Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016

CLASS OF 2017 | FALL ISSUE

DENTALENTREPRENEUR.COM

Business Beyond the Classroom

Service Brilliance

Christiana Harris DMD

My Story The Best Time to Get a Map is Before You Go On a Journey

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Fall 2016 VOLUME 19, ISSUE 1

Welcome

What are we to do? This is a question all of us are probably asking ourselves as the 2016 presidential election looms. Lucky for you, we won’t be getting political in this publication. Phew!

Editor & Publisher Anne M. Duffy RDH Assistant Editor Michael Duffy

No, no, Dental Entrepreneur: Business Beyond the Classroom is about your future, your career as a dental professional. As you embark on your career— congrats, by the way—you probably have a lot of questions regarding how to get started and build that bright future. We think we’ve got the answers in these pages.

Content Strategist Michelle Perrit Production Ruthie Gordon Publishers Press Inc. Editorial Board Dr. Dirk Fleischman Dr. Gene Heller Dr. Harold Sturner Dr. Ryan Dulde Dr. Earl Douglas Rachel Teel Wall, RDH, BS Dr. Tom Snyder Derek Champange Dr. David Rice Dr. Hugh Doherty Layout and Design John O’Connor

Class of 2017 Contributors Debra Englehard-Nash Mary Fisher-Day Christiana Harris DMD Victor Holloway Janice Hurley Wes Jankowski

Roger Levin DDS Dan Marut DMD David Rice DDS Minal Sampat, RDH David Schard DDS

Charter Sponsors Oral‑B Laboratories Ultradent Products Inc. Procter & Gamble Wm. Wrigley Jr. Corp.

Glidewell Laboratories Benco Dental Co. Tess Corp.

Dental Care Alliance

The Pride Institute The Snyder Group McKenzie Management Caesy Education Systems, Inc. Warner‑Lambert Co. Phillips Health Care Oxyfresh Worldwide

Editorial Office

12233 Pine Valley Club Drive Charlotte, NC 28277 704/953-0261 Fax 704/847-3315 anneduffyde@gmail.com Send materials to: Dental Entrepreneur Magazine 8334 Pineville Matthews Road Ste. 103-201 Charlotte, NC 28226 When you have finished enjoying this magazine pass it along to a friend and PLEASE RECYCLE Copyright 2016 Dental Entrepreneur, Charlotte, NC Material herein may not be reproduced, copied or reprinted without prior written consent of the publisher.

Acceptance of advertising does not imply endorsement by the publisher.

2 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

CLASS OF 2017 FALL ISSUE VOLUME I

But we are not just expecting you to take our word for it. To help you on your journey, we’ve teamed up with several experts in the fields of dentistry and those related to dentistry.

That means professionals like Dr. David Schrad, who contributed a piece that confronts the fears you may have as you enter the working world with a mountain of student debt. Should fear prevent you from taking the plunge and buying your own practice? David might motivate you look past fear and dive in with both feet.

That means we are welcoming Wes Jankowski, CEO Dentist Founder, with a few words on creating your road map to success. After all, the best way to predict the future is to create it, right (Wes’ statement, but I wholeheartedly agree)?

That means we tabbed international dentistry image expert Janice Hurley to focus on the image that you project. It’s more important than you think and can affect not only the financial success of your practice, but also the success of your interactions with patients and team members.

Once again, we’ve also asked a young dentist to tell their story, and Dr. Christina Harris’ is truly inspiring. Christina is only in her third year of practice, but she has traveled the world to places like Haiti and Kenya giving back through mission dentistry. Your heart will warm after hearing her testimonial.

Those are just a few of the specialists you’ll find in our Fall 2016 edition of DE. And if there is something else on your mind that isn’t in this issue, head over to our website at www.dentalentrepreneur.com to review our archives.

I promise your questions that remain are answered for you, the young dentist and the future dental entrepreneur.

Some day, we’ll be looking to you for your story. I’m betting it’s going to be a great read!

All the best,

Anne M. Duffy Publisher

DentalEntrepreneur.com

Contents Prologue 4 My Story

Christiana Harris, DMD

Getting Started 6 The Best Time to Get a Map is Before You Go On a Journey Wes Jankowski

10 Optimal Image, Optimal Success – Let’s Do This Janice Hurley

14 The Benefirts of a Small-Town vs.

Big-Town Practice Mary Fisher-Day

Business Fundamentals

The Power To Succeed

16 Beyond the PPO: Why Going In-Network

32 Fear

is No Longer the Only Option Dan Murut, DMD

22 Service Brilliance

David Schrad, DDS

34 Ignite DDS David Rice, DDS

Debra Englehardt-Nash

24 The Case For Disability Insurance: It’s Impossible to Predict Tomorrow Victor Holloway

Practice Builders 28 Marketing is Your Life Blood so Don’t Let it Run Dry Minal Sampat, RDH

30 Why New Dentists Need to Take Advantage of Scripting Roger Levin, DDS, MBA DentalEntrepreneur.com

Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 3

Prologue

My Story Christiana Harris, DMD

M

y initial interest in dentistry started from a very young age and by unfortunate circumstance. You see, I was a rather rowdy child growing up in Dallas, TX and I definitely had my fair share of injury to my two front teeth. So much so that I spent my adolescent years being taken out of school for dental visits.

And most of the time, they were dental visits that my parents could not afford.

My general dentist was my super hero though! Although we could not always get the “recommended” treatment, he always came up with a solution to make me feel comfortable and cared for. He was the first professional to tell me that I could do anything! I was eight years old at the time.

From that point on, I knew that I wanted to become a dentist and do whatever I could to help those around me. While attending my dental school interview at Meharry Medical College, I read that the mission of the college was to ‘Worship God through service to mankind’. Naturally, I jumped for joy when I learned that I was accepted to this service oriented college. I immediately began to search out ways that I could be of service to mankind. My junior year, during a transition of new faculty entering the college, I heard of an opportunity to do mission dentistry in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. This opportunity would be like none other in that not only would be offering our skills to this beautiful country and its citizens, but we would have the opportunity to collaborate and learn alongside Haitian dental students as well.

What an amazing week we had together and a huge impact was made on my life and my own professional development.

4 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

DentalEntrepreneur.com

Shortly after graduating from Meharry in 2013, I vowed to myself that I would seek out opportunities to do mission dentistry as often as I could. In March of 2015, I was able to take an adventurous vacation to Nairobi, Kenya. Although I had not planned my trip around doing any mission work, the group I went to Nairobi with had planned for us to spend a day in the Kibera Slums at a primary school where we could help fill up their empty library with books. We received massive donations from all over the USA and were able to overwhelm the children with reading material. But this was also an opportunity for myself and a dear friend and colleague on the trip to serve these young children through dentistry. Although we were not equipped to do screenings or administer fluoride, we were able to teach the children basic hygiene skills and pass out toothbrushes and toothpaste. This simple act was something these children had never been exposed to and most of them never owned a toothbrush of their own. The smiles we received that day will forever be imprinted in my thoughts and it motivated me to continue to do all that I could in dentistry to serve the world around me.

You ever feel as if it was your destiny to do a certain thing or be in a certain career? Well again, becoming a dentist and offering this amazing skill to others just began to follow me throughout my life.

This past February (2016), I was randomly browsing LinkdIn (which I rarely do) and discovered a post from an orthodontist who was recruiting any interested dentist who wanted to do mission work in the Dominican Republic the very next month. I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to attend or even able to take off work, but I inquired about the trip and from there it was divinely prepared for me to go! It was an all expense paid experience for a week that I was easily able to take off from work for and I later discovered on the trip that I would be accompany-

DentalEntrepreneur.com

ing several of my colleagues from dental school that would be on the mission as well. It was an absolutely amazing time of hard work and retiring at the beach nearby each day we were there.

In between my world travels and excursions, I have been called upon by many in education and in churches to speak with young people about my journey and oral health. This too has helped shape my outlook on how my career has so many facets in every area of life. I now mentor young people who shadow me at work and want to someday become a dentist as well. The opportunities to share my passion for dentistry are endless.

Fast forward to today, I am in my third year of practicing dentistry and I literally wake up everyday and thank God that my childhood dreams have come true!

