Resources

Read our blog for six ways that SmileSnap virtual consultations can support dentists and orthodontists and their patients when there are fewer in-person appointments available.

These days it's not enough to get visitors to your website - you also have to convert them. Read our blog to learn 8 easy ways to increase the quantity (and quality!) of virtual consultations AND conversions!

Do you regularly update your Instagram with content pushing your patients toward your SmileSnap widget? Read our blog to learn six simple tips for putting the power of Instagram to work for you.

Virtual consultations work wherever you are. Read our blog to find out how to get started in any market.

Millennials have taken over the US economy as the largest share of the market. Will you adjust to meet their needs?

Read our blog to learn some of the top advantages SmileSnap can offer your practice as you look into 2023 and beyond.

In this blog post, we will talk about some of the simple ways your dental practice can get in front of your ideal patients with the right message. Discover four tactics to reach the right audience for virtual dental consultations!

When dentists take advantage of direct access in their practices, they free themselves up to provide services to patients who prefer online consults. The combination of direct access and teledentistry can make your dental practice more efficient and more profitable.

Teledentistry will continue to make tremendous leaps and bounds. Laws will continue to change as the world pioneers into telehealth. Don’t be behind your peers. Ready to provide teledentistry services that are seamless, affordable, and easy to use?

Greg Pellegrom, Cory Wise, and Alex Hamilton discuss the evolution of the traditional dental marketing funnel and how providers can adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape.

Optimizing Your Website for Virtual Consultations Watch this Office Hours recording as Amanda Cabrera of eNox Media joins the SmileSnap team to discuss: Optimizing website content and sharing the value Enhancing visibility beyond the button Creating a unique landing page specific to virtual consultations Fill out the form to watch the recording By viewing the video, you agree that SmileSnap can share the information with eNox Media. SmileSnap respects your privacy and will never share your information with any other third parties without your express consent.

In this roundtable discussion, you will learn how TWO Orthodontic industry leaders increased their practice revenue by a combined $500,000 by using SmileSnap virtual consultations. SmileSnap’s founder, Greg Pellegrom, and Ortho Marketing’s President, Dean Steinman discuss how the combination of great marketing and virtual consultations helped make it happen.  Fill out the form to watch the recorded webinar By viewing the video, you agree that SmileSnap can share the information with Ortho Marketing. SmileSnap respects your privacy and will never share your information with any other third parties without your express consent.

Topic: What you should be doing to get and keep patients in 2021?

There is a sentiment that we commonly hear when we speak with offices located in smaller towns or rural areas: “Virtual consultations do not work here. We’re a small town practice, and they aren’t ready for it here.” After discussing and probing the issue on a deeper level, what we often find is that the patients are indeed ready for it, but the offices are not. The problem seems to be that staff members misunderstand what it means to do a virtual consultation. Some practices have expressed concern that “virtual” equates with “not-personal” or “not-family friendly.” We also have some patients that drive 3 hours or more to visit our office. Providing them information about their individual treatment plan and pricing prior to making that trek makes their appointment more efficient for both of us and saves them multiple trips to the office. From my experience as a treatment coordinator for six years and having specialized in virtual consultations for two years, I have not found this to be the case. In fact, the very opposite is true – virtual consultations can lead to a personal, convenient, and highly effective consultation experience that will “wow” your patients and give them the personal touch that you pride yourselves on, no matter your location. Whether your office is in a big city or a small town, Here are a few keys to creating a great customer experience that maintains the warmth and personal touch of your office Proactively ask patients to complete a virtual consultation . Don’t wait for patients to find the widget on your website! If a patient calls your office for an exam, direct them to your SmileSnap landing page and let them know you are offering the option of virtual consultations for their safety and convenience. Give them confidence in the process by telling them how much your patients are loving that they get all of the information they need about starting treatment even before they come in the door. Yes, even fees! The intonation of your voice and delivery will speak volumes. If you come across as unsure, the patient will know you are not confident in the system. Let patients know that the virtual consultation is just the first step, and once they complete it, they will come in to meet the doctor and team, and get started with their treatment. Once you see how educated and committed your patients become through the virtual consultation portion of their orthodontic journey, and how your same day starts increase, you will be hooked on the power of the virtual consultation! Focus on the main benefits to the patient – convenience and confidence. Let your patients know that you are doing virtual consultations because it is better for them. Whether in the big city or in a rural area, our patients lead busy lives, and the current pandemic has not made things easier. An effective virtual consultation will let them know if they are ready for treatment, what the basic plan is, and what the fee will be. What parent, regardless of geographic location, would not want to have that info so that they can confidently know that you are the office for them, before they even come in? Establish a workflow to easily manage your consultations It is important to think through the way you want to manage your virtual consultations in the same way you would design any important process in your office. This includes assigning team members with key responsibilities to ensure that the virtual patient experience will be just as exceptional as if the patient physically came into the office. The most successful offices I have worked with are not reliant on the doctor to manage the entire virtual consultation process. It is a team effort that mimics the in-office consultation dynamics with the TC and the doctor working as a team. No two offices do virtual consultations alike, just like no two offices do in-office consultations alike, so please reach out to the Customer Success team at SmileSnap – we are excited to help you get started with your individual journey! Remember – they will still be dazzled by your office! You have spent years carefully crafting your new patient consultation experience with tours, cookies, and video games….don’t worry – those aren’t going anywhere!! Every patient who goes through a virtual experience will still come to the office for a start visit (exam, records, etc.) and they will fall in love with your office. In reality, the in-office visit will be even better than it was before because you and your team can really focus on the patient experience and have fun, since each of these patients has already accepted a treatment plan and fee! With all of this information the patient has before they come into your office, the TC and doctor can go into their day expecting a conversion rate of 90%. Now that is something to smile about! One practice that is having tremendous success with virtual consultations is Warford Orthodontics in Bismarck, ND. In a state that is largely dominated by agriculture and covered in farms and ranches, one doesn’t automatically think high tech. Dr. Warford’s TC, Kirsten Heid, was kind enough to share her experience with virtual consultations: “We rarely have a new patient exam where they’ve previously completed a Smilesnap VC that doesn’t convert. These leads seem to be positioned more to buy that day, almost like they feel their “thinking about it” & due diligence is done before we see them face to face. They always seem more comfortable with a general idea of price and treatment plan and come prepared with questions they need answered in order to make their decision with confidence. We also have some patients that drive 3 hours or more to visit our office. Providing them information about their individual treatment plan and pricing prior to making that trek makes their appointment more efficient for both of us and saves them multiple trips to the office. “ With effective planning and management, virtual consultations have been proven successful no matter where your practice is located. We know virtual consultations are not going anywhere and will only become more advanced and utilized as time goes on. The takeaway from all of this is that “they” – your patients – are not only ready for it, they are worth it. Why would we not offer the same type of technology to patients that are located in small towns as in the big city when they have the same smartphones, iPads, and computers in Bismarck as they do in Manhattan? In addition, YOU are worth it. Doctor and staff time is valuable, and it’s amazing to see how practices across the globe have adopted virtual consultations successfully, leading to a more contemporary, efficient, and productive new patient process.

