Effective communication in dentistry in the new media era

Objectives. The evolution of health advertising regulations in Italy, the growing number of dental offices, the advent of franchise dental clinics, the new forms of personal communication thanks to internet and mobile technology developments, all of these require a revised marketing strategy from single dental offices intending to boost patient numbers and deal with the economic crisis begun in 2007. The emergence of the web, of new media and social networks provides the dentist with valuable tools to enhance the best ever promotion channel for dental practices, namely word of mouth upgrading to word of mouth 2.0. Materials and methods. Websites, blogs, users review aggregator sites and social networks are platforms that have achieved a considerable development thanks to emerging digital technologies like personal computers, tablets and smartphones. Even now, web marketing tools are useful and effective ways to improve the visibility and reputation of the dentist himself and of his dental practice. Results and conclusions. The web 2.0 and the growth of social media provide single dental offices with effective tools to boost their reputation on the web and in the local area. Through a well-structured website rich with interesting content, and through online comments and reviews, each dentist can raise awareness on the web about his expertise, professional profile and personal relationship skills. Therefore, the dental office can facilitate an increase in number of patients through careful web marketing and Web Reputation Management strategies.