The dental industry is ever-changing and evolving. The dental industry was estimated to be worth over a hundred billion in 2020 with large growth still expected to come in the next four to five years. With the prediction of increased demand for dental care, you may be wondering if your practice is keeping up the pace with what the industry demands, and with patient needs. Without a doubt, every industry, including dentistry, was forced to undergo some changes in the past few years. With a global pandemic slowly fading, it is likely your practice may still be adjusting to how dentistry has changed because of COVID-19. Now that you’ve been reminded of how your practice has already adapted to the world, look forward to the upcoming year, and assess your practice to see that it is still evolving with its environment.
Evolution Is Important
If you are a seasoned veteran when it comes to dentistry, you may be put off by all this talk about change. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it, right? Unfortunately, even in dentistry, that mindset does not always benefit you or your patient. Consider this example: in 1994, Jeff Bezos set up an online bookstore from the garage of his Seattle home. That may be new information, because the Amazon you know today is the world’s largest online retailer. What was once a small retailer of books has now revolutionized the way modern customers shop. Because Bezos was willing to adapt to his changing world and give customers more of what they were looking for. The evolution of a company, including your dental practice, is crucial. If your practice is not making the necessary changes to adapt to your patients’ needs, another practice will.
Customer Service
One of the reasons Amazon has become so enormously popular is customer service. Customer service isn’t only an important part of a retail business, it’s an important part of business as a practitioner. Even with more detached ways of doing business like online scheduling or automated appointment reminders becoming the trendy thing to do, patients still want to be connected with and cared for. Great customer service begins with the very first experience. If you want patients to feel valued and cared for, look at your entire process as if you are a patient seeking services at your practice.
Is your contact information easily visible on a website, advertisement or postcard? Is it easy to get in touch with your office staff, or are patients leaving voicemails that go unanswered for days? On the subject of change, phone calls aren’t the only way to get in contact these days. Does your practice have alternative means of contact, like an email or direct messaging through a website? When you overview the process of receiving dental care at your practice, you may find that patients aren’t receiving quality customer service. If so, then it’s time to work on making positive changes to ensure patients are getting the care and attention they need.
Technology
Technology is an area of rapid change within the dental industry. This includes a wide scope of things from the way you advertise your business to the tools you use when treating patients. While technology is most certainly changing and impacting the way you do business, it is also one of the most flexible areas because of how you can implement change. Of course, with new technology comes increased cost. You won’t buy a new iPhone 14 for the same price as a first-generation model. As tech creators learn more and have increased abilities, prices are bound to change. With so many options available, this is the part where you get to choose the change you want to make. And how it impacts your business financially.
Digital radiography and impressions are becoming more popular with dental practices because they make assessments quicker and easier. Even replacing drills with less painful and more efficient lasers is becoming commonplace. Making processes streamlined and efficient for your patients and office staff is great. But it’s up to you to determine the cost-benefit ratio. The positive thing about technology is there are so many ways to enhance your practice. Ranging from a well-designed website to updated office equipment.
If you’re finding that your practice could benefit from an update in how it runs, don’t worry. Strategic Practice Solutions can help you assess the positive aspects of your business and pinpoint areas where your business can improve. Change can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Schedule a consultation today and let us work alongside you, so you can see your practice adapting in positive ways, ensuring you and your dental staff care for patients in the most effective manner and continue to see growth into the new year!
Strategic Practice Solutions, LLC