What the “FaceApp” phenomenon tells us about today’s dental patients

There can’t be many of you who haven’t succumbed in recent days to the opportunity of a sneaky peek at what you might look like when you are older.

I suspect that, like me, you are less than enamoured with the results but the developers have a viral success on their hands.

This may be a one-hit wonder app but it tells us what we need to know about many of your dental patients:

1. they are all self-conscious when it comes to their appearance – maybe even a little narcissistic;

2. smartphone photography has created a world in which their images have greater reach than ever before;

3. in spite of dozens of self-help books, they remain concerned about what they look like on the outside;

4. more people (especially the older demographics) have more money to invest than at any time in recent history;

5. they are investing in health, beauty and appearance.

The role of photography and videography in dental practice marketing and new patient conversion grows.

FaceApp has succeeded by allowing users a visualisation of their possible distant future.

Dental photography and videography can help patients (with all the appropriate caveats and consents) to see a glimpse of their potential near future.

To quote a patient from Helens Bay Dental Practice in Northern Ireland (whose new video testimonial we watched last Friday) – “I really appreciated being able to take my new smile for a test drive at the start of my patient journey.”

Whether it’s the simplest of smartphone apps or the sophistication of Digital Smile Design – photographic simulation is a game-changer.

Let me tell you, if I could show my potential clients a video of their businesses and their lives 2 years after working with me – I’d have a full practice forever.

As for me in another 25 years – well, let’s wait and see shall we?