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In the ever-evolving field of dentistry, converting potential dental patients into loyal customers poses a regular challenge for dental practices. Over the last 5 years, U.S. dental practices grossed over $171 billion with an average conversion rate of 69%…that’s $53 billion in lost revenue!
To tackle this issue effectively, it is crucial to understand the primary reasons why potential patients fail to convert. These reasons include financial burden, lack of follow-up, poor presentation, and fear and anxiety. Fortunately, the emergence of digital treatment plans offers a transformative solution capable of overcoming these obstacles and improving case acceptance. Below we will dive into the power of digital treatment plans and explore how industry-leading dental practices are revolutionizing patient communication and boosting their practices’ case acceptance rates.
Bridging the Gap of Financial Burden
Financial burden often serves as a significant obstacle, preventing potential dental patients from becoming customers. According to Dental Economics, “74 million Americans have no dental coverage and even those who do often struggle to afford expensive procedures”, with 75% of patients only using offices that accept their insurance. The high cost associated with dental treatments is clearly intimidating, causing patients to hesitate or altogether hold off on the procedure because they do not have a clear understanding of the expenses involved. Treatment coordinators are great at helping to guide and assuage patient concerns but not every office has one and once found, retention and bandwidth are quickly pressing issues. This is where digital treatment plans can present a unique opportunity to address this concern.
Digital treatment plans enable dental practices to provide transparent breakdowns of treatment costs in a visually appealing and easily understandable manner. By leveraging interactive tools such as charts and graphs, dental practices can present treatment options and associated expenses clearly and concisely. The most effective digital treatment plans couple these tools with various payment options, that include insurance coverage, payment plans, and third-party financing within the digital treatment plan portal. This comprehensive view alleviates the financial burden and empowers patients to make informed decisions, transforming treatment plan presentations into a case acceptance engine.
The implementation of digital treatment plans/case acceptance engine effectively bridges the gap between potential patients’ financial concerns and their commitment to pursuing necessary dental treatments. By offering transparency and accessible information, digital treatment plans increase patient trust and significantly improve conversion rates.
Enhancing Follow-up and Communication
Lack of follow-up and effective communication often hinder the conversion of potential dental patients into customers. Traditional paper-based treatment plans make it challenging for dental practices to engage with patients, resulting in delays, misunderstandings, and missed opportunities. Fortunately, digital treatment plans that couple coordinated patient follow-up provides a solution without adding more work to office staff.
Digital treatment plans can enable seamless follow-up and communication by leveraging secure online platforms and email. Dentists can share detailed treatment plans, images, videos, and comprehensive descriptions, directly with patients. This allows patients to review the proposed treatments at their own pace, ask questions, seek clarification, and engage in meaningful discussions with the dental team.
The convenience and accessibility offered by digital treatment plans ensure that patients feel heard, valued, and supported throughout their treatment journey. Active communication fosters trust, builds patient confidence, and increases the likelihood of converting potential patients into customers.
From Confusion to Clarity: The Power of Visual Presentation
Poor presentation of treatment plans can lead to confusion and impede patient understanding and decision-making. Traditional treatment plans often contain complex dental terminologies and intricate diagrams, making it challenging for patients to fully grasp the proposed treatments, which is a big reason why the “average treatment acceptant rate is around 60%”. Digital treatment plans offer a remedy to this issue by providing visually engaging and easily understood presentations.
By incorporating interactive elements such as 3D models, animations, and educational videos, digital treatment plans effectively convey complex dental procedures in a simplified and visually appealing manner. Patients can visualize the treatment process, understand the step-by-step approach, and gain clarity on the expected outcomes. This visual representation enhances patient comprehension and confidence, increasing their willingness to proceed with the recommended dental treatments.
Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
Fear and anxiety serve as significant barriers that prevent potential dental patients from seeking necessary dental treatments. The fear of pain, anticipation of discomfort, and uncertainty surrounding dental procedures can create immense anxiety. Digital treatment plans play a pivotal role in addressing these concerns and soothing patient fears.
Digital treatment plans allow dentists to provide comprehensive explanations of each step involved in the treatment process. By offering detailed descriptions, educational materials, and interactive tools such as virtual tours of the dental clinic or testimonials from satisfied patients, digital treatment plans help alleviate patient anxiety. Moreover, the ability to communicate electronically with the dental team empowers patients to ask questions and seek clarification in a comfortable and non-intimidating environment.
Through digital treatment plans, dental practices create a supportive and reassuring atmosphere that minimizes fear and anxiety. By addressing patient concerns and providing a platform for open dialogue, dental practices can instill confidence, encourage treatment acceptance, and convert potential patients into loyal customers.
So To Wrap Things Up:
Easily understood digital treatment plans have the potential to revolutionize patient presentation and boost conversion rates for dental practices. By addressing the top reasons potential patients don’t convert to customers—financial burden, lack of follow-up, poor presentation, fear, and anxiety—digital treatment plans provide transparency, facilitate effective communication, enhance presentation and visuals, and alleviate patient fears. Dental practices that embrace digital innovation in treatment planning can essentially create a case acceptance engine that enhances patient experiences, improve conversion rates, and ultimately build a thriving practice.
Zuub’s cutting-edge digital treatment plan presentation platform offers solutions that
can optimize case acceptance and help you unlock additional revenue opportunities.
To experience the benefits of digital dental treatment plans firsthand,
schedule a demo with Zuub.
Written by: Jason Whitener, Sales Manager, Zuub
About the Author:
Jason has worked in the dental industry for over 10 years helping groups leverage technology to maximize limited resources. His areas of expertise are automation, revenue cycle management operations, analytics, and marketing strategy. In his free time, Jason enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two dogs in addition to supporting all things Texas Longhorns.
