As a Dental CEO, you need to understand your competition.

Now, most dentists hear the word competition and immediately think of other dental offices nearby. That is certainly part of the picture. In an increasingly saturated market, more and more dentists are trying to compete for the same patients.

If your office focuses on a niche area, you may compete less with your immediate neighbours. But you may also compete across a much wider geographic area, attracting patients from farther away while facing competitors you never see in person.

That is why so much of today’s dental marketing advice emphasizes differentiation: stand out, be memorable, give patients a reason to choose you instead of another dentist.

All true. But it is also incomplete.

Too many practices forget that dentists do not compete only with dentists. You compete with every other place your patients could choose to spend their money.

And if we are being honest, dentistry enters that competition at something of a disadvantage. As essential a healthcare service as dentistry is, it is not something people truly want to spend their money on.

There are so many other options for expenditures that, to put it mildly, evoke a stronger emotional response. That crown treatment plan? In the patient’s mind, it may be competing with a family getaway. That implant case? It may be competing with a kitchen renovation. That bite splint to guard against grinding? It may be competing with a giant television that somehow takes up half the living room.

Remember the days of the latest iPhone launch when customers camped out overnight to be the first in line to replace the phone they purchased two years ago and still works perfectly fine?  You never arrived at your practice in the morning to see that level of excitement. That broader competition has always existed.

The new competitive threat: Experience

Today, however, there is another layer of competition — and it may be even more important.

Patient experience.

To be fair, dentists have talked about patient experience for years. Comfortable chairs. Friendly team members. Warm greetings. Efficient appointments. Compassionate care.

All excellent goals. Dentists have long talked about how the patient experience they provide separates them from the dentists they compete with. Whether they truly delivered such a unique patient experience is a discussion for another day. The bottom line is this has been a standard part of the dental marketing playbook.

But historically, many practices thought of “experience” as something that began when the patient walked through the front door.

That is no longer how patients see it. Patients will assess their “experience” with you long before they come into your office. Perhaps more importantly, they will assess that experience by comparing you to their experience with other businesses…not just dental practices.

Gone are the days of being able to say, “this is how we do it in dentistry”. Patients look at their experience with you and compare it to how Amazon made them feel. Or Apple. Or Uber.

That may sound unfair. It is also reality.

What patients expect now

Patients increasingly expect a seamless experience from the moment of their first contact with your office to the manner in which they pay their bills.

• Easy online booking
• Prompt replies
• Clear communication
• Transparent fees and policies
• Convenient reminders
• Minimal paperwork
• Short waits
• Friendly interactions
• A modern digital experience
• Easy and functional payment options
• Consistency from first contact to follow-up

They still value human connection. Personal trust in a healthcare setting will so often rest on the quality of the human interaction.

But what about those times a team member is not available? How do you fill the gap to ensure the patient feels they are in control but that they are also having their concerns addressed regardless of when they contact your office? Regardless of the means they used to connect with you?

Will the technology you use carry the baton for you?

If your phone goes unanswered, your website is outdated, forms are cumbersome, or communication is slow, patients notice. They may never complain directly — but they may quietly move on.

A quick practice reality check

Ask yourself:

• How easy is it to contact your office after hours?
• Can a new patient book without calling?
• Are your forms simple and mobile-friendly?
• How quickly do inquiries receive a response?
• Is your website current and credible?
• Do reminders reduce friction — or create it?
• Would you enjoy becoming a patient at your own practice?

That last question can be uncomfortable — but useful. It is like asking are you providing the dental equivalent of the Amazon experience (assuming the patient like Amazon!).

If the experience falls short…

When the patient experience does not meet expectations created from other market sectors, practices often experience predictable problems:

• Difficulty attracting new patients
• Increased cancellations or no-shows
• Patient drift to competitors
• Lower treatment acceptance
• Negative reviews
• Team frustration
• Lost production opportunities

Never forget what matters most

Clinical care remains the foundation of everything. The quality of care provided to the patients who come through the door will always be priority one!

But exceptional care alone is not always enough if patients struggle to access it.

You may provide world-class dentistry — but if the path to your front door feels outdated, confusing, or inconvenient…if it simply does not compare with the customer experience provided across other sectors of the economy…some patients will never arrive to experience it.