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ePaper created 2017-06-21, 10:00:36 | version 1.38.0
lasers trends & applications | Benefits of lasers Marketing fundamentals The usage of laser in the daily dental practice is undoubted. From a practitioners point of view there are several benefits which basically can be divided into intangible and tangible benefits. In- tangible benefits refer to the high technological status of lasers and the subsequent referrals that its reputation generates. Lasers do make the pro- cedure easier and more comfortable for the pa- tient. Almost all hard tissue procedures can be done without using anaesthesia. 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 tangible benefits. With lasers, multiple restorations can be performed in the same appointment as there is no numbness involved. Additional procedures like hygienist appointment and exam schedule with specialists can be also accommodated at the same time. 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 expe- riences, 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. A recent approach of combining diode and 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 anti- biotics after any kind of surgical intervention or in endodontically compromised teeth. With laser there is no scar formation, tissue healing is faster, site of interventions is more sterile; hence, the need of anti biotics has decreased. 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 process through which goods and services move from concept to customer. It includes the coor- dination 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 strategy was part of the product-centric era. Marketing 2.0 is the principle attached to mar- keting in current times which is information age where the core is information technology. Thereby, the job of marketing no longer stays simple. The golden rule of marketing 2.0 is: “Customer is king.” Customers are better off as their needs and desires are prioritised. Marketing 3.0 denotes a “value driven” era. This concept of marketing uplifts into the arena of hu- man aspirations, values and spirits. It believes that consumers are complete human beings whose com- plete needs and hopes should never be neglected. Therefore, this principle complements emotional and human spirit marketing. Lasers as a tool for Marketing 3.0 Marketing 3.0 incorporates lasers pretty well as it keeps in consideration the benefits to the patients, the producers credentials, and the high-end techno- logical status. The current age also follows the new wave technology which enables connectivity and interactivity of individuals and groups. This enables the customers and the dentists to be well aware of the advances in lasers availability. roots 2 2017 11