December 2019--Stress Management & Business Consultant Jen Butler says dental teams often ask her “Why are patients so crazy?”
Allowing dental patients to “drive you crazy” is not only detrimental to your health and theirs; it stunts practice growth and potential profits. Dental patients are commonly stressed when they think about going to the dentist and when they are in the dental office. Although there are different stress triggers and reactions to them, your understanding and appropriate response can reduce the nervousness they feel. Striving to make patients feel less nervous benefits everyone involved, from the patient’s willingness to book the initial appointment to moving forward with diagnosis and treatment. By the time you finish reading this blog, you will have learned about two skills you and your team can easily practice to de-escalate stress.
What happens when you are at the top of the Sears tower or you see a snake or a spider, or you're in a tight elevator with a bunch of people around you? Do you start to sweat? Can you feel your pulse racing? Is your heart beating out of your chest? Is the anxiety you feel blocking your normal processes? Do you feel “out of control” emotionally? Many times, your patient is experiencing just that state of fear.
Seventy-five percent of Americans have some level of dental fear. Of those 75%, 10-15% actually have a true diagnosable phobia of being afraid of going to the doctor. These 10-15% of patients have the fight, flight or freeze reaction. While they are biologically in this state, they have little control over their emotions and reasoning. Their ability to make decisions is shut down. They feel the overwhelming need to get up and walk out.
If you assume all patients have some level of fear and start seeing your patients as people who are afraid of being there, you know what happens? It changes the way you interact with patients. It changes what you offer them and the empathy that you share and how you comfort them. You look for signs that indicate their fear level and employ stress de-escalation strategies whenever necessary.
The number one way to contend with nervous or angry patients is to learn how to truly express empathy without being condescending. Don’t say “I understand you.” You can't possibly understand. You can relate, but there's no way that you can really understand what someone is going through. Instead, say something like, “That sounds difficult. Would you like to tell me more about that? What can I do to help you right now?” Asking the patient how you can help them right now helps the patient quickly refocus while indicating you are empathetic.
Whatever the patient is feeling, thinking, and saying is real to the patient. The patient may believe the dentist will hurt her. The patient may believe he will gag while being treated. The patient may be anxious about unresolved dental pain and whether the dentist can eliminate it. The patient may fear the dentist will overcharge him. These are just a few examples.
In addition to being empathetic, another way to de-escalate dental patient stress is to acknowledge and validate. For example, you can say to the patient, “Thank you for sharing that with me. You really are brave coming here, and we are going to take such good care of you. Let's talk about how you can let us know if you are in pain or if you're too scared, and we can take this slow.” Or, you can say, “Let’s talk about what you can expect and the choices you have.” You have acknowledged and validated the patient as well as given the patient open space to be able to share how they are feeling. Always invite the patient to ask for a restful pause if they find examination and treatment stressful. Always invite the patient to discuss options if financial considerations seem to be a stressor. Full information and open space to share in conversation helps calm patients and open their minds to possibilities.
Instead of providing your full range of dental services to only easy-going patients, grow your dental practice or DSO by welcoming and working with fearful and nervous patients. If the dental team masters empathy towards all patients and how to validate and acknowledge the concerns of all patients, they will be able to work “with” patients of all ages and demographics. Frustration will be minimized while you grow your patient base. If you earn a reputation for making patients feel comfortable and genuinely cared for, appreciative patients will send more patients your way.