With advances in technology, many general dentists are performing procedures that were traditionally the province of periodontists or oral surgeons. Implant surgery and even advanced periodontitis are being treated in general practices using 3D imaging, software, and lasers. For the most part, however, a general dentist can’t match the years of specialized training and experience of a periodontist and will often refer their difficult cases to a periodontist.
But where does this leave a periodontist in private practice? With less and less share of the pie. While general dentists are taking advantage of new technologies to expand their profit centers, periodontists should be directly informing the general public about their expertise. This is a leap away from traditional models of specialist and general dentist relationships, but, when done properly, a periodontist can keep their referral business and replace the growing loss of referrals with direct consumer leads.
What does it take to be successful in this new endeavor? We have worked with many periodontists and have isolated the following points:
- Enough marketing to get enough viable inquiries. Either our Internet Marketing Program or our Custom Magazine Program, on its own, generates sufficient traffic for many of our periodontists. If we had to choose one, we would go with the Custom Magazine Program. It can reach more of the right audience, and the magazines have a long shelf life. For other periodontists, we recommend both programs in conjunction. It depends on how much direct consumer traffic they need to replace their failing referrals and their geographic location. We do a full analysis to evaluate the periodontist’s situation.
- Ensuring the front desk can handle direct consumer calls and that the periodontist is prepared to handle non-referral new patients. We have programs that can help a periodontist with this.
- Partnership with general dentists or prosthodontists to ensure seamless treatment between the specialist and the restorative dentist for the patient. Often, for larger procedures, the restorative dentist comes into the periodontist’s office.
We understand this can be a challenging transition for a specialist. It is becoming increasingly necessary for many periodontists. We are here to help the periodontist transition smoothly and successfully.
Please call us if you would like some help getting more new patients. We offer a complimentary consultation.
To find out more about our periodontal marketing, click here.
