Anticipating Patients Questions
One of the many duties of a dentist is to look for patients. Although this task may consume much a dentist’s time, what most professionals often overlook is the fact that patients are looking for dentists as well. Which is why when a potential patient enters your clinic, essentially half of the work is done. But in order to get that patient on board, it’s crucial that you give a good first impression and part of doing so is being able to answer their questions satisfactorily. Below are a few questions that every dentist must anticipate.
“Are you accepting new patients?” – This is probably the first question that a potential patient will ask. To put a patient at ease, a dentist should answer this question in a manner that makes the patient feel that the dentist is not only willing to treat her but would very much be happy to.
“What relaxation techniques do you offer for nervous patients?” – So there is a big chance that patients may not ask this question. However, dentists should be sensitive to the feelings of their patients. For this reason, they should explain any relaxation techniques they may have should the person they are talking to be secretly afraid of dentists and dental procedures. And even if the patient isn’t exactly scared of being in dental clinics, this gesture will send a message to the patient that this dentist is the type that goes an extra mile to ensure that his or her patients are always comfortable.
“Do you see children as well?” – Busy parents will no longer have time to go to the dentist and then take junior to his dentist across town. For this reason, they often go for dentists who can see them as well as their kids. However, if you do not cater to younger patients, it would help if you refer the patient to a dentist who specializes in treating only children just so that in case they still decide to stick with you they don’t have to go through the trouble of finding a special dentist for the little ones.
“Do you provide emergency after-hour treatment?” – A lot of dental clinics are starting to accommodate patients even after hours should there be an emergency. However, if your dental clinic does not adapt this practice, it is a lot better to say so outright but then talk about what other services you can provide that relates to emergency situations.
