Our November Practice of the Month — Hulsey Dentistry!

Congratulations to our November Practice of the Month — Hulsey Dentistry!

There are two important things we’ve observed about the Hulsey Dentistry team as they have grown their practice’s social media presence: they post consistently and they know the value of having fun. Despite all the complicated design and optimization that goes into social media strategy, the keys to building relationships and promoting your dental practice online are simple to understand. Be present, make people smile and help them get to know your team personally.

Whether they’re having a fun prize giveaway, celebrating a team member’s birthday, or highlighting a Patient of the Day, the Hulsey Dentistry team shows through social media that their office is a place where patients can smile, relax, and receive top-notch care. In turn, patients share that content with family and friends, bringing more new patients to the practice!

We reached out to Hulsey Dentistry’s patient care coordinator, Jennifer Sexton, for some insight into what has been most effective in their social media efforts. Take an idea to try in your own office!

Q&A With Patient Care Coordinator Jennifer Sexton

(Responses edited for length and clarity.)

Since you started using social media in your practice, what has been the biggest surprise? The one thing you weren’t expecting?

“We are constantly surprised at how much our patients and friends truly enjoy seeing what goes on at our office. The positive responses we receive when we post photos of ourselves doing everyday office activities are awesome. Dentistry tends to make people nervous so getting to see us having fun and enjoying our job makes patients more relaxed and comfortable.”

Which social media tools have you seen the most success with?

“Our posts that use Snapchat filters and voice changing apps are definitely the most popular. Our patients frequently tell us that our Facebook posts consistently make them smile. At first we were nervous that what we were posting would be interpreted as silly, but then we started receiving such positive patient interaction. Our patients enjoy having fun just as much as we do!”

What are the most significant ways social media marketing has benefited your practice?

“When our current patients share our posts and videos we see a boost in the scheduling of new patient appointments. Because we try to share our heart in all of our posts, non-patients are able to see our office personality and gain insight into what to expect when they come in to see us.

Our patients tell us that they love our goofy videos and personal photos of our family or special occasions at the office. They also get really excited when we announce a new social media giveaway!”

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in building your practice’s social media presence?

“Being intentional about making videos and taking pictures with our patients can be difficult. It’s easy to get so wrapped up in patient care that we forget to take the time to share special moments in our office. The Social Signs and daily post ideas we get from My Social Practice help keep us consistent!”

What advice would you give to a practice just starting out with social media marketing?

“Sign up for My Social Practice and simply start posting! Utilize their awesome content but never underestimate the power of a simple photo with a happy patient.

To help you do that, you could start ‘Take-a-picture-Tuesday,’ like we do at our office. It’s a scheduled event every Tuesday for our entire team to share a fun photo or video on our Facebook page. While we strive to post daily anyway, this single focus streamlines our efforts and allows us to be more creative.”

Thanks for sharing, Jennifer! We look forward to watching your practice and social media presence continue to grow!

It’s true that it can be difficult to find the time to post something daily. Our Social Media Publisher makes it easy! My Social Practice clients have access to the world’s largest library of dental-related social media content, with images and pre-written captions you can customize to fit your audience. Plus, you can schedule posts in advance to go out to your accounts when you choose! Get a free demo of the Publisher today!

The post Our November Practice of the Month — Hulsey Dentistry! appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

3 Essential Guidelines to Creating Social Media Posts About Giving

Doing good is its own reward — but that doesn’t mean you should be silent about it. Sharing about your practice’s charitable efforts is one of the best things you can do for your online presence!

Today’s consumers, especially millennials, are the most socially-conscious ever. They don’t just care about high-quality products — it also matters to them that the companies they support are eco-friendly, follow ethical labor practices, and treat people with respect.

In fact, according to a 2015 Nielsen study, 66 percent of consumers are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. 81 percent of millennials even expect their favorite companies to make public declarations of their corporate citizenship.

