Building a Better Experience for Anxious Patients
Working in a dental office, you've seen your fair share of patients with anxiety over dental visits, whether it's a routine cleaning or a root canal. And while you don't always know what previous dental experiences contributed to these fears, you can take steps to ensure you and your staff make your patients feel comfortable and safe going to the dentist:
Review your check-in process - Starting each visit on a positive note goes a long way to alleviate dental fear and anxiety:
Create a calm and inviting waiting area. Think about what your patients like and use that to create a calming space. Little touches matter! Think comfortable chairs, an uncluttered room, and maybe even a white noise machine. Having magazines and informational brochures out can also help patients pass the time and distract from anxiety. And putting out a water cooler can give patients a chance to take a quick sip while they wait.
Get patients ready for their close-up: Take a picture of each patient and upload it to their record in Eaglesoft. You can even set up a backdrop with a large piece of art or framed wrapping paper. This helps remind staff each patient is a person, not just a number on a chart, and gives your team a chance to interact with patients in a fun way.
Ask the patient if they have questions when you review any billing or payment policies. People need time to process information when they're given text heavy forms or documentation. Confusion or misunderstanding a payment policy could lead to an unhappy patient that posts a negative review, so giving time to ask questions and express concerns can make all the difference.
Get insurance and forms out of the way before the appointment - This makes the check-in process faster so you can focus on your patient once they're in front of you.
Check for insurance eligibility before the visit - Having accurate information on hand to answer questions can build your patient's confidence in your team. While patients may be nervous about a dental procedure itself, not knowing the facts about how they'll pay for it can make things even harder for them. We recommend enabling insurance verification automation if you have this feature on your Yapi plan so staff can easily have answers about coverage and copays at the ready.
Send forms ahead of time - Have patients complete paperwork ahead of time by Setting Up Forms Automation so they can take care of it in the comfort of their own home. That way, they don't have the stress of looking up important details when they're on a time crunch.
Let patients know what communications they'll receive from you - We all get lots of emails and texts so letting your patient know what to expect can mean they'll be more likely to read what you send:
Familiarize your team with what Leap sends automatically - Leap does a lot in the background and staff should know what patients are receiving. This way, they can let patients know they'll receive reminders and paperwork and give a heads up about review requests.
Have patients save your office info to their contacts. People can be leery of texts, calls, and emails from contacts they don't recognize. Make sure your patient has saved your email, Text Message Number and office number in their phone (if they're different) and send them a test text to make sure it goes through. That way, they'll know it's you when they receive messages, reminders, forms, and review requests.
Train your back office team to check for patient comfort - Previous time spent in the chair could be what led to your patient's fear and anxiety. Help staff learn how to proactively check on their patient's well-being and make adjustments based on what the patient says:
Check for body language. Some patients aren't comfortable verbalizing their discomfort so check for cues in their body language. Did they tense up? Are they clenching?
A few minutes after the procedure starts, take a quick pause to check in. This tells the patient you're actively interested in their comfort. Regularly to check on them throughout the appointment and gauge how often you need to check in based on the patient's response.
Ask if the patient wants to hold the saliva ejector. Some patients are sensitive to having build up in their mouth while you're working so if it's safe, letting the patient decide whether they want to control the saliva ejector can be a game changer for some patients. This helps them stay comfortable and gives them a bit more control in an uncertain environment.
Handle unexpected issues quietly. This probably won't happen often but in the rare times something goes wrong, address it quickly and quietly. Loud noises or voices can heighten anxiety (for patients in other chairs too!).
Once this is all in place, your whole office will be involved in building a better patient experience and and making anxiety over going to the dentist a thing of the past. 😁