Blog posts of '2017' 'February'

Earl Nightingale once famously said, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Notice that this mentions nothing about money. Success can be defined many ways. It depends upon what your “worthy ideal” ends up being. If it’s money, be specific as to the amount and the deadline you set for yourself. If it’s something else, like people helped, then also be specific about the number of people and what defines “being helped.” This could include teeth cleaned, cavities filled and more. How you define success is entirely up to you.

Once you have a practice, growing your dental business will depend on three key factors.

• What you have the greatest capacity to do. This would be your top skills which you use with great efficiency.

• What you make the most money doing. This would be your greatest areas of profit.

• What you love doing that you’re good at. This would be the thing that gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps life interesting for you.

Write down a list of everything that fits each of these three factors. This is your starting point against which you measure all of the tips below.

1. Perhaps the most important single thing you can do toward having a successful dental practice, after getting a good education, is acquiring a wise and knowledgeable mentor or two. Mentors can give you answers to some of your most annoying problems. They’ve been there and likely have already found the best possible solutions.

2. Any field is always changing and dentistry is no exception. You need to continue with your education. You need to stay up with the latest techniques, technology and wisdom the field as a whole has to offer. This will ensure that you stay competitive on at least on the practice and procedures side of things. But to take full advantage, you must educate yourself beyond the field of dentistry. Consider taking courses in business. You might even want to get a Masters in Business Administration from your local college or university. When you’re done with that, consider learning more about marketing. The more you know, the easier it all becomes.

3. Reach out to your community. Educate parents about how they can ease their children into good dental hygiene and care. Offer Welcome Kits that train parents what to do and say before their one-year-old has their first visit. Consider talking at local schools and make such outreach memorable in a way that paints your practice in a positive light.

4. Have the most flexible financing options. Allow your patients to pay by credit card, debit, check and cash. Let them make payments. Put their dental health ahead of your own financial needs. This might hit a few bumps along the way, but most patients will remember you in a favorable light, and this could help build customer loyalty. Also, survey your neighborhood and see what kind of insurance most of your potential customers have. The more insurance carriers you can handle, the more convenient you will seem to your customers.

5. Referrals are an awesome way to build your business. Obviously, everyone has their own life to live and building your business is not one of their priorities. So, every visit should include handing out a referral card. Most might get tossed. But occasionally, that one action will generate several hundred dollars worth of new business. When you send out mailings, include a referral card or two. Also, have a website built so people can find out more about your dental practice. A web presence makes it easier for others to make referrals.

References:

Luginbill, John. (ND). “Six Steps To Grow Your Practice Quickly.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://dentistryiq.com/articles/2011/12/six-steps-to-grow-your-practice-quickly.html

Nightingale, Earl. (1956). “The Strangest Secret.” Columbia Records, New York, NY.

PatientNews.com. (ND). “8 Tips for Running a Successful Dental Practice.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://patientnews.com/article/8-tips-running-successful-dental-practice

A mentor can help your career in dentistry. Finding the right one is not an easy thing to define. Like finding the right life mate, finding the right mentor depends upon your own interests and needs. The following will give you some pointers to keep in mind during your search.

How a Dental Mentor Can Help

If you’re still in dental school, you may need to know which specialty to pursue. You may want to know what are the day-to-day concerns of each possible career path. Your dental mentor can give you advice about difficult problems in your practice or in your procedures. They are a resource of information about every aspect of dental practice.

A good mentor will let you tag along as they do procedures in their office, or while they talk to dental suppliers. Their years of experience can help you avoid many of the pitfalls.

Besides helping you explore career possibilities, they can help you network with other colleagues. They can share their own expertise and give you their unique perspective on common problems in the world of dentistry.

To make the most of the mentoring process, you, as the protégé, need to keep an open mind willing to explore new ideas. You need to have a commitment to your own future and to be an active participant in mentoring.

What to Look for in a Dental Mentor

First of all, you have to get along with your mentor. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should always feel comfortable with the mentor. Sometimes a really good mentor will challenge your thinking, but they’ll do it in a way that makes you feel safe to respond and to grow in your own knowledge and certainty. A good mentor will never belittle you, but will always encourage you. And it’s quite okay to have more than one mentor.

