Let’s face it; dentistry is not a loved profession. The unhappy truth is that in terms of appeal, for many people dentists rank somewhere between the in-laws and the taxman in the list of individuals they least like to see.
For these people, the phrase ‘painless dentistry’ is an oxymoron and the mere suggestion of stepping into a surgery is enough to make them clamp their jaws together in panic.
These people are the target audience for a new breed of clinics. Spa surgeries, instantly identifiable by their high-gloss, minimalist looks, are the sloane rangers of the dental industry.
Popular in the US and UK, this style of dentistry is now edging its way into the Middle East market as a (pricey) alternative to the traditional single-surgery model of practice.
Visits to these clinics are all about luxury. In a surgery scented by essential oils, patients can slip on DVD glasses, choose their soundtrack, and opt for reflexology along with their root canal.
Patients walk out relaxed, refreshed, and free of the nagging pain in their molars. Some vacations aren’t that good.
Admittedly none of these approaches are that new, so you might ask yourself why I’ve highlighted them. Here’s why.
It’s because I’m amazed how, even in the face of endless evidence that these measures will make patients pay more and return, so few practices have caught on to this approach.
To be clear, spa dentistry does not mean low-calibre dentistry. You’re not trading your education for essential oils.
You’re simply going above the bar of most practices, to give your patients an added reason to come back. And not to need Valium to do so.
The secret behind spa dentistry is that a small-scale version doesn’t require a lot of outlay.
As we discuss in this month’s issue of MED, small tweaks can go a long way to making your patient feel less like a number and more like a customer. Why not try it? It may make you more money. And you’ve got nothing to lose (bar your patients).
Follow us on
