Create a general and family dentistry practice that stands out.

Did you know that there are around 60 dentists for every 100,000 U.S. residents? Though ratios vary by state, this figure underscores the need to stand out in your region. As you seek to establish your practice as the top general and family dentist in the area, there are a few steps you can take to get there more quickly.

Today, we’re sharing 5 tips to help your business stand out and grow your reputation as a general or family dentist. If you want to be the best general or family dentist in town, education and preparation are key!

1. Consider Your Patient Welcoming Strategy

First impressions are everything. This is especially true in a dentist’s office, where patients are trusting their providers with one of their most important assets—their dental health!

As you grow your dental practice, start at the very beginning. Then, shift into the patient perspective. What kind of welcome do new and returning visitors experience when they interact with your office? As you brainstorm, keep in mind that this doesn’t just include what they see when they open your doors. It also includes other elements, such as:

• Your phone wait times.
• Your verbal greetings (on the phone and in person).
• Your reception and waiting area design.
• Your office environment.

A positive welcome can go further than you might imagine. It sets the stage for the rest of their visit and can help you stand out from the local competition. In this case, a non-existent welcome is equally disadvantageous as a negative one. Take the time to make sure that everyone is working together on a hospitable, patient-focused approach.

2. Optimize Your Website

Your website is technically part of your client-welcoming strategy. However, it’s so important that it deserves its own point!

One study of 1500 Americans found that nearly 44% of people choose a new family dentist based on online reviews, and around 19% will make their selection based on the top-ranked search result. Additionally, up to 10% will decide on a family dentist based on the look of their website alone. 

The takeaway? Prospective patients have taken their search efforts online and will continue to do so long into the future. Your website design matters, and for more than aesthetic reasons.

A well-designed site can help you appear as high as possible on Google, which ultimately drives traffic to your office. According to one report, around 50% of dental offices plan to increase their investments in search engine optimization (SEO) in the next year. This strategy focuses on optimizing your site for location-specific keywords, phrases, and other elements that attract your target audience. 

You only have three seconds to impress a web visitor before they’ll abandon your site for a competitor’s. An informative, responsive site can be the most effective marketing tool at your disposal, so make sure yours is working for you. 

3. Partner With Parents

One of the reasons why families visit a general or family dentist is to keep everyone’s dental care under the same roof. This saves them from having to travel to various offices around town. Use this service to your advantage. Highlight the ways you can partner with parents to make this experience as seamless and stress-free as possible. 

If you offer pediatric dentistry services, then detail the different ways that you cater to your pint-sized patients. At the same time, make sure to explain the full range of preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dental services you offer to all ages. 

You can also consider adding orthodontics as a specialty, which can save parents from seeking an outside specialist if that need arises in their family. The more value you can deliver to local families, the more likely it is that they’ll turn to your office when it’s time to find a dental home.

4. Invest in Continued Education

A great dental office is anything but complacent. It’s filled with experts who want to be the very best at their craft. As you aim for that coveted top position, remember the importance of professional growth.

Continuing education (CE) allows you the opportunity to learn new concepts, expand your service offerings, and network with like-minded authorities in your space. Each state dental board will have different requirements for CE credits. You can acquire these credits in a few ways, including:

• Attending in-person CE courses through the American Dental Association (ADA).
• Attending online CE courses through the ADA.
• Reading designated CE articles in The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) and taking a short exam afterward.

In the field of orthodontics, we offer a variety of in-person and online courses designed to help you expand your technical and clinical knowledge and reach your goals. You can earn up to 200 CE credits with just one course!

Your dream office is achievable, but it takes commitment and growth to get there. When you invest in your own development, then you can offer more to your staff and the patients you serve.

5. Offer Advanced Dentistry Services

You don’t have to offer the full range of specialized dental services at your practice. However, you can set your office apart from the rest by offering a few specialty services that other local offices don’t provide. A general and family dentist who takes this approach has a great advantage over those who have a more limited scope. 

As mentioned, one of those is professional orthodontics. However, there are many others that you can consider pursuing. For instance, have you always wanted to pursue endodontics or oral surgery? What about pediatric dentistry or periodontistry?

Don’t spread yourself too thin, but don’t limit yourself, either. Choose one or two areas that truly interest you, and then look into ways that you can expand your skills in those specialties. When you do, you’ll make your office that much more valuable to prospective patients, whose dentistry needs are widespread and varying. 

Become the best general and family dentist.

In your quest to become the best general and family dentist in town, remember to keep your patients top of mind. The steps you take and the development you pursue should ultimately make their experience as fulfilling as possible. As you work on the 5 points above, you can create the kind of dental office that stands out for all the right reasons. Along the way, we’re here to guide you in this journey. Sign up for a membership today to unlock the resources you need to help you succeed!