Andre Picard, the Globe’s healthcare columnist, recently wrote an article on the aging population’s impact on overall Canadian healthcare. But what about the impact of the aging Boomers on the dental care system? Many of you will already know — the older the patient, the less likely they are regular attenders and the more likely … Read more
Your critical area of focus… In today’s fast paced world of change, competition and customer (patient) sophistication, it is critical to focus on your service, reputation and referrals. Also critical, is to know how your patients feel about you, talk about you and express their dissatisfaction. A dissatisfied customer will tell 12 other people A … Read more
A new report on early childhood caries in the UK shows how serious this disease really is: •Tooth extraction, mainly under General Anaesthesia (GA), is the main reason for hospital admissions of 5–9 year old children in the UK •Repeat treatments are frequent (20%-25% of cases). So, the report interviewed 18 family dentists in the … Read more
A new study found that Parkinson’s patients have up to 10 times more untreated decay than a healthy peer. And they live in the community on average for 15 years before being institutionalized. So, most every dental team has a few Parkinson’s patients, or at least, patients with preclinical symptoms to Parkinson’s. A recent study … Read more
In the US, there has been a surprising level of shopping and switching health care insurance plans during this second season of renewals under Obamacare. Almost 1 in 3 changed plans on the public website for health care insurance (HealthCare.gov). And for those who switched, most saved money. We know that America is the land … Read more
Attached are 2 photos of our recent annual trip in January 2015 to Quesada, Guatemala. This is part of an official Canadian charity (12+ yrs going) called Health Outreach (founded by Dr. Tim Lee, Mississauga), where the volunteers (dentists and support personnel), provide free dental work to needy children. In our 6 days of work, … Read more
My community newspaper recently featured a story about an overload of patients visiting a non-profit community dental clinic. The irony of this story is that most dentists in my community have fewer and fewer recall patients. Most want and need to get busier. My community’s struggle to access dental care – Partners in Prevention So … Read more
Social media is a good way of feeling the pulse of the community. Facebook can tell me, for example, how many women over 40 in Canada read Prevention Magazine or Women’s Health Magazine, and who also mention “dentist” or “hygienist” in their social media conversations. (That number is about 1.7 million!) There is a new … Read more
American companies are getting tough on disease. Increasingly, they incent their employees to participate in wellness programs by connecting healthy behavior to lower cost healthcare insurance. In some cases, poor health behavior leads to increased premiums. They are following the lead of some German insurers who limit dental coverage for those who skip their hygiene … Read more
Recently, I received a petition by nurses and hygienists which argued for OHIP payment for hygiene services. It seems the petition was started by nurses who were frustrated with the growing demands of ER patients experiencing dental problems. So, what are the chances that OHIP or any medical system will pay for regular hygiene care? … Read more
The best endorsement for your dental practice can come not from paid advertising or other forms of promotion, but from your own patients. New patients will typically have a greater trust in the reviews, comments and ratings that other people provide about you. Therefore, one of your dental marketing goals must be to have people … Read more
Supporting and Enforcing Your Cancellation Policy.. One the quickest and easiest way to begin supporting your Cancellation Policy is to STOP accepting appointment changes and cancellations to be left with your service or on your voice message service! Many patients will leave a message after practice hours to avoid facing the music of their last … Read more
In his blog titled An Ounce of Prevention, Dr. Ashish Jha of the Harvard Medical School recently reported on his twitter poll of “what makes the best doctor.” The results had very little to do with health outcomes or technical skill, and more to do with the patient interface. See the key attributes of a … Read more
2015 Dental Marketing Trends You Need to Know By Andrea Walker-Chief Creative Officer & Susanne Kimball, Chief CS Marketing Officer Every year marketing evolves and the rules of the web change. That leaves dental professionals like you wondering where to invest marketing dollars. We understand that with changes that happen so fast, it’s hard to … Read more
A majority of large, medium and small organizations as well as professional practices have recognized the importance of digital transformation to stay ahead in the information age. It is time to take a close look at your dental marketing approach and strategy to determine whether your practice is geared up to engage effectively with potential … Read more
Some trend predictions for smiles and cosmetic dentistry according to Dr. Harvey Silverman, creator of the EasySmile LifeLike Veneer System, an innovative, non-invasive new method for achieving better smiles. According to Dr. Harvey Silverman– Top Smile Enhancement Trends predicted for 2015: More effective at-home tooth whiteners (professional systems adapted for at-home use) with less tooth … Read more
This was one result from a recent survey of UK adults. While the poor state of oral health in the UK is well known, would the results be any different in Canada when it comes to eagerness to visit the dentist? The anxiety about the drill and needle is legendary and commonly the cost of … Read more
A recent news story in the US concerning over-treatment in dental care coined the term “creative diagnosis”. The story attributed this phenomenon to the emergence of corporate dental chains and the availability of dental insurance. It recommended the patient take a consumer approach of asking the dentist and hygienist “why”, “how”, and “show me”. So … Read more
Dentists and Hygienists Explore the Company’s Global Research & Technology Center While Learning Directly from Colgate® Experts New York, NY – Colgate®’s “Destination Innovation” Discovery Bus tours recently provided over 100 dentists and hygienists the opportunity to visit the company’s Global Research & Technology Center in Piscataway, New Jersey, during the 2014 Greater New York … Read more