How To Boost Dental Compliance at Your Veterinary Hospital

It seems that society has a love-hate relationship with the dentist. We know we should go to the dentist, but we don’t necessarily look forward to it. Unfortunately, pet owners seem to feel similarly. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommends having a pet’s teeth checked once a year, but many pets go much longer without a dental exam. To encourage pet oral hygiene, the AVMA designated February as National Pet Dental Health Month. But how can you boost dental compliance throughout the year – and not just in February?

There are many different reasons why pet owners may avoid scheduling a dental cleaning for their pet – cost, busy schedules, or not understanding the importance, to name a few. Here are a few ways to help overcome those objections and increase dental compliance at your hospital.

• Make dental pricing accessible all year long. Pricing should be set up for strong margins, but it shouldn’t be priced overly high for 11 months of year, encouraging pet owners to only consider it in February when discounts may be an option.
• Share best practices. Doctors likely have different ways of presenting dental recommendations to clients. By tracking who is most successful with dental recommendations and having them share, it can give other staff members new ideas for their own approach. Encourage the team to learn from each other and to be open to new ideas.
• Show photographs. Showing owners the human equivalent of their pets’ mouths can help them visualize and better understand their pets’ current dental issues.
• Provide educational materials. For pet owners who reject dental recommendations, it might be helpful to provide them with educational materials that stress the importance of pet dental health.
• Discuss the warning signs of poor dental health. Talking with pet owners about the many warning signs of poor pet dental health can help increase awareness so they notice the signs rather than ignoring them.
• Follow up. Some clients won’t want to schedule a dental cleaning when checking out after a routine appointment. However, calling them a week after their appointment could make them reconsider scheduling a dental exam for their pet.

Dental care is an important part of a pet’s overall health, and it’s an important part of your hospital’s health. Taking the time to communicate with clients and to boost dental compliance can lead to better health for your pets and your hospital, making it a win-win.

Please contact KSM’s veterinary consulting team with questions or if you’d like to discuss how we can help your hospital.