Treatment Acceptance: How Can You Improve Yours?

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Posted by: Dental Design 17th May 2022

Improved treatment acceptance is something every dentist strives for, especially because maintaining the oral health of your patients will be a priority. One would like to think that patients would accept the recommendation of a professional, but this is not the reality. In fact, there are various factors that influence a patient’s decision-making process. Education, communication, the dental team, and more can influence whether your patients choose the treatment you’ve recommended them.

A Team Approach

When a patient walks into your practice they immediately start to evaluate their experience. A team that works together to foster an environment that is friendly, welcoming, and informative is more likely to have a positive impact on patient perception of the practice. However, a friendly and supportive team isn’t the only goal to work towards. It’s important to create the right environment all-round and you can do this by appealing to patients’ senses.[i] Try to imagine yourself as a patient walking into your practice and consider the experience you’ll have: what’s the first thing you see? Is there a pleasant smell? Does the place feel warm and welcoming or cold and clinical? What is the condition of the waiting room and the toilet? Each of these things, and more, will be questions your patients will answer to themselves throughout their visit. Outside of their appointment, the waiting room and toilet are likely to be the areas your patients spend most of their time in – ensuring that they are clean, well-lit, and well stocked will work towards your patients having an elevated experience which can increase the chance of them accepting the treatment you offer.

Patient Expectations

There was a time when patients had no idea what to expect from a dentist – the Victorian era saw a lot of advancements in dentistry but many mistakes were made too. The 21^st Century dental patient, however, is well-versed in what they should receive. Today, 39% of patients expect higher quality care from their dentist because they pay for the service directly and 59% are more likely to complain if they’re not happy with a dental treatment they’ve paid a lot of money for.ⁱⁱ The study also revealed that people expect the quality of care they receive to increase as they pay more for their treatment. Overall, it’s clear that patients expect high standards from their dentists and meeting these expectations is likely to make them more willing to accept the treatment you’ve proposed.

Communication is Key

It’s important for patients to understand the treatment options available to them, including the benefits, longevity of treatment, cost, risks and anything else you consider important for your patient to know. A survey found that 84% of participants agreed that they care about being involved in conversations regarding their treatment options.[ii] 81% also said that they trust their dentist to recommend what’s best for them. This indicated that dentists who take the time to talk about treatment options are likely to see patients accepting their recommendations more readily. Patients will also benefit from understanding the what, how, when, where, and why behind the solution you’re suggesting, especially as without that understanding they could be put off by the cost, for instance, of an implant procedure.

Technology Can Pay-off

Sometimes the length of treatment can impact the decision a patient makes. Dentists are becoming increasingly busy but technology could be a huge benefit as using the latest innovations can streamline a dentist’s workflow and improve patient satisfaction. However, technology can also increase patient acceptance as it aids communication. Dentists are able to share digital images and data with their patients in this day and age and this can help patients become more educated, increase their understanding, and it could motivate them to take their oral health more seriously. As well as this, using technology in the dental practice can allow you to be more flexible for patients – those who lead incredibly busy lives could benefit from a dentist who is able to see them remotely and send them any treatment plans when appropriate.

As a member of the BACD you can take advantage of introducing technology into your workflow with 20% off Chairsyde. This interactive consulting platform will help your patients visualise their treatment, whether you are seeing them virtually or face-to-face. Patients are so impressed by what they’ve seen that those already using the technology in their practice have seen a 32% increase in treatment acceptance. You will also benefit from an optimised workflow as you can save up to 28% of surgery time.

In summary, treatment acceptance is impacted by various aspects of a dental practice. However, when you put the effort into the areas that impact patients the most you will see the results. What’s more, technology can aid you even further and altogether you can provide an exceptional experience for your patients as they start to accept the treatments they need to optimise their oral health.

For further enquiries about the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, visit www.bacd.com

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Author: Dr Chris McConnell President BACD

Chris is a private dentist based in Cornwall with a special interest in advanced dental treatments including implants, sedation, cosmetic and digital dentistry. He has two practices, a General Practice, and a bespoke designed clinic that focuses on the digital workflow in cosmetic and implant dentistry. Chris is President of the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and a Key Opinion Leader with a number of International companies, as well as founder of the REAL Dentist course which teaches Dentists how to maximise efficiencies in practice. He has undertaken the Royal College FGDP Implant Diploma and lectures on dental efficiencies, and advanced implant and cosmetic solutions using digital dentistry to improve your results. He spends his time off with his family and being a waterspouts addict enjoys sailing around the Southwest, surfing and windsurfing.

[i] Engelhardt-Nash, D. (n.d.). Increasing Treatment Acceptance – Communicating the Value of Your Care Co-Founder of the Nash Institute for Dental Learning and Practice Management Expert. [online] Available at: https://www.agd.org/docs/default-source/exclusive-benefits-/debra-englehardt-nash-article.pdf?sfvrsn=2 [Accessed 4 Feb. 2022].

[ii] Quigley, A., Worsley, R., Irvin, E. and Gower, L. (2019). | Version 1 | Internal Use Only GDC Patients and Public Research.