Word-of-Mouth, Multiplied

Dental practices have always been about person-to-person interaction; it's the nature of the profession.

Practices have always grown and thrived on word-of-mouth endorsements: The relative with the story of her incredible dentist and the co-worker with the transformed smile and the heartfelt recommendation. This is what success has always been built on.

Today, patients are not just telling the person in the next cubicle. They're writing on their blogs, they're tweeting pictures of their new smiles; they're posting Facebook updates before they're even out of your office. This is word-of-mouth multiplied and accelerated – and it's what is going to make the next era of dentistry so exciting.

When opportunities for exposure multiply it creates new levels of awareness, which means new levels of expectations. Patients are also consumers and today's plugged-in consumers are well informed and demanding. Patients realize that dentistry today is about high-tech convenience. They understand that a skilled dentist today can make their smile even better than what nature originally bestowed on them. Dentistry is getting more "buzz" every day.

Whatever the economic climate, some people will always be willing to pay for high-quality, lifestyle-enhancing services and products; just ask Apple or Starbucks. Dentistry has already made significant inroads in recent years but this is just the beginning. We're about to see a new era of the consumer-driven practice, where it's about always being ready to fulfill patients needs in a way that compares with what they've come to expect in the greater marketplace.

Personally, I have so much faith in the ever-evolving state of modern dentistry and in the ability of dentists to grow and position themselves in the right way, that I am truly excited for what lies ahead.