Sakaduski Marketing Blog

The recent announcement that Dentsply has purchased Sultan has sent some shivers through the dental industry. Sultan has always been known for their intense committment to the dental dealer. Dentsply recently implemented a strategy that that eliminated many of their long-time, although smaller, dealers. Does this mean we are looking at even more restricted distribution? As I have said before, there is still a vital place in our industry for the small, full-service, regional dealer. They may not be right for every product or technology, but they still offer a counter-balance to the larger, consolidated distribution that has become the norm.  The smaller dealer cannot exist without the support of the manufacturer, especially when it comes to pricing and discount policies. Every effort must be made to keep the playing field level, so that compitition is fair. Manufacturers must also be sure that their selling message is understood by all of their customers, not just a few. In this way are industry will continue to survive across a broad spectrum. There will continue to be more acquisitions; we know that won’t stop. Hopefully we will still have an industry that will continue to prosper through the efforts of companies large and small. It’s more fun that way!

Have you noticed?  Life is moving faster:  Speed dating, instant messaging, sound bytes…  BTW- IMO, if U get a MSG of “WU?,” UR BF must be a YL  ;)*  In other words, even words are too long for some folks.

The dental industry has been notoriously slow to adapt, but you should at least consider the fact that people are busy, often multitasking, and don’t have time for extensive reading. Fed a diet of USA Today and CNN crawls, people want nuggets, not novels.

Review your product literature, website, newsletters, operator’s manuals, training materials, even packaging, and cut out the fat.  Be clear, concise, and accurate, but eliminate flowery prose and self-promotional puffery.  “Just the facts, M’am,” should by your guideline. You will ultimately do a better job of educating and influencing by saying less.  I could say more here, but you’ve already gotten the message, right?

*By the way- in my opinion, if you get a message of “What’s up?,” your best friend must be a young lady (wink).

Here’s something you don’t see everyday in the dental industry:  A “YouTube” style contest! The Organization for Safety and Asepsis Procedures (OSAP) is holding a contest for short video clips that promote infection control. I’m imagining what some creative dental professionals and dental students will come up with.  The clips will be posted on the OSAP website so we can all vote for our favorites. The contest is open to anyone and there are even prizes. The details are on their website:  www.osap.org. Pass the word to anyone you know who likes to dabble with animation, video production, or advertising.

Another interesting point that came out of Dr. Tabak’s presentation on the future of dentistry at the recent OSAP meeting was his comparison between dentistry and ophthamology. He is concerned about the increasing number of dentists performing strictly cosmetic procedures. He said that dentists, like ophthamologists, should stick to medicine.  In recent years, Dr. Tabak said, dentists have begun to drift toward being like optometrists and now run the risk of turning into opticians. His metaphor draws attention to the dental spa trend. 

Some hygienists have also protested the trend, fearing they will be viewed more as cosmetologists than as dental professionals.  Nurses don’t provide manicures while medical patients are being treated, one pointed out in a letter to a trade magazine.

It is difficult for many dentists to resist the financial lures of the booming cosmetic enhancement industry. Especially as it blends so easily with their practices. Tooth whitening was an easy, and financially addicting beginning. An irresistable blend of high profits combined with minimal risk/effort. Next came smile makeovers (and “extreme” makeovers). Now we are beginning to see dentists offering Botox, blemish removal, and other medical procedures unrelated to oral health care.

Cosmetic patients can be scheduled by the same staff, use the same waiting room, sit in the same patient chair, and in some cases use the same equipment (some dental lasers can be used to perform medical cosmetic procedures such as skin peels and hair, spider vein, and wrinkle removal. Even in states in which a medical doctor must be present to perform these procedures, dentists can offer the facility during off hours or partner with a local physician.

But is this what dentistry is all about? What message does this send to patients?  Does the patient appreciate the added convenience or does performing cosmetic procedures devalue the practice of dentistry? Will dentists who don’t offer these options be able to compete with ones who do?  Shouldn’t patients be able to determine which procedures they would like to have? This is a controversial trend that will continue to affect dentists and their practices.

At the recent OSAP Symposium, Dr. Lawrence Tabak discussed the future of dentistry. Among the many interesting issues he raised, was the study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health.* They used data from the US Bureau of the Census and the National Center for Health Statistics (at the Centers for Disease Control) to calculate death rates for the years 1982–2001. Using these statistics, they grouped people based on their race, country of residence, and a few other community characteristics and examined life expectancy rates in each “race county.” The result was a shockingly vivid portrait of health disparities in America. 

The differences were so dramatic that the researchers concluded that there are actually eight Americas, and that life expectancy varies widely depending on which America you are in. The eight Americas are: Asians, northland low-income rural whites, Middle America, low-income whites in Appalachia and the Mississippi Valley, western Native Americans, black Middle America, southern low-income rural blacks, and high-risk urban blacks.

The life expectancy gap between the 3.4 million high-risk urban black males and the 5.6 million Asian females was nearly 21 years. This difference is as large as those observed between Japan, the nation with the best life expectancy, and many low-income developing countries. Chronic diseases like heart disease and injuries, many of which are preventable, are largely responsible.  Most discouraging, the researchers found little change from 1987 to 2001.

This is of interest to the dental industry for a number of reasons:

1. The groups with the poorest outcomes are typically those with limited access to medical care, including dental, due to financial considerations, lack of insurance, and geographic proximity.

2. As the shortage of dentists becomes more acute, this problem will only increase, as most dentists will choose to set up practice in high-revenue areas rather than depressed ones and will be able to charge rates above what many can afford.

3. The Surgeon General’s report found that the proportion of racial and ethnic minoirites in the dentist workforce does not mirror their proportion in the general population.  Since dentists tend to have a large proportion of their patient base from their own ethnic group, this will have additional impact in some of these areas. 

4. There is a dangerous synergy between poor oral care and poor medical care, with each one negatively impacting the other.

5. The ADA has continued to fight allowing auxiliaries to provide patient care, yet this is a possible solution–the number of dental hygienists is actually rising.

6. Many Americans continue to be resistant to the idea of universal healthcare, which has helped other countries assure that all of their citizens receive medical, and in some cases dental, care.

The Eight Americas study is another reminder that we have a long way to go in this country toward achieving equality in healthcare.

*(Murray CJL, Kulkarni SC, Michaud C, Tomijima N, Bulzacchelli MT, et al. (2006) Eight Americas: Investigating mortality disparities across races, counties, and race-counties in the United States. PLoS Med 3(9): e260