It’s hard to overstate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing quarantine.  They turned life upside down for nearly every American. The event left few industries unscathed during this unprecedented historical period.

Here at SmileSnap, it was a unique moment for our company as well. The simultaneous closure of orthodontic and dental offices nationwide left many doctors facing new and unexpected challenges, such as:
·        How to care for patients with social distancing restrictions in place.
·        How to attract and convert new leads.
·        How to stay busy as professionals.

SmileSnap provided an easy solution for each of these issues— and our stratospheric growth reflected it! We grew our customer base from a few hundred to more than 1,200 practices in a matter of weeks.

This rapid expansion confirmed to us that our enthusiasm for the SmileSnap platform was well-founded.

As we come upon the third anniversary of the coronavirus quarantine, we’re excited to see SmileSnap continue to fill a need for orthodontists and dentists. We didn’t create SmileSnap to be a “Break In Case of Emergency” tool. We believe our revolutionary platform has a place at every practice— 365 days out of the year.

Read ahead to learn some of the top advantages SmileSnap can offer your practice as you look toward the future.

1) Virtual Consultations keeps practices on the cutting edge of the growing teledentistry trend

Smartphones, smart watches, social media, smart home systems, and Siri in your car’s dashboard— there’s no denying we live in an age of extreme digital saturation. This trend shows little sign of abating, which means every business has an opportunity to adapt to the times via cutting-edge technology solutions.

This is especially important because patients are reporting a higher degree of satisfaction with telemedicine. A recent study showed that 94% of respondents who used virtual care intended to use it again.¹

SmileSnap ensures you’re able to meet the expectations of a sizable portion of the population.

2) Virtual Consultations helps doctors and their staff stand out in marketing

Orthodontists and dentists aren’t generally known for flashy marketing campaigns. As a medical professional, you provide a necessary service that mostly sells itself.

Your practice does have competitors, though, so it’s a good idea to find ways to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. Offering our HIPAA-approved Virtual Consultations does exactly that. With SmileSnap as a key part of your marketing messages, you’ll enjoy a unique angle that helps you cut through the clamor and stick in the minds of your future patients.

3) Virtual Consultations multiplies a practice’s website conversions

The SmileSnap platform is fully customizable and designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing website. Patients can easily submit a Smile Assessment on your website and begin the process of connecting with your team. This is a huge advantage over websites without any such option! Simply providing a phone number with instructions to “call us during business hours to schedule an appointment” is a missed opportunity to turn random internet traffic into qualified leads.

4) Virtual Consultations connects practices to patients sooner

Just think about it: How many times have you needed to contact a medical specialist to schedule an appointment, but had to wait until the following Monday? How many times have you made a mental note to call your doctor, but didn’t find the time until days or even a week later?

SmileSnap makes connecting so much easier than a phone call made during a lunch break. If a patient is feeling eager to explore options for improving their smile, submitting a free Smile Assessment allows them to get the ball rolling. New patients won’t have to wait weeks for an initial consult. They can connect with you quickly and easily— and even chat with you face-to-face in HD video!

5) Virtual Consultations increases doctor flexibility

In 2023, there’s no reason to limit yourself to the confines of your old business hours. Whether you’d like to put in a little extra work in the evening or over the weekend – or a personal situation obliges you to stay home for a day or two – you can be prepared to continue connecting with new patients via SmileSnap’s Virtual Consultations.

6) Virtual Consultations saves precious chair time

If your practice offers free consultations to patients, you know these meetings can eat hours out of your day. If a patient later decides against starting treatment, you’ve taken a loss of valuable time. No matter how much you enjoy meeting new people, that’s not an ideal situation from a business perspective. Oh, and don’t forget about all those last-minute cancellations!

SmileSnap solves this problem by empowering you to consult with and qualify new patients in a more timely and efficient manner. You can schedule and conduct your Virtual Consultations whenever is most convenient and find out sooner if a lead will turn into your next favorite patient.

¹First Stop Health, 25 Statistics You Need To Know About Healthcare & Telemedicine