If you have been practising veterinary dentistry for a while but you like the freedom that comes with self-employment, then you should start a private practice. A private practice gives you the opportunity to serve your clients directly and without restrictions. You should, however, understand that there is little room for mistakes if success is something you want. This write-up highlights ways of succeeding as a start-up veterinary dental practice.

Offer Chewing Toys

If somebody's pet has an oral issue that needs the services of a vet, then the pet owner will not look at flyers or adverts for direction. Pet owners go to a vet they know, and the only way you can make this happen is by offering more than oral vet service. Therefore, in addition to providing your clients with toothbrushes and toothpaste for their pests, you should also offer pet treats or chew toys. Other than keeping the pets' oral health in top shape, chew toys also give pets something to 'destroy' other than their owners' valuables. The toys are the best for distracting pets and preventing them from chewing shoes, furniture, fabric and anything dangerous they can get their teeth on. Moreover, chew toys are not costly, and you can offer them randomly to clients without spending too much.

Partner with a Pet Spa

If competition for veterinary dentistry services is tight in your locality, then incorporating spa services in your practice should keep the competition at bay. However, the truth is that such an undertaking is capital intensive especially for a start-up. Therefore, a better alternative is to partner with an already-existing pet spa. With such an arrangement, you can create different oral treatment packages that have a spa treatment as a complimentary service. For instance, you can offer a package that requires clients to reach a given number of dental care visits -- say 10 -- to qualify for the complimentary spa treatment.

Go Beyond Oral Health Inspection

When you receive clients to your practice, it is normal to focus on and attend to the pet's dental problem. However, why stop at oral health if the pet shows signs of other health issues such as worm infestation or a developing skin disease. Your objective is to offer more than your customers expects at no extra cost. Therefore, once you are done with a dental and oral check-up, you can examine the pet for other signs of disease. You might discover a severe health issue that the owner didn't know about.