, yeah. So you know, the biggest thing, erica, is like people and it's not anything wrong with it People, because of social media, thinks like, okay, they're supposed to start something and it's automatically gonna be successful. No, it takes years of work. I'm at year five and I'm just getting to the point to where sponsors are coming to me saying like, how can we help you?

Speaker 2:

A lot of people start a nonprofit and they think automatically, oh, i'm just gonna get money and dollars thrown at me. I'd never applied for a grant. They think like, oh, you apply for grants, you do this. I have never applied for one grant because it wasn't about the money, it was about the people first, and because I know it was about the people, i was very, very, very strategic and let me build this platform, let me get as many brown and black faces that I can, and let's do a conference, because when we go to these big dental conferences, we're not represented. So if we already have the following, then why can't we do it? And somebody told me when I first told them that I wanted to do a conference. They're like nobody's gonna come to you, you've never nobody's gonna sponsor you, because you've never had a conference before. And I was like, don't worry about that. Like I think it's okay.

Speaker 1:

You're like, have we met?

Speaker 2:

And the first. That person didn't come and speak. In the first conference it was like 118 people. In the second conference it was like 190 people. So it's just like people came out because they wanna be represented. So when people are doing things and you're doing it just for the money, it's not gonna be successful. But when you put your heart in it, nobody can take it away from me. Like, I do have this office, i have a whole office that makes money for me, and then I have a nonprofit that I do for the people. So when we That is so inspirational, yeah, when you're looking for people, it's like what's your why? My why is cause I was that person.

Speaker 1:

And one of the things that I noticed at the conference is I know it's Brown Girl RDH, but you have a very diverse following. There are different backgrounds that just support your vision. Like they just wanna be a part of it brown, black or not, like they just believe in it. And I think that's why I was drawn to the conference as well. I just wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to empower as many people with billing knowledge I know it's billing knowledge, it's not clinical knowledge but if I can help you increase your production as a hygienist, you know $100, $200 per day, i mean that's gonna add up over time, and I know a lot of hygienists get paid on production and then bonus on percentage And there's so many ways that it's structured.

Speaker 1:

But if I can help you increase your production through better clinical documentation so that we can build better, i think that that's where I would like to meet my mark with my community right. So that's what I was trying to do at the conference. So talk to me a little bit about where you're at now with the practice. Let's talk about, oh gosh. Let me think back to some of the conversations we had. Talk about what are some of your most common billing struggles.

Speaker 2:

Both with patients and internally, the biggest challenge is like I know what's going on And when you're a doer and you pick up everybody slack and you're like I'm gonna get it done regardless, because when it comes to me, i'm betting on me 10 out of 10. You do a lot, just not knowing it. So when you have a team and when you have people working for you, it's like you're doing things that they should be doing And it's like I know that this patient has maybe a waiting period, but then they get in the back and then maybe the doctor or the assistant are doing things that I mean. common sense is not common, so if I know-.

Speaker 1:

And even less with coding and billing. Let me tell you that.

Speaker 2:

So if we know, for instance, certain insurance companies, you have to pre-off everything. It does not matter, you have to pre-off everything. And it's only one insurance company say that we take. It's like we're repeating the same thing For me. I'm repeating it over and over and over again And then I have to look at myself like wait, am I, is it me? Am I not communicating? Where's the disconnect? I love saying where's the disconnect because I know for a fact this is the simplest that it can be.

Speaker 2:

But I come to realize like everybody is not me And I really have to break things down. And you really have to know who your players are on the team That's the nicest way I can say it Know who your players are on the team. So a lot of times we as billers and we as practice owners, we expect everyone to know how to do everything because it's common sense to us. But we really have to like break it down so that they can understand it And if they're not getting it, then they just don't get it. Like I've had plenty of times like I can't call. There's not a lot of people that I can call because there's not a lot of people that do what I do So when I'm frustrated or having a bad day or somebody doesn't understand. I'm like now I'm calling Erica, she knows, but before that I would just talk to my spouse.

Speaker 1:

There is nobody. They're just very hard to find people that understand It is.

Speaker 2:

It is. And I find myself talking to high gens Like I have a lot of hygiene friends And it's just like I can't talk to them about the office because they're just workers. It's nothing wrong with that, because you need workers, because guess what? Martell has an associate's degree. I need to hire someone with a master's degree and a bachelor's degree to do what I can't do. But I will give you that position. But I don't need all. I don't need 10 bosses walking around me. Like well, why are we all bosses together? Like you have that level. But when they say there's levels to this, there are levels Like I can't do it all, but I can hire. I can hire someone that can do it And I'm okay with that.