A mentor needs to be a trusted friend, full of wisdom. They are also someone who cares about other people and not merely their own customers. They listen well. They want to see their charge (you) succeed to the fullest extent of your ability.

Where to Look for a Dental Mentor

Where do you find a mentor? First, consider talking to the successful dentists in your area. Let them know your own interests in dentistry and that you are looking for a mentor.

If you already have your own practice, talk to other dentists at the conferences you attend. If possible, talk to the speakers at those events. During your own continuing education, chat with the older students and even the instructors. If they’re too busy to take on new protégés, ask for the names of possible mentors.

How to Participate in Mentoring

Always communicate freely with your mentor. Don’t hold anything back. Your openness and honesty will only help the mentor see where you need the most help. By all means, make sure you honor any and all commitments you make. A mentor’s time is valuable and they want to know that it’s being used wisely by helping you. Let your mentor know what you expect from the relationship and what you can offer to them in return. Your mentor won’t know how they’re doing unless you tell them; give them feedback so they can be a better mentor.

As you gain in knowledge and certainty, consider becoming a mentor to others. You may be surprised how much you can learn by helping others.

References:

American Student Dental Association. (ND). “Mentorship in Dental School.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://asdanet.org/mentorship/

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry. (ND). “Mentoring Program.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from https://dentistry.uic.edu/sites/default/files/IMCE/academics-training/COD-StudentServices-Mentor-Program.pdf

Not only do children make up a large percentage of the patients coming to dentists, they are also your future customers as adults.

Easing a child into dental care can be rather painless (please forgive the pun). The first steps need to be done by the parents. Not all parents know this, but they can help prepare their children for their first visits. As a dentist, when you know you will be having a new patient from that tender age group, give the parents a Welcome Kit. Your kit should include,

• How the parent should talk about the dentist—meeting a “new friend.” How you will be counting teeth and cleaning them with a special toothbrush. Also, include words that they are to avoid like “painful,” “hurt” or “shot.”

• How the parents can play act going to the dentist to acclimate the child before they come to the office. Such a pretend visit can help remove any anxieties.

• Encourage parents to bring their children as early as age 1 so they will be used to the visits as they get older. Starting young makes dental care seem more of an important part of their life. Regular visits helps to make the child’s life more predictable and less a source of anxiety.

• Caution the parents not to make promises they can’t keep. Saying that everything will be fine could create trust issues for future visits.

• Tell the parents to keep their discussion simple. Say too much and the child will ask more and more questions the answers to which could make the child fearful. In fact, you might merely have the parents tell their child that a new friend is going to check their smile and count their teeth.

• Warn the parents not to talk about their own unpleasant dental experiences.

• Parents might help make the visit seem more lighthearted by telling the child that the dentist will be looking for “sugar bugs” and cleaning them off their teeth.

Helping the Child in the Office

In the mind of a child, when things are predictable, they are more tolerable. Tell the child what to expect from the visit. Tell them what noises they will hear and what sensations they will experience. Describe any tastes or vibrations. Eliminate all possible surprises. Show them the tools you will use and describe what they’re for.

Relaxation is another tool you can use to set the child’s mind at greater ease. Have the child blow soap bubbles through the circular wand used by kids during the summer months. This will help the child control their breathing. You might also have the child tense and relax muscles starting with the toes on one foot and progressing up the body on one side and then the other. This helps them feel more in control.

Distracting the child can also prove helpful. If they play with a toy in the waiting area, consider allowing them to hold the toy during the procedure. You might also have the child count ceiling tiles. Or you can talk to them about something pleasant. Consulting with the parents may provide useful information about the child’s specific interests.

Reinforcing the child’s good behavior is another important approach. This works best when you consult with the parents, first. Every child is different. Tell the child what you expect from them and tell them that they will be rewarded for being brave. You might even have a generic “treasure chest” in which most children will be able to find something of interest.

Getting a parent involved can also help the child relax. Having them sit nearby can give the young patient much needed reassurance. Sometimes, the parent can act as a role model for their little one. If possible, doing a mock procedure on the parent, first, may give the child the confidence they need to go through the procedure.

