As we end one year and begin a new one, I wanted to do something a little different this week on the show. After going over various topics, I settled on sharing my top ten list of software and apps I have used in my practice in 2019. Now these are not your typical oral surgery tools or products. In fact, most stray outside of the lane of dentistry. However, I've adopted, tweaked, and have used each of these products in my practice.
Today you will hear me talk about tools such as Camtasia, Enguard, and Rev, and how I am utilizing them in my day-to-day work. I will also share my experience and use of the Dental Success Network, which is a pseudo-Facebook app for dentistry. Listen to learn how I use these various tools on a daily and weekly basis; and how you might be able to do the same. Best wishes for a prosperous and productive New Year!
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Dental Success Network: use mentor code RK when you submit your application
Sowingo: 10% off an annual subscription
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
I will be the first to admit that I have difficulty maintaining focus when it comes to clinical and administrative tasks. Lately, I've been troubled by the distraction of the internet, because it is always there. It buzzes around in the background, when I should be trying to maintain focus between patients. I've made some attempts to find productivity applications that help me in this area. Recently, I’ve found an app that might just be the answer I’ve been looking for.
I’d like to introduce you to the app called Freedom Application. It is an app and website blocker for Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, and Chrome. In today’s episode I share how I’ve been using the app to block out the internet noise and bring my focus back to my patients.
In this episode you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
Nothing is more frustrating than wasting time looking for what you need. My clinical team recently surprised me by creating a master inventory list for our office. They went through everything, reorganized and even recompiled our inventory numbers. Plus, what they did works in conjunction with our Sowingo. I must admit, it is great to have everything organized.
If you’re struggling with finding supplies in your office, I encourage you to take some time to organize. You will eliminate a great deal of frustration and enjoy more peace of mind. In this episode, I’ll provide some details on exactly how our office is organized, right down to the shelves, and offer inspiration so you can organize too.
Today I also talk about year-end holiday sales and taxes. Are you in the market for equipment for your office? If so, now may be the time to buy new equipment and then take advantage of the Section 179 deduction on your taxes.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
I’m coming clean. In this episode, I will discuss some recent patient situations I’ve been in where I didn’t feel I handled myself in the best way possible and how to cut ties when it has to be done. Communication is a key to good chairside manner. Sometimes, those lines of communication break down. It may be a significant other who tries to control the conversation instead of the patient. It may be a conflict in personalities. I’m here to tell you that you are going to run into some patients that you are glad to see go. You might feel guilty but, in the end, you will likely realize it’s for the best.
Sometimes you might come across a patient who disagrees with your professional opinion. You may have feelings of frustration or even guilt when this happens because your goal is to help as many people as you can. Having a patient try to drive treatment that goes against your professional opinion can be disheartening and as professionals, we have to accept that we can’t help every patient who walks through our door.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Peaceful Practice Podcast
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
What are you doing to generate internal referrals? If you haven’t really thought about internal referrals or the system you are using isn’t working as expected, you’re in luck! This week I am talking on the topic of internal referral systems.
I'll be completely transparent with you, in the past I’ve primarily focused on external marketing or cold marketing, if you will. Sure, we’ve had regular referrals from patients, but unrelated to any internal referral system strategy we may or may not have.
As a practice owner I decided it was time to create a strategy for internal referrals. Some of what I learned was surprising, like the cost to acquire a patient from an internal referral or from another patient is so much less than traditional marketing efforts. On today’s episode I’ll be discussing the benefits of internal referrals systems, some of the reasons we disregard setting them up, and some steps to set up referral systems for success in your practice.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
I've talked about burnout and how the dentistry profession can grind us down. It's a difficult profession. We oftentimes feel isolated and jaded. It can be a daily occurrence or more of an ebb and flow. I have learned how to become aware of when this is happening. I’ve also learned that one way to take a step back and relax is to have a hobby.
I am a fan of Stoicism and Stoic philosophers. I am also a huge fan of Ryan Holiday. One of the things he recently talked about was how successful people have hobbies. He honed in on Winston Churchill and how painting helped him disconnect from the stress and requirements of being Prime Minister of England during World War II. So, Ryan really gave me a moment of pause to think more about hobbies.
How can having a hobby help dental professionals disconnect from the daily grind? How can we as dentists enjoy a hobby without letting work creep into our mind? When you are enjoying a hobby, do you actually feel detached from work? I explore these questions and more, on this week’s episode of the Business of Dentistry podcast. I hope it stimulates your thinking and helps you reassess where you're at in your practice and in your life. If you have hobbies you have put on the shelf, maybe it's time to dust them off. If you don't, now is a great time to start.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Ryan Holiday Article On Hobbies
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
This week I am joined by a much-anticipated guest on the show. I welcome Dr. Bryan Stimmler. We share not only a love of dentistry but also a passion for the practice of the martial art Jiu-Jitsu. There are some wonderful similarities between practicing Jiu-Jitsu and living life… and we’ll discuss those in this episode.
