It can be challenging to provide exceptional dental experiences because visiting the dentist is not often considered enjoyable. In fact, a significant percentage of us experience anxiety about dental appointments<\/a>. There are several reasons for this, including previous negative experiences, embarrassment, and fear of pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best strategies to improve patient satisfaction involve a person-centric approach. People need to feel they\u2019re being treated as a person, not as a patient. In other words, practices need to be caring, not clinical. A study in Australia<\/a> created profound changes in oral health care routines and attitudes simply by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a business perspective, too. It\u2019s estimated that 26% of American adults have untreated tooth decay<\/a>, and 46% of all over 30\u2019s show signs of gum disease. By providing a more comfortable dental experience, practices stand to gain and retain a much bigger client base while simultaneously improving the nation\u2019s oral health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Does your practice have a patient experience improvement strategy? Here are some of our top tips for enhancing patient experience to get you thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let patients know what to expect from their first point of contact. Use call waiting times on your phone queue to provide information that maximizes the volume of calls you can handle while also improving receptionist efficiency. You could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Automatic reminders reduce the likelihood of patients missing appointments. This cuts down on missed appointment fees that lead to dissatisfied customers and potentially negative reviews. With high-quality software like Patient Spotlight from Cloud 9 Software<\/a>, you can automate tasks from the moment a new patient signs up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make the check-in process easy when patients arrive by utilizing additional software and technology. No one likes waiting in line. To avoid queues, you can install self-serve kiosks where patients can check-in, update their personal details, and book their next check-up or follow-up appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dissatisfied customers tell twice as many people<\/a> about a negative experience than happy customers tell about a positive one. So go the extra mile to make your patients feel comfortable and at ease. Visiting a dentist is a stressful experience for many patients. Little extra touches like offering a welcome drink (preferably nothing sugary) or a clinic orientation can go a long way to help people relax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While having patients wait is often unavoidable, your patient experience strategy should include ways to minimize the anxiety this can cause. If possible, give people an expected wait time. Research shows that 80% of patients would be less frustrated<\/a> if they knew how long their wait would be. You could also use digital signage with updates on the queue status. This has been proven to reduce perceived wait times by up to 35%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patients, and particularly nervous patients, appreciate consistency in your dental clinic staff. Familiar and friendly faces are reassuring and vital in establishing positive patient interactions. It is, therefore, in a clinic\u2019s best interest to attract and retain a strong and cohesive team. There are several ways to increase patient satisfaction in the waiting room. Comfort is key. Especially on days where wait times are extended, your waiting room needs to be a place where patients feel relaxed. Some ways to achieve this include providing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exam room is where that big scary chair and all the dental equipment live. So it\u2019s just as important, if not more so, that patients feel at ease once they enter. Popular options include investing in vibrant artwork for the walls and adding a bit of life with some pot plants or even a fish tank. Some dentists are incredibly inventive in their strategies to improve patient satisfaction. Many add artwork, puzzles, or even video installations on the ceiling, as this is where patients\u2019 eyes are directed most of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often, people are scared of things they don\u2019t understand. Yet, research shows that many people find medical technology exciting<\/a>. Use patient interest as an opportunity to educate your patients to reduce anxiety. Explain how digital x-rays work, show them how the equipment gets cleaned and sterilized, give them lots of information on new technologies and techniques, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every dentist dreams of a portfolio of patients who are proactive with their own oral health. But encouraging people to maintain good habits once they leave the clinic isn\u2019t easy. By upgrading your software and offering online customer portals with resources and reminders, patients are much more likely to remain engaged and take better care of their teeth. Cloud 9 Software<\/a> helps specialty dental practices connect with their patients with Patient Portal and other engaging patient communication abilities. An excellent dental experience doesn\u2019t end when a patient steps out of your office. Sending post-visit surveys gives customers a voice and demonstrates your commitment to their health beyond the walls of the clinic. You have a better chance of filtering out negative experiences and rectifying them before they become online reviews by approaching patients directly. Plus, you can constantly collect valuable information to drive further improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We hope we\u2019ve given you some inspiration on ways to improve patient experiences at your practice. If you need any assistance with software solutions to ensure your patient experience improvement strategy is successful, then Cloud 9 Software can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our specialty dental practice management software<\/a> is easy to use. It allows you to track patients, automate staff workflows, improve accounting efficiency, and send out customized reminders, among a multitude of other functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Book a free demo<\/a> or contact our team<\/a> today to discover how we can help your team to provide a great patient experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dentistry is a unique industry in that it combines healthcare with exceptional customer service. At least, it should, when done correctly! To attract new patients and retain existing ones, practices…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13459,"template":"","categories":[1321,1455],"tags":[],"resource_type":[],"class_list":["post-2821","resources","type-resources","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cloud-9","category-orthodontics"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources\/2821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resources"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resources"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2821"},{"taxonomy":"resource_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource_type?post=2821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
11 Strategies<\/strong> to Improve Patient Experience in Your Dental Practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Minimize Hassle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Automate](\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Automate_your_confirmations_and_reminders.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Send Appointment Reminder Texts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Streamline Your Intake Process<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Create a Lasting Impression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Minimize Waiting Anxiety<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Build a Strong Team<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Waiting](\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Waiting_room_aesthetics.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n7. Waiting Room Aesthetics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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8. Exam Room Ambiance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Educate Your Patients<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Encourage Self-Care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Send](\"https:\/\/www.planetdds.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Send_post-visit_surveys.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\n\n\n11. Send Post-Visit Surveys<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Streamline<\/strong> Your Dental Practice with Cloud 9 Software<\/h2>\n\n\n\n