I would like to share an amazing story of a
successful dentist. He was born and raised in New
Brunswick, Canada, and he didn't find dentistry at
an early age. He attended a few different boarding
schools and worked in the shipping industry before
finally attending dental school at New York University.
After graduation he struggled to find success
as a dentist. Eventually he found his groove and
using his own brand of marketing he opened a number
of dental offices in New York City. He had a passion
for educating the public about dental disease.
After his success in New York, he decided to move his
family out to California. Over the course of his
career, he replicated his success in a total of seven
states and one Canadian province. To this day, he is
considered to be one of the most successful dentists
in the country. His name was Edgar Randolph Parker
and he graduated dental school in 1892. During his
career he changed his name to something you might
remember from dental history: Painless Parker.
I think his story is fascinating because it illustrates
the deep-seeded distaste for advertising dating back to
the origins of the dental profession in the United
States. Most accounts of Painless Parker paint him
to be a villain in our profession. Why? Because he
believed in advertising and providing lower fees for
the common services of the day - extractions and
dentures. During his time, advertising was considered
unethical and was forbidden by the American
Dental Association (ADA) and many state dental
societies. In fact, it wasn't until April 27,
1979, that the ADA code of ethics was
revised on the subject of advertising as a
result of an out-of-court settlement with the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC). A prior
Supreme Court ruling in the 1977 case John R. Bates
and Van O'Steen v. State Bar of Arizona set in motion
the treatment of professionals as trades subject to
FTC regulations.
Thanks to the efforts of those who have gone
before us, advertising our dental practices is an acceptable
and necessary part of being in business. I know
some will take issue with the necessary part, but I
think it would be naïve to suggest that we could
survive with no advertising. In my practice, most of
our advertising is simply awareness - sponsoring a
patient's little league team, yearbook ads, local
newspapers and so on. I don't do coupons or new
patient specials. I think internal referrals from existing
patients will always be the most important marketing
for my practice. Internal referrals were the cornerstone
of dental practice growth in the era of no advertising.
I am not suggesting a return to the old days. However,
no amount of advertising can substitute for great
service and superior clinical skills. If you really want
your practice to grow, take great care of the patients
you already have and spend time taking more CE
than your state requires, and you will find your clinical
success is the most powerful marketing around.
If you would like more detail on the fascinating
story of Painless Parker, I encourage you to read
Painless Parker: A Dental Renegade's Fight to Make
Advertising "Ethical" by Arden G. Christen and Peter
M. Pronych.
What is your opinion of dental practice advertising?
Let's keep the conversation going online.
Share your comments on the digital version of this
article at Dentaltown.com or in our magazine app available
on iOS and Android platforms. I'm on Twitter:
@ddstom and e-mail: tom@dentaltown.com.
|