As a dental student, have you stressed out over grades and focused on just learning a procedure to be able to move along to the next class? Bryan and I discuss education and our common belief that we need to take a different approach to education. There should be more of an emphasis on looking at what you are doing in class as preparing you for the work you will be doing in life and not just focusing on the pass/fail grade. Honing and mastering our skills is where our focus should be because we practice on human beings who need our expertise. We sometimes only have one opportunity to do a procedure for someone, and we need to get it right.
Speaking of education, many dental practices face common issues when they consider what the biggest problems facing their practice are. One recurring issue is the importance of training our teams. After all, nobody is a mind reader, so we have to be realistic with our approach to our staff members. In this episode, we discuss the fact that our teams need to have the education, training and resources to do their jobs properly and handle their days with a better mental state while at the office.
This episode of The Business of Dentistry will not only provide you with some insight on ways to improve your mindfulness and manage your practice but also leave you with a challenge. So, listen to this episode, and let us know your thoughts as we try to put together a new event for you!
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Connect with Dr. Bryan Stimmler:
NorthBrooklynDentalCare.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebetterdentistrypodcast/
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
This week I am taking a break from interview episodes and instead, I am flying solo. I wanted to talk about some lessons I recently learned while being a spectator at my son’s baseball game. Yes, baseball. You may be thinking, well, baseball to dentistry, that’s kind of a stretch. On the surface it seems like it.
When it comes to both professions, we have to learn to filter out a lot of the noise (from spectators, supervisors, or team players), differentiate between useful and non-useful information, and my favorite parallel, learn to seek out someone in the field to help guide and mentor us. And when it comes to mentoring, how do you know who to choose? How do you evaluate potential mentors? In this episode, I touch on all of these topics and more.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Connect with Russell:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/businessofdentistrypodcast/
IG - https://www.instagram.com/businessofdentistry/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/businessdentist
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/business-of-dentistry/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
Are you tired of taking time away from work and family to attend conferences? Are you looking for an easier way to learn a new skill? This week I welcome Blake McClellan to the show to discuss his software, Implant Compare. This is a new method of dental education, live streaming surgeries, lectures, and courses to provide students and other viewers with a new perspective for their continued education.
With so much technology to leverage in today’s world, this online platform provides a way for educators to present their information to students - and nobody has to travel. For example, a doctor can live stream a procedure on their own channel, one that is similar to a YouTube channel, and expose their students to a real case...one that may not be perfect. By seeing the real challenges of a case, students learn from the best perspective on how to adapt to a situation and resolve the issue.
Blake emphasizes the need for community as we share our information. This platform offers just that. It is a way to reach out and be heard by the people who want and need to hear your message. This does not cater to a particular product on the market, so it is unbiased instructional programming aimed at educating others from an incredible perspective that is often better than if you were there in person.
Listen to this episode of The Business of Dentistry to hear about how you can benefit from Implant Compare’s platform. Whether you are an educator or a student, you will see the incredible value being offered through this platform.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
ImplantCompare
All In Podcast
Blake McClellan
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
Is your inventory management causing you some issues? Are you looking for a better tool to manage all of the “stuff” in your practice? This week on The Business of Dentistry I welcome Dr. Paul Bhatti. He has created an inventory management software titled “Sowingo” which is changing the way dental offices are managing their inventory.
Sowingo provides the clinical team with a way to organize and streamline their process for tracking inventory and open up time for other purposes. Lost inventory is lost money. When we consider how much is wasted in our offices due to expiration dates, the costs can be staggering. In fact, millions of dollars worth of products are lost each year. And we also lose money as staff members spend their time tracking inventory by hand when they could be using their talents elsewhere in the office, perhaps helping to increase revenue. This software tracks general inventory, medications, and implants and has modules to track things such as certifications and safety data sheets as well. And, the software continues to expand its capabilities due to the feedback from clients.
Are you ready to change the way your practice is managing inventory? If you’d like to consider a transparent, cost-effective way to cut down on lost inventory and get organized, listen to this episode of The Business of Dentistry. This software is solving problems so we can become more productive in our practices as we work to provide the best care for our patients.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
Sowingo website: https://www.sowingo.com/
Dr. Paul Bhatti: https://www.parkviewsurgery.ca/meet-us/dr-paul-bhatti/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
Burnout is alive and well in our profession. Studies show that 7%, and as high 21% of dentists struggle with the symptoms of practice burnout.
These dentists feel drained. They complain of chronic tiredness. They suffer from mental fatigue. They deal with frazzled emotions. They start to see patients as "procedures" rather than people. Cynicism reigns their life.
It is common for these colleagues to seek isolation. At first, they turn away from their team and patients. This can expand to friends and family. They suffer in silence. They can drift into substance abuse as a means to cope.
Adding to these problems, they start to blame themselves. They devalue their self worth and feel a lack of personal achievement. They feel as if they offer no value to others. Every time they hear the phrase, "no offense, I hate dentists," it reinforces this belief.
This downward spiral starts to take its toll. It starts with the dentist. But begins to impact the dental practice. Lost patients, lost team members, and falling revenues add to the stress. Burnout's tentacles start to reach into all aspects of the dentist;s life. This starts a move on a spectrum from general stress to burnout. Burnout leads to depression. A path on one wants to be on.
