(2.9) QR For Dentists

COMMENTARY
QR Codes for Dentists

By Douglas Berkey, DMD, MPH, MS, Editor-in-Chief, Dental Abstracts
It seems that every piece of advertising today includes the printed page but can be applied to just about any sur-
those funny little black and white squares and invites you face that can be scanned by a camera phone equipped
to just scan it to access more information or to link to web with the correct reader application. This links physical ob-
sites or social networks. You can even watch demos with jects to the Internet, but also allows one to track the scan-
some of these links. Is there a way that these handy little ner through the geographic information supplied by
gadgets can help your dental practice? We already know global positioning software (GPS) and cell tower triangula-
that businesses vie for the consumer’s attention through con- tion or the URL encoded in the QR code itself.
tests that involve ‘‘liking’’ them on Facebook. We’ve all seen
videos on YouTube that reach millions of viewers. Googleþ How can a dentist use these codes?
and Pinterest are also competing for our attention. All of
this technology has radically altered the way businesses and For marketing purposes, dentists can print QR codes onto
consumers interact and how communication flows between any pamphlets, signs, packaging, or giveaways from the
them. For a dental practice, investing in social networking office. With the codes readily available, the patient can
and the gadgets that go along with it can go a long way toward scan them at their leisure for additional information
fostering a community and building a loyal following. This is through their smartphone. The websites where the QR
exactly the type of relationship that can expand a dental prac- codes take patients give more information about products,
tice and help it reach people where they’re at. offers, and services, but can also offer other information:
What is a QR Code? 1. QR codes can lead to Facebook pages and contribute to

search engine optimization. Linking all two-
Quick Response or QR codes were originally developed for dimensional practice advertising—business cards, let-
tracking vehicles in the automotive industry in Japan. Their terhead, newspaper articles—to your Facebook page
popularity stems from the ability to read them rapidly and will increase the chance that potential patients will
from their storage capacity, which is much larger than that of find information about your practice electronically.
standard UPC barcodes. These squares usually hold numeric, 2. QR codes can be used by patients to fill out a survey
alphanumeric, byte/binary, or Kanji data, but with supported about your dental practice. This feedback allows the pa-
extensions, the storage of virtually any type of data is possible. tient to remain anonymous and can be helpful in target-
ing your practice to meet patient needs.
QR codes are detected as a two-dimensional digital im- 3. Links can also direct patients to websites where they
age using a sensor and then digitally analyzed by a processor. can contribute positive reviews or testimonials—
The processor focuses on the three squares located on the a very persuasive tool in marketing a dental practice.
corners of the image and uses a smaller square near the re- 4. Patients can be quickly and easily connected to oppor-
maining corner to normalize the image. Small dots in the im- tunities to participate in drawings or giveaways.
age are converted to binary numbers. An error-correcting 5. QR codes can connect with fun dental games to enter-
code is included to check the validity of the data. Smart- tain patients while they are in the waiting room.
phone users can install an app (usually free) with a scanner
that reads the code and converts it to a URL, which directs The American Association of Orthodontists is currently
the smartphone’s browser to the appropriate website. using QR codes for some articles in their journal. They are
placed next to the articles and allow readers to access
The QR code provides quick and effortless access to videos and photographs. QR codes also appear on the In-
sites where consumers can shop. This ease of access information for authors page, giving links to videos about
creases the chance that the consumer will purchase a prod- how to prepare an article for publication.
uct by leading the potential purchaser down the path to
a longer, more targeted sales pitch than a simple printed What about clinical applications? QRs can link to videos,
page of information can offer. QR codes aren’t limited to so it should be possible to show a procedure and talk the
116 Dental Abstracts

viewer through it. Many possibilities haven’t yet been ex- Douglas Berkey, DMD, MPH, MS, Editor-in-Chief, Dental
plored, but the potential for communicating simply and Abstracts
rapidly is enormous. Professor, University of Colorado, School of Dental
Medicine, Aurora, Co
Conclusions E-mail: [email protected]
It seems that everyone has a smartphone today and can down-

