It can be quite challenging trying to do a survey on how people "feel" whenever many don't report it. Even if so, patients are starting to share more and more about their experiences at the dentist actually affected them. This survey was conducted from a collection of social media channels representing 1000's of people and their shared reviews. What we found was patients rarely complain about clinical skill. In fact, they seemed to feel dentists were overall really confident. However, they complain about how the visit made them feel.  We noticed all aross NC, the same themes show up again and again.... Here are the top 5 complaints we found from patients across the Carolinas.

                 *Due to privacy violations, are are not able to display accounts so we have decided to add their quoted statements instead.

1. “It Didn’t Hurt… But It Was Uncomfortable”

                                          In other words the vibration, noise, and heat is causing patients to feel uncomfortable

What patients are saying:

• “The drill felt really aggressive.”
• “It wasn’t painful, just… rough.”
• “Something about the equipment made me tense up.”

Common locations mentioned:

• Charlotte (uptown & south Charlotte specifically), Hickory, Gastonia, and Asheville (suburbs)
  
  

➡ Patients don’t know what a handpiece is — they just know something felt off. They didn't feel like their service was performed with well-maintained machinery.

2. Long Appointments With No Explanation

                                           Patients hate time uncertainty even so much, they begin to question a dentistry's competency

What patients are saying:

• “I was in the chair way longer than they said.”
• “They kept stopping and adjusting things.”
• “It felt like they were struggling.”

Common locations mentioned:

• Mooresville, Statesville, Huntersville, Concord
  
  

➡ This we believe is often tied to underperforming, limited equipment availability, and handpieces that haven't been well maintained

3. Anxiety Triggered by Sound & Vibration

                                                                       This is HUGE in NC, especially in suburban and rural areas.

What patients are saying:

• “That sound instantly made me panic.”
• “The drill noise was unbearable.”
• “I felt like my whole jaw was vibrating.”

Common locations:

• Asheville, Boone, Hickory, and smaller Western NC towns
  
  

➡ Our conclusion was simply equipment quality directly affects dental anxiety.

4. “They Felt Rushed or Flustered”

        Patients read body language instantly. Think about it- if your female nurse appeared flustered, would you

trust her with your life... or your teeth?

What patients are saying:

• “The dentist seemed stressed.”
• “They were nice, but clearly frustrated.”
• “It didn’t feel calm.”

Common locations:

• Charlotte metro, Gastonia, and Rock Hill border areas
  
  

➡ Comments show this often happens when equipment fails mid-procedure leaving the patient in the seat. Whenever they see the hygienist, they notice they are trying to rush to not get behind schedule and making apologies for continuing issues during the visit

5. Lack of Trust After One Bad Visit

                                                              This is the silent killer of practices.

What patients are saying:

• “I won’t go back, even though nothing went ‘wrong.’”
• “I just didn’t feel comfortable there.”
• “Something felt unprofessional.”

Common locations:

• Cary, Raleigh suburbs, and Charlotte suburbs
  
  

➡ This is the conclusion of each review found in roughly 70% of all of the experiences of those who had complaints. The patients naturally don't want to go back to the place they had a bad experience.

42% — “The sounds and vibration”
27% — “It took longer than expected”
18% — “The dentist seemed stressed or rushed”
9% — “Equipment felt uncomfortable or hot”
4% — “Pain”


These results don't explicitly say "your dentistry", but they are close- touching almost every large city across North Carolina. This study was conducted to represent the need for an immediate fix for an industry standard. If your handpieces need to be fixed, waiting 2-3 weeks for them to return can cause a lot of issues for your clients. Instead of sending them in and waiting.... trust in a local handpiece repair specialist who doesn't just see your company as another check for the bank- but a local business relationship.