Most dentists would like to do more, profitable implant work. And for that, they know they need to do more dental implant marketing.
But there’s something that concerns them.
And that something is their staff – the people who work in their office. Could my staff handle the increased number of new patients that more marketing might bring in?
In other words, if dental implant marketing does its job, does my office have what it takes to meet the demand?
As we all know, this question has grown in significance in the last number of years because help can be hard to find.
We’ll look at the current hiring situation today and in future blogs, we’ll discuss more strategies to ensure that your practice is ready for the flood of dental implant patients that high-quality dental implant marketing CAN bring you.
Because, even in today’s tight labor market, dental implant marketing is still the way to go!
Two Giant, Converging Labor Currents in the U.S. Market
There are two giant, converging labor currents in the US labor market, one short-term and one long-term.
- Post-Pandemic Hiring Environment
The Covid-19 pandemic is, of course, the most obvious elephant in the room when we talk about labor shortages. Although hiring issues have been a problem for years, the pandemic greatly exacerbated them.
The lockdowns of 2020 created a situation in which many people looked in the mirror and said, “What do I really want out of life?” And with the time and space to pursue something that they had always kept on the back burner, they moved on from their current job. In the process, 10% of the dental workforce was lost.
And this problem has never completely gone away since.
Despite offering higher starting wages and more benefits, the ADA Health Policy Institute reports that it remains “extremely challenging” for most dentists to fill open positions.
More than one-third of dentists reported active recruitment for dental assistant and dental hygiene positions. About 25% of dentists are actively seeking administrative personnel and another 15% are trying to fill a dentist position.
A large majority of those searching – 70-90+% depending on the poll – describe it as “very challenging” or “extremely challenging.”
Although solo practices are hardest hit by the hiring challenges, they are not alone. Large group practices and DSO’s are also experiencing serious recruitment challenges.
And even two years into the pandemic – as recently as early 2022 – the Great Resignation continued. Between February and March of 2022, dental offices lost 1,500 jobs.
Even among workers who remain in the dental industry, there can be considerable shuffle between practices, as workers continue to jockey for better pay and working conditions. In 2022, a surprisingly large percentage of the workforce – 23%- changed jobs. Hygienists and assistants comprised 36% of those who switched practices.
Turnover for dental assistants is predicted to be as high as 20-30% in 2023.
Recruitment is also expected to remain competitive as retirement rates will continue to outpace graduates from dental programs for the foreseeable future.
One Tip for Successful Dental Implants Marketing
How should dental implant marketing be conducted given the realities of short-staffed practices?
One way is to look for a dental implant growth partner who manages all incoming leads and scheduling from the marketing.
- Generational Change – the Long-term Labor Market Current
Besides the pandemic, the aging workforce is another, less obvious, factor in the labor shortage, and the two currents are somewhat connected, as we will see. Most Boomers (born 1946-1964) and some Gen Xers (born 1965-1980) are retiring.
At this point, 60% of the dental workforce are Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996).
Generational change is expected, of course, but the problem right now is twofold. Due to the pandemic, the changeover is happening much more abruptly than normal and, on top of that, many Millennials have different expectations than Baby Boomers or Gen Xers.
We’ll look at how this generational change and how impacts dental implant marketing more in a future blog, and you can also read our blog “How Do I Attract the Talent That I Need?” for more information.
But there’s one thing to remember: If you will give the Millennials in your office an experience to buy into, no one will work harder to make your dental implant marketing a success!
Reasons to Still Engage in Dental Implant Marketing
The main reason to engage in dental implant marketing is that, whether or not the workers have returned, the patients largely have. If you’re not ready to meet them, another practice will gain their implant business instead.
In April of 2023, regardless of continuing workforce shortages, the appointment calendars of dentists were fuller than they had been since April of 2022, standing at 87% capacity. Schedules have varied between 83% and 86% since May 2022.
Wait times have also been steadily increasing. New patients are waiting about 22 business days for treatment, up from 18 in January and February of 2023.
Dental implant marketing can and should be approached with confidence for a whole number of reasons. Read our blog post Dental Implant Marketing – 10 Reasons to Be Confident for a full treatment of the topic.
The main reason for confidence is due to the robust demand for dental implants that we find among these returning patients.
This is due to three main factors:
- Population growth
- Aging population
- Greater focus on aesthetics among consumers.
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger
An important fact to remember is that smart dentists and top practices have pivoted since the pandemic and are thriving more than ever, even in the challenging labor climate. They can attract and retain enough top talent to take full advantage of the current demand.
Crises, like the pandemic, have a way of revealing weaknesses. Many practices have discovered since 2020 that staffing was one of their weaknesses. It doesn’t have to stop with that discovery, however.
The difference between practices that continue to struggle and those that begin to thrive is simple: Thriving practices have taken steps to CHANGE and deal with the weaknesses that they have identified.
We’ll look at the specific ways that these successful dentists are achieving dental implant marketing results in next week’s blog.
Wrapping It Up
The post-pandemic staffing crisis is real, but it does not have to stop you from expanding through dental implant marketing. Like so many of the issues we face in life, the challenges before us in dentistry are not nearly as important as the mentality with which we meet them.
And the mentality with which to approach the future is confidence!
Dental Implant Growth Partner for Maximum Results
For the best dental implant growth partner to help you achieve your goals with dental implant marketing, reach out to Client Connection Group today!
We handle all the lead nurturing, follow-up, and scheduling, meaning that your staff doesn’t lift a finger until the patient enters your office!
THIS is the way to take full advantage of the increased demand for dental implants and successfully navigate a historic convergence of labor currents in the US market!