What does this mean for you as a dentist? It means that your patients and ideal potential patients want to know what you’re doing to make your community a better place. They want to know about your commitment to treating team members and patients fairly. They want to be assured that you put human relationships before “selling dentistry.”

And one of the best ways to demonstrate all these things is to share about your practice’s charitable efforts on social media. If potential patients see that you have an involved, community-focused culture, then in their minds, you must also have the same level of care about your tech, CE and customer service, you probably don’t overcharge, etc. The process of creating these connections is called transference, and it’s a powerful way to increase your practice’s perceived value.

3 Tips for Sharing About Your Giving Efforts on Social Media

For some, it may feel uncomfortable to publicize charitable efforts so much. But the truth is that social media content about giving can be one of your most powerful marketing tools. Posting about how much you care for patients, team members and your community conveys everything that will catch the attention of someone searching for a new dentist.

Keep these three guidelines in mind to maximize effectiveness and avoid misunderstandings as you post about your practice’s giving efforts:

1. Be transparent.

As always, transparency is critical. People online can tell when charitable efforts are sincere, and when they are being used to just promote sales. Avoid trying to “sell dentistry” in your posts about your practice culture and giving. For example, you would not want to end a post inviting people to donate to your food drive with “and make sure to schedule your next cleaning!”

2. Post consistently.

Simply put, every time your practice is involved in giving of any sort, you should be sharing at least one social media post about it. Posting frequently and boosting your posts on Facebook can lead to greatly increased reach and many more people participating in your practice’s charitable campaigns. Learn more about boosting posts in our free ebook.

For example, if today your team is giving by expressing gratitude, create a Facebook post with a photo of your team and a caption expressing how much you love to see your patients and how dedicated you are to their lifelong health. If you are preparing to run a holiday food drive, create a post each day about how you are setting up the campaign, spotlighting someone who has donated, showing the food collection’s progress, and inviting fans to participate.

3. Vary your content.

Get creative with the different types of posts you use. Don’t just share the same style of text or photo update every day during a practice campaign. Explore the different content options of each platform, such as:

• Facebook Live
• Instagram Stories
• “Like” Challenges
• Short video interviews
• Team and patient photos
• Links to charity websites and blog posts
• Infographics

The Easiest Way to Start Giving

Not sure where to start your dental practice’s charitable efforts? My Social Practice clients receive a box every other month with everything they need to run a fun and easy practice campaign! Request a free demo and see how My Social Practice campaigns get your team and patients involved in supporting great causes and giving to your community!

The post 3 Essential Guidelines to Creating Social Media Posts About Giving appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Easy Giving Opportunities That Work Great With Social Media

For dental teams, perhaps the biggest roadblock to giving is thinking you need a lot of time and planning to start. Not so! Here are some simple ideas you can use to start build a giving culture in your practice today.

There are a lot of reasons to make giving a central part of your dental team culture: it makes you more appealing to potential patients, builds unity, and raises local awareness of your practice.

And when we say “giving,” we’re not just referring to donating to charities. We’re talking about everything you do to demonstrate that you care about the total well-being of your patients, team members, and your community at large.

Mori Orthodontics and their awesome patients made a donation to their local pet adoption center!

There are a lot of small, simple ways to show you care — and many of them are great for sharing on social media! Take these ideas and create some posts for your practice’s pages that patients and fans will love!

1. Express gratitude to everyone you speak with in the practice today

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

–Cicero

It may not seem like much, but a true transformation of practice culture starts with individual decisions to be grateful. Expressing gratitude brings a certain spirit into your practice. It will make your team more approachable and positive.

Giving thanks in person and on social media to the people that allow your business to thrive will help you connect with them on a personal, emotional level. It’s this kind of connection that leads your patients, team and colleagues to share your practice with family and friends.

