Expensive compared to what?
Beware the patient who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. It can be incredibly frustrating for clinicians and reception team members when patients choose the cheapest, or the quickest, rather than the option that best supports their long-term dental health and fitness.
In the 34 years that I have been a dentist, I have observed an increasing commoditisation of dentistry, often led by non-dentist suppliers to our industry. Unfortunately, this commoditisation has shifted the primary differentiating factor between practices towards price, resulting in a race to the bottom.
Where does dentistry sit on the spectrum between a service and a retail outlet? Even though NHS fees for dentistry were introduced only 12 months after the NHS began as a free-at-point-of-service concept, 74 years later many patients still believe NHS dentistry is, or should be, free. That is a discussion for another time and place.
At one end of the spectrum, dentistry can be viewed as a retail commodity—teeth whitening, for instance, might be likened to buying a new pair of jeans. In a retail situation, products are mass-produced, can be obtained through many outlets, returned for money back if faulty, and tried on to check the fit before purchase. This is a low-cost, low-trust scenario.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is a service-based industry, like attending a music gig. Here, you have a one-off experience that cannot be returned if you do not like it, and every event is unique. There is no real way to try before you buy, and recordings cannot replicate the feeling of a live performance. This requires a high-trust transaction.
Where does dentistry fit along this continuum—from off-the-peg, reproducible, low-trust commodity to a unique, high-trust, service-based profession?
The danger arises when we fail to recognise our uniqueness and focus on the product, rather than what differentiates us as individuals. This moves dentistry from a service to a commodity in the patient’s mind, encouraging them to think of treatment as just another thing they can purchase anywhere. When they do not achieve the results they want, the inevitable outcome is questions, conflict, and complaints.
I invite you to listen carefully to yourself when you speak to patients. Look at your website and spend time in the reception area, paying attention to the messages being conveyed. Are you positioning your work as a product or a service? If patients perceive it as a product, they will focus on price and getting it more cheaply. If it is a service, you must convey the value and the return on investment.
Experience shows that when you provide service-orientated, relationship-based care that delivers both tangible and intangible value, complaints go down, and five-star reviews go up. When you focus on items of treatment and price, perceived value diminishes, and complaints rise. Which would you prefer?
Yes, we ask our patients to make a significant investment when we provide great quality treatment. For some, this could mean choosing between Band 3 treatment and a holiday, Band 3 treatment and a new fridge, or Band 3 treatment and a child’s school trip. When we venture into offering private treatments, the choices for our patients may be different yet equally significant.
For patients to proceed with treatment, certain foundational elements must be in place:
• They need to know, like, and trust you.
• They need to answer the question, “Why you and not another dentist?”
• They need to understand what you are offering and the possible outcomes, both good and bad.
• They need to appreciate the value of the treatment, not just the cost.
Think of value as the return on investment. What will your treatment mean for the patient? Will they be able to smile with confidence? Enjoy meals out without worrying about dentures or bridges failing at the worst moment? Improve their gum health so they feel comfortable kissing their partner again? How much are these outcomes worth? As MasterCard might say, priceless.
How are you discovering the value of your treatment for a patient? Have you slipped into offering commodity dentistry?
Pay attention to the questions you ask your suppliers—your words will indicate whether you are commodity-focused or service-orientated. Are you posting requests for cheap or cost-effective recommendations? What does this convey to potential suppliers about your loyalty and ease of working together?
Nobody wants to waste money, and there is a truism: buy cheap, pay twice. As Benjamin Franklin said, “The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.”
What do you want for your career and your practice?
I am proud to be reassuringly expensive with my courses and coaching because I know that the tangible and intangible returns for delegates are huge. Here are some examples:
• £2,500 for a 3-day communication skills programme: Everyone gets their money back, including lost surgery time, within a week, feels confident to talk about the dentistry they love to do and the fear of complaints vanishes What does that equate to over a lifetime?
• £10,000 for a 3-day team-building course: A 400% return on investment within 14 days, built a stable team, staff engaged and enthusiastic, increased staff retention, the stress of staff conflicts evaporated. What is the value of your peace of mind?
• £12,000 on a year-long practice development programme as a novice principal: Principals learn how to get the practice running itself, how to lead and engage a team, how to ensure they get paid each month, recruit well, learn how to avoid time consuming, stressful, expensive mistakes; for one client it saved their marriage, for others they get their life back. What is that worth to you?
There is so much more to consider than price.
When you choose me as your business coach and trainer, I promise that you will achieve returns that dwarf your investment, anyway the investment arrangements can always be tailored to suit you.
Your success is my business. Let us make 2025 your best year yet.
