How a Patient-Obsessed Approach to Dentistry Puts the Provider First, Too

Most dental providers start out at a disadvantage: their patients don’t want to be there. Having uneasy patients often feels like a foregone conclusion among dentists, and for good reason: according to researchers, up to 80% of the population has some degree of anxiety about the dentist.

At Tend, we set ourselves the task of doing dental differently. Our goal? Create a dental experience so good, patients actually look forward to their visits. We had a hunch that this would make our dentists happy, too—and we were right. (Because it turns out being surrounded by delighted people who rave about how great you are makes for a pretty fantastic work environment.)

The Tend experience is centered, first and foremost, on providing our patients the absolute highest standard of care. That means our dentists always follow ADA guidelines, and are empowered to focus on outcomes over quotas. (Yes, really!)

We’ve realized that in order to put patient needs first, our dentists need the freedom to make the right decisions on a case-by-case basis. Because respecting provider autonomy makes for happy patients—and even happier clinicians.

We designed our award-winning studios to soothe and delight patients. (We get called “spa-like” a lot—not that it ever gets old.) One patient of our Upper East Side Studio says, “An inviting, clean, and beautiful environment… certainly more elevated than your typical dental office.”

And it’s not just our patients who appreciate the gorgeous spaces—our dentists do, too. Plus, we’ve filled our studios up with the latest state-of-the-art technology to facilitate all aspects of our providers’ work. These tools help our dentists offer the most accurate diagnoses, the finest restoration, and the most beautiful aesthetics. As far as we’re concerned, helping our dentists do the best work they can is a win for patients and providers.

At Tend, we’re proud of our collaborative and inclusive work environment, which is full of genuine enthusiasm and encouragement. Our clinical teams are exactly that: teams that work together towards the common goal of providing the best possible patient experience.

It makes for a work culture so good, it’s even been known to make patients jealous. “Love the rapport of all the clinical staff!” says a patient review of our Post Office Square Studio in Boston. “It makes me want to work there!”

Doing dental differently means doing it differently for everyone—patients and providers alike. For us, happy patients are a nonnegotiable when it comes to loving your dental job. The result? It’s not just our patients who look forward to going to the dentist—our dentists look forward to it, too.