See How Small Gestures Can Create Big Loyalty in Your Dental Practice

Fostering Strong Dental Patient Retention

Are you aware of just how important patient retention is? According to Harvard Business Review, it’s 5 to 25 times more expensive to gain a new customer than to retain an existing one.

Dentistry is no exception. Research from Dataman Group Direct shows that acquiring a new patient costs dental practices $150 to $300.

Here’s what you should know about patient retention, as well as some tips for building dental practice loyalty to maintain and grow your patient base.

Why Retention Matters More Than You Might Think

Many dentists focus their efforts on attracting more patients. Attracting new patients is important, but it can also make it easy to overlook the importance of keeping the ones you already have. Inspiring dental practice loyalty in your existing patients is a powerful strategy for growing your practice steadily over time.

Loyal patients are a source of long-term value for your practice. Happy patients will recommend you to their friends and family, serving as vital word-of-mouth marketing. 

They are also more likely to trust you and accept treatment at your recommendation. It’s much more difficult to get new patients on board with even immediately necessary treatment, much less any elective procedures or long-term commitments.

The numbers clearly show that keeping existing patients is more cost-effective than pursuing new patients. While you should always maintain a balance between the two approaches, shifting more of your efforts toward patient retention can improve stability and provide a solid foundation from which your practice can grow.

The Power of Small Gestures

So many of the methods dentists use to grow their practices require significant investments of time and money. Whether you’re launching a marketing campaign, purchasing new equipment, or expanding your general dentistry and orthodontics practice, it can seem like the only moves available are big ones.

In reality, small gestures can really help, especially when it comes to patient retention. Take the time to implement personal touches that leave a lasting impression. Patients will feel valued and know that they’re more than just another entry in your schedule. They’ll be much more likely to make your practice their permanent dental home.

Traditional mail is still a solid approach. You can send out holiday cards or birthday postcards to existing patients to keep your practice fresh in their minds. While you might still rely on automated systems for appointment reminders, taking the time for actual follow-up calls after treatment can further personalize the patient experience.

Making an effort to know more about your patients also helps. Always greet them with a warm welcome, and keep track of their family members’ names and other details. It doesn’t hurt to keep a few notes in your patient management system to review before each appointment.

Training Your Team To Make It Personal

The entire team must be on the same page when it comes to your commitment to personal service. You want your patients to have a personalized experience from start to finish. 

Emphasize the importance of kindness and attention to detail in patient communications. You can also help your team members engage more meaningfully with patients using simple scripts and reminders. 

Train your team on key talking points for specific types of treatments so that they can discuss them properly with patients. Your team should also review patient and case notes prior to each appointment.

Consistency Builds Trust Over Time

Some gestures may seem small at first, but their impact adds up over time. That’s why maintaining consistency is essential. It builds up to form a pattern where your patients feel seen and valued at every visit. This is particularly true when patients come to you for more intensive treatments, such as orthodontic services.

Building loyalty takes time, but it is more than worth it. By getting to know your patients and treating them like more than just the procedures they schedule, you’ll develop meaningful relationships that can last for decades.

Start building your dental practice loyalty.

Small changes you make today and stick to consistently can significantly increase dental practice loyalty. There are countless opportunities for making simple, authentic connections with patients without spending a lot. You’ll be amazed by the financial and emotional returns that come from investing in those relationships.

There’s no need to carry out your plan for dental practice success alone. To learn how to build loyalty, you can seek out mentorships and form connections with other dentists who have been where you are today. The American Orthodontic Society provides excellent opportunities for networking, mentorship, and more. Become an AOS member today.