what you can do for them should they experience discomfort. Patients want to know you will be there for them at the most difficult times of their treatment. And, as stated above, if you’ve made them comfortable thus far in their dental journey, they will be less likely to let this obstacle get in the way of their smile goals. As far as finances, it is very help-ful to offer patients an affordable payment plan through financing and membership plans. We don’t want you to go into the business of banking, so check into third-party financing, like CareCredit, which offers patients 6 or 12 months of interest-free payments. If the patient is still hesitating, it’s not a no --it’s just “not yet.” Many patients who really want to see a change in their smile health may still hesitate for various reasons. Maybe the orthodontic options confuse them (this is an opportunity for further patient education). Maybe they are waiting until they can afford the monthly payment (this is an opportunity to offer flexible financing). Keeping in touch with them about how orthodontics will change their life for the better and explaining how you can help them with the finan-cial aspect is the best way to be there for them when they are ready to say yes. Re-Engagement Campaigns & Internal Marketing In today’s communication world, patients really expect to hear relevant, helpful, well-targeted information from their dental practices. Rather than vague or newsy emails or sales-oriented communication, patients want to hear about themselves. Have you recommended orthodontics to a patient? Then, that patient should be on an internal marketing list to receive orthodontic-specific information. It’s surprising to many doctors who have practiced for a long time, but today’s younger patients do not view the medical field the same way as their parents. They are far less likely to “take their doctor’s word for it.” Instead, they expect you to educate them about the why of every medical recommendation you make for them, and most do their own independent research. A great way to address this is through follow-up emails that are specifically tailored to them and their case. You don’t want a patient who needs implants to get an orthodontic-specific email unless those patients need both. Recommendations that are not specific to their life feel like sales ads, and millennials and members of Gen Z tune out anything that sounds like an ad. Another way to educate your patients and encourage them to say yes are to make Youtube videos talk-ing about the same benefits of care that your emails do. They don’t have to be fancy, although getting professional lighting and videogra-phy help a lot. Doctors talking directly to patients about their smile concerns can go a long way. You can include these videos in your targeted email campaigns or share them on social media. Then when patients see these videos or read these emails, they’ll remember what you told them when you recommended orthodontic treatment and appreciate that you care enough about them to follow up with the recommendation again. It is important that you invest in your patients from the very first second of engagement and through continued care. If the entire dental team is on board with giving a 5-star dental experience and they can reinforce the recommended care through continued patient educa-tion and financial solutions, and if you continually reach out to your patients with targeted, informative communication, you will get more yeses to more cases and grow your orthodontic practice. References McKenzie, S. (2015, April 30). 6 reasons dental patients say 'no' to treatment, and how you can change that. Dentistry IQ. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.dentistryiq.com/practice-management/patient-relationships/arti-cle/16350658/6-reasons-dental-patients-say-no-to-treatment-and-how-you-can-change-that American Orthodontic Society. “6 Advan-tages Dentists Practicing Orthodontics Have Over Orthodontists.” orthodontics.com, The American Orthodontic Society, 7 November 2021, https://orthodontics.com/advantages-dentists-practicing-orthodontics/. Accessed 26 September 2022. Stefano, R. D. (2019, October). Psycholog-ical Factors in Dental Patient Care: Odon-tophobia. Medicina (Kaunas). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti-cles/PMC6843210/ Freeman, R. (1999, August 14). The psychology of dental patient care: Barri-ers to accessing dental care: patient factor. British Dental Journal, 187. https://www.nature.com/articles/4800224 www.orthodontics.com Fall 2022 31
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