A mission statement is a formal summary that defines the existence of an entity by succinctly listing the goals and values of a company. Every company has a mission statement that is the guiding principle for their work or business practices. Your mission statement defines your dental practice management goals, the services you provide and to whom, and what makes your practice a cut above the rest. A mission statement is not a catchy slogan or a marketing campaign, but it is the foundation on which your practice is built.

A mission statement articulates a company’s purpose and goals. A dental office mission statement announces to the community why your clinic exists. Every dental office should have a mission statement as a way of unifying the team members and clarify to patients what to expect. In today’s post, we’ll discuss the elements of a good dental office mission statement and offer some examples.

Why Your Dental Office Needs a Mission Statement

In today’s economy, consumers have more choices than ever before, and selecting a company to do business with extends far beyond availability and pricing. One of the most important things a dentist can do is to create a clear mission statement. A dental office mission statement serves to identify and reinforce the practice in the eyes of the patients, staff, and even the dentist. These are words by which you serve your patients, live by, and operate.

3 Factors to Include in any Great Dental Office Mission Statement

Think of your mission statement as a combination of what your dental clinic does and how and why it exists, expressed in a way that encapsulates the values that are important to you. It can be daunting to clearly and concisely bring all of these elements together, to help, here is a simple guide for writing your own dental office mission statement.

1. What Your Dental Office Does

Every dental clinic offers routine teeth cleaning and preventative care, but what does your clinic offer? Do you provide specialty services or offer basic dental services to special populations? The services you provide may range from preventative, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry. Other services may include teeth whitening, Invisalign, and implant tooth replacement, and more. While you don’t want to include your full menu of services, you’ll want to highlight the ones that are most important or set you apart from other dental clinics — why should your patients choose you?

2. How Your Dental Office Provides Services

This is not a chance to flaunt your superior operational or logistical prowess, but the how here should list your core values. For instance, you can include mention of high product quality, a superior focus on customer service, the community you serve, and execution excellence. Do you use state-of-the-art equipment or the latest techniques? Do you hold certifications or accreditations that express how your dental office is a step above the rest? Share these things in your mission statement.

3. Why Your Dental Office Exists

This is the part of your mission statement that describes your flame —the passion behind your practice. Why do you practice dentistry? Think back to why you went to dental school, why your dental office is located where it is, and who your dental clinic serves. Describe what drives your practice.

Tips For Writing a Compelling Dental Office Mission Statement

Before you put your pen to paper, here are a few tips to help you write your mission statement:

• Avoid using generic words or jargon that patients may have a hard time understanding.
• You want to inspire people to take action and be a part of your practice, either as an employee or a patient, so stay away from language that is likely to ostracize your ideal market.
• Keep it short and clear. On average, you want your statement to be between 20-100 words or 2-4 sentences.
• List the sentences of the mission statement in order of importance to the clinic’s vision.

Examples of Dental Clinic Mission Statements

Putting it all together, let’s take a look at some clinic’s mission statements and how they speak to potential patients.

Booragoon Dental Clinic

At Booragoon Dental Clinic, our staff provide complete dental care with the highest standard of treatment, tailored specifically to each individual client. We will strive to understand your needs and exceed your expectations.

This mission statement is clear and concise while offering exemplary adjectives that speak to the emotions of readers, but set concrete expectations.

City Center Dental Care

To honour the Lord by treating patients and fellow workers the same way we would like to be treated. We will continually strive for excellence in the care we render, and comfort in the way it is rendered. In this way, we will help patients to realize how good oral health can improve their quality of life.

Founded on Christian faith, this mission statement speaks directly to prospective patients to draw in those like-minded individuals who value those traits in their dental team.

VINA Community Dental Center

To provide quality, affordable dental care to Livingston County residents with limited finances and little to no access to dental care while upholding the professional standards of dentistry in a concerned and compassionate way.

Like every good mission statement, this one establishes right out of the gate that they are a community dental clinic for low-income families.

As you can see from these examples, a mission statement should convey, in a short snippet, who your dental team is and what you stand for. It should speak both to those you serve as well as act as a beacon for members of your team.

Stomadent Dental Laboratory Is Your Total Dental Office Partner

At Stomadent Dental Laboratory, our success depends on your success. The success of any dental practice depends on the quality of people who serve your patients as well as a clear purpose and driving force. A basic building block at the core of any dental practice is a well-written and clear mission statement. For more information or to partner with a dental lab that cares about you and your patients, connect with us online today!