Kendra Y. Clark
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Most cosmetic procedures are a serious investment. There are several things that influence patients to move forward with dental treatments –– the doctor’s reputation, quality of work, team members, and a comfortable office environment, among other things. The best way to demonstrate these things to patients is by getting them into the office through small, low risk procedures.
In this day and age people want to have the whitest teeth possible. If we don’t have white teeth, we want white teeth. Every day people come into our practice and ask, “How can I get my teeth whiter?” Some people even go so far as to bring in pictures of Hollywood actors and say, “Make my teeth this white.”
People don’t want to wait, and they have a “microwave mentality” that says, “I want it now!” For any dental practice, this is an excellent opportunity knocking at the door. When the proper whitening system is incorporated into your office and team members have been trained in offering and performing the service, then get ready for revenues to jump to a new level!
I want that smile
We all know that these Hollywood photos patients bring in are most likely pictures of porcelain veneers. The reality is that most patients’ teeth will not whiten to look like those pretty pieces of porcelain. However, whitening is the foundation for any great cosmetic procedure and is necessary to achieve optimal results.
People are going to spend a nice amount of money with the practice if they move forward with cosmetic work, so talking to patients about achieving the proper shade is vital in the preparation phase of any cosmetic case. In-office whitening is an inexpensive way to get patients committed to a treatment plan.
Often patients have an upcoming event that puts a time crunch on treatment. Having a Zoom! whitening system in our office allows us to meet those deadlines and make sure our patients have their whitest teeth before a cosmetic procedure. Within 48 hours we can have patients back in the chair to prep them for their veneers.
Think about what patients want to achieve and why they came to see you. Then ask yourself, “How can I give them what they want?” What people want to achieve is a healthy, white smile that will ultimately boost their self-esteem and confidence and make them smile again! They want to know they are in good hands, and that they will walk out the door feeling better than when they came in.
A great way to start is by incorporating a great whitening system into your practice that is nonthreatening and user friendly. This will entice patients in so that they are able to learn more about what the dentist offers. Whitening is also a great way to get people excited about their smiles. It will keep current patients happy and potential patients interested!
Working in the dental field for the past 10 years, I have had a lot of exposure to different whitening systems in different offices. Zoom! by Discus has created a best-in-class system that takes the guesswork out of investing in an in-office whitening system. Everything you need for a complete procedure is included in the kit, including an after-care and maintenance kit for the patient. And Zoom! is a brand recognized by everyone.
In our practice, patients call and ask to be “Zoomed!” Having it in our office has been instrumental in getting new patients in the door so they can learn about other services we can provide for them.
A great way to tell people about in-office whitening is through social media. People use Facebook and Twitter to find good deals on services such as whitening. We use our practice’s Facebook page to offer special incentives to patients who become our fans. LivingSocial and Zowzee are also great ways to offer whitening deals to people outside our patient base.
These services can connect an office to a lot of potential patients, but be sure to set a price that makes sense for your practice. Our office also does off-line promotions such as offering custom whitening trays with NiteWhite or DayWhite take-home gels (also by Discus) to patients who give us a referral.
In-office whitening has proven to be an excellent way to create healthy white smiles, and also stay connected with our patient base, get new patients started in treatment, and make our practice more profitable.
Kendra Y. Clark is clinical assistant and treatment coordinator in the office of Dr. Gary Radz, Cosmetic Dentistry of Colorado, in Denver, Colo. A native of Wichita, Kan., Kendra has 10 years of clinical experience in the field of dentistry. Kendra holds a bachelor of science degree from John Brown University. She can be contacted at [email protected].