2. Show empathy by asking for and implementing feedback

“Giving” doesn’t necessarily mean that you never receive reimbursement for what you do. But it DOES mean that you focus on providing the BEST VALUE first, not selling. And one of the best ways to show that focus is by listening to and acting on what patients tell you. Showing that you care about the thoughts and feelings of others (your patients) is empathy, and it’s a powerful way to build relationships.

Also, this principle doesn’t just apply to patient relationships, it’s essential for dealing with team members as well. Formally or informally, sit down with each team member to gauge their feelings about the practice and talk about how to improve results. Through empathetic team member engagement, you can create a pathway to greater success.

3. Recognize a Patient of the Day or Team Member of the Day

People feel appreciated when you get to know them personally and remember their likes, dislikes and personal accomplishments. Make a patient the star of your practice for the day by snapping and sharing a photo with them on social media! Include one or two interesting things you’ve learned about them in the post.

It’s a small, simple way to show that your team is focused on building lifelong healthcare relationships and going the extra mile for your patients. You can obtain written permission to share the photo with this free downloadable HIPAA consent form.

4. Show patient appreciation with a small giveaway

Doing frequent, small prize giveaways is an excellent way to show patient appreciation and build goodwill! Even the chance to win a $10 gift card is enough for fans to take notice and share with friends — which helps new patients find you.

Plan your giveaway around your patients’ needs and interests, as well as your practice growth objectives. Even your choice of prize can demonstrate your connection to your patients and community. Is there a unique restaurant or bakery that people in your city love? Give away a $10 gift card and let someone enjoy a lunch on you. Are your patients excited for a new movie coming out? Give away a couple of tickets!

Once you feel like your team can handle a larger giving project, consider one of My Social Practice’s easy-to-run campaigns! We’ll send you everything you need to get started in one convenient box. Support worthy causes and give patients a good reason to share your practice with family and friends!

The post Easy Giving Opportunities That Work Great With Social Media appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Why Giving Should Be Part of Your Social Media Marketing Core

Giving and charitable work must be transparent and done for the right reasons, but that doesn’t change the fact that giving — and sharing your efforts on social media — is great for growing your practice.

Giving is one of the things that makes life — and running a dental practice — worthwhile. And we don’t just mean giving to charity. Expressing gratitude, providing value to patients, demonstrating empathy, and recognizing the work of team members are all important elements of being a truly “giving” practice.

As a dentist, why should you make giving a priority? Because it transforms your practice and team culture into something patients are proud to share with others. And when you integrate smart social media strategies into your giving efforts, potential patients will notice and remember.

Dental Excellence of Napoleon frequently lets their patients know through social media how grateful they are to have them!

Giving Makes Your Practice More Appealing to New Patients

The common sentiment seems to be that people are become more entitled and self-centered — but data shows the opposite. Today’s consumers, especially millennials, are drawn to support businesses that demonstrate a culture of caring and invest in bettering their communities.

Nielsen reported in a 2015 study that 73 percent of millennials are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. Additionally, 81 percent of millennials expect their favorite companies to make public declarations about their commitment to the greater good. 90 percent say they would switch brands to one associated with a cause.

For dentists, the conclusion here is simple: giving — and publicizing your efforts through social media — leads to increased case acceptance, more new patients, more referrals, and higher revenue per patient.

Giving Helps You Build an Amazing Team

Nielsen reports that 67 percent of employees strongly prefer to work for a company that is contributing to the greater good. And happy team members means a better patient experience.

Employees are no longer focused just on job perks that directly benefit them. For dental team members, it’s important to them that the practice they work for is taking steps towards social responsibility, sustainability, and uplifting the community.

Plus, you’ll attract compassionate, dedicated people to join your practice. Think of a few companies that are renowned as great places to work. What do they have in common? They give to various people and communities, and their efforts inspire others. They bring in talented and unique individuals who are eager to make the world a better place. And you can attract team members who will want to do so through working in your practice.

The team at Cooley and Vick, DDS went on a humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic to treat people in need!

