Worth a thousand words

You talk and talk about the importance of dental care with your clients year round—not just during Dental Health Month. But your dental compliance numbers aren't wowing you. Are your clients taking in the information, or does it go in one ear and out the other? It may be time for you and your team to adjust your dental education strategies.

Show clients, dont just tell them, the importance of regular dental care for their pets. At vetecon.com you will find the handout "How does your pets mouth look?" posted under the Forms section.

At the Animal Care Center of Pasco County in New Port Richey, Fla., the team uses a handout that features photographs of the four stages of dental disease to illustrate the importance of regular dental care. In the six months that the team has used the handout, compliance numbers have increased steadily.

The team looked at areas of the practice where they could implement the use of digital photography. "And our dental compliance numbers were low," says Michelle Guercio, CVT, CVPM, practice manager at the Animal Care Center. "What better way than digital pictures to illustrate the importance of dental care?"

Using a combination of oral, written, and visual cues ensures that the team is speaking to clients on every level. "Clients still want the verbal information, but the photos solidify our message," Guercio says. "They see the images of the highest levels of dental disease and they realize that they don't want their pet's mouth looking like that. It gets the point across."

And clients are responding. In July 2005, the Animal Care Center's dental compliance numbers hovered around 50 percent. At last check in November 2006, that number had jumped to 60 percent. "Our clients' reactions to the handout have been very positive," Guercio says. "They're really getting it."

Once clients follow through and bring their pets in for dental care, it doesn't mean the education stops. Pet owners need to realize the importance of dental care throughout the pet's life. At the Animal Care Center, this is where digital photos come in handy again. Clients see before-and-after pictures of their pet's mouth. "Compliance isn't just a one-time thing," Guercio says. "We want the client invested in dental care for the pet's life, and this really drives that point home." Showing clients the before-and-after photos also helps them see what exactly they're getting for their money. "If they can take a peek at what's going on inside their pet's mouth, they have a better understanding of just how sick that mouth is," Guercio says.

Take a year-round approach

If you're putting the spotlight on dental care only in February, it's time to rethink your strategy. "Education and compliance should take place every day of the year," Guercio says. "There are unhealthy mouths out there regardless of whether it's Dental Health Month or not. A client might be holding off on bringing his or her pet in for a prophy until February because a practice offers specials or discounts, but really the prophy needed to be done in October."

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