LAHORE: Dentists must evolve with time in order to take the practice as a business and envision success in the future.

These views were expressed by experts at the inaugural session of a three-day international conference, titled `Dental Practice Essentials: Strategies for Success`, at the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Friday.

The conference is being organised by UHS Oral Pathology Department incollaboration with the Institute of Advanced Dental Sciences and Research (IADSR).

UHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Junald Sarfraz Khan in his keynote speech said that many of the practitioners were converting their private practices into enterprises.

`Success in private practice cannot be pinpointed to one reason, but its failure would have multiple reasons. There are various factors which must be considered for successful conversion of a private practice into an enterprisesuch as understanding the need of society, mastering treatment skills, communication skills, updating knowledge and new trends, patient satisfaction, word of mouth, management of support staff, maintaining professional andethicalstandards,and financial viability,` said the vice chancellor.

Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) Director Almas Hyder said that consumers, including dental patients, wanted more value today. Their financial situation was oftenchallenging and uncertain so they wanted the best value they could get for their money. The best approach for dental practitioners was to increase value rather than reducing fees. They could do this with a focus on customer service, internal marketing, and strategic innovation, he added.

National coordinator of IADSR, Prof Dr Ayyaz Ali Khan, said that innovation must be the central driving force for any business that wanted to grow and succeed in both short and long terms.