In the past few years with the economic downturn, many dental practices have been put at risk and many have found it increasingly difficult to increase cosmetic production.
Increasing case acceptance is not enough. ‘Acceptance’ assumes that the patient has already asked for a case presentation, or is at least somewhat interested in having a procedure performed. Is it possible to turn uninterested, non-cosmetic patients into cosmetic patients, in less than a minute? The answer may surprise you.
‘Cosmetic Simulation’ is a well-known technique that is proven to substantially increase your bottom line, yet remains unused by many dentists due to previous technological limitations. Recent advances by Snap Imaging Systems have now made this method so fast and easy that it can quickly be implemented into your workplace with the dentist or team member imaging, and is a ‘must have’ tool for treatment co-ordinators.
Many practices report that new patient and routine recall numbers have declined, but by implementing our dental imaging software the future of your practice is safe. This is because by giving each patient a free simulated ‘Smile Evaluation’ picture you will automatically start turning non-cosmetic patients into cosmetic patients. Therefore when your patients can see in their own photo and how their smile could look, it drives an immediate emotional response of ‘a must have smile’. This picture can then be taken home to show family and friends.
Turning your clients into cosmetic patients is easier than you might think. Imagine if you could give every patient that walked in your door a simulated ‘before and after’ picture? Would providing these pictures to your non-cosmetic patients increase or decrease the number of cosmetic cases that you book on a weekly basis? As they say, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’, and even disinterested patients are bound to be swayed by an actual photo of themselves, showing how great they are going to look if they take advantage of your full range of services. Often patients are unaware of the services available at your practice and certainly cannot imagine how they would look. Make their dreams become a reality!
Providing these pictures will dramatically increase the number of cosmetic cases that you book on a weekly basis. If this results in an increase in your caseload of as little as 10-15% this will increase your bottom line by 20-30%. 
There are three reasons why providing every patient with an imaged photo will increase your income and they are:
1. Cosmetic cases are routinely much more expensive than non-cosmetic cases
2. They provide a higher income per hour
3. Once the office overhead is covered by your normal workload, anything over this amount is calculated at a much higher profit rate.
Snap is not just an amazing sales tool for your practice but it is also an important communication tool from the dentist to patient and from the practice to the laboratory. With the use of visual technology in case presentation we reduce breakdowns in communication and hence less stress and anxiety for all.
When dental imaging was introduced years ago the problem was the amount of training, time, and effort, required to produce these simulations. Many dentists have been put off imaging as they have used things such as Photoshop which are not dental friendly. Now with recent advances in Snap’s automated technology, even untrained personnel can easily produce convincing and natural looking ‘side-by-side’, ‘full face’ or ‘close-up’ simulations in just a minute or two.
Many dentists are now placing placards in the reception area (typically near the magazines) that prompt current patients to ask for their free ‘Smile Evaluation Picture’. Curiosity alone is enough to gain you a few inquiries per day.
To increase your cosmetic revenue further you can rent a booth or table at a bridal show, health club, or gym, and offer ‘Free Smile Evaluation Photos’. Bridal shows offer your practice a huge opportunity due to several factors. First, most potential brides would love a free preview of what her bridal photo will look like. Secondly, the photo will almost certainly make it home to show the person in charge of the budget, which leads us to the third and possibly best opportunity, the fact that you may end up booking procedures for the bride, groom and two mother-in-laws giving you an influx of new patients!
How do you get started? Do some research and look at the various products that are available, and look for something that will do the job in a minute or two, not an hour or two. Look for a money-back guarantee and all of this from someone in the UK.
The main thing is, get something, and start using it this month – not next year. Nothing changes, until you change. In today’s economy, now is the time to dramatically increase your cosmetic revenue and overall profits!
Please visit Smiles Imaged 4 U at The Dentistry Show at stand K117. See live demos for yourself on how easy it is to increase your cosmetic revenue and profits, through the art of cosmetic simulation.
Tracy Ruck is the owner of Smiles Imaged 4 U and implements the use of selling Snap Instant Dental Imaging Software into UK practices. Before taking on this role she worked and trained in cosmetic dental practices for over 22 years. When working as a treatment coordinator Tracy saw for herself first-hand how imaging patients turns non-cosmetic patients into cosmetic patients and believes this is a must-have tool for any practice.
