On average, dental practices lose between 10% and 40% of their active patients each year. While some patients move to a different practice for objective reasons, like relocating, others switch dentists because they’re unhappy with the quality of care or other aspects of their dental experience.

Let’s break down patients’ top five reasons for changing dentists and list a few strategies you can adopt to encourage patient loyalty. 

1. Dissatisfaction with Dental Care Quality

A dentist may be highly competent and experienced. However, patients will still be dissatisfied if the appointment seems rushed, the dentist doesn’t take enough time to explain the procedure, or the dental team doesn’t pay enough attention to their comfort level. 

Your patients may also consider changing dentists if your dental practice fails to incorporate advanced tools, equipment, and procedures your leading local competitors are already using. 

2. Poor Results of Dental Treatment

Patients may be initially satisfied with their dental treatment but later notice poor outcomes, like a restoration that deteriorates too soon or damage to healthy teeth. They may consult another dentist and discover their previous dental care provider failed to diagnose a serious condition or didn’t specify all their treatment options. 

When this happens, any trust in the dental practice usually vanishes, at which point patients are likely to change dentists without warning. While this can be disheartening, it’s best to move forward with preventative strategies.

3. Lack of Rapport with the Dentist 

The connection between a dentist and a patient is highly personal. Patients look not just for professionalism and efficiency but also personal qualities like empathy, care, patience, honesty, and good communication.

Sometimes, a patient and a dentist just aren’t a good fit. Patients should feel comfortable with their dentist; when that rapport is absent, they will usually move on to a different provider. 

4. Poor Communication

Your patients don’t want to waste time coordinating appointments, waiting to talk to a staff member, or filling out paperwork when they’re in a rush. When fruitless communication gobbles up too much time, patients may eventually choose another practice.

Communication flows much more smoothly in clinics using the Patient Portal by Dental Intelligence, allowing patients to fill out forms easily. 

5. Long Waiting Times and Inefficient Processes

Your dental patients have busy schedules. A delay in routine processes — for instance, when you need to sign a release form per a patient’s request — can be frustrating. 

Patients may also consider changing dentists if they need to wait six months for a simple procedure, spend too much time in the waiting area, or contact you for an emergency appointment and you can’t fit them in. It pays to keep some flexibility in your schedule so you can accommodate your patients more easily. 

What You Can Do To Retain More Patients

Retaining a stable patient base is easier and more cost effective than constantly working to gain large numbers of new patients. This is what you can do to foster patient loyalty.  

Upgrade Your Office and Equipment

If you haven’t updated your reception area and waiting room in years, now is a great time to do so. Invest in attractive decor and comfortable furniture to keep your patients relaxed while they wait for their appointments. You might also consider upgrading to more innovative, efficient technology, and equipment. 

Communicate With Your Patients 

Take the time to listen to your patients, address their concerns, and explain treatment options. If necessary, adjust your schedule so you can dedicate more time to each patient. If a patient undergoes a complex procedure, have your team follow up with them to ensure they are recovering properly and following all recommendations.  Your team can easily do this with ringless Voicemail Drops.

Examine Your Payment Options

Do your patients hesitate to schedule procedures because of financial constraints? Consider offering discounts or flexible payment plans or accepting more types of insurance coverage. Your patients will tend to be more loyal if you accommodate their budget. You can also offer patient financing to offer more options to your patients.

Offer Perks

Reward patients for staying loyal to your practice. You could offer incentives like a free teeth cleaning, a discount on a whitening procedure, a VIP membership option, or a gift card to let your patients know you value them. With Dental Intelligence Patient Loyalty Program, you can create an incentive program with customizable rewards that works for your practice,

Enjoy Higher Patient Loyalty with Dental Intelligence

Efficient engagement tools by Dental Intelligence can help you create a personalized patient experience and keep patients from changing dentists. Our solutions help you save time, boost patient loyalty, and make more money. Request your free demo today.