Being a dentist not only challenges me for professional improvement, but it is an absolute joy to have such flexibility to help others in many ways. I can envision myself leading a small community center practice that not only treats the needs of it’s people, but educates and empowers the same people to improve their oral health and help create that opportunity to others, near and far. I do not know what the future holds for me within this amazing career. But what I do know is that I want to help others. I want to give back to the universe what it has given to me.

Christiana Harris, DMD was born and raised in Dallas, TX and her passion for dentistry began when she was only 8 years old.

She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from Praire view A&M University and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from Meharry School of Dentistry in Nashville, TN. While in Nasheville she served as chaplain for her class and devotion leader in the Christian Dental Association.

Upon graduation from Meharry, she received the Brassler USA Award of Excellence.

Please reach out to our authors and our advertisers. They care about you and keep us in print!

If you have any questions, comments, or responses to our magazine, please connect with us on Dental Entrepreneur Magazine — our official Facebook page!

Read us online at dentalentrepreneur.com Send your questions or comments to anneduffyde@gmail.com dentalentrepreneur.com

Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 5

Getting Started

The Best Time to Get a Map is Before You Go On the Journey Wes Jankowski

A

recent study showed that if you open your email in the first hour of your day you lose approximately 30-percent productivity over a week. The reason is that you start your day responding to other people’s agendas instead of creating your own.

Much of a dentist’s career is the same; doctors walk in each day responding to the schedule, to the patients, to their team members. Doctors end up spending their days responding to the agendas of others.

Reacting to the World Will Determine a Destiny, But You May Not Like It Imagine sitting at a table and looking at a large brown box of puzzle pieces. You’re not sure what the end result will be, but you

6 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

know that the goal is to put all the pieces together to come up with a final product. So you pour the pieces on the table, apply your critical thinking skills and attack the project.

You start by turning all the pieces right-side up so you can see the colors and patterns. Next, you look for the pieces with straight edges and corners and build the frame (this step is exciting because it gives you a sense of accomplishment and progress).

Then you start sorting and grouping the pieces by color and pattern, etc. And finally, you start testing the pieces one at a time, working to find some that fit together. Given enough time and patience, through trial and error, you’d start to see patterns and the picture would come together. Frustrating and time consuming, but you’re making progress.

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Now, about halfway through the project you realize that your puzzle is a picture of a bunch of cats playing with yarn, and you don’t even like cats (this is not a criticism or an attack on cats … relax). You would never have chosen to do this puzzle if you knew it was “cats.” But, you just keep on going, begrudgingly, because you already have time and money invested. Maybe the picture will change?

Maybe you can swap out some pieces from another puzzle? Maybe …?

LOL! The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create it If you would have chosen the puzzle, the picture of the completed project in advance, you would’ve made the whole process that much simpler and more exciting. That’s what creating a mission/vision for your practice is all about.

I’m not talking about writing a heavy, dry business plan filled with market analysis, statistics and forecasts (some of that is valuable and necessary if you need money from the bank). But, I’m talking about capturing the “Why?” Of your practice; of your business. This mission/vision is a way to guide your thinking, a way to help you clearly articulate your value proposition to investors and patients and a way to better align your team. It’s allencompassing.

Starbucks: Built on Vision and Passion I know that Starbucks has been the center of books and studies for years, but real success stories are meant to be studied.

As the story goes, Howard Schultz went 8 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

to Italy on holiday with his family. He spent time in coffee shops and noticed that the environment was different. Yes, people drank coffee, but the bistro was also a gathering place for friends and family to visit or talk with each other.

Patrons played cards and chess, they read, and they rested. It was a place to be with others … a social experience. Schultz caught that vision and brought it back to the United States. He had a picture of what he wanted to create, and he enrolled others (a team) in building that vision.

That vision also helped their team make important business decisions in building the Starbucks empire. They built shops that embodied the culture and ambience of the coffee houses he visited in Italy, they developed training and coffee education programs for the Barista, they bought and developed specialized equipment to deliver consistent, quality coffee on a world-wide basis, etc. Decision making and growth became simpler because they knew where they were going.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” – Yogi Berra There was a terrific article in INC Magazine a few years ago entitled “Error!

Hyperlink reference not valid. Error!

Hyperlink reference not valid.” I use this article with all new clients to help them to see the practice they want to build.

The author describes a restaurant in Michigan that wrote a four-paragraph story detailing what they wanted their business to be. They used descriptive language to help customers envision what it would be like to interface with their business.

Today that restaurant is featured regularly on Food Network programs including Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It’s not an accident. They decided in advance where they wanted to go and then they went there. Their reputation for excellent food, service and a family-friendly environment is legendary. That’s what they set out to create.

DentalEntrepreneur.com

Where Will Your Vision and Passion Take You? If you are looking for a new opportunity or just getting out of school into your first professional position, you may be tempted to take the first thing that comes. I recommend that you be a creator of your destiny and do this exercise first.

Following are some questions to consider when drafting your vision: • Who do you want to serve? Do you have a heart for those in need and limited resources? Or those at higher socioeconomic levels?

• Where do you want to serve? Do you want to be in a small town and serve a local community? Or does your personal energy draw you to a bigger city (yes, there are more dentists, but there are more opportunities)?

• What kind of experience do you want to create for your patients? Describe the

office environment. Define the procedures and services you will provide.

Who will be your primary market?

Families? Singles? Mature Couples?

• What kind of team do you want to build? Not just determining the number of hygienists, dental assistants and front-desk personnel to handle the day-to-day operations and dentistry. Will you keep a high standard in your office and only hire the best?

People that authentically care about your patients, have a commitment to mastery of their profession and are all around “A” players?

The options for a dental professional to practice their passion and skill are many. If you choose the route of joining a corporate dental group or DSO (Dental Support Organization), then interview diligently and make sure that the values and vision of that organization align with yours.

However, if you’re going to go in to private practice, then it’s an opportunity for you, the owner-dentist, to paint a picture for your patients and team, the success of your office, and your financial future.

Whatever path you choose, don’t go on the journey without a vision and a map.

Wes Jankowski is a business strategist and Founder/CEO of StraightLine Professional Development - providing business, leadership, and teambuilding skills training for dental practices.

For more information about the company and services go to http://www.straightlineprodev.com

DON’T DELAY … AUTOMATE ELIMINATE PAPER AND GET ORGANIZED! AUTOMATE YOUR SAFETY DATA SHEETS, WITH AUTOSDS. New OSHA Hazard Communication requirements go into effect June 2016.

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Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 9

Getting Started

Optimal Image, Optimal Success – Let’s Do This Janice Hurley

W

hat do YOU think about your image at work? Often times the longer we have worked someplace the less we think about our image in the workplace. In general, our image is thought of as the external representation of our inner self. Now Shakespeare once said, “skim milk sometimes masquerades as cream,” meaning of course that we use the external tools available to represent ourselves in a more flattering light than is actually our true character. Clearly, I am not suggesting we do that. Instead, I’ve learned the opposite through my experience over the last 25 years as a dental consultant. I think we often under-represent our professional quality and skills through the poorly chosen uniforms we wear.

The clinical team from the doctor to the assistants are highly trained healthcare professionals. Professionals worthy of respect. Their uniforms are really important because it affects how others perceive them and treat them and respond to their advice.

I am a BIG FAN of understanding the impact our appearance has on three very important areas.

1. The financial success and branding of the practice 2. The effect it has on the patient’s experience while in your office.

3. The physical and physiological impact on each member of the team.

Does anyone remember the episode of The Simpsons when all the children were dressed in drab grey smocks and their attempts at painting were equally drab? Where the clouds opened up dripping colored paint onto their smocks and EVERYTHING changed? The students were happier and more creative. It was a simplistic visual for what so many researchers continue to observe, which is that we literally take on the quality and makeup of the clothes we wear. You really are 10 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

what you wear. It changes your self-perception and it changes how others treat you.

Let’s start with the white lab coat myth. That’s right, the myth that says patients will find you less approachable and understanding if you wear a lab jacket. That is wrong. How approachable you are and your skills as a great listener are all in the hands of you and your body language. A warm, smiling face trumps anything else. Sloppy, ill-fitting, substandard scrubs are the kiss of death for anyone’s professional image. These same scrubs are issued as standard prison attire in many institutions today. Not a great option for our clinical team.