Giving Raises Awareness of Your Practice in Your Community

The rise of social media has made sharing your practice’s giving efforts easier and more effective than ever. Again, the primary goal must be improving people’s lives, not publicity, and there are subtleties in tone and wording you need to take into account when posting about giving.

But when done correctly, publicizing your charitable efforts builds relationships with patients, helps new patients find you, expands your audience and connects you with local businesses and organizations that will help you grow your practice.

Service events are perfect storytelling opportunities — including snapping and sharing lots of photos and videos (our Photo Booth makes it easy), and local media watches social media carefully to find stories to cover.

The Burgin Dentistry team collaborated with a local elementary school to teach kids about the dentist and oral hygiene!

Finally, giving back naturally creates mutually beneficial relationships. To put it simply, when you help others, they’re inclined to help you. Any time you can establish a relationship out of goodwill, it should be established. You never know good may come of it down the road. Many of our clients have reported new patients finding them through local businesses their practice had previously collaborated with.

For more ideas about how to find opportunities to give and how they will grow your practice, make sure to register for the free webinar later this month!

The post Why Giving Should Be Part of Your Social Media Marketing Core appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Why Giving Should Be Part of Your Social Media Marketing Core

Giving and charitable work must be transparent and done for the right reasons, but that doesn’t change the fact that giving — and sharing your efforts on social media — is great for growing your practice.

Giving is one of the things that makes life — and running a dental practice — worthwhile. And we don’t just mean giving to charity. Expressing gratitude, providing value to patients, demonstrating empathy, and recognizing the work of team members are all important elements of being a truly “giving” practice.

As a dentist, why should you make giving a priority? Because it transforms your practice and team culture into something patients are proud to share with others. And when you integrate smart social media strategies into your giving efforts, potential patients will notice and remember.

Dental Excellence of Napoleon frequently lets their patients know through social media how grateful they are to have them!

Giving Makes Your Practice More Appealing to New Patients

The common sentiment seems to be that people are become more entitled and self-centered — but data shows the opposite. Today’s consumers, especially millennials, are drawn to support businesses that demonstrate a culture of caring and invest in bettering their communities.

Nielsen reported in a 2015 study that 73 percent of millennials are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand. Additionally, 81 percent of millennials expect their favorite companies to make public declarations about their commitment to the greater good. 90 percent say they would switch brands to one associated with a cause.

For dentists, the conclusion here is simple: giving — and publicizing your efforts through social media — leads to increased case acceptance, more new patients, more referrals, and higher revenue per patient.

Giving Helps You Build an Amazing Team

Nielsen reports that 67 percent of employees strongly prefer to work for a company that is contributing to the greater good. And happy team members means a better patient experience.

Employees are no longer focused just on job perks that directly benefit them. For dental team members, it’s important to them that the practice they work for is taking steps towards social responsibility, sustainability, and uplifting the community.

Plus, you’ll attract compassionate, dedicated people to join your practice. Think of a few companies that are renowned as great places to work. What do they have in common? They give to various people and communities, and their efforts inspire others. They bring in talented and unique individuals who are eager to make the world a better place. And you can attract team members who will want to do so through working in your practice.

The team at Cooley and Vick, DDS went on a humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic to treat people in need!

Giving Raises Awareness of Your Practice in Your Community

The rise of social media has made sharing your practice’s giving efforts easier and more effective than ever. Again, the primary goal must be improving people’s lives, not publicity, and there are subtleties in tone and wording you need to take into account when posting about giving.

But when done correctly, publicizing your charitable efforts builds relationships with patients, helps new patients find you, expands your audience and connects you with local businesses and organizations that will help you grow your practice.

Service events are perfect storytelling opportunities — including snapping and sharing lots of photos and videos (our Photo Booth makes it easy), and local media watches social media carefully to find stories to cover.

The Burgin Dentistry team collaborated with a local elementary school to teach kids about the dentist and oral hygiene!

