Are you planning on expanding your dental or specialty practice? Opening a new office or satellite? Searching for ways to attract and retain patients? Don’t miss this all-in-one guide to help you leverage your investment in advanced dental imaging technologies.
At Renew Digital, we’ve helped thousands of dental and specialty practices get started with 3D imaging by making dental CT scan machines more affordable. With our wide inventory of certified pre-owned CBCT systems, all from the brands doctors trust most, we’ve helped our customers save 30-50% off new list prices. This, in turn, has helped more dentists make the decision to invest and upgrade their 2D imaging systems to 3D.
Today, in the spirit of helping our customers get the most value from their investment in CBCT imaging, we’ve put together a marketing blueprint to help you get the word out, as a means to attract and retain more patients.
First, we’ll review what types of content patients are looking for, then detail some options to share the news of your investment in 3D imaging - even on your own existing channels!
In marketing, the old adage remains true: “content is king”. And, for marketing a new technology, it’s a great place to start!
The content you make now can be used across a number of channels and platforms. So, it’s important to develop your content strategy based on your local competition, patient knowledge and preferences, and your brand.
For example, if you’re the only practice in a 10-mile radius offering CBCT scans, or a specific treatment that benefits from 3D imaging, your strategy may lean into the technological advancements made by your practice.
Or, if you’re upgrading your panoramic or pan/ceph to a CBCT, you may want to share added services you’re able to offer because of your 3D imaging system.
After consideration about your strategy, you can also formulate the types of content you’ll be able to create. Here are some tips we’ve gathered from doctors we work with:
- Include Images: A picture says a thousand words. Even though some patients might not know exactly what they’re looking at, photographs are personal and capture attention. Because of copyright concerns, it’s best to obtain the consent of the dealer or manufacturer before using their images. Additionally, if you’re going to be featuring pictures of any of your staff or patients on your website, be sure to secure their written consent to do so as well.
- Show Off the 3D Images Acquired By Your CBCT Machine: In some ways, your CBCT machine is actually better suited for marketing than many other of your services. It is all about images, and images are great for marketing. On top of that, the CBCT scan creates exciting 3D images that tend to catch the eye of the patient.
(NOTE: For HIPAA reasons, make sure none of your featured images contain any protected health information (PHI) such as patient names, birthdates, contact information, or other unique identifiers, whatsoever.)
- Define Dental Cone Beam: For many patients, dental cone beam isn’t in their current vernacular of dental lingo. Some patients may not understand what dental CBCT is, how it works, or if or why it has any advantages. In a way your patients can understand, explain what dental CBCT is and how it can be used to enhance patient care, such as for advanced, accurate treatment planning or faster, more efficient, and effective treatment.
- Explain the Benefits of Dental CBCT: For the benefit of your patients, list out the benefits of CBCT as well as the procedures it supports. For example, you might want to point out that your dental CBCT system includes a high-resolution setting that provides greater detail to assist in planning endodontic or root canal procedures, if applicable.
Or, if your practice offers dental implants, explain that a dental cone beam system facilitates thorough planning of the implant procedure from start to finish. In all examples, stress that the primary benefit of the new CBCT system is that it can be used for more accurate treatment planning and improved patient care.
-Address Radiation Safety: Some patients may be concerned about radiation safety relative to the dental CBCT system. Explain that CBCT has been used in general dental and dental specialty practices for over two decades and that radiation exposure is limited to the areas of interest. Further, explain that doses associated with dental cone beam CT exams are administered in accordance with the ALARA principle, As Low As Reasonably Achievable. Today’s cone beam technology often results in lower radiation dose than a 2D panoramic image.
- Address Cost & Insurance Coverage: While it may not be in your best interest to elaborate too heavily on the details associated with the cost of a scan or how it may be covered by insurance, it is at the top of mind for your patients. You can always highlight the benefits associated with the superior imaging quality, detail, and diagnostic value delivered by dental CBCT imaging to help offset your patients’ concerns about cost.
- [Bonus] Pro Tip: Finally, be sure to add your contact information in a prominent, readily accessible location on your website and all dental CBCT content. Clearly offer your readers channels by which they can contact you with any questions about the new dental cone beam system. In addition to having your contact information available on this page, it’s also a good practice to have it listed elsewhere on your website, such as in the top navigation or at the footer of the website.
So, now that we have your creative juices flowing, how about we talk about the ways you can get your content seen by current and prospective patients?
One of the most powerful marketing tools for dentists today is search engines.
Patients trust search engines like Google to research their medical providers, matching their needs to a quality doctor nearby. Every month, nearly 2 million patients search “dentist near me” in the US. Getting your site ranked highly on Google feels like a “must” for most dentists today in order to stay competitive and attract more patients.
And, the most obvious place you can make a quick announcement about your latest investment in CBCT, and expanded practice functionality, is on your website. Your website reaches patients and dental professionals throughout your geographic area and is a great place to educate both current and prospective patients.
Creating a dedicated Technology page for your site, writing new blog articles, and getting published in trade publications/websites are all ways to strengthen your website and improve your search marketing presence. With consistent content, your SEO (search engine optimization) will help you surpass your competitors and improve your rankings - thereby helping to increase your website traffic and bring in new patients down the road.
Also, in search marketing, it’s a good idea to pick certain “keywords” you want to rank for when a patient searches. Keywords are the words and phrases patients enter into a search engine when looking for something, like “dentist near me” mentioned earlier. In the case of a dental cone beam, some keyword examples include:
Another productive way to get your message out to patients is through social media. Many times, patients go to a practice’s social media channels first to find the latest news about your office and recent posts from current patients.
Dentists across the country are uploading fun, educational, and even viral social posts, allowing patients to peek into the life of a dentist.
Plus, many social media channels allow creativity through imagery and video. Source your visual content on your social profiles, like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to help get the word out about your new dental CT scan machine.
If your practice distributes text or email-based communications, such as appointment reminders or e-newsletters, include a link in them to your new dental cone beam website content, where interested patients can learn more about the capabilities of the new dental CBCT system. Letters and postcards are other great avenues by which to raise awareness of your new services; include photographs of the unit as well as sample 3D scans to capture interest and heighten attention. Remember to remove any PHI and obtain necessary approvals before publishing any photographs.
While direct mail and print (such as local ads in newspapers, magazines, etc.) are no longer as popular as they once were for dentists, they can still be helpful, budget-friendly ways to get the word out about your 3D imaging capabilities. One of the key benefits of direct mail and print is your control over the geographic area you send to, and deciding who will receive your mail or ad. And, you can tailor your message to educate patients on new services or capabilities with your investment in an in-house dental CT scan machine.
Making the decision to invest in an in-house CBCT took considerable planning and resources. Upgrading from 2D to 3D imaging can benefit your patients, staff, and practice as a whole. Marketing your latest investment is a great way to help get the word out and start seeing a return on your investment as quickly as possible.
But are you still waiting to pull the trigger on an upgrade to a dental CT scan machine?
Renew Digital is the leader in certified pre-owned dental imaging equipment. For over 10 years, we’ve helped our customers save up to 50% off new list prices. And, because we have deep expertise in dental imaging systems, as well as a wide inventory to choose from, we can help match you with the model and features that will drive the best value from your investment.
Plus, any CBCT you buy from us comes with our comprehensive warranty and five-star customer service. And, if you’re making the upgrade to CBCT, we can speak to you about trading in your current 2D X-ray equipment towards your purchase.
Give us a call today at (888) 246-5611 to speak to your dedicated Sales Representative and start putting together your CBCT purchase plan.