In the ever-competitive dental sector, you need to handle your patients with love and care to keep them coming back. You need to make them feel welcome and ease their fears and anxiety.
Increasing patient retention and reducing appointment cancellations are incredible ways to grow your dental practice, notes an experienced provider of dental supplies. That would mean finding creative ways to send patient reminders, changing the office décor, getting better office equipment, and anything else to ease a patient’s life.
Research shows that some people dread visiting a dental clinic because they associate the visit with loads of pain. The last thing you want is to have patients bailing out of an appointment because they don’t like your office décor. Therefore, you must take proactive steps to give your business an edge on the market and draw in more patients.
Spruce up the office atmosphere
People may form an opinion about your services based solely on the appearance of your office. Giving your office the traditional sterile white wall appearance popular with hospitals is probably a bad idea.
Most people associate such an atmosphere with a bad experience and that could work against you. Instead, you need to create a warm and inviting environment that puts your patients at ease as soon as they walk in. Soothing colors such as greens, blues, yellows not only create an appealing atmosphere but also go a long way in easing anxiety. You don’t want to fill your reception area with a bunch of people suffering from a bad case of nerves.
Get contemporary
Nothing screams a doctor’s waiting room than the standard medical office chairs and a bunch of well-thumbed and dog-eared magazines. In a sector that caters to patients who are prone to having an anxiety attack, you are better off straying from this traditional look. Instead, you should create a waiting room that has a more inviting contemporary décor.
Deck your walls with colorful art, comfortable club chairs or couches, or even install fun water features such as a fish tank or a fountain. You might want to have a play area or games to keep the children occupied as they wait for their turns. Making your patients comfortable distracts them from their pain while soothing away any negative thoughts.
Polish your bedside manner
Once you’ve taken care of the appearance of your practice, it’s time to address the bedside manner of your staff members. How your staff handles a patient when they are making an inquiry, setting an appointment, or waiting for their turn is crucial to your success. They could affect how a patient feels about your practice, and as the old adage goes, you only have on chance to create a good first impression.
Shaky nerves and anxiety attacks are common among dental patients and this could cost you some business. Creating an appealing and alluring atmosphere that makes the patients feel welcome solves this problem for you. Moving away from the traditional medical office setup will give your practice a competitive edge on the market and will keep your doors swinging.