Speaker 2:

Like I'm not trying to be anybody's speaker. Everyone's like oh hey, why don't you, why aren't you a speaker? Cause I don't want to do that. Like I'm not doing it. Like I rather not. I'd rather get that opportunity to be someone else, but that's just me. Somebody else might love to be on that platform and love to be an educator and a speaker. Like that's just not me.

Speaker 2:

And if you're not careful, people will put you in a position. They'll tell you where you need to be And even in you know, with the practice, like I can't put my dental assistant up at the front desk to do treatment plans, even though I would like her to do it, but she's not that like, she's just not that person. She's very soft spoken, she's very nice. So if you're not confident in presenting a treatment to a patient, the case acceptance is going to go down. So I need to know that. But we fail as leaders sometimes because we're like okay, i'm going to put you in this position, you do this, you do this.

Speaker 2:

Just like all dentists can't be business owners. They can't, they cannot, they don't know the first thing about it. So you guys see it and you hear it when you're working with these providers like they can't run a business. You can probably run it better than they can. But everyone's looking at the doctor like, oh, you're in charge. No, they're not in charge. You know like, so you know the most valuable player on the team sometimes is the one that you know gets paid the least And that's that for a reason. Yeah, so my biggest thing is like knowing who the key player is on the team. And if you don't have that team. If you don't have the right people in position, don't try to stick someone in it, because you're going to fail, and I think that's the biggest thing.

Speaker 1:

I think that you know to, add to knowing your key players, i think, also identify your patterns, like identify the things that you're tolerating in the practice and the things that are repeating themselves, like if these are repeat offenses, then you know we have to take a look at that. I know I do that from a coding and billing standpoint. If I get a repeat type of denial with a specific insurance plan, i'm going to look into more than just what the EOB says. I might call the insurance company, speak to a claims person, ask you know, what am I doing wrong? where are we off mark? Why are we not getting paid for this procedure? Why is there always a denial? So you know it's identifying those patterns and then addressing them. You know from that standpoint as well. So let's talk about patience, martell. Let's talk about what we talked about last night.

Speaker 2:

The part that makes me hate what I do now. Oh gosh.

Speaker 1:

So I'll start. Let me just preface this part of the episode. So I get a phone call from Martell last night and this is a very common struggle, and the reason I want to talk about this is maybe you can have your non-dental people listen to this part, because I think we need to start. patients need to understand that if it's not covered, it is their responsibility to cover that service, and so I also think we need to do a better job at explaining that upfront. But in this case, i know that Martell had this conversation with the patient. So what have been your struggles around patient balances and understanding, helping them to understand how this stuff works? I think because one.

Speaker 2:

I think it starts with me, the person that I am right. So, the person that I am, i'm always trying to help people. You really can be a helper in business and you got to charity, Let's just vote. I mean, you got a charity. Here's the thing.

Speaker 2:

Usually patient goes to another office. Maybe they went, like within the week, so their insurance isn't reflecting that the patient had services done. It's not reflected, it's not in the history yet, right, we verify eligibility and, okay, it says that you're covered for x-rays, patient A. But you just told me that you came from a different office, so they probably took x-rays. And then the patient may say, well, i don't think they bill because they don't accept my insurance and I paid out of pocket. Great, you paid out of pocket, but they still could have built your insurance too. So patients don't understand that. So patient comes in and be in the nice person that I am. Oh well, if you paid out of pocket and they didn't accept your insurance and they probably didn't bill, so we'll go ahead and bill your insurance And if it's not covered, then it's your responsibility. Everybody's happy.

Speaker 2:

Patient goes back. We take x-rays, claim is denied, reach back out to patient. Patient has already been in for several services And now the patient doesn't want to pay. I'll pay it when I feel like paying it. You guys are not going to harass me to pay it. It's only $146. But it's like dude, we had the conversation. Literally. We literally get like we took you into consideration, when most of the time we say, nope, you probably had it done. You got to pay up front, we'll reimburse you. Nobody wants to do that. But again, like I said, you cannot run a business like that. So when people are like, before you go back, you cannot get the service or you have to pay before you go back. Patients don't understand that. And let me tell you something else It's very hard to get your money once that patient leaves.

