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Dentist Offices: 3 Tips to Boost Patient Visits and Referrals

Posted by Brandon Weaver | Fri, Oct 18, 2013 @ 01:29 PM

Bill Cosby once joked that "dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp, metal object... then you sit in their chair, and the first thing they grab is an iron hook."

Working in a dental office, you know his comments are spot-on and accurate. Cosby is a legend for his observational comedy style. This form of comedy is the best because it is relatable to everyday life and is why people are drawn to comedians with this style. If you make patients feel welcome at your office, chances are they will be more likely to refer friends and coworkers to you when they are looking for a good dentist or orthodontist.

One of the keys to making your patients want to come back is creating an atmosphere, unlike the traditional dentist office. An important element is to encourage the right balance of personality and professionalism in your staff. Think somewhere in between Steve Martin in Little Shop of Horrors and Matthew Perry's neurotic, paranoid character in The Whole Nine Yards. Be funny, be personable and able to carry on a conversation. This leads us to three things dental offices can do that help retain patients and make them look forward to that routine cleaning, cavity filling or even the unfortunate root canal:

 

1. Awesome Office Ambiance. Some of the best dental office visits include putting on headphones and listening to Pandora internet radio. Nothing calms the nerves better than listening to music because you get to choose the station. Sure, numbing a patient's mouth is the direct way to lessen pain levels, but you can give patients something else to take their minds off of being poked and prodded. Honestly, how bad can the dentist's chair be if you're listening to Bob Marley's Three Little Birds? ("Everything's Gonna Be Alright...")

Another thing some dental offices use to take their patients’ minds off their procedures is interesting artwork and pictures. Nobody wants to see pictures of teeth everywhere or Photoshopped models posing with their sparkling white smiles. Some dentists hang up pictures of their vacations, like surfing in Australia, luaus in Hawaii and hiking in Yosemite, to help nurture a much-needed calming effect. The dental school diploma hanging on the wall is cool and something to be proud of, but patients are more likely to be interested in fun stuff.

2. Make Patients Feel Important. As a young patient with two rows of fully grown teeth, it seemed pretty cool at the time to this writer. In fact, my teeth were my orthodontist's "shark teeth" example when he spoke at industry conferences. Looking back on it, there is some embarrassment admitting it. But at the same time, and in an odd way, being the poster boy for his presentations made me feel important and look forward to visits.

Staff can ensure patients feel like VIPs by recording notes about patient’s in their files. Are they graduating college soon, planning a backpacking trip to Europe, going to be an aunt or uncle? Whatever patients talk about, make notes of. On their next visits, ask them about these kinds of things. Showing an interest can go a long way in making patients feel more welcome, and less like just another patient with a file number.

3. Know When to Get Out of the Way. No matter how much you try and cater to patients, "Some patients come in to your office and don't want to talk. They just want to get in the chair, have the procedure done, and get out as quickly as possible. This is their way of dealing with their nervousness," Dental Crossing points out.

Dental visits can be expensive for patients and they may not be prepared to dish out a couple hundred dollars for a filling or even thousands of dollars for a root canal or other emergency procedure. To help ease their pain, why not offer a flexible payment option such as Multiple Check? This payment service allows patients to write three to four checks for the total dollar amount, and your dental office deposits the checks over a 30 day period. All funds are guaranteed by a check service provider, providing all warranty guidelines are followed. Your patients will appreciate you easing their pain in more ways than one - their physical pain and the pain of having to pay the full amount in one lump sum. 

   hold check, payment flexibility, increase sales       Multiple Check Insider's Guide

Topics: Dentists

Written by Brandon Weaver