I love a great lab coat. The most important thing that your patients are looking for is someone with knowledge and the professional experience to answer their questions and solve their health issues. A crisp white lab jacket is your best friend in this area.

Not all lab jackets are created equal. I could show you photo after photo of “What Not to Wear” in lab jackets, but I can’t bring myself to embarrass the people in my profession I so deeply value. Still, the photos are out there—on websites, Facebook postings and magazine covers. They are there because no one with knowledge and a critical eye stepped the team through uniform and lab coat selection.

So let’s take a minute to outline five things you should know in reference to lab jackets.

1. Fit is first and foremost. All body types are different in their proportions and your lab jacket selection must take that into consideration. If you have a small variance in height and body proportions you might be able to order your jackets from the same vender or you will want to be sure to allow time and funds for appropriate alterations. I am a big fan of Twice As Nice Uniforms for many reasons with one of those reasons being that they have styles within their brand to address the issue of petite and body diversity and they are wrinkle free.

2. Your lab jackets must fit first in the shoulders. The shoulder seam is not a good option for alterations and it has to sit directly on the top of your arm where your shoulder meets your arm. Just starting there you can look at your team and see a wide diversity that often may or may not be connected to weight and height. Measure your team members from shoulder to shoulder to see how much variance you have and then order from there. Order lab jacket that have a gathering

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in the back to show off or insinuate a waistline. This is flattering on both men and women, but particularly favored on all women. Lab jackets that are too bulky will just make you look heavier, less fit and sloppy.

Therefore, putting that ill-fitting item on will have you feeling the same way.

Sleeves are often the easiest thing to have altered if needed.

3. The quality of the material is the second most important aspect in your lab jacket selection. This is NOT the place to be cheap. You are covering yourself and your team with this item of clothing. You don’t want it to say you specialize in poor quality. Take the opportunity to make a statement about your level of professionalism.

4. Have your lab jackets customized with your office logo on the left side of the jacket, and then have each and every team member wear their name tag on the right side of their attire. The nametag worn on the right side of the chest just below the scapula allows your patients to read the name when greeted with a handshake.

5. I strongly favor collared blouses in crisp permanent press materials and pants that do not have a drawstring but have their own waistband. I also favor the pants that are not the old school style of being wide at the bottom.

What to avoid: The two biggest culprits in dental office attire would be cheap loose fitting scrubs and large golf shirts worn with scrub bottoms. All scrubs are not created equal. A budget of about $900-$1,200 twice per year is realistic for each clinical team member when writing out your yearly budget. This is a business expense of high value and impact.

Done right this will make you money. If done poorly, you pay the price every day in ways you will never know. This is not where you step over dollars to pick up pennies. This is where you knowledgeably invest and plan

12 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

for the success of your practice. We feel and act differently depending on what we wear.

I am a huge advocate for paying for the shoes as well as the uniforms for the clinical team. Shoe color and material should be clearly described in your written Office Guidelines with the brand of shoe Crocs not an option. Each team member should be able to select their own shoe to best fit their feet within the color and material guidelines. Patients should not be able to tell at first glance that there is any difference is this aspect of their uniform. There is a complimentary Office Attire Guideline on my website [www/dentistrysimageexpert.com] to help start the conversation with your team and to have a simple template with which to write your own personal copy.

Finally, hire and keep individuals who are happy people who describe their lives in positive adjectives. You want team members who love what they do and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. It is not your job to make them happy. It is your job to provide them with an environment that fosters their professional growth and one of appreciation.

Dressing your team in optimal professional attire is just one of those great gifts you get to give. The smiles on their faces are priceless.

Janice Hurley A noted authority on treatment presentation and the effective use of photos and video in the dental practice.

Janice consults and coaches “hands on” and through articles published and programs presented. Even dental hygiene schools use her written protocol standards for both image and effective communication.

After earning her degree in Organizational Behavior from The University of San Francisco, Janice has invested more than 25 years’ experience as a dental consultant, helping her clients gain higher treatment acceptance and attract higher quality patients. As an international author and speaker on what it takes to project professional excellence and confidence so others feel it instantly, her goal is for everyone to use their professional energy for personal success.

Her energy is contagious and audiences inevitably leave raving fans and ready to reenergize their lives, and their practices. Janice has been a featured speaker with the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meetings, Yankee Dental Congress, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentists, American Association of Endodontists, Philips Sonicare, Academy of Dental CPA’s , Henry Schein, and many, many more.

She takes offices through a 30 point IMAGE evaluation that allows those offices to set themselves apart from their competition. www. dentistrysimageexpert.com 619 255-1098

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Getting Started

The Benefirts of a Small-Town vs. Big-Town Practice Mary Fisher-Day

T

here’s plenty to be said of the benefits of living and practicing in a big city or Metropolitan area. Proximity to upscale dining, cultural activities and shopping malls are at the top of the list when I speak with a young dentist seeking to purchase a practice. Easily, nine out of ten are seeking a practice no further than a thirty-minute drive from a large city.

While practicing in a large city does have benefits, there are drawbacks. There is more competition, much more. New dentists in urban areas often offer extended hours including Saturdays just to be competitive. The cost of living is expensive, as is practice overhead.

A young dentist will feel pressure to participate in PPO plans as they know their competition participates. Student loans, a practice loan, practice overhead expenses and personal expenses will not likely allow a new practice owner the flexibility to opt out of PPO plan participation.

A young buyer could potentially get away with opting out of PPO participation IF he or she were to purchase a wellestablished fee-for-service practice. It would require the buyer to cultivate and maintain a wonderful relationship with the seller.

In addition to singing the buyer’s praises in the letter to the patients announcing the sale of the practice, the seller and team would need to promote the buyer and assure patients they are in good hands. If at all possible the entire team should be hired by the buyer and no major changes in policy should be made for 6 months. This scenario can work if the buyer maintains a good relationship with the seller. Keep this in mind when making an offer and during negotiations.

Rural dentists tend to have less stress and more quality time with family and friends. There’s less worry about overhead and whether the schedule if booked. These patients do not miss an appointment unless there’s a true emergency. Rural or small town practices have 50-percent overhead, on average. Practicing in a small town or rural area will afford a young dentist the freedom to work normal hours. There are no “expectations” of evening or weekend hours and no pressure, unless it’s self-imposed, to 14 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

participate in discounted insurance plans. Fees are typically comparable to urban fees.

Dentists practicing in small towns and rural areas will find they are held in high esteem and treated with much respect. Their diagnosis and treatment plans are rarely questioned as patients are more trusting and take their dentist’s word as gold. If a patient chooses not to have recommended treatment, it will likely be for one of two reasons, fear or financing. Offering a third-party financing option can be helpful with the latter.

New dentists who choose to practice in rural or under-served areas may qualify for full or partial student loan repayment.

Dependent on federal and state policies for fulfilment. Some states require participation in Medicaid, some do not. Visit ADA. org for details and resources for loan repayment programs.

As previously stated, there are tremendous benefits to living, working and raising a family in a small town. I have yet to hear a small town or rural dentist say they regret their choice. You will know the people who teach and coach your children. You will know the parents and likely the grandparents of your child’s friends, as they will be your friends, neighbors and your patients.

Rural dentist that want to spend a weekend in the city to enjoy fine dining, visit art galleries and museums or shop at a large mall can afford it. And, one benefit of practicing in a small town is

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having more financial security than city dentists who are competing for patients and have higher overhead.

Most small towns and rural areas have only one dentist, if any. Consider practicing where you’re truly needed.

Remember this about dentists who choose to practice in a small town or rural area, they: • Choose their own hours • Have more disposable income • Enjoy less stress • Are treated with great respect • Are appreciated • Diagnosis and treatment plans are not questioned • Spend more time with family and friends Small towns and rural areas are in great need of dentists!

BE THEIR HERO!

practice, she was ready to begin the next phase of her career. A conversation with a friend lead to a meeting and offer to work with a large dental practice management and transition group.

When the company made the decision to focus solely on transitions, Mary founded The Dental Business™.

Mary and her Associates work with dental teams, customizing their programs and addressing any urgent issues immediately.

