the hottest niche in dentistry

Transcription

Fall 2011
News & Information to Increase the Profitabilit y of Your Practice
Dr. Taylor Clark’s
Assist To Succeed Dental Assisting School:
THE HOTTEST NICHE
IN DENTISTRY
Cut Line
Helpful
Hints for
General Dentists
Doing Orthodontics
3 Lessons I Learned From
Walter Cronkite About
Running a Successful
Dental Practice
Rethinking Dental Plans
13 Reasons Why Your 401(k)
Is Your Riskiest “Investment”
What Internet Marketing Secret
do the World’s Best Dentists Know?
"Wow! Working with the EXPERTS has certainly done
wonders for my practice over the past 3 years. Thanks
to your honesty, generosity and expertise, we get at
least 50 new patients from our website each month.
P.S. Mary, we absolutely loved your presentation in
Destin! It was incredibly educational, moving and
INSPIRATIONAL!"
Dr. Douglas Evans www.TallahasseeDentalCenter.com
"DentalWebsites.com is the SECRET WEB WEAPON
behind every website I own. The owners, Greg and Mary
Rahall, are 2 of the ﬁnest people I have had the pleasure of
working with for nearly 15 years. Their work is top quality.
Their integrity is beyond question, and their programming
team is the best on the web today (dental or otherwise)."
Dr. Tom Orent - www.InsidersCircle.com
“Itʼs no secret. The
Worldʼs Best Dentists
work with us. We love
what we do.”
Mary Rahall
Co-founder & President
MS, MBA
“At a time when too many companies over-promise and under deliver, Mary and Greg Rahall from
DentalWebsites.com are the real deal! I can tell you they will give incredible value and detail for your project.
They walk you through every step, provide great ideas, and are on the cutting edge of what your website should
be doing for you. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.”
Dr. Steve Rasner - www.PearlSmiles.com
888-906-1667
Attracting New Patients
Since 1998!
Custom Website Design in 3 versions:
Desktop, Mobile, Fully Mobile/Ipad Friendly
Get a FREE Website & Internet Marketing
Evaluation (value of $297.00)
Call Mary Rahall at 888-906-1667 ext 12
Visit us online at
www.DentalWebsites.com
Google Places (Map) Optimization/Management
World-class Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Custom Social Media Websites
Social Network Marketing & Coaching
Social Media Maintenance
Online Forms with Contacts Database
Fall 2011
|
Issue 237
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
EDITORIAL
istockphoto.com/ DeniseTorres
istockphoto/ Andresr
A Word From Woody................................................................................ 6
In the Spotlight – Assist To Succeed Dental School............................... 7
Editorial
Top Learning Experiences
by Dr. Woody Oakes...................................................................................8
CLINICAL/TECHNICAL
Emergencies, Hygiene Checks & Missed Anesthesia
by Dr. Michael Curtis .......................................................................... 36
The Coaching Corner
Dentists Gain from Biggest Loser............................................................10
Helpful Hints for General Dentists Doing Orthodontics
by Dr. Earl O. Bergersen...................................................................... 38
When Your Marketing Has No Pulse
by Dr. Mike Abernathy...............................................................................12
The Role of Teeth Whitening is Changing
by Keith Rodbell.................................................................................. 40
Floss, Brush, Rinse, Check my Social Media
by Dr. W. Keith Dobracki . .........................................................................14
by Dr. Dan Marut and Naomi Cooper........................................................16
How To Determine Your “Best Marketing Areas”
by David Stone..........................................................................................18
Crossing the Information Abyss
by Alex Frommeyer....................................................................................20
To Be a Winner, You Must…
by Chris Mullins.........................................................................................22
If You’re Sick of the Same Old Stuff…
It’s Your Lucky Day!
by Dr. Chris Griffin.....................................................................................24
The Hottest Niche in Dentistry
In-Office Dental Assisting School
by Dr. Taylor Clark......................................................................................26
Who is YOUR Weakest Link?
by Brooke Mott..........................................................................................28
3 Lessons I Learned from Walter Cronkite About Running
a Successful Dental Practice
by Dr. Bruce Baird.....................................................................................30
The Power of the “Turtle”
by Chris D. Callen......................................................................................32
Profitable Thoughts
13 Reasons Why Your 401(k) Is Your Riskiest “Investment”
by Garrett B. Gunderson..................................................................... 42
Diversify Your Investments
by Dr. Craig Callen............................................................................... 44
Two New Tools from the Labor Department
by Paul Edwards.................................................................................. 46
Cenegenics: My Personal Story
by Dr. Woody Oakes............................................................................ 50
PROFITABLE NEWS & PRODUCTS
Products & Solutions..................................................................................... 52
A Word From Our Readers............................................................................ 53
Excellence In Dentistry Products and Events........................................ 54-55
CONTACT US
Phone: 1-800-337-8467 or 1-812-949-9043 Fax: 1-812-949-8535
Mail: The Profitable Dentist 3211 Grantline Rd, Ste 20, New Albany, IN 47150
Email: [email protected] Website: www.theprofitabledentist.com
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
The content of this
publication may not be
reproduced either in part
or full without the written
consent of
The Profitable Dentist ®.
4
F a l l 2 0 11
DR. MICHAEL ABERNATHY
McKinney, TX
DR. BILL DORFMAN
Los Angeles, CA
DR. DAVID HORNBROOK
La Mesa, CA
DR. MARK HYMAN
Greensboro, NC
CATHY JAMESON
Davis, OK
DR. BILL KIMBALL
Encinitas, CA
DR. ROGER LEVIN
Baltimore, MD
DR. TOM ORENT
Framingham, MA
DR. STEVE RASNER
Bridgeton, NJ
DR. LARRY ROSENTHAL
New York, NY
DR. ROY SMITH
Tyler, TX
DR. BILL STRUPP
Clearwater, FL
Dr. Joe Steven, Jr
Wichita, KS
STAFF
Editor-in-Chief
WOODY OAKES, DDS, FAES
Seminar Coordinator
JENNIFER JONES
Associate Editor
CRAIG CALLEN, DDS
Front Office Coordinator /
Administrative Assistant
CHRISTY CLAYWELL
Executive Vice President of
Operations/Finance
DELAINE STEWART
Shipping Manager/
Coaching Assistant
LISA MERKEL
The Profitable Dentist
Designer
Leah Conder Taylor
Taylor & Associates
© 2011 Excellence in Dentistry, Inc., Publisher. Copyright enforced – no part of this publication may be
reproduced without written permission. This publication is designed to provide reliable information
in regard to the subject matter covered. However, it is sold with the understanding that it does not
www.TheProfitableDentist.com
replace the need for advice from your personal, competent
professional advisors.
Six Month Smile
New Smile of the Week
Dear Dr. Jones,
I just want to thank you
again for my beautiful
new smile. It is an
amazing feeling to be
able to smile without
embarrasment, and it
only took six months! I
could not be happier.
Thank you Dr. Denny!
- Jenna
Photos taken by Six Month Smiles Provider Dr. Andy Denny from Weston-super-Mare, UK
A Word
from
Woody
Hi everyone and “thanks” for attending our annual “Spring Break
Seminar,” it was such a huge success! It was especially exciting for me
to meet Bobby Plump (“Hoosiers”) and to see my long-time friend, AllAmerican basketball player (and now dentist) Steve Green.
This issue of the Profitable Dentist is packed with great articles
guaranteed to help your practice grow and prosper. Also, check out
www.theprofitabledentist.com as there are sooo many products available that
can really help you.
I’d also like to draw your attention to our Fall seminar,
November 4-5 in Dallas, Texas. You can learn more about it on page 9.
Enjoy this issue and have a great fall!
PS- DVDs from the recent
“Spring Break Seminar” (all
32) are currently being edited
and you’ll receive a letter or
email informing you when the
tapes are ready!
Regards,
A Comprehensive
Sleep DentiStry
program can add
$100,000
to your
practice!
Complete Package for
Under $4,000. A 15X or
more return on investment!
6
F a l l 2 0 11
William W. Oakes, DDS
Editor-in-Chief
and wife, Megan
education & training for
Doctors and Staff (Ce Credit)
Home Sleep test Services
Marketing and Sales Strategy
proper Medical Oversight
Medical insurance Billing
Our program is tailored to each individual professional’s
experience, and can add $36,000-$100,000 to your
practice in the first year! Mention this add and receive a
free oral appliance of your choice with sign up.
Contact Wayne Conway (440) 668-1925, or
[email protected] to schedule
an appointment to learn more.
istockphoto.com/ GeofferyHolman
In The spotlight
Dr. Taylor Clark’s Assist To Succeed:
A Weekend Revenue Generating Machine
Last year I came across a fascinating
book called Beating All Odds, by Dr.
Taylor Clark. It’s no surprise to me that
this book is on its way to becoming a
national best seller.
record an interview with me for our
Driving Dentist CD series. We talked
about his dental assisting school business
model and why it has become so successful in so many different locations.
Taylor’s story is similar to what I
went through in 1996. I had a stroke
and could no longer practice dentistry
the way I was used to doing. I had to
come up with some other way to build
wealth, bringing me to what I do today.
Taylor encountered an untreatable skin
irritation early on in his career that limited his ability to practice dentistry. He
very easily could have rolled over and
claimed “disability.” Instead, he claimed
“more ability” and found another way to
grow his dental business.
The interview was fantastic. In fact,
many of our subscribers have commented
that this was one of the best interviews
we’ve done in a long time. Several of
our clients that already have schools
learned how to immediately improve
theirs for higher profitability. Since our
interview discussion, over 50 of our client offices have taken the first step with
Taylor to start their own Assist To Succeed
School! However, he is having to turn
away a growing number of dentists
because he will only accept one dentist
per geographical area.
In addition to being a practicing
dentist, Taylor has become an author,
speaker, small business consultant and
entrepreneur. His business accomplishments have been recognized in newspapers, magazines, and on radio and
television in many cities throughout the
United States. He was named the 2009
Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the
Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.
I was most interested in the many
things Dr. Clark is doing in his dental
practice. In particular, his “Assist To
Succeed” dental assisting school business grabbed my attention. He has mastered the ability to empower dentists
throughout the country to profit highly
from running dental assisting schools
in their offices. Now, I’ve had a school
for years, but I was impressed at how
well he was doing.
Dr. Clark wrote his book to inspire every Assist To Succeed doctor,
instructor and student to empower
themselves with the right attitude and
success principles to soar in any life
endeavor. His personal growth and development emphasis combined with his
unique business approach, sets his Assist To Succeed dental assisting school
model apart from all the rest.
I’ve maintained for years that
every dentist should consider running a
highly profitable dental assisting school
from their office. It’s such a no-brainer
in my mind to have that recurring
income stream! I am convinced there is
no better way to start a dental assisting school in your office than what
Dr. Taylor Clark’s Assist To Succeed
opportunity offers. Give them a call
today, find out if your area is available
and get started!
How Do You Get Started?
First, find out if your area is available. Go to www.AssistToSucceed.com
and submit your office address for area
availability. Dr. Clark will personally
notify you if your area is open and
qualifies for running a school. You may
reach Dr. Taylor Clark and his staff at
(208) 353-5301. Each online inquiry
will receive a FREE personally signed
copy of his book Beating All Odds,
with foreword by Rudy Ruettiger and
endorsed by Dr. Stephen Covey,
Brian Tracy, T. Harv Eker, and
many other Best Selling authors, speakers and trainers.
I called Taylor and asked him to
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
7
Editorial
Top Learning Experiences
by Dr. Woody Oakes
My first cousin Joe, completed seven marathons in seven
months on seven continents to raise money for the March of
Dimes foundation a few years ago. I thought you would enjoy
the TOP LEARNING experiences from his journey.
Make up your own mind (or at least get a second opinion).
“I celebrated fellow runner George’s 79th birthday with
him in Beijing after running the Great Wall Marathon.
Twenty-five years ago his doctor told him to stop running.
George found another doctor. As he puts it, “If I’d listened
to him, I would have missed the best 25 years of my life.”
It’s better to give than to receive.
“There was no more poignant moment than when the
American runners noticed the deplorable condition of the
Tanzanian runners’ shoes and began taking off their own
and offereing them to the Africans.”
Eat right and get plenty of exercise.
“I met a lot of runners who used to be overweight and out
of shape. Most said they weren’t unhappy that way, but all
said they’re much happier now.”
Always keep a hand on the ship.
“I learned this on the way to Antarctica on the Russian
icebreaker. The captain said, “If you fall overboard, swim
for the bottom. Drowning hurts less than freezing to
death.”
Listen to other people.
“If you give a person the gift of your time and attention,
it’s a blessing for both of you. Like Ruth from Alabama…
65 years old in 1995 and had never been out of the state.
On January 1, 2000, she got on a bike and rode it around
the world, visiting 47 countries. She now runs marathons
and kicked my butt in Antarctica.”
8
F a l l 2 0 11
Keep busy (you retire from your job, not your life).
“If you stop giving, you stop receiving. It’s as simple as
that. The ‘retirees’ I’ve met have lives that are fuller and
more rewarding than when they worked.”
One person can make a difference. “It’s possible to change
the world by performing one small act of kindness. One
was when we gave our running shoes to our African
counterparts. America made some new friends that day.”
There is no place like home.
“My friends know about my Blackberry addiction.
(Joe’s wife, Linda, says only he blackberries from Mt.
Kilimanjaro.) But I felt at home when I shared my
experiences with my wife and children, even though I was
5,000 miles away.”
God exists.
“All the pain, suffering and unhappiness around the world
can make you question His existence, but there is so much
natural beauty, joy and kindness out there that you can’t
deny a divine agent behind it all.”
You don’t always need sunscreen.
“Okay, our parents were wrong on this one. In freezing
rain at 19,500 feet on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro,
sunscreen is totally unnecessary. Warm milk, however,
would have been nice.”
I’m not so sure I’d go to the dermatologist with that last one,
but I think you can see that Joe’s experiences have taught
him that balance, an appreciation for the important things in
life, and setting goals can bring you some pretty awesome
experiences. Get out there and live life today!
m
a
e
T
Extreme
7
>
xcellence in Dentistry
MAKEOVER
These Sought After Speakers Will Teach You How To Take ALL The Pressure
OFF Yourself, Have Your Team Shoulder Your Responsibilities... AND Make
Your Patients Happily Anticipate Their Next Visit With You! While You Spend
Your Time “Just Doing Dentistry” Or With Your Family!
We will reveal to attendees an effortless and world-class training event
specifically designed to bring your team together for a common purpose - SUCCESS!
Have you ever wondered how to increase your practice dramatically
while keeping you, your team AND your patients happy? Well, if so...
Learn More...
Join us November 4-5, 2011 with:
Dr. Roy Smith • Bryan Flanagan • Rick Sapio
Pat Worcester, RDH, BS • Dr. Steffany Mohan
in Dallas, Texas at the convenient Sheraton DFW Airport Hotel
OR
TUITION
$497 per Doctor / $247 per staff
$997 for Doctor and up to 3 team members
$1,597 for Doctor and up to 6 team members
$97 Additional Team member after 6
Cancellation Policy: All cancellations must be made at least 30 days prior to the seminar
and must be in writing. No refunds or cancellations within 30 days of seminar.
Excellence in Dentistry is an ADA CERP recognized provider
ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in
identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or
endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours bvy boards
of dentistry. EID designates this a ctivity for 11 continuing education credits.
To register call 1-800-337-8467 or
visit https://www.theprofitabledentist.com/dental-seminar-fall-dallas.asp
The
Coaching Corner
Coaching
Corner
Dentist Gains from the
Biggest Loser
someone help me to “just do it.” Little did
I know that the problem was I didn’t have
enough education in this area. The more
I learned, the easier it was to implement
better and better practices. Thanks
to Coach David Greenwalt, author of
Leanness Lifestyle, you are the best!
A
lthough it is an undeniable part
of our culture, I am not a fan
of TV. There, I said it! I am a
huge, closet fan of The Biggest Loser.
My kids love it, too, so it becomes the
one show that we watch in the course
of a week (TiVo, of course, “cause
I don’t want to waste time with the
commercials!”).
Ultimately, it is the transformative
process that captivates me. When the
participants begin the show, they are
miserable. They don’t love anything
about their lives, except possibly the
people they miss at home. They don’t
love their bodies, but more than that,
they just don’t enjoy much of anything.
Watching the contestants change
their lives so completely, until they truly
believe that they can do and accomplish
anything is SO inspirational. I wonder how successful the
contestants would be without coaches
to guide them. Realistically, their best
thinking got them to obesity and a
miserable life.
I am not at all embarrassed to admit
that I hired a coach to lose those last
pounds of post-pregnancy from 4 babies
in less than 8 years. I put in the work,
but I honestly give my coach most of the
credit for reaching my goals and beyond.
When I began working with him,
I thought it was a matter of just doing
what I already knew. I needed to have
10
F a l l 2 0 11
Coaching is just as important in our
businesses. Wherever we are today with
our dental practice, OUR best thinking got
us here. When I had owned my practice
just a few years, I realized how far over
my head I was. I committed to finding
out what I didn’t know, in hopes that my
business and my life would improve. I
can honestly say that short of making an
excellent choice with my husband and
having kids, it was the best decision I have
ever made. It has definitely had the best
return on investment.
When was the last time YOU
invested in your business education? I’m
not talking about formal MBA training.
How many business books have you read?
Often, we don’t invest in ourselves and
our businesses enough.
The good news is that time spent
reading and studying is also an investment
in our businesses. It doesn’t always
involve spending money, time is a great
investment. Our dental practice is easily
our largest asset, but we don’t fund it well
with time or money. Sure, we will buy
a laser or a Cerec or other equipment as
an investment in our practice, but we are
less confident of a return on investment in
our most valuable asset: ourselves and our
knowledge base.
If you have little or no idea where to
start, I highly recommend hiring a coach
to help with your practice. I would also
recommend someone (a dentist) that has
“been there, done that” experience. Dr.
Woody Oakes is the best I have seen
with this type of experience. One of the
greatest honors of my career is being
asked to assist with coaching Dr. Oakes’
members, together with my best asset,
my business manager extraordinaire,
Brooke Mott. I am confident that he
came to us for our continuing “real
world” experience as well.
Not only is it fun to learn how to
manage their businesses better, it is
profitable and stress-relieving for our
coaching members. Over half of the
coaching members will see their income
double in less than one year - amazing!
Why We All Need Continuous
Coaching
1. We don’t know what we don’t know
2. Changing habits takes time – more
than 21 days
3. Team needs to have a process for
change
4. Focus is an entirely different animal
today with technology and many,
many other distractions
5. There are many hats a dentist “gets”
to wear – regardless of what you
think you signed up for when
you bought a practice - human
resources and benefits, accounts
receivable, accounts payable,
insurance, hiring, firing, mediation,
systems organization, operations
management, team management,
information technology, building
