Independent dental practices took a hit to their digital visibility during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and may struggle going forward, according to a new study conducted by business intelligence firm DMScore.
The new report analyzed marketing data from more than 70,000 U.S. dental practices. DMScore generates a benchmarking score that indicates the digital marketing health of a practice and allows them to see their local and regional ranking measured by online directories, Google Ads, and searches.
Single practices struggled most in digital visibility during the worst of the pandemic, the report found. In fact, only 1.4% of single practices had a score over 70 (out of 100) in December 2020, while more than 50% of them had scores under 30.
The report findings suggest how the dental market may be changing post-COVID-19, according to Rand Schulman, DMScore CEO.
"Most independent dental offices will probably struggle to survive in the coming years," he said in a statement. "They will either leverage modern technology or become part of a larger enterprise -- like a Dental Service Organization (DSO)."