Mary’s goal is to have their clients see results very quickly. Teams are coached and armed with systems, tools, resources and strategies to reach practice goals.

Mary’s ultimate goal is to see the team enjoy going to work each day, have patients that happily refer others and prosper in their successful practice

Mary Fisher-Day grew up in a small town in South Carolina and now resides in Charlotte, NC. Her career in dentistry has spanned more than 30 years; she has worked as an assistant, scheduling and financial coordinator, and office manager. Early in her career, she moved often. Although it was tough at the time, moving often did have one benefit; Mary saw the effects management style has on practice culture, employee satisfaction, Patient satisfaction, loyalty and ultimately Practice Success.

Realizing a desire to expand her career, Mary continued her education with the study of business management. Coupled with knowledge of the inner workings of a dental

WITH OUR SUPPORT, YOUR DENTAL CAREER CAN BE A WALK IN THE PARK. Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions is with you every step of the way. From the day you graduate and begin your first Associateship, to the day you retire...and every day in between.

www.henryscheinppt.com

1-800-988-5674

n

PRACTICE SALES n VALUATIONS n TRANSITION CONSULTING/ PLANNING n ASSOCIATESHIPS

© 2016 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors. 16PT3680

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Business Fundamentals Beyond the PPO: Why Going In-Network is No Longer the Only Option Dan Marut, DMD

D

ental school prepares you well for being a skilled clinician, but as far as the business side of dentistry is concerned, most doctors–both new and seasoned–also have to learn to be a skilled business owner on their own. And these days, insurance corporations wield a lot of influence within the dental office.

As practitioners like myself who have been in business for a while can attest, being “in network” can create as many problems as benefits for dentists and patients alike.

Dental insurance is a hassle to be sure; reimbursements continue to fall while regulations and restrictions on care are on the rise. Dental offices are bogged down in paperwork. Patients are delaying and even forgoing necessary treatment because of plan maximums and out of pocket costs. With all of these issues, I always believed that there had to be another path to providing greater access to affordable dental care while keeping the relationship between dentist and patient … the way it should be.

In fact, there’s a new trend experiencing a surge of growth recently in the dental industry– in-house savings plans. The idea was borne out of my personal frustration with the growing hassles that come along with

16 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

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accepting insurance. A dental savings plan is a low-cost alternative to traditional dental insurance, and today, Quality Dental Plan (QDP) is the premier in-house dental savings plan in the industry.

With an in-house dental savings plan, patients are able to save on annual treatment in their dentist’s office, and dentists can eliminate third-party hassles and outside influence on their practices. What does this mean? That accepting insurance isn’t the only option when it comes to keeping patients happy and the office busy.

Here are five ways dental savings plans can transform your dental practice: 1. You Can Determine Your Own Fee Schedule When you implement a dental savings

plan in your office, you are in complete control of your own fees. As a dentist, you are the expert when it comes to your patients and your local community, not some insurance corporation. And you best understand where your fees need to be set in order to provide the quality of care your patients deserve. You should be able to set your fees at a level that makes the most sense for the value of care you’re providing. That’s why, with an in-house dental savings plan, you have the freedom to determine your own fee schedule.

2. You Will Attract More New Patients and Grow Your Fee-forService Patient Base The top reason patients forgo treatment is cost. They believe that if they don’t have

insurance, they cannot afford care. Even those with dental benefits often mistakenly believe that comprehensive dentistry is a luxury, not a necessity. Their mindset changes, however, when you implement a dental savings plan.

With a dental savings plan, you remove your patients’ financial barriers and transform your practice into a place where the non-insurance-based patient population feels welcome and well taken care of. And by simply practicing the way you always planned to, you’re instilling a loyalty in your patients that will keep them coming back for years. Even better, with some plans you can also give patients the option to pay for the plan in a way that best suits their financial needs, whether monthly or annually.

DENTAL PRACTICES FOR SALE ADS DENTAL TRANSITIONS HAS EXCELLENT PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN BECOMING A PRACTICE OWNER AND VISIT:

ADStransitions.com/forsale 855.830.0080

ADS companies are each independently owned and operated.

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Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 17

Resource Guide ADS Dental Transitions

Dentist’s Advantage

888-ADS-4237 www.ADStransitions.com ADS is the nationwide leader in dental practice sales, associateships, buy-in/buy-outs, partnerships and appraisals. ADS is comprised of the industry’s most experienced professionals, including dentists, attorneys, and CPAs. We can help you with each step of your next transition. To view a complete list of practice opportunities available in your desired area, visit us at ADStransitions.com.

Please see our ad on page 17.

888-778-3981 www.dentists-advantage.com Since 1949, Dentist’s Advantage has provided dental practitioners with access to a comprehensive professional liability insurance program that offers a vigorous legal defense against allegations of dental malpractice. More than 17,000 dentists across the nation depend on Dentist’s Advantage to protect their practice, their license and their financial security.

ADS South 770-664-1982 www.adssouth.com ADS South is the premier dental transition organization in the Southeast. We provide associateship placement, dental practice sales, appraisals, and expert testimony services. Our company was founded over 26 years ago by Earl M. Douglas, DDS, MBA, BVAL, and we continue to control the cutting edge of transition technology. Please see our ad on page 27.

Aspen Dental 877-330-1349 www.AspenDentalJobs.com At Aspen Dental we recognize that our success is a direct result of empowering and supporting ambitious dental professionals. We provide a professional, fast-paced, entrepreneurial work environment based on a mutual respect that keeps our interests aligned together, we build and develop successful, patient focused dental practices. Please see our ad on page 21.

Bank of America Practice Solutions 800-428-2847 www.bankofamerica.com/practicesolutions Dental practice financing designed to help you succeed.

Bank of America Practice Solutions offers a full range of dental practice financing options from purchasing an existing practice or starting your own practice. We provide critical knowledge you need to establish and develop your business.

Comfort Dental

Henry Schein Nationwide Dental Opportunities 866-409-3001 www.dentalopportunities.com Henry Schein Nationwide Dental Opportunities (HS NDO) offers Dental Associate recruitment and placement services that pair job opportunities listed by dental practitioners with qualified, prescreened dental associate candidates. HS NDO matches dentists based on skillset, practice philosophy, and style to ensure a high success rate. We are specialists who work confidentially to help doctors fill critical roles within their office by defining the job, attracting qualified candidates, and managing the interview/placement process. Dentists can make a decision with confidence, knowing that we have helped them through the process. And candidates can rest easier knowing that there is never a fee charged to them.

We work to make the match a win-win situation for both the hiring doctor and the Associate with our personalized placement service and years of success. See our ad on page on the inside back cover.

Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions (PPT) 800-988-5674 www.henryscheinppt.com/ Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions is the leader in dental practice brokerage (sales and buying), transition services, and practice valuation. We have a broad range of dental practice listings nationwide and have closed sales in all 50 states, yet have the expertise and knowledge of your local area. Our responsive support gives you a clear advantage and we can help you to refine your plans and create new options as your practice goals change.

We offer valuable webinars, seminars, and other resources to support dentists throughout their career, as well as many value-added services such as practice valuations. See our ad on page 15.

www.comfortdental.com The Best of Both Worlds At Comfort Dental, we combine the old-style neighborhood dental practice with today’s modern group practice. Equity ownership, autonomy, management of your own business, and long- lasting relationships with your patients is combined with our economics of scale, prime locations, mass marketing, and overhead control. It truly is the best of both worlds. See our ad on page 25.

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Business Beyond the Classroom IgniteDDS

Patterson Dental

716-912-7970 david.rice@ignitedds.com Building the bridge between dental school and tomorrow’s most successful, quality-conscious private practices Mission: Fueling Passions Beyond The Classroom for dental students, new dentists and new dental team members Description: igniteDDS empowers the next generation of dental professionals with the knowledge and resources you’ll need for tomorrow’s treatment and practice decisions!

800-873-7683 www.pattersondental.com Patterson Dental Supply Inc. is a full-service distributor of a complete range of dental products and services to dentists, dental laboratories, institutions and other healthcare providers throughout North America. As one of the nation’s largest dental distributors, Patterson Dental sells consumable dental supplies, digital and other dental equipment and practice management software. Please see our advertisement on the inside front cover and page 9.

