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Professional Courtesy: Conducting Your New-Patient Performance by Dr. Thomas Giacobbi

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Categories: Practice Management, HR and Accounting;
Professional Courtesy: Conducting Your New-Patient Performance


by Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD, editorial director

The new-patient experience is a symphonic performance that must be delivered flawlessly every time. This is often the first impression you make with your patients, and it works to establish a positive relationship and show your patient that your office runs with the precision of a Swiss watch. This is important because it will leave the patient with the subtle impression that you expect them to be on time for their visits—you don’t want to show up late for the symphony!—and there is no wasted time during their visit. On the other hand, if the office operates more like a street performance where people wander in and out and the performer is making it up as they go along, your patients will follow along accordingly.

In my practice, we’ve taken time over the years to articulate a very specific sequence of events that defines the new patient visit. This does not involve massaging their feet or a paraffin mask for their hands; rather, it is an efficient sequence that keeps us running smooth through the day.

Starting at the beginning
Everything starts with the people who answer the phones and emails that request a new-patient appointment. It is more common these days to have new patients contact us through our website, so if you don’t have this feature available, investigate it with your website and patient communication vendors. Modern technology takes this experience a step further by allowing us to send patients a link to new-patient forms so they can be completed before their appointments. (A small number of patients still don’t enjoy the benefits of modern technology, so we have an option for them to complete this step in the office as well.)

Once the patient is announced by the front office team, the dental assistant takes over by greeting the patient in the reception area and introducing themselves. On the way to the operatory is our panorex machine, and if this is indicated for the visit, they make a stop to capture this image. Before the patient is seated, the assistant takes a quick “headshot” photo for their chart. There is a spot for this in the Dentrix chart, and I can’t tell you enough about how this handy feature has helped with recalling patients and their personalities.

Once the patient is seated, the assistant asks the patient for any specific concerns, briefly reviews the plan for the visit and then calls the doctor for the exam. When I arrive in the room, the assistant introduces me to the patient and then reviews any questions or concerns that the patient has for this visit. Doing this quickly can avoid the frustration of the patient having to tell their story again.

It’s doctor time!
The exam begins with charting the existing conditions and completing a full-mouth periodontal probing. During this time, I can gather most of the information I’ll need for the treatment plan and get a sense of the patient’s limitations or challenges with future treatment. After the charting, I capture some photos with the intraoral camera and sit the patient up for their X-rays. I will direct the assistant to take whatever necessary X-rays and then leave the room. When I return, I simply need to review the X-rays and then the treatment discussion with the patient can begin.

I use the TV at the foot of the patient chair as a second monitor, and the assistant can move the imaging window to that screen so I can use the intraoral photos or X-rays to review our findings with the patient. During this conversation, I’m informing the patient of my findings and we’re discussing the options for treatment, while the assistant listens attentively and makes notes or enters information into the patient chart.

By the time the patient and I have finished our conversation and reviewed the plan, the assistant has the treatment plan completed. I will check once more with the patient if they have any questions and then check with the assistant before I leave the room to be sure the treatment plan has been entered in the proper sequence. The assistant can finish their note and the patient is escorted to the front for signing their treatment plan and scheduling their next visit.

Like announcing the arrival of a patient on the walkie-talkie, the assistants in the back will announce when they are coming up with a patient who has a new treatment plan. This gives the front desk a head start to prepare a copy for the patient and make sure everything is in order.

Sound good? Good!
Once you’ve read this far, you might say, “That’s not any different than what I do in my practice.” If so, I would say don’t change a thing! However, I’m sharing it today because so many patients say one of the following things at the end of their visit:
  • “I’ve never been to an office that runs so efficiently.” (We did all the stuff that most offices do; it was just well organized.)
  • “I’ve never had an exam that was so thorough.” (We took photos with an intraoral camera.)
This month, take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of your new patients and examine the flow from the first phone call to making an appointment for treatment. You might be surprised at the hidden opportunities for increased efficiency. If you have a question or would like to reach me by email, contact me at tom@dentaltown.com. Or, share your comments under the column below.
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