management, lease negotiations,
equipment management, materials
engineer, photography and more.
The best time to invest in your
practice and yourself is now. It will pay
off again and again and may be the best
investment you ever make. Personally,
I would take it over the stock market
any day – much more predictable! Not
knowing what to do is stressful. The
best part of having a coach (or three!), is
knowing you have a resource on speed
dial who knows what to do and can help
immediately. It’s a big sense of relief not
run your business every day on your own.
Are You Tired of Not Knowing
WHAT TO DO NEXT
in Your Practice?
Top Reasons Dentists
m,
Suffer From Overwhel
t
Frustration and Burnou
(What You Will Learn
to Do Effortlessly)
a
for Team and Motivating
1. Lack of Clear Systems
Team
w - Clear Systems for
2. Lack of New Patient Flo
Marketing
l Ar rangements for EACH
3. Lack of Clear Financia
Patient - Getting Paid
Take action now!
Are you one of them?
5 Reasons To Expect
YOUR Next Year Will Be
Your BEST Ever!
1. Real Dentists, Real Experience, No Theory, Real
Results, Up to the Minute Information!
2. Get Real Support From Your Team - Extreme Team
Makeover!
3. Confidently Learn How to Lead Your Practice, No
Matter What Stage You Begin
4. Done For You Marketing - Enough Said!
5. Simply the Most Resources Available to Help Your
Practice Anywhere - Our Library Has 25 Years of
Archives and You Can Access it ALL
Picture this: Everyone on your team is positive,
helpful, loves to come to work, can’t wait to make every
patient’s day, loves to go the extra mile, they think about
the good of the practice as much as YOU do! They form
strong bonds with YOUR patients and enhance your
ability to give all of your patients the best care available
anywhere.
In addition, you have a steady stream (2, 3, or
more per week) of patients that can’t wait to spend
$5-$10,000 getting the smile that they have always
dreamed of having and they LOVE you and your team
so much that they send in their very best friends and
family members!!
This is ALL possible and happens in dental
practices across the country every day, but it takes
coaching and training - it does NOT just happen and it takes more than a one-year program in SOME
cases - most of us will have a lifetime of continuing
education clinically, but do we make the same commitment
to our team and business education - if not, what can we
expect?
Our expectation, however, shapes our reality
- do we really THINK we can do better in
our practice, or have we simply become
complacent in our every day routine? Is it
time to shake it up or time to just decide
that the way it is now is the way it will
always be? There is truly ALWAYS
room for improvement, no matter
the situation. Complacency
breeds the same or lesser
“The best move we ever
made provessionally.”
results - working toward
Drs. Jim and Jennifer Rice
a new goal is more fun,
Nellysford, VA
more energizing,
better for our team,
our patients and
“We TRIPLED our income in
ourselves.
just 12 months!”
Dr. Staci Blaha
Platte City, MO
“You have renewed our sense of excitement, energy and drive in
getting up and going to the office each day! May God bless you.”
Dr. Stephen Stricker
St. Clair Shores, MI
800-337-8467
Call Today!
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
11
(2010) Vlue Image from Bigstockphoto.com
When Your Marketing
Has o Pulse
by Dr. Mike Abernathy
I
f you are like most practices, you
shouldn’t spend another dime on
marketing. In fact, if you do, you
will probably have fewer patients next
year than you have today.
Ever try to diet? Statistically you
will weigh 3-6 pounds more after finishing the diet than you did before. Why?
Diets, by themselves, do not work. You
need one more thing to make a diet work.
If you add exercise, you can literally
change your metabolic set point so that
as your muscles grow, you are more
likely to burn all of the calories (or more)
than you eat. Diet and exercise along
with the consistency and persistence to
work your plan always works.
Marketing works much the same way.
12
F a l l 2 0 11
Marketing alone will not fix your ills.
A lack of patients is a symptom, not the
problem. The problem is that you are
failing to inspire your clients to come in
and refer everyone they know. If you are
not growing, you are not giving patients
what they want. Failure to give patients
what they want means you no longer
have a viable business. The problem is
that many of us look externally (marketing) for an internal problem. When we
do this, we contact a marketing firm that
is ill equipped to really diagnose the true
problems. They deal with the symptoms.
When was the last time you contacted the newest greatest wanabe marketing
guru for the “never before heard of, never
existed before, marketing what-cha-ma-
call-it” to turn your practice around by
adding multi-millions to your private
war chest? I bet when you did, they
were willing to let you attend their secret
marketing seminar by lowering the price
from thousands of dollars to just $165 by
extending to you the never before offered
scholarship so that you can attend.
They will even let you meet with
the founder of the group for 15 minutes
(translation = the guy who gets all of
your money) and number one consultant for as long as it takes to sell you
something (translation = their number
one closer who could sell popsicles to Eskimos) to make sure you are well taken
care of (translation = where they get a
commitment and a credit card to drain
your already marginal accounts).
Once you’re under the thumb of
their organization they will want you
to go from just a member to the “silver,
gold, or platinum” level of participation
in which you receive all of these valueadded newsletters and phone calls as you
sit at the feet of your personal swami.
When it comes to marketing, Good
(recipient) practices don’t need to market,
but they should, and Poor (donor) practices need to market but they shouldn’t.
Bet you never heard that from a
company that wanted to sell you some
marketing that they have Beta site tested,
done marketing samplings to fine tune
the message, and custom designed a brochure or direct response marketing piece
just for you – even though hundreds of
other doctors were told the same thing
and sold the same design.
Bet they never took the time to sit
down and explain the demographics of
1-800-337-8467
the population and competition while
comparing the relative wisdom of trying to expand your particular type of
outreach to a public that will never buy
what you’re selling. They never take
their eyes off the symptom. You need
someone to fix the problem and then all
of the symptoms will go away.
Good practices are doing everything
right. They have “consumerized” everything: their outreach, systems, hours,
service, and staff. They give patients
what they want while helping them to
understand what they need. They listen
and come off as caring, compassionate, competent and consumer-oriented.
Their best referral source after their own
patients are the two or three dentists
down the street who are donor practices.
These doctors down the street do
have 100% case acceptance, problem is,
this Good practice is actually doing the
work they diagnosed. If this Good practice did market, it would keep every new
patient. Their front door is wide open
and their back door is solidly closed.
Every day they continue to deliver the
goods by giving patients what they want
and embracing change so that they will
be in the same position next year.
The Bad practice is just the opposite. Their back door is wide open by not
recognizing what patients want. They
fail to listen to their patients and their
perceived needs. If they marketed, they
would only run off more patients who
would tell everybody they know not to
go there. Marketing for them would only
speed up their predictable demise.
Since space for articles is limited,
I have created an expanded recording
on this topic called: Has Your Marketing Got A Pulse? I want you to have it.
Email me and I will forward it to you so
that you can become a Master Marketer
and a “Good” practice.
Contact Dr. Mike Abernathy at 972-523-4660 or at
[email protected].
F a l l 2 0 11
13
Practice management
Management
Floss
Brush
Rinse
Check
l
a
i
c
o
S
My
Media
E
veryone has heard of it, most have talked about
it, a lot are doing it, but only a select few have
actually mastered it. Social media exploded
onto the scene over the last few years. From Facebook
and Twitter, to LinkedIn and Quora, there is now a
surplus of ways to “get connected.” The multitude
of options has led to confusion and diluted the
practice profiles that offices are trying to establish
in their social media community. Many practices
get connected, but most fail to stay connected and
reap the benefits. It’s time to develop a routine that
prevents future cavities in social media campaigns.
The Social Media Marketing Industry Report
for this year states almost 90% of companies using
social media have generated business exposure,
yet only 43% have been able to generate sales
from social media. Some of the most common
complaints revolving around utilizing this process
to attain a profit are:
“It’s too complicated!!”
“I don’t know where to start?” and
“It takes too much time!”
Practices seem to be either, (1) hiring a
social media specialist, (2) putting social media
on their marketing coordinator, (3) choosing
to not ride the social media wave. If an office
has a dedicated marketing coordinator, then
this seems like an obvious additional job
responsibility. But for the other practices out
there, this responsibility seems to fall through
the cracks and disappears over time.
Once a practice establishes a public
image on any domain of social media, it is
imperative that they maintain a consistent
activity level to uphold their image in
that networking community. A patient
who actively follows a dental practice on
Facebook will equate a lapse in activity
to sloppiness, laziness, and carelessness.
Patients have a tendency to translate that
over to the clinical care they receive and
begin to create negative correlations. Those
patients lose trust in that practice and the
provider. Soon they are no longer patients….
Social media carries a lot of weight:
• Over 70% of users saw increased
traffic in their offices
• Over 60% saw increased search
engine results
• Over 50% created new business
partnerships and joint ventures
14
F a l l 2 0 11
• Nearly 50% were able to reduce their marketing budgets.
If you already have a social media presence, and feel
overwhelmed, then you are not alone. Like with any other
marketing campaign, it’s important to first select a target
audience. The ideal in family practice dentistry is middle class
women with a family.
Are your tweets, posts and blogs friendly to your
target audience?
Do you provide patients with useful information that
sparks follow up questions?
How much time does it take for you to successfully do
this?
Once a practice establishes a social media routine, no more
than a daily allotment of 15 minutes should be spent tracking
the progress. Each account is there for the practice to share
information with their patients and also for patients to interact
with the practice. Practices must maintain consistency in all
areas: target audience, logo, website links, general content,
tone, color combinations, font.
Facebook is used for fun and procrastination but is also
the most personalized out of all the available social media. Keep
it light hearted, promote local contests and share all community
involvement. Photos and videos which feed to a practice’s
YouTube channel featuring the practice personnel lead to great
search engine optimization and make it more enjoyable for patients
to visit. The goal is to have patients post on the practice’s wall.
Once they post on the wall, it also shows up on their personal wall,
and then their friends can also see information about your dental
office on their “home pages.” This provides great free exposure
for any practice. Well thought out informative posts can become
viral in active social networking circles.
Twitter likes to see “tweets” about specific industries,
new products, support requests and feedback about individual
offices. There is a specific language used with abbreviations
and acronyms that is common to all tweets. The goal is to get more
followers and also to follow local competition to see what questions
they are being asked. Most users overlap Facebook with Twitter.
LinkedIn is especially business focused, with an excess of
100 million professionals utilizing the service. There should
be a practice profile as well as an individual profile set up for
the doctor. LinkedIn serves as a powerful forum for leadership
information, staff recruitment, and networking with local
business owners. The goal is to become familiar with local
small business owners and look for ways to commence joint
ventures. “LinkedIn Answers” provides a great way to showcase
a dentist’s knowledge about subjects they may excel in.
Quora is new, but will soon have over a million users. It
provides an optimal resource to find answers to common and
advanced questions for business owners. Due to its relatively small
size at the moment, it provides higher quality responses. The goal
here is to become the go-to-expert for the dental field locally.
Monitor questions diligently, if your practice is asked a question,
1-800-337-8467
then users of this site expect a high quality prompt response.
In order to monitor these extensive networks in fifteen
minutes, systems and tools must be put into place. Real Simple
Syndication (RSS feed) utilization is a necessary and easy first
step. The feeds are nothing more than an information feed that
a practice can subscribe to with a reader. The most common
RSS feeds are found in blogs. RSS feeds work seamlessly with
Google reader, thus any RSS feed may be sent directly to the
reader for easy monitoring from one convenient source. For
instance, conducting a Twitter search for “dentistry, hometown”
and selecting “Feed this query,” will automatically put the
information into the reader for monitoring any new tweets.
TweetDeck follows friends on Twitter, Facebook and
MySpace from one simple place. It seamlessly organizes inbox
messages, manages pictures, and shortens links. It is mac
compatible and available on most smartphones. Unfortunately,
this does not yet allow a practice to collect feeds of posts from
a business page wall on Facebook.
HootSuite is an award-winning program that allows practices
to schedule and publish messages to multiple social networks,
monitor results and participate in conversations. It is web based,
functions with word press blogs and requires no downloads.
Google Alerts is another option for tracking blogs as well
as relevant news. Google provides users with option to monitor
these in real time or have specific alerts be emailed to the user
at requested times.
Everyday, 15 minutes should be spent on social media
content monitoring. To maximize efficiency, four minutes
should be spent on analyzing Twitter chatter about a practice
and its competitors. This should ideally be done utilizing
one of the above-mentioned free programs. Three minutes
should be used to scan Google news and Blog alerts for new
articles that a practice could contribute to or comment on. Four
minutes should be delegated to filtering and flagging dentalrelated LinkedIn and Quora questions. The last four minutes
should be spent on logging into the business Facebook page
to scan the wall for recent comments. Carefully constructed
answers should be given to questions on Facebook and Quora,
while keeping in mind the purpose of both social networking tools.
Every practice is unique, but if the goal with social
media is focused on marketing, then results must be actively
measured. Google Analytics and HubSpot can help monitor
traffic, leads, and new patients. The programs can differentiate
between Facebook, Twitter, LinkenIn, Blogs and Wikipedia.
Practices can obtain statistics on new links to their pages or
e-articles written about their practices. New links and articles
with embedded links optimize search engine results for the
practice and always lead to new patients.
Please feel free to contact Dr. W. Keith Dobracki D.D.S,
M.B.A. at [email protected]. He has been a featured writer
for multiple publications and has spent time lecturing to his
colleagues across the country. It would be Dr. Dobracki’s
pleasure to provide you with further insight on this article, hot
trends in marketing, or other practice management topics.
F a l l 2 0 11
15
Practice management
by Dr. Dan Marut and Naomi Cooper
(2007) bocosb Image from Bigstockphoto.com
P
rivate practice dentists face a
host of challenges in their day
to day lives, from running a
business to keeping their skills sharp,
and from managing staff to balancing
the practice’s demands with their
personal lives. Getting patients to keep
appointments and accept treatment
recommendations is another major
frustration; we live with the knowledge
of what a profound effect oral health
can have on our patients’ overall health,
while patients seem to be more and
more focused on the cost of care than
on the health benefits associated with
visiting the dentist regularly. As dentists,
it’s important for us to remember that
patients often feel faced with a difficult
dilemma; either turn to dental insurance
to help manage expenses, or for those
without benefits, simply forgo dentistry
altogether until an emergency arises.
with third party insurance companies.
Here’s how it works: Patients pay a
small upfront annual fee that includes
a set of preventive services for the year
(cleaning, x-rays, etc.). They then also
receive the added benefit of discounts on
all additional treatment determined by
you. Costs are kept low, all decisions are
made in the practice, fees are collected
in advance and patients have a strong
incentive to come in for regular care.
As a result, dental insurance has
unfortunately come to be viewed by
many as the only viable way to ensure
access to regular, affordable dental care.
But it’s important for every dentist to
remind his or her patients that dental
insurance vs. dental neglect is a false
dichotomy; there is another answer,
one so simple that more and more
dentists – and patients – are beginning
to change the way they think about
dental plans. The reality is that dental
practices can provide their own in house
“dental plan” – one that offers complete
preventive care and patient savings for
a fixed annual price – without involving
insurance companies.
Value
I use this approach in my own
practice and have found that along with
giving patients who don’t have dental
insurance the sense that they can indeed
afford regular dental care, it removes
many of the headaches that come
16
F a l l 2 0 11
This kind of plan benefits patients
and can match and even exceed both
the tangible and intangible benefits of
dental insurance. That’s because patients
are only paying for what they need and
not dealing with hassles and high costs
associated with traditional insurance.
Traditional insurance really serves
five basic patient needs:
All consumers are concerned
about value. They’ve learned to equate
insurance with lower out-of-pocket
expense. Fortunately, a prepaid dental
membership plan delivers additional
value by eliminating monthly premiums,
deductibles and co-pays for preventive
care. And for patients who don’t
currently have dental insurance, it
provides an economical way to get care
they otherwise couldn’t afford. What’s
more, it unlocks savings on general
restorative and elective treatments –
including cosmetic work – without any
annual limit. You can offer them lowcost, high-value dental care all year long
with fees and services controlled entirely
by your office.
Being “covered”
There’s an overwhelming public
perception (perpetuated by the medical
industry) that in order to get quality,
reliable healthcare, patients must
belong to an insurance plan. Each day
patients are bombarded with talk about
healthcare reform and the necessity
of insurance coverage in order to visit
healthcare providers. An unintended
consequence of this message from the
media and the healthcare industry is
that patients believe that the same rules
apply to dental practices as medical
offices – which often aren’t “accepting
new patients” and where the cost of
the appointment alone is astronomical
without insurance. So it’s no surprise that
patients often wonder if they can be seen
in a dental practice if they don’t have
insurance. When you offer an in-house
dental membership plan like Quality
Dental Plan in your practice, patients
know that they “belong” – whether they
have dental insurance or not.
Membership has its privileges
It’s also important to note that
patients are also retail consumers. And
they’ve learned from various other
industries – from American Express to
Costco – that “members” are treated
better, given preferred savings and
ensured better customer service and a
higher level of attention. Offering them
QDP membership satisfies that ingrained
belief that “joining” unlocks a higher level
of service and an exclusive set of benefits.
Predictable expenses
Patients want peace of mind, which
means knowing in advance what their
out of pocket costs for dental care will
be. Insurance gives them the illusion of
predictability; they can add up the costs
of their premiums each month or at the
end of the year. But the illusion only goes
Many dentists blend the
two approaches together to
serve all members of their
exceed both the tangible and intangible community; both can help
you reach new patients,
benefits of dental insurance.
provide peace of mind, and
help patients manage the
cost of dental care. And
practice, which gets paid in advance, has
