As you know, there are over 100 million Americans who don’t see a dentist regularly.
You may not be aware that when people finally do decide to go, they often call 1-800-DENTIST. While there are a wide variety of opinions about dental advertising in general and about the 1-800-DENTIST program in particular, there’s no denying the company’s impact on the dental industry. Since 1986, 1-800-DENTIST has spent over $150 million promoting the importance of regular dental office visits to consumers– more than any other single entity in the nation.

"We’ve processed more than 11 million telephone inquiries," says Fred Joyal, CEO and co-founder of Futuredontics, which owns and operates the 1-800-DENTIST brand. "These calls have taught us a lot about what people are really thinking and feeling when they decide to find a dentist. We’ve distilled our analysis down to five secrets about these ‘reluctant’ patients."

1-800-DENTIST came to this conclusion after conducting a joint study with Harvard University on patient behavior. The study revealed consumers have very few resources available to help them make an educated decision when choosing a new dental professional. This makes the decision itself a stressful event for a number of reasons.

Fred explains that first of all, consumers have no way to make an assessment of a dentist’s education or clinical skills. And that even if they did know what to ask, they would be hesitant to ask the dentist directly. Secondly, when people don’t know someone who can recommend a dentist, they often turn to resources such as the phone book or an online dentist directory. But, Fred continues, randomly picking a dentist in this way tells consumers almost nothing about the doctor. "There is an overabundance of choices with little differentiation from one dentist to the next, dramatically increasing the chances that people will be skeptical about treatment plans and fees."

To provide consumers with an educated method of finding a dentist, 1-800-DENTIST compiles an extensive profile on each member. This provides callers with details of a practitioner’s background, education and training, as well as special services and technology available at that practice. Fred is also quick to point out that unlike the Yellow Pages, 1-800-DENTIST can update each practice’s information in real time. 1-800-DENTIST also regularly verifies the validity of its members’ licenses, checks for clean malpractice records, and requires positive peer recommendations prior to acceptance into the program.

1-800-DENTIST further insures a positive experience for each caller by requiring its call center employees go through two weeks of training in dental terminology, the company’s technology systems, and most importantly, its corporate philosophy.

"In the end, our primary goal is to gain the consumer’s trust and to build confidence in their new dentist. Only when an operator can accomplish this on each call does he or she become a ‘referral specialist’," says Ron Joyal, chief marketing officer. "The reason why we train our operators the way we do is that we know how critical it is to project a positive image over the phone. It helps people feel more at ease about something we know they don’t feel comfortable about."

When new patients are referred to a practice via word-of-mouth, they have a personal experience of the practice to relate to. However, when someone calls from an advertisement, they have not yet established a first-hand connection with that office. Fred explains these "media-generated" referrals are very fragile and as a result, very easily put off. "They have finally decided to stop procrastinating, but all it takes is a negative first impression to put them back in avoidance mode."

This is precisely why 1-800-DENTIST attempts to directly connect each referral to the appropriate member dentist’s office. The direct connect process makes the initial introduction to the practice as smooth and inviting as possible and maximizes the likelihood the referral will turn into an appointed patient.

1-800-DENTIST also suggests getting all media-generated patients into the office, even for a simple exam, within 48 hours. "Our members show a much higher conversion rate of referrals to patients when the practice consistently sets appointments to occur within two days of the initial call," says Fred. "Whatever marketing you may be doing, keep this in mind when prospective patients call in. It should dramatically improve your results."

1-800-DENTIST has come to the conclusion that many individuals will avoid the most basic care of their teeth because they haven’t made a connection between their oral health and their overall health. All they understand is they are going to be uncomfortable and it’s going to cost them money. They don’t appreciate that the direct result of their continued procrastination will be even greater expense and more discomfort.

It is also a function of misplaced priorities. The average consumer is bombarded with more than 5,000 advertising messages a day, primarily for goods and services that will have a nominal impact on their lives–except using up their disposable income.

"If people truly understood the value of dentistry, the industry would do $150 billion a year, rather than $90 billion," says Larry Twersky, the company’s president. "The basic message we get out to consumers over and over again is ‘don’t put it off,’ and then we make it as easy as possible for them to find a dentist. Our phone number is easy to remember, we answer calls around the clock nearly every day of the year and our software allows us to pinpoint the 1-800-DENTIST member nearest them who best meets their individual needs."

Reluctant patients simply don’t believe they need to see a dentist every six months. According to Fred, this comes back to two key traits of the reluctant patient: fear and denial. But once these patients meet a dentist who truly cares about them and has their best interests in mind, this attitude changes completely–yet another reason why the first interaction with these new patients is so crucial.

