Not unlike other places, Canadians have historically resolved to fit more in the New Year. No other resolution appears to outshine the desire to fit into our favourite jeans again. However, we also know that the desire to look and feel better about our looks is a great opportunity for the dental profession. More existing patients and prospects in your neighbourhood or community may be looking for services to boost the beauty of their smiles. Is your practice prepared to “wow” these new or re-emerging patients with your cosmetic services? We encourage you to resolve to make the most of this temporal milestone or landmark, which only comes around once a year and can be a big boon to your practice’s bottom line.
Inventory your services.
It helps to put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard. Brainstorming all of the procedures and services that fall under the category might appeal to someone contacting your team about “fixing” cosmetic imperfections. List everything that might apply, no matter how seemingly small or insignificant the service nor how “outdated” it may be. We will get to that later. We need to visualize and see the big picture – what you currently offer. Only then can we make adjustments and potentially determine gaps in services in the cosmetic dentistry category. Or, we may find some services are not being marketed properly and are effectively underutilized.
Identify new investments to grow this lucrative category.
Every practice has a different “starting point” when it comes to adjusting or improving upon existing services in the cosmetic/aesthetic category or any other line of services, for that matter. So, the list you have created (see above) should be the road map to improvements that resonate with new and loyal patients. Any weaknesses can be easily and quickly identified by recording exactly what you offer. This may include services that are lacking, as well as outdated services. Perhaps, the newest in-office teeth whitening system may be worth a second look for an office that only offers the home option. Or, you may find that there are better and newer technologies for office whitening, for example, to replace your existing method or product. Some new products or offerings may be so different that they deserve their separate category or subcategory; for instance, cosmetic injectables.
Assess for what you do particularly well.
It is just as important – if not more so – to isolate those strengths within your cosmetic capabilities. Highlight or create a separate list that accounts for unique areas of expertise, dentists’ special interests or training, and services or technologies that might resonate particularly well with your target community. While there is always value in improving weak areas, the rewards are even greater when you can build upon and augment what you already do well and what has contributed favourably to your success thus far.
Get your marketing communications in shape.
What good are the capabilities and expertise mentioned above if no one knows about them? This is where inventorying your website and other marketing collateral comes into play. Review how noteworthy services are spotlighted on your site, social media, and elsewhere. You should prioritize adding new sections or pages to your website to account for these areas. Make sure to link this information to social posts. So no one misses the new content that is added. You can also link any new pages or content on your website in an email blast or other announcements that may be sent to your patients and subscribers. Similarly, ensure there are no areas with outdated references to old services or to dentists or associates who may no longer be with the practice and may have taken some of their expertise with them. Regardless, account for all relevant training, special interests, certifications, honours, and other distinctions in respective doctor biographies.
Get personal.
Through the years, we have discussed how essential it is to personalize marketing and communications to your aspirational or target demographics. You must stand out from the competition by crafting content that gets opened, read, understood, and matters so much that the reader takes action. By focusing just on cosmetic dentistry services, you can more manageably target patients with content on the subject that is meaningful to them. For instance, if an existing patient’s veneers are several years old, content could be flagged and delivered to this individual with meaningful tips on caring for those veneers or signs that it may be time to replace them. You could also tie this in with promotions, such as discounts on any new types of veneers you offer.
Bulk up how those services are delivered.
Big goals demand big service. It may be time to consider investments in virtual smile makeover consultations or other technologies that facilitate initial patient interactions. If your capabilities are lacking in this area, think of platforms and systems to support your ability to clearly and quickly review patients’ smiles virtually. As a lead-up to the in-person appointment, you may even provide the patient with a quick video discussing their concerns and potential services to address them. These investments in software, imaging, and vendors should be marketed properly with announcements, prominent banners on your website, and so forth to coincide with the addition of any such launches or your recommitment to these underutilized services. There is absolutely nothing wrong with relaunches; they may be necessary occasionally to ensure you are making the most of your onsite expertise and resources.
A final word.
As you make over so many patients’ smiles in 2025, ensure your services keep pace. They, too, may need a makeover to properly do your team’s experience, talents, and skill justice and to attract just the right patients to grow and sustain your practice in the New Year and many more years.
About the Author:
Naren Arulrajah, President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, has been a leader in medical marketing for over a decade. Ekwa provides comprehensive marketing solutions for busy dentists, with a team of more than 180 full time professionals, providing web design, hosting, content creation, social media, reputation management, SEO, and more. If you’re looking for ways to boost your marketing results, call 855-598-3320 for a free strategy session with Naren. You may also schedule a session at your convenience with the Senior Director of Marketing – Lila, by clicking https://www.ekwa.com/msm/.