Finally, giving back naturally creates mutually beneficial relationships. To put it simply, when you help others, they’re inclined to help you. Any time you can establish a relationship out of goodwill, it should be established. You never know good may come of it down the road. Many of our clients have reported new patients finding them through local businesses their practice had previously collaborated with.

For more ideas about how to find opportunities to give and how they will grow your practice, make sure to register for the free webinar later this month!

The post Why Giving Should Be Part of Your Social Media Marketing Core appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Why “Giving” Practices Grow

REGISTER HERE FOR THIS MONTH’S FREE WEBINAR!

Being a truly great dental practice isn’t just about treating patients — it’s about creating a business that uplifts the lives of everyone around you.

We’re so proud to work with hundreds of dental teams that have taken this idea to heart. These practices actively search for opportunities to serve individuals AND their communities, all the while building a practice culture that team members, patients and fans are proud to share, recommend, and send referrals to.

And with smart integration of social media into their charitable efforts, the love they put into their communities truly comes back to them through increased top-of-mind awareness, goodwill and strengthened patient relationships.

Every month, we focus on a topic or two that we know is central to transforming and growing your practice using social media. Our goal is to distill the very best thinking and tools — then make them applicable and practical for dental practices, and available to you.

During November, we’ll be talking about the remarkable power of gratitude, giving and service in building a thriving dental practice.

“Giving” Is More Than Just Donations

In an interview with My Social Practice, dentist Dr. Craig Spodak said:

“I do believe that the ultimate purpose of a business is to provide compassion, trust, and love… We’re not in business just to make money — money is the consequence of doing something with love. Everything we do [in our practice] is born from wanting to create a sense of community, whether that community is within our office or the community that we serve.”

Now we know what a lot of you are thinking: “Sure, that sounds nice. But unless it’s going to improve my bottom line I can’t make it a priority.”

So let us share with you four ways that giving back to your community builds your practice in very real, pragmatic, and noticeable ways.

4 Reasons to Be a Giving Practice

1. Service is a remarkable way to stand out.

Yes, you strive to provide great treatment and customer service, but so does every other dental practice. Seeing your team in action doing good for others is something potential patients will remember.

2. Boost team spirit and unity.

Nielsen reports that 67 percent of employees strongly prefer to work for a company that is contributing to the greater good. And happy team members means a better patient experience.

3. You develop relationships with other local businesses and organizations through service.

Many of our client practices have reported new patients finding them through other unrelated local businesses they had previously reached out to or collaborated with.

4. Raise awareness of your practice through social media and local media coverage.

Service events are ideal storytelling opportunities — perfect for snapping and sharing lots of photos and videos, and easily generating engaging, shareable social media content.

Many of our client practices have garnered news stories in just this way with local television and radio stations.

So subscribe to our blog to get all of the free downloadable materials, examples and training this month. And, be sure to register for our free webinar on this topic, happening later this month.

And as always we’d like to thank you, our valued clients and friends, for your attitudes of gratitude, and for working to make dentistry and the social media associated with it forces for good in your communities.

The post Why “Giving” Practices Grow appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

3 critical keys to growth when you migrate your dental practice to the crowd

Andy Jensen

The dental profession is migrating to the cloud. It first started with one or two forward-thinking doctors packing up and heading out. Others took notice, and today more doctors are on the cloud than ever.

You need to be on that trail, too, if you’re not there already. Simply put: your data on the cloud is safer than on a server in your broom closet. Everyone knows this. You know this, too, else you wouldn’t be shopping, banking, socializing, or conducting all manner of business online. Let me suggest three critical areas to ponder when making that cloudy trip.

Easy-to-learn software accommodates growth

Growth, regardless of how you define it, usually means adding staff to your team. The easier it is for your team to understand your management software, the sooner they can add to production numbers.

