When patients are looking for their next dentist, there are often a similar set of attributes they want the dentist to meet. Do you know what those are for your practice? It often includes characteristics like helpful staff, easy access, and your knowledge. When you make a patient visit simple and efficient, you can create a patient for life.
What Patients are Looking for?
Patients Are Looking for Helpful Staff
Your office staff and hygienists are the first people new patients will talk to. This means it’s critical to have a helpful, friendly team. This includes those staff members that may not see patients very often, but still have a critical role in your office like sterilization techs.
Everyone on the team can help create this environment, so making this a priority during trainings and team meetings is important for your practice’s success. Going to the dentist can cause anxiety for many people. But when you build a friendly, helpful team you can alleviate some of that anxiety and create a great patient experience.
Patients Are Looking for Easy Access
Depending on where your office is located, it can be a challenge to find parking or access at certain parts of the day. While it’s not always possible to find the perfect location, this is definitely something to consider.
The easier it is for a patient to get to you, the more likely they are to stay. Do everything you can to create a welcoming, easy to access environment. If they need to pay for parking, can you validate? Can you offer extended hours to accommodate different schedules? This is as important as the dentistry!
Patients Are Looking for Knowledge
Dentistry, as it is with most medical situations, can be confusing for patients. From insurance to handling complicated cases, it’s important that patients feel that you can accurately relay information. When your patients feel that you are experienced and know how to handle various situations, they’ll be more confident in choosing you as their next dentist.
Your patients are looking for knowledge in your specialty. Your knowledge should include the best treatments, industry changes, and the best specialists in your area. If you’re a general dentist, then build connections with an oral surgeon. If you’re a cosmetic dentist, build relationships with general dentists. This can help you build your practice and create a network of quality dentists.
Final thoughts: improving patient experience is key
There are often a number of factors that can keep people from regularly visiting the dentist. When you find these, you can better shape your office to suit their needs. This could be improving patient experience, or finding a way to better share your wealth of knowledge. Once you do this, you can create a practice that truly helps your patients.