load apps to help them shop and access information on the References
go. Advertisers can reach these mobile devices through QR
codes and increase sales. Dentists and other health care prac- Dr QR Codes: Learn more ways dentists utilize QR codes, posted
titioners can learn a few tricks from marketing people and use March 15, 2012 at orangeqr.com.
the same approaches to build their practices, expand their Duty S: QR codes in dental marketing, posted April 2011 at modern-
presence electronically, or enhance communication. Offering dental marketing.com.
patients a quick, easy way to contact the dental office seems
Kokich VG: Do you know what this image represents? Am J Orthod
like an easy choice for our advertising dollars. Other applica-
Dentofacial Orthop 140:599, 2011.
tions are still being developed. Now would be the perfect time
to invest in this simple technology.
Balancing esthetics and ethical practices
Background.—Most experienced dentists share the treatment. The outcome can be an unnatural, depersonal-
belief that performing cosmetic procedures carries the ized, monochromatic appearance. Often adjacent or oppo-
risks of disappointing patients, failing to meet their expec- site healthy tooth surfaces are sacrificed so that the
tations, and increasing the chance of litigation. However, repaired teeth will match one another or conform to pa-
esthetics can be the primary concern of many dentists tients’ demands. The ethical principles dictating that clini-
and patients to the point that patients consent to treat- cians do no harm can be ignored in this process.
ment without being sufficiently informed about the de-
struction of tooth structure that is inherent in achieving Another marketing issue is the publication of glossy, but
a desired cosmetic outcome. This raises ethical issues sometimes superficial and destructive articles that may lure
that must be addressed. inexperienced dentists into performing unneeded dental de-
struction just because the patient asks for an improved smile.
Permanence and Informed Consent.—A study in the Patients may desire a simple improvement that can be accom-
United Kingdom found that just 53% of porcelain veneers plished with minimally invasive methods, but the dentist may
remained without repeat intervention after 10 years. Al- be influenced into recommended and performing extensive
though the term ‘‘permanent veneers’’ is often applied to techniques. There is also the danger that ‘‘pseudo-research’’
these approaches, a 10-year lifespan cannot be considered may legitimize destructive techniques or the use of unproven
permanent. In addition, up to 30% of sound dental tissue materials to replace sound dental tissues.
may be removed during the preparation for extended por-
celain veneers. All-ceramic full-coverage crown prepara- Discussion.—Experienced ethical dentists tend to be
tions can destroy between 62% and 73% of sound anterior attuned to their patients’ reasonable desires and aspira-
tooth structure. These are irreversible steps that are often tions for esthetic dental health. Most have acquired the
not explained fully to patients before they accept treatment. training and skill needed to provide procedures that im-
Patients need to know the relevant figures concerning the prove their patients’ dental appearance using thoughtfully
loss of tooth tissue and structure at the planning stage chosen, biologically sound, and minimally destructive eth-
and be informed of the possibility that pulpal problems ical means. Cosmetic dentistry offers the opportunity to
can develop down the road. eliminate or reduce dental disease while improving or
maintaining good function and achieving a healthier,
Marketing Issues.—The ‘‘ideal smile design’’ concept more attractive appearance. The risk-to-reward ratio
involves doing various amounts of dental damage to must be kept in balance during the process of providing
achieve repaired teeth that will match one another or con- esthetic benefits without incurring excessive dental
form to a formula, often through an overprescription of destruction.
Volume 58 Issue 3 2013 117

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COMMENTARY

QR Codes for Dentists

What is a QR Code? 1. QR codes can lead to Facebook pages and contribute to

116 Dental Abstracts

It seems that everyone has a smartphone today and can down-

Balancing esthetics and ethical practices

Volume 58 Issue 3 2013 117

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