A structured dental
again,
both
serve
some very real financial
a better chance of seeing patients more
membership plan helps patients without
and
emotional
patient
needs.
regularly and has more opportunities to
insurance feel financially protected in
present a full treatment plan. Plus, with
much the same way, while giving the
Over the years it took to create
their members-only savings, patients are
dental practice an annual predictable
and test Quality Dental Plan (QDP) in
more likely to move forward and accept
revenue stream. A friend of mine uses
my practice, one thing became clear.
treatment in order to take full advantage
a great analogy: On a long trip or in
Traditional insurance is not the only way
of their membership in your practice.
heavy traffic, people would rather use
to offer affordable dentistry and keep
a car service (with a fixed rate) than
your practice profitable.
On a purely altruistic level, a dental
a taxi (where the meter continues to
membership plan in the practice enables
It’s my hope that more dentists
run). It’s the same with dentistry. In
dentists to make treatment affordable
will start to explore the idea of an inthis case, offering a membership plan is
and accessible for more members of
house dental plan. For those interested
potentially even better than traditional
their community. In this economy, where
in getting started, you can find more
insurance because patients know exactly
60% or more of the population lack
information at www.QDPdentist.com.
what they’ll pay for preventive care for
dental benefits, being able to provide a
Having now successfully implemented
the whole year – and receive unlimited
cost-effective dental plan is an amazing
QDP in hundreds of practices, we
savings for any additional care – rather
thing. But it’s also advantageous from a
can customize the program in your
than having to contend with an annual
business standpoint because it opens up
practice, and help with plan creation,
benefit maximum.
an entire new source of new patients in
implementation, administration and
the consumers without dental benefits
marketing. We provide a comprehensive,
National branding
who often simply avoid the dentist.
turn-key approach including
Finally, an established plan offers
implementation checklists, one-on-one
A membership plan like Quality
credibility. Right or wrong, patients are
team training, patient brochures, sample
Dental Plan taps into that market and
used to third party involvement when
press releases and everything in between.
gives patients a reason to visit your
it comes to big expenses (insurance,
practice. It can also be a great benefit
financing, etc.). Having a nationally
In sum
to local employers looking for low-cost
branded membership plan like Quality
ways to provide dental benefits to their
At the end of the day, a dentist’s top
Dental Plan in place in the dental practice
employees – yet another source of new
concerns
must be the health of his or her
gives the sense that this is a “real”
patients, referrals etc. And because this
patients
and
the success of the practice. And
program with tangible benefits and a nonidea is relatively new in dentistry, it sets
while
dental
insurance has traditionally
negotiable price. It also keeps everyone
you apart from other local dentists in an
played
a
large
role in meeting those goals,
involved in the transaction from feeling
already saturated market full of offers,
it’s
no
longer
the
only answer. In this
like the dentist is bargaining with patients
coupons, and simple discounts. In short,
economic
environment,
now is precisely the
or negotiating on fees.
this approach is a win-win for patients
time to reconsider the definition of “dental
and dentists.
plan” in your office and to continually find
How QDP works
newer and better ways to make dentistry
I’ve been very encouraged to see
accessible and affordable for all while
Working with insurance
how well patients have responded to
holding true to the mission of your practice.
It’s important to note that offering
Quality Dental Plan in my own practice
a dental membership plan doesn’t
Dr. Dan Marut, DMD founded Quality Dental Plan
and many other practices across the
mean you can’t continue to work with
and is also NewDocs.com. A practicing dentist, a
country. It’s actually incentivized them
insurance. When traditional insurance
sought-after lecturer and a published author, Dr.
to remain loyal to the practice, refer
Marut is committed to giving
is working well, there’s no need to
others without insurance, and return
back to his community. For more
eliminate it in the practice, but it’s also
information about Quality Dental
more regularly – because they’ve
important to consider integrating a
Plan, visit www.QDPdentist.com
effectively prepaid for a year’s worth of
dental membership plan of your own
or contact Dan via email at Danpreventive care. That’s not only great
[email protected] or
for a comprehensive marketing strategy.
for their oral health, but also for the
by phone at 541-292-6871.
so far; patients know by now
that they will still have outof-pocket expenses, that there
are annual maximums to their
coverage and that certain
procedures are completely
excluded from coverage.
1-800-337-8467
This kind of plan... can match and even
F a l l 2 0 11
17
Practice management
How To Determine Your
“Best Marketing Areas”
and Alert Yourself to the
“Natural Obstructions!”
by David Stone
I
t is important to your success with
any marketing program that you
map out the area around your office
so you don’t market too far away and
that you take out any undesirable areas.
We use a very sophisticated computer
mapping program for all our clients, that
takes into consideration natural obstacles such as freeways, bridges, rivers,
etc., that might cut into your zip code, or
cut your marketing area in half, therefore,
reducing your return on your investment
if you marketed to the entire zip code!
The criteria for smaller, rural towns
is different than a metropolitan area. In
a smaller, rural town, you can market
15 to 20 or more miles away from your
practice, if all the residents have to
come to your side of town for your kind
of service. However, in a metropolitan
area, you would do better to stay within
a couple of miles, not five, just one to
three MILES max from your practice,
depending on the size of your metropolitan area and location. Ask your staff
and friends what is the natural direction
people that live in the area go when they
leave their driveway!
Where are the shopping centers
they tend to frequent? Which direction are the business districts they go
to? With each neighborhood, there is
a natural route people take when they
leave their home or office. You need to
consider all these factors.
A lot of businesses get caught up in
the fact that they have “New Patients”
or clients come from far distances, and
18
F a l l 2 0 11
some do. However, that’s normally from
Referrals or because their workplace is
close by. Referral patients will travel considerably farther because they’re already
sold on your practice before they come in.
However, you should not kid yourself and
use that information to determine where
to spend your marketing dollars for “New
Patients,” because if you do, you won’t get
the maximum number of brand New Patients from your marketing investment that
you could have! If you go too far away and
the wrong direction from your practice,
your results will suffer!
from your location unless they have to
come to your side of the freeway for
shopping and other services.
The only thing that is 100% accurate
and reliable is the tracking of your own
results. That’s why tracking everything
you do in marketing is so important!
When you track all of your marketing
efforts using a tracking code, you will
have all the information you need to better allocate your marketing dollars.
With a call tracking system, you
can even record and listen to how your
Carrier Routes Within A Zip Code
staff is handling these Potential “New
Patients” on the phone. Are they talking
When we develop a marketing area
plan for a new dentist, we take into consid- them out of coming into your practice or
eration the facts, even down to the carrier are they making it a welcoming experience from the second they pick up the
route within a reasonable marketing area
phone? If you don’t get the desired rearound the dentist’s office! Refer to the
sults you expected, you may think your
gray area in the above map.
marketing didn’t pull—when in reality,
Also in the above map, you will notice the problem may be your staff, not your
marketing!
a green line going through those carrier
routes (about two thirds of the way down
David Stone, of Stoneybrook Publishing, specialfrom the top of the page). That is a freeizes in reactivation of dental patients, as well as
attracting new “fee-for-service” patients. For TPD
way. In most areas, it’s probably not wise
to market—even if it’s within the same zip readers, David has a 32-page catalog with marketing tips for dentists available for FREE, just call
code—on the opposite side of the freeway (800) 736-3632. Ask for the FREE marketing tips
catalog mentioned in TPD.
Practice management
The Laser the
Experts Recommend
to Their Friends!
”Don’t fall for the pitch that all diodes are the
same. They most certainly are not!... Look for
a focused-beam module based diode, not a
bundled fiber diode. The best focused-beam laser
currently in production that we have tested is the
Beamer STL”
David Winn II, DDS
Owner of the FIRST diode laser in the US (1995)
and a laser expert’s expert
We Focus
the Light Better
For Less!
“They don’t have the marketing budget of the ‘P’
laser, but for the money, the Beamer STL is the
best diode laser on the planet!
Woody Oakes, DDS
“Beamer STL” Diode Laser
PROCEDURES:
PERIODONTAL USES
•
•
•
•
• Sulcular debridement (removal of diseased,
infected, inflamed and necrosed soft tissue
in the periodontal pocket to improve clinical
indices including: gingival index, gingival
bleeding index, probe depth, attachment
loss and tooth mobility)
• Sulcular curettage
• Removal of infected, diseased, and necrosed
soft tissue within the periodontal pocket
• Removal of highly inflamed tissue affected by
bacteria contamination.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gingival troughing for superior impressions
Hemostasis and coagulation
Gingival incision and excision
Gingivoplasty excisional and incisional
biopsies
Exposure of unerupted teeth
Fibroma
Frenectomy
Implant recovery
Leukoplakia
Incision and drainage
Operculectomy
Oral papillectomies
Pulpotomy
Reduction of gingival hyperplasia
Soft tissue crown lengthening
Treatment of aphthous ulcers and lesions
Desensitize teeth
Vestibuloplasty
“Just a note to let you know that I am very happy with the
laser I purchased from King Dental Company. My Beamer
STL is very easy to use and holds up well to heavy use.
What’s most impressive is that your customer service has
been 5 star”
Robert Sanford, DMD, Allentown, PA
1-800-337-8467
“I originally bought another diode, based on price. It had
very serious safety and performance issues. I sent it back
for a refund and bought a Beamer STL. I know now that all
diode lasers are NOT the same. I am very happy with my
Beamer STL”
Kyle Craighead, DDS, Hawesville, Kentucky
“I bought my first Beamer STL about 8 months ago,
I now have 5!
Sean Meitner, DMD, Rochester, New York
(Periodontist)
• 980 nm, wavelength
• Single fiber focused diode module
• .0 to 5.0 watts continuous and pulsed
• World’s only 200 hz “self-adjusting pulse
mode”
• Easy to use
• Hospital-grade controls
• Small, very stable footprint
• 3 year warranty
Every Beamer STL is hand calibrated by
a PhD Laser Physicist
Call within 2 weeks, mention “TPD” and receive
special training prices and finance offers!
All leasing options available, up to 60 months
866-848-5720
www.kingdentalcompany.com
F a l l 2 0 11
19
Practice management
Crossing the
Information Abyss:
Improving Dentist and Patient Communication
Between Cleanings
by Alex Frommeyer
istockphoto.com/ PeskyMonkey
N
o, the “Information Abyss” is not the name of a Star
Trek: Next Generation episode. Cryptic titles aside,
a major concern in modern dentistry relates to the
interaction between dentists and their patients. The American
Dental Association recommends that an individual receive a
formal check up from their dentist once every six months.
But what is happening with that patient in between
cleanings? In general, that answer is incomplete at best, which
is where the experience and expertise of the professional takes
over. But there have been increasing discussions amongst
those in the field on how technology can help to fill the
information gaps.
address how dentists are going to collect this information and
how they can do something useful with it.
So, how do we cross the information abyss? It may start with
a patient’s brushing and flossing habits. A recent conversation I
had with a former director of the Department of Oral Diagnosis
for a leading university hospital suggested that “determining and
ensuring compliance, as well as quantifying the contribution
of brushing and flossing, is a key step forward for the field.”
One day, the emerging field of salivary diagnostics may
provide a wide array of solutions for the clinic, delivering
quick and accurate results. I think many would agree that
having the ability to practice better preventive dentistry and
improve patient education and compliance would be critical
piers in the construction of the proverbial “bridge over the abyss.”
The medical field has already caught on, and new products
for “at home” diagnostic tests, medical smartphone applications,
and networked monitoring are quickly closing the gap from
Ultimately, in the future, the highest quality care will not
tummy ache to “too late.” In many cases, it is not the medicine
come
from an hour-long cleaning twice a year dominated by
that saves, it is the information flow
discussion of upcoming vacation plans,
from patient to professional. This will
but rather from consistent information
become increasingly relevant as the
collection on patients when they are
population ages over the next twenty
Tips To Use TODAY!
not in the chair. By the time they are in
years, creating a demand for infoyour clinic, wondering why you are still
centric medical services.
1. Identify “high risk” patients for
playing old Star Trek episodes in the
tooth decay and periodontitis.
waiting room, it may be too late.
The dental market currently lacks
a viable way for dentists to receive
2. Have your receptionist follow
Alex Frommeyer is the CEO and Co-Founder
up with these patients between
critical data on their patients’ oral
of INVEN LLC, a dental device development
visits.
health. This is, not surprisingly, a very
company based in Louisville, KY. INVEN is
involved with developing new technologies and
complex issue and one that may be met
3. Join the social media revoluproducts for a variety of segments within the
with some resistance. However, as we
tion. Create a Facebook page
dental industry, and has won multiple awards for
learn more every year about the links
technology innovation. Alex holds a Masters in
for your practice and encourage
between the oral cavity and a variety of
Engineering from the University of Louisville and
patients to message you with
can be reached at (859) 445-3248, [email protected],
complications and diseases in the rest of
questions and thoughts.
or www.invenllc.com.
the body, it seems that it is now time to
20
F a l l 2 0 11
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
21
Practice Management
To Be a Winner,
You Must…
(2008) LuMaxArt Image from Bigstockphoto.com
by Chris Mullins, The Phone Success Doctor™
Dr. Brian Bergh shared with us the 10 things he considers critical
in delivering the best care and being the most profitable. Just as
important, he shares the information with his staff!
1) Number of New Patient Calls
This helps track how many exams we have scheduled in the
future. Our goal is to fill at least 90% of the available exam
times. We are also tracking any calls that are received and new
exam appointments not scheduled. We had two this month and
the reason given for not scheduling the appointment was that
our hours did not work for them (they both needed Saturday hours).
staff to be focused on this number as it shows our potential
future success. Starts coming off OBS are tracked also and
the treatment coordinator is given credit for the start when this
type of patient begins treatment.
2) Number of Exams
7) Percentage of Successful
Appointments
These are kept day to day. We
have a certain number of exam
slots available and we’re tracking
the number kept vs. the number
available.
We track the number of missed
or late cancelled appointments
with this number. Our goal is
93% success. This is one of the
biggest problems we continually
face and has a direct effect on the
bottom line. Missed appointments
take up 3x the time of the actual
appointment.
3) Number of Starts
These are the number of patients
starting treatment that day.
Our goal is to have 300 new
patient starts. For this we need
one to start each Monday, and
two to starts each Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday.
8) Number of Saves
This reflects the skill of our patient
care coordinators in saving an
appointment in which someone is
calling to try to cancel or change
their appointment at the last minute.
4) Number of Same Day
Starts
These are huge to us. A patient comes in for an initial
exam, makes an initial payment and the first appointment in
the start process is completed. Obviously, follow-up is then not
needed and we save a huge amount of time overall.
9) Number of Patient Friendly Cards
5) Number of Consultation Paperwork Appt.
10) Referral Source
This is the appointment where the informed consent, financial
agreement and initial payment is made. This helps us to know
the number of future starts we are expecting.
6) Number of Observation Appointments
This is our future bank. These patients are not ready for
treatment yet, but will be in the future. It is important for the
22
F a l l 2 0 11
My clinical staff is required to write a note to at least one patient
they see each day. This is a personal touch that goes a long way.
We track the referral source for each patient and use that to
guide our marketing efforts. We can easily see trends with
certain doctor referrals, internet referrals, staff referrals, etc.
Chris Mullins can be contacted at 603-924-1640 or [email protected].
Also visit her website at www.GreatBottomLine.com.
Practice Management
SUPER
A Value
up to
“SIGN-UP” BONUS ! $912
• FREE Set-up !
• FREE List Purchase !
• 50% OFF Print Fees for Patient and/or
“New Patient” Neighborhood Mailings !
(the first month)
Valid for 30 days from issue date
Now You Can GET New “Fee-For-Service”
Patients and DOUBLE your
Patient Referrals ...
even in THESE TIMES !!!
When you mail either or both of our PROVEN New “Fee-For-Service” Patient program or
our “Retention, Reactivation and DOUBLE Your Referrals” system, you will build and grow your
business even in this economy !! Our systems have been proven for years to get Dentists a steady
stream of New “Fee-For-Service” Patients and increase their Referrals!
“Patient Education
Publications” For
YOUR Specialty...
Thousands of dentists over the
years have increased their practices
$30,000 to $80,000 a month,
or more, with our “PROVEN”
marketing systems FOR :
• General Dentistry • Cosmetic
• Sedation Dentistry • Invisalign
• Cerec Dentistry
• Orthodontic New and Transfer Patients
• Implants
Call Today for a FREE
information packet to qualify
you for the “Free Bonus” of $912.
Stoneybrook
Valid for 30 days from issue date. For new clients only.
PUBLISHING, INC.
1-800-337-8467
“I wanted to let you know about the
fantastic response we got from our very
first mailing of your newsletters. My
husband and I are in our 25th year and
have done many direct marketing
pieces over the years. Although we got
responses, we never had so much
positive response so quickly from
any mailing ! We were swamped with “New Patient” phone
calls for appointments and many comments from our
regular patients on how much they liked the newsletter !
And to think, that this Great Response was from our very
first mailing with you, in February 2010 when we had the
biggest snow storm the northeast has seen in many years !
With Stoneybrook, I had confidence that you would do it
and do it right because you are so experienced. That took the
worry out of it for me, and of course, it ended up that you
were right !”
Drs. Jennifer and Jim Rice, Nellysford, VA
(800) 736-3632
PDFP
F a l l 2 0 11
23
If You’re Sick of the
Same Old Stuff...
To
c
u
L
r
u
o
Y
s
’
y
a
d
!
y
a
D
ky
by Dr. Chris Griffin
M
ost of you are used to seeing
me write about clinical
efficiency, higher production
and new patients. Some of you look
forward to it, some think it’s getting old
and some are just plain old sick to death
and bored with the usual.
I’m not going to harp on you about
becoming a superstar producer today,
nosiree. The reason? Plain and simple:
Not everybody wants to be THAT
dentist.
Becoming a high producing,
highly in-demand dentist is one thing. Certainly, many of us aspire to reach
those “superstar” levels of production. We all edge up on our seats when we
hear unbelievable new patient stats. We
all want to stick our chest out at the next
study club meeting or even online in a
forum. For a while, that is.
(2006) Lidiya Image from Bigstockphoto.com
At some point we want more. We
want to do things outside the clinical
confines. We want to give back. We want to travel, achieve at other
endeavors. Whatever.
The point is that WINNING in
dentistry isn’t all about the numbers. It’s
about living life. For some, it’s more
