When a dental patient comes to you for treatment, they have two things on their mind: what you can do to help them, and how much it is going to cost them. Every case is a little different, and some patients may have more than one viable path for treatment.

Identifying the Issue

As a patient, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the various options you present them. What’s more, they’re also trying to weigh their options against the costs to choose the best course of action. As the professional, it’s up to you to help them understand their choices so they can get an optimal outcome. Use these essential tips to close any knowledge gaps and strengthen every patient consultation:

1. Speak in the patient’s language.

Keep in mind that the average patient didn’t spend eight or more years to become a dentist. They may be good at what they do, but when it comes to their dental health, they may have only a base level understanding of dental-related terms.

It’s important to meet every patient wherever they are and speak to them on their level. Layman's terms can go a long way in helping the patient understand your recommendations and feel confident in receiving treatment from you.

2. Illustrate treatment options with dental animations

We process visual elements 10,000 times faster than text (reinforcing the idea that a picture is worth a thousand words). Adding visual context to your recommendations can help patients to bridge the knowledge gap.

Apps like DentiCalc offer 3D dental animations with just a few taps on your device. You don’t have to waste time trying to find the perfect YouTube video to show your patients. Plus, you can rely on videos that are always available, consistent, and helpful.

3. Offer a pricing estimate

Once you make your treatment recommendations, most dental patients will follow up with questions about pricing. They don’t want to get their hopes up over a treatment they can’t afford. They may also want to explore other solutions that are more within their budget.

As a dentist, pricing is something that’s usually left to your billing department. However, it can be extremely valuable to the process to be able to provide patients with real-time estimates for the services you’re suggesting. Too often, patients leave their dentist’s office after a consultation and never return. But by offering pricing on the spot, you may be able to book their next appointment before they leave your chair.

4. Compare treatment plans and costs in real time

There may be times when treatments are out of your patient’s price range. If this is the case, it can be beneficial to you and your patients to offer alternative options (and their respective costs). Have multiple options available so your patient can make an informed decision.

Improve Patient Consultations with DentiCalc!



Technology can help improve communication with your patients and provide them with the information they need to move forward. We developed the DentiCalc app to provide a better consultation experience with every patient by putting animations, real-time estimations, and treatment comparisons in the palm of your hand. Download the DentiCalc app today to see it in action!

Download the app today and empower every consultation with professionalism, expertise, and confidence.

For more information about how DentiCalc can help enhance your treatment plan presentations, click here.

For more informational dental blog posts, click here.