You've Selected
Results
Finding a Therapeutic Outlet with the Family Dog
I am a dentist with 30 years’ experience and I wear many hats. I serve on the Mississippi State Board of Dental Examiners, am president of my AGD constituent and also serve on AGD’s Communications Council, among other things. I am married, and I have three children and one grandchild. H
Hire a Consultant Who Has Walked in Your Shoes
There is an old saying: “You know what you know, but you don’t know what you don’t know.” Dentists like you and I are no different. Dental consultants, who have both clinical and business experience, are able to help us know what we don’t know. The new era of dentist
What Not to do When Business Gets Slow: Three Pitfalls We Should all Avoid
Every business owner knows there are times throughout the year when work slows down. The savvy entrepreneur can recognize these trends and implement strategies to avoid them, or at least redirect a downward shift when it starts. The rest of us get nervous, and our uneasiness can lead to critical mis
Grading Yourself
In my last blog post, “Serving the Profession of Dentistry,” I touched on state dental board cases. This post started me thinking about providing quality care and trying to avoid a situation that would involve the board of dental examiners. After graduating dental school and completing
What Gets Measured Gets Managed
The power of business data should never be underestimated. Historically, dentists have seldom needed to master their key performance indicators (KPIs). The profit margins used to be so substantial that the business owner didn’t need to worry. However, in today’s dental economy, excellent
Selling Your Practice: Part 2
Let's prepare for your practice sale. Your broker will conduct a review of your practice and determine if it is generating enough income to make it worth selling. Not all practices are profitable enough to sell. They will require an exhaustive review of your numbers. During this time, you must pro
On the Shoulders of Giants
In the 12th century, Jewish Talmudic commentator Isaiah di Trani wrote about a rabbinical debate about wisdom and who could see further — giants or dwarfs. Since the obvious answer was giants, he next posed the question of: “If the dwarf is placed on the shoulders of the giant, who sees
A Well-Informed Patient Is a Must for the Modern Dental Practice
Although dentistry seems to be evolving faster than ever, certain core concepts remain the same. One such concept is the importance of the “well-informed patient.” I use this phrase to encompass both clinical and non-clinical aspects of the dental practice. A patient who is well-informed
When to Invest in the Newest Dental Technology
One important lesson I have learned over the years is that I cannot always afford to keep up with dentistry’s newest trends. I am a techno-geek, and I love new technology. Over the years, however, I’ve learned that even though new technology may seem like a good buy — and I might e
To Open or Close? That is the Question.
As we are now well into the new year, I would like to spend some time reflecting on the recent past and planning for the coming year. Were you open for business between the Christmas and New Year holidays? When I left the Canadian Forces and first worked in private practice as an associate, I was
CE Hours: Do We Really Need Them?
In a recent Facebook group discussion in Alberta, a colleague posted the question of whether the Provincial Dental Association would consider reducing the number of continuing education (CE) hours required for licensure. I found the question surprising, but I did not respond until I had more time to
Use Dental Meetings to Combat the “February Patient Slowdown”
Two events take place every February here in Chicago. The first February event is what I’ve termed the “February Patient Slowdown.” Why does this phenomenon occur? There are quite a few possible contributing factors. I’ve found that most patients who want surgical or restora
Deciphering Caries and Cancer Risk Factors
We’ve all heard this question at some point in our careers: “Doc, why does my spouse who never flosses or brushes as much as I do have no cavities, and I floss daily, do all the right things and yet always seem to need dental work?” Likewise, why do healthy people who eat right, ex
What is the Lifetime Value of a Dental Patient?
The continued expansion of dental service organizations, coupled with poor reimbursement by dental insurance companies, has become the norm. A review of the business literature on the future of dentistry concludes that this contraction of available patient dollars will continue to “squeeze&rdq
Unwelcome Oversight
Have you ever felt as if someone was watching you while working in your operatory? I know I have. And it’s because there are always people watching you. No, they are not in the operatory with you, but they might as well be. They are the ever-present representatives of your insurance company.
Improv Comedy and Life Skills
Keith Johnstone moved from London to Calgary in the 1970s, and, working with theater students at the University of Calgary and StoryBook Theatre Society, he created the Loose Moose Theatre Company. Johnstone came up with the idea of using improvisation and comedy as a form of working-class theater
What I Wish I’d Known in Dental School
Going into dentistry was one of the greatest choices I’ve made. I want every dental student to know that they’ve chosen a rewarding profession — ranked one of the best in the world right now — in which they’re likely to succeed. Dentistry had always been the plan for
Thoughts on Conversations with Celebrities
Last week, I went to tennis heaven. The BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California, is one of the most exciting tennis tournaments of the year. Almost every tennis player on the professional tour, low and high ranked alike, signs up. Top tennis players are no different than other famous celebrity
Part 2: What Defines a Successful Practice?
This is my second blog post in which I strive to define success through my eyes. In my previous blog post, I talked about how I feel like success is always measured in dollars. (If you haven’t yet read it, I recommend you do. It is a must-read. I mean: Pulitzer Prize-type stuff.) I also discus
Part 4: What Defines a Successful Practice?
This is my fourth blog post in the series I’ve written over the past few months that has discussed what I think success is to how I practice. I started this series because I read a lot of dental articles and blogs that tells us what a successful practice looks like. If you read or talk about s
What Defines a Successful Practice?
After a reading some blog posts focused on what it takes to have a successful practice, I started to ask myself about success. I started to ponder what a successful practice looks like. Of all the things I read, there was one aspect I wasn’t seeing being discussed — how to set up a pract
The Not-So-Magic ‘Magic Words’
His name was Horst Krull. He was a master craftsman and proud of his work. He was the head of the dental lab as part of the faculty of dentistry at University of Toronto. He and his team took the work of our inexperienced hands and created prosthetics, both fixed and removable, with a level of fit a
The Role of Mentoring on the Road to Becoming a Dentist
I recently completed my last day as a dental assistant. Starting a pre-matriculation in a couple of weeks feels daunting. I’ll be living the “dorm life” for the first time ever — at age 36. In two months, I’ll be starting my journey at University of Mississippi Medical
The Surplus of Dentists
I want you to try a little exercise with me. I only ask that you follow along and answer to yourself honestly. No one will ever know how you answer my questions, so you can be completely honest with yourself. What if I told you I could make your practice gross $4 million the first year? Would you b