Dentist SOS

AppointmentCity.com is an online service for patients and prospective patients who are looking to find an appointment with the right service provider and to make an informed decision before even stepping into the provider’s office.

AppointmentCity.com does this through a real-time scheduling application, online profiles which showcase a provider’s specialty, education and qualifications and a provider rating system. The system also helps service providers grow their practice, reduce cancellations and provide that extra level of convenience to their patients and clients.

Last year I did a podcast with the CEO of AppointmentCity.com Sherwin Krug. I got very busy in some other endeavors and never released the interview. Well since then AppointmentCity.com has grown considerably by producing a series of patient focused videos and just recently launching their first blog which will also focus on patients.

AppointmentCity.com teamed up with Dr. Celia Dyer, DDS from Techdrawl to produce these videos that give patients a little insight to questions that might come up before they visit a dentist. These tips are very educational and help patients understand what goes on in their mouth so they can ask the right questions when they do see a dentist.

So, I want to thank Mr. Krug for allowing me to learn more about AppointmentCity.com and how they can help both dentist and dental patients. Please take a listen to our conversation and let me know your thoughts via our comment box below.

All the best

JB

Download - A Coversation With Appointment City CEO Sherwin Krug (15)

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This is a remarkable video on how technology can help low income areas of our country get proper dental care. The University of Pacific Dental School’s community outreach via teledentistry.  They use Planet DDS’s web-based software, Denticon, to make it happen. I want to thank William Jackson SVP of Planet DDS for the link to the video.

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Googling your name has become a common practice of mine and many others for years.  But what happens if you are a Dentist and you put your name in Google or any of the other search engines. Here is a great example of what you want to come up when you put your name in Google. I googled “Simon W Rosenberg DMD” Dr. Rosenberg dominates the first 3+ pages on a Google search. What shows up on the first page is most important and Dr. Rosenberg has almost all of it under his control.

Dr. Rosenberg (www.drsimonrosenberg.com) has direct control over all but two of the search results that came up on the first page of Google. Most dentists have almost no control over the content that comes up on searching their name or their practice.

Take James Stansbury, DDS. a dentist I pulled at random from a 2001 BellSouth yellow pages. When I Google his name almost none of the search results was under his control. This can be a problem. Especially if someone else decides to take advantage of the Doctor’s good name by purchasing a first level domain name or by creating bogus profiles on some of the most popular social media sites like Linkedin, Twitter or Facebook.

Dentists need to be aware of what comes up on the search engines because their name is usually what people type in first to find them.
If dentists have no control over the content that comes up in the search engines then their reputation could be at risk.

More and more potential clients use the internet to locate and then choose a dentist.  Dentists that don’t  have control of at least most of the first page of a Google search could be subject to damages to their reputation and their future earning potential.

Dentists need to be proactive in protecting their good name on the Internet and take the time to see what shows up when they get Googled, Yahooed or Binged.

This post was inspired by the DoctorBase “How “Name Squatters” Take Advantage of Dentists in Private Practice“

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My conversation with Dental Business Coach, Chris Barrow took a very long time to plan and put together.  I have been following Coach Barrow through his very informative articles on “Chris Barrow’s Blog“  for many years now and was honored that his schedule finally permitted me to make this first podcast happen.

Why so long, you may ask? Well Coach Barrow resides in the United Kingdom and travels throughout Europe on a regular with a very demanding speaking, training and consulting schedule.  I have been an admirer of how he has  helped so many dental practices become more productive and profitable and wanted to share his remarkable experience with you, my readers.

I at first wanted to talk to Coach Barrow on how technology has helped dental offices for about 15-20 minutes.  I enjoyed my chat with him so much that 15 minutes turned into just over an  hour.  Along the way we talked about everything from the most trying issues with dentists today to the current recession to dentistry and Social Media.  I truly enjoyed my time with Coach Barrow and hope you will enjoy this first of many podcast here on DentistSOS.

You feedback as comments are always welcome.

All the best

JB

Download: A Conversation With Dental Business Coach: Chris Barrow (135) -

Listen to the complete podcast.

Listen to each track below.

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Ok, so I thought my response back to my hater of web savvy dentist, Mr. What a dumb idea was over but I was wrong. Here is the response back from the person who clearly does not understand why Dr. Helaine Smith should be applauded and not ridiculed.

Interesting, you did not mention whether her patients benefit from her “Web Savvy” ways or even that her business has improved because of it.

Selling books does work well with the web but that is not dentistry, it is selling books. You did not mention whether being web savvy is a good way to sell books, I would have pointed out Amazon. It still doesn’t really say anything about the dentistry practice.

A web site is cheaper than the yellow pages too. Does the dentist need a lot of fancy stuff over the same content that they would have in a 2k/month yellow page ad? You have not convinced me of that at all. If they all sold books, your friend would have a tougher market and so that she has sold books is not relevant to general dental practice, only to hers.

My dentist is not in the yellow pages, not on the web and he is not accepting new patients because he is too busy with the ones he has.

Yes, please do pass along my thoughts. My views are not diminished from your response. I still trust dentists less when they need to resort to extensive promotional tricks to get business. Publishing a book impresses me that the person is an entrepreneur. It says nothing at all about their dentistry.

You are welcome to my input even if you are too self absorbed to genuinely appreciate it.

-Mr. What a dumb idea

Here is my response to Mr. What a dumb idea.

So now I am self absorbed. Insults aside I really think you are missing the point of all this. If you read Dr. Smith’s free e-book you would know that it is filled with information on how good oral hygiene helps to improve ones health and well being. The focus of the book is all about helping patients help themselves by taking preventative measures when it comes to caring for their teeth. If that’s not good dentistry then what is it in your book?

Even more interesting is you being such a web savvy person yourself here on Linkedin and your calling web savvy dentists dumb. I don’t get it! What is wrong with dentists being web savvy? Are they not allowed to use the internet to help promote their practice? What gives here Mr. What a dumb idea? I am very confused that a highly skilled tech person like yourself is hating on dentists that use the web. Just because your dentist does not have a website and is currently too busy, does not give you the right to say that web savvy dentists are dumb.

Also Dr. Helaine Smith happens to be a fellow business owner like yourself who happens to live in your area of New England. Why not be happy for her success in promoting her business with a free e-book and learn from it instead of not being trustworthy of her dentistry skills.

Do you know Dr. Smith personally? Were you a former patient of hers? Clearly I don’t understand your logic when it comes to her using the web to promote her practice. I for one have never met Dr. Smith but I am very confident that given her extensive background and reputation in dentistry I would be more than happy to use her services if I lived in the Boston area. If you still want to focus in on her dentistry why not take a look at her credentials on her website. http://www.helainesmithdmd.com/about.html

Again I thank you for your input

JB

It has been almost a week since I responed back to Mr. What a domb idea and I have not heard back yet.  I would really like to hear your thoughts on this latest round of spirited conversation.

All the best

JB

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