BRINGO Blog

A recent article in Forbes highlighted the growing demand for cosmetic dentistry in the US, citing a survey of members of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry showing year over year growth of cosmetic dentistry patients of 12.8%.

Similarly, a recent Dental Ecomonics/Levin Group dental practice survey showed average gross dental practice production went up 7% in the past year (lots of great stuff in this survey — more on this later). This is all great news for the health of the industry — patient demand is up, as well as production — especially in such highly profitable areas as cosmetic dentistry.   The results we’ve gotten for our clients certainly do nothing to disprove the notion that patients are out there, looking for dentists.

So things are great — what’s a smart dentist to do? Sit back and enjoy the good times while they last?

I’d argue that now is exactly the time to be doubling and tripling your efforts to bring in new patients. There are more new patients in play than ever before, and each patient is worth that much more once you bring them through the door. It is much easier to keep a patient coming in once they have a relationship with your office, than to constantly generate new patients — especially when the times turn and things are not as good. Now is a great time to be out there establishing long-term relationships with new patients while they are in play — it’s the best way to ensure that your practice will be healthy during the bad times as well as the good.