Does any of this sound familiar? I hope not. But there is a chance some of the above statements describe you.
This begs the question. How do I know if I'm suffering from burnout? No simple answer exists. Burnout has a multitude of symptoms. Dentists have varying degrees in which they experience each of them. So, with no simple solutions, what is a good starting point? We say you should start with a personal wellness assessment. One designed for dental professionals.
In this type of self assessment you will be able to gauge your risk for burnout. The results of your assessment will give you information to make future decisions. Some of us don't need to do anything because we have a low risk. Others may need to make some self directed adjustments or seek outside help.
To get you started we have connected with Mind Garden to offer you a limited (100), no cost, wellness survey. This will help you better understand if you are trending towards, or in the throws of burnout.
You can get this limited offer by clicking on the link below.
Get Your Free Personal Dental Burnout Assessment
Your first name and a good email address will get you the link to an anonymous wellness assessment . The actual assessment gathers no personal information. At its completion you will have a private report provided to you. You may review the report at the end of the assessment or download it to review at a later date.
Take the first step to beat dental burnout.
Click below to take the free dental professional wellness assessment now.
Have you found yourself going through your days, seeing patients, but wishing you were actually handling a different kind of patient workload? That’s the situation that my guest this week, Dr. Brian Harris, found himself in. He found that he really enjoyed doing cosmetic cases over any other kind of patient case and wanted to increase his patient cosmetic base. That’s when he decided to reach out to potential patients virtually. He came up with a new system, Smile Virtual, as a way to reach out to potential patients. Today, he is sharing this amazing new program with all of us.
If you’re ready to practice the way you want to practice and work the way you want to work, his virtual consult platform may be able to help you create the workload of your dreams. Your practice can change. Today, Dr. Harris explains how virtual consulting is removing barriers with new clients and saving practitioners precious time that can be spent the way they want to spend it.
Are you ready to take a step on the path to doing things a little differently and reduce open chair time? If so, you won’t want to miss this episode!
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
Smile Virtual website: https://www.smilevirtual.com
Dr. Brian Harris: https://www.harrisdental.com/dr-brian-harris/
This week on The Business of Dentistry, Gerry McGoldrick, Chief Marketing Officer of Kleer, joins me to talk about how dentists can create customized dental membership plans for their practice. On average, 20 to 30% of dental practices patients are uninsured and they're only coming in every other year. How can practices help this specific patient base without hurting their own bottom line? Enter Kleer, a cloud-based platform, where dentists can easily design, implement, and manage their own dental membership plan.
In today’s episode, Gerry shares how Kleer originated and who they serve. Plus, you’ll hear the benefits of creating your own membership plan, how their system works, and how it helps uninsured clientele. If you’ve been wondering how to answer the question, “How do I serve my uninsured patients better and still make money?” then this is an episode you won’t want to miss.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
Kleer’s website: https://www.kleer.com
On this episode of The Business of Dentistry, I had the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Casey Culberson. He likes to “work hard but play hard, too!” This is a great way to live, as we all need to have favorite pastimes to reduce the stress in our lives. Speaking of reducing stress, Dr. Culberson has created a way for phobic patients to take their mind off of dental procedures while at the office, which we discuss in today’s episode.
Dr. Culberson recognized a need for entertaining for his patients while they received treatment, and now with his new invention, he is helping to calm phobic patients in many dental offices too. In this episode, you will hear about his Molar Media Mount, what it is, how he invented it, and how he is using it in his practice today. You’ll also hear about the benefits of shared office space and how a change in perspective helped him manage his practice in a new way.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
The Molar Media Mount: https://www.molarmediamount.com/
Dr. Casey Culberson: http://www.caseyculbersondds.com/
This episode of The Business of Dentistry discusses an incredible opportunity for dental professionals to explore: the often undiagnosed disease of sleep apnea and its treatment options. My guest, Michael Cowen, and his business partner, Chad Wooters, discuss how their platform, Awaken2Sleep, is changing dental practices across the country. Chances are, you have many, many patients coming through your practice who are suffering from sleep apnea and may not even know it. This program can empower you to help the patients who entrust themselves to your care.
In this episode, we discuss their educational program and how it can be utilized in your practice. This program is designed not only for the doctors but also for the dental office team. By educating your staff, you are equipping the entire office to help patients. As Michael notes, they have “created a platform for doctors to be heroes for patients.” Do you have any idea how lucrative this segment of your offered services could be? You may be very surprised at the answer!
In this episode, you’ll hear:
Resources from this episode:
Awaken2Sleep’s website: https://awaken2sleep.com/
For a free 7-day trial: https://www.sleepheronetwork.com/
***
EPISODE CREDITS:
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment.
He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world.
Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com
Part 1 of our Burnout series. This week we talk about how to recognize burnout with its multifaceted features.
After a long hiatus, the Business of Dentistry is back. As a re-launch episode, I figured we would start off talking everyone's favorite - hate mail.