Health is becoming more and more important in dentistry, so now is a good time to start focusing your communications, plans and programmes around improving dental health. Anne-Marie Lloyd-Jones shares ten reasons to be a health-based practice, and how you can be more health focused in the year ahead.
1. Health is the goal
What almost all dental practices and certainly all ethical health professionals are really trying to create is a loyal following of essentially healthy patients. Even if your ‘big thing’ in dentistry is cosmetic bonding or makeovers, you know that your work is really designed to make a mouth do its job well and give patients pride and interest in what goes on behind their lips. So, why not come out and tell patients that health comes first? Show them how to really look after their mouths above all else.
2. Patients want it
We know from decades of research, that what most patients want from their dental practice is reassurance, help and advice on how to achieve a healthy mouth. They may come in to the practice with a problem or a cosmetic need but long term it’s health that matters. The most successful businesses deliver exactly what the customer wants, often with a few bells on it. Healthy practice = successful business.
3. Health is increasingly important
Health is becoming even more important in dentistry right now. What we do know about the next NHS contract for example, is that it is going to be more preventive in focus, and some predict a huge PR campaign on that angle when the contract is announced. You can make sure that your patients know you are ahead of the game and you can maintain your differentiation as a private practice as you increase your focus, plans, programmes and communications around keeping better dental health.
4. Check into new proof sources
There are well-regarded campaigns in place, already championing efforts to improve dental health. For one of the most impressive and a fantastic proof source regarding the importance of good dental health, visit the EFP Manifesto. This is a Europe-wide campaign to encourage all health professionals to discuss dental health and the systemic links with their patients. The manifesto itself is written well enough to give to your most discerning patients too.
5. Make use of established aids to communication
Further proof sources are available throughout the profession. For patient education, check out the Oral Health Foundation’s range of leaflets. These include ‘Tell me about Caring for my Teeth’ and ‘Tell me about Healthy Gums and Healthy Body’.
6. Be trusted
Health-based practices can be very attractive to patients who appreciate good, honest, ethical and caring health professionals. Many ‘healthy’ communications delivered well can help to build trust and loyalty in a patient base. Patients know this approach is a long-term one which will benefit them hugely
7. Develop team working
The health focus and health communications make for great team building strategies. All of the team can become involved with health communications, projects, promotions and events. We’re talking school visits, local events, challenges and sponsorship for building awareness. You could hold in-practice quizzes and promotions, which can be shouted about on social media and within day-to-day conversations with patients.
8. Healthy profits
Health-based practices can be more profitable. For example, practices that achieve high patient attendance in hygiene programmes benefit from better regular income from existing patients without having to rely on treatment take up. Practices are also finding that patients who attend the dentist and hygienist more regularly have a higher take-up of restorative and cosmetic treatments too.
9. Develop ‘great’ patients
Patients who respond to practices’ health messages, find their treatments last longer and look better too. In addition, dental teams feel more pride in their work when it’s placed and kept in the healthiest of mouths.
10. Feel good about what you do
Finally, health-based practices know they’re doing the right thing; providing the best of care for patients. Therefore, everybody wins!
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