Dentistry trends
Dentistry is evolving every day. To stay competitive, you’ve got to keep a keen eye on what’s trending across the industry. Here are some industry trends.
Comfort and convenience
The rise of clinical choice and patient expectations will continue to put an emphasis on customer service. Moving forward, patients will presume doctor skill and excellent quality care as givens and shop not on oral health outcomes but on the comfort and the convenience of the experience.
Virtual outcome technology
More than ever, patients are asking to see renderings of what their mouths will look like after their treatment is complete.
While this technology has long been applied for cosmetic procedures, creating virtual images for routine care is now being leveraged as a means of helping patients connect with their treatment decisions.
The advancement of 3D printing
While technological advancements in 3D printing have been significant, this is an area of dentistry that is poised to grow rapidly over the coming decade.
Teledentistry
A positive to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the understanding of all the different ways teledentistry can be utilized to improve patient care.
Subscription-based dental care
Membership programs and subscription-based programs are growing. Patients enjoy the financial savings that come with paying a monthly or annual fee to cover cleanings, basic care and discounts on other treatments. Practice owners can benefit from the steady cash flow, increased scheduling rates, and improved patient loyalty.
Further adoption of laser dentistry
The use of laser dentistry for filling cavities, repairing damaged gums, reshaping tissue, and repairing restorations is on the rise. Lasers reduce the need for sutures and can lead to less patient discomfort and a lower risk of infection.
Practice consolidation
The rise of corporate dentistry has led to fewer dentists operating as solo practitioners. Practice owners are more likely to hire additional associates to boost revenue or add one or more partners to spread out operational costs and reduce overhead compared to running several solo practices concurrently.
