Let’s Bring Those Hygiene Patients Back!

As COVID-19 restrictions ease, now is the time to bring back those patients who have avoided their dental appointments due to the pandemic. In fact, 86 percent of dentists that saw a decrease in their active patients over the last couple of years credit the pandemic. As we discussed last month, one of the most important things you can do is continue to practice all necessary safety protocols and disinfection efforts. Keep wearing that PPE and screening patients before treatment. Ensuring patients feel safe is the best way to get them back in your chairs.

Next, be sure to communicate with them! There are so many ways to reach patients these days, other than just the telephone – although it does remain the most effective method, according to our survey. Don’t be afraid to change up your communication method to reach new patients or existing ones in a new, engaging way. The best way to do this is through your social media channels. Nearly everyone is on social media, spending hours of their day scrolling. Posting updates about your office and dental hygiene tips will encourage patients to reconnect with your office, especially if you are keeping them informed on the safety protocols you have implemented. Some other ideas include posting patient testimonials or creating entertaining, trendy videos with the team to show approachability (perhaps getting inspired by the infamous TikTok).

Lastly, with nearly half of dentists agreeing word-of-mouth marketing is still the most effective, take advantage of your active client base and encourage referrals from your dedicated patients.


As seen in the print issue of Oral Health April 2022

*In October and November 2021, Bramm Research, a third-party independent research house, conducted an online survey of active, practicing non-hospital affiliated dentists and dental specialists on behalf of Oral Health. Using Oral Health’s subscription list, a total of 264 completed surveys were tabulated. With a total sample of 264, the margin of error is plus or minus 6.0 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level. If, for example, 50% of the sample indicated that agreed with a statement, then we can be reasonably sure (19 times out of 20) of an accuracy within +/- 6.0%. This means that a total census would reveal an answer of not less than 44.0% and not more than 56.0%.

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