What do people want from their dentist?
GrandviewDental | June 12, 2009The first thing I notice when I meet someone for the first time is their smile. Perhaps it’s because I’m married to a dentist, I’ve been working in a dental office for 5 years, or because I had a lot of work done on my smile (braces twice, jaw surgery) before I even became eligible for my “special dental benefits plan”. I guess having a nice smile has always been important to me. It’s the one thing that is always with me no matter where I go.
But is that what the general public wants? I struggle with what people want from their dentist in writing these blog posts.
- Do they just want their teeth cleaned and rush out the door. That’s cool, because at least their clean and they are taking care of things.
- Do they believe they can wait until it hurts if the dentist detects cavities or gum disease?
- Why don’t more people floss? It only takes a minute a day and it does so much good.
- Do they believe that it’s more important to have their morning Starbucks than to have to pay out of pocket for a professional dental cleaning or $30 copay for a filling?
- Do they really believe that their dental insurance should cover more, even though their premium is $10 per month? (compared to $100s for medical)
- Do they want whitening that works with a little effort on their part for less than $100?
- Are they skeptical as to whether the Smile Makeover will really look as good as the mocked up “after” picture?
- Do they want their dentist to say “you know your teeth are looking a little yellow, we could really brighten them up for as little as $89 with a take home whitening kit” Or is that insulting to the patient? Because just about everyone over 30 could make a fairly significant difference in their smile, with a little whitening.
- What do people want from their dentist?
- Let’s start the conversation. Would love to hear your comments here on this post.