Summer 2010 Issue

Become the Best Choice

Set your practice apart with these strategies for success.

I lead the Total Team Training seminars for the Dr. Dick Barnes Group, and I consider it a privilege. Not only do I get to practice and teach active listening skills, my heart is touched often by attendees’ responses. I observe how some students await answers with renewed hope, while others face them with eagerness or hesitation.

As I urge students to act on what they have learned, I am frequently asked, “What do I do first?” I tell them they must decide now to implement the proven Dr. Dick Barnes structure.

The Death of Fear

I realized in that moment that skill is a function of doing, not years in practice.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote “Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain”. I can think of no better way to describe my first year practicing dentistry. Like any journey of consequence it was not undertaken alone. It was possible only through the efforts and encouragement of family, friends and a few mentors who made me do now, what I was afraid I would not be able to do for many years. My purpose in sharing this in not to boast, but rather highlight what is possible when we do today that which our fears say we should put off.

The Veil Has Been Lifted

You can do the procedures fearlessly with proper tools and training.

Very rarely do we have an experience so moving, so emotional, that it compels us to dramatically change our behavior. Recently, I had such a breakthrough. Let me share a little background and tell how one short, introductory course made an astounding difference in my practice.

I graduated from dental school in 2001 and started a family practice. After my second year, I had a million-dollar business. While that’s not a big deal today, back then I felt pretty good about my accomplishments. School had taught me the basics, and I was off to an impressive start.

The Smile of My Dreams

Turn possibility into reality with the right treatment plan.

I have always wanted a beautiful smile, but as a child my parents did not place a lot of importance in our teeth. We would visit the dentist once a year, he would do massive silver fillings, pat us on our heads, and send us home for another year.

My teeth were very crooked, and the dentist tried to correct the problem with serial extractions. He ended up taking out all four first bicuspids. The dentist never told my parents that I needed braces, so nothing was done to straighten my teeth. I was very self-conscious about my smile and hid my teeth to the point that kids in junior high teased me and asked if I had dentures.

The Seven Slides, Part II

Boost your success with strategies that others miss.

Shortly after my “Seven Slides” article was printed in the previous issue, my phone started ringing off the hook. Doctors couldn’t wait to request copies of the slides. As I spoke with my colleagues, however, it quickly became evident that many saw the slides exclusively as a sales tool. While they are effective for case presentation, I must emphasize that other factors — many behind the scenes — are also required for the greatest success.

Embrace the Journey

Be bold — it’s a great time to be a dentist.

A proverb states, “Even the longest journey beings with a single step.” Looking back on almost 40 years in dentistry, I know this to be true. As I speak to dentists around the country about what it means to succeed in dentistry, I’m struck by their assumptions about success. Some see it as having the right practice in the right place in the right economy. Others see success as a fickle force that seems to bless some and shun others.