Category Archives: Patient Communication

How to Create Raving Fans in Your Dental Practice

What is the difference between a satisfied customer and a raving fan? In the business world, there’s a significant difference between satisfied customers and raving fans. While a customer is defined as someone who receives good service, a product, or an idea, a “raving fan” is a whole different level of customer loyalty. Coined by […]

How to Speak Confidently About the Cost of Dentistry

Does this sound familiar? “Why is Dentistry so expensive!”“Can I get a discount on my treatment?”“Wow, that’s a lot – I guess I’m paying for the Dentists new car huh!”“My neighbour had a crown from the place down the road, andit only cost them $800!“ There is a good chance you and your team have heard at least one patient say […]

Are you experiencing “The Rejected Dentist Syndrome”?

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Do you have the rejected dentist syndrome?   Edited and updated on October 15, 2020. When we ask dentists the question “if we looked into the mouths of everyone in the population, would we see more under-treatment or over-treatment?”. The resounding answer is generally “under-treatment”. If that is indeed true, it is valuable to explore […]

Build patient trust with your Position Statement

Think for a moment about somebody you really trust. It might be a family member or close friend. It might be a professional person such as a doctor or an accountant. Whoever it is, it is likely that you have some sort of history with that person. Over time you have observed them in action […]

What do your patients remember from their appointment?

Ever have this experience? You thought the appointment went really well; the patient was listening, they were smiling, they were nodding, they accepted treatment. You thought they went to the front desk and made an appointment, only to find out later that they didn’t. Or worse still, they made the appointment, but failed to attend. […]

Four obstacles that most dentists find challenging to handle

Edited and updated on October 15, 2020. When dentists offer treatment options, they do so with the patient’s optimum oral health in mind. It seems logical that a person should choose the best option as determined by their health professional. Even though there is a cost differential, it should make sense if it is the […]

Breaking down the new patient exam

Most patients aren’t really concerned about their missing tooth. It’s long gone and there’s no pain. But as dentists, we know that it’s effects are causing more problems. So, we recommend a bridge or an implant. When we tell our patient “I recommend an implant” what is their typical response? “How much is that going […]

A New Communication Approach for a New Generation of Patients

Every now and again a new way of thinking causes a paradigm shift in our society. We’ve seen this in technology over the past 25 years. Encyclopedias, typewriters, DVDs have been replaced by google search, text messages, and Netflix. What used to be ‘normal’ is now no longer useful. What used to be impossible is […]

4 Ways to Reduce the Risk of Patient Backlash

When diagnosing as a dentist, there is always the chance of a backlash from patients where they could react negatively.  Sometimes it is about the price, and other times it is because they didn’t realise what is actually happening in their mouth. There are also larger risks; patients posting negative reviews online, or seeking litigation […]

Avoiding Polite Evasion

The ProblemHere’s what most skilled dentists do: They bond well with the patient and develop rapport. They spend a lot of time in the exam explaining the treatment that they recommend. They get the patient back for an extra consultation and have prepared a an optimal treatment plan. The net result: if the patient is […]

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