A bridge to the future – Cheryl Hayes
Featured Products Promotional FeaturesPosted by: Dental Design 2nd July 2018
Much has been written about how dentistry has undergone a radical transformation over the last few decades. There are exciting materials to work with, cutting-edge techniques to learn and digital technology – described as the future not too long ago – is now very much a feature of the present.
What hasn’t changed, though, is that wherever you work in the dental field, it is the patients who are central to absolutely everything. Whether human nature ever really changes is a philosophical question that we won’t get into here. But it is important to step back and think about what your patients want. If you had asked them the same question 10 years ago, would the answer be different, and how?
For example, a survey commissioned in 2011 investigated patient perceptions of the UK dental market.[i]It found that the three most common reasons for not going to the dentist were ‘a belief there was no need to go’, followed by cost, then dental fear or phobia. Fast-forward six years and we see the same themes in another survey that found almost one in five British adults only visit the dentist when they think they have a problem.[ii]Cost is also still an issue, particularly as access to NHS services is an area of concern in some parts of the country.[iii]Dental phobia has never gone away either, and never will. It is not uncommon to find a dental practice that looks more like a high-end spa these days, but who really enjoys going to the dentist? Over 30 per cent of patients reported experiencing ‘moderate’ dental anxiety in the last Adult Dental Health Survey; 12 per cent described their fear as ‘extreme’.[iv]
So, if we are considering perception of need, financial implications and dental anxiety we may conclude that the more things change, the more they stay the same. In other words, patients are likely to have many of the same concerns that they did years ago.
This is only part of the story, though, because in other aspects, patients arechanging. With dentists banging the drum for preventive dentistry, more patients understand that good home care and regular check-ups (even when all seems well) are essential. Particularly if a person is choosing private treatment, they are aware that they now have a choice about where to have it. The internet has opened a world of possibilities: with just a few clicks a patient can find a practice that might be offering more convenient appointment times, or a handy online booking facility. Equally, an individual may look at reviews and decide that they will get better value somewhere else – even if they have been coming to you for years. We also have a more itinerant population; these are all factors that have made loyalty to a dental practice far more elusive than it was in the past. There have been important demographic shifts too and we must be prepared for treating more and more patients who are elderly and who lack both the physical and mental dexterity to look after their oral health properly.
Changes in dentistry have naturally encouraged patients to think differently about what is possible. Aesthetics is a growing area of patient interest; improving the smile for mental wellbeing as well as for function. Pioneering technologies and innovative techniques have boosted the implant market, with implants fast becoming the preferred method for oral rehabilitation following a missing tooth or teeth.[v]Orthodontics has benefitted from modern technologies and materials too, with a rising number of adults in the UK now choosing to take a course of orthodontic treatment for aesthetic as well as functional reasons.[vi]
So, how does a practice fulfil patient expectations, looking after wants and needs like value, excellent care and comfort, while also allowing them to access some of the very best treatments that modern dentistry has to offer? Install technology that bridges past and present and works alongside your long-held values. Cutting-edge imaging solutions from Carestream Dental, such as the CS 8100 3D, will give you versatility, patient comfort and accurate diagnostics for excellent treatment results. A modern practice should look for investments that offer precision and are convenient and comfortable for all ages of patient, as well as covering a range of applications. Powerful imaging is the key to getting things right first time, as well as broadening service provision.
The dental landscape has changed. Your patient base may be changing too, but your patients still want quality results and a commitment to their care. If you invest wisely in the right technology, you can aim high and work towards bringing everything together: your patients’ enhanced expectations, their traditional needs and the stunning possibilities offered by modern dentistry.
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[i]BDA. Public perceptions of choice in UK dental care: findings from a national survey. Published October 2012. Link:https://bda.org/dentists/policy-campaigns/research/patient-care/Documents/public_perceptions_of_choice_in_uk_dental_care.pdf(accessed May 2018).
[ii]Mintel. Nothing to smile about: one in five Brits only visits the dentist when they have problems with their teeth. Published 11 October, 2017. Link: http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/beauty-and-personal-care/one-in-five-brits-only-visits-the-dentist-when-they-have-problems-with-their-teeth(accessed 3 May 2018).
[iii]BBC News, 6 September 2017. ‘We couldn’t see an NHS dentist so we pulled out our own teeth’. Link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-41113507(accessed 3 May 2018).
[iv]Adult Dental Health Survey, 2009. Heath & Social Care Information Centre, 24 March 2011. Found at: http://content.digital.nhs.uk/pubs/dentalsurveyfullreport09(accessed May 2018).
[v]Grand View Research. Dental Implants Market Size, Share, Growth, Industry Report 2018-2024. Published February 2018. Link: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/dental-implants-market(accessed May 2018).
[vi]Adults seeking more orthodontic treatment. Dentistry.co.uk, 25 July 2016. Link: http://www.dentistry.co.uk/2016/07/25/survey-reveals-rising-number-of-adults-seeking-ortho-treatment/(accessed May 2018).
