Overcoming Dental Phobia: A Marketer's Perspective
It's like pulling teeth!
While most people suffer from some level of anxiety about visiting the dentist, there is a very high percentage of people who suffer from a fear so intense they would rather lose their teeth than walk through your door. A 1999 University of Toronto study puts this number at 16 percent; other studies have placed it as high as 21 percent. People with dental phobia aren't merely anxious - they are absolutely terrified of receiving dental treatment.
"Often when my patients had a bad dental experience as a child, their anxiety is strongest," says Dr. Tanya Bracanovich of Sparks Dental Clinic in Ottawa. "I see it highest in men over forty."
The use of sedatives and dental lasers have made many patients' experiences less painful, but as impressive as these tools are, they are not enough to fully overcome the feeling of vulnerability that comes from lying in the chair. When it comes to setting patients at ease, most dentists are at a loss.
As a professional marketer, I work with dentists to help them see their practices the way patients do. What I've learned is that there's no single solution to overcoming dental phobia -- the dentists who are most successful adopt a wide range of strategies that improve the patient experience from the moment they make the appointment to the moment they pay the bill.
Adopt an Open Door Policy
Is the entrance to your practice hidden behind a closed door? Would it lead a nervous patient to speculate what is going on behind that door or to feel trapped once it shuts behind them? Dental practices in malls or hotel lobbies have the advantage of having a "no door", completely open entrance that creates the impression that anyone can walk in and be welcomed into the office. If keeping your door open isn't feasible, invest in transparent glass doors that send the message that you have nothing to hide.
Help Your Patients Relax
How inviting is your waiting room? Is it decorated in cold, clinical colours like white and blue? Is the floor covered in dark grey carpet or sterile tiles?
Consider hiring a designer with experience in decorating spas or other spaces intended to help people relax. Use colours like tan or cinnamon, as warm tones instantly create a visually more relaxing atmosphere. Invest in comfortable furniture and create a living-room setting -- your waiting room is really a staging area to encourage the first stage of relaxation in the patient. Offer magazines that focus on health and lifestyle, reinforcing the message that a visit to the dentist is about taking care of yourself. You could also invest in an aromatherapy machine.
At the Kanata office of Dr. Charles Kamel of MySmile.ca, none of the staff wear clerical uniforms or medical scrubs -- they are all dressed in ordinary, every day clothes.
"We want our office to be as warm and friendly as possible," says Treatment Coordinator Rose Vitagliano. "We don't want to look like a hospital. When they see the scrubs, patients become afraid."
Create Mood Lighting
Harsh fluorescent office lighting is more suitable for undergoing a tax audit than maintaining healthy gums. Consider upgrading your office lighting to warm incandescent or UV lighting with adjustable levels throughout your entire office. Even better, try to flood your office with natural lighting wherever possible. Another nice touch is to add accent lamps on tables in the waiting room or treatment areas.
Decorate the Washroom
Most patients will use the washroom at the beginning or end of their visit. This is another opportunity for you to help them relax, so continue with the spa-like decor. Use warm light fixtures and decorate in colours that are flattering to skin tones. Offer hand towels, cups and a pleasant mouthwash to rinse with.
Genuinely Welcome Your Patients
Most dental receptionists are multi-taskers. They're busy talking on the phone and keeping track of who's arrived and are usually physically isolated from the patient by a desk. Invest in training your staff on how to say "hello" in a sincere way and connect with patients as they arrive. Sometimes it's as simple as having the receptionist stand up and usher the patient into the waiting room or offer them a magazine or a cup of coffee that can make the difference. The first contact with the patient is a golden opportunity to bond with them and to put them at ease.
Personalize Your "Chair-Side" Experience
Your staff has done an excellent job welcoming the patient. Once they enter the treatment room, it's now up to you to reassure them that this positive experience will continue. Give them time to settle into the chair by talking to them. To offer that personal touch, keep a "quick glance" file on the names of the patient's family members, special events in their life and their likes and dislikes.
A dental fear survey like the one used by the Mount Sinai Dental Clinic in New York may be helpful for categorizing patients (low anxiety, moderate anxiety, phobic) and will help you identify triggers in advance. Knowing how a patient will react to certain treatments before the procedure begins will allow you to better personalize the dental experience.
Encourage your patients to ask questions about the procedure and use this opportunity to reassure them. The more information you have about your patient's anxiety, the better you will be equipped to tailor their chairside experience to their needs.
Entertain Your Patients
The bane of all dental practices is the high-pitched shrill of the drill. Dr. Bracanovich says that sound is the biggest factor is creating anxiety. She suggests keeping your waiting room isolated from the sounds emanating from treatment rooms. Wiring your entire practice for sound is relatively inexpensive and will mask the sounds that set your patient's teeth on edge.
Too often dental practices tune into hard rock stations or half-audible talk shows. Select stations with music appropriate to your "spa setting" or invest in a library of relaxing CDs or mp3s. You can even offer your patient a selection of music to choose from while they're waiting. For longer procedures, patients could have the option of watching cable TV or movies on a widescreen television installed in the ceiling or listening to music on wireless headphones.
Put Your Imagination to Work
Finding innovative ways to distract and relax your patients is only limited by your imagination. In the past, I've helped clients design dental "theme rooms" around sports memorabilia, Hollywood movies and local history. Success is one step closer when the patient says, "this doesn't feel like a dentist's office."
Ultimately, if you can relax and distract your patients, you will help them manage their dental phobia better. As a marketer, I strongly believe that if you identify a problem and provide solutions towards solving it, you will be rewarded. What's true for marketing is true for dentistry.
Begin to see your practice through your patients' eyes. The more sensitive you are to meeting their needs, the more positive "word of mouth" advertising you'll receive from them. Dr. Bracanovich says many of her patients decide to come to her clinic because they've heard about its homey and welcoming atmosphere. In the end, you will be rewarded with both improved patient retention and many new referrals.
Marketing Breakthroughs is one of Canada's most innovative marketing companies. President and Creative Director Steve Klein has been providing customized marketing, advertising and branding solutions for dentists since 1997 and has delivered seminars and courses on dental practice marketing techniques to over 350 dental practices across Canada.
Click here to Request a Meeting to learn more about how Marketing Breakthroughs can help you create the ultimate patient experience in your dental office.
