Growing a Patient Base in Dental School

[rolltidedumptruck]

I wanted to reach out to see if anyone has any ideas for growing a patient base during dental school? I'm just transitioning into my clinical years and was wondering if it would be frowned upon to go to a neighborhood association meeting etc. ? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

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[Saddleshoes]

Start hanging out in the nearest neighborhood bar to your school. Make it known that you are looking for people that need dental work.

(I'm NOT kidding! I have seen it work many times.)

 

[aubreyjokes]

Do you mean pt base to see during school or after? Most schools that I know screen new pts for students but if you're having a hard time getting requirements/filling your schedule they obvi don't care (run it by your dean/attending I guess and it'll look like you're being proactive) about bringing people in. I put up flyers in the laundry mats, starbucks, and barbershops and got a good amount of extra pts from that.

 

[oralcare123]

Try VA

 

[Ivy.ch]

1) Hang out in the OS “tooth clinic” at your program. Most of those patients don’t have dentists.

2) If you ever get a good patient, ask if they have siblings/parents/kids/friends that would like to come in.

 

[HatInTheCat]

Got my denture patient from the grocery store. It works. Just have to be a good judge of character