Effective communication skills are the key to establishing positive and productive relationships with both the patient and the dental team.
Incorporating excellent communication skills starts with the dental team. Start by creating a practice vision and mission statement together that you and your team will follow.
A supportive dental team creates a greater level of change and growth while boosting office morale. A positive and enthusiastic team is noticed by your patients, allowing them to feel comfortable with your practice.
The next step is to establish a protocol for all new patients. You first develop effective patient communication skills. Ask open-ended questions to discover and understand some of the patient’s concerns, and what the patient expects from the practice.
This will help you and your team establish the foundation for a good relationship with patients.
Remember, good communication can win over the patient! In order to obtain the important information that gives you the insight into your patients, we use questions that contain Who, What, Where, Why, When, or How.
These are questions that cannot be answered with a yes/no answer.
What do you like about your smile?
What did you like most about your previous dental office?
What concerns you most about your smile?
What did you like least about your previous dental experience?
What would you change about your smile?
What can we do to make your dental experience a positive one?
What can we do to help you accomplish your goal?
What is stopping you from getting the smile you want?
This approach is something that can easily be implemented with all new patients. It will help you your patients better, and in return, will increase your case presentation with your patients.
Remember, the best form of communication is open and honest. When you are honest with your patient, you will encourage them to be honest with you.
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