As we see patients day in and day out, we focus on keeping our margins smooth and restorations looking and fitting exquisitely. We ensure their comfort by giving ample anesthesia. And the list goes on. Unfortunately, for our patients, having an excellent restoration is not their only concern.

Yes, they want you to do a great job on the dental side of things, but the bigger picture is what type of experience did they have? Here are some quick, inexpensive tips that can help provide a better experience for your patients:

1. Tinted safety glasses: It blocks out bright light and protects eyes too.

2. Lip Balm or Vaseline: Offering this to patients prior to and during treatment helps them from cracking and it makes the appointment easier for the patient.

3. Tissues: Having a pack of tissues handy for your patients to use at their leisure during the appointment helps them keep themselves clean during the appointment.

4. Topical anesthetic prior to injection: There are pharmacies that can compound a mixture of lidocaine, prilocaine and tetracaine and when placed carefully prior to injection can turn you into a “painless” dream for patients.

These are a few quick tips to help your patients have a better experience. Please feel free to share thoughts or other tips that you may have.

Jeff Lineberry DDS, Visiting Faculty, Spear Education. [ www.jefflineberrydds.com ]


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Comments

Commenter's Profile Image Lilya Horowitz
August 8th, 2012
Great tips! I do not know why more dentists do not offer lip balm, it makes a huge difference and the compounded topical works like a charm! Lilya
Commenter's Profile Image Andrew Arnouk
August 8th, 2012
We handle a hot cloth at the end of each dental appointment, it makes most patients say: First class service. Very nice article Jeff, thank you.
Commenter's Profile Image Will Kelly
August 8th, 2012
We have been making our own lip balm (out of beeswax, coconut oil, lanolin, Vit E, and peppermint oil in a crockpot) for 3-4 years. It has become one of the "critical non-essentials" that you can't take away once you start it. We have patients coming in between recalls to get a tube of it and say its better than anything they can buy in stores. Honestly, we thought that was a problem at first but realized that if they are waking up thinking about our business then it must be a good thing.
Commenter's Profile Image John Sweeney
August 10th, 2012
Hey Will, great to see you involved with Spear. Hope all is well with the family. You think you could give me the exact recipe and cooking instructions for that lip balm and how you package it. I think our patients would really like that. John