“Own that power and freedom to be able to choose who it is that you want to see.” 

– Dr. Brian Harris

On our most recent broadcast, Dr. Brian Harris broke down the difference between a patient driven process & a doctor driven process in the world of cosmetic dentistry. He also mentions that cosmetic dentistry is changing from what it used to be! Now more than ever, you have the luxury to communicate with a dentist before you even meet them in person. 

At Smile Virtual, we focus on the patient driven process & make it extremely easy for you to get answers from a dentist before heading in to the office. Social media also allows for you to see what is out there when it comes to designing your confident smile. 

Let’s break it down…

Doctor Driven Process: This relates to the doctor only being available within the office leaving the patient to do all of the work. Typically, the patient would make the appointment and adjust their schedule to make it work. Once they get to their appointment, they sit back in the chair & are told pricing from a dentist they may have never met. In a doctor driven process the patient would be responsible for adjusting their schedule to accommodate not only the appointment but also the drive to the office. From there the patient is invited to sit back in a chair where they meet the dentist, learn about the dentist and potential treatment options ending with the price tag to complete the work.  The patient is now responsible for going back home and delivering this information to whomever may be involved.  Does this feel like weight and pressure? 

Patient Driven Process: When the patient elects to design their confident smile, they are invited to complete a virtual consultation from the comfort of their own home which means no drive time.  During the virtual consultation process, the patient explains who they are and what they don’t love about their smile. The dentist can go over details within a personalized video and break down options, the process & cost.  The patient has the ability to share the doctor’s message resulting in less pressure on the patient to regurgitate the information.  From there, the patient can decide if they want to work with that dentist and if they think they’re a good fit. 

We don’t know about you, but the patient driven process sounds pretty good to us! 

While on the broadcast, Dr. Brian Harris highlighted a patient of his that reminded himself of how important this process is. After receiving a consult, Justin told Dr. Harris that “he felt like a person and not a patient”. So often, dentists are in their routine and forget that patients are people too. Smile Virtual connects more patients and dentists together in an effort to build your confident smile. 

You hold the power to transform your smile with a dentist that you’re excited to work with. Begin the journey by submitting a virtual consultation here. If you’re a dentist looking to begin offering virtual consultations, let’s connect on a demo! We also invite you to catch the replay here.