money to open new doors. For others,
it’s time off. Each of us is different. But, we’re all brothers and sisters in this
together. It’s time to spread our wings
and look outside our situation.
24
F a l l 2 0 11
And, why shouldn’t we? Don’t kid
yourself, dentistry is stressful. I don’t
care how much you love it, some days,
at times you want to walk straight from
the operatory, out the back door, and just
keep on walking (or maybe running like
Forrest Gump). Human psychology is
tough on our profession particularly. We
are trained to tune in to the negative. I
don’t care if you have 1000 patients and
999 tell you regularly how great you
are and refer bountifully. Eventually,
that one is going to come in and
wreck your day and your
psyche.
I used to think that success in
dentistry had a definition. At that point
in my life, I thought a “superstar” dentist
produced $125,000 per month. Black
and white. No room for movement. If
someone produced more, they had made
it. If they produced less, I felt like they
were just an AFD, “average frustrated
dentist.”
That emotional burden
builds up and leads to the B
word. I won’t repeat it here, but
it rhymes with turnout.
We’ve got to have a release.
We deserve a release. And a lot of us
are getting that release in very cool and
unique ways.
That brings us to WINNING.
What does it take to WIN in dentistry,
anyway?
Is it the thrill of the perfect root
canal fill? A waiting room full of
patients? Booked 4 to 6 weeks out?
A paid for Taj Mahal office? Bulging
bank accounts? Too many vacations
to count each year? A vineyard and
a house on the hill? Ample time for
charity work and giving back?
Yes, no, and maybe.
Winning Day Exercise
Time has moved on and so has
my thinking. There really is no “box”
in dentistry. No one is restricted to
a narrow box and the phrase, “think
outside the box,” has lost its meaning.
The fact of the matter is that each
of us has only one life to live and we’ve
each been allotted only so much of that
precious commodity. In the end, each of
us will have had the chance to reflect on
a life well lived, or a life with regrets.
Let me share a little exercise that I
did for myself long ago that really opened
my eyes to what I REALLY wanted out
of life and what I had to accomplish to
find my own personal success in life.
WARNING: This exercise might
seem a little silly or unprofessional at
first. Please bear with me IT IS A REAL
EYE OPENER.
Recent seminar attendees have
said that this exercise gave them
tremendous clarity while figuring out
what they really wanted to get from their
professional lives. So, don’t give up on
the exercise. It could very well change
your perspective and your life.
In fact this exercise is
UNBELIEVABLY POWERFUL if
you’re honest with yourself. I personally
holed up in my basement away from
all distractions and influences when
I did the exercise. So, find your
own personal mancave (apologies
ladies) and get to it!
I used this exact exercise to
help build a KILLER marketing
campaign last year with a HUGE
ROI!
If you would like to learn how we used
the exercise to build a marketing campaign
based on truly understanding the patients
in our area, I have made a video showing
you how you can do the whole exercise.
Just go to www.winningdentist.com. Life is
too short. Be a winning dentist.
Dr. Griffin can be reached for questions at
[email protected].
This will help you build the perfect dentist you want to be.
This exercise will help you figure out your true identity. Not one that you think everyone
else wants you to have. You will then be able to develop experiences and achieve success
that aligns with your true self.
As we go through this exercise, understand:
• People really don’t want things, they want the EXPERIENCE that goes
along with those things.
Step 1 What is REALLY important to you? Name three material things that you want.
1. _______________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________
Step 2 Now name the three experiences that you really want to feel if you possessed the
3 material things.
1. _______________________________________________________
2. _______________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________
Step 3 Now let’s build something from that. Consider all the activities you want to enjoy
as you let yourself imagine your own personal “winning day.”
Winning Day Definition: You can repeat this day over and over without getting bored or
tired of it. Note: For the exercise throw away all the inhibitions and limitations you normally
feel when you make your daily decisions. (Example: I want to wake up, enjoy breakfast with
my family, take my kids to school, and go to my dental office where I am greeted with smiling,
competent staff, etc. You get the picture. Be specific.)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Step 4 The sky is the limit. If there were no repercussions to your actions in your life
how would you live? Finish the following sentences, plus any you can imagine to go with
them. Start our with, “I would be a winning dentist….
... if I lived ________________________________________________________
... with a home like _________________________________________________
... with a daily schedule like ___________________________________________
... with a practice like _______________________________________________.
Step 5 Go build it! Now, we all know there are consequences to our actions. We can’t usually
move to Maui and eat fresh pineapple while we surf before working two hours in our high
dollar practice overlooking a volcano. But, you’d be surprised just how close you can get to
your “winning day” if you take the time to get clear vision about what you really want.
This is just step one, but it’s the most important step toward some of the most amazing
breakthroughs you’ll ever make. You can build off this one to learn more about your
current population of patients as well.
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
25
THE HOTTEST NICHE
IN
DENTISTRY
istockphoto.com/ SpanishalexSpanishalex
Why Every Dentist Should
Consider Running an In-Office Dental Assisting School
by Dr. Taylor Clark
S
everal months ago, Dr. Woody Oakes called me. He told
me about his weekend dental assisting school and what a
great thing that it has been for him and his practice over
the years. He had heard about my dental assisting school model
and the success we’ve had helping many doctors to experience
in recent years. He said many of his clients are running their
own schools and asked if I would be willing to do a recorded
interview with him. We discussed many of the benefits our
dental teams can have by leveraging our offices.
I couldn’t agree with Woody more when he indicated that
running a dental assisting school is such a “no-brainer” for dentists. While there is a long list of benefits of running a school,
I decided to share what I think are the top nine, in no particular
order of importance.
First: Today’s economy heavily supports it. People are less
willing than ever to shell out $10,000-$18,000 plus for dental assisting training. Furthermore, there’s a huge cost of lost
wages for the nine-plus months of going to school full time and
not bringing in a salary from a job. Factor the two together and
it could end up costing a student $30,000 to become a dental
assistant through a traditional full-time program.
Second: A lower cost alternative to dental assisting training lowers the barrier for many great ones to get into the field of
dentistry. The barriers of expensive long term traditional programs are too much sacrifice for many potential “rock stars.”
Too many great ones have been shut out of the field of dentistry
because of this one major obstacle. Gone are the days of having
to quit the full time job for dental assisting training.
26
F a l l 2 0 11
Let me tell you about my head assistant that has been with
me for almost 4 years now. Alicia was a full time project manager with Micron Technologies, serving as supervisor to a team
of employees in Singapore. She has exceptional organizational
and leadership skills. She is a very quick learner and says her
career today is the most enjoyable that it’s ever been. Needless
to say, Alicia, and our three other full time assistants hired
from my school, make my life so much easier. Alicia says she
never would have been able to get into dentistry if it wasn’t for
an excellent low-cost alternative.
Third: You can have a bigger pool of prospective assistants to hire from at any given time. Let’s face it. The only real
constant about a dental practice is the doctor. You may have a
great staff today but it can change oh so quickly. Your assistant’s spouse takes a job in another state. Perhaps your assistant
leaves for hygiene school, to raise a family, take on another
career or any endless number of reasons. We all know the turnover bug can hit anytime, without warning.
Let’s not forget the dreadful one. Ever had a bad apple?
A negative attitude and selfish pessimism by one person can
quickly turn into the cancer that takes the whole practice
down. Though we never want that to happen with our staff, it
can eventually become a reality for any of us. When it happens, replace them fast. You get to “cherry-pick” the very best
ones right from your class! You have a pool of assistants doing
“working interviews” with your head assistants year round.
Imagine never having to run an expensive ad for a dental assistant ever again.
Fourth: You gain some control over the quality of available dental assistant prospects in your town. I had some
frustrating times in my first four years in practice. I’d catch
myself thinking something like this: “Are you kidding me?
These externs from the local traditional schools are all I have to
choose from?” At times I was able to pick talent “off the street”
and train them quicker and faster than I could with any of the
available “trained” prospects in my area.
I mean no disrespect for any program, long or short. We
all know there are people in our dental school class, hygiene
class or assisting class that we would never let near our mouths.
Every type of training program has their bottom 10 % of graduates. But, let me tell you about a comment that I hear over and
over again from MANY dentists around the country. It goes
something like this: “There’s this expensive full-time dental assisting school down the street that’s a year long. The graduates
come into our office to volunteer and I wonder what they were
doing all year long. They don’t know anything!”
Fifth: You get to leverage your hundreds of thousands of
dollars in equipment and physical plant that sits idle part of the
week. Your facility makes you nothing when it’s closed. I used
to get that all too familiar pit in my stomach when I’d think
about the weekends and my empty office that I still had to pay
rent for. It was just last week that a doctor from Hawaii called
me saying he was sick and tired of wasting money on rent for so
many days that his dental office is closed. It all changes when
you have a dental assisting school. You get to experience multiple streams of income. If your dental office has a bad month,
you don’t have to worry so much because there is another
income stream to compensate.
Sixth: You have a powerful retention tool for superstar
staff. Your highly qualified assistants love teaching and being
in an authority position. They get to enjoy being the mentor
that students look up to. Due to the low overhead of running
a school, you can easily pay your head instructor 1½ to twice
what they make during the week. Who doesn’t like to earn
more? If they are ever tempted to leave your office, they have to
think twice about it because they lose these strong benefits in
addition to the other benefits you may provide.
Seventh: Many dentists believe their dental assisting
school is the most lucrative niche in their practice. We can
choose to do dental implants, veneers, Invisalign, crown and
bridge…..why not dental assisting training? Operating overhead
for a full class is far lower than the average dental practice
overhead. You are already paying for the major expenses required
whether you run a school or not. Your equipment, physical
plant, and highly trained staff give you a huge advantage over
would-be vocational school competition.
Let’s face the facts. It’s perfectly fine to make a great profit.
You provide a strong value to more people. The more value you
can provide, the more people you can help and the sky is the
limit for profitability. Having a significant chunk of money go
into your bank account each quarter, separate and aside from
your dental practice revenue, is an exciting thing to experience.
1-800-337-8467
Hiring your staff to help you run a dental assisting school
can be very profitable in many ways. The monetary and nonmonetary benefits are numerous. With this business, a dentist is
sticking with their own expertise: dentistry. You are not buying
a car wash, a deli shop, or investing in some diamond mine in
Belgium. You are leveraging the knowledge and expertise you
paid the price to gain for eight long years of your life.
I’ve come to find that there are two main types of dentists
with respect to exploring the possibility of starting their own
dental assisting school business. They either get it, or they
don’t. Many are willing to take a well calculated risk, with
a high probability for success on something they are experts
in: dentistry. Others might simply prefer to keep doing more
of those DOB’s on #2 or #15, upside-down, under water and
through a mirror. That’s perfectly fine either way.
Here’s one more thought I’d like to leave with you. We
always hear about how we need to think outside the box. But,
what if the big answers are already inside the box? With a dental assisting school, they are. Sticking with the devil you know
is often better than messing around with the one you don’t.
Eighth: Residual money is different money. Let me ask
you a question. Would you rather make $100,000 in a year
and do all the work or make $60,000 and do little to none of
the work? I’ll take the latter every time! You’ll have a sizable
chunk of money plus lots of time to leverage further into other
income producing activities or personal pursuits. With your
school, you don’t have to do all the work if you don’t want to.
You can delegate work to your staff.
Ninth: No retirement? No problem. A dental assisting
school can be your retirement. After you have long since put
down the drill, you can still retain your school business if you
want to. I have a 73-year-old dentist friend who got beat up with
the business of dentistry in his practicing days. He burned out
of running his dental practice and had to get out. He had nothing
but debt after many years of long hard dental practice labor.
However, he saw the potential with owning and directing his
own dental assisting school. He took action and as a result, has
not skipped an income beat since he quit practicing dentistry
years ago. He enjoys a healthy six figure income stream year after
year because of the highly efficient dental assisting training he
is able to provide for many, many people each year.
I hope by now you are able to see your dental practice in a
new light. Our potential in the business of dentistry is wonderful! The more creative we can be with our business minds, themore possibilities we will see. I wish you the best as you move
forward in pursuit of a more profitable business that provides
more value to an increasingly large number of people. Your reward will be proportional to the value you can provide. To find
out what type of dental assisting school opportunity is available
in your area, go to www.AssistToSucceed.com.
Dr. Taylor Clark is an author, speaker, dentist, small business consultant and
business entrepreneur whose passion is making life better for people. He was
named the 2009 Young Entrepreneur of the Year by the Boise Metro Chamber of
Commerce. For questions or more information, visit www.AssistToSucceed.com
or call 208-353-5301.
F a l l 2 0 11
27
Who is YOUR
Weakest Link?
by Brooke Mott
W
ho is really running the show
at your practice? At one point
or another, we have all felt out
of control with some aspect of our dental
practices. Whether it is with a crazy
schedule with too many emergencies,
add-ons, or just your average run-of-themill bad day. The worst of this is when
we have an employee (I can’t call them a
team member) that is also out of control.
You know the one - she tells YOU
what to do instead of the other way
around, she can be a bully to the rest of
the team, and she is just not really part of
the “team.” She would be your “weakest
link” if you really stop to think about
it. It is really possible that she is even
holding back the health and the potential of the practice. When this situation
occurs, it affects everyone in the practice, but, especially the owner-doctor.
Normally, in the case we are describing, this is a front office employee.
Think about it, as the dentist, you are in
the clinical area say 90% of the time, so
you are basically overseeing the clinical
team in the back. On the flip side, however, the front office team and what they
are doing is largely a mystery.
When we really think about it, the
dentist is trained (normally extremely
well) to do clinical dentistry, but not always in the day to day front office operations of the practice. It is fairly simple
to train and oversee the clinical team because you are present and in the trenches
with them all day, every day. Let’s face
it, if your assistant gets up multiple times
during each procedure, you let her know
that you expect everything to be in the
room when the procedure starts. If the
assistant is new and still training, you
discuss what instruments and materials
are used for each procedure and what
you expect. If your hygienist is calling
you for an exam but never has the x-rays
done when she calls you, you let her
You really need
to do something
about this.
istockphoto.com/ couliecoulie
28
F a l l 2 0 11
Practice management
know to please take the needed x-rays
before buzzing you for the exam. It’s
fairly straight forward, right?
Now we get to the front office, best
known as the “OTHER Part” of the office. This is the very foreign, unknown
part of the office where you, as the
dentist, don’t know what goes on all day,
how the phone is answered, how to submit insurance claims, collect money, and
much more. This is where you fall into
the “I’m working for the employee” trap.
I love working with Dr. Steffany
Mohan, but honestly, she doesn’t know
how all of this works and is not up to
speed on how to train anyone to do
these tasks - nor does she want to do
them herself. Quite honestly, the doctor
should not do any of them. If you don’t
have a written protocol in place for these
crucial elements, you will find yourself
wondering what to do in the long run.
Don’t worry, Dr. Mohan is fully aware
of this, it’s not going to be a big surprise
when she reads this article!
When the dentist does not know
how to hold the front office team accountable for benchmarks, goals and
finishing tasks, it creates a problem.
The worst part is, dentists are often fully
aware that the information needed to
perform these “OTHER” tasks only exists in the minds of their team member.
So, this leads to the moment where you
really don’t want that person to work for
you anymore, but you find that you are
trapped. Huh? Yes, trapped because
what on earth will you do if you push
this person to have some accountability
and she quits?
I was just recently in an office
where this very thing was happen-
ing. The doctor hired me to focus on
Financial Arrangements. All of the current financial arrangements were being
done verbally. They had tried different
financial forms and systems in the past
and they have an office where they are
essentially fee for service, no PPO’s.
They would, as a courtesy to their
patients, submit insurance claims. So,
after observing for a few hours, I realize
like ALL offices they need a written
financial arrangement policy in place,
say, about yesterday.
The recurring situation was that a
patient would come out of hygiene with
treatment that was needed. They would
schedule the patient an appointment for
the treatment, good so far, right? Then,
once the treatment was finished and the
patient was brought to the front, then
for the first time, the patient would hear
what was owed. SURPRISE! Does
this sound familiar? If there is even a
small possibility this is happening in
your office, now would be the time to
make certain that this stops now. What
was really happening is that Mary (not
her real name) was the only person at
the front, and she had been there for 30
years, actually longer than the dentist
had been. Do you think there is any
likelihood of her changing any time
soon? Probably not!
OK, so if this is your office right
now, what is the best starting point?
The first thing to do is to have each team
member you have write a step-by-step
account of what they do daily, weekly
and monthly. Then have each team
member switch these step-by-step protocols and help one another perfect them.
Everyone on your team should have an
accountability partner (a team member
or an experienced coach) that makes this
happen in the span of a few weeks, no
longer.
If you have a “weakest link” that
you need to replace and you can’t
imagine how to replace her, this is a
great first step toward that goal. If you
still need help from this point, simply
because you can’t figure out where to
even start, this is when you would hire
an experienced coach. Don’t wait for
the day when you are left with no team
member and no way to train a new hire.
Start working on this today and avoid
future pain and frustration.
Brooke Mott is an experienced practice management coach that is currently coaching with Excellence in Dentistry and The Profitable Dentist. She
