Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 63, Issue 1, January–February 2018, Pages 10-11
Dental Abstracts

The Front Office
Selling dentistry to millennials

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2017.09.010Get rights and content

Section snippets

Background

The marketing and practice growth picture for pediatric dentists differs from what general dentists handle. Their patient base is infants through teenagers, yet it is actually the parents who make the treatment and scheduling decisions. Today most parents are millennials, so it is vital to the pediatric dentist's practice health that the dentist understand some common characteristics of this group. Quality general health care studies offer data from which a picture of millennial parents emerges.

Millennial Facts

The definition of millennials is individuals between ages 18 and 34 years in 2015. That generation is on track to outnumber the baby boomers as the largest living generation in the United States.

Characteristics of millennials are tempered by the fact that they are a highly diverse group. The most defining meaningful characteristic may be racial diversity. As one attempts to understand this group of individuals, there are many exceptions that will differ between them, but understanding common

Characteristics of Millennials

Millennials were commonly raised with constant access to information, which results in high expectations. They are aware of the many choices available to them and expect dentists to have both an excellent chairside manner and a solid awareness of advances of technology. This includes everything from the process of making appointments to reception to billing. Millennials expect the dental office to reflect efficiency, modern techniques and approaches, and the best care possible.

Loyalty isn't

Implications for Pediatric Dentists

With the emphasis on high expectations, pediatric practices must effectively use patient-facing resources such as their website, social media site, and newsletters. This means confidently projecting the view that their office is a successful, healthy practice with a modern, efficient office. Millennials will expect to see that the dentist will use their time well. In addition, you need to be responsive to these parents' needs, answer all their questions thoroughly, and make it easy to schedule

References (0)

Cited by (0)

Klinghoffer S: The millennial effect. Dentaltown, May 2017, pp 98-103

Reprints not available

View full text