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Second Opinion: Dental Marketing Makeover Fred Joyal, CEO and Co-founder of 1-800-DENTIST

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Dental Marketing Makeover


Second opinions are common in health care; whether a doctor is sorting out a difficult case or a patient is not sure what to do next. In the context of our magazine, the first opinion will always belong to the reader. This feature will allow fellow dentists to share their opinions on various topics, providing you with a "Second Opinion." Perhaps some of these dentists' observations will change your mind; while others will solidify your position. In the end, our goal is to create discussion and debate to enrich our profession.

— Thomas Giacobbi, DDS, FAGD
Dentaltown Editorial Director
 by Fred Joyal, CEO & Co-founder of 1-800-DENTIST

Dentistry has an image problem.

Ask the average American to describe his or her feelings about “the dentist” and that person will cringe and rattle off a list of impressions including pain, fear, inconvenience and guilt. Probably all of the above. What's worse, most people don't even grasp the importance of oral health to begin with. Unless their teeth hurt, they see no reason to put themselves through what they view as an unpleasant or even frightening experience.

If you work in this profession, you should be nodding your head – this public image has always been a challenge. But the truth is, it's only half the story. Dentistry also has a self-image problem.

In my experience interacting with thousands of practices across the country, most dentists don't fully realize what an amazing, life-changing profession they're in. Dentistry is not just a good profession; it's a great one. It's a career that allows you to significantly improve people's lives every single day. And believe it or not, adopting this mindset and infusing it throughout your practice is one of the best things you can do to change the way your patients think about “the dentist.”

Step one is recognizing yourself for what you are – a lifestyle enhancer. You're not a repair shop for teeth or a dental emergency room. You're providing a service that can completely transform a patient's health, happiness and quality of life. You can help them look and feel better, prevent serious health issues and confidently eat, talk and smile well into old age. Every dentist I know can think of a patient whose life was changed by visiting their office. That's what dentistry is. But you have to believe that and be excited about it, and you need to communicate that excitement to your patients.

And here's the big secret: When you change the way you think about your dentistry, your patients will too. If you and your team convey that you care about them and that you want them to benefit from all that dentistry has to offer – if you paint a picture of how much better their lives could be with a better bite, healthy gums and a brighter smile – you've taken a huge step towards converting them from dental avoiders to... dental patients!

The next step is realizing that people would rather buy what they want than what they need. That's human nature, and as sophisticated as we may have become, this way of thinking hasn't changed. When it comes to the things that we value most, the fact is that we live in a state of denial. As surprising as this may seem at first, it's actually pretty understandable because the important things are often unpleasant. No one looks forward to having the “birds and bees” talk with their kids; so many parents avoid it altogether. A person experiencing chronic headaches worries about a serious diagnosis from his doctor, so he puts off making an appointment, convincing himself that there's nothing wrong. The same is true of dentistry, and when good oral health competes for a person's focus with a new high-definition TV or Caribbean cruise, the fun stuff always wins out.

You're never going to be able to change this mindset. Therefore, it's crucial that you're aware of it. In fact, it's in acknowledging this basic point about human nature that we begin to see the importance of changing the problem with our image. If dentistry is seen as inconvenient and unpleasant, convincing patients to come in for basic preventive care – let alone costly restorative or cosmetic work – is always going to be an uphill battle that is lost more often than it's won.

Finally, understand that every single aspect of your practice has a marketing element to it. In other words, everything you say or do communicates a message to your patients about who you are. Make sure it's the right one! I'll give you a few examples here, but it all comes down to putting yourself in your patients' shoes and making sure the experience is a great one.

Reception Area
The mistake many practices make is modeling their office after a physician's office. Is there any place colder or less welcoming? If your receptionist is hidden behind a glass wall, you risk turning patients off from the start. Warm up your waiting area with bright colors, current magazines and incandescent lights. Imagine what an impression it would make to have a member of your team get up to greet every patient – by name!

Recall Reprimands
Many practices, with the best of intentions, gently scold patients for being late on their recall. The truth is some patients will actually wait longer or even change practices for fear of being chided. Just let your patients know you're glad they're here now, without any guilt, and they'll be surprised and relieved.

Phone Persona
Any practice consultant will tell you that answering the phone religiously is crucial to your practice. They're right of course, but equally important is how you answer. This is the first impression any new patient has of your office. Make sure your team answers in a friendly, courteous manner and actively invites callers to come in. I recommend “secret shopping” your practice to get a sense of what the experience is like for your potential patients.

Office Smells
Did you know scent is one of the most powerful memory triggers? Investing in aromatherapy is a subtle way to change patients' perception of dental visits and make your practice more inviting.

Technology
Believe it or not, your technology is a type of marketing. After all, long-time avoiders have an out-of-date image of dentistry. Explaining how CEREC, nitrous oxide, The Wand or any other piece of equipment makes their treatment faster and more comfortable goes a long way toward overcoming their fear.

Money Matters
The way you collect money communicates how you value yourself and your dentistry. Rather than billing patients and spending hours trying to collect later, make sure to discuss payment upfront. I know many dentists who require payment before starting major treatment.

Emergency Cases
To some dentists, emergency patients are a nuisance. However, in my experience they spell incredible opportunity. Dental emergencies are usually long-time dental avoiders. They typically need more restorative work than most patients – and if you show them a great experience, while taking care of their immediate need, you can turn them into a lifelong patient in your practice.
Author's Bio

Fred Joyal co-founded 1-800-DENTIST in 1986. As the company's CEO, he has written more than 200 television and radio commercials and interacted with thousands of the most successful dentists across the country. Under Fred's leadership, 1-800-DENTIST has matched millions of consumers with the right dentist, giving him unique insight into the mindset of the modern dental patient. Fred launched GoAskFred.com, a free online marketing resource, to share his expertise. He is also the author of Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth, which was published April 2009, and is available at www.goaskfred.com. You can reach Fred at questions@goaskfred.com.

The Unexpected Experience
Sometimes the little things make the biggest impact. Write down details about your patients in their charts and ask them about them later – they'll be impressed that you remembered they have a son in college or knew their favorite sports team. Apply some lip balm before stretching their mouth during treatment procedure. Give them a brief “comfort break” to rest their jaw in the middle of long procedures. Anytime you show you care in unexpected ways, you're solidifying them as loyal patients of record.

Of course there are countless other ways you can show your patients you care and express how much dentistry can do for them. Everything from your patient intake forms to your practice name and logo (and yes, you should have a logo) communicates an important message. However, it all begins with you. Not only does improving your self-image open the door to improving dentistry's image as a whole – it motivates you to make whatever changes are necessary to do it.

So yes, dentistry has an image problem. In fact, it's dentistry's image problem that makes marketing within our industry so crucial (and so effective when done correctly). Successful marketing has the potential to improve your production, increase your acceptance and tighten your recall. It can turn your practice from a moderately successful office into an explosive moneymaker. But even better, it also has the potential to give patients who have long associated dentistry with pain, expense and inconvenience a suddenly positive experience. It has the potential to completely transform their view of dentistry. If we all do that enough times, the only problem will be whether there are enough dentists to keep up with patient demand. And isn't that a pleasant image?
Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
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