Reviewing images BEFORE accepting new patients???

[Dr. Dentist]

Hey Students - a technology company reached out to me pitching the idea of people using a smartphone app to take pictures of their teeth and when a dental issue is detected (by dentists on their team), the company routes this person to my practice based on location. Thought this was pretty futuristic because my current method to acquire new patients is through old-school paper mail!

Curious to know what the next generation of dentists think about this?? Seems like a low-effort way of getting new patients AND being able to see what's in store before accepting sounds awesome! Perhaps gone are the days where "you never know what walks in your door"

Cheers!

 

[DentistDan]

Yeah this sounds very cool and futuristic however the company should also try to make sure the patient goes in for their normal dental visits for cleanings as well to not have to get to the point of pain to only see a dentist

 

[Dr M]

" Seeing what's in store before accepting " is just something that might not work in my country where I practice. Although I have the legal right to refuse or decline treatment in certain cases, it is still my ethical obligation to give the patient alternative dentists that might assist. In cases of a dental emergency, you cannot refuse treatment. Although the true definition of what exactly constitutes an emergency, is still up for debate.
But cool idea non the less to get a heads up of what you have in store for yourself.

 

[Dr. Dentist]

Hey @DentistDan - thought i'd share the company I referred to in my post. They are called snapsmile and are based in Canada.

Turns out the image taking and issue detection part is just an educational tool used to increase knowledge, awareness, and engagement between people and their smiles. This was a much better and more palatable approach to the concept compared to what I initially understood. The app's goal is to help people know when and why they are visiting the dentist.

Essentially they built an app for my patients that's linked to my practice. They liken it to the financial apps most people use to manage their financial health, linked to their bank. Similarly, their app manages people's oral health (appointments, some educational tools, and personalized content) all while connected to my practice.

It's quite neat and I've seen a noticeable uptick in my recall % vs. my receptionist making the phone calls. I've also received new patients consistently over the past few weeks, as users who download the app are able to discover and book appointments with dentists on the platform.

Check them out here: www snapsmile.ai/for-dentists

 

[tudormatei]

Hello @Dr. Dentist,
I saw that you've posted about pain points and other day-to-day problems of a dentist which made me ask you if you'd want to connect and have a chat. If that sounds good to you, please text me back a social media profile account.

Have a great day,
Tudor