New Dental Patient Interviews

When a new patient first comes to your office, you don’t know much about them, their oral hygiene habits, or the goals they have for their dental health. New patient interviews can help you obtain the answers to these questions and built a rapport with new patients.

Once you know your patient’s goals, you can tailor his or her treatment plan and make recommendations to help meet these goals. Not only will this make your patients feel more included in their dental care, but it also fosters loyalty to your dental office. Patients trust you more if you make them a partner in their own care. Case acceptance is more frequent when patients don’t feel like you’re just trying to sell them procedures.

Interviews for New Dental Patients

Below are a few questions you may want to consider asking new patients:

• Does anything bother you about your smile? If so, what is it?
• On a scale from 1-10, how important is dental hygiene in your daily routine?
• Do you feel confident with your smile in your personal and professional life?
• Have you ever had a negative experience at the dentist’s office? If so, how can we help avoid having another?
• Do you have any current toothaches, pains, or sensitivities?

These questions give you the opportunity to get to know your patient’s goals and talk about the services you can provide to help them achieve these goals. Instead of overwhelming your new patient with multiple dental problems, talk to them about the most immediate concerns first.

Lastly, present treatment plans in a calm and relaxed manner, which will help patients feel more comfortable asking questions or voicing concerns. Make sure to cover all elements of the treatment plan and make sure to schedule them before they leave your office. 

Here at Dental Insurance Credentialing, we know that it can be tough to juggle insurance matters at the same time you’re trying to connect with your patients. Allow us to take some of the burden! For more information, please contact our office today.