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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 5/2016 41 A new way of approaching the new patient examination ByPrimePractice Every now and again a new way of thinking causes a paradigm shift that realigns the way people think. Often pioneers of these techniques are thought of as being wacky or misguided, but if the theory they espouse is tenable, it soon takes hold and can eventually come to define normality. One such movement is Primespeak, which is a new con- cept in patient communication, one founded in psychology and the nu- ances of patient behaviour. It incor- porates a whole new way of thinking about how to communicate with pa- tients in an ethical way, but one that encouragestreatmentuptake. ThephilosophyofPrimespeak Inaprofessionwhere‘selling’isoften consideredadirtyword,dentistsface a dilemma in aligning their ethical status with the need to sell treat- ments and make profit. Primespeak is a philosophy that teaches dentists how to reconcile these two conflict- ingaspects. Traditional sales techniques more often than not fail in dentistry be- cause in sales it’s often a question of numbers,ie,canyouconvertenough leads to sales? But this simply isn’t the case in the healthcare profes- sions, and dentists have a duty of caretodotheirbestforeverypatient, not simply those who choose or can affordtheoptimumtreatmentplan. The essence of Primespeak is to encourage patients to take respon- sibility for their dental problems, deepening their concerns rather than simply being the supplier of solutions. Although professional recommen- dationisclearlytheremitoftheden- tist, treatment is always the patient’s choice and the role of the dentist is to communicate the options, and importantly the consequences of nothavingtreatment. The Primespeak new patient examinationprotocol As professionals, dentists should concentrate on the three-fold objec- tives of Primespeak areas and in so doing they will fulfil their ethical duty. Primespeak’s focus is primarily on the new patient examination as it regards this as a key influencer in creating a loyal and returning pa- tient. Body language, eye contact (or the lack of it), interaction and objec- tions are all factors that need to be addressed if the new patient exami- nationistobeasuccessful‘firstdate’. Failure to meet the expectations of a new patient at this first face-to-face meeting means you run the risk of the patient sharing their bad experi- ence, and these days sharing is likely to take place, not within a small group of close-knit friends and fami- ly,butwithawidenetworkoffriends andacquaintancesviasocialmedia. Primespeak turns the traditional new patient examination protocol on its head, by focusing more time on the preclinical discussion than on the final consultation element. The philosophy is that if the preclinical discussion is conducted in the right way you can pre-empt issues and barriersbeforetheyoccurandinthis way by the time the consultation takesplacethepatientisalreadywell ontheirwaytomakingtheirchoice. In the words of Rita McCollum from Smile Dental Care and an attendee on Primespeak’s November 2015 course held in London, ‘This course turns the traditional dental ex- amination on its head! The result of which eliminates the risk of under- treatment and it empowers both the patientandtheteam.’ Focusonpreclinicaldiscussion The preclinical discussion provides an opportunity to ‘scatter seeds’, which the patient can pick up and start to consider subliminally whilst the examination itself is taking place. The conventional new patient examination is an information-driv- en approach, during which the onus is on the clinician to find out what the patient needs. This is a process of education, recommendation and overcoming barriers. In contrast, a Primespeak new patient examina- tion is concerned with building trust and confidence, exposing existing conditions and deepening aware- nessandconcern.Thepreclinicaldis- cussionisusedtobuildtrustandrap- port; dentists are encouraged to be curious and ask questions in such a way that shifts control of the discus- sion from the dentist, where it lies in traditional preclinical discussions, to thepatient. Adopting Primespeak methodology requires a change of mindset by the dentist and the acceptance of some actions, which on the face of it could be considered counter-intuitive. Us- ingacombinationofmetaphorsand patient-friendly language, dentists who have attended the Primespeak course are now using the techniques to diffuse patient objections and en- courage treatment uptake in their practices. Primespeak Seminar is coming to Londononthe18November2016! Formoredetailspleasevisit www.primespeak.com Dental Tribune International The World’s Largest News and Educational Network in Dentistry www.dental-tribune.com Essential Dental Media Brett Churnin,GeneralManagerofClient Relationships. Photograph:JakeMoss practice management Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 5/201641