The year is quickly going by, and it is almost time to assess and strategize for a new business year, and think up strategies to stay above the usual competition. Every day, technology advances in leaps and bounds in all industries. This is also true for the dental industry, so if you want to stay relevant in 2020 and beyond, you have to keep pace with the digital evolution and best business practices for the future.
Using technology in your dental practice comes with several benefits, including;
- Improved patient experience
- More efficiency
- Earlier detection
- Point of attraction for new clients
Let’s take a look at a few dentistry tech trends you should consider adopting to stay relevant in a digital business landscape.
Connect with your clients online
Considering its growing popularity, social media is the marketing plug of the future. Using online platforms is considered one of the most effective ways to reach new clients, stay in touch with old ones, and provide real-time customer service. Your clients are almost always online, so you have to meet them there. Adding a social media marketing strategy to traditional advertising will increase the visibility of your dental practice and enable you to stand out from the competition. A business website, especially a mobile-friendly one, will help your patients to schedule appointments, fill out paperwork, settle their bills, and ask follow-up questions.
Invest In Advanced Education
Seeking higher education and training for yourself and your employees will help your dental practice stay in step with new trends, material developments, and technology. Also, becoming more boutique-oriented and focusing on specific customer niches or demographics will help you become a high-end specialist. This can increase the value proposition of your dental practice, and help you compete with big providers. For instance, although it is not a fit for all dental practices, many practitioners are using their familiarity with facial anatomy to expand into offering extra cosmetic services.
Use Digital Devices That Improve Visualization
There are several products in the market that can assist dental specialists in getting high levels of magnification during dental procedures and examinations. These devices are often compact and portable, and are easy to use in detecting oral defects, optimally creating dental prosthetics, and can also be included in guided oral surgery.
Some examples are intraoral or optical scanners, digitized x-rays, FOTI (fibre-optic transillumination) tech, etc. Using these devices will;
- Provide more accurate communication and teamwork with dental lab teams
- Improve the quality of treatment because of more accurate diagnosis
- Act as invaluable tools for designing orthodontic treatment plans
- Help with earlier detection of dental issues, and therefore ensure earlier preventative maintenance
- Serve as a preferable alternative to intrusive dental procedures that use traditional x-rays and time-consuming molds.
- Minimize stress to both dentist and patient
To Crown It All
It is increasingly important for dental and medical practices to employ new technologies so they can stay relevant in the current digital landscape. Using one or more of the ideas listed above will help you increase your efficiency and stay abreast of current trends in dental practice. Keeping up with these advancements can be difficult for many traditional dental practice owners, but outsourcing or consulting can find the best solution for your unique needs. Contact us to get a customized dental practice management solution that will help you stay relevant in 2020 and beyond!
-The TGNA Team
