‘Satisfied patients make the best ambassadors’ – Nivert Tamraz explains how to turn patients into passionate advocates for your dental business.
Word-of-mouth recommendations continue to fuel dental practice growth, even in the digital age. When shared experiences from a trusted source are considered more meaningful and reliable than direct marketing, business owners would be foolish to overlook the power of a raving fanbase.
The team at Olive Tree Dental in Reading understands this only too well. Central to its carefully curated patient journey is a streamlined communication strategy that encourages feedback. This emphasis on comprehensive interactions at every touchpoint not only enhances the patient experience (even before they visit the clinic) but also maximises business growth.
Subtle touches
Nivert Tamraz is the practice’s management consultant for strategy and development. She has played a pivotal role in team recruitment, strengthening the marketing and communication strategy, elevating PR, and driving overall business development. She has worked with principal Dr Ashmai ‘Ash’ Zyada and the practice’s operations director, Sam Elrashedy, to develop effective strategies that ensure every step of the patient journey is carefully managed.
Examples include bespoke scripts for handling phone enquiries that direct patients to the practice’s well-designed, easy-to-navigate website, ensuring a seamless experience from the very start. A key time-saver, its user-friendly language makes for a fully informed patient pre-appointment. It also frees up time for the team to focus on patients already au fait with the practice ethos.
Continuously improving the experience, the team recently redesigned the practice aftercare guides and now plans to make them accessible through a digital patient platform and in-practice leaflets. It is also upgrading its internal patient management software to streamline the process from booking to follow-up.
Even subtle touches – offering an apple or a hot drink on arrival, the way appointments are confirmed, and the tone of courtesy in aftercare calls – shape a truly patient-centric culture. And it is this culture that drives the practice’s success. Here, Nivert offers some insight into how you, too, can turn your patients into raving fans…
How can I market the benefits of my practice to an unknowing patient base?
It’s not always easy; you have to educate potential patients without making them feel talked down to or judged. People ultimately want to feel empowered in their decision-making. Once you frame treatments in terms of tangible benefits, they’re usually very open to giving them a try.
Our approach is rooted in matching the right patients with the right clinicians. That pairing is one of our biggest strengths. We reinforce this with clear communication from the moment they contact the practice, and thereafter, through social media, and a steady stream of blogs, updates to our patient resource hub, and a dedicated nervous-patient section on our website.
Our nervous patient questionnaire also gives us valuable insights into each patient’s specific triggers before they even walk through the door, allowing us to tailor the experience with care and intention.
Digital presence or word-of-mouth referrals, what works best, or is it a mix?
Definitely a mix, with a healthy dose of PR and strong brand presence. Digital marketing is essential, especially social media and ensuring we are easy to find on Google, but nothing replaces genuine word of mouth from patients who’ve had a great experience.
We’ve deliberately focused on growing the team, investing in the right people, technology and equipment before aggressively scaling our marketing. Now that the foundations are solid, we’re gearing up for a bigger marketing push. Our successful award entries have also lifted team morale and reinforced patient trust.
You have built a robust patient pipeline that attracts and retains. How critical are open communication and strong interpersonal skills within the team in achieving this?
Open communication is absolutely vital. Regular team meetings, one-to-one welfare check-ins and having two certified mental health first aiders within the team have transformed not just how we support each other internally, but how we support our patients. Empathy and understanding aren’t ‘nice extras’ in dentistry; they are essential for a seamless patient journey.
You also run pop-up oral health initiatives from time to time. How do they help boost a profile?
Our oral health pop-ups are some of our favourite initiatives. We visit nurseries and schools to instil strong oral health habits from an early age. We also go into care homes to support carers in looking after elderly oral health, including denture care, which is often overlooked. Community really matters to us.
We also attend corporate offices to discuss treatments, smile makeover options and ways to boost confidence through dental care. These events raise awareness of what we offer, but more importantly, they empower people to take charge of their oral health.
When you put patients first, everything else follows: trust, reputation, loyalty, team morale, and ultimately sustainable growth. A practice built on empathy, communication, innovation and patient empowerment doesn’t just succeed in the short term; it thrives in the long run.
How do you measure patient satisfaction?
Satisfied patients make the best ambassadors. We measure satisfaction in several ways: direct feedback immediately after appointments, a post-visit survey sent automatically via Working Feedback, and, of course, Google reviews. We also send short, five-minute surveys to patients who have tried specific treatments, such as The Wand or sedation, to give us an honest gauge of their experience.
You mention The Wand, the computer-assisted anaesthetic system. What part has The Wand played in patient satisfaction?
The Wand – which is exclusively available at Dental Sky – has been a real game-changer, not just clinically but emotionally. And it has become a powerful unique selling point.
It allows us to consistently deliver precise anaesthesia to the targeted area, reducing post-treatment effects such as swelling, numbness and facial discomfort. Just as importantly, it means our patients can return to work swiftly and comfortably, which is a big advantage.
Dr Mahesh Kotli is part of our team. For him, the combination of intravenous sedation and The Wand has not only enhanced patient comfort but also created an innovative, high-tech image for the practice. When patients realise that their treatment can feel almost effortless, their relief transforms into trust, and that trust often leads to advocacy. Satisfied patients not only return but also recommend us to friends, colleagues and family.
So, are informed – and relaxed – patients your best ambassadors?
Absolutely. Sometimes it means longer conversations before treatment, a quick tour of the practice, or an in-depth chat with our patient care lead, and that’s exactly how it should be. Good consent isn’t just a signature; it’s the feeling of being truly heard. When patients understand their treatment and feel listened to, their journey is invariably smoother. Those are the patients who leave smiling and naturally become our strongest ambassadors.
This article is sponsored by Dental Sky.