References:

AlSarheed, Maha. (4/2011). "Children’s Perception of Their Dentists." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3075993/

dentalfear.com (ND). "Dental Fear in Children: An interview with Dr. Fred Margolis." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from http://dentalfear.com/margolis.asp

Efron, Dr., and Sherman, Dr. (6/1/2005). "Five Tips for Managing Pediatric Dental Anxiety." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from http://dentistrytoday.com/pediatric-dentistry/1576

Port, Dina. (ND). "8 Tips to Help Kids Overcome Fear of Dentists." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from http://parents.com/health/dental/kids-overcome-fear-dentists/

The most important piece of equipment you have in your practice is your own body. You can’t afford to have it break down. And exercise does more than merely make you look good and feel good. It also helps to keep you from becoming sick. "Exercise is the best preventive drug we have, and everybody needs to take that medicine,” says sports-medicine physician, Jordan Metzl. He works at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, and he’s also the author of The Exercise Cure (Mercola).

But when can you find time to exercise? A better question might be, What can I do to ensure that I take the time to exercise? One thing you might do to kick your new habit into reality is to have your office assistant remind you regularly. Not all exercise requires sweating and a shower. Some simple movements and stretches can do a lot to ensure your body stays in good shape. Never do more than you’re comfortable doing. This should be obvious, but you would be surprised by the number of people who overdo their first day returning to exercise.

Look at it this way: When you need to go to the restroom, you take a break from what you’re doing and take care of that urgent need. If you’re thirsty, you take a sip of water or juice. Drinks like coffee or tea burn up essential vitamins, like vitamin B, so you want to take those in moderation. So, here are the tips:

1. Keep your body hydrated. Drink lots of water or juice throughout the day. Sure, this will mean that you have more visits to the restroom, but that’s merely your body getting rid of the bad stuff. Think of it as exercise for your health.

2. Keep a small exercise mat in your office. This should be a little larger than your body. At the very least, you can use this to help you relax between customers. Put one end of the mat against a wall in your office. Lie on your back with your legs extended up the wall and your buttocks against the baseboard. Breathe deeply for five minutes. Stress is a real killer. This helps take stress out of the equation.

3. Keep a volleyball or basketball in your office. With your head at one end of your mat and an open space beyond the other end, place the ball under your tailbone and roll forward so that the ball massages your back along the spine all the way up to your shoulders. Make sure the ball is not too hard or over-inflated. It should be pliant but not too soft. When you’ve gained some skill in doing this, try to roll the ball along first one side of the spine and then the other side. Also, roll from side to side with the ball in the small of your back.

4. Lying with your back on the mat, move your legs together and lift them off the floor by 2 to 3 inches. Hold for 5 seconds, then slowly separate your legs as far as you can, keeping your heels 2 to 3 inches off the floor. Hold for 5 seconds. Then move your legs back together, hold for 5 seconds, and then lower them to the mat. This is one of the best exercises for the lower back, because it strengthens the abdominal muscles. All too frequently, the back muscles have to do extra work because of weak abdominals.

5. Keep 1 or 2 soft, rubber balls in your office each about the size of a tennis ball. Hold a ball in your hand and squeeze. Hold for a second and release. Repeat about ten times. This will help to keep your fingers limber. It will also strengthen your forearm muscles.

6. On your mat, do a number of pushups. The number you do will depend on what shape you’re in. If you haven’t done pushups in decades. Start with one. If you can’t do a full pushup, with toes and hands touching the mat, start with your knees touching the mat. Don’t do too many. The objective is to stretch the body a little each day.

7. On your mat, do a number of situps. Do one and only add more if your body is comfortable with it.

Bonus tip: Any movement is better than no movement. Dr. Joseph Mercola tells us that sometimes non-exercise movement can be more important than exercising. People sit too much and merely getting up from your desk or stepping away from your work can help to keep the body flexible.

As with all exercise, start out being gentle. Do a little less than you’re comfortable doing, especially when you’re just starting out.

References:

Mercola, Joseph. (1/10/2014). "Doctors Prescribe Exercise as 'Best Preventive Drug'." Retrieved 2/18/2017 from http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/01/10/exercise-preventive-drug.aspx

Spiker, Ted. (ND). "Doctor Knows Best: 15 Health Tips from Top Doctors." Retrieved on 2/18/2017 from http://fitnessmagazine.com/health/doctors-tips-to-stay-healthy/

George Washington

A popular myth tells us that George Washington had dentures made of wood.

