We are still in the first quarter of 2018 and already we’ve seen enough stomach churning volatility in the stock markets to last the whole year. The month of January was euphoric, with both the Canadian and US market indexes hitting new highs. Then February crashed the party, sending stocks tumbling very hard and very … Read more
As the marketer of a Canadian dental practice, you naturally want to know why prospective patients call. However, this information doesn’t quite go far enough. You need data that you can act on as well. Before Call Intelligence, it was difficult to track the journey of people who found a business by using both the … Read more
You probably know that time and money spent marketing your dental practice is one of the wisest investments you’ll ever make – if it is effective. However, these marketing missteps can render your efforts ineffective, or worse. Legal and Regulatory Violations When most marketers discuss “rules,” they are referring to Google requirements, social media … Read more
As you go about your day-to-day, you probably notice the multitude of dental offices, seemingly on every corner. Do you often find yourself wondering how they all survive? Maybe, you conclude, it all comes down to fantastic marketing strategy, each office figuring out how to uniquely brand and stand apart from the competition. Would it … Read more
As I sit at my desk writing this month’s editorial, I can’t help but be slightly distracted by the 2018 Winter Olympics and keeping an eye on where Team Canada sits in the standings. I’m willing to admit that I’ve been glued to my TV this past week watching my favourite figure skaters climb (or … Read more
Barrie dentist features unique, all-natural calming system Keep calm and drill on. Patients are relaxed in the dental chair at the Barrie practice of Dr. Micheal Robinson. Robinson is one of only two dentists out of 21,000 in Canada – including nearly 9,000 in Ontario – to feature NuCalm, a patented, high-tech stress relief system. He says he … Read more
There have been many transitions in the oral healthcare industry during the 21st century; the transition from analog to digital and a transition to whole body care, to name just a few. Carestream Dental’s all-new care management platform reflects yet another critical transition in the industry—shifting the focus from practice management and placing it on … Read more
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people shun Canada’s icy winters for the sunny beaches of Mexico – and some of them put their vacation on pause for a quick stop at the dentist. Others plot trips specifically for the purpose of avoiding a pricey dental procedure back home. But what are the risks when … Read more
Close to 300,000 children in need of dental care aren’t getting it. The Ontario Dental Association (ODA) has launched an awareness campaign to help Ontarians understand the dangerous funding gap in public dental care. Dentists across the province currently treat about 200,000 kids under the Healthy Smiles Ontario program but more needs to be done … Read more
What is public relations, anyways? It’s defined as “the business of inducing the public to have understanding for and goodwill toward a person, firm, or institution; also: the degree of understanding and goodwill achieved.” In relation to your dental practice, an effective public relations strategy goes a long way in bolstering your marketing efforts. Many people are … Read more
This past July, the federal government introduced proposals to overhaul the tax rules affecting active private corporations (including dentistry professional corporations and technical services corporations). Since the summer announcement, the government has faced increasing opposition from farmers, professionals and small business owners across the country. As a result, they have backed away from some of … Read more
After 20 years in her former location, Dr. Gillian Espie felt her practice had outgrown her space. She looked forward to moving to a bright new site, and creating an office where she and her team would enjoy working every day, and where her patients would feel comfortable and well cared for. Dr. Espie’s vision … Read more
People are demanding when it comes to customer service. Expectations for better experiences are driving competition in every industry, forcing businesses to compete more aggressively. In dentistry, standing apart from your competitors can be especially tough. Communicating what makes your practice different while navigating your dental college’s advertising regulations adds an extra layer of complexity. … Read more
Do you recall the best 10 days of 2017? I do. Mine go something like this: The Best Ten Days of Twenty-Seventeen Started With Strangers, Anxious And Keen To Go To A Country Some Hadn’t Seen To Pull or Save Teeth With a Fill or a Clean Or To Educate Children About Oral Hygiene … Read more
Have you ever had the urge to do something out of your comfort zone? As vain as this may sound, I embraced that urge this month and made a ‘significant’ change to my appearance – a lifetime spent as a brunette to becoming ‘the new blonde in the office’. After a few restless nights of … Read more
World Cancer Day (February 4) is a perfect time for dental hygienists across Canada to remind the public of the importance of regular oral cancer screenings, not only during dental appointments, but also now at home. The Canadian Cancer Society projected in 2017 that 4,700 Canadians would be diagnosed with oral cavity cancer, and that … Read more
In 1984, Oral Health, our monthly clinical journal, was 73-years-old and Dental Practice Management was born. DPM was meant to be the source for all things not clinical. Employer concerns, staffing, legal matters, marketing, finance, transitioning, office design were all topics for discussion in DPM. Not long ago, the magazine morphed into Oral Health Office. … Read more
Is this the end of professional corporations? It’s been over a decade since the government allowed non-dentist family members to become shareholders of a dentistry professional corporation (DPC). Just as the government gives, it can also take away. The introduction of new sweeping tax changes is causing frustration among many dentists and essentially reverses many … Read more
You don’t approach a cosmetic case with the intention of creating a smile that looks “okay,” or design a crown to fit “good enough.” Why should you settle for a profit margin that is “okay,” or practice growth that is “good enough?” The answer is that you shouldn’t, and you don’t have to. You can … Read more
Achieving and maintaining peak performance certainly involves a focus on marketing, operational efficiencies and controls and the use of new technologies. Often overlooked or neglected are the many legal relationships, agreements and statutory requirements that have over the years become all the more important in light of the recognition that dental practices are marketable assets. … Read more