MacPractice, Inc 402-420-2430 MacPractice.com MacPractice DDS is the leading practice management and clinical application for dentists who prefer to use a Mac, featuring electronic insurance submission, Mac native digital radiography and photos, charting, Electronic Dental Records, Kiosk, Web Interface, iPhone Interface, speech dictation, and Mac stability and ease of use.

Please see our ad on page 29.

Orascoptic 800-369-3698 Orascoptic.com CustomerCare@Orascoptic.com A pioneer in medical vision for over 30 years, Orascoptic™ designs award-winning dental loupes and headlights that focus on magnification, illumination and ergonomics.

Engineered with performance in mind, Orascoptic loupes employ rich details such as adjustable nose pads, flexible temple hinges and working distances refined in half-inch increments.

Please see our ad on page 11.

PARAGON Dental Practice Transitions 866-898-1867 www.paragon.us.com Offices located Nationwide. PARAGON offers professional consultation and related services to healthcare professions with primary emphasis on the dental profession: comprehensive dental practice valuations (including a written valuation and analysis report); practice sales; pre-retirement sales; practice acquisitions; practice mergers; associateships; partnerships; practice consolidations and practice management. References available by request. Please see our ad on page 33.

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Sirona Dental Systems, LLC 800-659-5977 http://www.cereconline.com CEREC AC from Sirona is the most advanced dental CAD/CAM system available. With its Bluecam, capturing fast, precise digital impressions and then creating high quality esthetic restorations is a reality. CEREC AC delivers access to efficient, precise, scalable and affordable solutions, including CEREC Connect. Call 1-800659-5977 or visit www.cereconline.com. Please see our ad on page 23.

Wells Fargo Practice Finance 888-937-2321 wellsfargo.com/dentists practicefinance@wellsfargo.com Wells Fargo Practice Finance provides customized financing supported by experienced specialists and practical planning resources to help dentists acquire, start and expand their practices. The only practice lender selected especially for ADA® members and endorsed by ADA Business ResourcesSM, we understand the business of growing successful practices and are here to help you achieve your goals. Please see our ad on page 7.

Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 19

3. Collections Will Improve One of the biggest benefits of dentalsavings plans is how they save the office team valuable time and effort in following up on delayed collections. Patients can either pay in full at the time they sign up or a pre-determined monthly fee. You get paid directly, instead of being forced to wait 30 days or more to get reimbursed. This drastically improves collections and saves your office team from having to chase down unpaid balances, freeing them up to focus on other more meaningful tasks.

4. Patients Will be More Likely to Accept and Proceed with Treatment Motivating patients to keep their appointments and accept treatment is difficult, especially when they don’t value dentistry.

However, when you give patients the option for an affordable plan that saves them money in your practice, you’re creating value. You shift the conversation from fees, which never make sense to a patient, to savings, which actually shows real-world value. Offering a dentalsavings plan demonstrates you understand that their budgets are tight and that you’re willing to work with them to make sure they can afford comprehensive dental care.

In your patients’ minds, a dental-savings plan works similarly to a membership at wholesale stores like Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s. Costco members feel compelled to take advantage of club savings.

Patients are encouraged to take advantage of benefits, to come in regularly, to remain compliant when it comes to continuing care and to accept comprehensive treatment plans because they understand that you’re offering them something of value that they want and need–at a fair price.

5. You Will be Building Longevity for Your Practice Having a fancy website or hundreds of “Likes” on Facebook might help potential patients take notice of you, but these tactics aren’t necessarily going to keep them coming back to your office regularly. Patients want to know they are being taken care of,

20 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

and they need to feel that they are receiving something of value. A -plan accomplishes both objectives, and so much more.

When a patient signs up for a dentalsavings plan, he or she understands they are a part of something that they won’t find at any other practice in the community. Savings plans can increase revenue by as much as 20 percent. And patients who sign up for a savings plan are 70 percent more likely to refer others to the practice, generating a constant source of new patient flow.

In fact, here is what Dr. Steffany Mohan has to say about the power of dental-savings plan: “We looked hard and long for a savings plan and once we learned about QDP, we knew we had found what we were looking for! We had been seeking a way to reduce our dependence on insurance companies this is it. QDP is easy for the practice to implement, simple for patients to understand and a real winner for dentists to make a huge improvement in their practices.

Most of all, my team was 100 percent behind the plan for our patients. A million thanks, Dr. Marut!”

In this era of decreased insurance reimbursements and increased patient consumerism, it is challenging to grow a practice.

There will always be forces beyond our control that present challenges to practice success, so remember to focus on what can be controlled. So what can you do now to create a sustainable practice?

It starts with thinking outside the box.

Realize that the traditional dental insurance isn’t the only answer for achieving practice growth. In-house dental-savings plans give dentists the opportunity to provide greater access to care for larger numbers of patients, regardless of insurance coverage. They eliminate third-party influence and help dentists grow their practices on a long-term basis.

And best of all, dental-savings plans allow dentists to get back to doing what they do best–improving oral health in their communities.

Dan Marut, DMD, founded Quality Dental Plan (QDP) to connect dentists looking to make a difference in their communities with new patients, while giving people without dental insurance a compelling reason to go to the dentist. He is also a practicing dentist, a sought-after lecturer, and a published author.

Dr. Marut is committed to giving back to his community and the world through his profession, and founded his practice and both of his companies with that vision in mind. For more information about Quality Dental Plan, visit www.QDPdentist.com or call 1-888-960-1221.

Please reach out to our authors and our advertisers.

They care about you and keep us in print!

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“WHO ASPIRES TO BE A CORPORATE PUPPET? NOBODY WE’D HIRE.” –Aspen Dental owners

There are a lot of myths out there about Aspen practices. But the fact is, Aspen is just like other private practices, only you have all the clinical control and none of the administrative headaches.

We also offer major perks like lower cost of ownership. Just compare:

OWNERSHIP COST TRADITIONAL

$600K

$275K

Give us 10 minutes, and we’ll give you a great career.

Call 866.529.2361 or visit AspenDentalJobs.com/WeAgree.

Aspen Dental-branded dental practices are independently owned and operated by licensed dentists. For more information, visit aspendental.com/about.

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Business Fundamentals

Service Brilliance T Debra Engelhardt-Nash

he level of service your practice gives its clients has a direct impact on your financial results. And it’s more than the number of procedures performed or patient billings. Brilliant service is most often your primary demonstration of the quality of care you provide. It is what sets your practice apart. It’s why your patient chooses you, not to mention your treatment. It’s the essential factor in creating client loyalty.

Brilliant service is all around us. Look at Nordstrom, Starbucks, Ritz Carlton and Southwest Airlines. When you consistently provide brilliant service, you and your practice differentiate yourselves—as an individual within the practice and as a practice within the marketplace.

Employees who follow service standards by rote rarely create memorable moments for their clients. People who passionately believe in their product and service and encouraged to think about the quality experience for their patients are creative, innovative and proactive. Brilliant service comes from the heart and the head.

Here are five ideas to ensure your team is creating a quality experiece for your patients:

speak.” What do the patients need to hear to understand how your systems convey your quality of care and your service to our patients?

Provide time for your team to ask questions and learn the philosophy behind doing what you do. Help them uderstand the benefits of your standards so they can talk to the patients with service brilliance.

We spend 85 percent of our time in patient interaction and 15 percent of our time in actual clinical application. More training in communication skills may be needed in your practice to improve team skills.

1. Teach the people who take care of the client.

A study of 3,000 organizations by the University of Pennsylvania showed that a 10-percent investment in capital improvements boosts productivity by 3.9 percent, while the same 10-percent investment in developing people increases productivity by 8.5 percent.

According to the American Society of Training and Development, organizations spending an average of $900 per employee on learning had 57-percent higher net sales and 37-percent higher gross profits.

Singapore Airlines spend $100 million annually on training—it’s the largest single component of the company’s budget.

Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks once said, “Starbucks is not an advertiser. People think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising.”

Training the team yields measurable results.

5. Treat team members as the quality of person they are.

Ritz Carlton has a saying, “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Treat team members the way your practice wants them to treat the patients. When you help them feel respected, valued and cared for, they will treat the patient in kind.

