Dentist uses marketing to change image
Written by Shirley Lichti for The Record, July 20, 2005

Although marketing was a necessity in the early days of establishing his Waterloo dental practice, Dr. George Arvanitis says he uses it today primarily as an education tool.

For many baby boomers, memories of the dentist are not positive. Arvanitis wants them to know that dentistry has changed - that the technology being used today is so much better, it makes a visit to the dentist as comfortable as a visit to the spa.

Arvanitis says there are three main barriers to people seeking dental care: fear, time and cost. His marketing efforts address all three.

To deal with fear, his clinic is designed with the spa in mind. The reception area is furnished with custom-made, funky furniture and a unique reception desk that makes you feel like you are checking into an upscale hotel.

It's certainly not the image most people associate with a dental office. And it dovetails neatly with the slogan for Arvanitis and Associates, "Let us put a smile on your face."

Patients are greeted by a friendly receptionist who offers a cappuccino, espresso, herbal tea or hot chocolate. The waiting area features a living coral reef aquarium to help calm frayed nerves and for kids there are Nintendo Game Cubes to ensure they don't get bored.

Each treatment room is private, guaranteeing you won't overhear the conversation or procedures in the next room. You can relax under a warm blanket and rest your head on an herbal neck pillow while you watch your favourite show on the chair side LCD television, listen to soft music or enjoy a hot paraffin wax hand treatment - just like in a spa. Unlike a spa, all of these extras come at no charge.

Arvanitis notes ironically that "Some spas do far more painful procedures, such as pressure point massage and waxing, and yet people actually look forward to going."

His goal is to educate people that a visit to his office will not be unpleasant. In creating a spa-like environment, Dr. Arvanitis says that he is "trying to take service up another notch" and have patients look forward to visits - just as they would look forward to a stay at a four star resort."

To ensure these messages are effectively communicated to prospective customers, the clinic website (www.arvanitis.com) offers a virtual tour of the facility, which is billed as Waterloo's first and only dental spa.

The website also explains some of the leading edge technology used, such as digital x-ray equipment that dramatically reduces radiation, drills which reduce noise and vibration and scalers which lessen discomfort during routine teeth cleaning.

The second barrier that prevents people from getting dental care is time. Fortunately for Arvanitis, this barrier is relatively easy to address.

To accommodate busy schedules, the clinic opens at 8 a.m. most days and is open late two days a week until 8 p.m. Offering flexible hours of operation helps to ensure that most people can fit a visit to the dentist into their lives.

Dentistry has changed in other ways over the years. With the advent of fluoridated water, children no longer get as many cavities as in the past. This makes baby boomers a key target market for Arvanitis. Many of their childhood cavities were filled with mercury-silver, which breaks down over time and needs to be replaced.

Even if they are not faced with any dental problems, today's baby boomers are image conscious. As well as being big consumers of cosmetic surgery, they are also driving demand for dental aesthetics.

In addition to replacing old black fillings with new white ones, they are enthusiastically embracing teeth whitening, implants, caps, and complete smile makeovers. The clinic website shows before and after photos of some of the many aesthetic procedures performed at the clinic.

This leads to the last barrier to getting dental care - cost. To address this challenge, Arvanitis introduced a Dental Credit Card.

Unlike other credit cards, it can only be used to pay for dental services at his clinic, from routine check-ups to smile makeovers. And unlike other credit cards, this card features no payments and no interest for three months on routine services and up to nine months for major work.

Launched in March, Arvanitis says, "there's been a really good response to the credit card. It's ideal for people who want a little longer time to pay their bill." And, it removes the final barrier to dental care.

Dr. Arvanitis uses marketing as a tool to help his business grow. But more importantly, he says, he uses it to educate people that a visit to the dentist can put a smile on their faces.

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