Helping patients understand their treatment
It’s easy for patients to feel overwhelmed when listening to a dentist explain treatment options. It’s up to you to make sure patients understand how the treatment works, and more importantly, the benefits of accepting care. Here are a few ways you can simplify the process.
1. Speak in your patient’s language
Remember that none of your patients spent years in dental school. Do your best to limit your use of dental jargon they might not understand. Even the most complex oral health concerns and dental treatments can be explained using everyday language, particularly when highlighting the benefits.
2. Visuals are important
Photos, illustrations, videos, and animations are great ways to explain concepts that are difficult to put in layman’s terms. Whenever possible, use imagery from the patient’s own mouth, but stock video can also be effective.
3. Ask patients open-ended questions
Confirm a patient understands their treatment options by asking open-ended questions:
- What do you think about this treatment plan?
- How do you think this plan will improve your oral health?
Asking patients to recite back their own treatment and benefits reinforces their understanding and increases the likelihood they move forward with care.
4. Provide a pricing estimate
Most patients are thinking about price when listening to your case presentation. Alleviate this concern by providing a cost estimate for the services you are suggesting. By giving the patient a ballpark figure on cost, you can better focus their attention on the treatment itself. Having an estimate in mind also prepares the patient mentally before speaking to the billing department to find out their out-of-pocket cost.
5. Adopt a positive tone
Keep an upbeat and positive tone when explaining treatment options. Instead of focusing on what is wrong, get the patient excited about how great it will be to have the problem fixed.
6. Provide a written explanation/printout
Some patients struggle to concentrate when sitting in your chair and will benefit from having printed materials to read through at home. While it’s ideal to schedule a patient for treatment while still in the office, learning which patients need more time to research treatment options on their own can help you better provide the details they need to move forward with confidence.
