Working with dentists is routinely fascinating. It never fails to amaze me, the passion these professionals bring to their work, and to patient care. And the things that can be done in dental care, the outcomes a dentist can achieve, are really quite incredible. There are many great things about working in dental marketing, the people behind patient care chief among them. The patient is at the heart of practice, so naturally is also at the heart of marketing, communications, and storytelling. Documenting the patient journey, whether it’s through general preventative care, or a full mouth restoration, is a real privilege.

When I made an industry shift several years ago, from hospitality to dental, I didn’t see this coming. But I’m so glad it did, and I’m even more delighted it’s led me to Sketch Dental.

Joining Sketch to lead the dental marketing team and strategy has been a journey of its own, already – and I’m only just getting started! The team has laid great foundations, of course, and we’re building on those, together. What struck me from the outside looking in, before I started, was the people. Yes, also a polished, professional brand that aligns with the private dental industry perfectly, but it was personality that shone through. Now from the inside, I feel no different. The people, our team at Sketch Dental, are passionate, motivated, and skilled in all of the services we provide for our dental clients. My journey into Sketch, not unlike the patient’s journey into practice, was made all the more comfortable by the people I work with.

As a marketing agency, it’s our responsibility to generate high quality leads. We work with the practice to maximise the potential of those leads, ensuring their journey is the best it can be – because behind a lead is a real person, a real potential patient. A poor experience in practice would dilute those efforts, and the same goes for us here in agency; if I’d had a shaky start, it would take longer to align with the team, and that would translate into the service we pride ourselves on.

I’m prone to a dental pun, and likening our experience at work to the patient experience in practice. There’s always a comparison to be made, and Alignment is the perfect example. So one of my first priorities was to bring the team together with a Dental Alignment workshop.

We talk about teeth straightening all the time, and in marketing material there is often a focus on aesthetic over function. It’s pretty, right? Straightening your smile to boost your confidence is motivation enough, sure, but what about those other factors that might inspire someone to book a consultation?

Crowding can contribute to jaw pain or disorders; it can make teeth difficult to clean; it comes with higher risks of decay, or gum disease; it affects your bite, and it can lead to movement or isolation of individual teeth. Yes, I’m talking teeth, but I’m talking team too. These things are all transferable; being misaligned as a team leads to higher risks of inefficiency or pressure; it leaves you unable to optimise processes, or to innovate; it affects function, and it can lead to individuals feeling isolated or an imbalance. Visualise it, we see before and after pictures of smiles all the time. By applying that imagery to our team, we were able to host the most effective, and inspiring, team Dental Alignment workshop to ensure we’re always aligned as a team, on what we’re delivering, and how we plan to move forward.

“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
– Maya Angelou

It’s leading us into an exciting time for Sketch Dental, as we continue to level up our outputs and delight our clients. We continue to invest in growing and developing the team so we can delight our dental teams. Our new Campaign Manager, Lucy, is making waves in managing our workflows. Our dedicated Dental Account Manager, Gabby, is introducing new communication channels and enhanced reporting. Our Client Relations Manager, Daisy, is bringing the kind of added value that only Sketch Dental can, with her unique insight to practice operations. Our Business Development Manager, Emily, is tailoring strategy to offer a truly bespoke service for our clients. And we’ve recently welcomed another Emily, as Paid Social Media Lead, to develop and drive our clients’ campaign strategy and performance. On top of that, we have our colleagues in design and delivery, working tirelessly to create, launch, and optimise campaigns that deliver those top quality leads for our clients.

Alignment is something that we now revisit regularly. After you’ve straightened your smile with clear aligners, you need to keep wearing a retainer. Same goes for us – coming together as a team to celebrate successes, align on strategy, and plan ahead, sets us up for the exciting future we’re building for Sketch Dental.