Complimentary paraffin hand dips chairside for patients. Hygienists who wear peppermint-scented gloves. Amenities like these are said to enhance the sensory experience of a dental visit.

If your hogwash meter just hit a high note, you might want to read a recent article by ModernDentalMarketing.com and reconsider your line of thought.

CEO and Director of Business Development for MDPM Consulting, Jill Nastasia has this to say: “If you create a more appealing, multi-sensory environment, you will create a positive association in patients’ minds that will improve relationships, encourage compliance, and generate word-of-mouth referrals.”

The examples mentioned above reflect the tactile and olfactory perceptions. But providing goodie bags containing toothpaste in nontraditional flavors, such as ginger, lavender, green tea, and blackberry (taste); Kidz Bop versions of children’s favorite pop songs (auditory) and chairside iPads and tablets loaded with popular movies (visual) might be a few office options worth investigating, according to Nastasia.