DR SMILE as an effective tool for practice marketing

(Young) dentists, in particular, whose practices are still in the start-up or growth phase, face challenges in attracting new patients and adapting their practice to the demands of the digital world. It is essential to retain patients in one's practice so that income and expenses can be planned in business terms. But retaining them over the long term takes work. Modern patients use the Internet to find out which dentist is good and competent or ask friends for recommendations. If a patient is unsatisfied with his dentist, he switches to the next one. The patient-dentist relationship is no longer as stable as it was in the days of our grandparents. Recommendation portals are booming. The modern patient has integrated digital media into his everyday life and uses them to inform himself - some more, others less - about the health services on offer. The modern patient-dentist relationship is no longer "paternalistic" in nature, with the dentist calling the shots. More and more patients want to decide on their treatment solutions.

Practice marketing by expanding the range of services offered

For dentists, this means that they must professionalize their practice marketing. This is not just about stylish, friendly practice premises. It's about streamlining the organization of treatment processes and the design of the range of treatments on offer. Digital appointment scheduling systems are just as much a part of this as effective e-mail marketing, which reminds patients of their treatment, for example. If dentists want to increase their patient base and strengthen the loyalty of existing patients to their practice, they need to consider how they can make their treatment and service offering more attractive by offering private services. 

In addition, dental practices have difficulty financing themselves from statutory health insurance revenues alone. According to statistics from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KZBV Yearbook 2021), 50.6 percent of dental practice revenue in 2019 was attributable to payments from statutory health insurance, while 49.4 percent was revenue from private additional services. A 50 percent share of personal revenue is also necessary for a dental practice to succeed. 

Easily scalable additional services

But what private ancillary services can a dentist offer, and how can they expand their potential? The most common private service is certainly professional dental cleaning (PZR). It is the most easily scalable because the dentist can delegate it to a dental assistant and does not have to perform it himself. However, in addition to revenues averaging around EUR 100 per patient, there are also labor costs on the expense side. Dental prophylaxis is of interest to many patients; this is another reason it is easily scalable. At least 60 percent of the patients in a single practice should take advantage of PZR if the business calculation is to work out. The situation is different for other services, such as periodontal treatment. The need for treatment is only given to some patients. Although the need for therapy increases with age, the patient may not be amenable to treatment or may not meet the requirements. Also, only some patients need an implant or surgical procedure.

The opportunities to offer easily scalable ancillary services are quickly limited, especially as patients no longer come to practices solely for therapies to preserve teeth. This is where esthetic dentistry comes in as an alternative. Aesthetic dental treatments open up a new demand because dental aesthetics has become a lifestyle topic. For dentists, this is an opportunity to expand and specialize their services. But here, too, the question of scalability arises. Only some dentists have the know-how and resources to set up their digital system for orthodontic treatment planning. This is where a partnership with DR SMILE comes in.

DR SMILE is a provider of doctor-guided, digitally assisted aligner treatments to correct simple tooth misalignments. With DR SMILE, dentists can expand their private offerings to include orthodontic treatment solutions. In doing so, the company takes over some treatment steps, making the solution scalable for the dentist. The dentist concentrates on the diagnosis but does not have to worry about treatment planning. This is handled by the professional DR SMILE digital laboratory with its DR SMILE dentists and dental technicians. The treatment complies with the generally applicable standards of dental care. All dental decision