How Orthodontics Helps Your Patient Retention and Case Acceptance
There is no question that patients seek out orthodontics to improve their oral health and boost their cosmetic appearance. It is also a great way for dental practices to improve their relationships with patients and establish long-term trust throughout patients’ orthodontic journeys. Unlike a dental filling or preventive treatment, orthodontics requires several months to years to complete, which offers good opportunities for general and pediatric dentists to build trust with dental patients during treatment and make positive, dramatic changes in their smiles.
What are the ways orthodontics can help build trust with dental patients? The number of times you see a patient receiving orthodontic treatment gives you a chance to really get to know that patient and their family compared to the one or two times a year you may see them otherwise. Monthly maintenance visits for nearly two years (on average) provide ample opportunity for quality time and relational development.
There are numerous other reasons why orthodontics can benefit your practice and help you build rapport with your patients.
1. Builds Credibility for Future Treatment
Having a patient agree to an orthodontic treatment plan is no easy task. It is a major investment on their part into their oral health, timewise and financially. Therefore, if you have a patient who is comfortable doing orthodontics with you, they trust that you’re putting their needs first. Orthodontics is a complicated type of treatment that requires much knowledge and specific skills, and patients know that. When you take orthodontic courses like the Basic or Intermediate Straight Wire course, you’ll learn not only the fundamentals of orthodontics but also how to discuss treatment with your patients and how it can benefit their oral health in the future.
When you help a patient restore function and cosmetic appeal to their smile, they are more likely to trust you with the rest of their dental needs, like prosthodontics and restorative care. They are also likely to refer you to family and friends because they trust you can handle all their dental needs.
2. A Source of Reliability
Orthodontic treatment typically takes 18 to 24 months to complete. You can imagine with as many visits as it takes to complete treatment that you and your patients will become very comfortable with each other. When you see patients throughout birthdays, holidays, and vacations, you get to know them on a deeper level and develop a family type of atmosphere. Patients begin to trust their dental provider to recommend other treatments that can benefit their oral health and general well-being.
Orthodontics is a field of dentistry that helps create a harmonious bite, which ties into nutrition, psychology, and, of course, dental health. Accepting other treatments after years of orthodontic care comes more naturally as well because they have already experienced quality dental care with you.
Think about when you propose a more complex treatment plan to a new patient or established patient you only see twice a year: They may think twice about agreeing to a major crown and bridge case. But when you have seen an orthodontic patient for years, they have invested time and money with you already.
3. Improves a Person’s Confidence
Orthodontics helps improve a patient’s oral health by correcting their bite and straightening their teeth, but it also changes the way they feel about themselves. When you help a patient increase their self-esteem and give them the smile they have always dreamed of, you’re rewarded by knowing you have truly made a difference in someone’s life.
4. Helps Familiarize Them With Your Entire Practice
You are not the only one who builds relationships with patients throughout orthodontic treatment. Your entire dental team, including front desk, hygienists, and assistants, become familiar with patients and help manage their care. Patients enjoy seeing a familiar face, and when they see a particular staff member at each orthodontic visit, they feel a sense of familiarity and comfort with the office. Patients are less likely to cancel or no-show appointments when there are strong relationships with the dental practice team.
5. Shows Your Dedication to Patient Care
Being able to offer orthodontics to your patients is a fantastic way to show you invest your time into comprehensive treatment. Orthodontics is an area of dentistry that affects adolescents as well as older adults, and being able to diagnose and treat a patient’s bite problem is a valuable skill that can help them avoid other dental problems in the future. Discuss your experience and background with patients: an extensive general-dentist orthodontic course to learn hands-on techniques with Dr. Brad Williams. Patients will see that your education did not stop when you completed dental school and that you’re passionate about continuing to better yourself for your patients.
If you’re thinking about adding orthodontics to your practice, Williams GP Orthodontic Seminars offers a range of courses, including the Basics Straight Wire course, complete with hands-on practice, to help you successfully incorporate orthodontics into your treatment plans. Start reaping the benefits of orthodontics today.
