Millennials don’t enjoy going to the dentist. Here’s how we changed that.

Historically, people in their 20s and 30s haven’t enjoyed going to the dentist.

It’s easy to understand why.

Inflexible office schedules, a lack of transparency around costs, and a general lack of hospitality are just a few of the reasons younger people stayed away from the dentist. It’s one trend that used to keep me up at night; no one was serving the next generation of patients, and issues that could be helped with preventative care are instead going untreated.

Yet young professionals, in their 20s and 30s, are extremely well-represented in Tend’s member population. They have complex schedules and live busy lives, but they still find time to go to the dentist.

We serve everyone, but by solving the pain points for this demographic, we’re increasing overall demand for dental services — and improving our business overall.

This demographic doesn’t want you to judge them.

People in their 20s and 30s want you to be kind to them, it turns out. Besides serving up surprising and delightful moments (see: the Brushery), we prioritize hospitality from the very first interaction, all the way through to the visit itself.

The key to this is leading without judgment. That’s one of our brand promises, is that we’re not going to judge. And that really resonates. There are 20- and 30-year-old people who haven’t been to the dentist since they got off their parent’s dental insurance plan a few years ago. And they’re hesitant. They’re concerned that they’re going to walk into a dental office and be judged for that.

I have no doubt that the majority of my dental colleagues in any practice setting would not do such a thing–-they’re going to be warm and welcoming. Well, we lead with that. We head it off at the pass and roll out that red carpet and let these members know: they won’t be judged.

We’ve studied this target demographic, and these are the things that really resonate with them. We’re going to deliver on these promises.

The next generation of dental patients like it when they can easily make appointments around their busy schedules.

Tend makes intake and scheduling easy, right off the bat.

Young professionals don’t want to wait on hold or go back and forth on the phone to make appointments. They want to schedule as much as they can online, and have the process be seamless.

They also want to come in early in the morning, on their lunch break, or after work. That’s why Tend staffs its offices to accommodate these times. We don’t shut down for an hour at noon or punch out at 5pm.

We’re transparent about costs — and communicate through the app.

ADA research has shown cost is the number one reason people don’t go to the dentist. So, our goal is to offer comprehensive dentistry (including high-end procedures), at affordable levels. We’re in-network with third-party payers, and we’re able to offer our services at a significantly discounted rate. That’s part of our value proposition: that our care is affordable, and that we’re transparent with our pricing.

That’s not easy to do in healthcare, because third-party payers aren’t always transparent. That’s why we developed an app to leverage technology and communicate costs quickly and accurately. We’re doing everything we can to demystify the costs around dental care, and will continue to be at the forefront of this.

Tend serves everyone. But by solving the pain points for young people, we reach an otherwise untapped market.

I wish every single person in their 20s woke up in the morning and said, “I can’t wait to go to the dentist.” But wishing doesn’t help actually devote resources and create a value proposition. It’s one reason I was excited to join Tend as its Chief Dental Officer: they not only understood the opportunity to reach this demographic, but had the tools to get it done.

We’ve built a series of value propositions that attract and welcome young people to the practice. I invite any healthcare business, not just dentistry, to review the patient’s journey from the first interaction until payment for services rendered, and say, “What are the things that are preventing them from taking this journey?”

By examining those pain points, you can reach a market you haven’t reached before.