Even in times of an economic downturn, people still are going to need dental care. So, it’s encouraging to see that, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dental market in the United States is expected to grow to $30.5 billion by 2027, according to one estimate.
The dental industry is expected to remain highly competitive. That’s why it’s vital that you stay ahead of the curve. We have written before about the perils of being satisfied with the status quo. That’s true now more than ever, as businesses open up and millions of Americans catch up on dental appointments they have missed or postponed during the pandemic. In this article, we’re going to review the latest industry trends.
Trend 1: Touchpoints
Do you know what a touchpoint is? This is a term used to refer to any time a patient interacts with your practice. That could be visiting your office for an appointment, receiving a reminder for an upcoming office visit, seeing a commercial, visiting your practice website, or engaging through social media. Today, if you want to improve your patient retention rate, make every connection with each patient as personalized and thoughtful as possible.
Building trust is crucial to adding patients to your practice and keeping them once they start visiting your office. Patients who trust their dentist tend to have higher case acceptance rates and are more likely to make their payments on time. Patient trust also can go a long way toward alleviating factors that can impede the ability to receive care, such as dental anxiety or concern about exposure to the coronavirus.
You can use these strategies to improve the quality of your touchpoints:
- Educate and inform your patients by adding blogs to your patient website every week, through daily social media posts, or by composing a newsletter that you email to patients.
- Update your website to include a secure, online patient portal for scheduling, account payments, and more.
- Engage your patients when they come in for an appointment. Ask them about any updates in their lives, compliment them if they have good oral hygiene, and answer any and all questions they may have.
- Ask patients to post reviews for your practice online or refer their friends, family members, and acquaintances to your practice. Remember, there’s no substitute for good word of mouth!
- When it comes to reviews, recognize the feedback is going to run the full spectrum and respond graciously to all reviews—even the negative ones. If a bad review is posted, seek ways to improve what went wrong during that patient’s interaction or visit.
- Establish more virtual touchpoints: teledentistry appointments.
Trend 2: Technological advancements
You already know the importance of having the latest technology in your dental practice. It’s a great selling point for prospective patients and demonstrates your commitment to having the highest level of care. Certain technologies streamline your services but also bolster patient engagement.
These include:
- Augmented reality: Also known as AR, this uses virtual reality technology to superimpose another visual over a real image or video. If you practice cosmetic dentistry, AR can provide a crystal-clear example in any before-and-after scenario you’re showing to patients. In these cases, seeing literally is believing. AR technology serves as a means of emotional dentistry; it calms patients’ nerves about an upcoming appointment because they’ll have a specific vision of the end result of their care.
- Teledentistry: A term used to describe virtual dental care, teledentistry was quite rare until the COVID-19 pandemic, but now, it’s apparently here to stay. Patients like the option of teledentistry because they can schedule appointments at their convenience without having to worry about work responsibilities or child care. Make sure you’ve reviewed the latest policy on teledentistry from the American Dental Association. Advances in technology mean this aspect of dental science will continue expanding.
- Artificial intelligence: Commonly referred to as AI, this technology quickly processes even vast amounts of information. You can use AI technology to identify areas of decay or conditions affecting the mouth’s soft tissue or bone structure. The overall goal of AI in dentistry is to improve diagnostic accuracy. AI grows, evolves, and learns just like people do—opening the possibility in the future of a virtual “second opinion” you can provide to patients at the time you present cases, increasing the likelihood of treatment acceptance.
- 3D printing: Three-dimensional printing used to be the stuff of science fiction, then an extremely specialized service. Today, you can buy a capable 3D printer for a few hundred dollars online or at your local discount department store. 3D printing saves your practice time and lab costs. It may be used to produce restorations such as crowns on sight, maximizing the efficiency of your appointment.
Consulting to help you keep up with dental trends
You’re providing care for your patients, pursuing continuing education to improve your skills, leading your team, and managing the business aspects of a practice. It can be difficult for you to stay up to speed with dental industry trends. That’s where the pros at Bryant Consultants can be such an asset. Our consultants have decades of combined experience in the dental industry, and they put their expertise to work for you. We’re offering a free one-hour dental consultation. Schedule your consultation today by calling (877) 768-4799. We provide consultation, training, and coaching virtually or in person. To ensure that you receive the latest updates, please follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
