New Patient Trends: Permanent Problem?

We have heard the story again and again about how new patient counts are down in most regions of the U.S. We thought we would explain one of the important reasons for this. We believe the issue is more one of considering "dental economics" rather than "demographics" even though demographics may get the blame.

Simply put, fewer people are buying and selling homes right now than at any time over the last five years. Certainly, there are exceptions to this trend but it is manifested broadly enough to be considered a national trend. With fewer people moving into the area, there are obviously fewer "new patients" who might respond to an advertisement. Those with a doctor(and research strongly backs this) tend to like their dentist very much. The primary reason for changing doctors has been relocation.

This means that new patient counts are going to be down for EVERY kind of practice in most areas of the U.S. This does not account for lower production, however. Before getting off the topic of new patients, we have to point out that many doctors get into the habit of "patient turnover" rather than "patient retention." They assume that there will always be someone new coming in the door. During times of economic downturn, particularly a downturn in new housing, making sure that your recall system is in place and working is vital to practice viability.

With the exception of TRULY discretionary medical and dental services (breast augmentation?), there is only a delay in treatment rather than a fundamental change in the medical and dental purchasing habits of patients. We note that these "dry spells" usually last about 18 months (more or less). So, we recommend being extremely careful when it comes to looking at the green grass on the other side of the fence. Certainly, demographics change and should be accommodated. We only want to make sure you are not making decisions based upon fear.