Understandably, most dentists hesitate to think of their patients as customers. Yet, today’s patients take a consumer approach to selecting dental care. They have information, they have options, and they shop around before choosing a provider. Therefore, the sales and marketing funnel, which has long been used to guide retail strategies, can easily be applied … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story T-Dot Dental opened their doors in mid-February 2020. What followed was an almost complete global shutdown to most sectors of society including their newly opened practice. The pandemic was a true test to everyone on how important robust community relationships and a strong strategic business alliance can be in times of … Read more
We hire fabulous, superstar team members who are: Happy to come to work and passionate about their career; Connected and loyal to the practice; Excited to learn new things to drive long-term success; Measure their success based on the team and practice success. Sadly, over time, we often start to notice a change in their … Read more
In a (post) pandemic world, where the population is more aware of the risks of airborne transmission and “work from anywhere” has become de rigueur, some patients will prefer to avoid commuting to the dental practice as often. But that doesn’t mean a dental practice should give up on the relationship it has built with … Read more
Every aspect of our lives was completely upended in March 2020 when the novel coronavirus first reached Canada, and in a matter of days all of us had to adjust to a “new normal” that was anything but normal. The healthcare industry was severely affected as medical professionals fought to stay ahead of the curve, … Read more
When you made the original decision to be a dentist, it is possible that you did not also think about being the executive or leader of a practice and what that would entail. You just wanted to help people have healthy teeth and a great smile. Later on, when you decided to own a practice, … Read more
At least once a week I have someone reach out to me asking about bringing an app idea to market. As you’re reading this – chances are high that you, your spouse, friend, cousin or co-worker has an app idea (that’s sure to be worth billions!) and you (or they) are wondering how to take … Read more
In the past, dental practices built their reputation by word-of-mouth advertising, print and mass media campaigns, and establishing themselves in communities. These forms of marketing are still valuable and necessary tools, but they don’t account for a major source of publicity for modern practices: online reviews. The ascendency of the internet as the primary method … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story After 11 years of practice as an associate in Edmonton, AB, Dr. Daniel Kim and his family decided to open their dream practice in the thriving community of Kelowna, BC, which is cradled within a glorious range of mountains in a sanctuary filled with pristine lakes, pine forests, abundant gardens, orchards … Read more
A nice website with good articles is a great start to marketing your dental practice. However, in today’s multi-media, multi-platform world, that alone is not enough. You need a variety of content types, with video being one of the most important. Video is one of the most popular and fastest growing marketing mediums. In fact, … Read more
In our world that has rapidly changed over the past 18 months, we have had the choice to either evolve proactively, beyond all of the extreme changes, or we could become paralyzed, stuck and increasingly diminished by them. Today, confidence and focus are the most important human abilities. Without confidence and focus, embracing change and … Read more
According to the World Health Organization’s March 25th, 2020, report on oral health, dental caries remains the number one dental issue globally to this day. While we are seeing a decrease in dental caries in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Canada, there is still much work to be done. Dental decay occurs when the … Read more
I have been a dentist for 30 years but only practised for seven. I spent more than 20 years in the regulatory sector, and taught oral health professional students in six post-secondary institutions and medical students at two universities. I also have mental illness. After I was interviewed recently for a feature article in another … Read more
It happens daily. A dentist looking to practise is presented with an associate agreement. Meanwhile, another dentist, selling their practice, is presented with a purchase and sale agreement. Both agreements include a non-compete clause, which tries to restrict that dentist from practising within a certain geographic area (e.g. 5 km radius from the practice) and … Read more
Every dentist shudders when they think about it: You’re going through the mail for your practice and amidst junk mail and bills, there’s an envelope with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) logo in the top left corner. It’s marked “PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.” You open it and are shocked to learn that … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story Dr. Rebecca Hulbert could see that to meet the needs of the evolving “quality-of-life-centred” dental healthcare consumer, that convenient, multidisciplinary specialty care was needed under one roof. Due to advancements in treatment modalities and technology, local GPs are often diagnosing complex, advanced care treatment plans requiring specialist involvement. These treatment plans … Read more
Do you remember why you became a dentist? Are you happy you chose dentistry? What would you say to someone who wants to be a dentist – that it’s a dream job or to keep dreaming? Recently, my friend’s son got accepted to both dentistry and medicine. My friend is a dentist and our dentist … Read more
A year-and-a-half into this ever-evolving pandemic and we find ourselves in the grip of a third wave. The pandemic has caused a significant change in all of our lives. The only constant we’ve had is the constant of the unknown. The virus has proved to be relentless and efforts to contain the spread require a … Read more
Dentists spend almost every day assessing the dental health of their patients, but evidence suggests most don’t spend enough time examining the current state of their own practices.1 And although dental practice management software (PMS) will provide many reports, my experience consulting with practices is that they continue to find it difficult to determine what … Read more
Culture can be a nebulous word that’s hard to pin down to a definition, but when we’re applying the concept to companies, teams and dental offices, there is actually a clear-cut definition. Culture is the set of established and accepted behaviours, attitudes and perceptions collectively established by a team. It is defined by the values … Read more