13% of the population in the United States speak Spanish, making it the second most commonly spoken language behind English. Millions of people speak Spanish as their first language. This makes it all the more important to break down language barriers in the medical community.
The inability of a patient and dental professional to communicate and achieve a proper understanding of the risks and prognosis of different dental treatments poses many potential problems.
By having staff that speaks Spanish in Fremont, we increase much-needed representation in dentistry and break down language barriers that can prevent many people from seeking the dental care they desperately need. Read on to learn more about the advantages of a bilingual dental office.
Improving Accessibility to Dental Care
The ability to communicate with a dental professional in one’s native language increases a sense of trust and familiarity. Most important of all, some patients exclusively speak languages other than English.
If you can’t communicate verbally, this poses many logistical issues, as a patient won’t be able to understand or agree to the terms of treatment, nor will the dentist be able to explain important aspects of a procedure.
With bilingual staff at our Fremont practice, nothing gets lost in translation, which ensures smooth sailing throughout the entire treatment process. It’s also important to display information about treatments in multiple languages on a dental office’s website. This ensures that patients are getting access to this information even before stepping in for a consultation.
Providing a Comfortable Environment
Perhaps more important than the content of a message is how it makes a patient feel. By making the effort to communicate in their language, a patient is more likely to feel relaxed and less anxious.
This may even reduce the need for dental sedation. Clear communication eliminates the fear of the unknown. Feeling uncomfortable for a dental appointment because you know you’re likely to encounter language barriers may cause avoidance of necessary dental treatment altogether. We never want anyone to feel that they can’t get the treatment they need because of miscommunication.
Representation
Having bilingual staff increases representation and diversity, which is great for members of the Spanish-speaking community to finally see themselves represented in the dental profession. After all, if you’re serving members of a particular community, it’s always advantageous to have that community directly represented. This helps bring people together.
High-Quality Dental Care
A dental practice that takes the time to ensure that its staff can communicate with non-English speakers likely has more experience and training in dealing with all sorts of dental settings and situations. Speaking multiple languages enables us to expand our reach to more clients. It’s also a sign of intelligence and dedication for an office to place importance on accessibility.
Expert Bilingual Dental Care at Fremont Family Dentistry
At Fremont Family Dentistry, we’re committed to providing better access to dental care for the Spanish-speaking community. We have team members at the office that speak Spanish and translation services on our website so we can break down communication barriers. Contact us today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Adam Lamprecht.