Topic
Patient Management

The Troublemakers: How to Deal with Difficult Patients

Eventually, every dental hygienist will deal with a difficult patient. Despite best efforts, a patient may be angry or upset with the care they have received or something that has been said to them. Sometimes they will be angry for…

How You as a Hygienist Can Improve the Patient Experience

Dental hygienists are a key part in ensuring that patients are satisfied with their visit at the dental practice. As a hygienist, you not only assist your patients with their oral hygiene, you also are responsible for helping educate them…

7 Key Distinctions That Enhance the Patient Experience and Increase Case Acceptance

There are seven key distinctions that set the bar for consistently delivering an ideal new patient experience and increasing satisfaction, retention, and referrals. Making a “distinction” involves refining one’s thinking. Dentists are good at making clinical distinctions. For example, recognizing…

Make Regular Appts and Dental Emergencies Work Together

A well-organized appointment system is a cornerstone of successful scheduling, but even the best-laid plans can turn to chaos with an unexpected occurrence, such as a dental emergency. How to manage your regular appointments and dental emergencies efficiently is key…

Keep Calm & ADPIE: Unleashing Hygienists’ Potential

Did you know that acronyms are actually very modern inventions? They were found to be in existence around World War 1, but were still not used very much until World War 2. The word “acronym” did not even come into…

Getting To Know Your Clients Who Have Autism

It was in March of 2019 that my daughter was diagnosed with autism at a support level 3, just before her 3rd birthday. This means that she requires substantial support in order to get through her day. Since then, I…

No Time for Doom and Gloom…But Be Prepared to Make Some Changes!

Well we are seeing signs of the flattening of the curve and the hope is we will start to return to some degree of “normal” very soon. New Brunswick and Saskatchewan seem to be leading the charge in loosening restrictions.…

Let Love Rule: Flight 1246, Seat 18A

Crosscheck complete. Ready for departure from one of the most remarkable adventures I’ve had the privilege of embarking on. I’m faced with the incredibly challenging task of describing what seems to be an indescribable dream; a blur of circumstances sous…

Holiday Blues: Navigating Patients’ Loneliness

It’s been said that there is no health without mental health—the truth of this statement is difficult to refute. Mental illness presents a serious barrier to receiving good health care and dental care is no exception. The enormity of this…

How To Craft The Perfect Re-Care Program

In the world of dental hygiene, we commonly refer to routine follow up exams with patients as ‘recall’ appointments. More appropriately, these can be considered re-care exams, as our patients aren’t recalled per se, rather compassionately re-cared for through the…

3 Steps to Lead You Towards Case Acceptance

The success of a dental practice is completely dependent on how effective the team is in influencing patients to say “yes” to recommended care.  It doesn’t matter how excellent all other aspects of the practice are, if the patient doesn’t…

Compliance Begins When Patients Walk in the Door

The first touch-point for patients is the reception area and it is critical to make a positive and lasting impression. Patients expect a dental office to maintain high standards of cleanliness and safety, which starts from the moment they enter…

Careful Communication Cuts the Cost of Complications

A 72-year-old female patient was referred to our office by her physician with the chief concern of a large granuloma on her lower lip. The patient had a medical history positive for hypertension, thyroid disease, hypercholesterolemia, osteopenia, sinusitis and eczema.…

How To Turn New Patients Into Return Patients

The Power of Experience to Educate and Empower Your Patients

Are you doing all you can to motivate and empower your patients to become actively involved in their dental health?    As dental professionals, you are trained to understand the science of oral health. You know how to use the…

People Buy From People They Trust

Are you using referrals as one of your most successful practice building strategies? One of your patients has just said great things about you, your office and your team. This is an excellent opportunity to take advantage of one of the…

Focus on Building Patient Loyalty at your Dental Practice

While many aggressive dental marketers have a single minded goal to gain new patients for a dental practice, only a few realize that retaining patients and winning loyalty matters more in the long run. Marketers should focus the better part…

Addressing Changing Patient Preferences & Expectations

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Patients Need A Reason to Return…

What is the number one reason why patients do not return for their hygiene visits?  Doctors and team members: if you don’t know, you need to find out! We’ve all heard the excuses; illness, my boss called a meeting, my kids…

Reducing Cancellations & No Shows

DOWNTIME: What happens when patients cancel or just fail to show up? This is especially a problem in hygiene (which patients often skip because, after all to them, “It’s just a cleaning”), but it affects the whole practice. Think of…