helps teams with training and running efficient and
effective practices. She has been the driving force
in conjunction with Dr. Steffany Mohan behind
the extreme growth of her practice from scratch
to $3 Million in just over 4 years. Her specialties
include Fearless Financial Arrangements, Extreme
Team Training and all facets of dental practice
management. Her contact info is [email protected].
Don’t Underestimate the
Profitability of a Great
Team!
Learn more from Brook Mott
and other Team Building
Experts by attending the
Excellence In Dentistry
Fall Seminar.
November 4 & 5
in Dallas, Texas.
For registration information
see page 9 or visit our website
at www.TheProfitableDentist.com.
Have a topic that you’d like to read more about? Email your ideas to [email protected], subject “TPD Idea” and we’ll do
our best to research it and get an insightful article published just for you. Know of
a product or service your office couldn’t survive without? Share it! Have a fun or
interesting story? Submit it! We want to hear from you!!!
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
29
Practice Management
photo from pbs.com
3 Lessons
I Learned from
Walter Cronkite
About Running
a Successful
Dental Practice
by Dr. Bruce B. Baird
Founder, Productive Dentist Academy
D
id you know that Walter Cronkite, the world’s greatest
anchorman, comes from a family of dentists? Walter’s
father, grandfather and several uncles were dentists.
Walter disappointed his family by becoming a journalist. The
world is eternally grateful for his choice. Cronkite passed away
in 2009 yet he will remain in America’s heart as the greatest
anchorman in history.
Understanding what made him great in his field offers
many clues on how we can create great practices. “Really?”
you ask. “What could reporting possibly have to do with productivity and dentistry?” Reporters, like dentists, are abundant. The success secrets lie in how we set ourselves apart.
Many dentists rely on “expertise” or “technology” alone to
attract patients. But that was not the Cronkite way. Cronkite
was revered for his extensive news coverage abilities; likewise,
I’ve found that offering extensive services is an important key
to being a productive dentist.
As I write this, my productivity is 10% above my current
goal. My practice has consistently grown by $300 an hour each
year for the past five years and we don’t plan on slowing down
anytime soon, recession or no recession.
Here are 3 lessons that we can learn from Cronkite that I
apply in my own practice on a daily basis:
1. Have genuine concern for people
Whenever my numbers are down, the first question I ask
30
F a l l 2 0 11
the team is, “How are we taking care of folks?” Looking at my
practice for the past 25 years, I can tell you that my productivity
drops whenever I fail to take the time to listen and connect
with people, both patients and staff. I know that it is all too
easy to come into the office, check the daily schedule and
plunge right into the treatment room, but that doesn’t serve us,
our team or our patients well. And focusing on our monthly
production number doesn’t work either. Instead, we need to focus
on the process, and not the outcome. John Wooden, another
person who influenced me deeply said, “Success is all about
the little things.” On the first day of practice, Wooden didn’t
talk about strategy or winning championships with his team;
instead, he taught them how to put on their socks and shoes so
they wouldn’t get blisters!
2. Be passionate and take risks
Walter Cronkite didn’t report the news from studio
headquarters; he was on the boats that landed at Normandy,
in the thick of the jungle in Vietnam, and overseas connecting
with world leaders. In other words, he didn’t shy away from
the action — or wait for it to come to him. In dentistry, we
often lose our passion because of the mundane routines of the
day. The dentists I know today who produce above $1,000 per
hour are continuously expanding their skills and service mix,
and referring less and less to specialists. Have a bias toward
action. Take risks by perfecting what you know and striving to
constantly offer more.
3. Be honest in all you do
Walter Cronkite was repeatedly acclaimed to be “The
Most Trusted Man in America.” He reported the news in fair,
objective terms, yet was able to show the humanity in the news
events. When President Kennedy was assassinated, we all
turned to CBS for the news. He had this ability to transcend the
TV Screen and cameras. His bold honesty and genuine concern for the American people, made it feel as if he were sitting
beside you in the living room.
Do you have that type of relationship with your patients?
Have you developed a communication style that allows you
to share everything you see in the patients’ mouth without
overwhelming the listener? Do you sometimes fall back into
bad habits like the “crown of the year club,” committing lies of
omission by not giving the patient the entire story? Frankly, it’s
hard for me to understand the fear of telling patients about their
own mouths. After all, isn’t that why we went into dentistry?
Leasing Space?
Negotiate Once.
Negotiate Right.
To level the playing field in your next
negotiation, call 1-800-340-2701 or
visit www.georgevaill.com/tpd.
“In today’s economy... don’t even think about building, going into
a new location, or signing a lease BEFORE you speak with George
Vaill. George will save you a ton of money and a lot of headaches.”
Dr. Woody Oakes, DDS
Editor-in-Chief, The Profitable Dentist®
GEORGE VAILL
A key phrase I share with patients when treatment planning
is, “It’s time.” I use it when talking to patients who have older
amalgams, and need to get comp exams set up, for example,
“It’s time to take a good look at all of your teeth;” or “It’s time
we did something about these older fillings.”
If you want to do dentistry, you must diagnose it and
believe in it and tell the patients what they need — EVERYTHING they need, not just one crown at a time. And it’s not
about overwhelming. It’s really about being honest with the
patient and telling them what you see and what you recommend, and where you need to start first if they can’t do it all at
once (and most can’t, but some can!). One of the philosophies I
teach at Productive Dentist Academy workshop is the concept
of diagnosing 3:1.
1-800-340-2701 • www.georgevaill.com/tpd
“If you diagnose three times more than your goal, then it’s
like stepping up to bat to hit a beach ball — you can’t miss!
What’s hard is trying to ‘sell’ every patient every time on everything you treatment plan. That’s like swinging at a marble.”
Why not make life easy? Properly treatment plan and then
hand off to a well trained-team who can make the financing and
scheduling easy!
And that’s the way it is… August 2011.
Dr. Bruce B. Baird is founder of Productive Dentist Academy. He and his
partner, Vicki McManus, COO, are passionate about helping dental teams grow
and prosper. Their popular total immersion workshop
gives dentists a specific, step-by-step plan to generate
$1,250/hour in production… and they back it up with
the only guarantee of its kind in the industry: Attend
and increase your production by $300/hour --or your
full doctor tuition back. If you do not see the desired
results, simply call them for a full refund of your
doctor tuition. “There is no reason to read the small
print because there is no small print,” says Bruce.
Productive Dentist Academy stands squarely behind its
program because they know it works! Last workshop of
2011 is: September 29th, - October 1st, Dallas, TX
The Profitable Dentists subscribers can save $400 by calling (800) 7576077 or visiting: www.productivedentist.com. Promo code: PDA2011
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
31
The Power
of the “Turtle”
by Chris D. Callen
istockphoto.com/ sdominick
L
et’s face it. Today’s investment climate is downright
scary. You know you need to put money away for retirement but, with the roller coaster stock market, you are
afraid to commit to it. Your new mantra is the Will Rogers
quote “I am more concerned with the return OF my money than
the return ON my money!”
a premium bonus** on all premiums contributed for the first few
years in addition to the credited annual interest rate.*** The tradeoff
for the bonus is a higher or longer surrender charge period.
Also a nice feature with many fixed annuities is 100% of
policy premiums, for the base policy, are not subject to annual
fees or administrative charges. Some insurance companies are
Our firm is a licensed, independent insurance agency that
offering what is known as a guaranteed income rider. For an anhas been serving the insurance needs of dentists, nationwide, for nual cost, deducted from the accumulation value, this rider can
nearly 30 years. Recently a few of our financial planner referral provide a guaranteed lifetime income stream without selecting
sources asked us for ideas on how to provide more guarantees
one of the payout options in the annuity contract. The guaranwith less risk. In effect, they are asking us to show them “Turteed percentage return used to calculate the increase will vary
tle-type” products offered by an insurance company, rather than and can be as high as 8% for the first 10 years. This rider has
the “Hare-type” investments, offered by the securities industry. limitations and adds additional cost to the annuity and may not
be appropriate for everyone.
What is a “Turtle” product? It is definitely something that
is not flashy and is less enticing than the “Hare” products but
Whole Life Insurance From A Mutual Life Insurance Company
usually provides slow, steady, growth with built-in guarantees
For those individuals that do not employ a professional
backed by the financial strength of insurance companies.
money manager, the strengths of a whole life policy from a muTypically “Turtle” products are insurance products that are tual insurance company may now be a good alternative if used
not securities and are more conservative and can provide balas a base for their life insurance needs.
ance against the unpredictable stock market.
The policy itself is a long-term asset that develops cash
value which will grow over time. Over the long haul, most of
these type of policies have provided stable results. If structured
Here are some examples of “Turtle”type products:
properly, they allow for withdrawals or tax-free* loans for a
lifetime.
Fixed Annuity With A Guaranteed Income Option
Careful planning is required when it comes time to take
These type of annuities provide tax deferment* and minimum the income option so as to be sure the policy does not run out
interest rate guarantees. Newer versions allow for the payment of of cash value prior to your death, otherwise you could be left ex-
32
F a l l 2 0 11
posed to a big tax bill for tax on the gains received on the policy
should the policy ever be terminated.
long-term care expenses, a benefit will be paid to your named
beneficiaries.
Some policies currently guarantee a minimum of 4%,
tax deferred rate, on cash values, over the life of the policy. A
mutual company may pay an annual dividend (which is never
guaranteed) into the policy which could create a higher cash
value than what the guarantee would provide on it’s own. Some
companies have recently paid dividend rates as high as 6.7%.
Two really nice feature of this type of policy is 100% of
your initial premium (1035 exchanged value) may be refunded
anytime should you elect to terminate the policy. You also
eliminate the need to pay annual premiums towards a long-term
care policy.
Many dentists are beginning to buy a whole life policy
which is paid up by age 65, or in some cases as little as 10 years,
as an alternative to borrowing from a bank. They use the cash
value in their policy for large purchases such as a car, office
equipment or college. Rather than borrowing from the bank and
paying the bank an interest payment, they borrow from the cash
value in the policy and pay themselves interest in the form of a
loan payment to their policy. The unique thing is that the funds,
used for the loan, continue to increase in value within the policy
even while they are being used to fund a purchase.
Purchase of a whole life policy can allow you to take a
higher single lifetime payout on other investments, rather than a
reduced payout with a joint life option for you and your spouse.
The whole life policy death benefit could make up for the stoppage of income, to your spouse, at your death.
A whole life policy will also allow you to take a systematic
withdrawal from your securities portfolios only in years where
there was a gain. You would simply withdraw your required
annual funds from the whole life policy when your securities
portfolio was down, allowing you to not have to sell securities
when you are experiencing negative returns. This method of
taking an income in retirement assures your securities portfolio
will maintain a larger balance.
In summary, if you are one of the many individuals out
there looking for an alternative to investing all of your funds
in security products feel free to give us a call at 800-288-6578
or email me at [email protected] to see how the power of the
Turtle could help you achieve a greater confidence with your
retirement funds.
Under current law, annuities grow tax-deferred. An annuity is not required
for tax deferral in qualified plans. Annuities may be subject to taxation during
the income or withdrawal phase. Life insurance loans may be taxable if the
policy is a Modified Endowment Contract. Outstanding loans reduce cash surrender value and death benefit to extent of loans and accrued interest.
*
Products that have premium bonuses may offer lower credit interest rates
than products that do not offer a premium bonus. Over time, and under certain
scenarios, the amount of the premium bonus may be offset by the lower interest
rates.
**
An annuity paid with after-tax dollars has already paid the taxes. Any
interest earned over the premium amount would be taxable if withdrawn prior
to death. The death benefit, if paid to a named beneficiary, would be tax-free.
Ref: DH3896
***
Chris Callen is one of the country’s nationally recognized insurance professionals for dentists, nationwide, for nearly 30 years. His firm, Chris D. Callen, Insurance Agent, is based in Westerville, Ohio. He has been a speaker at many state
and national dental conferences and has co-authored three practice management
books and is routinely published in popular professional publications. You may
contact Chris at (800) 288-6578 - [email protected].
Whole Life Insurance 1035 Exchange To Annuities Or
A Single Premium Long-Term Care Universal Life Policy
The IRS allows transfer of cash value from a permanent
life insurance policy into an annuity or another life insurance policy without having to pay tax on any gains. This is
called a 1035 tax-free exchange.
If long-term care insurance is required, it is possible to exchange policy values of an existing whole
life policy into a special universal life policy, available
from certain carriers, that will accumulate values
income tax free* and eliminate the need to purchase a
traditional long-term care policy.
Should you require long-term care, you will be
able to withdraw a monthly benefit much greater than
the initial death benefit in order to pay for your care.
At death, should there be funds available, not used for
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
33
Eco Products are the New Success Drivers in Dentistry
- Establishing a Healthy Connection to Technology!
Today sustainable living is having its breakthrough. In the current economic
climate, companies who offer ecological products are the growing ones. More
consumers are on the look out for a healthier, more natural way of living. And
considering how we’re surrounded with technology at work and at home, the
biggest health and ecological question today: “What effect is all this wireless and
electrical technology having on my body and environment?”
Is Electro-Pollution Influencing the Patients Healing Process?
Science has long since found that our body’s cells communicate by means of oscillating vibrational energy frequencies
such as sound, light and radio waves. Our cell membranes have receptors on them that vibrate and “resonate” in harmony
with their environment. This means the frequencies in our environment ultimately affect the physiology of our body. And right
now the proliferation of electromagnetic radiation in our surroundings is said to be placing our bodies under serious stress.
The radiation frequencies released from Wifi, mobile phones, powerlines, digital TVs all the way to X-ray machines – all eliminate
healthful “negative ion” energy from our surroundings - disrupting the body’s electrical functionality. This causes confusion in the
body’s defense system and triggers debilitating symptoms such as low energy levels, fatigue, headaches, sleeping problems,
poor concentration, and more. Medical research shows that in the long-term electro-pollution can contribute to diseases such
as Diabetes, Cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
How to have a Healthy Connection with Technology in your Environment
“Negative ion” energy is the healthiest natural frequency generated on earth. It’s in natural places like waterfalls or mountains
that you’ll find an abundance of negative ion energy. Negative ion frequencies act as nature’s vitamins of the air – purifying
harmful emissions in the air and supporting the body’s electrical network.
Swiss company Mijeco™ is the leader in Natural Frequency Technology – encoding healthful negative ion frequencies that
resonate from their Eco-Products. Mijeco’s negative ion resonance harmonizes the harmful emissions from today’s technology,
and at the same time communicates with the body through the body’s magnetic energy field.
Mijeco’s Natural Frequency Technology is based on the well-known physical principles of resonant energy transfer, frequency
modulation, electromagnetic induction and wireless communication with these physical principles being applied in a new and
novel way. Do you remember seeing AM and FM on your radio? Well this stands for Amplitude Modulation and Frequency
Modulation but is a fancy way of saying that we take a high frequency carrier wave and modulate it so that we can encode
information on the wave. Mijeco works on the same principle of encoding natural frequencies and infusing them into their
products. The benefits of the Mijeco™ negative ion resonance has shown greater alertness, better sleep, less stress, increased
energy levels and more.
Manufactured in Switzerland, Mijeco’s Eco-Products are unique to the market
as they are the first stand-alone negative ion generators.
- Mijeco Eco-Living™ stone ($425 USD) emits a strong negative ion resonance around
your house / office.
- Mijeco Eco-Mobile™ patch ($70 USD) emits a negative ion resonance around
your mobile device.
After Six
Month Smiles
This
negative
ion energy enables your body to have a healthy connection with
technology in your surroundings.
®
34
F a l l 2 0 11
Mijeco Eco Products give dentists a Unique Selling Proposition
for Sensitive Patients
With Mijeco’s Natural Frequency Technology, the Mijeco EcoProducts work as an “antenna” releasing a strong “negative
ion” resonance – the body’s magnetic field picks up this
healthy signal prompting a healthy response. This is known as
resonant energy transfer. The same way you would use a tuning
fork where you bang one fork then hold another fork next to
it, the second fork will actually pick up the same sound wave
and tune. Well that’s how the body works. The body is able to
adapt to this natural frequency emitted from Mijeco products.
Bio-feedback testing shows Eco-Living™ (Mijeco’s home/office product) strengthening the body’s biofield, immune system and
organ function – making you more resilient to bodily stress. “My vision for Mijeco is to develop solutions through which we can
improve our vitality and health and help restore our balance with nature,” emphasizes Mijeco Founder Christian Strahlhofer.
A new clinical study proven “statistically significant” by the University of St Gallen
in Switzerland showed that during the time when Subjects were tested with the
Mijeco Eco-Living™ stone in the room, they were more alert by 38% after 5 minutes.
Which means that their fatigue was reduced by 38%.
Results also showed that 100% of Subjects tested showed improvement in concentration
levels when the Mijeco Eco-Living stone was in the room. And now Dentists worldwide
have begun using products that have been “energized” with the Mijeco™ Frequency
Technology – including energized dental implants and the negative ion adapter for X-ray
machines – removing energetic interference to our body and environment.
Today a Holistic approach to Dentistry is fast becoming the Biggest Success Driver for
Patients and Profit. Dr. Tilman Fritsch, Founder of TF Dentistry says “Thanks to Mijeco
our dental materials such as ceramic, plastic and titanium now hold an energetic
vibration compatible with the body. Thus it gives us the possibility to use energetically
healthy products so the body can freely regulate and rejuvenate after dental work.”
For More information visit www.mijeco.com. Plus Follow Mijeco for their latest News on Facebook and Twitter.
To place an order, contact Excellence in Dentistry at 800-337-8467.
As founders of Mijeco, Rinat and Christian Strahlhofer are young
entrepreneurs who stepped away from bright careers in Banking and
Marketing due to their passion for the environment – specifically an
enthusiasm to increase the negative ion content in our air. Christian
explains, “Our mission at Mijeco is to help re-establish the body’s
