How Practices Can Bridge the Educational Trust Gap in Dental Health

 

In today’s multigenerational dental landscape, one truth is becoming increasingly clear: How patients learn about dental health is just as important as the care clinicians provide, according to new research conducted by Humana¹.

While expertise remains the foundation of quality dental care, it’s no longer enough on its own. Building trust through patient education has become increasingly important for dental practices wanting to build patient loyalty across all generations.

However, each generation trusts different sources, and bridging this gap is essential for long-term patient recruitment and retention.

Building Trust is Not a One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Over the last few decades, patient behavior has dramatically shifted from routine, biannual dental visits to a more proactive pursuit of health education and research. This change has been prompted by a digitally driven ecosystem and shifting financial priorities. Nowhere is this more apparent than in how patients seek, consume and trust information about their health and wellness.

Younger generations, especially Generation Z and millennials, are digital-first by design. They want quicker forms of education they can naturally integrate into their everyday habits. For them, social media isn’t just entertainment, it is education.

A recent Humana survey¹ revealed that 39%¹ of Gen Z trusts social media/influencers for dental health tips and 34%¹ of them trust podcasts for similar insights. Trust rises significantly when the content comes directly from professionals, with 73%¹ of Gen Z trusting dental advice on dentist-owned social media channels.

Meanwhile, older generations, such as the Silent Generation, tend to be wary of digital channels, with just 10%¹ trusting social media/influencers for dental advice and only 9%¹ trusting podcasts. Instead, older generations rely on the channels they’ve known and loved for decades. 69%¹ of Silent Generation respondents say they trust other materials provided by dentists (e.g. print materials), often so they can take the time to review them at home.

 

How Offices Can Rethink Patient Education

Forward-thinking dental practices can treat patient education as a strategic layer in the overall patient experience. To succeed in this new approach to care and meet all patients where they are, offices must understand a few key principles:

1. Channel diversity is key: The same content does not resonate with each patient equally. Dental practices should tailor their information to formats and channels that appeal to their patients’ preferred learning styles and preferences, whether through digital or physical materials.
2. Trust is in the channel: Delivering information to patients isn’t just about what you say, it’s how you say it. A short social media video explaining why you should keep up with daily dental habits will likely resonate more with a Gen Z patient base. However, baby boomers might prefer a slower, in-person discussion with a brochure or newsletter. You should empower your staff to talk with patients about their preferences, personalize your office’s approach and build deeper trust with patients.
3. Education fulfills your patient promise: Patients aren’t just choosing a dental practice, they’re choosing the experience that comes with it. When your team delivers consistent, clear and trusted dental health education, it reinforces your commitment to patient-centered care, no matter the generation.

Adapting to Generational Preferences

Dental practices that recognize and adapt to the diverse ways patients trust in education will help foster a deeper relationship across generations. As patient expectations continue to shift, bridging the generational trust gap will require ongoing listening, adapting and leading. The future of dentistry will be defined by those willing to meet patients where they are.

Access the new Humana survey here for more information on patient preferences for education.

 

Reference
1. All statistics are taken from “Humana Dental Insurance,” Opinium Research, October 2024

 

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About the Author

 

Michelle Hart, RDH, MBA

Michelle Hart has been in the dental industry for more than 35 years. She started in the clinical practice setting as a registered dental hygienist before expanding her education and entering the payer side, serving in capacities such as professional relations, network expansion, recruiter, quality management and credentialing.

She has been in her current role as associate vice president, dental networks with Humana for the past 7 years, where her responsibilities include dental network expansion/retention and credentialing/compliance.