What 1-800-DENTIST has learned is dental avoiders want a dentist who will earn their trust by identifying with their fears and easing them through treatment. Often these patients need a significant amount of work. And while they may not accept a treatment plan for a full-mouth restoration on the first visit, if they find a dentist they love, they will become that doctor’s most loyal patients and biggest boosters.

"Reluctant patients are often a better referral source because they’ve experienced this ‘conversion’ from dental non-believers into fervent proselytizers for your practice," notes Fred. "Treat them well and they’ll lead you to their family, friends and co-workers."

The company strives to promote recall and to be the most reliable source of in-depth information on its member dentists. "Because we know so much about our members, we are able to give callers confidence in their decision to find a dentist using our service," says Fred. "It’s then the dentist’s job to examine whether the values and features of their practice are thoroughly and consistently communicated in all of their marketing materials in order to instill loyalty and confidence. It starts with how you answer the phone; acknowledge the caller has taken a big step toward improving their dental health simply by calling your office. This is a great way to build trust and rapport right away."

The reluctant patient is operating from an outdated experience of dentistry. And there is very little that exists to educate the public about the exciting changes that have occurred. Dentistry may be the most under-promoted service in the country; as the largest advertiser of dentistry to consumers, 1-800-DENTIST will spend more than $15 million this year–a drop in the bucket compared to the billions spent to promote cellular phones and sport utility vehicles.

Ultimately, 1-800-DENTIST has concluded these five secrets come back to a single, simple premise: One third of the U.S. population is still avoiding the dentist. This behavior will persist until the American public is effectively educated about the evolution of dental technology in recent years, as well as all of the clinical improvements in the field.

"Communication is key, but often times a dentist’s own patients aren’t even aware of the range of what the practice offers," says Fred. "So practices should use as many marketing tools as possible to connect with their existing patients: Web sites, newsletters, e-mail, welcome packages, as well as patient education videos and brochures."

The company believed people wanted to talk to someone about the dentist before they talked to the dentist. And no matter how badly they wanted to know, they’d never ask certain probing questions, like "Is your license valid?" or "Have you been sued a lot?" Starting with a small group of dentists in Los Angeles, 1-800-DENTIST began answering those questions, and building profiles on their members with all the details consumers were looking for: hours, years in practice, special training, and services offered, from nitrous oxide to implants to outside patient financing. 1-800-DENTIST currently serves consumers nationally out of offices in Los Angeles and New Jersey with over 220 employees, taking calls 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

1-800-DENTIST also screens each one of its consumer inquiries. So patients who participate in closed insurance plans or HMOs, as well as those seeking State Aid providers, aren’t referred to the company’s fee-for-service members. "Our goal is to best serve both the prospective patient and the dentist by making the best possible match," according to Larry. "The value we offer to members is our matches are not only based on dental need and location, but are also dependent on method of payment. The challenge is not all of our callers can be effectively referred because we do not yet have the right practice or entity to serve many of the managed care patients." Larry notes that to better satisfy more of these callers, the company recently created customized listings for individual and group practices seeking all types of patients.

The company also maintains a referral Web site, 1800dentist.com, which is rich with dental content. But Larry says its primary purpose, like that of the company itself, is to lead the patient directly to the practice that best suits them. "1800dentist.com incorporates the latest innovation in Web site technology, called the virtual host, which is an animated character that talks to you, answers your questions and leads you efficiently and effectively through the site."

Larry, a pioneer himself in customer relationship management, has observed people still want personal service–even online. "We use the host to add a new and intimate level to searching for a dentist online. Otherwise, a Web search is no different than flipping through the Yellow Pages."

The site has a wealth of information. Consumers can search for the right office by a wide range of factors and see a detailed profile on the selected practice. If a patient wants an office with special features such as in-office whitening or orthodontics, these search criteria can easily be selected. Users can also research dental terminology, procedures and technology. "A Web referral is usually a very informed patient," says Larry. "And we constantly refine and update the site based on consumer behavior and feedback."

1-800-DENTIST has also developed specialized programs for practices with specific equipment. "We currently offer individualized patient awareness programs for Waterlase® owners and CEREC® owners," says Fred. "We consider these very consumer-friendly devices, because they make dentistry more appealing to a broad cross-section of society."

After over 20 years of experience promoting dentistry, Fred has come to believe the key for most practices involves applying the same principles of retail marketing to promote the dental profession. "Because we limit membership in our fee-for-service referral program based on the level of consumer response, we’re really only able to serve a small fraction of the dentists in the country in the 1-800-DENTIST model. But if everyone in the trade, from individual practitioners to manufacturers to cooperative advertisers like us, gets more involved in communicating the value and benefits of dentistry to consumers, then the dental industry is going to explode. It’s a great time to be a dentist!"

1-800-DENTIST® a registered service mark of Futuredontics, Inc., which may license its use in some areas. Some services may not be offered in all areas. Membership criteria may vary due to different requirements under individual state laws.