Patients have greater demands from their dentist than ever, meaning practices have to spend more time building that initial rapport.
Setting aside more time for each patient to ensure that they feel comfortable and answering each of their questions in depth is crucial, says Thomas Allen, DDS. When a patient feels like a dentist or practice isn’t a fit based on an initial visit, they’ll go somewhere else.
Dr. Allen, the dental director at Old Farm Dental in Salt Lake City, recently connected with Becker’s to talk about adapting to evolving patient expectations, and how he is keeping up.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is going to set dental practices up for success in the next five years?
Dr. Thomas Allen: Patients are getting more and more demanding in what they expect and they will move on if they don’t get it. Competition is not so much anymore about cost and coverage, or having technology. What can set people aside or practices aside is that experience, because patients are coming in a lot more educated, with a lot more valid questions. They’re requiring an upgrading experience from us. If you don’t do something to develop that or enhance that into practice, you’re going to be left behind.
Q: How are you dealing with new patient demands?
TA: Scheduling, taking more time, setting more time aside for that initial exam where you’re building rapport. The treatment demands of the patient have changed as well. A lot of times they’re not just wanting the quick fix or the one tooth fix. You have to take the time to respond to their questions in a way that is thorough, and you have to be upfront.
Technology is helping. There are certain AI tools, such as periodontal diagnosis, that can help to keep up. It’s one thing to sit there and look them in the eye and tell them what’s going on in their mouth. When you can on the screen, show their x-rays with those little markers that illustrate what’s happening, it helps build more trust and rapport. That’s part of the enhanced patient experience, because they want to be educated.
