Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

HaveyouorderedyourfreePatientReferralLea ets? Call08443356354orvisitwww.waterpik.co.uk What worries patients about dentistry Ernestine Wright, managing director of Breathe Business, draws on her years of ex- perience to provide the questions behind the eyes of the patient A s dentists and members of the practice support team, we tend to natu- rally believe that cost is the pri- mary reason that patients don’t choose to see us or to take up our treatment plans. This as- sumption is wrong. The three top factors consistently cited in not visiting the dentist are, in order of popularity: 1. Fear 2. Time 3. Money We frequently discuss this situation with Breathe cli- ents and look at strategies for overcoming the objections from patients. The purpose of being aware of what worries patients about dentistry is to develop a cli- ent experience that overcomes their fears and provides them with the reassurance and infor- mation they require, ideally be- fore they even need to ask. If the dentists and the re- ception team are consistently warm, caring, confident and knowledgeable, and the cli- ent has developed a rapport and trust with them, then the client is much more likely to accept the treatment they are recommending because they see the dental staff as trusted advisers. Furthermore, this confidence will mean the cli- ent will return to that practice and recommend it to others. An important distinction to make is between the issue of cost and the issue of money. Many patients are less con- cerned about the overall cost of the treatment, than how they can pay for the treatment and when. Everyone on the team should be confident about what the practice offers (including the fees) as this makes a con- siderable difference to how your patients perceive you and trust you. DTThere are a variety of reasons why patients worry about dentistry ‘If the dentists and the reception team are consistently warm, caring, con- fident and knowl- edgeable, and the client has developed a rapport and trust with them, then the client is much more likely to accept the treatment’ About the author Ernestine Wright is a founding part- ner and managing director of Breathe Business, She draws on her years of experience in the corporate world as a senior director for Reuters. She helped Reuters set up a joint venture with Dow Jones, running their UK business. With a background in mar- keting and sales, she has set up and led successful business teams across three continents. Ernie specialises in coaching dentists and their teams on leadership, sales and marketing as well as building high performing teams. If you would like to know more about how Breathe can help you de- velop the right client experience for your practice so you can get more pa- tients saying yes to new patient con- sultations and treatment plans, then please contact us at: Breathe Business 0845 299 7209; email: info@now- breathe.co.uk • Will it hurt at the time? • Will it hurt afterwards? • Finding the practice for the first time • Parking • Being reprimanded • Meeting the dentist • The equipment • The instructions • The drill • Having injections • What will be done? • Why is the treatment needed? • Appointment times • Will I have to wait? • How the practice is organised • Will I be at work afterwards? • Lying down in front of unfamiliar people • Fingers and instruments in the mouth • Being unable to speak clearly • Having to spit in front of someone else • Will I be embarrassed? • How long will it take? • When do I pay? • How do I pay? • How much will it be in total? • Will I look odd afterwards? • Will I be able to chew? Over time, our clients have built a com- prehensive, detailed list of what worries patients about dentistry and here is a sum- mary of that list, in order of popularity: February 7-13, 201112 Practice Management United Kingdom Edition