How to Improve Your Dental Patients’ Experience with Technology

Today’s dental patients are more technologically savvy than ever before.

They crave convenience, time-savers, and efficiency.They expect practices to have electronic health records instead of paper files, digital x-rays instead of film, and the ability to confirm appointments via text message instead of having to call.

And that’s just the beginning of the innovations.

Customize convenience and efficiency

Customization helps you add a personal touch when rolling out a new technology. Apply customization to technology that streamlines efficiency and convenience for your patients.

Routine and specific report data
Scheduling
Updates to health, financial, and insurance records
Automated messaging and appointment confirmations, etc.

Reduce cost and time investments

Digital technology can save you paper and file management costs, and automating time-consuming tasks can save on labor costs. At the same time, digital technology provides patients time-saving access to their appointment-related information.

Lower overhead costs helps reduce patient service costs.
Electronic health and financial records improves the patient interface by adding the potential for more efficient payments via text-to-pay links or online patient portals.
Automation and data pre-sets can send appointment confirmation reminders to patients with appointments, and text-to-schedule reminders to patients who do not have a future appointment.

Refine patient engagement

Not all dental marketing initiatives engage your patients.

Technology can provide you a more strategic and targeted approach to patient marketing.

Patient data analysis can segment your database based on procedure, insurance coverage, last treatment date, and more options.
Use demographic data analysis to survey your patients and craft services that appeal to them.

Educate to increase case acceptance

A picture really is worth a thousand words. That phrase has strong relevance for your patients who are “visual learners.”

It’s important to know how your patients make decisions about treatment. The common denominator involves education.

Technology creates pathways for introducing your patients to services and care outcomes.

Artificial intelligence adds a layer of data to x-rays, spotlighting problems and helping patients visualize what’s happening in their mouths.
Explain information in easy-to-understand terms, without using medical lingo
Digital makeover technology can show patients what their smile will look like after treatment
Follow-up emails with links to videos and patient education material will help keep patients engaged and more likely to complete treatment.

Enhance patient communication

Technology helps complete the communication loop. Your patients are accustomed to real-time communication via smart devices and apps.

Messaging tools and chat technology fill the gap between appointments and provide an initial point of communication for those inquiring about your services.
Online patient portals give patients a convenient opportunity to access, update, and share their health, financial, and insurance data.
Available communication channels such as social media, email, and SMS (text messaging) gives patients secure and immediate access to you and your team(s).

Technology is more than a trendy innovation. It has practical benefit when you customize it to your patient care and dental practice management protocols.

The role of technology ultimately leads to long-term patient loyalty and a quality patient experience. AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology can support many of the practical innovations shared here.

Explore the following resources to discover how dental AI technology is transforming dentistry and patient lives:

How AI Impacts Clinical Excellence and Patient Outcomes for DSOs

How AI Technology Improves the Dental Patient Experience