Sorry, it’s not true. But it is true that America’s first president suffered from teeth problems throughout his adult life. When he was inaugurated as America’s first president in 1789, Dr. John Greenwood had been able to save one of the former general’s teeth from extraction. That’s right. Our first president was sworn into office with only one tooth in his mouth. Dr. Greenwood finally had to pull the last tooth in 1796.

Washington had several sets of dentures. Though none of them were wooden, one was made of hippopotamus ivory, another of human teeth. Others used bone, gold wire, copper screws and even lead.

It seems that Washington may have used his dental problems to help win the Revolutionary War. In 1781, A French dentist, named Jean-Pierre Le Mayeur, grew disgusted with the way the British officers were talking about the alliance between America and the French. He fled British controlled New York and made his way into the American camp. Once the Americans had confirmed the dentist’s sincerity, General Washington contacted the doctor to use his services.

Though Washington was a very private person, later he sent a letter to his dentist requesting dental cleaning tools for his own oral hygiene. In that letter, he mentioned casually that he would not be able to make it to Philadelphia any time soon. Thus, he requested that equipment should be sent by mail to him just outside New York.

The packet containing the dental letter was intercepted by the British and sent to the area commander, Sir Henry Clinton—Le Mayeur’s former patient. Clinton was convinced that Washington would not be taking his forces south to Yorktown, so he did not do anything to reinforce Lord Cornwallis and his forces there. The ruse worked and Washington’s forces easily defeated British forces at Yorktown, October 19, 1781, all because of a letter to Washington’s dentist.

Abraham Lincoln

In September 1841, Lincoln had a tooth extracted. The dentist wrestled that tooth with such force that it broke Lincoln’s jaw. And that was without anesthesia! Afterward, it was said that Lincoln was afraid of dentists. Who wouldn’t be after such a painful experience?

But in 1862, President Lincoln developed such a toothache that he sought the services of a nearby dentist named Dr. G. S. Wolf. At Wolf’s office near the White House, as the dentist was about to extract the tooth, Lincoln asked him to wait a moment. Then, the president pulled a bottle of chloroform from his coat, opened it, took a deep whiff, and then motioned groggily for the dentist to proceed.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Former general of Allied forces during World War II, Ike Eisenhower was America’s president throughout most of the 50s. While visiting Palm Springs, California, February 20, 1954, President Eisenhower lost the cap on one of his front teeth while eating a chicken wing.

Because he was a five-star general during the war, and then president of the United States, his dental records tell of many problems with the cap on that tooth.

He received emergency treatment for the lost cap, spending the better part of his Saturday night at the dentist. This unusual trip led to many false reports and rumors concerning the president’s disappearance from public view. One Associate Press report stated that the president had died of a heart attack. Later, when the dentist who performed the repair died without leaving a record of the visit, some imaginative people declared that the dental visit was merely a cover story. According to them, President Eisenhower had visited Edwards Air Force Base to talk to aliens from another world.

References:

Anderson, Jon. (12/6/1992). “Smile, Mr. President: A Dental Detective Reveals Why Some Have Resisted.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-12-06/features/9204210345_1_dental-care-dentist-dental-problems

DentalCosmeticSpa.com. (7/12/2015). “Everyone Has Dental Problems: X Presidents Who Had Dental Problems.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://dentalcosmeticspa.com/dental-information/everyone-has-dental-problems-x-presidents-who-had-dental-problems/

EndodonticsJournal.com. (5/21/2008). “Dental history of U.S. presidents.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://endodonticsjournal.com/blogs/7/Dental-history-of-US-presidents.html%3E

HealthyMouth.org. (ND). “Presi-dental Health: 4 Strange (But True) Tales.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://mouthhealthy.org/en/presidential-facts

Kelly, Kate. (ND). “George Washington’s Teeth: A President in Pain.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://americacomesalive.com/2010/10/20/a-president-in-pain/

MountVernon.org. (ND). “The Trouble with Teeth.” Retrieved on 2/19/2017 from http://mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-man-the-myth/the-trouble-with-teeth/