Speaker 1:

It is extremely hard.

Speaker 2:

It's damn near, I would say, $1 out of 10. You're not going to get it.

Speaker 1:

And that's the struggle with what Hidden Profits Billing does is when we do account receivable cleanup, when there's a patient balance that's been there for three years because nobody bothered to audit the patient's account, you honestly think I'm going to be able to collect that money. I mean we can, but that's probably not best business practices. But even if it was 30 days later, if the patient didn't pay while they were in the office, they're probably not going to want to pay after the fact, because most patients are like I'll just find another dentist, i don't have to pay this, and the dental practice gets the short end of the stick. So I think the moral here is we have to, like you said, we're not a charity And dental front office team members need to be prepared with those accurate co-payments at least the day before or 48 hours in advance.

Speaker 1:

Just make sure that that stuff is all double checked and the eyes are dotted and the T's are crossed, because at the end of the day, the practice owner is the one that's going to take the hit. It's not going to be the person who gets a paycheck every two weeks And I know a lot of the listeners are people that get a paycheck every two weeks. And that's not to say that your position is not important, but the losses that practice owners take, these are the types of losses that they're like silent financial bleeding, and the better that we do to prepare for the day is the better that the less of a loss the practice will take.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I do want to talk about I know a lot of listeners aren't there What I do is very rare. Let's just put it like that. I was a dental hygienist Three years ago. I was working in somebody's chair. Maybe two years ago I was working for somebody And we used to do morning huddles And I think a lot of people look at morning huddles like why are we going over the schedule?

Speaker 2:

I don't care about my name or what the code is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I used to be that hygienist. Let me tell you, i used to be like I don't give a damn about who got a balance of what we're collecting and where there can be opportunity to do some treatment. I don't care. But as a practice owner, every dollar does make a difference because guess what We're doing the treatment today, we're getting paid 30 to 90 days from now. So if they're saying we want to make sure we collect or make sure we do this or do that, it's so that they can keep the lights on And everybody thinks, oh, they're a dentist, they're making money.

Speaker 2:

No, we charge $122 for a pro-fee. That's our fee. We only get paid $45. You are getting paid most of the time as a dental hygienist, at least $50, if not. So when you're just doing that pro-fee of that patient. Yes, i understand you're not thinking about the numbers, you're just thinking about the producing. Oh, i produced $122. But what we're actually collecting on the business side is way less than that. When we factor in your salary, the lights, the heat, the instruments, materials, the actual cost that it costs that patient to be in the chair, yes, yeah, they're in the negative. They are in the negative.

Speaker 2:

And I will tell you, as a small business owner, i am not a dentist, so there's not getting loans, everything's coming out of my pocket. So I'm looking at everything. When things are breaking, when patients don't pay yes, maybe there was only $146. But if every patient doesn't pay their $146, then by the end of the year I have $109,000 worth of money out there that I didn't collect. That could have went to somebody else's salary, that could have went to a position. I'm doing insurance verification right now. That $109,000 that I didn't collect for the year could have went to another person's position. And we're creating jobs. You're working for a patient, you're working for a person that looks like you, that's going to take care of you, but now I can't provide a job because I can't collect, because the patient on the other end thinks like, oh, it's only $146. So it is actually a snowball effect.

Speaker 2:

A lot of people don't have to get it, like you're not meant to get it. You would be in the position if you were. But I'm just saying like, look at both sides of it And I do understand, like because I was at hygienist why the hell are we doing the morning huddle? I don't care, but now I do morning huddles. I'm letting the team know like, hey, when those football players go on the team, they practice and they go over their plays right, they go over their plays for a reason to prepare to be successful. You just can't go into office and be like oh well, maybe ceilings are covered on this kid. You don't do the ceilings, they don't come back in six months. Or maybe they switch dentists because you know the front desk person had an attitude or whatever. So it's like collect as much or generate as much as you can in the chair Because we see new patients.

Speaker 2:

For instance, i'm only speaking from my office, but we do see new patients in some of the insurance companies.

Speaker 2:

For that new patient it's less than $120 for x-rays, exam and cleaning.

Speaker 2:

What if you like?

Speaker 2:

you know, and that's why we're not accepting a lot of insurances and people think like, oh, dentists are greedy, no, but they're in the negative because you're doing it.

