Easy Ways to Keep Your Teeth Healthy and Strong

At a time when everything from household budgets to national economies are feeling the pinch, there are so many things that start to get cut. Ask any dental practice manager or dentist, and they will tell you that they are seeing a flurry of emergency appointments. Why? Because more and more patients in their local communities are putting off preventative treatments in an effort to make their monthly budget go further. 

Let’s take a closer look at this from the point of view of dental practices and figure out an approach that works for the professionals and the patients. 

Dental practices can reduce their strain 

One of the issues that will build up when patients put off their regular preventative treatments in favour of saving money is that they are then put under greater time pressure. Patients who have put off routine dental work only to then cause far more serious issues down the line are in pain and in need of urgent assistance from their local practice. 

The result of this is that practices are constantly being asked to do more with less, trying their best to fit in more and more short-notice appointments with no growth in budget or their resources. The problem with this is that practices ultimately need to be run like businesses and will inevitably feel the strain. Recommending the following steps to patients makes sense in two key ways that we will highlight shortly. 

Recommending daily flossing 

Dental practices that recommend each and every one of their patients to floss after mealtimes will dramatically improve patient outcomes. Turning dental hygiene into something patients think about throughout the day, rather than allowing it to remain an afterthought, makes them far more conscious of what is going on inside of their mouths. 

A secondary benefit of this approach is that flossing requires a constant stream of consumable flossing products. Dental practices that stock the correct floss and actively recommend it at the end of routine appointments will be able to sell it to their patients. The result is an additional revenue stream that will help the practice thrive on an ongoing basis. 

Promoting interdental brushing 

A regular toothbrush is great and is certainly something that everyone in the country should be using at least twice a day. Teaching everyone who comes to the practice the correct brushing technique is something that every dentist and hygienist can do. All it requires is a little extra time at the end of each appointment, a model set of teeth, and a demo brush. 

Something that many patients may not be aware of is the fact that adding an interdental brush to their routine can help greatly as well. Practices that recommend these types of brushes then become the go-to seller for them because local people will know they can trust the quality. Partnering with a supplier who can ensure a constant stock level as demand ebbs and flows is a smart move for any practice manager to make. 

Highlighting electric toothbrushes 

Practices looking for a higher-value product to sell would be well-advised to consider selling electric toothbrushes. With so many on the market and so many features to choose from, people can quickly become overwhelmed when trying to make their choice. 

If a practice recommends and stands by a particular make and model, it helps build trust with patients who simply want to know that they are using the right piece of equipment for the job. Replacement heads and cleaning solutions can also be sold on an ongoing basis and will create a secondary revenue stream in the process. 

Teaching the importance of mouthwash 

Last but by no means least, practice managers should consider promoting a specific brand of mouthwash to their patients. Many people are confused by the large variety of options on the supermarket shelves and simply want to be told what will work best for them. 

When a dentist recommends a product to people they deal with in person, it makes a real difference to product credibility. Exactly what you want to hear if you are a practice manager looking to increase recurring monthly revenue streams. 

Final thoughts 

With a forward-thinking approach to education and promotion, dental practices can both lighten their future workload and improve patient outcomes. The fact that this generates multiple sources of recurring revenue in the process can only be seen as a bonus. 

Individual patients can also learn a lot from the above points and are strongly advised to consult with their local dentist for further information. 

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