essential balance with nature. By focusing on this goal, we share an
active role in shaping the future of health and the environment in our
world.” You may contact Christian Strahlhofer at [email protected]
or +41774382144
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
35
Clinical
Emergencies, Hygiene
Checks & Missed
Anesthesia...
End The Stress!
by Dr. Michael Curtis
Do never-ending hygiene
checks, squeezed-in
emergencies or missed
anesthesia ever jam up
your schedule and create
undue stress? Some tips
for smoothing out these
problems:
1. Missed Anesthesia:
• Does your schedule back-up when you fail to get total
anesthesia? Over 20% of mandibular blocks fail; over
40% on “hot” teeth. Yet many dentists continue to
labor with only the basic information they learned in
dental school.
• For example, you have to get 4 nerves besides the
mandibular nerve to fully numb many molars! For
what nerves to numb and how to anesthetize them,
please consider our “Anesthesia” guide.
• Never offer coffee, tea or treats to create a “spa wow
experience.” Caffeine and sugar stimulate the nervous
system and make patients resistant to anesthesia.
2. Annoying Hygiene Checks:
We all want a successful recall program, but are constant
hygiene interruptions killing you? Try the following:
rls on
100’s of Pea
• Stop checking everyone. Categorize patients into
4 recall groups, paralleling the FDA’s guidelines
for radiographs. (Figure 1). Then, break-away using
our “Hygiene Communicator” as your guide. Your
increased production (by not being interrupted) will be
immediate; and your life far less stressful.
Fees & Cnacsee
Accepta
ss
Plus countle
rocket
tips to sky
your profit!
and totally
• Fast, easy
the busy
practical for
tist.
general den
0’s of dollars
• Saves 100
C.E.
ss hours in
and countle
’s
rls from 100
• 100’s of Pea
w
...Do you kno
of sources
them all?
l Dentist
For The Genera
36
F a l l 2 0 11
• Co-Discovery & Co-Diagnosis: Have hygienists
routinely project patients’ intra-oral images and ask
patients to identify what they see. Patients who “codiscover” their own problems more readily accept
treatment. Have hygienists “pre-discuss” needed care,
so all you do is a fast check to validate the hygienist’s
recommendations. Case acceptance will skyrocket and
your time will be cut down.
3. Hygiene Communicator Form:
Hygienists fill out this fast check-off form for you and your
office manager. This form summarizes what has already
been discussed in hygiene, along with the patients’ attitudes
about proposed care:
• Alerts financial manager about insurance and payment
arrangements she’ll need to research and discuss.
• Advises you on how long your recall check should
take. For complicated cases, consider re-scheduling
the patient. No one benefits when you try to squeeze
a hastily conceived treatment plan or inadequate case
presentations into the middle of a busy day. Patients
will appreciate it if you are honest: “Mary, Dr. ___
wants to spend some extra time with you to go over
your case. Can we get you back on ___. This is not
something we want to rush.”
4. Awesome Appointment Card:
The card has 27 great features to increase case acceptance,
ensure payment and prevent any patient from falling through
the cracks. Takes less than 30 seconds to fill-out. Also
provides a record of financial discussions, informed consent
and benefits of treatment. (See Figure 2)
5. Squeezing in Emergencies:
How do you squeeze in emergency patients? By the time
you go over the patients’ symptom, diagnosis, treatment
alternative, insurance and cost, are you often out of time
to do the work? Try our “Emergency Form,” to make the
process quicker (see Figure 3 on page 45).
• Triage true emergencies. Checklist format allows you
to assess the emergency problem, book the appropriate
time and call insurance before the patient arrives.
Allows even the most novice employee to appear
knowledgeable and professional.
• Upon Arrival, have the patient review the form for
missing or incorrect information and sign it. This
provides a written record of symptoms and history to
reduce your interviewing time.
• Run Tests at Home: Save time by asking patients to
perform diagnostic tests at home when their tooth is
hurting. Bite or tap teeth with the back of a toothbrush
to check percussion. Apply warm coffee or ice with a
Q-tip to check thermal sensitivity.
Continued on page 45.
Figure 1
10
15
Figure 2
.5
Dental Appointment
After Your Visit:
Discomfort should be:
❏ Minor ❏ Mod. ❏ Severe
Novocaine will last approx. ____hrs.
Wait before eating approx. ____hrs.
Okay To:
❏ Work?
❏ Exercise?
❏ Drive?
❏ Watch children?
❏ Drink alcohol?
1.5
INS/PPO
10-2
Patient Initials ___________
P
F
DDS
200___
15
Date ___________
Short
10
I understand possible risks, complications and treatment alternatives and I consent to this treatment. Fees and procedures may
change as services are performed. Insurance is estimated. I authorize this office to bill my credit/debit/ATM card or bank account for any
unpaid balances after 60 days. I agree to a $5/statement fee and 1.5% interest/mo. for any unpaid balances. I understand that time has
been reserved for me and agree to a $25/hour charge for any missed appointment without 24 hours notice
©Hundreds Of Pearls, LLC 800-427-2830.
2
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Treatment Planned
Purpose:
Before Your Appointment:
❏ Improve smile, appearance
❏ Limit caffeine.
❏ Eat lightly.
❏ Help bleeding, mouth odor
❏ Treat gum or bone infection
❏ Take 2 Aleve or similar.
❏ Take pre-med: _______________
❏ Preventive; Exam
❏ Old work leaking; worn out
❏ Stop blood thinners.
❏ Tooth broken, infected
❏ Cavity getting worse
Make Appointment After:
❏ Tooth too weak
Date ____/____/____ Time _________
Reason: ❏ Lab time
❏ Teeth shifting or loose
❏ Bite or joint problem
❏ New benefits
❏ Healing
❏ Condition will worsen, cost more
or cause pain if delayed
❏ Work; school
❏ Urgent ❏ ASAP ❏ Few months
2.5
_______________ hr
Length of Visit
1
Due At Visit $ _______________
____________________
Time
3
____________________
Date
3.5
_________________
Day
4
Patient Name _____________________________________________
.5
Dental Appointment
After Your Visit:
Discomfort should be:
❏ Minor ❏ Mod. ❏ Severe
Novocaine will last approx. ____hrs.
Wait before eating approx. ____hrs.
Okay To:
❏ Work?
❏ Exercise?
❏ Drive?
❏ Watch children?
❏ Drink alcohol?
1-800-337-8467
Patient Initials ___________
1.5
INS/PPO
10-2
I understand possible risks, complications and treatment alternatives and I consent to this treatment. Fees and procedures may
change as services are performed. Insurance is estimated. I authorize this office to bill my credit/debit/ATM card or bank account for any
unpaid balances after 60 days. I agree to a $5/statement fee and 1.5% interest/mo. for any unpaid balances. I understand that time has
been reserved for me and agree to a $25/hour charge for any missed appointment without 24 hours notice
©Hundreds Of Pearls, LLC 800-427-2830.
2
Purpose:
Before Your Appointment:
❏ Improve smile, appearance
❏ Limit caffeine.
❏ Eat lightly.
❏ Help bleeding, mouth odor
❏ Treat gum or bone infection
❏ Take 2 Aleve or similar.
❏ Preventive; Exam
❏ Take pre-med: _______________
❏ Old work leaking; worn out
❏ Stop blood thinners.
❏ Tooth broken, infected
❏ Cavity getting worse
Make Appointment After:
Date ____/____/____ Time _________
❏ Tooth too weak
❏ Teeth shifting or loose
Reason: ❏ Lab time
❏ Bite or joint problem
❏ New benefits
❏ Condition will worsen, cost more
❏ Healing
❏ Work; school
or cause pain if delayed
❏ Urgent ❏ ASAP ❏ Few months
2.5
_______________ hr
Length of Visit
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Treatment Planned
1
Due At Visit $ _______________
____________________
Time
3
____________________
Date
3.5
_________________
Day
4
Patient Name _____________________________________________
Date ___________
Short
P
F
DDS
200___
F a l l 2 0 11
37
Clinical
Helpful Hints for
General Dentists
Doing Orthodontics
by Dr. Earl O. Bergersen
Anyone presently doing or contemplating doing orthodontics
should consider various principles that are often directly
related to successful results. Here are several principles that
are of great importance:
1.
Don’t do anything on a patient that you wouldn’t do on
your own child.
2. If the patient’s mother states concern over the process, be
sure you seriously consider her opinion before proceeding.
3.
If what you are going to do orthodontically has any
chance of making the problem worse, reconsider your
decision.
4.
Whatever you do orthodontically, do it in the simplest,
least invasive way that will get you the best result.
5.
Make sure the procedure you consider will have the
most permanent result with the least relapse and the
least future problems.
6.
The function of the dentition should preempt esthetics
in most cases. To make teeth attractive at the expense
of function should usually be avoided.
7.
Active orthodontic procedures that last longer than
2½ years should be avoided. Most patients lose their
ability to cooperate after 2½ years and usually end in
a result that is less desirable.
8.
Do not do orthodontics on a patient that has severe
periodontal problems with mobility of the teeth.
9.
Doing orthodontics in a way that is contrary to
normal growth and development standards is not
recommended. Expanding, particularly in the lower
arch, beyond accepted normal limits is an example
that usually results in considerable relapse.
10. Most malocclusions are in balance and any corrections
that throw the dentition away from that balance will
usually not be permanent. Squeezing teeth into an
arch where there is a lack of space usually results in
instability.
12. The lower arch is usually the controlling arch in
making orthodontic decisions. The reason for this is
the cortical bony trough that limits the expansive or
constrictive movements of the lower teeth. The upper
arch is more cancellous and allows for more generous
movement of the teeth.
13. It is much easier to obtain extra space for crowding
corrections in the mixed dentition due to the larger
deciduous molars (than the premolars that replace
them). Once the second permanent molars erupt and
close this additional space (the leeway space of Nance)
in a forward direction, it locks the crowding in and
becomes almost impossible to get an acceptable longlasting result without future relapse.
14. Doing orthodontics on a simple problem such as a
single rotation, which might relapse, could result in
a 100% failure. A complicated problem that has a
similar relapse of a single tooth represents a small
degree of failure when compared to the remaining
successful correction. Minimal adult crowding
corrections can be very problematic for this reason.
15. At all cost preserve the existing width and shape of the
lower arch – to change it is to encourage relapse.
16. Don’t treat skeletal Class III cases (mandibular,
prognathism), impacted upper canines, cases with
ankylosed permanent teeth, multiple missing adult
teeth, and don’t extract permanent teeth to correct
crowding unless you can do fixed orthodontics yourself.
17. If you are referring cases to an orthodontist, have him
write a letter explaining at what age he wants cases
sent to him and let him be the judge as to when to
start a case. Don’t tell a parent what you think the
diagnosis will be.
18. Don’t start a case if you cannot complete the treatment
properly yourself. Never get halfway through a case
and then refer it to an orthodontist to complete what
you can’t do yourself because of lack of knowledge or
experience.
19. Don’t promise a result to the patient, and always
provide yourself the option of discontinuing treatment
if the patient is uncooperative.
10. Always take complete initial records prior to
starting any form of orthodontic treatment including
study models, panoramic and lateral cephalometric
radiographs, TMJ analysis, facial photos, and measures
of the free-way space, midline relations, inclination of
incisors and the severity of a gummy
smile, if one exists.
For more information you may contact Dr. Bergersen at
www.ortho-tain.com or call 800-541-6612.
11. If space is created in a case initially, it makes the
correction of crowding and rotations considerably easier.
38
F a l l 2 0 11
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
39
Clinical
The Role of
Teeth Whitening
is Changing
by Keith Rodbell
istockphoto.com/ Kurhan
T
eeth whitening has long been a
staple offering among most dentists but the level of income generated and the role it plays has changed
rather drastically in the last several years.
The days of charging $600 or more for
traditional in-office whitening procedures are waning as more retail solutions enter the market and group buying
programs such as Groupon and Living
Social have continued to drive down the
price within the dental community.
Further, whitening has become
more commoditized among dentists and
is being used more progressively as a
marketing tool to drive patients in the
door and hopefully secure them, and
their families, as lifelong patients. This
also tends to lower the average whitening
treatment revenue as dentists compete in
their local communities to bring patients
in their direction. This has proven to be
a very effective technique if organized
and executed properly; however profits
from whitening need not be diminished
entirely with this strategy.
Whitening can be used as a promotional tool very successfully if pricing,
product mix, messaging, and patient
education are planned effectively. And
40
F a l l 2 0 11
with the rapid increase of the internet
and social media, whitening is also a service that integrates very well with these
mediums as will be highlighted.
Despite the declining fees, whitening is an outstanding tool that offers immediately visible results, drives patient
referrals, can generate strong profits,
and appears to still be on the rise. According to a recent study released from
the American Academy of Cosmetic
Dentistry (AACD), AACD members
performed an average of 77 whitening
treatments last year generating an average annual income of $19,100, and 57%
said they expect this number to rise.*
In Office Whitening
In-office whitening treatments offer
the most substantial, immediate whitening results for patients and also tend to
have a sizeable margin which makes this
offering most attractive to promote through
the group buying programs such as Groupon and Living Social.
Depending on the population size
of a practice location, this technique can
typically drive hundreds of responses.
For those unfamiliar with how these
programs work, here is a brief summary.
The companies maintain a large database
of subscribers to whom they send daily
emails on various promotions from businesses in their community. For example
with teeth whitening, if a dental practice
normally charges $600 for an in-office
treatment, the company will ask that you
discount it at least 50% or more. This is
what the patient would pay directly to the
group buying company. Then the company takes 30% to 50% in fees and pays
the balance to the business. Therefore,
the net payout to a dental office normally
charging $600 for an in office whitening
treatment would be approximately $150
to $210. If 200 people buy the deal (which
is not uncommon – depending on your
area and could be as high as 500+) this
could bring upwards of $42,000 to a dental
practice in revenue. However, the profits
gained from this promotion are driven a
great deal by product cost.
While some whitening companies
charge up to $80 to $90 per patient kit,
many companies are far more affordable
and equally effective solutions in the $30
to $40 range which, after adding allocated
expense for staff time and other various
materials, can still lead the group buying
strategy to be very profitable.
Furthermore, the true underlying value is to capture new
patients with long-term value. During the course of examining a
patient prior to the whitening treatment, other treatment needs
may become obvious and will present an opportunity to service the patient beyond the whitening treatment alone. This is
a critical element that is oftentimes overlooked and not planned
properly. It is crucial to treat these new patients in a comprehensive manner with a full exam that allows for additional oral
care services.
Certainly there will be individuals who are taking advantage of the promotion for a one-time service, but if approached
properly a number of them, and potentially other family members and friends, can become full care patients if they have a
positive experience. Also, it is critical to capture all contact
information and make sure these individuals are included in
all other marketing outreaches of the practice including print
newsletters, email campaigns and followup calls.
While the group buying programs do offer an outstanding
way to drive awareness of a practice and revenue, it is important
to ensure it does not de-value your offering long-term. These
are meant to be unique savings opportunities for consumers
while offering a broad new patient base to a practice. Normal
prices should be held in place outside of these promotions to
maintain the value integrity of professional whitening along
with profit margins.
Take Home Whitening Solutions
This category of whitening typically covers two categories.
First are custom trays made by the dental office for the patient.
This also tends to be a very profitable category given the low
cost of materials and relatively low staff time requirements.
All of the same value propositions outlined above for in-office
whitening for use with group buying programs can also be applied to doing a similar offering specifically for custom trays.
However, custom trays are also a way to help differentiate
your offering from other dentists by providing them for free
whenever a patient purchases an in-office treatment in order to
help maintain the results. The economics of making custom
trays typically make this a relatively low cost, loss leader
investment when used in this manner. A second category is
pre-configured take-home whitening kits that include whitening gel and a “do-it-yourself” type tray system. These types
of kits can be a more cost-effective alternative to offer as a
complimentary item given there is no staff time involved.
However, it is critical to use a company that offers a product
in the right cost range to minimize the expense of offering this
solution to patients for free and maximize profits when sold as
a retail product.
1-800-337-8467
For the patient who cannot afford custom trays, this can
also serve as an outstanding alternative with costs as low as
$20 per kit. It is also critical to choose kits where the tray
system has a short-term shelf life so that patients will need to
return to the practice for both gels and tray systems.
Promotional Whitening Products
This is a relatively new category that holds a tremendous
amount of promise for practices to drive their grass-roots
marketing strategies, patient referrals and even serve as a retail
profit center. One of the most prominent products used in this
category are teeth whitening pens. These are unique, highly
visible, fun products that patients use regularly and can be very
cost effective for a practice as low as $10 to $15.
These products are most effective in building a practice
name if they can be customized with the practice information
which some companies offer. They can be used as giveaways
for recall visits, referrals, new patients, local marketing events,
and for maintenance after in-office whitening or for use in
conjunction with custom made trays or other take-home whitening kits. Pens are also a great way to help build a practice’s
social media presence by offering them, for example, whenever
patients “Like” a Facebook Fan Page or follow the practice on
Twitter. Social media is a massive wave that is no longer an
option but a mandate for practices to maintain awareness, develop new business, and stay connected with current patients.
Choosing a Whitening Company
While the role of whitening is changing, it is clearly still
playing a critical role for dental practices in terms of both revenue and promotional strategy. However, in order to make the
most of your whitening business via the strategies outlined in
this article, it is critical to choose a company that has the right
prices, results, product mix, and marketing support to maximize your efforts and financial returns. Any of these elements
on their own will leave your initiatives and patient experiences
short of what you expect for your practice. When evaluating
your current whitening provider or when exploring new alternatives make sure to comprehensively question the company
about how they are going to help you succeed on all fronts.
*Spring 2011 Survey by the American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry
http://www.aacd.com/index.php?module=cms&folder=3&cmd=cmsproxy&fil
ename=files/Whitening%20Survey_ Apr11.pdf
Keith is a Partner and Director of Sales for Whiter Image Dental, an innovative leader in the teeth whitening
industry with an approach that delivers outstanding results
for patients and marketing performance solutions for any
dental practice. You may contact him at www.whiterimagedental.com | 1-877-944-8330.
F a l l 2 0 11
41
CLINICAL
13 Reasons
Why Your 401(k)
Is Your Riskiest
“Investment”
by Garrett B. Gunderson
A
s a financial advocate to dentists, I’ve worked with
hundreds of dentists, most of whom diligently save in a
401(k). But when I teach them the following concepts,
they’re eager for alternatives. Consider these 13 dangers of 401(k)s:
1. No Cash Flow
The theory is that the money compounds, but this really
means it stagnates. Most people will not choose to utilize these