Speaker 2:

They're the negative and nobody wants to be in the negative because then you don't have a job Exactly No jobs. Then we're looking crazy like, well, we, or if you want to get paid more, like I'm pretty sure your doctor wants to pay you more, so like they can't afford it. They can't afford it in a negative, they're not going to tell you guys that, but I didn't collect a paycheck for the first year, probably the year and a half. So I think high genus and you know I'm talking in broad, most people that come to the dentist think like, oh, they're getting paid from the insurance company, so if somebody's in the chair, you're getting money, somebody can get in the chair and the client can get denied. Oh, absolutely. And you're still paying your staff to be there, you're still paying your doctor, you're still paying your front desk, so you're still using materials and a lot of this stuff is very expensive when it comes to dentistry. Like the prices are going up.

Speaker 1:

Oh, absolutely. Due diligence is definitely one way to help stop the bleeding with all that. But insurance companies you know they're the landscape of dental billing and participation, status and credentialing and all of this. It changes every day And they're finding more and more ways to reject, deny and delay. And so we have to do our part as support team members. You know I always consider myself as the part of the support team.

Speaker 1:

I'm a biller but I have been an office manager, I've been a regional manager And my job is to make sure that we are as prepared as possible for the patient's visit Friends. It's not rocket science, It's just a matter of make sure that you know the patient's okay, because this stuff matters Like check history. One of the things that drives me crazy, Martelle, is when a claim gets denied due to history. That means we did not check history. That means we could have got paid for that profi if we had rescheduled that patient for two weeks out, because they were two weeks shy of that every six month mark. But we didn't check that. And so now my hygienist just did a cleaning for free, unnecessarily, And that stuff drives me insane.

Speaker 1:

X-rays, like all of that. You can check on that stuff before the appointment. I mean, it's like you said, common sense is not so common. Now I know there's a lot of people out there, like you know, in almost in every office right now, where it's like one front office, two front office. I know somebody who recently called me and said that she quit her job because she was one of two people for an office in Las Vegas And they saw a minimum of 70 patients a day. Between hygiene in general, there was only two front office team members And she said Erica, I had to quit, Otherwise I was going to have a mental breakdown. And I get it. There's a lot of people that are spread so thin right now, But it doesn't change the fact that the details still have to matter, you know.

Speaker 2:

So And it goes back to you know, i don't know that office situation, but a lot of businesses are like OK, so if we're not collecting up front and we're bleeding somewhere, then we have to overpack this schedule.

Speaker 1:

And if we were in our bodies?

Speaker 2:

if we were collecting in the beginning then we wouldn't have this schedule. There are some offices that have a 10 patient today And they do well because they collect, they're prepared, They have that breakdown, They know the patients on the schedule, what they're doing, what the co-pays are, They're prepared. So positions like this and companies like yours, Erica, they're very important because that's the front of the house. Two, three years ago I didn't think it was so important. Now I'm like, oh my gosh, it's very important Now you understand the revenue cycle right, where the breakdown happens.

Speaker 1:

And it always happens on the front end, just like you said, like you don't get that breakdown and it's inadequate. You don't check history, you don't check eligibility. I mean, i've seen it, i've seen it all And then they're upset when the claim is denied. You know it's like well, shouldn't you have seen that coming? You know, and sometimes it's. You don't have time to do all things, but there are ways to get help, very affordable help. You know, at minimum, if your office is overwhelmed, go hire a company that does insurance verification. We don't do that independent. We do insurance verification for all of our filling clients like it's included in the service, but we don't do insurance verification as its own standalone service. But if you find yourself like super busy, at minimum go hire somebody that's going to do your insurance verification for you, because you know it's a necessary evil. There's no way around it.

Speaker 2:

So I would. I would highly recommend that, first because that breakdown. I saw a post on Facebook and someone said the insurance companies that do verifications are a scam. Because I can just do the breakdown. But you're probably answering the phone like I'm pretty sure that sole purpose of your job is not just doing insurance breakdowns, otherwise you wouldn't be on Facebook talking about it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, I see a lot of posts like that on Facebook I mean, i understand, to each its own.

Speaker 2:

You know everybody has to learn the hard way, but I'm going on year two with the practice And I definitely at this point, like it's just too many patients, were seeing too many patients to check up on each claim And Erica actually looked over you know my AR and at one point I was like it was 96%.