Model the attitude and behaviors you want your team to exemplify when taking care of patients. Set team members up for success by equipping them with the proper tools to provide brilliant service. This might take the form of more continuing education, more team meetings or personal growth conferences.

Training is one of the best investments to ensure practice growth. If cost consideration is a factor, imagine what it costs the practice when the team is not adeqately trained. Team inefficienes and ineffectiveness affects practice revenue. Train the people who take care of your patients. Invest in what makes a significant difference in your practice and reap the rewards of service brilliance.

2. Empower people to fix problems fast.

Train each team member to take responsibliity for finding a solution for the patients’ problem. Teach them how to avoid quoting “office policy” as an excuse. Build confidence among team members and teach them how to “think on their feet” —knowing the desired outcome and how they can achieve a win/win situation for the practice and the patient.

3. Ask the team what they need in order to consistently create a quality patient experience.

Maintain quality at the core of all patient care. Conduct team meetings to review customer-service cues in your practice. For every system there must be a customer-service discussion to address office protocols in “patient 22 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

4. Learn how “others” are doing it, both inside and outside of the industry.

Attend continuing education together to learn new skills. Learn the latest in state-of-the-art technology and innovative ideas to improve efficiency.

Go on a field trip to watch exceptional customer service in action.

Instruct your team to watch for great customer service, as well as poor customer service and report their observations in a team meeting. Conduct a team meeting to create your own quality service cues for your practice.

Debra Engelhardt-Nash has been in dentistry over 25 years. She is a trainer, author, presenter and consultant. Debra has presented workshops nationally and internationally for numerous study groups and organizations. As a result of her work, she has had the honor of meeting amazing people and speaking in beautiful countries such as Peru, Sweden, Romania, England, Croatia, France, and Turkey. She is a repeat presenter for the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and the Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting.

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GLOBAL

NUMBER

RESTORATIONS ORTHODONTICS IMPLANTOLOGY

DOING MORE FOR YOUR PATIENTS MEANS DOING MORE FOR YOUR PRACTICE.

CEREC single-visit chairside restorations eliminate inconvenient impressions, messy materials, time-wasting temporaries, and unnecessary reduction of healthy tooth structure. CEREC offers patients the esthetics they want, while offering you the control you appreciate. And because CEREC eliminates the need for a second appointment, you can treat more patients in the same amount of time.

• Inlays, onlays, crowns, veneers, bridges and custom abutments • Largest selection of material choices to satisfy virtually any clinical indication • Industry-leading service, support, education, and community

To realize all the benefits of doing more restorations with CEREC, contact your Patterson Representative directly or call 800.873.7683.

Business Fundamentals

The Case for Disability Insurance: It’s Impossible to Predict Tomorrow Victor Holloway

P

rotecting your income, as a dental professional, is the basis of sound financial planning. According to statistics offered by the American Dental Association, a dentist has a “45-percent chance of becoming disabled for a substantial period of time during their lifetime by age 40.” Ultimately, when you think about the idea of having to take a hiatus from work—or not being able to work at all—it is necessary to realize that you could be forsaking earning several million dollars. Therefore, it is imperative to consider adding a sound disability insurance policy as you embark on your financial planning strategy.

A Case Study to Consider A few years ago, I met with a 32-year-old dentist who was referred to me by his CPA for some “holistic financial planning.” He became a client and in the process, I encouraged him to think seriously about disability insurance. Absolutely convinced it was a waste of money (his dad was a dentist who had had a policy for years—and never used it), he pushed aside my suggestion because cancer, diabetes, mental nervous conditions and the like didn’t run in his family. Therefore, he couldn’t justify the expense.

About two years later, we were reviewing some strategies and the

24 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

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If you have any questions, comments, or responses to our magazine, please connect with us on Dental Entrepreneur Magazine — our official Facebook page!

Read us online at dentalentrepreneur.com Send your questions or comments to anneduffyde@gmail.com dentalentrepreneur.com

dentist mentioned that he was interested in applying for some additional life insurance—his wife was pregnant with twins and he was in the process of buying his own practice. I applauded his decision, but also advised him, again, that it was more likely that he would become disabled than suffer a premature death. Reluctantly, he decided to move forward with applying for a disability policy along with business overhead disability coverage.Three weeks later he was approved.

Then, on a Saturday morning, less than a month later, my cell phone rang. It was my client’s wife telling me that he had been in a car accident the night before that resulted in him breaking his practicing hand and suffering a herniated disk in his back. He had literally made one payment on his new

26 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

A dentist might be trained to work through adversity— but at the end of the day, you are only human. disability policy and was now being told it was likely he wouldn’t work for a year—if he could ever return at all.

Embarking on a journey that required him to engage in 18 months of rehab, six days per week, my client was finally allowed to return

to work.However, during this 18-month period, he collected a total of $475K in benefits from the two disability policies. Moreover, when he was able to practice again, he couldn’t move as fast, which reduced his production capability. He was lucky that the residual disability rider that had been purchased with the policy paid him a 50-percent monthly benefit for another year, which totaled $46,000. In all, over the course of 30 months, my client collected over $521,000 in disability benefits—all from making just one payment on the policy.

He had only owned the practice for two weeks when his accident occurred, his wife didn’t work, the couple had recently purchased a new home, and he held over $300,000 in student loans. Additionally, his father had co-signed on his practice loan—

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meaning that if he didn’t have the business overhead disability policy, he wouldn’t have been able to make his monthly loan payment and his dad would have been on the hook. So, do you understand now why disability insurance is important when protecting your future?

• Mental disorders cause 8.9 percent of new claims A dentist might be trained to work through adversity—but at the end of the day, you are only human. There is a physical toll that the practice of dentistry can take on an individual, and you must also consider that you never know what tomorrow holds.

Just as my client never expected to be injured in a car accident, there is no guarantee that any of us will make it through life unscathed.

I would encourage you to learn more about how disability insurance could help protect you and your interests. Please contact me if you would like to perform an audit on existing policies or if you are in the market to purchase your first policy. I look forward to the opportunity to help you.

Think Seriously About What LongTerm Disability Could Mean According to the Council for Disability Awareness, the following statistics are pertinent: • Musculoskeletal/connective tissue disorders cause 28.5 percent of new claims • Cancer was the second leading cause of new disability at 14.6 percent • Injuries cause 10.6 percent of new claims ADS.south209

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Victor Holloway is Founding Partner of The Medicus Group, a financial planning and wealth management firm exclusively servicing physicians and dentists. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, The Medicus Group addresses the needs of clients nationwide. Victor invites you to learn more about his firm by calling (980) 235-7885, emailing vholloway@mymedicusgroup.com, or visiting www.mymedicusgroup.com.

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Practice Makes Perfect “Dr. Earl Douglas and the staff at ADS South have been real helpful in steering me in the right direction in the purchase of my first practice. Dr. Douglas’s experience, organization and detail-orientation, pointed out to me where improvement is needed and how to go about achieving it.”

Elizabeth H. Guerrero, DDS Get off to the perfect start. Call your ADS transition specialist for AL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN and VA today.

ADS South (770) 664-1982 ADSsouth.com DentalEntrepreneur.com

Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 27

Practice Builders

Marketing is Your Lifeblood So Don’t Let It Run Dry Minal Sampat, RDH

M

arketing has dramatically changed in the last decade.

Digital media has entered our daily lives and is changing everything—from the way we choose where to eat to the way we communicate. Most dentists fully understand the need to update their marketing strategies to grow their practice but they don’t have a plan on where to start and what to do.

It is more important now than ever, given the range of marketing choices available, to have a system in place that will help organize marketing efforts and allow the practice to grow efficiently.

Here are the five essential building blocks for creating a strategic marketing system to get results.

1. In-House Marketing Guru Responsibility and accountability are two pillars of success. How many times have you started a marketing project that did not come to fruition due to lack of time and organization? Even if you get outside marketing help, someone in the practice has to follow the steps and communicate with the team to make it happen.

It is essential to give someone in your dental practice the responsibility for all marketing endeavors. Otherwise, results will be less than desirable and you will be sacrificing patient care and quality. Allocate the marketing responsibility and ensure you have support from your team.

2. Patient-Centric Marketing In the dental world, patients should always be the top priority! It is no secret that the best marketing happens inside the practice. Always make sure that the patients feel valued, important and special.

