The dental health professionals of any given practice are going to be its single best selling point, and their credentials are an advertisement of that. We all want to be sure that the people who are handling our health are those that are best trained to do so, which is why visual, immediate assurances can work wonders on boosting patient confidence in your practice and your services. If you haven’t already capitalized on your successes, here are a few ways that you can.

• Awards
  If you have them, flaunt them. A prestigious marketing award can be a big win for yourself and your practice, and they also let patients know that you’re someone that they can trust. It’s a double win if your award comes from a consumer or commerce group, because those awards can be a great advertisement that patients will get the most from paying for your services. Never neglect an opportunity to market those awards online, but don’t get carried away. You don’t necessarily get the same amount of clout from a ten year old reward as you do from one during the past year. Unlike wine, awards don’t often appreciate in value over time, with few exceptions.
• New Procedures and Training
  When patients are looking at a list of practices in their area, they are often more likely to go with those that have the very latest in technology and training. One thing we know about dental health is that advances in the field often lead to quicker recovery times and reduced pain, so it’s only natural that these would be great selling points. CEREC fabrication is an example of a new technology that can be easy to market, because it provides faster results for patients. The same is true of teeth whitening systems, dental alignment devices and services, and more. If you’ve got the training and certification, put them up front so that patients have a good reason to visit you.
• Continuing Education
  Certain dental groups will require that you have an ongoing education in your field, logged with a certain amount of hours and certification accordingly. Let your patients know that you’re already certified and established, but that you’re also learning about new ways to give them better services. That’s important for the reasons stated above, but it also shows that you have an ongoing commitment toward providing people with the very best levels of care currently available. Establishing that level of trust can be huge with patient engagement rates. Any patient who’s visited a dentist that’s “old school” likely never went back for a second visit or follow up care, unless it was by habit.