Reducing Patient Anxiety, Boosting Patient Comfort

Visiting the dentist is something that many patients are deeply anxious about. About 10% to 20% of patients experience dental anxiety that can impact their likelihood of seeking out treatment, and many more patients experience it to a lesser degree. There are steps you can take to ensure your patient’s comfort and reduce anxiety during every step of the treatment process.

1. Making Appointment Booking Easy

Your strategy for mitigating dental anxiety needs to address more than just the treatment itself. Many patients struggle to reach out in the first place for both routine care and resolving pressing issues. You can make your practice more approachable with an easy booking process that doesn’t induce anxiety.

You should ensure that your staff has a clear workflow in place for taking appointments and that they are familiar with your systems. Any unanticipated hiccups during booking can be seen as a very negative experience by anyone experiencing dental anxiety.

Make sure that patient records are properly managed so your team isn’t drawing out the booking process by taking down repeat information. Consider offering an appointment form on your website that lets patients make first contact instead of only through a phone call.

2. Providing a Welcoming Environment

You need to ensure your patient’s comfort from the moment they enter your dental practice. There are many ways you can foster a warm and welcoming environment to help mitigate dental anxiety from the start.

First, make sure your office is always clean and at a comfortable temperature. You don’t want your office to come off as sterile and intimidating either, so consider using a warmer color palette and a variety of complementary wall art or other similar decor.

The way your staff greets your patients is also a critical part of this welcoming environment. They should be friendly but not overbearing and carefully guide patients through the check-in process.

3. Talking Your Patients Through Their Dental Situation

A large part of dental anxiety has to do with a fear of the unknown. Patients are concerned about their dental situation and are looking to you to provide insight and assurance. Make sure to discuss what you’re doing and why to help reduce any uncertainty during the process.

Keep in mind that patients may be unaware of the ramifications of their dental situation, even if it seems very evident to a trained dentist. Explain the potential impact of any issues, and clearly communicate risk levels to avoid excessive worrying from patients.

4. Providing a Full Range of Treatment Options

Once a patient becomes familiar with a dentist, their dental anxiety can begin to fade over time. A big part of patient comfort is based on trust, so going to the same dentist year after year for routine visits helps assuage their fear. You can provide the best experience by expanding your treatment options to minimize the need for referrals.

When a patient is referred to a specialist, their dental anxiety can flare up again due to an unfamiliar situation. Seeking out continued education opportunities for orthodontics or other treatment options lets you handle more of your patients’ needs in-house, avoiding unfamiliar and anxiety-inducing situations.

5. Involving Patients in Treatment Planning

When you’re planning treatment for your patients, it’s important to involve them. Many patients with dental anxiety are hesitant to bring up concerns that you would be able to address, so ensuring open communication during planning is vital.

You should discuss treatment options, their expected outcomes, and the treatment procedures with your patients. This can help ensure your patient’s comfort throughout the process, and doing so also addresses their individual needs more effectively.

6. Providing Clear Recovery and Aftercare Instructions

Discussing potential follow-up treatments or examinations, the recovery process, and any required aftercare is an important step in calming dental anxiety. What’s going to happen after their treatment, as well as anything that might happen during the procedure, can concern patients.

Laying out clear expectations can provide patients with a clearer understanding of their treatment. A realistic idea of what recovery will look like can help reduce anxiety, and information about aftercare instructions helps instill confidence. By knowing what follow-up appointments to expect, what medications they may need, and any activity or diet restrictions during recovery, patients will feel more in control and less anxious.

Building a Foundation for Exceptional Care

Synergy Orthodontic Seminars provides general dentists with the knowledge, skills, and experience they need to offer orthodontic treatment options. Not only do our courses include the technical aspects of treatment but also the finer points you need to know to provide exceptional patient comfort and confidence. Browse our upcoming courses for opportunities to develop your practice.