How a Dirty Dentist Waiting Room Turns Patients Away

If the dental practice you manage is like most, patient acquisition and retention are likely one of the biggest problems you face. If you're having trouble getting patients in the door and keeping them coming back, one possible cause could be your waiting area. In most practices, the waiting area is the first thing patients see when they arrive. If it doesn't make a good impression, you'll find that people won't stick around long enough to sign up. Dirty waiting rooms can even make existing patients turn to competitors, so it's important to keep yours clean. Still not convinced? Here are 3 ways an unclean and untidy waiting area is off-putting to patients.

It Reflects Treatment Room Cleanliness

One of the main reasons why a dirty waiting room turns new patients away is that the cleanliness of your waiting room reflects the cleanliness of your treatment rooms—at least in patients' minds. If your waiting room has scuffed floors, dusty surfaces, and clutter strewed around, why should patients assume your treatment rooms are any different? While you may put effort into keeping treatment areas clean and tidy, most patients won't stick around to confirm that theory. Instead, the fear of poor treatment room hygiene will turn them away before they've even signed up.

It Implies You Don't Care About Your Patients

You may have already noticed that many patients feel some level of discomfort at the dentist's office. Whether it's because they have a fear of treatment or a fear of possible diagnoses, patients are often on edge when they arrive for their appointment. For patients like these, having a dentist who shows they care is essential. Having a dirty waiting room shows the opposite. If you don't care enough about your patients comfort to keep their waiting area tidy and sanitary, they'll assume you don't care about their teeth either.

It Makes Wait Times Feel Longer

In most dental practices, reducing wait times can be difficult. Outside of hiring more dentists—which is often not profitable—there's little you can do to get patients in and out quicker. That's why you should focus on making wait times feel shorter instead, even when they're not. One way to do this is to make sure your waiting room is comfortable. If patients have to sit in a dirty environment, they'll quickly start to become uncomfortable and irritable, which can make a 5-minute wait feel like an hour-long nightmare. The cleaner and more inviting your waiting room is, the less likely patients are to get upset about wait times and switch to a new dental practice.

If your clinic needs additional cleaning, consider reaching out to local commercial cleaning services.


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