Successful patient journeys need the right technology
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 13th April 2021
Practices who focus on the patient journey will always thrive. Each patient will have their own order of priorities, some may favour convenient appointment times over cost, for instance, and so every case is different. However, there are certain elements that will remain broadly the same. Efficiency, safety, comfort and a caring and professional approach from the dental team; these are just a few examples of what patients will expect when they choose you.
You will likely be seeing more people in your practice who have done their own research, have looked into their options and decided what that they want to achieve. Informed, proactive patients need this confidence reciprocated by the practice, from the very first contact. They want to hear from you that, “Yes, we can help, and we have everything in place to ensure your treatment is a success.” They know that good value means time as well as money, so they want as few appointments as possible, without compromise to the end result.
Technology, part of the dental team
In modern dentistry, a skilled and talented team must be supported by the right technology. Your practice’s technology must work hard, integrate seamlessly with everyone and everything, to optimise workflows and elevate the patient journey. It isn’t there just to look impressive, it should flow through every step, providing the means to travel from enquiry to successful outcome. The right technology will encourage patient engagement and treatment understanding, reduce chair time, support accuracy and optimise productivity and profits. It will also make your practice a great place to be, for the people who work there and your patients.
Relationships are key
If you think about the most important quality when you are bringing in a new member of the team, how they will get along with everyone else is usually high on the list, if not at the very top. Good relationships are the foundation for success in the dental practice, and this includes compatibility between the technology you use. It must fit together to make life easier. When technology doesn’t integrate, this is a source of stress and frustration. We know this is true in “real” as well as practice life; technology is meant to speed things up, not slow us down, and we expect things to work every time.
Patients benefit, too
High-quality, integrated technology will be a joy to use for your hard-working dental team. These benefits will be passed on to every patient by supporting their journeys and it can also be a selling point, particularly in some treatment areas. In orthodontics, innovative and well-integrated technology can support virtual assessment and remote monitoring. This is key because practices want to meet increased demand for orthodontic options, particularly removable aligners, while working with all the ongoing challenges faced by dentistry since the pandemic. With enhanced infection control protocols necessary, practices can see fewer patients in the practice per day, yet with certain integrated solutions, they can offer exceptional orthodontics in fewer physical appointments. The initial evaluation can take place virtually, with the patient at home. When they attend for the physical assessment, the clinician will already have plenty of data to prepare for a more efficient oral health evaluation and agree on a treatment plan, before taking digital impressions. Progress can be monitored remotely, and less chair time is very appealing. For the practice, this means the cost-per-patient is less, as well as freeing up face-to-face slots. Patients also benefit from lower costs and greater time-efficiency with fewer practice visits and constant, remote communication with their dental professional.
Technology at its best
None of this will be possible without integrated technologies that are compatible and fit seamlessly together. Practices who want to offer patients an efficient and successful orthodontic journey should look at the solutions offered by the Straumann Group, such as the Trios® scanner from 3Shape, which integrates seamlessly with the ClearCorrect® digital workflow for beautiful and precise orthodontics. To help people to say “yes”, the Trios® scanner will produce clear images, which can be uploaded to the ClearCorrect® portal for an initial smile simulation – encouraging treatment acceptance without incurring any costs upfront. Data is then transferred, one step of the patient journey smoothly links to the next, and your patient’s clear aligners will be fabricated by a technician and be a perfect fit. A patient’s ongoing communication with the practice to monitor and review their treatment can be remote, until it’s time for their next physical appointment.
We use technology in our everyday lives to make things easier. In the dental practice, the aim is the same – which is why you should look for solutions that are integrated, simple to use and accessible by everyone involved in the patient journey. Technology should be a hard-working, a compatible addition to the dental team, there to help deliver successful treatment outcomes and supportive a positive experience that every patient will want to talk about.
For more information on ClearCorrect®, visit: https://www.straumann.com/clearcorrect/en/home.html
