Competing Against Non-Orthodontic Providers

As we all know, recent developments in technology have created opportunities for non-orthodontic practitioners, usually GPs, to compete with you for treatment cases. This week’s post offers some suggestions on how to succeed in this new environment.

When dealing with a prospective patient being offered treatment options from a GP, it is important to remember two things. First of all, the GP is likely to tell the patient that they will get the same outcome that they will get from an orthodontist, and will likely explain how the technology involved accomplishes this. Secondly, because the patient has come to your practice in spite of this explanation, they are obviously looking for a reason to choose an orthodontist over the other option.

Are you giving them one?

Many of the newer appliances available for straightening teeth have succeeded in the marketplace largely because they are less noticeable. This makes it clear, no pun intended, that cosmetic appeal is a primary decision factor for patients; in some cases, it is the most important issue. For this reason alone, clear (and hidden) appliances will continue to gain ground on traditional ones with adults and children alike. You cannot ignore what the market wants; if you are not offering options to your patients that address this concern, I suggest that you begin doing so. If you don’t, you are going to be at an increasing disadvantage moving forward.

Assuming that you already offer cosmetically appealing treatment options, you are better off avoiding a largely identical (in the eyes of the patient, at least) apples-to-apples appliance contest, and instead offering a different option that addresses the cosmetic concern, utilizes your unique skills, and delivers a better outcome. The question to ask the patient here is: “would you consider a different option if it looks good and also gives you a superior end result?” If the answer is yes – and it usually will be – you can level the playing field by offering a different approach to the patient’s needs. Your and your staff’s job then becomes showing how your approach will accomplish this – and backing up the claim with proof.

Central to this approach is a persuasion tool that I covered in Yes to Treatment – photographic evidence of before-and-after results that your practice has achieved for your patients with the treatment option you are recommending. I cannot stress enough the importance of having in-house examples of results from your own work with that appliance, as any examples provided by your competitor –if they have them at all – will likely be stock photos found in brochures from the manufacturer.

So here you are introducing the issue of personal skill into the decision process – a point that the competitor can neither match nor address. When you combine these points with a thorough education on why your approach is a better solution, you drive a wedge – expertise vs. tools – between the options being considered by the patient.

Some other appropriate points to make during the consultation:

• “Straightening teeth is not a side business for us; it is what we have been trained to do.”
• “There are other important issues to consider besides simply straightening teeth”.
• “You have one opportunity to do this right.”
• “You are not paying for appliances at our practice; you are investing in the skill of our doctor(s) and staff.”

Some months ago I reviewed a client video in which the patient was considering going to their dentist for their treatment needs. The question the patient asked of my client doctor was what you would expect: “why should I pay more to have this done with you, when my dentist offers the same thing for less money?” Among other appropriate comments, the doctor responded with what I thought was an excellent analogy: “you wouldn’t go to your family doctor to treat a heart problem; you would go to a cardiologist”.

Which is exactly why your practice should not be losing cases to less-qualified options. In this case, the patient ended up choosing the orthodontist at his higher fee – proving that a well-educated visitor offers you your best opportunity for a new patient in these situations.