Sell the ‘why’, not just the ‘how’

Practice Plan Regional Support Manager, Chris Nicholson, talks about the importance of increasing understanding in helping patients to maintain their own oral health to prevent future dental problems.

Over the past few months, we have been confronted, almost daily, with horror stories of people resorting to so-called ‘DIY dentistry’ because they are unable to get an appointment with an NHS dentist. Others complain they have been removed from their original dentist’s books and cannot find another to take them on. However, if you look behind some of these stories, it soon becomes obvious that the reason they are suffering agonising toothache and have been removed from a dentist’s list of active patients is because they have not been seeing their dentists for regular check-ups.

With so few NHS dentists taking on patients (only 1 in 10 according to a survey carried out by the BBC), practices have had to weed out those who have not requested an appointment for a long time (usually several years). As time passes and the numbers of dentists handing back their contracts increases, it’s tempting to wonder what will happen to NHS dentistry.

For this reason, ‘Is there a future for NHS dentistry?’ is one of the Big Questions being posed, and answered, by industry leaders Shawn Charlwood, Len D’Cruz, Simon Thackeray and Nigel Jones in Practice Plan’s Dental Business Theatre at this year’s British Dental Conference and Dentistry Show at the NEC on 12^th and 13^th May. It should prove to be an interesting and sobering session.

However, it’s safe to assume patients that patients who have been removed from their dentist’s list, will not have been attending regularly for oral health examinations and hygiene appointments. Result: a great deal of pain and restorative dentistry or emergency extraction needed.

This is a perfect example of why finding a compelling way to get across the message of the importance of good oral health can pay dividends. Most dentists will tell you they’d rather practise preventative than defensive dentistry. Unlike the 1930s and 1940s when it was the norm for people to have all their teeth removed voluntarily, we now appreciate teeth can last a lifetime if cared for properly. Just like a car, they need regular cleaning and maintenance to ensure they continue to do their job.

However, as the horror stories show, getting patients to engage with looking after their own oral health can be easier said than done. Helping them to understand why it’s important and of benefit to them is key.

Patients need to understand it’s not enough to just go for an annual check-up, although it’s a start! Teeth and gums need to be looked after properly in between appointments, too. However, getting people to act on this advice is easier said than done.

We’ve all been in circumstances where we’ve been given a set of rules or instructions to follow. Unless the reasons behind the instructions are explained to us, we may not stick to them, as we don’t understand why things have to be done the way we’ve been told to do them. We don’t fully appreciate their importance. 

The same can be said of oral health maintenance. Telling your patients they need to floss is not enough. They need to know why they should floss and the benefits to them of flossing.

You can compare this with selling. Features don’t sell a product, benefits do. For example, flossing removes food particles and plaque from between your teeth (feature). This helps prevent food trapped between your teeth from decaying and causing caries and bad breath, so you have a healthier mouth (benefit). It’s the benefit, or what it means to them, that will make the customer buy. Likewise, patients need to understand what’s in it for them.

Educating patients about the best way to care for their teeth daily often falls to the practice hygienist. However, reinforcement is important in helping to bring about change. The whole team should play a part in convincing patients to adopt good daily oral hygiene practises. From the dentist, it can be words of advice, as they may carry some weight. Nurses, therapists and TCOs can all help underline the message. Receptionists can encourage patients wavering about a hygiene appointment to go ahead and book.

This is important as patients who attend hygiene appointments usually pay more attention to their oral health and are more likely to come to the practice regularly for check-ups. Regular check-ups give the opportunity for any potential problems to be spotted early and preventative measures taken. Consistent messaging from the whole team can help encourage changes in behaviour.

Obviously, the best time to help patients develop good habits is when they are children. However, patients are never too old to change their habits. They just need a compelling reason why they should do things differently. The whole team can play a part in convincing them.

Practice Plan is the UK’s leading provider of practice-branded patient membership plans, partnering with over 1,800 dental practices and offering a wide range of business support services. If you are interested in finding out more about how we help practices to become more profitable call 01691 684165 or visit practiceplan.co.uk. Or if you’re heading to the Dentistry Show, we’ll be at Stand K50 so why not come along for a chat.

About Chris

Chris Nicholson is a Regional Support Manager at Practice Plan and has over 15 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, including five in dental practice.