Challenge

Times are stressful. Many dental practices are concerned about how the economic downturn will affect their businesses. Increasingly practices are asking: Will my patients defer care? Will my patients lose dental benefits due to unemployment? Will I see reduced production? According to some consultants, many practices have reported as much as a 30% drop in business.

Solution

Focus on what you can do. Many articles have already been published hoping to address some of these questions, but the underlying message is to focus on what you have the power to change - not to worry about what is out of your control.

From this perspective, if one of the main concerns is whether your business will slow down, it is helpful to think about what promotes dental care utilization and identify which of these determinants your staff can influence.

Monitor perceived oral health status. Did you know that perceived oral health status, in addition to income, education, insurance status, and race and ethnicity, is strongly associated with how frequently individuals go to the dentist? But unlike these other determinants, perceived oral health status can be influenced by a patient’s interaction with the dental practice.

• Both national and regional analyses show that individuals that rate their oral health status as “good” to “excellent” are more likely to have visited the dentist regularly than those that rate their oral health as “fair” or “poor.”

• Similarly, patients reporting “good” to “excellent” dental health are also more likely to report getting the dental care they need and believing that a person should visit the dentist at least every six months.

How are you doing? What percentage of your patients report “good” to “excellent” oral health? With Dentra’s online solution, Patient Satisfaction (PatSat™), it is easy to find out and monitor your progress over time.

Contact us to today to learn more. Call 866.200.9220 or email info@dentra.com.