Why competition is relevant?

The Importance of Competition

In an increasingly competitive market saturated with messages, many professionals—including those in Dentistry—see competition as a threat. However, from a strategic marketing perspective, the presence of competitors is not only inevitable but essential for growth, innovation, and differentiation.
If you see your competitors only as threats, try also to see them as teachers in disguise—there may be a lot to learn.

1. Competition as a Driving Force of the Market

Philip Kotler, one of the most influential thinkers in modern marketing, points out that “competition is the foundation of a healthy market economy, as it forces companies to continuously innovate and seek more efficient ways to serve customers.”
Without competition, there is no incentive to evolve—only complacency.

Bringing this concept into the dental field, competition among clinics, implant brands, equipment manufacturers, and even influencers and educators creates a dynamic environment. It pushes brands to constantly reflect, invest in improving customer experience, and develop differentiators. Those who want to win are forced out of their comfort zones to refine their value proposition.
It is worth remembering: nothing—and no business—grows in the comfort zone.

2. Michael Porter’s Strategic Perspective

For Michael Porter, in Competitive Strategy, competition should be understood as a system of forces that shapes the attractiveness of an industry. Porter defines the Five Competitive Forces—direct competitors, new entrants, substitute products, supplier power, and buyer power—as the foundation of competitive advantage.

In dentistry, this translates into pressure from new clinics with more accessible business models, the rise of dental technology startups (such as digital management platforms or 3D planning tools), and even new treatment alternatives—like clear aligners, which challenged traditional orthodontic methods.

Each of these forces, far from being a problem, stimulates adaptation and repositioning—essential elements for brands and professionals to remain relevant.

We can clearly observe this movement on two fronts. On one side, there are manufacturers of artificial teeth and dental prosthetic resins. On the other, 3D printers are emerging that can produce not only teeth but complete prostheses directly in the dental office—faster and more customized to the needs of patients and dentists—significantly enhancing the value proposition of treatment delivery.

Within this same supply chain, dental laboratories also need to adapt, as it is increasingly likely that fewer traditional flasks and conventional prosthetic processes will remain on workbenches.

The competitor of both manufacturers and laboratories has arrived with a clear name: Digital. And it has abruptly forced adaptation and repositioning across the entire market. In this new ecosystem, if they want to stay in the game, all players will have to leave their comfort zones.

3. Competition as a Sign of Demand

Al Ries and Jack Trout, in Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind, argue that “the existence of competitors is a sign that there is a viable market.”
In other words, if others are offering the same service, it is because there is an audience willing to buy it.

In dentistry, this means that the growth of clinics specializing in aesthetics or facial harmonization, for example, is proof that patients are willing to invest in these services.
The challenge is not to eliminate competitors, but to position yourself uniquely—by highlighting purpose, style of care, or clinical philosophy.

Over the past ten years, the Brazilian dental market has strongly embraced the franchising model. The number of franchises grew exponentially, and clinics with celebrity endorsements flooded the market. Even so, dentistry in Brazil does not seem to have improved at the same pace.

Today, we see that this franchise-driven market has lost momentum. Betting on low prices and low-quality services failed to generate enough value to retain patients. A model focused solely on scale forgot that the game is infinite and underestimated the importance of recurrence.

I acknowledge there are exceptions—some models understood their niche and value proposition very well. However, in general, independent private clinics (without franchise branding or celebrity endorsements) seem to be regaining their space, without having to charge less, precisely because they refined their value proposition.

4. Competition as a Consumer Educator

Competition also educates the market. When multiple brands communicate similar benefits, patients learn to compare, research, and value aspects that were previously overlooked—such as comfort in care, technology used, or professional certifications.

This raises expectations, but it also elevates the overall standard of dentistry. Brands and professionals who understand this do not fear competition—they learn from it, draw inspiration from it, and in some cases, even collaborate with it.

Recently, I read a book by an author who deeply impressed me: Walter Longo. He proposes the concept of Aducation to describe a new communication paradigm: brands that educate while they communicate gain much more than attention—they gain trust.

In a world saturated with advertising, audiences reject those who only want to sell and gravitate toward those who deliver knowledge and purpose.

And what does this have to do with competition? Everything.

In a competitive market—like dentistry—educating the audience becomes one of the smartest and most sustainable ways to differentiate. While some fight for attention through promotions and purely commercial campaigns, others create real value by sharing knowledge, clarifying doubts, and helping patients (or fellow dentists) make better decisions.

This is the kind of strategy in which competition does not weaken a brand—it strengthens the entire sector. When brands and professionals compete through educational content, they not only elevate their own prestige but also raise the bar for the entire profession.

In the end, the concept of Aducation shows that the future of competition is not about who shouts louder, but about who teaches better.
And as Walter Longo himself says: “Those who educate the market, lead the market.”

5. From Adversaries to Co-Creators

In today’s landscape, competition can evolve into coopetition—a term that combines cooperation and competition. The concept was developed by professors Adam M. Brandenburger (Harvard Business School) and Barry J. Nalebuff (Yale School of Management).

The core idea is that competing companies can, in certain situations, cooperate to generate mutual value, while still competing in other areas.

It may sound counterintuitive, but let’s look again at an example in dentistry. Two brands may compete for customers but cooperate on market regulation initiatives or technological innovation.

In the case of equipment manufacturers, for instance, coopetition around issues such as sanitary regulation, anti-piracy efforts, equipment safety, and the promotion of good market practices can transform competitive relationships into something far more positive—where everyone benefits, including end users.

In this sense, Brandenburger and Nalebuff show that the boundary between competition and collaboration is more strategic than ideological.

Competing is not waging war.
It is competing and growing together.
It is turning comparison into learning.
It is looking sideways and asking: “How can I improve my value proposition?”
And, above all:
“How do I stay in the game?”