Speaker 1:

It was the best I've ever seen. Like I wanted to shout that out at the conference in November And I wanted to be like, by the way, guys, she's the real deal, because her billing department is the best performing billing department I've ever seen to date. Martell, i mean you're, you're on it And I love that you're allowing us to come in and help you.

Speaker 2:

But even though you are going strong, I know I need that because not only was I doing billing, but I was doing hygiene and I was doing managing and I know payroll and I'm doing insurance verification And I have a baby who's breastfeeding and other kids and I have this nonprofit that I'm running and I'm trying to do these conferences. Did we forget to?

Speaker 1:

mention that. How old is your baby? How old is Andrew? Andrew's nine months, but nine months old, friends, she's doing all this with a baby. A baby, not a toddler, a baby Yes, it's a lot. I mean, i don't that super woman like. I really don't know how you do it, but you do it And that's why you're so inspirational to other women like myself. I'm grateful that we have crossed paths and I'm grateful to call you my friend And now we vent to each other about things that are relatable, because I really didn't have anybody to talk to either. as a business owner, it's just very difficult The things that we face with employees. You can't just go vent just to anybody And it's not venting, it's just well. No, it is, it's venting. But you need somebody that can understand, because being an entrepreneur, a female entrepreneur, is not easy. So you need somebody that can relate And that's why I appreciate I can pick up the phone and call you.

Speaker 2:

It is very hard and people don't understand And, honestly, when you hear the little cliche, it's lonely at the top, it's hella lonely.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, it's so lonely, it's so lonely.

Speaker 2:

You just want to get down there and start doing what everybody else is doing. But you know, in hindsight you're like in people's time. I think someone messaged me the other day This has nothing to do with what we're talking about, but they were like did you see this post? This guy is pretty much calling Hygienist spoil brats And I'm like. I'm on the phone with a bang trying to get equipment finance right now. I'm like.

Speaker 2:

but then I realized like they have no idea I was like no, i haven't seen it, like it's just, you know, it's just different, it's just different levels, and it's just like wow, i think that was the post that was heard around the hygiene world.

Speaker 1:

I think a lot of Hygienists know who that that doctor is And I think it was heard around the world And I think I know him personally.

Speaker 2:

Oh well, yeah, I didn't care about that, Like trying to get collateral for some money to be doing other stuff.

Speaker 1:

But it's just that's a perfect example of where we are. When something like that happens, we don't have time to stop and go what you know and respond to it, and like there's just no time and a day for stuff like that for an entrepreneur. And so you can see the difference in different mindsets for sure. When I scroll through some of the groups sometimes I just think to myself I just don't, i don't, who has time for that. Like there are some people that post some long responses And I'm just thinking who has time for that? And I guess some people do.

Speaker 2:

Yes, people make time for what they want And, honestly, negativity and drama is going to spread quicker than solutions, Absolutely. And the people that like you and I, we get on Facebook not because we are, we get on Facebook for entertainment. It's like let me just dump. I have so much going on Like I need to dump my brain down right now, So let me get on Facebook right now.

Speaker 1:

I call it mindless stuff. You know like, i just need something mindless that.

Speaker 1:

I don't have to think about. So the last thing I'm going to do is go to a coding and billing group, right, Like I don't want to have to read through all that. So I'm going to go look on TikTok, Like that's, that's about it, And it's going to be for a few minutes decompressed And then I get back to work. Yes, So you know, that's. That's pretty much what it is. Okay, Martell, before we close out, I have one more question for you, And if you were speaking to younger Martell like, or somebody new to dental hygiene, what would your advice be to them? This one piece of advice what would you say to that newbie in dental hygiene? I?

Speaker 2:

would say definitely go for it, even if you don't believe that you can. Like, take a shot at it anyways, because I think a lot of us are. We have that imposter syndrome, yeah, especially if you're a brown girl or guy, like we feel like we don't deserve it, we're not going to get it, or, you know, we don't want to do, we don't want to have rejection. So like, say no and just go for it, even if you, even if you don't think you're going to get it, who cares? Like I remember I was so nervous, I had stage fright. I was so nervous to get a scholarship when I was in dental hygiene school. Like I didn't want to apply for it because I didn't want to be put on the spotlight. Like I really am not that person. You guys might think differently, but I don't like to be a print. I remember I was 2009. So I'm like blasting Nicki Minaj in my car. I'm like I'm about to go in there, like I own the building. Like I had to pep talk myself. Like okay, marta, you have to go in there. Like you own this building, like they're here to see you.

