The patient experience determines how your patients not only feel before, during, and after their appointments, but will also help your dental practice reputation. If a patient feels frustrated at the beginning of their appointment, they will likely have much more anxiety during the appointment and associate the visit with negative feelings. A skilled front desk staff can greatly improve the patient experience by creating a welcoming atmosphere that puts stress and anxiety at ease.

Smiling dental patient sitting in a dentist chair waiting for the dentist.

The Patient Intake Experience  

Whether your office has gone paperless or you are still handing the patient a clipboard with paper, the intake experience is important, and dental office front desk training should address how to best manage this process. Electronic dental forms that patients can fill out prior to their appointments will save time and stress, as insurance cards and previous records can be uploaded digitally. Electronic security is important, and it is just as important to make sure your staff knows how to handle the intake.

Front Desk Dental Office Training Helps the Staff Provide Efficient Scheduling

If patients are sitting in the waiting room long beyond their appointment time, it can be tricky to salvage their experience. No one wants to feel as though their time is not being valued. When you have the right training in efficient patient scheduling, you can build a system that will reduce patient wait time and minimize conflicts, even when emergency appointments need to be factored into the schedule. In addition, when the office is running late due to an unforeseen issue, the front desk dental office staff will need to provide status updates so that patients do not feel forgotten or ignored.

Relationships are Built Through Improved Communication

Patients want efficiency in their communication with the dental office. Anyone working at the front desk needs to be both professional and friendly. Telephone interactions with patients create a good first impression while strengthening relationships with existing patients. Simply using names, asking how you can help, responding with genuine interest and concern, and smiling to allow a friendly tone to come into your voice can help build the interpersonal relationships that will reinforce your practice as one that cares about patients.

The Dental Office Front Desk Staff Develops Relationships With Patients

It’s not just about email and text reminders that improve the communication of the dental office. The dental office front desk staff should focus on building relationships by friendly communication and follow ups that show patients that they are more than just a number, a tooth, or a record in the files. When patients have a front desk staff member who recognizes them, makes an effort to make conversation, and still handles their interactions professionally, they will associate the dental office with positive emotions.

Dental Office Front Desk Training

If you are interested in working behind the front desk of a dental office, it is important to get the right training to become an effective and valued member of the dental office team. Patient experience is an important part of any dental practice. A front desk staff member should always make this a priority with professionalism, efficiency, and kindness. To learn more about our front desk training program, contact South Florida Dental Assisting School today!