Almost half of UK adults have a fear of the dentist. That’s an awful lot of people that are either slightly worried, extremely uncomfortable, scared, or terrified to come and see you. Buttercup dental have some great guidance on how to tackle this issue so we thought we'd let them share it with you!
It’s our responsibility as dentists to make sure that our patients’ teeth are in top condition, to offer professional advice on good oral hygiene, to help our patients when they need us, and to provide a service that exceeds expectations! At Buttercup 7 Day Dental, there’s more than that.
Gerwyn Rowlands, one of our founding dentists, was (and still is) a nervous patient. Gerwyn is our guy on the inside, and we’ve worked hard to identify the things with which a nervous patient struggles. Because we know first hand what it’s like having a fear of the dentist, we’re doing everything we can to make sure our clinic is helping our patients overcome theirs.
Here are a few of the things that we’re doing to change our practice for the better, we hope you can take a few golden nuggets away with you and improve your practice.
Make your dental practice, the perfect dental practice
When we established Buttercup Dental, we sat down and wrote a list of things that we would want from our perfect dentist.
That list became the foundation of our business plan. Because we built our clinic from the perspective of a patient, our clinic is nice place to be and it’s 100% focused on making the whole journey as easy and convenient for the patient as possible.
We wanted easy access with free parking, flexible opening hours, a quality service, no pain, a modern waiting room, different price options and a place where you genuinely feel welcome. Our ‘wish list’ became our ‘must haves’ for when we started Buttercup, the dental practice that has all the things we’d want from our perfect dentist.
Create a relaxed environment
We’ve found that the space of the clinic is incredibly important to the overall patient experience. Dental clinics are often…well, clinical. They’re sterile, white, have clean lines, and often come with a very specific smell.
We’ve tried to take the clinical out of our clinic. By making our waiting room a comfortable space, much like a cafe, we’ve created a relaxed atmosphere where our patients are able to relax before their appointment.
A clean and sterile clinic is of course a must, but try your best to make the waiting room as relaxed as possible. Old magazines and uncomfortable chairs don’t exactly send the message that you care an awful lot about your patients.
Slow down
From our relaxed environment to the way we move, to the way we talk, we’ve slowed things down at Buttercup!
In a lot of practices, patients want to get in and out as quickly as possible because they don’t see any of it as a pleasant experience. Going to the dentist is just another ‘job to be done’, and frankly not the most fun! At Buttercup we’ve changed that and we’ve slowed everything down, this has taken the stress out of everything.
Build trust, and long term relationships
We believe that a big portion of the fear comes from encountering unknown places and people, so we’ve set aside time to get to know our patients. Building trust is one of the most important things we do in our clinic.
We know our patients, and they know us. That’s one of the things that makes Buttercup special.
If you want your patients to come back again and again, act like it. Work on building local and long term relationships. People care whether you remember their name or not, and they appreciate when you ask how the dog that broke its leg last summer is doing.
Be open about dental phobia
Sometimes part of the reason why people fail to attend visits to the dentist is because they’re embarrassed by their fear.
The idea that only a kid is afraid to go to the dentist is utter nonsense, and it’s important to let your patients know that you take them seriously.
Your patients are your most important assets, and you should be treating them that way. If anyone is nervous, book them in for a little longer, talk to them, make sure their questions are answered and that you’re coming across as approachable and friendly. For some people, being caring and respectful comes naturally. For others it takes a bit of work. But it’s so important. Train your staff, so that everyone knows the value of being ‘kind’.
Use a stop signal
We all know that talking when someone else has their hands in your mouth is tricky business. Make sure you’ve got a signal for ‘stop’ when the patient is in your care, and make sure they know what the sign is. For example, right arm up means stop!
Giving the patient full control of when you start and stop is incredibly powerful, and it’ll hopefully make it easier for them to undergo treatment. By empowering them, you’ll almost certainly make them feel more relaxed which will mean that they are unlikely to require you to pause during treatment very often, if at all. Going to the dentist is not supposed to hurt, and we all do everything in our power to make the patient experience as smooth and painless as possible. But sometimes, it does hurt, and sometimes having your mouth wide open for a long time can be uncomfortable. And then it’s time to take a little break and reassess what you’re doing, and how you can make it more comfortable.
Positive reinforcement
No matter how old people are, they never get tired of being praised. If your patient is doing a great job brushing his/her teeth - tell them!
We’re not saying give your patients a lollipop after every successful visit, that would be contradictory. But a little encouragement never hurt anyone.
Over and out
Those are some of our main priorities at Buttercup Dental. We’re always looking for ways to make our practice better, and to improve our patients’ journey. We’re keen to hear from you if you’ve found your own way to calm down nervous patients and make their trip to the dentist easier.
All the very best of luck,
Gerwyn and Angela Rowlands, and the rest of the Buttercup 7 Day Dental Team
