Motivating Your Patients to Care for Their Dental Health

If you’re struggling to get your patients motivated to care for their dental hygiene, it may simply be because they haven’t been properly educated about the dangers of neglecting their teeth. If this is the case, it will be a challenge even to get them to floss, let alone visit your office every six months. Because of this, it’s important that you and your staff give your patients the education and the tools they need to properly manage their dental health.

Motivating Your Dental Patients to Care for Their Teeth

Below are a few simple and easy ways to help motivate your patient to care for their oral hygiene:

• Educate them – Chances are good that most of your patients brush their teeth regularly, but may not prioritize flossing or visiting the dentist. When you’re training your staff, please make sure they know the importance of discussing the benefits of good oral hygiene with your patients. Teach your patients the proper way to brush and floss and why it’s important to perform these habits daily. It’s also a good idea to have a few pamphlets on hand for your patients to take home.
• Offer goody bags – If you aren’t already sending your patients off with a small goody bag after their checkups, you may want to consider doing so. Dental goody bags should include travel sized dental hygiene products such as floss, toothpaste, or even a new toothbrush. Having these items on hand will increase the likelihood that your patients will actually use them.
• Warn them of the dangers – Lastly, if all else fails, show your patients what can happen if they neglect their oral health. Discussing the benefits can be a good motivator for most, but some people need to see the consequences of neglecting their teeth to really prioritize caring for them. Utilize any photos you have of severe tooth decay, dental cavities, and gum disease.

Providing your patients with good dental care on top of a better understanding of the importance of their oral health and how to maintain it will improve patient loyalty. This will not only benefit your dental practice, but your patients and their dental health as well.

For tips on increasing patient loyalty, marketing your dental practice or training your dental staff, please contact CTC National. Our educated dental consultants are here to talk to you about any and all aspects of running a successful dental practice!