Tom Goldsmith from Henry Schein Dental, looks at how the adoption of digital technology can significantly increase patient treatment uptake.
The rapid advances in digital technology continue to transform and expand the range of treatment options that can be offered to today’s patients. Intraoral scanners and digital impressions are leading the way over analogue alternatives, but some practitioners are missing out on the benefits of the speed, accuracy and convenience offered by these digital solutions.
Dentists have always relied on and benefited from loyal patients and as the desire for more advanced orthodontic and restorative treatments continues to rise1, it is important that practices are in a position to take advantage of this increased demand.
Improving the patient experience is a key part of the remit of today’s dentistry and there are many ways in which digital technology can support this goal. Improving communication with patients and delivering fast, effective treatment will provide positive patient experiences and improve treatment uptake, which in turn can have a significant impact on practice profitability.
Missed opportunities?
Those dentists who continue to rely on established analogue methods, believing this to have little impact on treatment uptake, should consider the patient’s perspective. Many nervous patients, who may have had their feelings exacerbated during the pandemic, may positively want to have treatment to improve their smile, but also want to achieve the result in as few appointments as necessary. Digital intraoral scanning, as an alternative to traditional analogue impressions, is an immediate, tangible benefit to this patient, allaying fears, increasing comfort, and enabling the first stage of treatment to progress immediately.
Patients who are not offered this option may leave the practice unhappy with their experience, only to later cancel future appointments, resulting in a lost opportunity. This issue can be compounded by the fact that, due to deficiencies in communication, some patients leave the practice unclear about what the next steps of their treatment involve, leading to patients rejecting treatment plans or looking elsewhere.
It is also worth remembering that patients are increasingly knowledgeable about their dental options. Practices should ask themselves why a patient would keep returning for multiple appointments over weeks or months, when another practice nearby can diagnose, plan, and complete treatment in just one or two appointments using digital imaging and CAD/CAM solutions.
The cost of missing out (COMO)
The loss of treatment opportunities can be costly for a practice, causing a negative impact on both current and future revenue. A typical full-time dental chair should see up to 2162 new patients a year for an initial consultation just to stand still. When analogue methods are used, research showed that only 30%3 of these initial consultations result in treatment conversion.
According to the NHS, the average private orthodontic treatment revenue in the UK is around £4,0004, meaning that £605,000 (70%) in potential opportunity is lost by each full-time chair annually.
Failing to convert treatment plans means a practice not only loses out on projected revenue but may also find itself spending more than expected attempting to attract new patients to replace the shortfall.
A new way
Increasing treatment conversion rates is certainly achievable by taking steps to improve the patient experience. It is well documented5 that practices who have adopted digital technology have seen a significant increase in treatment uptake when compared to analogue workflows.
Taking a modest 10% increase in uptake of orthodontic treatment, such as clear aligners, from new patients alone through using digital, this equates to a revenue increase of £86,400 per annum for just one full-time dental chair - a significant return on investment in the longer term.
The solution
Implementing a full end-to-end digital service can improve the patient experience and is now not only a realistic alternative, but also an essential ingredient for every dental practice, regardless of size or mix.
The journey to increased efficiency and patient uptake can start with an intraoral scanner. This single piece of equipment can dramatically improve the patient’s experience and help educate them about the treatment they are receiving and their overall oral health.
Digital smile design tools and treatment simulations can also help patients visualise and agree their proposed treatment plan in just one visit, whilst at the same time, the improved accuracy and predictability of treatment, assured by the use of digital techniques, will increase a dental team’s own confidence in the treatment outcomes they can expect to achieve.
Henry Schein Dental is committed to working with practice owners to provide the digital equipment to transform their patient journey, and to monitor, measure, and promote new services that will increase treatment uptake, improve patient experience and maximise practice efficiency.
References
1. https://dentistry.co.uk/2022/06/17/dentistry-census-pandemic-boosts-orthodontic-treatment/
2. Software of Excellence Exact: pre-pandemic anonymised data from 900 practices. Breaks down into 18 per surgery per month.
3. https://www.planetdds.com/blog/how-to-increase-case-acceptance-for-dental-patients/
4. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/orthodontics/
5. https://dentistry.co.uk/2018/11/13/survey-suggests-visualisation-technology-improves-patient-treatment-acceptance/