The Top Reasons Patients Leave your Dental Practice

Most of the listed reasons below can be solved with improved practice systems and better communication

Financial/Billing/Insurance

• The practice doesn’t accept the patient’s plan—not in network
• Billing error not resolved to patient’s satisfaction.
• Repeated insurance or billing errors.
• Unexpected charge shows up on their bill.
• Patient feels the dentist’s fees are too high.
• Patient not informed what their portion of the bill will be after insurance pays.
• Unhappy with office’s financial policy.

Dental Personnel

• Personality conflict or disagreement with an employee.
• Staff member was rude or not helpful.
• Treated rudely or abruptly on telephone.
• Staff did not have a professional demeanor.

Procedures/Services

• Treatment questions that were not answered.
• Pain during treatment.
• Lack of privacy during treatment.
• Post-treatment problems.
• Hygienist was too rough.
• Disagreement with recommended treatment plan, and no alternative treatments offered.
• Lack of explanation for treatment being rendered.
• Patient felt they were being given a sales pitch.
• Patient felt that they were being rushed through treatment in a production line.
• Patient was embarrassed, and is ashamed to return.
• Concerns about sterilization and cross-contamination procedures.
• Dentist or staff didn’t wash hands when entering operatory.

Dentist Provider

• Dentist seemed to lack interest in the patient and their concerns.
• Dentist was a poor communicator.
• Dentist did not have a professional demeanor.
• Dentist has bad breath/ poor hygiene
• Dentist was too rough and insensitive.
• Patient lost confidence in the dentist’s treatment skills.

Office location/environment

• Patient moves their residence to a different area.
• Patient had job relocation.
• Patient getting older, and prefers a closer office.
• Unclean office.
• Old and outdated furniture.
• Office smells like a dentist’s office.

Misc.

• Spouse pressures patient to switch to their dentist.
• Patient attracted by marketing done by another office.
• Patient heard about a high-tech procedure or equipment that another office had.
• Office received bad reviews in social media.
• Patient kept waiting too long in reception and treatment room
• Phone message not returned.