Being part of a dental practice and staff requires more than your service to the patients but service to your dental practice. You are part of business and brand that fosters care to patients dental needs; there should be some form of participation from you as a dental staff member to engage in the practice.
Whether it’s engaging with patients, prospective patients or with the practice itself, there are ways to make engagement possible. How? Well, we all know patients are a huge part of a dental clinic. They are the primary source of commitment we should participate in. There are two ways of doing so.
Create An Excellent Patient Experience
Patient experience and satisfaction are very critical. The way we speak, react, and handle our patients adds to the overall experience. When a patient is satisfied with their experience, they are more likely to share that experience with others. Some of the ways you can achieve an excellent patient experience are by:
- Painless – being aware of patient’s discomforts and responding to them will let you become more attentive to your patients. Every patient, especially children, wants to have a painless experience at the dentist.
- Be amiable and conversational – sit with the patient for a few minutes to talk with the patient. Get to know their concerns and fears. Let them voice their concerns and let them have a say. The idea is to generate a brief conversation to help ease the tension and to explain in detail of the procedure they will be undergoing.
- Be a provider and advocate – patients look for both for an exceptional experience. The advocate who presents the outcomes of the treatment, the one who reassures the confidence, comfort, and peace of mind you will experience if you undergo treatment. The provider will present the treatment in what will be done, allowing patients to be notified of their treatment.
You want to ensure you’re attentive and treating your patients as more than just patients but as a human. The connection, understanding, and engagement you have with your patients make the difference between them coming back to you and your dental practice for dental care or going to another dental practice.
Ask For A Review/Testimony
This is a more upfront direct engagement towards your patient. Patient reviews are what let other prospective patients know how dental staff treats patients. It reflects a more personal aspect of the dental services your practice might be 
offering that we can’t express. Ask patients to give you or your dental practice an online review. Let them know you are open to feedback and ways to help improve. It lets patients know they matter and that we care about what they have to say. It helps engage your staff and dental practice with your patients and prospective patients.
Engagement on Social Media
Social media engagement is a critical part of what connects everyone to anyone now. Social media networks are plenty and having dental staff engage with your practice’s social media channels can help boost visibility among their networks and others. If there is engagement on your social media pages, people are more likely to interact with the content but also keep in mind the content has to spark conversation, entertainment, or value.
You want to ensure you are actively participating with patients when they come in for dental treatment and to let them know their voice matters. Encouraging your team to engage with patients and your practice will help bring brand awareness to prospective patients. What are some of the ways you encourage your dental staff to engage with your patients and teams, tell us in the comments below?