Anything But Dentistry
This podcast is about finding purpose, fulfillment, and success in dentistry. If you are in the dental field as a dentist, hygienist, dental assistant, dental administrator or salesperson, this show will have great value for you!
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Google Update! Is Your Site Ready?
06/01/2020
Google Update! Is Your Site Ready?
Google recently announced some updates about what it will officially take into consideration when ranking websites in their index.
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The One Thing Your Need Before You Open Your Doors
05/18/2020
The One Thing Your Need Before You Open Your Doors
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Evaluating Your Lease During COVID
05/04/2020
Evaluating Your Lease During COVID
I talk with RJ Przebinda from dentalspacesearch.com about how we should be viewing our lease options during this time of quarantine.
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Future Proofing Your Photography
04/21/2020
Future Proofing Your Photography
As dentists, we make lots of photos. Some of us more than others, to be sure. Social Media, however is changing that for the better and more people are taking clinical and personal photos than ever before. How are you storing your photos? Do you feel trapped by your system? Bound to forever use that brand or program? Fear not - I have been held captive once before, and I've lived to tell about it. In this episode, I talk about my new work-flow for my photography, and how I plan on using titles to help me forever know when and where a photo was made. --- Lastly - I sincerely apologize for the delay [this is being published a day late]. I over-estimated my ability to quickly learn a new software to edit and publish this podcast.
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The Right Tool For The Job
04/06/2020
The Right Tool For The Job
Sometimes, we have to make due with what we have at hand. Other times - having the right tool for the job is important.
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The Middle of The Road
03/16/2020
The Middle of The Road
There's a saying that goes, "the only things that should be in the middle of the road are yellow lines and roadkill."
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The State of Dental Education
03/02/2020
The State of Dental Education
In this episode, I have the privilege to talk to Dr. Lee Ann Brady, Director of Education at the Pankey Institute. We talked about the different types of CE available, the importance of finding your community, how she quickly fact-checks new techniques, and how to make sure you get the most ROI when you come back to work after a class.
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Measures of Success
02/18/2020
Measures of Success
What is success for you?
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Radical Hospitality
02/03/2020
Radical Hospitality
In this episode, I share a book written by the amazing man that I was named after!
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Using Sound Strategically
01/20/2020
Using Sound Strategically
As dentists, we have so much to offer our patients. Does the environment we create in our dental offices detract from that? Or - can we use what we know to enhance that experience. In our office, I use music very strategically to help our patients enter into a more relaxed and comfortable head space. To hear what represents a good example of music that fits the criteria that I described in the podcast, go ahead and
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9 Ways To Use Evernote and Win in 2020
01/07/2020
9 Ways To Use Evernote and Win in 2020
The first episode of 2020! There is so much that I love about Evernote, it's hard for me to know where to start. This episode is all about some of the ways that I use it to help keep myself organized and make my life a little easier. Enjoy!
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The No Call, No Show Dental Patient
12/30/2019
The No Call, No Show Dental Patient
The No Call, No Show Now, I can only speak for myself. I like to be prepared for my day. This means that when someone has significant treatment planned, I also have a significant amount of preparation for that appointment. If they have an appointment reserved, and I'm prepared, AND they do the "no call, no show" - I get concerned. My first thought is for their health and safety. Once I find out that everything is fine, then I think - well, then... what happened? Some people can't seem to make a reservation in our schedule that they can keep. If you have one of these patients going through active treatment, it can be extremely frustrating. This is our system for dealing with patients like these, that we haven't been able to coach in other ways. Step 1 Make sure they are ok I would hate to have someone think that I only cared about why our time was being wasted when they were being life flighted to a hospital. Then check out Episode 4 for ideas about what to do with your new-found free time. Step 2 Learn about their challenge in keeping a reservation. Unpredictable work schedule Caring for an ailing family member Kids schedules Step 3 Help them by first trying to accommodate their individual needs. Flexibility needed, call them when there is an opening? Predictability - maybe find their best time and make sure to give them frequent reminders. Maybe double check that they are getting the reminders where they want them. Whatever you can figure out together, try it. Step 4 Evaluate the patient. Do you like them? Do they pay with gratitude? Do they show up on time? [obviously, this group of patients have a challenge in this area.] Do they need significant dentistry? Step 5 If they are a patient that you really want to work with, then the next step is not to asses a fee but a reservation fee. Like a hotel. The first time that you introduce it, make sure to waive it as a courtesy to the patient. Nobody likes a surprise.
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The Specialist Start-up
12/16/2019
The Specialist Start-up
It's my second interview!
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Say This, Not That.
12/02/2019
Say This, Not That.
My first interview!
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What's In Your BAG?
11/18/2019
What's In Your BAG?
