The Secret To Getting Patients To Say Yes: Lead With The Headline

You know why headlines work? Because they’re at the top of the page. Bold. Impossible to miss. If the important stuff is buried on page six, nobody reads it. The same goes for social media feeds. If it’s not front and center, people scroll right past, distracted by whatever’s next.

The same thing happens in your operatory every single day. Imagine you’ve just finished an exam and discovered your patient has moderate perio, two developing cavities, and oh yeah—they’re six months overdue for a cleaning. So, what do you lead with?

“We’re going to watch a couple of spots. For now, let’s schedule a cleaning.”

And just like that, you buried the headline. Patients can’t act on treatment they don’t understand is urgent. When you downplay the big stuff or tuck it into casual conversation, they hear “optional” or “maybe later.” They definitely don’t hear “this impacts your health right now!”

Here’s what great dentists do differently: They lead with the headline.

“I want to let you know that I’m concerned about a couple of developing cavities and some gum inflammation. If we don’t address them now, they’re going to get worse.”

Communicate the urgency clearly and directly. Then, work backwards to explain what happens if they wait. Go over what treatment looks like. Just make sure you start with the headline—because that’s what grabs attention and creates urgency.

Remember: you’re not doing your patients any favors by sugarcoating their diagnosis or burying critical information under small talk. They need to know what’s urgent, what impacts their health, and why waiting is a risk. Lead with what matters most.

Make it clear. Make it bold. Make it impossible to miss. Because patients can’t say yes to treatment when you’ve hidden the headline on page six.