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10 Benefits of a Touch-Free Dental Practice

By Planet DDS
November 19, 2020

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the term “touchless” or “touch-free” has been used across multiple industries. Businesses are attempting to make their operations safer, and encouraging customers to take advantage of these measures to resume their purchasing habits.

Does touch-free work for dentistry though? While there are aspects of your profession that must always occur in-person, incorporating touchless communication systems at your dental practice will offer you these ten benefits:

1. Safer For Everyone

Safety is now the first thing on patients’ minds when they consider resuming their day-to-day activities, like scheduling dental appointments. However, your expertise gives you an edge–safety has always been your #1 concern as a dentist, and by using your knowledge of PPE and best infectious disease practices, you can reduce the risk for you, your staff, and patients.

2. Simplified Scheduling

Typically, scheduling is handled through a combination of in-person visits and phone calls, creating a jumble of notes and paperwork that your staff has to manually input and then carefully follow up on. Moving to a touch-free scheduling system–such as Legwork Online Appointment Booking –helps to digitize much of this work.

3. Patients Prefer Online Booking

Many business owners are reluctant to automate or digitize their operations, fearing that customers will respond negatively to the “artificial” quality of those systems. But when it comes to scheduling appointments, they couldn’t be further off the mark: nearly 70% of consumers prefer to book appointments online , and 93.9% say they’re more likely to choose a business if online booking is offered. Providing an online booking system makes you more appealing to customers, period.

4. More Consistent Payment

Handling insurance and payment takes up a fair amount of time at the front desk, increasing exposure risk; plus, sticker shock can lead patients to defer payment. Offering online payments provides flexibility, and enables options like installment plans to ensure your bottom line is met.

5. Streamlined Data Intake

In addition to being a germ vector, paper forms are a hassle to work with, requiring your staff to interpret messy handwriting and manually enter patient details. An online forms solution like Legwork Paperless digitizes the entire process, letting patients enter their information before arriving at an appointment, and automatically transferring the details to your PMS and PRM software systems.

6. Gives Patients Greater Flexibility

Managing health records is often a hassle for patients, and they might opt instead to steer clear of your office or avoid treatment. Providing a touch-free digital patient portal makes these tasks much easier for patients, allowing them to be handled in the comfort of their own home, and reducing the stresses of compiling physical records.

7. Easily Personalize Experiences

Due to reduced time spent in the waiting room or at the front desk, you can turn your attention to the needs of your patients when they’re in the operatory. Combined with a comfort preference survey , you can assess their level of stress and fear, and provide amenities like relaxing music or television shows to put them at ease during their treatment.

8. Minimize Office Time

By digitizing many of your common activities, you make life substantially easier on your staff, enabling them to focus their attention on making patients happy and comfortable, while leaving busywork like data entry and appointment reminders to your patient engagement system.

9. Gets You Ahead of the Curve

Though the future is uncertain, it’s clear that having safety protocols that minimize disease risk is essential. By building a touch-free dental practice now, you get difficult work out of the way, reaping efficiency benefits while having a safety contingency plan to fall back on in the event that it’s needed.

10. More Positive Reviews

If you prioritize safety for your patients, they’ll take notice. A safe, personalized experience will stand out in the minds of your patients, and they’ll be sure to call attention to it in their reviews or when friends and family ask them to recommend a dentist.

Making your practice touch-free offers plenty more benefits as well. Want help getting started? Download our free eBook, The Legwork Guide to Touchless Communications . Get tips and strategies for going touchless at your dental practice today!