funds even when a compelling opportunity will make them far
more money than the 401(k) would, even accounting for the
penalties. Numerous legitimate opportunities are passed by as
people stay “in it for the long haul.”
6. Under-Utilization Because of Tax Deferral
If you don’t like paying taxes today, why would you want
to pay them any more in the future? The tax deferral aspect,
which is touted as a great boon, is actually a primary factor
contributing to under-utilization. Most retirees let the money
sit for fear of triggering tax consequences.
7. Higher Tax Brackets Upon Withdrawal
The money is tied up with penalties attached for early
withdrawal—unless you know how to safely navigate specific,
obscure IRS codes for penalty-free withdrawals.
It’s ironic that people project healthy returns on their
qualified plan while also projecting they’ll be in a lower tax
bracket at retirement. If you have achieved any measure of
success, you should actually be in a higher tax bracket at
retirement, although most advisors assume the opposite. Do
you think taxes will be higher or lower in the future?
3. Market Dependency
Deferring your taxes results in a far greater tax burden
than would be incurred using different products and strategies.
2. Lack of Liquidity
The performance of the funds is dependent upon
uncontrollable market factors. Therefore, your retirement plans
are based on unknowable projections. Do you want to live your
ideal life only if the market cooperates?
4. Lack of Knowledge
How much do you really know about your 401(k)? Do you
know the funds in which you’re invested? Do you know the
details of the companies inside those funds? Do you know the
fund manager’s philosophy, history, and performance?
How can you expect to gain a return from something you
know so little about? And how can this be called investing? It’s
not investing—it’s gambling.
5. Administrative Fees
The funds are subject to various (and usually hidden)
42
administrative fees in addition to expense ratios and 12-B1
fees—a fact ignored by most contributors and advisors.
F a l l 2 0 11
8. Estate Taxes
401(k)s are sitting ducks for estate taxes. Much 401(k)
money is never utilized because contributors don’t make
withdrawals in fear of paying taxes. Yet when the money is
passed on to the next generation, there is not only a likely
income tax, but also an estate tax.
9. No Exit Strategy
Getting into a 401(k) seems simple enough. But how are
you going to get out of it? Do you understand the penalties and
tax consequences?
10. Subject to Government Control and Change
Your 401(k) does not even technically belong to you. Read
the fine print and you will find “FBO” (For Benefit Of). It’s
technically owned by the government, but provided for your
benefit. It’s essentially a tax code.
Judging by history, 401(k)s are in great jeopardy. What
will keep them from changing the rules and taking your hardearned money?
11. Disinvesting
Suppose you’ve retired and begin taking interest
payments from your 401(k). You project you can withdraw
6 percent a year, based on an average annual return of 8
percent. But what happens to your principal when the market is
volatile?
If in one year your fund is down 10 percent, you’re tapping
into your principal to take your interest withdrawal. At that
point, you have only two choices: 1) start withdrawing principal,
or 2) leave the money alone until your account is up again.
12. No Holistic Plan
I’ve witnessed many people whose finances are in
shambles, yet they diligently contribute to their 401(k). It’s
like a person trying to take care of a scraped knee when their
1-800-337-8467
wrist is slit. They urgently need a macroeconomic plan that
identifies, prioritizes, and manages all pieces of their financial
puzzle, with all pieces coordinated and working together.
13. Neglect of Stewardship
401(k)s cause contributors to abdicate their responsibility.
They think they can just throw enough money at the “experts”
and somehow they’ll end up thirty years later with lots of money.
And when things don’t turn out that way they blame others.
Interestingly, traditional media is finally realizing what
I’ve been warning investors about for more than 10 years.
For example, see the 60 Minute special, “Retirement Dreams
Disappear With 401(k)s” and the Time Magazine article, “Why
It’s Time to Retire the 401(k).”
Saving for retirement is wise and prudent, but there are
other investment philosophies, products, and strategies that
would meet your financial objectives much more quickly and
safely than a 401(k).
Garrett Gunderson is a financial advocate and the author of the New York
Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon bestseller Killing Sacred
Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths that are Destroying Your Prosperity.
Get a free hardcover copy of his book at www.FreeBookForDocs.com or by
calling (877) 235-8324.
F a l l 2 0 11
43
Diversify Your Investments
by Dr. Craig Callen
I
n these uncertain times it is
sometimes as hard to hang on to your
money as it is to make it. Thanks
to my brother Chris’s advice I bought a
bunch of gold a while back and my 201K
is back up to a 401K. My only advice as
far as a retirement plan is to diversify
so that you cannot get hurt as bad in a
downturn. My stockbroker’s phone was
ringing off the hook because in the last
downturn his clients only lost 10% of
their portfolio vs. the 20% average. How
crazy is that?
Since I am not a golfer and bowling
was never my thing, I have looked to
other areas for my hobbies. Since I am
addicted to HGTV and the shows on
renovating houses, I have made that my
hobby my second job. While I enjoy
dentistry, I am the kind of person that
needs new challenges and projects or I
soon get bored. Since I like fixing things
and making old broken down things
look like new (the dentist in me) I have
become involved in renovating houses.
This is a nice diversion for me from the
detail work of dentistry. It also makes
me appreciate how easy it is for us to
make a profit compared to many other
businesses.
44
F a l l 2 0 11
istockphoto.com/ Pears2295
With the huge drop in home prices
there is a great opportunity in many
areas of the country to position yourself
for the eventual recovery. I have focused
on buying smaller, single family homes
in small, stable towns, or vacation areas
that are in distressed sale or have been
repossessed by the bank. If any one
property is not rented it will not hurt us.
For example we just purchased a
nice 3-bedroom home in a small town
near here for $38,000. The previous
owner had over $100,000 invested in
it, got divorced and lost the house. The
bank started out asking $58,000. It took
a couple of months to get them to our price.
It will require about $10,000 in remodeling
and appliances to be ready to rent.
There are more houses going to
Sheriff’s sale in our area than are sold
to private parties. Almost all of the
repossessed homes are bought back by
the lender/bank. They then turn the loss
in for insurance payment. Often they
make more than if the owner had paid
out the mortgage (backed up by our tax
money). They then have a large inventory
of houses they have to disperse. The longer
they hang on to them, the more it costs
them in upkeep, taxes and lost interest.
In order to buy these properties you
must have access to cash. The banks in
these situations do not want to sell at
low prices on a contingency basis. There
are banks now willing to loan on rentals
at 75% of their appraised value. The
appraisals are going to be low and very
conservative and you will be required to
provide a ton of documentation. Once
you have your first property completed
you can refinance it at the new value
and use that money to purchase the
next property. We have our eye on the
next property, which sold 5 years ago
for $90,000, and is a HUD listing for
$20,000. You could also set up a line of
credit in advance.
They are putting houses in
foreclosure in waves so as not to
completely flood the market. We are
already in an area with some of the
lowest housing costs in the country, then
add in the closing of the GM plant and
the bottom fell out on housing prices.
With all of these factors, we have
been able to play hardball with the
banks (isn’t it great to be in control
when dealing with a bank?) and get
some pretty low prices. I have already
figured out how much we have to do in
renovations and what the market will
bear in rent. That will determine my top
dollar figure in the purchase price.
As a general rule the house is worth
about 10 times the rent you can get. So
if you can get $1,000 a month rent, you
do not want to pay over $100,000 for the
property including renovations.
As I am not a skilled tradesman,
I have assembled a group of guys who
do most of the renovations. I make the
final decisions on layout, materials, and
design.
We make our properties as nice as
possible while shopping for the best deals
in materials and appliances. Most of our
properties are rented before we complete
the renovations. However you must be
willing to wait for the right renter. We
use Internet background services to
screen potential renters and require a
deposit and first and last month’s rent.
no longer able to practice dentistry, I
will have this to keep me busy and help
to provide for my family. We are big
enough now that we have employees who
take care of the regular maintenance
and deal directly with the renters. If you
do not want to be a landlord you also
have the option of selling the improved
property for a profit if the market allows.
There are going to be more renters in
the market as those who probably should
not have bought a house in the first place
come back into the market. My associate
has a number of duplexes that he had rebuilt
that are all near a major college. He only
rents to graduate students with co-signers.
While real estate may not be your
game, find something you like to do
at which you can also profit. It may be
buying dental practices, rehabbing them
and selling them. I tell my kids that in a
perfect world you find a way to make a
living at what you like to do.
I look at the rental company as
part of my retirement plan. When I am
Dr. Callen can be reached at craigcallendds@
gmail.com.
Emergencies... continued from page 37.
Figure 3
6. Fast Answers to Everyday Problems:
Want to slash your stress, do better dentistry and run a
smoother, easier office? Consider our “Case Acceptance” and
“Collections” guides. Both contain dozens of scripts, forms,
handouts and narratives to drive new patients to you, enhance
case acceptance and get paid faster and easier.
Dr. Michael Curtis practices in Connecticut and is the author of the “100s
of Pearls” books on “Anesthesia,” “Endodontics,” “Collections” &“Case
Acceptance;” each with over 400 pearls in 80 categories. For questions or
to order, visit www.100sofPearls.com or call 800-427-2830. Sign up for our
hugely-popular FREE Newsletter on our homepage.
ADA/FDA Guidelines on X-rays & Hygiene Exams:
High risk:
Many risk factors for dental disease
i.e.:
Much aging dental work.
High caries index in the past
3 years.
Poor home care.
Smoker, diabetic, dry mouth
or other systemic risk factor
• Bitewings every 12 mos
• Dentist exam 12 mos
Medium risk:
Some aging dental work or 1-2
lesions within the last 3 years
and/or
1-800-337-8467
one or more risk factors
• Bitewings every 12-18 mos
• Dentist exam 12-18 mos
Low risk:
Minimal dental needs or risk
factors.
• Bitewings every 24-36 mos
• Dentist exam every 18-24 mos
Child or teen:
• Higher risk of caries.
• Bitewings every 12 mos
• Dentist exam after 12 mos
(See “100s of Pearls on Fees & Case
Acceptance” for more on this.)
F a l l 2 0 11
45
Two New Tools
from the Labor
Department
FOR EMPLOYEES
Make Being an
Employer a Lot
Tougher
by Paul Edwards
Tool # 1: Free Employee Secret Time Keeping App
for smart Phones with “One Tap” access to file DOL
complaints against employers.
Tool # 2:
“Bridge to Justice” campaign provides
a toll-free number automatically connecting
disgruntled employees to a referral network of
employment law attorneys.
I’ll sit here for a moment before I continue while you
go get the Tums. Also, don’t worry because I have the HR
equivalent of antacid for these new workplace issues and we
are going to share them here.
If you’ve seen our speakers or have signed up for CEDR’s
Free ESS training series (Employers Solutions email series),
you’ve heard us discuss the importance of keeping accurate
time records and understanding your state and federal rules
about wage and hour issues such as bonus pay, travel time,
overtime, breaks and meal periods, and seminar attendance.
You have also heard us warn of the exponential increase in the
number of employment claims being filed each year. Well, the
Department of Labor (DOL) has now knocked the threat level
up a notch.
There is good news here – there are steps you
can take to address the problems that make you
vulnerable.
At the end of this article, you will find free and easy
ways to download solutions to the issues we’ve raised, and
additional information on a valuable resource for expanding
your knowledge about practical employment issues that affect
you day to day. We offer a once per month Employer Solution
Series, sent via email. Through CEDR’s free employer
training series, thousands of dentists take about five minutes to
absorb guidance on everything from meeting new threats, to
how to hire and fire better. The first in the series is a thorough
explanation of At-Will employment, and I’ll bet you’ll learn
that it doesn’t mean what you think it does!
istockphoto.com/ FineCollection
The DOL situation and how it affects you.
ALL EMPLOYERS NEED TO BE AWARE of two new
strategies by the DOL which will add fuel to the already
blazing employment litigation boom. First, the DOL in May of
this year released a free time-keeping app for the iPhone and
46
F a l l 2 0 11
iPod Touch that is already downloadable
at their website (http://www.dol.gov/
whd/). This app is designed to allow
employees to secretly track – and
calculate the wages they’re owed for –
hours worked, including overtime. The
app also has other employee-helpful
features, such as break time tracking
and links to the DOL’s web resources,
including their automated claim filing
system. However, like most apps, it
does have its problems. For instance
it does not handle complex overtime
calculations such as required for bonuses
or shift differential pay, and it does not
help with state variations. So, where
state rules differ from federal rules
(which they do often), the app will not be
accurate.
Worse yet, the DOL is encouraging
employees to keep their own independent
records of their work time, purportedly
to assist the department to challenge an
employer’s records in the event of a wage
and hour investigation. We don’t have to
think too long to dream up ways this new
app will create chaos and conflicts for
employers during any type of wage and
hour investigation or claim. And where
records or stories conflict, the employee’s
interpretation will generally win. Guess
who else wins when unnecessary
conflicts arise? You guessed it – the
attorneys.
The “Bridge to Justice” and how it
works
That leads us to the second new
strategy from the DOL which began
in December 2010. This initiative,
called the “Bridge to Justice” stemmed
from what the DOL is calling an
“unprecedented collaboration” between
the Wage and Hour Division and the
American Bar Association. This
referral service creates a direct link
between disgruntled employees and
local attorneys who want to represent
them – even when the DOL has passed
on pursuing their claim. Need another
Tums yet?
1-800-337-8467
In past articles, we’ve reported about
the DOL’s zealous campaign to “step
up efforts to enforce basic employment
protections” by adding hundreds of new
investigators and a much bigger budget
to pursue even small employers, and
even more complaints. The result has
been a huge success for the department,
with an unprecedented level of claims
being filed last year, and millions of
dollars in damages and penalties being
recovered. Stepping up their technology
has already helped with the huge uptick
in complaints which (not surprisingly)
coincided with the DOL’s new webbased complaint filing system. With
these new tools, they are expanding their
capabilities in the same direction.
In addition to the evidentiary
conflicts that will be created, there is
also a strong likelihood that these tools
will increase the number of frivolous
and unmerited complaints, which
unfortunately, can also be quite costly
to defend, even if you win. When an
employer lets an employee go for a
legitimate reason, the employee may
with the click of a few key strokes, easily
file a complaint with the DOL, just to see
what happens. And now more than ever,
that complaint can pay off.
The threat to employers is not
helped by the fact that the wage and hour
rules are not easy to understand. Many
employers make the honest mistake
of thinking their payroll company or
accountant has them covered. One
recent caller into the CEDR Solution
Center had been advised by a nationally
recognized payroll service that he need
not worry about bonuses affecting
overtime because they are not counted.
This is patently untrue when the bonus
is used as an incentive for performance
(which was true for this dentist and
about 98% of most practices). So it
is important that the one (YOU) that
writes the checks (whether for payroll or
attorney fees) expand your knowledge on
these topics, and get reliable support.
Let’s explore a bit how the new app
might impact an audit of your payroll
practices. As you can imagine, DOL
investigations are burdensome to say
the least. When a business gets audited,
it is required to produce a kitchen sink
full of sensitive information about the
business, its employees and its payroll
practices going back up to three years
for all employees. If you are not
retaining all of the records demanded,
you are already in trouble if they come
knocking, without even having paid
anyone incorrectly. That’s right, just
keeping the right records is part of the
federal requirements for all employers.
Here’s a sample of the records that are
demanded during an investigation by the
DOL. Check below to see if your bases
are covered. Better yet, ask for the free
guidance and checklists at the end of this
article.
1) Legal name of your business (by
the way, the legislators in many
states have removed the protection
of LLC’s and the like when it
comes to pay issues)
2) Address and phone numbers of all
offices and officers
3) Gross revenue statements for the
last three years
4) Daily records of all hours worked
including timesheets for all
employees for the past 24 months
5) Weekly, biweekly, or semiannual
payroll detail journals including
all employees who worked during
the past 24 months showing hours
worked, gross pay, deductions,
tips, bonuses and net pay totals
6) List of all employees that
performed work during the last
two years, addresses and phone
numbers, rate of pay and hire date
7) Names and titles of salaried
employees considered exempt from
overtime
8) Information on bonus and
uncompensated training
F a l l 2 0 11
47
9) Names, dates of birth and addresses with telephone
numbers of all minors under age of 19 that have worked
for you in the past 24 months.
OK, I’ll wait while you pop another Tums.
At best, you lose a considerable amount of production
as you and your management team wades through the
investigation, and then deals with the negotiation and defense
if and when mistakes are inevitably discovered. Next, the
DOL’s new “one tap” app which makes it easier for employees
to file complaints now also then makes your defense of such
claims harder. Why harder? Because now you also have
to contend with any discrepancies between the secret time
record your employee has been keeping, and the one they were
keeping at work.
The DOL states in their news release:
“Users conveniently can track regular work hours, break
time, and any overtime hours for one or more employers. This
new technology is significant because, instead of relying on
their employers’ records, workers now can keep their own
records.” They add: “This information could prove invaluable
during a Wage and Hour Division investigation when an
employer has failed to maintain accurate employment records.”
So, yes, the DOL is encouraging employees to keep a
separate, non-verifiable record of their time. We already
know how hard it is to get employees to clock in and out and
to keep track of their time. Imagine an investigation where the
employee says, “Well, I may not have clocked in and out on
their system, but I did use the DOL app and here is the proof
that I was at work.”
Now let’s add to the above, the gross effect of the
“Bridge to Justice.”
In those 10,000 per year instances where the DOL does
not chose to pursue the complaint against the employer,
either for lack of evidence or lack of resources, they will
automatically refer the employee to this newly formed network
of local employment attorneys. Wow, if only a dentist could
catch this kind of government sponsored “bridge to dental
health” referral!
As many times as I have said this, I feel like it bears
mentioning one more time. These are hard times and attorneys
are graduating at a rate of 44,000 per year, as compared to the
6,500 dentists graduating each year. My point is that lawyers
are as under-employed as any class of professionals in the
United States and desperate times call for desperate measures.
So an employee with a questionable case is more likely in
48
F a l l 2 0 11
today’s economy to find an attorney that will take a marginal
or baseless employment case. And what the DOL has done is
create a bridge to them.
So instead of you wasting as much time as I have fuming
