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Helping patients understand the cost-saving benefits of preventative care

Consistent oral health care can save patients thousands of dollars in restorative dentistry–but as obvious as this is to you as a dentist, it can be a difficult lesson to impart to your patients.

To help you drive home the importance of preventative care, here are a handful of easy to implement tips.

Keep it simple

Whether you’re discussing the cost-savings benefits of preventative care or talking about a new service you offer, don’t use too much jargon. Keep explanations simple and leave the door open for patients who do want to ask about the technical details.

Push hygiene as a cost-savings measure

Even the most ardent brusher and flosser still needs a periodic professional teeth cleaning to remove plaque. Patients who repeatedly reschedule or miss their hygiene appointments might need a shift in motivation. Instead of focusing on oral health for beautiful teeth, explain the role hygiene appointments play in keeping down dental costs.

Focus on early detection

Patients that have not had anything more than a cavity filled may have no idea how much it costs to get a root canal, bridge or dental implant. Don’t be afraid to outline some real numbers of what could happen if they let their oral health slip too far.

Resisting the urge to put off dental treatments

If a patient balks at spending money on a treatment, you can use value-based language to talk about which more invasive and expensive treatments the patient will be protected against. While you need to be careful when getting personal with a patient’s finances, there’s also an opportunity to how getting this treatment now and adding a payment plan now can save them money in the long run by avoiding future procedures that cost considerably more.

Avoiding more serious health issues

Many patients are unaware that oral health not only plays a significant part in their overall health but that certain signs of life threatening diseases first present themselves in the mouth and throat. Preventative care and routine visits can save more than just money.