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The dental practice business model continues to be streamlined through digital advances, but experts insist the patient experience must remain the priority. By John Burfitt
The digital revolution of the past decade has changed the way the world works and created viable new business models.
Online calendar bookings, email communication, practice kiosk check-in, live chat services and virtual assistant systems are no longer novel ways of doing business, but the norm in many dental practices. What was the traditional patient experience has undergone a major shift.
It was into this landscape a few years ago that Dr Gamer Verdian launched his Dental 99 clinics, which did away with front desk teams and moved all interactions, aside from the consultation with a dentist, to a digital model.
Until late last year, that is, when a concierge was appointed at each of the clinics, due to the high volume of patients. Dr Verdian now says those first few years offered crucial lessons about contemporary patient expectations.
“We made changes due to client feedback, as it proved there was just no substitute for human interaction in health care,” he says. “Until we have robots or digital systems that can be as empathetic as human beings, I don’t believe there’s any way around it.
“Most of the business is still done digitally, but the concierge is there to greet patients and manage their journey from the time they walk in until they meet with the clinician. They also manage the live chat and email bookings and do so on the spot.”
One person who admits he was inspired by the launch of the Dental 99 model is Clinical Professor Alex Holden of the University of Sydney School of Dentistry.
We made changes due to client feedback, as it proved there was just no substitute for human interaction in health care. Until we have robots or digital systems that can be as empathetic as human beings, I don’t believe there’s any way around it.
Dr Gamer Verdian, owner, Dental 99 clinics
“So much of our lives have become automated, so I don’t think translating it into dentistry was a wrong move, and digital facilitation is important where appropriate,” he says. “People love convenience and in my own private practice, we wouldn’t have half the bookings if we didn’t have online bookings.”
But he believes there’s much to learn from the way Dental 99 tested the limits of the digital experience that others in the dental profession should take note of.
“At the supermarket, we’ve been trained now to do our own payments as it is a low-risk activity, but when you are dealing with human emotions that can include anxiety or fear or trauma, dental patients want someone to talk and walk them through it. There is such important value in that.
“In terms of the patient experience, the fact is dentistry is a caring pursuit and it can be invasive or even difficult, and people want to be cared for—even if they are opting for an effective low-cost model of service.”
Professor Holden says there’s a danger in focusing more on streamlined processes and overlooking the importance of the full patient experience beyond what occurs in the chair.
“Something we explore with student dentists is it does not matter if you are the best dentist in town, because if your receptionist is rude or if making a booking is too hard, then the patient experience is awful and you will probably lose them,” he says.
“Dentistry can’t be reduced to just a transaction. Patients want to feel they’re welcome and will be as cared for on the way in and out as they are when the dentist is working on their teeth. And that still applies even when providing easy access and good dental service at a value price.”
Prime Practice coach and trainer Louise Howlett says implementing effective digital procedures has become an important area of training for practice owners and managers concerned about striking the right balance with patients.
At the supermarket, we’ve been trained now to do our own payments as it is a low-risk activity, but when you are dealing with human emotions that can include anxiety or fear or trauma, dental patients want someone to talk and walk them through it. There is such important value in that.
Prof Alex Holden, University of Sydney School of Dentistry
“A dentist can’t be expected to do it alone; this is really all about the whole team,” she says. “While much is expected of the dentist and their tools, it’s also about how the team uses their various tools in creating good relationships and giving the patient the best overall care.
“We often find there’s a lack of understanding of how to execute that, so work needs to be done to ensure you’re communicating with patients and listening to what they want and what they’re telling you. The focus needs to be on creating systems and processes that are patient-centric and not just about making the clinic team’s lives easier.”
Someone looking to streamline both the patient and clinic team’s experience is Sunshine Coast practitioner Dr Vas Srinivasan, who is in building a new practice from the ground up, which is due to open mid 2025.
Dr Srinivasan is looking to implement the latest digital offerings such as an AI-based 3D hologram to welcome patients and a patient-centric digital booking system that will greatly reduce staff involvement. The new premises will separate the administration team away from the front desk and offer a workflow process with the team moving around the patient.
“Patient experience is the priority in our planning so in the new premises the patient will stay put in one room, while the staff will move in and out of that room providing a more sophisticated experience,” he says.
“The admin team will also be located upstairs away from reception, so they will be able to take calls and bookings, while the reception team can offer an experience similar to that of an airport with a ‘silent’ terminal.”
Dr Gamer Verdian believes the dental patient experience will continue to evolve over the coming years and advises anyone implementing new processes and procedures to always pay close attention to patient response.
“It is matter of spending time with patients, listening to what they are telling you, and taking action based on that. The biggest thing then is to invest in team training, so everyone is onboard and working from the same page in terms of what your model is offering to the patients you’re servicing.”
