The Extraordinary New Patient Experience with Dr. Ankur Gupta

Dr. Gupta shares his experience of starting a dental practice from scratch and the importance of creating an extraordinary new patient experience. He emphasizes the need to exceed patient expectations and personalize the patient experience. Dr. Gupta also discusses the importance of preparing patients for realistic expectations and using technology to enhance patient understanding. He provides practical tips and strategies for creating an exceptional patient experience.

Takeaways:

• Starting a dental practice from scratch allows for more flexibility and the opportunity to maximize profits.
• Creating an extraordinary new patient experience is crucial for building trust and loyalty.
• Exceeding patient expectations and personalizing the patient experience can lead to increased patient satisfaction and referrals.
• Using technology, such as AI and digital imaging, can enhance patient understanding and transparency.

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The High Performing Dental Team · #93 The Extraordinary New Patient Experience with Dr. Ankur Gupta

Coming to you live from Denver at the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Ankur Gupta from Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Gupta started his practice from scratch back in 2005, and while that’s rare today, his story of grit and reflection really struck a chord.

He spoke candidly about the lessons he’s learned—like how he and his wife balanced the financial demands of life by working other jobs while slowly building their practice. But in hindsight, he admitted they may have slowed their own growth by not going all-in sooner.

What really captured my attention, though, was his presentation on creating an extraordinary new patient experience. He shared a personal story about taking his daughter to a children’s hospital, only to be greeted coldly and impersonally at the front desk.

That moment shaped how he approaches patient care. From the way his team greets new patients—standing up, shaking hands, making eye contact—to offering water, sitting side-by-side to review paperwork, and genuinely listening without turning the conversation back on themselves, his goal is to make patients feel seen, respected, and safe—before they ever meet the dentist.

He also believes in letting patients truly see what we see. Using retracted photos, TVs in every operatory, and AI software like Pearl to analyze radiographs, patients aren’t just told what’s wrong—they're shown.

Transparency builds trust. And it doesn’t stop there: his team sets expectations early on the phone to avoid surprises, then looks for ways to over-deliver—like handing out gift cards for wait times, gifting fresh flowers, or giving personalized thank-you gestures after big treatment plans. Dr. Gupta's message is clear: when we lead with empathy, clarity, and thoughtful touches, we create experiences patients never forget.