Goal setting for dental professionals is crucial to your sense of fulfillment! Learn how to discover what's in your bag, and how to use that to achieve all of your goals this year!
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Opening In The Schedule?
11/04/2019
Opening In The Schedule?
Learn to take advantage of openings in your schedule. As a dentist, it's nice to have a list of highly productive activities you can turn to in these situations!
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Lines In The Sand
10/21/2019
Lines In The Sand
Lines in the Sand Have you ever started treatment on a patient only to regret it later? We all have. When I think about the story I'm about to share - and think about some of the other patients where I feel like I lost control a bit - you can put the main problem into one of three categories. Financial The Practice failed to adequately bill for the services. Either too much time is being spent in the treatment, or too much money on lab services. The Patient failed to adequately prepare or meet their financial obligations to the practice. When this happens mid-treatment a lot of conflict can result. The Practice planned and began treatment that was beyond the skill set of the doctor. The Patient is difficult to manage in the chair, or presents certain challenges that the doctor must overcome. Techincal/Clinical The Practice didn't communicate expectations clearly. The Patient didn't communicate expectations clearly [or wasn't given the opportunity] Behavioral Here's the story: Samantha has been a patient of the practice for more than 20 years. Her oral hygiene is impeccable, the value she places on health and oral health is high - and she did not like how her lower teeth were crowding. I also knew that her value for esthetics was high, as were the demands created by her attention to detail. Together, we decided that she was a good candidate for Invisalign -- and we made the appointment to start. Now, we are still analog [for the most part]. She put up the usual fuss about the impressions. But, was re-assured that this only happens at the beginning and the end. Why did I say that?... Those words were my "kiss of death". Not only did the first set of impressions get rejected [probably because I removed them too soon to ease her discomfort] But, later she needed a mid-course correction If that was the only problem, I wouldn't be telling you the story. Sam also couldn't tolerate: the IPR - too sensitive - it hurt a lot the buttons / attachments - how was she supposed to eat the lingual ramps on 7-10 - these had to be removed Sam's discomfort, her willingness to express her discomfort, my desire to make her comfortable and my inability to do so... I felt like I was failing her. If it were just one area, or only at one appointment, I think it wouldn't be such a big deal. But Every. Single. Appointment. It got to a point where I just died on the inside when I saw her name on the schedule. If Sam sees this she will probably recognize herself, and I have to say that Sam is a patient that I love seeing. She is an absolute joy. Which is why I had to stop and figure out what went wrong with her case. Going back to those main three reasons, it is obvious to me now that our problem was behavioral. the trust that she has in our practice was miss-read by me as an understanding of the treatment that she was about to go through. It's that simple. Thanks to Sam - I now have two short phrases that I share with every patient. No Strangers. No Surprises. These phrases remind me of a sign that might be scribbled out in crayon and hung on the outside of a kids clubhouse. The best part? They open the conversation about how we do things in our office. How it's different. And Why they should care. I can think about several points during Sam's treatment that I don't think would have happened if she and I had had a more open conversation about what she should expect. Even at the beginning -- the very first complaint -- I know that if I had stopped what I was doing, sat knee to knee, and explained my fear about her going forward Sam would have either accepted what was coming or said that she wasn't ready for it. Either of those situations would have been better than what we both lived through. For the record, Sam is still in treatment [we are almost done!!!] and she's thrilled with the results [as am I] No Strangers. No Surprises. Those phrases have given me an ability to draw my lines in the sand when and where I need to. I can be rigid and dogmatic when appropriate, and I can flex when that's needed as well. I encourage you to reflect on the last time you had a feeling of regret after starting treatment. What area was your challenge in? What could have been better? Was your line in the sand too firm? Not firm enough? Please tell me about it - I'd love to hear.
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11 Things Every Practice Should Have and 1 Thing to Avoid
10/07/2019
11 Things Every Practice Should Have and 1 Thing to Avoid
In this episode we talk about some of my favorite things in marketing my dental practice. I list 11 things that every practice should have, and 1 thing that I think we should all get rid of.
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3 Things To Help You Know Yourself Better Today
10/01/2019
3 Things To Help You Know Yourself Better Today
We can choose to work in a near infinite number of ways. How do we know what style is right for us? In this episode we talk about 3 things that I have done to learn more about myself, and the positive impact these exercises have had on my life.
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Anything But Dentistry Trailer
09/07/2019
Anything But Dentistry Trailer
This is the Anything But Dentistry Podcast! The purpose of this podcast is to help dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, dental students and dental sales people find purpose, fulfillment and success in our wonderful profession of dentistry. The podcast will be solo and interview based. We will be launching on 10/01/19 and I'll be publishing on the 1st and 3rd Monday every month. Our music is provided by Jacob Szekely - find his awesome music at jacobszekely.com
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