Speaker 2:

Because I was so nervous and like I was pretty much going to faint. I was on stage, i was like, uh, shaking, like I was literally shaking, like I didn't want to do it. But yeah, like just just jump and go for it. And I remember when I was younger, like in middle school, i used to sign my name. Everybody had the phase where they were writing in cursive and they would just keep signing their name in cursive. I mean, i went through that phase and I would take notebook paper and sign my name and hand it to people at the bus stop and the moms and everybody at bus stop And I'd be like I'm going to be famous when they keep my signature. It's just like now I'm thinking about it Like I was that person. But I was still also that shy person, like I don't deserve you know, i don't know That just it just goes back, just growing up and just going through a lot of stuff and but go for it. Jump, no regrets. Be a free spirit. Like you know, you can never disappoint yourself.

Speaker 1:

So And when that imposter syndrome comes in, it's something along the lines of what you said at the conference in November. And another thing that you said that really impacted me And I remember you said I created my own table to eat at, so I don't need to eat it Anybody else with table. I created my own And I love that, because if you are not happy with what we are serving, you can go eat at another table.

Speaker 2:

Yep, And I think that's the. It's just the authenticity. That's why I can get along with you and it can feel natural And I don't feel like, when we're talking, that you're holding anything back or you're being fake, but you can tell when people are just not being genuine or like I'm going to be me this every single time, every single time. Yeah, Authentic, Authentic. I can be like our sponsors were in that room. These are people who are given $100,000 to the charity and I'm in there like so what? Who cares?

Speaker 1:

Yeah. No and that's the thing. Like you know, being authentic will definitely attract like-minded people, but you can definitely sense that And, yeah, I definitely enjoyed that.

Speaker 2:

It's hard It is. You came in, your business partner came and I felt so comfortable. You know I'm always comfortable, i'm never not going to be comfortable, but when I do feel like I'm uncomfortable, in a situation like you guys were coming, you know, to see me. But if I go somewhere you guys won't see me. At a lot of conferences, at a lot of dental events, because I cannot do fake Like I will leave, i will catch a flight early Like I'm out of here, like it's like I don't want it to touch me.

Speaker 1:

Like this is about exactly.

Speaker 2:

I feel the same way, and that's when you separate your self. and it's not that you don't want to be a part of it, it's like where do you want to share your energy at? Because at some point you become a part of it And a lot of people may not be aware of what's going on, but when you're very aware, you know. I put a post on Facebook that said the quietest in the room, but the most observant, i will be out, exit stage left. I will get on a flight. If it's not set well, if it's a lot of antics going on and like I can't do it, so Yeah we were talking.

Speaker 1:

That's another conversation you and I had and I wish the listeners could have been a fly on the wall for that one. But we got raw And it was like I'm the same way, like I don't. I can't do faith and you know I'm not ashamed of my story And this is who I am, this is who you are. Take it or leave it. You know I've exposed a lot of people to my vices. You know, because I don't care what you think about how I live my life, or you know I'm not out robbing, or you know I'm not a bad person, but I definitely shared a lot of my personal life with a lot of people, and that's just me being authentic. So, all right, martell, thank you so much. I know you have a baby to get back to and you probably want to enjoy some of your alone time that you still have, not with him, girl, he's a monster, but I actually do have some more to do.

Speaker 1:

All right. Well, thank you so much for spending time with us on the podcast. This has been inspirational and I'm sure the listeners are going to enjoy your story very much. So if anybody has any questions and they want to talk to you, maybe ask you more, how could they get a full video?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you guys can go to brown girl rdh on Instagram or brown girl rdh at Gmail. I'm pretty sure my phone number is somewhere on the internet. You can send me an email, call me. Like. I'm actually a really nice person and I will take time to reach out and you know if you have a mentor. Yeah, yeah, i will definitely, but I'm going to give it to you raw. Some people they're curious, they're not serious and I'm not going to waste my time. So a lot of people know that about me because I'm very vocal about don't waste my time. Like, if you want to warm from fuzzy, don't call me. I love it, i love it Okay.

Speaker 1:

So on that note, i'm going to let you go And again, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Okay, thank you, Talk to you later. Bye.

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Ericka Aguilar

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