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Introduction to the New Dental Patient Intake Workflow
Attracting new patients is crucial for the success of any dental practice, as every office naturally experiences attrition within its patient base. Patients move away for various reasons—whether it’s graduating from high school, relocating for work, or retiring out of state. Additionally, some patients pass away, leading to a gradual decrease in your existing patient pool. This makes it essential for any dental practice to continuously work on acquiring new patients to maintain and grow the practice.
To effectively attract new patients, it’s important to understand the difference between branding and marketing. Branding is the foundation that defines why patients choose your practice over others. It’s not just about listing the services you provide but about communicating the deeper purpose and values that set your practice apart. In contrast, marketing is the strategy you use to make the public aware of your existence and to highlight your unique value.
Simon Sinek’s renowned presentation, “Start with Why,” emphasizes the power of understanding and communicating the ‘why’ behind what you do. Sinek explains that the most successful organizations and leaders inspire action by clearly articulating their purpose—their ‘why’—before addressing the ‘how’ and ‘what.’ For dental practices, this means that your brand should be built around why you do what you do, not just the services you offer. When patients understand and connect with your ‘why,’ they are more likely to choose your practice and remain loyal over time.
By starting with ‘why,’ your dental practice can differentiate itself in a crowded market. Patients are not just looking for dental care; they want to feel a connection with their dentist and trust that their well-being is the priority. Your ‘why’ should resonate emotionally, giving patients a compelling reason to choose you over other providers.
Before diving into new patient acquisition strategies, it’s vital that your practice has a clear and compelling brand identity, mission statement, and vision. These elements will shape your marketing efforts and ensure that you attract the right patient population—those who align with your practice’s values and long-term goals.
Think of companies like Apple, whose vision is to empower creativity in their customers. This focus on ‘why’ they do what they do has set them apart from competitors who simply aim to sell products. Similarly, your dental practice must have a strong and clear statement that resonates with patients on an emotional level, giving them a reason to choose you over others.
Once your branding is solid, you can focus on marketing to raise awareness of your practice and attract new patients. Educational content, particularly through social media posts and videos, can help potential patients get to know you before they ever set foot in your office. With a well-defined mission, vision, and marketing strategy in place, your practice should see a steady flow of new patients each month—ideally outpacing the natural attrition rate.
To ensure consistent growth, it’s also important to track how many patients you lose each month, quarter, and year. Establish a system for tracking patient transfers, and count how many patients are leaving your practice. Compare this to your new patient intake to ensure that your practice is growing. Remember, the goal should be to grow your practice by at least 7% each year, which will help you double your income every 10 years.
The following is a general outline of a comprehensive new dental patient intake workflow designed to help your practice attract and retain the right patients, ensuring long-term growth and success.
