What Does Your Practice, Practice?

The services you decide to provide as a dentist will define your practice.  You may choose to operate as a general dental clinic, as in implant specialist, pediatric dentistry or just wisdom teeth.  These decisions will determine everything from where you locate your practice to how you market your services.

Location

If you have decided you passion is pediatric dentistry, locating in Sun City, AZ may not be the best decision for a successful practice.  You need to select a location where your passion matches your economic needs.  If you have selected to specialize, research demographics that match your selected patient base.  Look up census information for a specific region and narrow the search to a 10-mile radius.  Confirm the population and economic base exists to support your specialty.

Marketing

Once you have selected a location, utilize data available from a reputable list broker.  They can work with companies like Avrick Direct to isolate potential customers based upon specific data parameters that align with the service your offer.  A pediatric dental practice would want to look for women, ages 25 – 39, presence of children, who have moved to the area within the last 120 days.  They are most likely to be looking for the services offered.

Not only does this provide very good insight into the prospective patient-base, but gives an immediate source of new patients.  A well-designed mailer welcoming the individuals to the neighborhood and offering a special for childrens’ check-ups can help launch a new practice.

Strategic Relationships

I participated in a conversation with an endodontist seeking work.  When told the practice didn’t currently have need for an endodontist, he stated, “That’s okay.  I don’t mind doing general dentistry.”  The doctor’s need for work out-weighed their desire to specialize.

A specialist should make a point of meeting other dentists within the area and discuss cooperative referrals.  A general dentist may be happy to refer pediatric patients in return for adult patients.  Both can maintain their own practice while benefiting from the other’s chosen specialty.

Don’t Judge

Patients come from all backgrounds and socio-economic groups.  If a dentist has a negative outlook on a particular patient segment it will be reflected by their staff.  If you specialize in dental implants you have to understand people lose teeth from accidents, heredity . . . and drug abuse.  One dentist looked out on his waiting room and commented, “It looks like a welfare office out there.”  His staff took this to mean he didn’t want recovering meth addicts.  The staff’s manner in dealing with people they didn’t think the dentist would want to treat resulted in a drop of forty-percent of new patients. 

Whatever your practice practices is up to you.  Just make sure you do your homework to insure you can be profitable.

If you have questions regarding your practice’s marketing strategy, feel free to contact me at darrensomsen@gmail.com.