Recently, a story made headlines about a dental patient who received an extreme amount of work done in a single visit and is now suing the dentist who performed the work for pain and suffering. Local and national news outlets picked up the story, featuring it in broadcasts, online, and on social media. Regardless of how people in the dental community view the story, the potential for it, or another story like it, to scare people who already distrust dentists is very real.

When Dentistry Is in Under Fire: A Guide to Navigating Negative Headlines

Not all marketing activities are going to net immediate results, so is it worth spending time and money on them? It is a reasonable question, and one I have had to address with many of my clients. Most business owners understand that, with marketing, rarely will they get instant gratification. However, when it comes to implementing a marketing strategy for their business, they may have difficulty understanding why they should invest time and effort in activities with a longer term payoff.

Immediate Results Aren’t Everything — Here’s Why Playing the Long Game in Marketing Is Worth It

Dentistry is about more than just creating healthy smiles. It’s also about fostering strong, lasting relationships with patients. Because patients have a wealth of choices and plenty of information at their fingertips when it comes to selecting a dental practice, it is crucial for dentists to adopt a patient-centric approach to marketing. Building trust and loyalty is vital not only for a dental practice’s success, but also for the overall well-being of the patients who rely on it for the sake of their oral health.

Patient-Centric Marketing: How Dental Practices Can Build Trust and Loyalty