Biolase CMO Samuel Low, DDS, is an expert in lasers and dental technology. He gave his insight into what dentists should expect in 2019.
Question: What were some key points in 2018? What is coming in 2019?
Dr. Samuel Low: In this past year, there have been a myriad of advancements in the field of dentistry. The common thread among many is pushing dentistry towards the digital age, such as 3D printing, automated machine learning, better restorative materials, a boom in the aligners space and cloud-based patient software.
Looking ahead to 2019, we’ll likely see more digitization of traditional dentistry tools, from the software dentist use to upgrading to dental lasers. Additionally, dentists and patients are becoming increasingly aware that the pain associated with the dentist can be a thing of the past, tasking the dental community with developing less invasive and more effective tools. In a similar vein, dentists are constantly looking for new certifications to put under their belt that give them an added edge in the competitive landscape. To accommodate for this, Biolase offered training days throughout the year to give dentists the opportunity to receive additional certifications, and we’ll continue to do so in 2019.
Q: What trends will dentists tap into in 2019?
SL: A lot of dentists are taking time out of their busy schedules to give back to their local communities. From free dental clinic days to participating in local charities, dentists are doing more outside of their practices to get involved with their local community and give back. Not only do these types of initiatives give dentists an opportunity to connect with the local community, it also allows them to network with local vendors. This year Biolase partnered with the Los Angeles Chargers to bring advanced dental care to children in underserved communities in Southern California, there’s virtually endless options to get creative and help those in need.
Q: Why lasers?
SL: Laser dentistry has many benefits that make it the best choice for both dentists and patients. First, dental lasers can ease anxiety for patients who are afraid of needles and drills, with minimally invasive treatments that reduce the need for anesthesia during the procedure. Additionally, without anesthesia patients spend less time in the dentist chair and have shorter recovery times post treatment, allowing them to return to their daily routine faster than ever before. Finally, dental lasers have a unique quality in that they are able to serve the special needs community by providing minimally invasive treatment options to those with heightened sensitivity.
Q: Are dentists using every tool in their belt to grow their practice, including social media?
SL: Most people visit the dentist at most twice a year. Social media is a tremendously powerful tool to educate the patient population and empower them to take control of their oral health beyond the dentist chair. At Biolase, we recently launched our integrated social media campaign, #KeepDramaAtTheMovies, to educate patients and dentist that with minimally invasive lasers, dental drama can be a thing of the past. The campaign blended social media, broadcast and traditional media outreach to spread Biolase’s message in a creative and engaging way. At the heart of the campaign is a sweepstakes promoting participants to follow Waterlase social media channels and tag three friends to be entered to win a trip to the theater. While the campaign is gaining traction by the hour, our social media following more than doubled in the first two days of the sweepstakes.
More articles on dentists:
Former California dentist sentenced to 4 years in prison for illegally practicing, defrauding elderly $400K — 5 insights
Dentsply Sirona's Q3 revenue drops 8% to $928.4M: 5 takeaways
UW dental school deficit reaches $38M; leaders slowly fixing financial challenges
Question: What were some key points in 2018? What is coming in 2019?
Dr. Samuel Low: In this past year, there have been a myriad of advancements in the field of dentistry. The common thread among many is pushing dentistry towards the digital age, such as 3D printing, automated machine learning, better restorative materials, a boom in the aligners space and cloud-based patient software.
Looking ahead to 2019, we’ll likely see more digitization of traditional dentistry tools, from the software dentist use to upgrading to dental lasers. Additionally, dentists and patients are becoming increasingly aware that the pain associated with the dentist can be a thing of the past, tasking the dental community with developing less invasive and more effective tools. In a similar vein, dentists are constantly looking for new certifications to put under their belt that give them an added edge in the competitive landscape. To accommodate for this, Biolase offered training days throughout the year to give dentists the opportunity to receive additional certifications, and we’ll continue to do so in 2019.
Q: What trends will dentists tap into in 2019?
SL: A lot of dentists are taking time out of their busy schedules to give back to their local communities. From free dental clinic days to participating in local charities, dentists are doing more outside of their practices to get involved with their local community and give back. Not only do these types of initiatives give dentists an opportunity to connect with the local community, it also allows them to network with local vendors. This year Biolase partnered with the Los Angeles Chargers to bring advanced dental care to children in underserved communities in Southern California, there’s virtually endless options to get creative and help those in need.
Q: Why lasers?
SL: Laser dentistry has many benefits that make it the best choice for both dentists and patients. First, dental lasers can ease anxiety for patients who are afraid of needles and drills, with minimally invasive treatments that reduce the need for anesthesia during the procedure. Additionally, without anesthesia patients spend less time in the dentist chair and have shorter recovery times post treatment, allowing them to return to their daily routine faster than ever before. Finally, dental lasers have a unique quality in that they are able to serve the special needs community by providing minimally invasive treatment options to those with heightened sensitivity.
Q: Are dentists using every tool in their belt to grow their practice, including social media?
SL: Most people visit the dentist at most twice a year. Social media is a tremendously powerful tool to educate the patient population and empower them to take control of their oral health beyond the dentist chair. At Biolase, we recently launched our integrated social media campaign, #KeepDramaAtTheMovies, to educate patients and dentist that with minimally invasive lasers, dental drama can be a thing of the past. The campaign blended social media, broadcast and traditional media outreach to spread Biolase’s message in a creative and engaging way. At the heart of the campaign is a sweepstakes promoting participants to follow Waterlase social media channels and tag three friends to be entered to win a trip to the theater. While the campaign is gaining traction by the hour, our social media following more than doubled in the first two days of the sweepstakes.
More articles on dentists:
Former California dentist sentenced to 4 years in prison for illegally practicing, defrauding elderly $400K — 5 insights
Dentsply Sirona's Q3 revenue drops 8% to $928.4M: 5 takeaways
UW dental school deficit reaches $38M; leaders slowly fixing financial challenges