Pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins come to mind for most people in October, but in the dental industry, October screams National Hygiene Month!
Patients want clean and healthy teeth, but a visit to the hygienist is more than just a routine check-up. Hygiene appointments should be productive and educational. The goal is to motivate patients to care more about their oral health and invest wisely in those products and procedures that will significantly impact and yield long-term results.
Teeth Whitening treatments such as GLO Science Pro Chairside Whitening are a win/win for dentists and patients alike because they are easily marketable and profitable. Plus, it's easy to show the benefits as it provides fast results, and there is a tangible positive outcome (everyone loves a good before and after pic)!
Dentists should offer support to their office teams as they are the ones who are primarily "selling" GLO to patients. The challenge is to motivate and empower your staff to generate patient interest in these products without sounding like a late-night infomercial sales pitch – regardless of how well you sleep on your My Pillow® after a long day at the office!
Here are a few easy whitening conversation starters:
- Prominently feature a GLO light-up display in your office lobby or main dental office as a visual cue.
- Include a GLO brochure in all patients' "goody bags" and explain what is included in the bag when you present it to them.
- Engage patients' chairside. Select a topic such as healthy eating or an exercise regimen to segue way to whitening. Patients who value their overall health are more likely to invest in their oral health.
- Offer complimentary patient shade assessments at the start of a cleaning.
What's Your Shade?
It may sound like a cosmetics ad or a question you might be asked at the hair salon, but in this case, we're talking teeth! GLO has created the Motivational Shade Guide to assess where a patient's current tooth color falls on the VITA shade spectrum, as well as the shade they aspire to achieve.
The guide shows teeth from light to dark so patients can select their optimum shade and become motivated to achieve desired results. If the hygienist doesn't have time for a formal assessment, the patient can do their own. Mary Beth Roselli of GLO Science suggests "leaving the What's Your Shade literature in the operatory where it is easily accessible to patients."
Once patients have realized their full smile potential, it's time to explain that not all teeth whitening products are created equal. GLO Science is the leader in EVOLVED teeth whitening. Patients will be excited to learn that GLO’s unique warming blue light technology eliminates sensitivity and provides maximum results with minimal chair time.
In regards to hygiene, be sure to introduce ECO Balance, a therapeutic product from GLO that helps with oral hygiene and gum health. It is especially crucial during these times when patients may be skipping regular check-ups.
The benefits of GLO teeth whitening products are not just limited to your patients! Your practice can also benefit in the following ways.
- Patient satisfaction = patient retention
- Increased practice revenue
- Powerful social media testimonials
- Production goals can be quickly met with little to no chair time depending on selected services
- Whitening conversations can create opportunities to educate patients and build relationships/trust
The Bottom Line
Teeth whitening services provide additional value to the patient and the practice while enabling dentists to offer overall better patient care. They are an essential part of today's dental practices and are in higher demand than ever before...especially if your patients have a few too many dark chocolates this Halloween!