What sets you apart from the competition is the ‘WOW’ patient experience—an experience your patients rave about. Word-of-mouth referrals are an indispensable part of marketing, and you want patients referring you to friends and family 24 hours a day. Make your patients a priority and a part of the practice culture.

3. Tracking Do you track your referral sources? Data is invaluable and the foundation that is necessary to start, upgrade and evaluate marketing. It is crucial to track all marketing efforts. Since you will now have a marketing team member, this will be his/her responsibility to manage on a daily basis.

Your marketing won’t be effective unless you can identify where the new patients are coming from. It sounds obvious but this is often overlooked.

The right systems will enable you to capture this information effectively.

28 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

4. Marketing Evaluation Capturing data on where new patients are coming from is one part of the puzzle. The other is reviewing and interpreting that information.

You can start by looking at: • New patients—by month and by year. Trends upwards and downwards show which marketing efforts are effective.

• Cross-referencing referrals for new patients against production.

Identify which marketing methods are bringing in more ROI. • Slow months—the reports will show which months are consistently slow and this will act as a trigger to boost marketing— e.g., do your marketing for slow September in July and August.

• Patient feedback—it’s important to know how you can improve patient experiences and understand what they value.

Gather data and then evaluate it to streamline your marketing efforts.

5. Target Market It’s time to analyze the marketing and allocate appropriate budget towards it. Understanding your target market will get you more ROI. If you are targeting a younger population, consider digital media. For older patients, try print media to stay more relevant.

Regardless of your target audience, be prepared to invest in a responsive and functional website, search engine optimization, and showcasing your ‘WOW’ factor on all marketing aspects.

If you’re struggling with marketing, then pull apart these five essential building blocks and put them together again. If your marketing isn’t working, then evaluate which of these building blocks is not working as effectively as it should be. If needed, seek help from a marketing expert so that you can put these marketing building blocks to work and bring in new patients for a successful business.

Minal Sampat, RDH, who is a practicing dental professional, an experienced marketer and founder of dental marketing consultancy Growth Management marketing LLC, would write the article. She has been featured in The Huffington Post Business, Alaska Tracy and Dentistry IQ. Minal works with dental practices, helping them to streamline and improve their marketing to get, and retain, more clients. She marked the launch of Growth Management Marketing LLC by organising an event that broke the Guinness World Record for the most simultaneous mouthwash swishers at one time (with 1,530 participants). The event also helped to raise awareness of breast cancer.

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cloud vs. Mac OS X client server

These numbers don’t lie.

It’s no surprise the cloud has received attention in the past few years. But what is surprising is that more dentists blindly consider the cloud without knowing more about who has their data and if it’s safe. On the other hand, Mac OS X client server is tried and true and SAFE. As a matter of fact, while there was a 1 incident of Ransomware on Mac from January 2015 to April 2016, there were 1,500,000 on Windows* and others.

MacPractice DDS is the most advanced, robust dental software and safely runs on a non-dedicated Mac server in your office with best of class practice management and clinical features in an all-in-one design.

MacPractice

MacPractice is Certified and protects patients from hacking and dental practices from millions in HIPAA and state fines with built-in AES encryption; integrated HIPAA compliant secure messaging, network faxing, online registration, online scheduling, reputation marketing that works, automated reminders and marketing, and more.

Simplicity in practice

Welcome to the future of dental software. Welcome to MacPractice.

MacPractice Simplicity in practice

Compare your software to MacPractice and see the difference www.macpractice.com/dds | (855) 679-0033 * Source: Symantec, Gemalto

Practice Builders

Why New Dentists Need to Take Advantage of Scripting Roger Levin, DDS, MBA

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hether you’re building a new practice from the ground up or taking over an established office, scripts can be instrumental in quickly raising productivity and profitability. As part of the three-step methodology (targets, systems, scripting) for creating a successful business, scripting puts your practice management planning into action. Your success as a business owner will depend to a surprising extent on getting patients (and prospective patients) to do what you want them to do. Scripting staff-patient interactions is how you accomplish this.

In the hope of making you a believer in the power of scripts now, when your career is in a formative stage, I’ve put together the following list of reasons you should become adept at using this vital business tool.

• Producing scripts will familiarize you with the ins and outs of running a practice.

Managing any business, including a dental practice, calls for lifelong learning. Although you should strive to delegate virtually all non-clinical responsibilities, you still need to understand what’s required and make decisions, large and small, about how everything should work. By their nature, scripts are specific and result-oriented. Writing them takes you through detailed thought processes about exactly how things should be done in order to achieve the best results. You’ll gain indispensable knowledge and insights.

• If you’re the sort of person who likes to come up with better ways to do things, you can implement your ideas through scripting.

When creating scripts, you’re constantly thinking, “What’s the best way to do this?” As an entrepreneur, you should welcome this challenge and enjoy responding to it with a smart combination of practicality and ingenuity.

• With scripting, you can control how tasks will be handled … reducing the temptation to handle them yourself.

Are you a micro-manager? As a new dentist, you may not know this about yourself yet. It’s easy to get into the habit of taking a hands-on approach to everything that happens at the office, as well as hovering and second-guessing staff members … especially if your practice isn’t as busy as you’d like it to be.

When you write scripts, you’re documenting the proper stepby-step processes that you’ve formed into systems. In a way, scripting makes staff members your surrogates. If they’re doing administrative tasks exactly as you want them done, thanks to scripts, you can devote your time to actual dentistry.

30 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

• Scripts will help you learn the value of targets, systems and training.

From setting targets through implementation of systems to making everything work during interactions between your patients and your staff. It’s all connected. Writing scripts and training staff to use them will give you a clear understanding of what a well-run business looks like on its way to success.

• As your practice grows, scripts will make it much easier to train new staff members.

When adding team members, you want to help them become functional fast. Role-playing with scripts enables them to learn the right way to handle all routine interactions with patients.

Also, if you have a relatively small staff, scripts can be used to increase everyone’s versatility, an important factor when covering for vacations and other absences.

• Staff members involved in developing scripts will be more motivated and conscientious in their work.

As team leader, you’ll want to learn how to increase staff engagement, participation in making improvements and commitment to practice success. Getting team members involved in preparing scripts will help accomplish these leadership objectives, in addition to improving the quality of the resulting scripts.

• Using scripts leads directly to greater efficiency and practice growth … essential for getting your practice off the ground faster.

The original purpose of scripting remains its greatest value. By upgrading practice-patient interactions, guiding staff to say the right things and therefore get the right results, scripts can dramatically improve overall performance.

Conclusion Scripts offer great value for any dental practice, but they’re especially beneficial for new dentists. If you’re laying the foundation for what you hope will be a long and prosperous career in dentistry, learn how to use scripting as quickly as possible. The rewards will be both immediate and lasting.

To learn about how to run a profitable, efficient and satisfying practice, subscribe to Tip of the Day for free daily emails from Dr. Levin at www.levingroup.com/tip.

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Power to Succeed

Fear David Schard, DDS

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hen I was just a teenager, my mother told me, “Some of your life will be different from that of your father and me for simply one reason. You have choices.� I grew up in rural Iowa, the youngest of six children on a relatively modest farm. Luckily, like most medical/dental professionals, I excelled in school and had a hard work ethic. I was accepted to college, took the DAT and was accepted to attend Creighton University School of Dentistry.

I imagine a path like this is what most dentists have taken. So where lies our differences and what are our choices? Many new graduates leave school heavily indebted. All we have known is

32 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

a lot of fear (mixed with a little fun for distraction). Practicals, labs, school requirements, board exams, etc. Some new grads leave school with nearly $300K in student loans. That debt is a heavy burden, so what choices do they have? More than you might think.

Once a new graduate gets up to speed on clinical skills and has the personality to present a treatment plan with confidence and from a patient benefit perspective, the sky is the limit. I have spoken to many young doctors who say they just cannot imagine more indebtedness or risks, so they accept things like associateships or corporate contracts, instead of pursuing practice

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ownership. I can genuinely see the fear in their eyes. My question for these young doctors is this, “All you have ever known is risk. You have faced fears and unknowns over and over and again. Why wouldn’t you bet on yourself one more time?”

