From R&D to the mouth--a viable roadmap for the technology era.

This article serves as an overview of the status of dental technology as the profession approaches a new century. Its purpose is to define various ways in which dental manufacturers and marketers can better understand the thinking of the dental professional, those factors that influence their thought processes and how to use this information to develop more effective and predictive marketing strategies. With the advent of more complex and expensive dental technologies, e.g., video imaging, digitized radiology, electronic data transmission, etc., the dentist is faced with a variety of decisions relating to purchasing, implementation and costs/benefits analysis that go beyond the normal daily concerns of delivering competent dental care. It is no longer enough for a manufacturer to make a good product; successful marketing strategies must also include a means for guiding the dentist in the successful integration of these technologies into their offices. In order for dental marketers to meet the competitive demands of this advanced technology era, there must be a commitment to the development of strategic information through the use of third party, customized marketing research. Too much of the input currently used to develop marketing strategies is anecdotal, inherently biased and often not representative of the target market as a whole. It is hoped that this article will effectively challenge the reader to look at the development of dental products and services from a somewhat different, less traditional perspective and that it will provide the impetus and direction for creating better targeted and more rewarding marketing strategies.