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May 10, 2013
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7 Clinical Tips from Dental Experts to Consider
When it comes to teeth and how to care for them, everyone has a story to tell. From our patients’ perspective, dentists are often the necessary evil – the last resort, the visit they don’t want to make. So, it’s up to us to persuade our current and potential patients that we are here for them, to provide not just a necessary service, but one which will reap benefits worthy of their time and investment. So lets concentrate on 7 Clinical Tips from Dental Experts.
7 Clinical Tips from Dental Experts:
1. Take it one step at a time
For many, going to the dentist isn’t a fun option. Even basic procedures come with an element of unease. It is worse when our patients need a more invasive procedure, like Root Canals or Dentures. We need to stress to these patients that we only undertake these procedures once all other options have been exhausted, and only when it’s in their best interest.
2. Realise potential within present patient base
Our regular patients are the backbone of our clientele, and so we owe it to them to make sure they are not missing out on benefits or procedures we may offer as an incentive to new patients.
Why not improve our service to our regulars, by offering a “wellness check” on top of a regular appointment? It’s our chance to check for problems like gradual discolouration, or slowly eroding enamel. Our patients will appreciate the extra attention, and we can address small issues before they require treatment.
3. Build further opportunities using an intraoral camera
It’s tricky getting a good view of the inside of a mouth without a little help from technology. An intraoral camera can help map out those hard-to-see parts of the mouth and identify problem issues.
It can take pictures we can examine closely and magnify. And maybe most importantly, by sharing these pictures with the patient, we can demonstrate there is a real need for a dental procedure. If our patients understand why we recommend a particular procedure, they are far more likely to accept its necessity.
4. Keep an eye on industry (perio) benchmarks
We cannot afford to neglect the basics when it comes to patient welfare. This is essential when it comes to recognising whether we are overlooking apparent problems in favour of the bigger picture. Periodontal disease affects over 45% of the adult population and is particularly prevalent as the person ages.
Remember in its early stages, periodontal disease may be hard to detect, but your patients will benefit if you pick up on it before it becomes serious, as it’s straightforward to treat when at its mildest.
5. Offer the services that your patients are interested in
Any dentist can offer regular check-ups, cavity repairs, braces treatment, and other essential treatments. But if clients are looking for a dentist in Amersham, for example, and they’re spoiled for choice, they will look for points of difference. Look out for what your competitors are doing, canvas your existing patients to find out what they want, and keep an eye out for popular trends. Establish yourself as an early adopter of new techniques before your competitors do so that you can gain recognition as a market leader.
6. Unveil value-added services with routine appointments
There are basic treatments which you can include as “extras” which don’t cost you much but will make your patient feel they got value for money out of their treatment. The happier the patient is with your service, the more likely it is they will make repeat visits and tell their friends about the excellent service they got from you.
7. Care not just for prevention but, also optimal overall health
Dental health is not just about the teeth or even the mouth. Sometimes dental problems are symptomatic of other issues. According to the American Dental Association (ADA) research has linked periodontitis to cardiovascular disease, strokes, and bacterial pneumonia. When you consider not just how prevalent periodontal disease is, but also how preventable it is and how easy to repair in the early stages before it becomes full-blown periodontitis, it’s imperative that Dental Practices encourage good mouth hygiene.