I know the majority of dental schools offer very little business training. But one of the wisest things my professor and mentor ever told me in dental school was, “We’re not teaching you to be tooth mechanics, we’re teaching you how to think.” Even if only armed with this tool in our bag, we have the ability to acquire and own a very successful dental practice, and live the independent life that so many of us dreamed of when pursuing our dream of becoming dentists in the first place. The truth is that there are numerous reasons to own your own practice and very few, if any, good excuses why you should not own a practice. The lost income opportunity is tremendous. I could go on and on about how to work through this process, but this article is strictly speaking to those who have the desire but are currently paralyzed by the

“fear.” With the help of professionals, you can bet on yourself one more time and have your independent dream.

Buyers do not have the monopoly on fear! It exists in virtually every transitional phase of a dental career, for both buyers and sellers. I’ve had the luck and fortune to have owned and sold several practices in my lifetime. And regardless, every time came with questions, insecurity and some degree of fear, even if it was just of the unknown.

So where does fear come into play?

Fear is a good thing; it is our body’s awareness of a situation. And the more intelligent we are, the more aware we are of things of which to be afraid. But courage is action in the face of fear. As healthcare professionals, we have acted in the face of our fear the majority of our lives. The biggest fear we may have is change … change from the familiar to the unknown. I believe, as dentists, if we look at our lives we find that life has been one big evolution and change since we began this process. For those considering buying, believe in the next step of your

learning path and take another chance with the help of intelligent advisors and professionals. You have a choice. Now be courageous.

Dr. David Schrad was born and raised in Lake City, Iowa.

He attended dental school at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebr., where he received his D.D.S. in 1996. Dave has over 20 years of varying experiences as a dental practitioner and practice owner. In addition to personally owning, developing, and transitioning several dental practices, he has been a PARAGON consultant for over three years. Dr. Schrad covers the states of Nebraska and Western Iowa for PARAGON Dental Practice Transitions.

Mr. Blakeman is a results leader with decades of experience leading companies in marketing, import/export, fulfillment, call centers, website processing.

Integrity. Relationships. Peace of Mind.

That’s the PARAGON way.

PARAGON has guided thousands of buyers and sellers with superior dental transition services and support.

Our clients are confident their goals are being met with fairness and integrity.

866.898.1867 info@paragon.us.com paragon.us.com

Dental Entrepreneur – AUGUST 2016 – 1/3 Page 4/C – 7”(W) x 3.3125”(H)

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Approved PACE Program Provider FAGD/MAGD Credit Approval does not imply acceptance by a state or provincial board of dentistry or AGD endorsement 4/1/2016 to 3/31/2020 Provider ID# 302387.

Dental Entrepreneur Fall 2016 33

Power to Succeed Is Your Social Notworking or Networking?

David Rice, DDS

H

uge fan of the KISS principle over here. Most times in life, we simply overcomplicate. Who knows why? I blame our parents. Clearly, it’s on them …

That said, whatcha say we take a break from complex and keep it simple? At the end of the day, you have three missions to accomplish as a dental student:

Tips I wish I knew: • Do well enough in school to nail a solid residency.

Debt is the preverbal elephant in the living room. I get that.

However, ugly as it is, it’ll be gone in 10 years if you want it to. If you take home one thing from this, do a residency.

The old mindset of “I wont hire any new dentist without five years experience” goes away with just one year of your time.

No. 1 is obvious. Graduate!

Your social networking success relies on taking home that DDS/DMD. Is graduating easy? More than you’d think. You got into dental school because you deserve to be there, AND because everyone in admissions knew you would CRUSH it.

So how do you make graduation an automatic? Repeat after me: “I do what I ought to do, when I ought to do it, like it or not, no debate.”

To put it another way, some days, dental school stinks. Some days, you don’t want to put in the time. One solution is to focus on friends. You’re not alone. Get with your peeps, put in your time and power through. You’ve got this!

• Show me your passion.

Get involved with clubs, ASDA or whatever fuels your passion. Don’t do it because it looks good. I’m way more interested in seeing consistency in your actions and your eyes light up with excitement when you talk about what you’ve done.

No. 2 is not what they’ll tell you. Make time for you!

Between studying and burning enamel (or typodont teeth, depending on what year you are), I’m guessing you fee like your free time is past time. Overwhelmed is an easy place to live in dental school. #stillhavenightmares Do what dental school forces you to do well. Schedule your personal time. Recharging is critical to your success and your sanity. Ask me how I know :) Just like you focus on friends to power through, focus on fun in between and your social notworking will shift to working very, very well.

Social notworking … it’s just not working.

Connect with me at igniteDDS. I am always happy to help.

And always remember #TogetherWeRise

No. 3 is THE winner winner chicken dinner…Build YOUR personal brand!

Some say that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

We at Dental Entrepreneur and igniteDDS say that it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you.

If the ultimate mission accomplished in dental school is crossing the stage with diploma in hand. The ultimate mission as a young dentist is CRUSHing your career. And when dentists like me look to bring you into our practices, your energy and your personal brand precede you!

34 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

• Start NOW. Don’t worry about not knowing exactly who you want to be when you grow up. I didn’t either. Work with what you know.

Seek out a few outstanding mentors who willingly give you their time. Get live in their practice. Skype or Facebook video chat when you can’t go live. Build your social network now.

Dr. David Rice graduated cum laude in 1994 from The State University of New York at Buffalo’s School of Dental Medicine. In 1995, he completed his general practice residency from the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. With a strong belief in continuing education and mentorship, Dr. Rice went on to complete continuums at the Pankey Institute, The Dawson Center and The Spear Center all while building the Restorative Practice of his dreams and maintaining an associate clinical professorship at the SUNYab School of Dental Medicine.

Dr. Rice combined his passions for teaching, mentoring and making a difference and igniteDDS was born. Today he continues to maintain his private practice and travels the country inspiring dentistry’s future to live their dream, have great success and to make that same difference that has brought him so much joy.

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Start your own private practice.

Be your own boss.

D5 is here to help you: • Start and manage your own private practice • Receive tips and guidance from practicing dentists • Find freedom and flexibility in creating your schedule • Control your dental career — and your future

Subscribe today at D5byPatterson.com

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Dental Trade Shows ADA Annual Session 2016 October 20-25, 2016 Denver, CO http://ada.org Greater New York Dental Meeting November 25 - 20, 2016 New York, NY www.gnydm.com Yankee Dental Conference January 25 -29, 2017 Boston Convention Center 2017 Mid-Winter Meeting of the Chicago Dental Society February 23-25, 2017 McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting March 23-25, 2017 Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia

The ASDA National Leadership Conference is being held on Nov. 4-6, 2016 at the Chicago Hilton Hotel.

The National Leadership Conference provides leadership training to dental students across all years and predentals. Attendees can create customized schedules based on their personal knowledge, experience and interests, in order to benefit them as dental students and future practitioners, as well as leaders in organized dentistry. Last year, almost 600 student leaders came together to: • Build relationships with leading dental organizations • Develop leadership skills that they’ll use throughout their dental careers • Increase understanding of key issues in dentistry and dental education • Connect with vendors during breakout sessions, on the tradeshow floor of the dental expo, and during various networking breakouts throughout the program • Attend sessions on chapter management, public speaking, personal finance, practice negotiations and more

Index of Advertisers ADS Dental Transitions South……………………………………………………………........................... 27 ADS Dental Transitions…………………………………………………………….................................... 17 America’s Tooth Fairy .................................................................................................................. 26 Aspen......................................................................................................................................... 21 Cerec......................................................................................................................................... 23 Comfort Dental Dentist Advantage................................................................................................. 25 Heartland Dental......................................................................................................................... 13 Henry Schein PPT ....................................................................................................................... 15 Henry Schein Nationwide ............................................................................................................. 37 MacPractice................................................................................................................................ 29 Orascoptic .................................................................................................................................. 11 Paragon...................................................................................................................................... 33 Patterson Dental.......................................................................Inside front cover/page 1, and page 35 The Progressive Dentist................................................................................................................ 31 Wells Fargo................................................................................................................................... 7 36 Fall 2016 Dental Entrepreneur

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Henry Schein may receive a marketing fee from the vendor for products/services purchased. Š 2016 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors.

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