An insatiable hunger

A majority of dentists want more new patients.

There is a condition which I describe as “new patient fever” where getting more new patients is seen as the solution to all our problems in practice.

Dentists who get 20 a month want 30 and dentists who get 30 a month want 40. I’ve even heard a dentist who averages 45 new patients per month say:

“If only I could get more new patients.”

At a certain point you have to admit that perhaps the number of new patients is not the problem. Maybe it has to do with something else.

The number of new patients is not the problem!

Let me explain by telling you about a practice I visited.

This practice is located in an affluent area in one of Australia’s major cities. Two dentists work in adjacent operatories in this practice.

One dentist does a quick new patient examination and cleaning (30-minutes) and only tells the patients about basic treatment.

The other dentist does a comprehensive new patient examination without a cleaning (60-minutes) and tells the patients about everything that modern dentistry has to offer.

The dentist who does the quick examination sees 40-45 new patients per month and the front desk staff says that it’s a constant struggle to fill their appointment book.

The dentist who does the comprehensive examination sees 20 new patients a month and is always booked up 2 weeks in advance doing high-quality dentistry.

What is the problem with the first dentist?

Is it the lack of new patients, or has it to do with their new patient examination, diagnosing and communication skills?

Would giving them 60 new patients per month fix the problem or is that like trying to fill a bucket that doesn’t have a bottom in it?

If you have ever suffered from “new patient fever” you might want to ponder these questions.