Do you have a garden at home? If you’re like most people, you’re always comparing it to what’s on the other side of the fence. The grass is greener. There are more flowers. And, most importantly, there are no weeds. Just like a garden, there are weeds in your practice.
Periodontal disease is a serious condition that can lead to tooth loss and other more serious health complications, and it’s a problem over half the population has.
A lot of people talk just to talk. You might be talking a bunch, but are you contributing to the conversation? Talking and contributing are two different things. Not everyone who talks is a contributor! Do you ever catch team members having side conversations at morning huddles?
Sometimes, you can’t help but focus on all the negatives. You had two cancellations today. One of your patients refused to pay. And someone “forgot” to take out the trash! What you focus on grows and multiplies. If you focus on garbage, all you’ll see is garbage.
Every dentist has that patient who thinks they’re always right. You know who I’m talking about! They say things like, “Ten o’clock? I thought my appointment started at eleven.” Or, “I’m pretty sure I paid that off last time.” Patients get details wrong all the time.
You know the value of your practice. Your patient care is incredible, your procedures are professionally done, and you have the best team you could ask for. Sadly, patients don’t care about all that stuff. Crowns and fillings are all the same to them.
Your practice belongs to you. You’re the one in charge, and it’s your job to lead the pack. Sounds like a lot of pressure? That’s because it is! Dentists feel obligated to energize their teams all on their own. And let me tell you, that can be a real challenge.
Unfortunately, we find that most young dentists have some assumptions about how they need to practice in order to be successful. They set up their practice to follow those assumptions, but then down the road, they find themselves working harder and harder while not making as much as they feel they should be.
Your mind is like a rubber band. You gotta stretch it every day to stay limber and strong. Stretching involves going outside your comfort zone so you can learn new things. If you don’t stretch, then you won’t grow!
Like me, I’m sure many other dentists have been struggling under the yoke of PPOs. At the beginning of each year, we look back on the previous year and see the numbers showing exactly how much money you wrote off—all the work you did that you’ll never be paid for.
