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33 4 2016 laser practice management | is the most practical application of the principles of Blue Ocean strategy in the dental business. Market- ing and treatment protocols can be well shaped in lines of this principle. Even though laser can prove to be a high end investment, the success and unique- ness that follows has been well researched and doc- umented by several practitioners around the globe. Investment above investment Theinvestmentinlaserdevicesforacompanyisan extra mile. Combining both hard and soft tissue la- sers could add up to about 100,000 US$ to the total costofinvestment.Eventhoughthisamountsounds substantial in the initial stage, the return on invest- ment with lasers can range between 280 to 600 per cent.2 These kind of returns are possible when we successfully combine technological benefits with appropriate marketing strategies. Changing patients’ trends The patients walking into the practice these days are “Drone Patients”. Prior to their consultation, they like to read about possible procedures, optional treatments and latest advances. Since patients are partly aware of the technology, stating further ben- efits enhances their knowledge. Hence, decisions are made more easily and naturally in favour of lasers. Benefits of lasers Theusageoflaserinthedailydentalpracticeisun- doubted.Fromapractitionerspointofviewthereare several benefits which basically can be divided into intangible and tangible benefits. Intangible benefits refer to the high technological status of lasers and the subsequent referrals that its reputation gener- ates. Lasers do make the procedure easier and more comfortable for the patient. Almost all hard tissue procedures can be done without using anaesthe- sia. This certainly reduces the stress for the patient who normally relates dentistry with needles and drills. The most important factor in private practice is “Time Management”, which ranks amongst tangi- ble benefits. With lasers, multiple restorations can be performed in the same appointment as there is no numbness involved. Additional procedures like hygienistappointmentandexamschedulewithspe- cialistscanbealsoaccommodatedatthesametime. This directly adds on to saving time and increasing profitability.3 More benefits of laser usage in the dental prac- tice are: Fear factor control Most patients walking into the practice have den- tal fears or phobias for various underlying reasons. Their fears could be caused by negative past experi- ences, a shared experience from someone close or just the anticipation of needles and drills. With la- sers, the approach to dentistry becomes different. The need for anaesthesia is either completely ruled out or substituted by only a few drops of intergingi- val infiltration. More certain prognosis When it comes to the treatment of endodonti- cally compromised teeth, lasers work quite accurate in combination with conventional treatment ap- proaches.ArecentapproachofcombiningDiodeand Erbium lasers has given vast success rates in grossly decayed teeth with peri-apical infections. No drill dentistry Since laser is a non-contact procedure, there is no pressure or touch sensation involved; this increases the patients’ acceptance of the treatment. No antibiotics after minor procedures It has been a common trend to prescribe antibiot- ics after any kind of surgical intervention or in end- odontically compromised teeth. With laser there is no scar formation, tissue healing is faster, site of in- terventions is more sterile; hence the need of antibi- otics has decreased. Marketing Fundamentals Dr Philip Kotler defines marketing as “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires.”4 Marketing, in simple terms, is a management pro- cess through which goods and services move from concept to customer. It includes the coordination of four elements called the four P's of marketing: 1. Identification, selection and development of a product, 2. Determination of its price, 3. Selection of a distribution channel to reach the customer's place, and 4. Development and implementation of a promo- tional strategy. Changing trends Over the years, marketing has evolved through three stages: Marketing 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0. Marketing 1.0 was selling the factory’s output of products to all who wanted to buy them. The prod- ucts were quite basic and designed to serve a mass market. The goal was to standardise productions’ costs so that goods could be priced lower and made be more affordable to buyers. This marketing strat- egy was part of the product-centric era. 42016