We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jason Dulac a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jason, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
My name is Dr. Jason Dulac. I own and operate Dulac Dental of Springfield in Springfield, Virginia. I thought that Dulac Dental sounded alliterative and had a nice ring to it, and my professional initials, D.D.S., stand for Doctor of Dental Surgery. As it was located in Springfield, D.D.S. would serve as both the initials of the business and my professional designation, which I thought was cool. Additionally, if I were to open another office in a different location, it would lend itself to “Dulac Dental of” some other town or city.
Jason, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
We’re a full service cosmetic, family, and restorative dental practice. I’m incredibly passionate about clinical excellence and customer service. I’m proud of the variety of services we provide that other offices may not. I enjoy staying on top of technology improvements in the field of dentistry. There are a couple of areas I’d like to highlight…
I would like to focus on the improvements in technology and dentistry that enhance the patient experience. Significant advancements in 3-D printing, digital design, and AI have positively impacted patient outcomes. For example, radiograph reviewing software now highlights areas of varying radiographic density, providing immediate second opinions and helping patients better understand their diagnoses. We have a 3-D X-ray machine in our office, that aids in diagnosis and treatment planning, improving patient safety and outcomes for root canals and implants and other times we see unique presentations on 2-D X-rays.
In terms of materials and lab technology, the advancements in 3-D printing are remarkable. We can now 3-D print metal, which improves the accuracy of partial dentures that were traditionally cast. We are also approaching a point where we can 3-D print crowns; however, the wear characteristics of the materials still need improvement compared to traditional crowns. The cost of 3-D printing resin is lower than milling ceramic, which could lead to more cost-effective treatments in the future. Currently we offer 3-D milled ceramic crowns in office, allowing patients to get their final crown out of the same quality ceramic they would get from the lab, in one visit. Only 15% of dentists in the country offer this service.
The use of 3-D printed dentures offers a superior tissue fit, and CAD/CAM technology for designing crowns and orthodontic treatment plans has been in practice for over a decade. We utilize 3-D scanners in our office, providing comfort to patients and allowing for the indefinite storage of scans.
One procedure that consistently surprises patients with its ease is root canals. Many expect it to be painful and lengthy, but technological advancements have made these procedures more efficient. The introduction of rotary nickel-titanium files has significantly reduced the time needed for root canals. Offering efficient root canals and same-day crowns in one visit, at one office, is something our patients really appreciate.
We also offer implants, start to finish, including the surgery. Other surgical procedures like third molar removal, and comprehensive orthodontic therapy including functional appliances to aid in growth and development, traditional straight wire orthodontics, and clear aligner therapy (like Invisalign).
We offer a full range of periodontal (gum) services. Including initial non surgical procedures (deep cleanings) and laser-assisted surgical procedures like gum contouring, crown lengthening, implant removal, bone grafting.
And we offer botox for TJM and jaw pain and muscle strain.
Overall, these advancements in digital technology, AI, and material science have greatly enhanced the patient care experience. I’m passionate about providing the best possible service to our patients.
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
Marketing is just telling your story. Effective marketing is other people telling your story. We focus heavily on patient testimonials and reviews for this reason. Prior to covid, we were busy enough that we didn’t need to market, like many dental offices, we lost 30% of our patients during covid, which was a huge hit, and eventually realized they weren’t planning to come back. (Which I certainly don’t advise as dental disease is mostly preventable and always cheaper and easier if caught early.)
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
COVID was really rough on the business. It was very apparent to me in March 2020, from about 40 hours of research of the literature coming out of China and Italy that this was going to be a modified flu, that rather than affecting young and old, would be progressively worse with age and comorbitities, affecting older patients most severely. Despite this, out of fear or abundance of caution, we were shut down for 5 weeks in March and April 2020, which continues to impact the business in 2025.
I initially thought that there would be a surge back following the shutdown, that wasn’t the case. In July 2020, when the CDC verified all the data coming out of China and Italy, i thought for sure it would be over, but the paranoia continued for another year. It was shocking to me schools were closed in 2020-2021 school year. I’m not sure why people stopped caring about it when they did.
Ultimately what we saw is that 30% of patients left the practice never to return. This trend was seen nationally.
Additionally, we, along with other dental and medical practices and many other appointment based business, saw that people didn’t really care about showing up to scheduled appointments anymore.
As a result, we had to pivot towards marketing and growth, in addition to putting in somewhat stringent cancelation policies, as what was once a sustainable practice thriving solely on direct referrals with an over 95% show rate for appointments, was at one point on the verge of closure, due to a drop in the patient base and a nearly 50% cancellation or no-show rate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://dulacdds.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasondulac?igsh=eXB6dGViM3dlMmYx&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dulac-Dental-of-Springfield/100083875794600/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-dulac-1102b693
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DulacDental
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/dulac-dental-of-springfield-springfield
- Other: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dulac+Dental+of+Springfield/@38.7838706,-77.1826766,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x89b7b316d43e91d9:0xcb03fbde490ae7c4!8m2!3d38.7838706!4d-77.1826766!16s%2Fg%2F11fl47nl17?entry=ttu
https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.jason.dulac?_t=ZT-8w1Qzyz8gwg&_r=1