over these latest developments, which is part of my job, let us
take our third Tums together and get down to some solutions.
Ready?
Three Critical Steps You Can Take To Protect Your
Practice And The Free Download:
It is absolutely critical we address the following and as
simple as it seems, these are critical steps you can take right
now:
• Employers should consider explicitly telling
employees through a written and acknowledged
policy in their employee handbook how important it
is to keep accurate time records and that falsifying
time records will result in termination.
• Employers must also require that employees report
any discrepancies, questions about their time worked,
or complaints to you promptly, thereby giving you
an opportunity to address and correct any mistakes.
This is your “safe harbor” clause and provides a
valuable defense if the discrepancy is NOT reported
and a former or current employee files a complaint.
• When an employee is not properly clocking in and
out, you need to address this issue with the employee
and do so in writing.
As employers, we not only need to keep time records
as required by the Federal Labor Standards Act, we need to
keep the most credible, accurate version of the records that is
possible for our workplace.
If you are interested in learning more about this subject,
or in learning whether you’re properly complying with wage
and hour regulations, we’ve put together a free wage and
hour guide that summarizes what you see here, and includes
additional guidance for performing a self-check of your pay
practices. Sign up for CEDR’s free once per month ESS series
designed to expand your knowledge on employment issues
(not just legal) and to help you be a more effective employer/
manager and also receive the wage and hour guide by going to
www.cedrsoltuons.com/PDWage.
Paul Edwards is a Co-Founder of The Center for Dispute Resolution, LLC
(CEDR). CEDR provides fully customized employee handbooks with support for
dental professionals. Find out more information at www.cedrsolutions.com or
contact Paul at 866-414-6056.
Financing as advanced as the care you provide.
“There were no surprises,
so I can keep on smiling.”
Your patients won’t be left guessing
with clear and simple monthly payment
plans from ChaseHealthAdvance.
Patients choose a monthly plan and their
payments remain the same from the first
payment to the last. No surprises.
• 12, 18 and 24 month no interest plans
• Convenient online application
• Generous credit lines for comprehensive care
• No Surprise financing
Give your patients a trusted payment option to start their care:
AdvanceWithChase.com/NoSurprises
1-888-388-7633
Information above is for providers and not for patient distribution.
©2011 JPMorgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved.
PD0811
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
49
Cenegenics
My Personal Story
by Dr. Woody Oakes
T
his story is about health, but before discussing the
topic, you need a little background information. Shortly
after my divorce six years ago, my life and health took a
sudden change for the worse. Not only did I lose my house, I had
to give up 50% of my assets. I was also paying legal bills of $9$10K/month while fighting for custody of my daughter, Shelby.
My family (me, Tyler, Shelby and our dog, Princess) moved into
the basement of my dental practice to live. This ended up being
a very poor decision as our new house (predicted to take six
months to build… actually took 2½ years). That’s right; we
lived 2½ years in the basement of a dental office.
Unless you have personally been through a divorce, you
cannot imagine how much it sours you as a human being and
how divorce attorneys keep this incredible progress going until
they are pretty sure they have your last nickel! At the end I was
an emotional and financial wreck and weighed 242 pounds.
I’m 6’4” but carrying that much weight isn’t healthy.
The short story is that I had a botched emergency, open
heart surgery. During the surgery, I also had a stroke and it
took my doctors three days to realize it. I awoke from surgery
blind, with my entire left side paralyzed and I had an incredible
headache. I was in a wheelchair (or bed) for most of the two
year recovery period.
I made an unbelievable recovery from the open heart
surgery and stroke, but I’m always looking for ways to get
better or to improve my life.
This may seem strange to many of you reading this, but
my biggest problem was my weight… I had ballooned to over
250 pounds. My overall energy was low, everything seemed
to bother me and I had stopped exercising completely and was
having trouble making it through my usually active/hectic days.
Then about two years ago, I ran into my friend, Dr. Bruce
Baird (Productive Dentist Academy) and Bruce had lost about
40 pounds and had more energy than I remembered him
having the last time I saw him.
What’s your secret, man?” I asked.
“My secret is Cenegenics,” he replied. “You know, that
thing in the airline magazines where it shows a 70-year-old
doctor who looks like he’s 40? That’s it!”
So, I made the call and set up an appointment at
50
S
FU
a lM
l M
2 0E1R1 2 0 1 1
Cenegenics. I chose Cenegenics Carolinas in Charleston,
South Carolina. The investment is $4,000 and for that you
spend time with a nutritionist, a physical therapist/exercise
guru who does a whole battery of tests, including cognitive
tests on a computer. Then you get a full body bone scan
followed by your own personal binder of diet and exercise
suggestions. Last, but definitely not least, your personal
doctor goes through your lab results item by item and spends
significant time with you to create a personal plan to get you on
the right track to move forward.
Now, even though I like my GP at home… I’m lucky to get
five minutes of his time. At Cenegenics it’s totally different;
your doctor spends all the time with you that you need. But
unlike “regular doctors” they don’t just give you an Rx to
cover the symptoms. No, they want you off as many Rx drugs
as possible. They look at what’s causing the problem (not the
symptom) and then try to fix that. Then you get a complete
review of all your numbers, blood work, etc. to improve your
symptoms.
My testosterone was in the 200s (very low) and they
recommended that I start testosterone injections every week.
Now my testosterone is over 1,200 and I feel like a high school
quarterback.
Conventional medicine doesn’t always see eye-to-eye
with Cenegenic... “Too expensive!” my cardiologist said. I
disagree. Now, my blood is drawn every 3-4 months and the
supplements and medications are “tweaked” in an on-going
process to create the healthiest lab results possible. I have a
great relationship with my Cenegenics physician and he is
always available to talk when I have questions or need advice.
The cost is a small price to pay to feel this great! After my
initial appointment at Cenegenics Carolinas, I also made some
serious changes in my diet and hired a personal trainer to work
with me three times a week. I put a photo of the Cenegenics ad
on my bathroom mirror for motivation.
The only side effect I’ve had with Cenegenics is that my
energy level is off the charts… nice problem to have… right?
To learn more, look at the ad facing this page or to go
www.cenegenicscarolinas.com
Write me in a couple of years and let me know about your
personal Cenegenics success story. You deserve the best!
Walking into the Cenegenics
Carolinas office two years ago,
I was a pale shadow of who I am
today. I was exhausted,
depressed, overweight and weak.
Today, I can say I’m a happy,
vital person enjoying an active life.
LYnne GArTenHAus, 58 years old
Doing the Cenegenics program
You plan for your financial future. Have
was the BEST health decision
you planned for your healthy future?
Without it, you don’t have much. Cenegenics I’ve ever made. I have more energy,
more stamina…you name it!
Carolinas helps patients protect and manage
their health as they age, so their vitality and Plus, when someone guesses my age,
they guess 10 years younger!
quality of life remain constant throughout
WOODY OAkes, D.D.s., 63 years old
the aging process. We are a first class medical
institute that offers a personalized fitness plan,
nutraceutical supplementation, a low glycemic
diet and bioidentical hormone optimization.
Our patients enjoy increased energy and focus,
an improved sex drive and a renewed zest for
life. You will too, when your health plan
becomes a reality.
Are YOu COnCerneD AbOuT:
Overall health
Weight gain
Heart disease
Decreased energy
Flabby, wrinkled skin
Irritability and anxiety
Decreased libido
Aches, pains and stiffness
Cholesterol
Poor sleep
Memory Loss
Invest in your healthy future.
Call us TODAY for a
complimentary consultation.
Mickey barber, MD, Cenegenics Carolinas
888-317-LIFE
www.cenegenicscarolinas.com/pd
Lynne Gartenhaus, Before Cenegenics, age 54
no insurance accepted.
Woody Oakes, D.D.s., Before Cenegenics, age 61
Mobile Marketing
The latest technology is mobile marketing and custom mobile
web-based apps from ProMedDevs© are the first of their kind.
With patented technology you can effectively attract new patients
and increase their booked appointments via their SMARTPhones.
The special ingredients offer the interactivity of a standard native
app, however, the beauty is that it works on ALL mobile phones!
No download is required. It integrates with any existing
website you have without alteration. When visitors come
to your website and you have our mobile app, they will
automatically and instantly see your mobile app on their
mobile phone. It allows patients to interact personally and
securely with your practice and staff. They can schedule
appointments, browse your before and after photos with
finger swipe gestures, browse treatments, watch full screen
video, and one-tap call, email, and access GPS directions.
SmartBur®II
I love the latest edition of
SmartBurs®II… which are polymer
burs for caries removal developed
by Daniel Boston, DMD at Temple
University Dental School.
When prepping a tooth with deep
decay, we are always worried about a
pulp exposure. Carbide burs or even a
round bur in a slow speed handpiece
aren’t “safe” because they are not smart.
Carbide burs cut well and very fast…
often too fast as you go from enamel
to the softer dentin. Smart Burs® are
made from a medical grade, glass
bead-reinforced polymer. The result is
that they are less invasive and selective
in dentin removal. Benefits include:
1. Unnecessary root canal
procedures
2. Reduction in patient post-op
sensitivity
Here’s what Dr. Kunzelmann had to
say about SmartBurs®II, “SmartBurs
®
II is a unique instrument that plays
a significant role in what I describe
as “self limiting caries therapy.”
In addition, they have the option to add your custom icon
with your logo to the home screen of their phone for ease
of access. It’s a great way to brand yourself and to be that
constant reminder to patients that you are there for them.
A unique Search Engine Optimization integrated into the
app adds “weight” to your site’s visibility and rank over your
competitors.
Visit www.promeddevs.com,
call 513-445-2008 or even
better text the word “practice”
to 69302 on your mobile phone
to receive an instant live demo.
And if you reply to that message
with your email and website
address they will provide a free
review of your website and more.
A Showstopper New Product in Dentistry:
The Chic-Flic Pen
One of the most exciting new products in dentistry is the Chic-Flic Teeth Whitening
& Lip Gloss Plumper Pen from Whiter Image Dental that also offers a full line of
affordable, effective in-office and take-home whitening products.
The Chic-Flic Pen is a first of its kind and is creating a buzz among highly regarded dental professionals nationwide who use the product as a profit center and
marketing tool for patients.
At only $13.50 each, the Pen features both teeth whitening gel and a lip gloss
plumper with mini-mirrors and LED lights that makes for a perfect promotional
giveaway or referral gift. Also available is the unisex Whiter Image teeth whitening pen in a sleek silver case for $10.
Personalization with your practice
name printed on each pen or custom
labels are also available. Mention
code TPD711 and for every 12 pens
purchased get 1 free along with
promotional brochures, table tents,
DVD and samplers.
To order or for more info, visit
www.whiterimagedental.com or
contact 1-877-944-8330 or info@
whiterimagedental.com.
To order, please call The Profitable
Dentist Buyers Club- Darby Dental
Supply at 1-800-683-4723.
52
F a l l 2 0 11
THE TOOTHFAIRY*S BABY TOOTH BANK
A unique, dental-oriented gift idea to create family fun &
forever remember a child’s treasured “toothless moment”
memories. This fabulously sentimental keepsake makes a
most thoughtful & lasting gift idea for baby shower, birthday, fallen/extracted tooth, holiday, new baby or christening/bris occasion – everyone just loves it!
A bank provides a special place to save each fallen baby
tooth; tooth fairy money and memorable dates plus can be
personalized with that “little someones” name.
For more information visit: tfairy.com/toothbank.
COMEDY
CORNER
ny
ny Mathe
stry
o
th
n
A
.
etic Denti
m
s
o
by Dr. R
C
r
o
f
Center
St. Lucie
Our five best ways to lower overhead:
1) Have staff hang-up paper towels after drying hands,
so they can re-use them.
2) Fold-up patient bibs and put in chart to re-use and
only get a new one when it gets too bloody.
3) Have a designated restroom break time so multiple
staff can go and only flush once to save on the water
bill.
4) Use the same crown and bridge impression for
everybody, just bur out where the teeth are and refill
with light-body impression material. This saves on
trays and heavy-body impression material.
5) For small procedures, shut off the large florescent
lights and just use a flashlight… it saves on the
electric bill.
A Word From
Our Readers
Pano Dilemma
Finding Film
Woody,
Woody,
I am having a dilemma. I have a Dexis
digital intraoral radiograph. I have a
film-based Pano. I would like to be
totally digital but I am having a hard
time pulling the trigger. I don’t see a ROI
on this purchase (aside from processor
upkeep and chemcicals). Does the buying
club have equipment for sale? What
brands do you have experience with?
We have the Panasonic EP50 printer
for our intra oral camera system. WE
can not get film for this unit any longer
(Panasonic VW-MPS50P). Do you
know of anyone who has this film? If
not, could you recommend a printer unit
that would be compatible with my intra
oral camera KS 102? Please respond
ASAP. Thank you.
Scott T.
ScottThe Buying Club does not sell
equipment, but I’d “hold the trigger”
on buying a new digital Pano. My own
Pano still uses film. A better option is to
buy “pre-used.”
1) Ebay (search under dental
equipment)
2) www.barelyuseddental.com
3) Dentaltown.com
Regards,
Brian G.
BrianI’ve been told the paper is no longer
available. Unfortunately you’ll need to
go to Panasonic.com and buy another
printer or go to ebay.com and search
for one under “dental equipment.” Also,
visit barelyuseddental.com and see if
they have the paper or if you can see
if you can get a refurbished printer that
still has paper available.
One final option (that works sometimes)
is to buy regular photo paper at an
office supply company… and have them
cut it to the size of the paper you need.
Regards,
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
53
7
“Here’s How You Can Get The Latest, Amazing,
Power-Packed Esthetics Update Course
From David Hornbrook”
(If you wanted just one presentation on aesthetics
this year… this is the one!)
Good Morning Doctor,
Dr. David Hornbrook
I don’t know if you’ve seen the move, “Sex, Love and Other Drugs” yet… but it’s an interesting movie.
Basically the theme is that physicians get their Rx information (mostly) from the drug reps.
Excellence In Dentistry Feature Product & Services
Unfortunately, the same thing happens in dentistry everyday as the local dental rep does
a “Lunch and Learn” and sells you on using his/her product of the month.
Well, Dr. David Hornbrook isn’t like that… he’s an independent thinker. He parachutes out of
airplanes, rides a motorcycle, does sand sculptures on the Sandestin beach for his kids (which
by the way are perfect). So, if I could only take one course on esthetics/occlusion
this year… David would be my first choice.
Here’s just some of what he shared at our recent “Spring Break” Seminar:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Which as the highest flexural strength? Feldspathic; Ceramic/Zirconium; Ceramic over metal; Empress or eMax?
Occlusion: “An orthopedically etchable joint position maintained by the dentition” Hmmm?
What’s “hot” right now in aesthetics?
“Advanced instrumentation is helpful, but not mandatory”
Five advantages to e.Max if that’s the indicated restorative material
Best cements for all ceramic crowns… anterior/posterior/thickness
Unicem, MaxCem Elite, GCem, BisCem, SpeedCem… what’s best where?
Lasers in dentistry… the truth behind the ads and “words”
Metal free dentistry
The six components of an “ideal restoration”
E.Max (Ivoclar)… what is it and what are the advantages?
Why are four different ingots needed/available?
The future of anterior cantilever bridges
11.0mm (or less) central (pontic) replacement
9.0mm (or less) premolars (pontic) replacement
How good is “Gold Adept?”
The UCLA abutment
Don’t be pulled in by a
Why aesthetics is always related to translucency
smooth-talker...
learn from the best with
Lava supported restorations (3M)
Dr. David Hornbrook!
Why the high interest in no-prep veneers?
The 12 indications for them (above)
Dentinal adhesion – 6th and 7th generations!
Diode lasers… best uses, best ones
YAG lasers… best uses, best ones
A review of the top six deprogrammers
And so much more!
Regards,
To order this “hot off the press” DVD… call
100%
60-DAY
MONEY BAC K
GUARANTEE
us at 1-800-337-8467, order online at www.
theprofitabledentist.com or
complete and return the order form.
NEWS – D1108
54
F a l l 2 0 11
William W. Oakes, DDS
PS. This is the best lecture I’ve seen on
“Cosmetic Dentistry” in 37 years!!!
7
“Who Else Wants To
Discover The Secrets To
Producing $1,500+/Hour
Doing Composites?”
Good Morning Doctor –
Most of us would love a schedule filled with crowns, bridges and cosmetic dentistry. But the reality for most GP dentists
consists of fillings, fillings and more fillings.
If you’re like me, doing composites is boring because they take a lot of time to do them correctly and thus they aren’t
as profitable as endo, oral surgery or cosmetic dentistry.
But what if you could produce over $1,500/hour, doing composites… would that be a “game changer”?
Enter Canada’s Dr. John Lyons… an innovative and brilliant dentist who entered dental school at age 17!
John is a productivity expert and in this incredible DVD you’ll discover two different techniques he’s perfected for doing
rapid, quality composite restorations.
Here’s what he’ll share on this “over the shoulder” video:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Visualize the periphery of the prep first
Do everything you can with “this” before you move on with the next instrument
The “bad thing” that happens when the composite shrinks away from the prep
The two reasons why composites are sensitive and how to avoid both
“To wedge or not to wedge”… that is the question
How to double your preparation speed
Why metal Tofomire bands work best for composites
The only five burs you need for any composite
The EZ and fast way to correct a weak contact
The three materials to have in preloaded “composite syringes”
The ease and logic of polishing restorations without water
Why you ALWAYS finish the occlusal before the proximals
The #1 bur to finish the intra-proximals
What you should “memorize” before you start to prep
Always use a diamond bur here
The use of a light resistant syringe
And much, much more!
100%
60-DAY
MONEY BAC K
GUARANTEE
(How to make a “boring”
dental procedure fast,
profitable and fun again)
Dr. John Lyons
John has updated his posterior and anterior composites video from the wildly popular“Productive Dental Videos”
series. To grab your copy of “How To Produce $1,500+/Hour Doing Composites” call 1-800-337-8467
and mention code NEWS-D1112 OR visit our online product catalog at www.theprofitabledentist.com!
1-800-337-8467
F a l l 2 0 11
55
Buy from
Darby Dental Supply
and get rewards you
and your family can
truly appreciate.
3211 Grantline Rd, Ste 20
New Albany, IN 47150
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
Paid
Louisville, KY
Permit No. 354
When it comes to your family, you settle for nothing but the best.
At Darby, we understand the premium you and your family place
on being appreciated. That’s why we created Darby Rewards!
NO outrageous spending commitments.
NO annual fees.
NO complicated rules to follow.
Just more value, more selection and more
satisfaction, simply for placing your everyday
needs with Darby Dental Supply.
Select from over 600 best-in-class rewards from the
most prestigious brands. Darby makes it easier to buy
what you need and get what you want with every order.
We wouldn’t settle, so why should you?
Expect nothing but the best... Darby Rewards.
Don’t waste your purchasing power.
Call Darby today.
Ask your account
manager today for your
FREE Darby Rewards Guide!
Contact us at 800.645.2310 or
www.darbydentalsupply.com

the hottest niche in dentistry

Transcription

Similar documents

dental fear? - Sedation Dentist Ocean City

SUNDAYS FROM 10:00AM

Children in Need of Dental Treatment Program

TLC-Dec15-Ronit-3

COMMUNICATING WITH THE DENTAL LABORATORY

DR. PAUL HOMOLY,CSP

ACDLA Cosmetic Dental Grant Campaign

UnitedHealthcare Dental Benefit Summary Brochure 2013

to this!

HONORS CONVOCATION TO FEATURE FAMU