The Smile Virtual blog is a practical resource for dentists who want to grow the cosmetic side of their practice, covering virtual consultations, attracting the right patients, case acceptance, and the systems that turn interest into booked cases. It started more than a decade ago as a dental practice’s blog, and this page is the best place to begin.
Quick Answer
New here? Pick the goal that fits you best. To understand virtual consultations, start with our guide to virtual dental consultations. To bring in more cosmetic patients, read how to attract the cases you love. To grow from the patients you already have, read how to turn existing patients into cosmetic cases. Patients looking for a dentist can start with our free smile consultation guide.
Key Takeaways
- This blog began in 2011 as the Harris Dental blog, written by practicing dentists.
- Dr. Brian Harris went on to build Smile Virtual, and the blog grew with it.
- Today it’s organized around the goals dentists bring to us: understanding virtual consults, attracting cosmetic patients, converting existing patients, winning cases with photography, and opening or expanding a practice.
- Patients have a path too: learning how free smile consultations work and finding a dentist.
Where This Blog Started
In December 2011, the doctors of Harris Dental (Drs. Joe, Eric, Brian, and Scott Harris) published a short welcome post. Cosmetic dentistry was changing fast, they wrote, and they wanted to share weekly updates on the procedures their patients asked about most: Invisalign, dental implants, CEREC crowns, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, sedation dentistry, and tooth-colored fillings.
That welcome post is the page you’re reading now, rewritten.
A lot has changed since then. Dr. Brian Harris went on to build Smile Virtual, a platform that lets patients upload photos of their smile and receive a personalized video consultation from a dentist before they ever visit. It’s now used by hundreds of practices worldwide. The blog changed with it: from patient education for one practice to guidance for dentists everywhere who want to do more of the cosmetic work they trained for.
What hasn’t changed is the point of view. This blog is still written from inside dentistry, for people who care about doing excellent work and want more patients to find it.
Find What You Need
“I want to understand virtual consultations.”
Start with what a virtual dental consultation is and how cosmetic practices use it. It covers how the process works, why it’s become the biggest operational shift in cosmetic dentistry in years, and the case acceptance math behind it.
“I want more cosmetic patients.”
Read how to attract more of the cosmetic cases you love: defining your ideal patient, narrowing your message, and showing up where cosmetic patients search, scroll, and read reviews.
“I want to grow from the patients I already have.”
Your existing patient base is often your fastest source of cosmetic cases. See how to turn existing patients into cosmetic cases, including what’s changed in one cosmetic dentist’s practice since he started using virtual consults.
“I want my work to win more cases.”
Before-and-after photos are the first thing cosmetic patients judge. Our guide to dental photography for case acceptance covers equipment, exposure basics, and a repeatable workflow.
“I’m opening a new practice or location.”
Start with dental office grand opening ideas that build a patient base, including the community care day Harris Dental used to open two locations.
“I’m a patient.”
Welcome. Most of this blog is written for dentists, but you’re in the right place if you’re curious about improving your smile. Read how to get a free smile consultation and what to expect, then ask the practices you’re already considering whether they offer one.
Who Writes This Blog
Our posts are written by the Smile Virtual team and the dentists we work with, drawing on what we see across the practices using Smile Virtual every day.
- Dr. Brian Harris, founder of Smile Virtual
- Rob Pickell
- Haley Koren
- Amyra De Carion
Not Sure Where to Start?
Try this: list the parts of your cosmetic practice that are working, and the parts that aren’t. Are you visible when patients search for cosmetic dentistry in your city? Do patients have a meaningful touchpoint with you before they sit in the consultation chair? Does every patient who leaves without booking get followed up with? Do you know your cosmetic close rate?
The questions you can’t answer with a confident yes are your roadmap. The Cosmetic Growth Playbook includes a full self-assessment built on exactly these questions, and each section of this blog goes deeper on one of them.
FAQ
What is the Smile Virtual blog about?
Practical guides for dentists who want to grow the cosmetic side of their practice: virtual consultations, attracting the right patients, case acceptance, dental photography, and turning existing patients into cosmetic cases.
Where did the Smile Virtual blog start?
It began in 2011 as the Harris Dental blog. Dr. Brian Harris, one of the Harris Dental doctors, went on to build Smile Virtual, and the blog evolved into a resource for dentists.
I’m a patient. Is this blog for me?
Most posts are written for dentists, but patients can start with our guide to getting a free smile consultation or find a Smile Virtual dentist near them.
Key Insights
The Smile Virtual blog started as one practice sharing what it knew about cosmetic dentistry. It’s now a resource for dentists everywhere who want more patients to find, trust, and choose their cosmetic work.
Start with the goal that matters most to your practice right now, and come back as your next question comes up. We’ll keep adding to it.
