Our team at Zircon Medical recently hosted Dr. Gül on our podcast series to discuss how to identify your dental practice’s unique selling proposition or dentistry style.

Introducing Dr. Cetin Gül, the founder of a private dental practice in Hannover

Dr. Gül is currently the owner and founder of a private dental practice in Hannover, founded in 2015. Before venturing into a private practice, he had been working at a group practice with 5 to 6 other colleagues since 1999. He acquired his Doctorate in medicine in 1996. After working for a few years at a group practice, he pursued further training and acquired a Master’s degree in implantology in 2006. He’s currently a specialist in in Implantology, Laser therapy, aesthetic dentistry and anesthesia treatment.

When asked about his motivation, Dr. Gül says he always loved tinkering with little toys as a child. He loved working with his hands, so it seems natural that he eventually became a dentist — a profession where handiwork is pretty crucial. He has been working as a dentist for about 30 years now — what motivates him to continue is a never-ending curiosity that soaks up anything new in the field. He’s incredibly passionate about dentistry, and that’s all the motivation he needs.

Dr. Gül started his dentistry journey at a group practice. Even though he learned a lot from his colleagues and the group setting, he and his wife often discussed setting off on their own. He had always wanted to work on his own to bring more of a personal touch to his interactions with his patients. He eventually started looking for a new location with his wife, and they eventually found the perfect spot close to the train station, where they opened a private practice in 2015.

Dr. Gül and his wife were taken aback that such a prime location was available. They seized the opportunity and set up three treatment rooms in 250 square meters. They wanted a dental clinic that felt familial and personal, where patients could feel cared for. And Dr. Gül is happy that patients have truly responded to that energy. Dr. Gül is the lead dentist in the clinic, and his wife is the creative spirit ensuring each corner of the practice tells a story.

And that’s how they ended up with a unique and welcoming dental practice at Theaterstrasse 3, 30159 Hannover.

Identify your unique selling proposition to distinguish yourself

Finding a location isn’t all there is to establish a dental practice, of course. Dr. Gül is incredibly happy that they could set up in such an incredibly accessible location, with access to an incredibly valuable and special clientele. But private practices have to work hard to establish their unique selling proposition (USP), i.e., a dentistry style that distinguishes them from more renowned, reputable, and bigger practices. Dr. Gül’s practice established its USP through social media, word-of-mouth, and exceptional patient care.

The following is an overview of factors that make Dr. Gül’s dental practice special:

Holistic Patient Care

Dr. Gül’s practice takes care of every aspect of the patient’s dental experience, helping them with the parking, appointments, treatment, and recovery.

Time & Patience

When working at his group practice, Dr. Gül often had to squeeze 20 to 40 sessions with patients in a single day, constantly shuffling back and forth between different treatment rooms. As such, each session had to be rushed. Dr. Gül is glad they don’t do the same in his practice — he prefers giving each patient his undivided time and attention.

Flexible Appointments

Most dental clinics book appointments one after the other, with no space for flexibility. As such, they have to rush their existing appointments or keep the next patients waiting. Dr. Gül maintains flexible appointments with plenty of time between each to ensure no patient is rushed or made to wait long, which, in turn, improves the overall patient experience.

Quiet Working Space

Since his private practice doesn’t have additional dentists or a constant throng of patients, it remains fairly quiet and peaceful. He wants each patient to feel relaxed and peaceful during their dental appointments instead of being intruded upon with various external sounds and stimuli. He finds that a quiet working space also helps him work better and provide better results.

Collective Treatments

Dr. Gül prefers combining as many treatments in a single session as possible. Instead of completing 5 fillings over 2-5 sessions, he completes them in a single session. If different aspects of an implant can be handled in a single session, he performs them all consecutively. Patients love that he saves them repeated trips back and forth from his clinic.

Authenticity

Dr. Gül emphasizes the value of authenticity. One must always advertise services they’re good at and not those they don’t specialize in. Dr. Gül gives his patients the best recommendations to other specialists if he’s not adequately prepared or trained for a specific request. His patients love that honesty.

Tips for younger dentists

When asked about tips and advice he’d give to younger dentists, he said: 

In the previous section, we discussed how Dr. Gül positioned his private practice to ensure it sets itself apart from other bigger names. He described his dentistry style (or USP) as centered on patience, collective treatments, and authenticity. Similarly, whenever someone establishes a new dental practice, they must clearly identify and establish a unique dentistry style to distinguish themselves from everyone else. 

This article takes you through the primary factors you must consider when establishing a unique dentistry style.

Personality

Personality refers to your dental clinic’s individual identity, characteristics, philosophies, and goals. It’s usually a collection of the primary dentist’s personality, leadership style, and the team’s general approach to patient care. Just like each individual has a unique personality, so too does each dental practice. However, figuring out your exact personality might be more difficult than it seems. Most people say they have “high standards of care” or “high levels of skills” — these claims don’t mean much because no dentist would state otherwise.

Instead of cliches, you must take a good look at your clinic to identify its unique personality. For example, Dr. Gül’s dental practice is quiet, patient, flexible, and focused on collective treatments. Those are unique qualities. You should identify similar traits. Does your clinic have specialized accessibility features for differently-abled patients? Do you keep fewer appointments to ensure each patient has as much time as they need with you? Does your dental practice have a daycare area with attendants for kids?

These are examples of questions you should be asking yourself to identify your unique personality.

Location

Think about your dental clinic’s location to determine if it has any special value to the patients. Gül’s dental practice is right next to a thriving and busy station, making it highly accessible to patients from various parts of the city. Most people won’t be as lucky to have such a convenient location, but you can still find unique features in your clinic’s location. Focus on your building, surrounding amenities, and make a list of possible attractions.

Is it close to lots of public transportation? Is it quiet and solitary to offer a calming spa-like environment? Is there plenty of parking spaces in the area? Is the dental clinic near retail stores or convenience stores? Are the rooms especially spacious and suitable for claustrophobic individuals? Does the dental clinic offer sweeping views of the city? These are examples of questions you can ask yourself to identify your location’s USPs.

Rewards

Finally, think about your dental practice’s unique patient benefits and rewards. Do you offer some benefits that no other clinics offer? Maybe a discount for preventative dentistry if the entire family gets it together? Maybe you offer annual memberships with access to discounted services? Or perhaps the benefit is something as simple as online or app-based bookings. Whatever your patient benefits and rewards might be, it establishes your unique identity. These aren’t necessary, but they help you distinguish yourself from others.

If you follow these factors, you’ll probably come up with a list of suitable characteristics for your dental clinic. You can cull that list down to the most essential defining traits that establish your identity. But the process doesn’t end there – finding your dental clinic’s true USP is a longer process that you must continue refining with time, as you learn more about your patients, your team, and yourself. Positioning the dental clinic is also a bigger subject that we’ll explore in greater detail in future podcasts and articles.