Issues

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.

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.

In graduate school a professor lectured on something he called disruptive technology. In a nutshell, his point was that periodically a technology comes along that destabilizes or fundamentally changes some aspect of a business model.

I had moved my family. I had built a new office and hung out a shingle. It was a time of great change.

The first thing I notice about people is their teeth. I was born missing a tooth, which led to self-consciousness and years of orthodontic treatment. I always wondered what it would be like to have a big, beautiful smile.

Last year I observed basically two types across all age groups and skill sets. These included dentists who were struggling financially and dentists who were unaffected by the economy.

For me, dentistry was not fun. I had my own practice with a decent number of patients, and I spent my days doing what I thought dentists did: checkups, fillings, and the occasional crown.

The healing arts practitioner seeks to keep the body healthy, and the dentist is no exception. The wise and careful dentist will protect patients’ oral health rather than serve merely as a “Maytag repairman”...

What is the first step for the dentist? Is it dental school? Of course you have worked so hard and prepared well. Is it the latest and greatest dental technology? Is it hiring a consultant? Is it getting the most up-to-date office design?

I asked a colleague why he always ate at a certain establishment. He stopped for a second, patted his belly, shrugged apathetically and replied, “The food fills the hole and it’s cheap.”