There are simple ways dentists who practice orthodontics can elevate their professional website.

When you design a website to attract new patients (and keep your existing ones), you want a website that is user-friendly and professional. Telling a patient they need an expensive, but necessary, treatment plan for orthodontics is not always the easiest thing. Patients want to invest their time, finances, and energy in a dental practice that is credible and going to meet the highest quality standards in orthodontics. This is why if you are looking to redesign your website to add professional orthodontics, you want to include a few key things to ensure your website gains traction and respect.

1. Make sure your website is professional.

Sure, anyone can make a website, but does it look like someone did it from home or did they hire a professional marketing company to guarantee it appears organized and high quality? A website should have a great design, a brand or logo, and capture the look and feel of your practice. When it looks professional, you’re more likely to attract patients because they want a dentist who provides quality care.

Things you should avoid having on your website are soliciting ads, poor layout, inaccurate information, and patient photos without consent. A well-designed website is one that has great visuals, but is also a good resource for patients to go to when they need information about a service or office protocol. 

2. Add your professional orthodontic training.

To show credibility, make sure that your website lists your orthodontic training. Dentists who practice orthodontics want to tell patients prior to their visit that they are in good hands. If you take a course with the American Orthodontic Society (AOS), it shows you have the training necessary to treat a patient, and you are more likely to gain new orthodontic patients.

Courses like the Basic Straight Wire course or the Intermediate and Advanced courses with the AOS show patients you continue to invest in your patients. People love when they see that their dentist is on the cutting edge with new technology and treatment techniques that are less invasive, more effective, and more efficient for patient care. 

3. List your professional affiliations. 

You aren’t just another dentist in a saturated market. You have gone through rigorous training programs from college to dental school and residency. Alongside your education, including your orthodontic training, list your other affiliations with the American Dental Association (ADA), AOS, and more to show you are part of a professional network. When patients see professional affiliations on your website, it reinforces that you are credible and trained to treat challenging orthodontic cases. 

When you highlight your connections, patients feel more at ease in agreeing to lengthy and costly treatment. Patients are always looking for caring, gentle, and talented dentists who offer orthodontics, especially when you consider that more than 9 million people in the US each year alone receive orthodontic treatment, making it the third-largest category in dentistry. Showing you are connected to well-respected organizations is one of the top ways to give yourself more credibility and a greater chance of case acceptance. 

4. Make your website user friendly.

A website that is mobile friendly and organized gives your patients more access to the critical information they need, and makes it easy for them to book an appointment. Make it easy for patients to contact you online through a chatbox or email service. List your contact information in a way that new patients can easily request a new appointment or pay a bill. 

Modernized and updated websites that are simple for patients to use are more likely to be seen by patients. When your website utilizes specific keywords and search engine optimization (SEO), you will also notice an increase in website visits. Remember, this is also linked to having a well-designed and professional website. Dentists who practice orthodontics want credibility, and they need to invest in platforms like a website and social media for patients to find them. 

5. Update your website. 

Don’t be a dinosaur and have the same services and pictures from when you first opened your practice five or 10 years ago. Remember to keep up with the times. Just as dentistry is constantly evolving, so are you and your practice. If you took a new orthodontic course with the AOS or went to a professional orthodontic convention, list it on your website. If you spoke at a meeting or wrote an article, let your patients know on your website and social media. The more you keep your patients involved with updated blogs and information linked to your office, the more they feel connected and will refer their family and friends. 

Are you looking to add orthodontics to your practice? The AOS has a course for you. 

If you’ve been considering expanding your services to include orthodontics, the AOS has a course to support you. The Basic Straight Wire course is a solid foundation to these skills that also offers extensive hands-on practice to give you the confidence you need to treat real-life cases. Visit the AOS today and get started!