It is no secret that massive growth is occurring in the dental industry. It is an industry that is evolving in application, technology, and services. In 2020, the industry was heavily impacted by the rise of COVID-19. Many practices were forced to close as the infection transitioned into a global pandemic.
Luckily, with the guidance protocols issued by the CDC and the ADA, many practices quickly reopened. Infection control protocols were enhanced and new precautions were put into place to protect staff and patients, alike.
Currently, it is expected that dental-based spending will decline approximately 20%; however, there are many positive trends occurring that are sure to provide a boost to the finances of dentists everywhere. The following outlines these highly productive developments:
- Voice Search – Very few would likely consider voice search a new trend in the dental industry, but it promises to play a significant role. Practitioners should place an emphasis on optimizing their website so that it is compatible with voice searches conducted by mobile users. Not only does this allow patients to discover dental facilities in their region, but it allows them to connect with valuable information that each of these facilities offer. Remember to do your keyword research so that your website, blog, and practice can be quickly ranked and optimized in major search engines. This promises to be beneficial to the industry – as a whole.
- Teledentistry – During 2020 – at the height of the COVID-19 infections – many dentists and associated practitioners turned to teledentistry. It is similar to telehealth, only for dental providers. This allows you to interact with patients, without the need for an in-person clinical visit. You must utilize video conferencing software that is HIPAA compliant. You may offer a variety of services to your patients via teledentistry. These include consultations, offering dental or oral health care advice, answering questions, addressing concerns, and more. Integration of teledentistry promises to be a highly productive and lucrative move among practitioners.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Nearly every industry now utilizes some form of artificial intelligence or “AI”. This trend is taking over quickly among dental practitioners. AI may be used on the clinical level as well as the practice level. It may provide assistance in patient communication, reminders, setting up appointments, predictions associated with the oral health of patients, and make recommendations that are tailored to each patient based on their medical history, their dental health history, and other factors relevant to their lives. This helps practitioners have larger amounts of quality time that may be used with patients to add quality to their overall care. If you want to offer optimal patient services, features, and experiences, it is essential to integrate artificial intelligence into your practice’s regimen.
- 3D Printing – While 3D printing is on the significant rise in the technology and medical fields, it has recently started gaining speed in the dental industry. Did you know that dentists and those that specialize as prosthodontists can now use this amazing printing technology to create all-custom dental appliances, such as dentures and crowns, in just a matter of weeks? In some cases, this can be accomplished in a matter of days! If you want to be at the edge of technology in offering dental solutions that are both temporary and permanent, it is imperative that you integrate a 3D printer into your practice!
- Dentistry Chat Bots – According to statistics, approximately 1.5 billion people currently use chatbots. Those same statistics indicate that 85% of all customer or patient interactions will be handled by these types of chatbots by the end of the year of 2021. Several industries – including the healthcare industry – are using these types of bots. Those in the dental industry may use chatbots to their advantage in numerous ways. Examples include setting up and/or canceling dental appointments, early diagnostics, assistance with medications, and educating patients on oral health. In just a few short years, this market is expected to be worth over $700 million. By getting in on this trend now, you have the potential to completely transform your practice.
- Laser Dentistry – By the year of 2024, the laser dentistry market is expected to grow to nearly $200 million. This type of dentistry reduces the need for patients to receive sutures, can quickly eliminate cavities, has the potential to kill harmful bacteria in cavities, and even eliminate the possibility that a patient will experience infections. All this can be done with little to no pain and the healing process is much faster. By taking advantage of this trend now, your dental practice is likely to gain quite a bit of momentum in the near future.
- Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) – Many dental practices are now contracting with dental services organizations. The DSOs help practices by providing management services such as recruiting, human resources activities, training, billing, payroll, and even marketing. This allows the actual practice to place an emphasis directly on patient care and the overall clinical aspects associated with the practice. By joining forces with a dental service organization, you will quickly discover that your practice takes off. The focus will be on your patients – where it should be.
As you can see, there are many positive trends occurring in the dental industry. You should take the time to research these trends and consider integrating them into your practice. The advancements in technologies are allowing practices to grow and evolve at record speeds. By just integrating one of the trends highlighted in this brief guide, you are sure to find that you experience massive growth.
The focus of dentistry should be the patients that you service. By placing your focus on this aspect of your practice, you will instantaneously see results. You will no longer find yourself wondering if you will achieve success. Instead, the success will arrive quickly. In turn, this opens up more opportunities for your practice. We here at Hughes Dental would like to partner with you and help in terms of dental equipment. For more information, contact us today by calling: 1-800-773-0800
