Engage patients with Hygienist Communicative Training

March 28, 2019

The relationships formed between your hygienists and your patients are arguably the most important relationships across your entire practice. Hygienists are the primary point of contact between the patient and the practice and have a tremendous impact on the overall patient experience. Just ask anyone who’s had a negative interaction with a hygienist. It’s not fun.

Learning to communicate effectively from the perspective of the hygienist is not an easy task, as that specific relationship is far different than any other either the team member or patient will encounter on an everyday basis. Here are some of the key ways in which dental hygienist training can improve your dental practice.

Increasing case acceptance

Accepting treatment from someone you don’t know well or don’t feel you can trust is never an easy situation. Learning how to communicate with patients will help patients get to know you and your staff and will build a high level of trust that will increase dental case acceptance by establishing a clear understanding of the non-clinical benefits of the treatment.  Most importantly, this connection provides patients with the opportunity to ask questions and to engage in an open dialogue with the hygienist, rather than blindly taking their word at face value. 

Boost patient retention and referrals

Just as hygienist communication has a big impact on how a patient experiences your practice, it also has a big impact on how he or she will speak about your practice after leaving the office. A patient who is consistently listened to and who trusts your staff is going to speak much more highly of you than a patient who is made to feel like just another folder of dental records. A positive patient experience leads to more referrals and also more effectively retains current patients because they feel comfortable and familiar with your practice. They trust you to relay honest information to them and to have their best dental health at heart. Providing transparent and informative guidance drives retention, as patients look to you as a year-round resource, not just a biannual checkup.

Improve hygienist fulfillment

As great as this effective communication is for the patient, it is just as great for the hygienist. It adds professional fulfillment to their lives and builds connections and relationships through which they feel they can truly make a difference. In practices where communication struggles and patients start to feel undervalued, hygienists start to feel the same way. Effective communication is a two-way street, and one that typically has a positive impact on both sides of the relationship.

Hygienist communicative training from White & Associates

For over 40 years, White & Associates Practice Consulting has helped dental practices optimize all aspects of their business, from providing better patient care to increasing profitability and beyond. Contact us today for personalized hygienist communicative training designed to build lasting relationships between your practice and your patients.