Bolt-on business

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Differentiation is key in a clustered market like the Middle East. MED identifies niche services to boost your clinic's profile and deliver maximum returns for minimum effort.

As dentistry in the Middle East becomes increasingly competitive, practitioners are seeking new ways to help their clinics stand out. As MED has reported elsewhere in this issue, disciplines like implantology, while prestigious, are not cheap in terms of cost and the investment of time required to master them.

However, there are a number of bolt-on services that will augment a clinic's offerings with very little outlay from the practitioner. These niche services offer an opportunity to boost profits, without cutting the purse strings or clogging up the schedule.

Those who can, bleach

Like all business decisions, supply and demand plays a lead role in the selection of niche services. "It is crucial for any dentist to understand their client base," says Dr Jaco Smith, proprietor of The Dental Studio in Dubai.

"We have a number of questionnaires that we ask our clients to fill out so we can better understand what they want and what they don't, as well as their likes and dislikes. We treat them according to that."

When considering new services, he advises, it's essential to evaluate whether they will enhance patient experience. "To really add value to your practice you have to look at what has been tried and tested, as well as what is new in the market."

Not many people like visiting the dentist. It's an unfortunate truth of the profession. By adding value to the experience, clinics give patients a reason to attend, which in turn improves treatment uptake and profit.

Cosmetic dentistry is a case in point. A number of dental clinics still fail to offer bleaching services, despite the procedure's popularity. In the list of aesthetic treatments, bleaching is low-cost, low-risk and typically provides good returns.

"It's a nice service to add because it is reversible, it is non-invasive, it is cheap and people want it," shrugs Payman Langroudi, clinical director at bleaching firm Enlighten Smiles.

"There are not many things that a dentist does that will fulfil these criteria."

Aside from being a service that sells itself, bleaching can offer returns of up to US$270 for a comparatively small outlay. Kits are cheap to purchase and, equally, training is easy to access.

Most whitening companies, including Enlighten, will provide training to dentists using their products. "We offer a one hour training session, which can be done online," Langroudi explains. "We have found that dentists prefer this method, as it means less time out of the practice."

Bleaching services can also provide a springboard to pricier cosmetic treatments. A 2006 survey conducted by the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) showed that 31% of UK residents polled had undergone bleaching.

More than a quarter had received additional cosmetic dental treatments. In areas of the Middle East, such as Lebanon, where cosmetic services drive the industry, figures are likely to be even higher. Langroudi reports increased demand for Enlighten's whitening products across the Gulf region, in particular the UAE, Bahrain and Lebanon.

"All cosmetic dentists are aware that whitening is the first thing that patients do, so it gets them on to the whole idea of changing their smile," Langroudi explains.

"There are hard benefits and profits that dentists make from whitening. The amount that they can charge is quite high because patients will pay for cosmetic results."

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