It’s early in the game but some smart, financially capable, and technologically savvy people are getting into the Metaverse in a big way. Zuckerberg is betting heavily on it, changing the name of his company to META, which represents this new, artificial reality.
But what does this mean for Dentistry? Will there be a “Dentaverse”? Will people be able to put on VR headsets and visit their dentist?
Dentists who say, “That will never impact dentistry because you can’t virtually do a filling, crown or root canal” are making a grave miscalculation.
While doing a “procedure” in the office might not yet be possible, there are other things that are currently being done in the dental practice that can be moved into the Dentaverse, freeing up valuable chairtime, resulting in making the investment in the high-tech-intense treatment rooms yield a greater ROI.
If you’ve learned anything from Smile Direct Club and other Direct to Consumer modules, it should be that there is more that can be done remotely than most though possible and the Dentaverse is expanding.
The vision is that when a patient comes into the dental office, they receive the best, most high-tech, high-touch care from highly skilled people. Everyone’s time should be put to maximum advantage, doing things that can only and best be done with direct contact. Activities such as filling out forms, scheduling appointments, getting instructions, making payments, and perhaps even scanning can be done virtually. It’s a more efficient use of the most costly part of doing business…people’s time.
It’s already happening with interactive websites, live chat andTelemedicine. And those who are using these technologiesproperly are seeing both substantial practice growth and increased profitability.
The increased growth comes from giving people what they crave more now, since the Pandemic, than ever before…CONVENIENCE.
Practices are now doing their initial patient intake virtually. They are using Telemedicine platforms to LISTEN to patients who, while in the comfort of their own space, home or office can be more relaxed. The experience has been called by one patient as “the most relaxing dental visit I ever had.”
Other practices have used telemedicine in other, creative ways such as:
The use of remote and even outsourced systems is a Dentaverse-like activity that forward-looking practice have begun adopting so they can refine the systems and evaluate their effectiveness. These practices will have a leg up on their competitors, as any new technology and system requires time for implementation and refinement.
For a more elaborate discussion of how each of the above activities can help YOU in your practice, schedule a complimentary strategy session at Practice Perfect Systems.
To your excellent clarity and success,
Michael
P.S. Want a good read about the Metaverse? Read “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson
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