Dental Marketing - The Australian Way

As an Australian dentist, it's fascinating to look across the pond at my dental peers in the USA and observe the way they are able to market their dental practices. It seems to me that dentists in some parts of the US are able to do almost anything they please to promote their practice on the internet! They are using stock images liberally throughout their websites to illustrate dental services like cosmetic dentistry and teeth whitening. They can use before and after images of their work. They even seem able to use patient testimonials on their websites. They actively encourage their patients to post positive reviews about their practice on other sites around the internet. Their headlines can be, and are, bold and punchy, filled with promises, claims, guarantees and exclamation marks! In many ways it's dental marketing heaven!
Dental Practice Marketing in Australia
In Australia we are much more restricted in the way that we are allowed to promote our dental practices, no matter what media we are using to share the promotional message.

Let's take stock photography images as an example. We are unable, as registered dental practitioners in Australia, to use a stock image of a model with a beautiful smile on a page on our website that promotes cosmetic dentistry or teeth whitening. This is not just because it was not our dentistry that was responsible for the creation of this beautiful smile! We are required to protect people from false expectations about dentistry and what it can achieve for them. Even though many patients will experience a good result from teeth whitening, some people will never end up with teeth like the model in the stock photograph: not without veneers, or a gum lift, or a full dental makeover. But some visitors to your website will look at the stock photo, see that it is on a page about teeth whitening, and assume that their own smile will look just as beautiful after teeth whitening treatment. These are some of the people that our regulations are trying to protect.
The Fine Art of Crafting a Marketing Message for Australian Dental Practices
In Australia we have to craft our dental marketing messages much more carefully. On our websites, for example, it's easier just to state that we provide a particular service rather than devote a page to educating our visitors, and explaining in some detail the pros and cons of the service. If we choose to educate, we need to make it crystal clear that not everyone will get ideal results from the services we provide. We are required to provide warnings about the risk of surgery and other invasive procedures. If we dare illustrate our explanations with images, we need to make sure that people understand that the image is of someone we ourselves treated, what the treatment was, when the image was taken, why the treatment was successful for this particular patient and why the treatment might not be so successful for others. None of this explanation is allowed to be in fine print either!
Sigh. It can be challenging indeed to be an Australian Dentist trying to toe that fine line between promoting themselves as excellent providers of quality dental care in a way that sounds appealing to patients without crossing into the world of over-promising results or under-stating consequences of undergoing the treatment.
Challenging, but not impossible. It's all about taking on the role of educator. Describe the process. List the benefits. List the risks. Illustrate with caution. State clearly that every individual is unique and will need to consult with a dentist to find out whether this treatment will be of benefit to them. Then invite them to call to schedule this appointment with your practice!
Are You Up To The Challenge?
Marketing our Australian dental practices may not be able to be done with pizazz and punchy headlines: but we can certainly provide a great deal of quality information to our patients, allowing them to make educated decisions about their dental care in consultation with their trusted dentist.

Jacki Kearslake is a dentist who helps other Australian dentists to grow their business by establishing a strong online presence for their dental practices. You can find lots of information about dental marketing for Australian Dentists at Dental Web Strategies http://dentalwebstrategies.com.au Call Dental Web Strategies on 1300 216 233 to schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss the online and digital marketing needs for your dental practice.