Why you should not ignore your dental problems

If the mere thought of a dentist makes your teeth ache, you are not alone. Some experts estimate that as many as four in every five adults fear dental treatment to some degree, and only 20 percent of us see the dentist twice a year as we know we should. Yet there’s reason beyond white teeth and a glistening smile to keep up with your dental care.

University of Minnesota and other research centers have shown that taking care of your teeth may just save your life. How? The bacteria in dental plaque and unhealthy gums can cause platelets (tiny clot-triggering cells) in the blood to clump. Clumping leads to clotting, and if a clot ends up in the heart or brain, the result is a heart attack or stroke.

There's an association with diabetes, too. Diabetes is more easily controlled if gum disease is treated, and that treatment reduces the risk of heart disease. More than 80 percent of people who have both diabetes and gum disease develop some cardiovascular disease, compared with 20 percent of those diabetic patients who don’t have gum disease.

There’s more. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis can reduce the swelling in their joints and their morning stiffness through proper dental treatments. Gum disease is also a risk factor for osteoporosis, and according to studies, good dentistry may help senior citizens keep their memory sharp.

As compelling as those associations are, most people aren’t thinking about their overall health when they see a Dental Conferences. The more obvious problem may be pain, deterioration, or the unattractive appearance of teeth that are crooked, pitted, stained, broken, or missing. Such cases share much in common with aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. The patient wants both a restoration of function and an improvement in looks. The way to achieve those goals is often an implant, a crown, some bridgework, or braces.

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9 Proven Dental Marketing Tips to Attract New Patients

When it comes to marketing, it is the key to the success of your business. Without an effective marketing campaign, you’re likely going to have a hard time bringing new patients in and making your practice grow. With effective marketing, you can reach your target audience, put your practice in front of them, generate word-of-mouth referrals, and get a thriving practice as a result. Here are some top dental marketing tips from the experts that will help you bring new patients to your practice.

Also, keep in mind these mistakes new dentists should avoid if they want their practice to grow and thrive.

Introduce a referral bonus program

70% of new patient growth comes from patient referrals. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of advertisement. When someone is looking for a dentist, the first thing they’re most likely to do is ask around. By introducing a referral bonus program, you give an incentive to your patients to recommend you.

Your patients don’t usually see dental practices as growing businesses in need of new patients. Hence, by introducing a bonus system, you put your name at the top of their mind so when someone in their social circle talks about dental hygiene and dental problems, they quickly recommend your name.

Under this program, you can give a bonus service, product or a special discount if a patient recommends your service to a friend and if that friend comes in to see you. To spread the news about the program, hand out referral cards at the office or tuck the message in your practice mailings.

Market to women

Women are responsible for 90% of all dental buying decisions. They are powerhouse consumers who want to make informed decisions for their families. Hence, when making a marketing strategy, keep this important fact in mind and make sure all your marketing material is attractive to your women audience, including your website.

Send neighborhood community newsletters

The most effective primary target audience includes the people and communities that live within close proximity of the business. It’s important to make sure your business has a positive community image. Sending out a neighborhood community newsletter can really help further your credibility and lead to more community engagements.

Another way is to send postcards to prospective patients in the neighborhood. Tyler Brown, a marketing specialist at  reports that on every 5,000 postcards they send, they get an average of 35 phone calls, which leads to 7 new patients.

Market to kindergartens in your area

Another great way to get parents and especially the female head of the family engaged is to market kindergarteners in your area. Hand out free toothbrushes to children in kindergartens along with a card that sends a message to parents about when they should schedule their child’s first appointment, along with your website address to get more information and a special offer on dental services. Also include your advice on dental hygiene of the child to enhance your credibility.

Focus on local SEO

When it comes to SEO and getting your website to rank on search engines, the most effective internet marketing strategy that brings results is to make your website rank for local keywords. That means when people type up “dentist in Long Beach”, they find you in the search results.

Make news

To really put your name in front of the thousands of people in your local community, create local PR. You may host an event or start a program that stir up waves and give you headlines in the local newspapers and magazines. Your local community should know you by the PR you create and by your marketing activities.

Use videos in your marketing campaign

Videos are the most powerful form of media content right now and they’ve already taken the place of lengthy, stringent content. To make the most out of videos, upload them directly to your Facebook page and also on your website. Consider boosting the videos on Facebook through a strategic demographic plan. The boosts may cost you around $25 but will help you reach thousands.

Send your clients text and phone call reminders

Your existing clients are your most valuable resource that can help you increase your revenues. To make sure your clients don’t miss an appointment, send them a simple text message or a phone call. Studies have shown that sending text messages reduces the number of missed appointments by as much as 50%.

Connect with your audience yourself

Instead of giving free giveaways and special offers, use a more “I care” approach. To do this, connect with your patients on social media yourself instead of having an assistant to do it. And even when you have an assistant to manage your social media stuff, train them on how to personally connect and roll out the red carpet for every patient so they feel like VIPs.

The above Dental Conferences tips can help you bring new patients and make your practice grow. Just don’t overlook your dental office decor which has a great impact in putting your patients at ease. And when patients feel comfortable, they will want to visit you more often and will also recommend you to others.

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The hidden dangers of dental care products

There are many options we have in taking care and beautifying our smile these days. The claims can be enticing— promises of whitening, tartar control, cavity control, germ killing, and more.

Did you know some of the ingredients in your toothpastes, mouthwash and teeth whiteners can actually be more harmful than beneficial?

There are some controversial ingredients lurking in our oral care products that we should use with caution. The floor of the mouth— the area below the tongue— is very vascular and can act as a quick route of absorption to our bloodstream.

Triclosan is an ingredient in popular toothpaste that claims to work up to 12 hours to prevent bacterial plaque formation. This ingredient has raised concern because studies have shown it can be an “endocrine disruptor,” which can lead to hormonal imbalances such as fertility problems and thyroid problems; it is also linked to antibiotic resistance. Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has expressed concern with this ingredient and Johnson & Johnson is removing it from its soap by 2015.

One ingredient in mouthwash that is more harmful than beneficial is alcohol. One popular brand has a 20 percent concentration of alcohol in its formulation. Alcohol dries out the mouth, making breath worse. Plus, it makes you more prone to cavities since the natural protection of saliva is reduced. 

There have also been some links between alcohol and cancer of the mouth.

There are plenty of good mouth rinses on the market that are alcohol free. Choose one with zinc that will fight bad breath at the source.

Carbamide peroxide is found in whitening pastes, gels and rinses. The byproduct of carbamide peroxide is urea, which turns into ammonia. This is not to be confused with hydrogen peroxide, which is safe to use in moderation. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water and is a better choice since it also works faster.

Whitening toothpaste can be a confusing product. When one hears “whitening” they think of “bleaching” the teeth and having deep stains inside the tooth being removed to reveal a whiter smile. If you look at the back of a “whitening” paste it will say “removes surface stains.” That means it’s only removing the top layer of stain on the outer enamel and not effectively whitening the inside of the tooth. This is accomplished by using heavy abrasives to scratch away the stains on the enamel surface, which can wear away your tooth surface and cause sensitivity. Enamel does not grow back. If you want real whitening toothpaste you need a professional strength hydrogen peroxide gel in a separate tube which you add to your regular paste each time you brush. This wills effectively whitening your teeth— from the inside out.

Please make sure you brush twice a day, rinse and floss. Visiting your Dental Conferences twice a year is also recommended to keep your mouth health hidden dangers of dental care products

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