CATEGORY 104 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST C M Y CM MY CY CMY K During times of higher interest rates, recession, and economic downturn, it has historically been believed that dentistry becomes an optional and non-essential service that the cash strapped public tends to push to one side and defer. Well, that might be the case in some socio-economic areas, but I’ve found that those with money still go spending when needed. Here are two things I’d definitely be doing: Firstly, children’s orthodontic needs and adult orthodontic needs are still a very real priority, even during difficult times. There are two major factors that can influence the demand for general oral health care and orthodontic care. One is the prevalence of oral disease and abnormalities among the population. Although there has been a reduction in infectious dental conditions such as caries and periodontal disease in children and young adults, the prevalence of malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth and jaws, has essentially remained the same. My advice to dentists is that they do need to be offering in-house orthodontics to all patients who need treatment, so learning orthodontics is an absolute must. Contact www.EODO.com for information about courses available. The second thing I’d do during times of economic pressure is to make sure that every new patient enquiry phoning into your practice is being converted into an appointment that is valued, and kept. It’s imperative to make sure that those employees entrusted with answering your phones have been taught the skills to ensure that no incoming phone call to your practice fails to schedule. In times of recession, the extra appointments you schedule for these callers results in fuller appointment books. Converting more calls to appointments really comes at no additional expense of marketing. After all, you’ve already spent the money on the ads getting the phone to ring … why not convert more callers into appointments. Doing extra CE both for your dentists and for your team, becomes the gift that keeps on giving, even during tougher economic times. Two things dentists definitely need to be doing during tough economic times By Derek Mahony – Specialist orthodontist, BDS (Syd), MScOrth (Lon), DOrthRCS (Edin), MDOrthRCPS (Glas), MOrthRCS (Eng), FRCD (Can), MOrth RCS (Edin), FICD, IBO, FACD, FICCDE, FIADFE, FPFA, Grad Dip Dental Sleep Medicine (WA), Grad Dip Dent (Ortho) By Derek Mahony It’s a case of “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”, as the economists declare – the ‘perfect storm’ is here! For now, the peace and tranquillity of dental practices has been disturbed. Dental practices are suffering; people are suffering … but … it’s not all doom and gloom for innovative dentists. The great news is that you can learn how to easily add $100,000 + to your dental practice top-line revenue without the stresses and strains usually associated with cosmetic treatment plans. Once the forgotten soul of cosmetic dentistry, teeth whitening demand is anticipated to double by 2026. If you are not whitening, you miss out on a treatment requiring minimal clinical time. Conservatively, as reported recently by the ADA, at least one in five adults are consideringwhitening their teeth. Just think about those numbers, 20% of a practice’s patients! Yet we find that supermarkets, pharmacies, and beauty salons lead the education! Adults are whitening somewhere; sadly, a dental practice is often seen as a last resort. With the correct whitening strategy and clinical expertise, a dental practice can easily create a $100,000+ whitening business or a $500,000 version. You are limited only by the number of adults you treat or the chairs you manage. The great news is that a hidden gem in your dental tool bag can help change that. When I talk with practice managers, dentists and their principals, they generally believe that teeth whitening is: u not profitable u time-consuming u inconsistent results u sensitivity issues u disappointed patients The great news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. By learning the exact skills, clinical protocols, and strategies required, I can show dental practices a proven and better way of teeth whitening. The Whitening Projects: Expert Teeth Whitening Secrets training, and strategy program is proven in dental practice across every state in Australia and used by over 10,000 practises in the UK. To find out if this would help alleviate some of the financial burdens and practice efficiencies, book a free 30-minute Whitening Discovery call with me, and let us see if I can genuinely help you. Call 0416 629 015 or scan this QR Code The Whitening Project By Stephen Douglas, Founder of The Whitening Project Take a look to see what’s possible for you. Stephen Douglas SPECIAL FEATURE
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