In this blog, Regional Support Manager, Josie Hutchings, urges practices to take steps to encourage regular attendance by increasing the perceived value of routine examinations for patients.
Despite inflation having returned to its pre-Truss budget levels, patients continue to feel the pinch. Finding good value for money is now even more important than it used to be. Practices are reporting that, in an attempt to save money, patients are delaying attending for appointments.
Although money may be tight, most patients appreciate they need their routine dental care to remain healthy. With a few simple techniques you can add value to the way patients perceive their routine examination and keep them coming in regularly.
Firstly, instead of referring to your oral health exams as ‘just a check-up’, call them ‘18-point dental health checks or examinations’. That already sounds like something far more valuable than ‘a check-up.’ Which is how it should be. It is not ‘just a check-up’, it is a very important appointment where you examine all aspects of their dental health, and, unlike an NHS practice, provide an oral cancer check as well.
Oral health affects general health
Patients often take their routine examinations for granted and regard them with little importance. However, emerging research shows that good gum health, especially, may be vital to future full body health. Close links between oral health and heart health have been identified, and the management of conditions such as diabetes is now well established. Connections with other long-term conditions such as arthritis, Alzheimer’s and some cancers are also being uncovered. So, having regular examinations is an investment in the patient’s overall health and not just their dental health.
Regular examinations can also save the patient money in the long run. It’s cheaper and easier to maintain good oral health if you are seen regularly. Problems may not always be obvious to the patient in the very early stages. However, regular oral health examinations offer a greater chance of developing problems being spotted early allowing things to be nipped in the bud.
Encourage plan membership
Encouraging your patients to join your membership plan can also help them to ensure they have a healthy mouth. Statistics show that patients on membership plans are healthier than pay-as-you-go patients. This is because plan members are more likely to attend more regularly and at the correct intervals for them. Plan membership allows them to spread the cost of their appointments through monthly fees rather than paying in full each time they visit. This means they can easily budget for their oral healthcare meaning they can turn up at the practice for their regular examination and leave without having to pay anything. Consequently, they are less likely to put off making an appointment because they’re worried about how they can afford it.
Another way to add value to your exams is by explaining what you are doing at each point so they can hear all the things you are checking. That way they will be able to appreciate how thorough the examination has been.
It’s best to avoid using jargon and try to use language patients understand instead. For example, tell them you are ‘looking to see you’re fit and healthy’, ‘checking that your gums are healthy’, or ‘taking an x-ray to make sure your bone is healthy’. This helps patients feel included and gives them a better understanding of the areas covered during the exam.
Some practices operate a traffic light score card for patients to take home to show them how they have improved since their last exam/hygiene visit. This will give a red, amber or green rating to various aspects of their dental fitness and will highlight the areas they need to work on.
Regular attendance for routine examinations is time and money well invested for your patients. Help them to appreciate this by showing them the value of these appointments.
