all relate to the frustration of patients not proceeding with much-needed care. By getting the whole team engaged, you can more easily overcome common objections to proceeding with treatment. And when your whole team is engaged, you can create an impactful patient experience fueled by trust. “If the patient hesitates to accept recommended care, it’s not a ‘no’– it’s just a ‘not yet.’” we are all familiar with: rolling out the red carpet to your patients so they are invested in your practice and feel at home there. Phones should be answered clearly and professionally with the name of your practice and a greet-ing for the patient. Your web pres-ence should communicate what you offer your patients that is unique Greet Patients With 5-Star Experience Optimizing the orthodontics area of your general or pediatric dental practice begins before recommending orthodontic care. It comes long before you’ve identified a patient as a good candidate for orthodontics. It starts with the basics of building a general practice from other dental practices, and this should be communicated on the home page of the webpage, above ‘the fold’ (the portion visible without scrolling), in just three seconds – the amount of time it takes for potential patients to move on to the next google search. Front desk team members should greet the patient by name and with a smile. Even if your practice feels over-booked on a given day or there are other factors causing stress, that stress should never be passed on to the patient. They should always feel like the block of time given to them is meant just for them.When patients feel valued and respected, they are more likely to stay with www.orthodontics.com Fall 2022 29
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Fall 2022: Page 29
