Yes, a very good idea to have patient testimonials and the use of video would be great. Testimonials are a must really.

I think cost is an important element for people in making their decision. People do have to take that into consideration and having the basic fees up front would be good for both potential patients and dentists. If someone can’t afford the services of a dental practice, it’s probably best that both parties know that immediately before going too far into anything. I’m sure most practices do this, but if not, it would be good to also provide people with information on any payment plan options as well. I have no doubt that patients will appreciate the flexibility of payment options, as well as the transparency of the practice to display that information upfront. Admittedly, when finding my new dentist I was in too much pain to care about costs. My dentist did explain to me that if I signed up for a plan with them, I could get a 15% discount on all work. He didn’t try to hard-sell the plan, but he mentioned it since he understood that a root canal was costly. I signed up for the plan because it did save some money, but also because I didn’t feel like he was trying to sell me anything. He mentioned it briefly and as a way to help me, but didn’t push it.

I don’t think cost is the most important factor when making a decision about a dentist/dental practice, but it definitely does factor in, whether we like it or not.

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I also think its very important that dentists communicate that they can deal with nervous patients online, through patient testimonials and the use of video on the web. Does cost play a major factor in your decision on finding the right dentist or would you rather meet the dentist before finding out the fees (ie do you think its a good idea that all dentists should display a fee guide on their website?

Thank you for the comment. It is definitely difficult to find the “right dentist”. In my case, it was about finding a “competent dentist” I feel, but perhaps that is a little harsh. A lot of the time, I think with both dentists and doctors, we as patients need to feel comfortable with them. To get to this comfort level, we need to know a little more about the dentist and how he/she works. Not an easy thing to gauge until you’ve had an appointment, typically, but I think the web and social media allow people to become more personable and reach more people before they’ve even met face to face. Perhaps more dentists need to set up a Twitter account and feed their tweets on their sites. Getting to know dentists as people – and granted, people who can also make mistakes – allows patients to feel more at ease, and perhaps less tense and nervous when going to a dentist office. I wonder at times how much of what we fear of dentists is just the unknown and the horror stories?

My recent root canal is a prime example. I’d heard absolute horror stories about the pain. I, magically, had virtually none. I was even concerned at the lack of pain. For my second appointment, I wasn’t even nervous. An odd experience for someone who is (or was) always nervous when having to go to the dentist.

Having a good web presence is always a good idea for any professional. I’ll admit that I am a bit of a website snob. If I visit a website for a company and it’s really really bad (circa 1998 bad), I simply click to the next company offering the same thing. Having a good website will go a long way. It should also have good content though. Perhaps more dentist sites can simply detail procedures more. I was very grateful to my new dentist for explaining what he was going to do in “normal”, every day language. It helped take the fear of the unknown from the equation. Having a site that details, and illustrates, some of the common procedures may help more people become more comfortable with what they are going to experience. Not seeing what someone is doing with a bunch of buzzing tools in your mouth is a little disconcerting.

My dentist was also great about being very willing to field any questions I had. This is where time would be involved, but if more dentists open themselves to social media avenues where they can field questions from patients and potential patients, they will earn a lot more trust, and no doubt form better relationships with their patients. If I see a dentist blogging about a procedure and answering any follow-up comments and questions, he/she has already put themselves ahead of the other thousands of dentists in my mind. Twitter is a great avenue for this as well.

I’m not sure if this is even helpful, but I hope so. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I promise to respond in a more timely manner next time