Dentists: The 2010 State of Dentistry

Dentists face many problems in 2010, says dental management consultant Jim Du Molin in his 2010 State of Dentistry Address. In this speech, he discusses the dental marketing challenges facing dentists in the current economy. The video can be viewed at www.TWDU.info online.

"President Obama's number one problem is exactly the same as Dentistry's number one problem," declares Du Molin, founder of dental continuing education resource The Wealthy Dentist University.

"While the president talks about the state of the union…. what about the state of dentistry? Is dentistry stuck in the same hole as the rest of the country?" Du Molin pauses and answers his own question. "Pretty much, folks."

"Average dental practice production is down from 15 to as much as 50%," he says. "But the real culprit is unemployment. The President tells us that unemployment is at 10% nationwide and our country's number one problem. But if you dig deeper, the real unemployment number is closer to 17.5%."

Dentists are not immune to these problems, warns Du Molin. "How does this translate to dentistry? Roughly speaking, this 17.5% – and all their family members – are out of the dental market."

"If dental implant, cosmetic dentistry and braces patients have been a little scarce lately in your practice… it's simple," he explains. "These are highly discretionary services. No one is in pain here, and money is tight."

The economy has people cutting back on non-essential services. Says Du Molin, "A lot of families feel Johnny's braces – and for that matter, just about any discretionary dentistry can wait another year or two, until the economy settles down a bit, before they go on the line for a $3,600 treatment plan."

For dentists looking to increase dental practice production, Du Molin recommends focusing on improving case presentation, clarifying financial arrangements, and increasing case acceptance. "The nice thing about this is that it delivers results on both your current patients and the new patients walking through your door."

Dentists looking to learn more about case presentation are invited to visit www.TWDU.info for a free video lesson on the subject.