Marketing Cosmetic Dentistry

Many of us would love to do more cosmetic dentistry in our practices. I love cosmetic cases. And not because of the production numbers. I find it to be so rewarding to help someone go from a "less-than-perfect" smile into something they can be proud of. When they come back and tell me that they find themselves smiling more and they don't have to cover their mouth when they laugh, I feel wonderful.

So the question is, "How do I market or position myself to do more of these cases?"

An article recently published in 'Doctor of Dentistry' had some good pointers. They lay out 8 essentials to marketing for cosmetic cases.

1. Develop Your Brand Identity. Sit down and write out your vision of your practice and how you want it presented. Then look into having a logo and a slogan developed. Their are marketing and printing services all over that can help you develop a logo. Then you need to put it on your website, your letterhead, marketing pieces, etc. Make sure your logo represents your practice. Don't just stick the outline of an extracted molar in front of a waterfall and call it a logo.

2. Target the Right Markets. There is a very specific type of person that requests cosmetic dentistry: women between 31 and 50. It is estimated that 96% of people requesting cosmetic procedures are women in that age range. If you want those cases, you have to go and market where those people are. You can get mailing lists for that demographic, put ads in magazines that those people read, be where they are. Find the market you want and be everywhere you can in that market.

3. Maximize the Media. Use media to become the expert in your area. There are a lot of local and community newsletters, magazines, etc. Call the editor and offer free dental tips or to write an article periodically about a dental topic. If you have new technology or are raising money for a charity, call the television station. They love to add this content to their morning shows.

4. Mix Up Your Mediums. On average you need to reach a customer anywhere from 5-10 times before they actually make the move and call you. You need to use multiple marketing techniques to cut through the clutter of ads reaching people on a daily basis. Direct mail, newspaper, magazines, internet, radio, TV, sponsor a sports team, etc. The ways to do it are endless. The important things is that you do as many as possible.

5. Internal Marketing. I'm always surprised when I ask a patient if they've ever considered enhancing their smile and they ask me where I would refer them or who does those procedures. Make sure everything about your office points to the type of work you do. Put up posters or signs or before and after photos to remind people that you offer those services. A newsletter is crucial for internal marketing. You can show cases you've completed or talk about new procedures/technology you have in the office. Newsletters have a huge return on investment.

6. Positive Publicity. Nothing is better (and cheaper). How do you get good publicity? Raise money for a charity. Give $50 from every whitening procedure to a good cause. Go to an elementary school and teach kids about brushing and flossing. Be a part of the community. And make sure your patients or the public hear about what you are doing.

7. Website. You have to have one and most dentist now do. But make sure it is well designed and reflects your practice. People searching for a dentist online will look through 7-8 websites before picking one to call. So make sure yours is good. Most of our patients we get from the internet tell me they chose us because of the design and because they could tell how friendly we were from the staff profiles. Internet patients are usually really good patients so don't let this medium go unattended.

8. Establish Partnerships. Look for opportunities to do cross-promoting with other aesthetic-minded businesses in your area. Salons, day-spas and health stores all cater to the same market as we do. Most of them are small businesses just like we are and would love to get new clients. Offer their clients free whitening if they come in for a new patient exam and in return put a coupon from the other business in each bag you give to your patients when they leave their cleaning. It works well and costs relatively little.

In summary, there is no one thing that will make you receive a flood of new cosmetic patients. It is the combination of doing many things that will get you to that point. If you get just 2-3 new patients a year from each of the things we talked about, you would see 20-30 a year. This is more cosmetic cases than 95% of general dentists. The patient are out there, even in this economy. Just go get 'em!