What you’ll learn: ✓ The difference between a 10% conversion virtual consultation tool and a <1% one ✓ How to drive external leads who will actually convert to your virtual consultation tool ✓ Strategies for getting new patient leads to click your tool and submit their first virtual consult  Meet your hosts: ✓ Leon Klempner, DDS – Co-founder, People & Practice, Co-host, The Survival Guide for Orthodontists podcast, 40 years as a board certified Orthodontist, Faculty member, Harvard University ✓ Amy Epstein, MBA, Co-founder, People & Practice, Co-host, The Survival Guide for Orthodontists podcast, Multinational marketing and branding expert with 12 years as a Vice President & Managing Director at ABI & Padilla

Topic: What you should be doing to get and keep patients in 2021?

Giving your patients a virtual option just got easier. Virtual consultations are revolutionizing the way patients discover and select dentists and orthodontists. Now, we’ve revolutionized the way you connect and follow up with those same patients.

DENVER, USA, ​April 1, 2020​ — ​ SmileSnap , a leader in virtual dental and orthodontic consultations and visits, announced it has received the endorsement of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) . Founded in 2019, SmileSnap’s online smile assessment tool is trusted by over 500 dental and orthodontic offices around the US, Canada, Europe and Australia. We are driven by innovation and our focus is to deliver pre-qualified patients through online smile assessments. Co-Founder & CEO, Greg Pellegrom said, “It is truly an honor to receive this endorsement by the AAO and to serve its members during this unprecedented time in the world, but also help position their practices for the new normal our population will now expect from their orthodontist. SmileSnap is proud to be leading the way with virtual consultations and visits by providing the best digital experience for patients and providers.” Beginning April 1, SmileSnap will offer two service tiers to its customers: SmileSnap Starter and SmileSnap Pro. With SmileSnap Pro, providers can conduct live video consultations and visits with patients from the comfort of their home, office, or anywhere. SmileSnap Starter includes unlimited photo, email, text, and app-based virtual consultations between patients and providers and a virtual dashboard to manage relationships and analytics. SmileSnap will provide AAO members with an exclusive price discount. Members are encouraged to visit aaoinfo.org and learn more by visiting the COVID-19 resource center or the endorsed program discount page. President of the AAO, Dr. Gary Inman said, “To help members implement virtual consults and visits due to COVID-19, AAO swiftly evaluated SmileSnap and negotiated exclusive discounted pricing for AAO members. We are very happy to be partnering with SmileSnap to offer a solution that will enhance AAO members ability to connect with patients who are considering orthodontic treatment and with patients in active treatment.” Virtual consultations and visits have become increasingly critical to orthodontists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past week alone, SmileSnap’s providers have conducted over 1,000 virtual consultations with prospective patients. About The American Association of Orthodontists The American Association of Orthodontists has been shaping smiles since 1900. Its membership is made up of gifted and highly educated specialists who diagnose, prevent and treat dental and facial irregularities to correctly align teeth and jaws. Orthodontists receive an additional two to three academic years of specialized education beyond dental school at an accredited orthodontic residency program. Founded in 1900, the AAO is the world’s oldest and largest dental specialty organization. It represents more than 19,000 orthodontist members throughout the United States, Canada and abroad. The AAO encourages and sponsors key research to enable its members to provide the highest quality of care to patients and is committed to educating the public about the need for, and benefits of, orthodontic treatment. Only orthodontists qualify for AAO membership. For more information, and to find AAO-member orthodontists near you, visit aaoinfo.org . Media Contact Carmen Marie Gonzalez Marketing Consultant [email protected]