The Winds of Change

On a recent summer day, I was impressed with the ability of the surfers to use the wind and their parachutes to maneuver their boards across the choppy waters. The “winds of change” have dramatically changed the delivery of dentistry over the past twenty years. Gone are the days when a young graduate could hang his shingle and crank out bread and butter dentistry. Today’s aging population coupled with the advances in dentistry and patient consumerism have created unprecedented opportunities and challenges as dentists meet the complex needs of their patients. While this may overwhelm many dentists, to those who are able to diagnose, treat and market such comprehensive dental care, this is an unparalleled opportunity. Dental care continues to be highly valued in our society ranking second only to medical coverage as an employee benefit (Witt, Musco & Weston).

Matt Giegerich, president and CEO of CommonHealth, one of the world’s largest healthcare marketing and communications companies, points out that today’s aging baby boomer population represents a quantitative force in terms of numbers of adults moving through the system, as well as the qualitative characteristic regarding boomer attitudes toward self, e.g., self-improvement, self-entitlement, self-empowerment (DiMatteo).

"Those dynamics are really changing the nature of many categories in (dental) marketing in a lot of different areas," Giegerich explains. "As it relates to anything health-oriented, anything cosmetic-oriented, or anything that gets at a sense of self, then it’s certainly a boomer-oriented subject, and they’re taking charge of those areas that they believe have an impact on either their expression of themselves or their own opinion of themselves." He continues, "Whether it’s to treat a life-threatening disease like cancer or a purely cosmetic concern like teen acne, the recipients of these messages are a consumer base interested in their own opinions, engaged in the process, and willing to take charge of the outcome." (DiMatteo)

Direct marketing by dental manufacturers and increased media interest have markedly increase the general dental I Q. A recent survey by the United States Food and Drug Administration found that in the patients who saw a physician in the past three months, 51% were prompted to seek out more information about a particular prescription medication being marketed at the time. Drug sales in the United States totaled $252 billion in 2006 due in large part to direct marketing by the pharmaceutical industry (DiMatteo). Dental manufacturer such as Den-Mat, Sirona, Discus Dental and Nobel Biocare have recently joined the traditional direct marketers such as Colgate, Crest and Oral-B.

Nowhere have the recent advances in restorative dentistry been more evident than in the area dental implants. Over the past five years dental implants have exploded on to the scene and now would have to be considered the standard of care in the many cases. With the potential problems associated with abutment teeth, many informed adults are choosing implants over fix bridges, partials and dentures. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons reports that 69% of adults ages 35 to 44 have lost at least one permanent tooth to an accident, gum disease, a failed root canal or tooth decay. Furthermore, by age 74, 26% of adults have lost all of their permanent teeth (American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons). Until twenty years ago, patients would have had no alternative but to employ a fixed bridge or removable denture to restore their ability to eat, speak clearly and smile. Unfortunately fixed bridges and removable dentures are not the perfect solution. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often affect adjacent healthy teeth, and removable dentures may lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing. Recurrent decay, periodontal disease and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. Even procedures once thought to be primarily for younger patients such as orthodontics are gaining in popularity among adults (Kalia & Melsen) Many times the restorative process becomes complex process involving various dental specialties such as periodontics, orthodontics, etc. Such multidisciplinary treatment requires extensive planning and coordination and many times overwhelm the less prepared dentist.

“The winds of change” present unparalleled opportunities for both the dentist and patients. Learning to control the winds of change will make the difference between taking your practice to new heights or just getting wet. Contact Dr. Brad Larsen of Dentist CEO today with all of your Vancouver and Portland Dental Practice Consulting inquiries. I can help you soar to new heights.

References:
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Dental Implants. 2005 http://www.aaoms.org/dental_implants.php.
DiMatteo, Allison M., Direct-to-Consumer Marketing: How Messages from Manufacturers Are Driving Dental Consumerism. Inside Dentistry, Nov/Dec 2007 — Vol. 3, #10. http://www.insidedentistry.net/article.php?id=1151.
Kalia, Sonil & Melsen, Birte. Interdisciplinary approaches to adult orthodontic care, http://jorthod.maneyjournals.org/cgi/content/full/28/3/191.
Witt, Jennifer Parmelee; Musco, Thomas; & Weston, Wendy P.,
PGroup Dental Market: Trends and Opportunities, a 2004 Report. http://www.ahipresearch.org/pdfs/14_LIMRAAHIPDentalreport.pdf.