A seriously intuitive interface directly impacts ease of use. The best examples of intuitive interfaces are what you see on the internet. There’s a reason why you don’t need hours of training to learn how to shop at Amazon or post something on Facebook.

You won’t find that kind of intuitive design in older client-server applications, or in client-server applications that are hosted on a web browser. Web-hosted client-server software does not experience some magical change in software design. The software remains clunky and the hosting only furthers to poison the user experience. Save yourself some time by only evaluating cloud-based applications specifically designed to be used in a web browser.

Ease of use also means easy access to technical help. Your team should have anytime, anywhere access to information, training videos, webinars, and 24/7 phone access to a customer service technician.

5 financial myths debunked

Andy Upchurch, RHU, REBC

Throughout my career, I have dealt with a number of preconceived notions regarding “prudent” financial decisions. But as the title of this article suggests, many of these widely held beliefs are not entirely accurate. The following are five of the biggest myths I have dealt with among clients and prospective clients in the past 25 years.

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“Market timing is the way to go. Buy low and sell high.”

I’ve often told clients, “If there were actually a formula for successfully timing the financial markets, there would be a lot more rich people.” I once heard Peter Lynch, one of the most famous institutional investors of our time, say, “I can’t recall ever once having seen the name of a market timer on the Forbes annual list of the richest people in the world. If it were truly possible to predict corrections, you’d think someone would’ve made billions by doing it.” It’s hard to argue with that logic.

What is the solution here? Long-term, properly-diversified, and disciplined investing. Take advantage of institutional investment platforms that are available to you. Those platforms can help you obtain a level of diversification that is nearly impossible for the individual investor to capture alone. In a recent portfolio review for a client, I was able to show how he could invest in a portfolio that would own more than 11,000 different securities, 35% of which were outside the United States. These types of platforms are available for as little as a $10,000 investment, and they take market timing out of the equation. They offer you the ability to diversify your portfolio both globally and with an increased number of holdings, which is very difficult to achieve alone.

Dentists and charitable giving benefits

Andrew Tucker, JD, CFP

John K. McGill, JD, MBA, CPA

’Tis the season when charitable organizations hope that doctors looking for end-of-year tax deductions will make their contributions to them. While we all know that charitable contributions garner an itemized tax deduction, structuring charitable gifts properly allows doctors to save beyond the deduction. Here are a few things to consider before we head into the holiday season.

Give your appreciation

Instead of writing a check, doctors should consider gifting their most highly appreciated stocks to their favorite charities. Not only will this provide the charities with the same monetary benefits and the doctor with the same tax deductions, it also eliminates capital gain taxes on the donated stocks’ appreciated values. With the maximum long-term capital gains tax rate at 20% and the net investment income tax at 3.8%, this allows doctors making gifts with $10,000 of appreciation to save $2,380 in income taxes. In some states, the combined federal and state income tax savings could be as much as $3,500.

After making the gift, the doctor either repurchases the same stock with the cash that would have been used to make the donation to the charity, or uses the cash to rebalance his or her portfolio with new investments. This effectively keeps the doctor with the same amount of stock in his or her account, but with an increased basis.

Timing is everything

If you want to really save big, combine the above strategy with the use of a donor-advised fund during years in which you have a big income tax bill, such as the year of a practice sale. Prefunding these contributions allows you to claim the deductions while in a much higher tax bracket, rather than in future low taxable-income retirement years. Additionally, prefunding provides the funds to continue to make gifts to charity in retirement without having to tap into retirement funds. Following the gift, the donor-advised fund will typically sell the stock and reinvest the funds, with all earnings growing tax free. You can then distribute these funds at will to your charity of choice over a period of years.

Streamlining the treatment of periodontal disease will make 'untreaters' become treaters

Richard H. Nagelberg, DDS

 

The prevalence of periodontal disease and the extremely low percentage of dental practices providing comprehensive periodontal care is well-documented. One needs to look no further than the data research provides over the last five to six years.

A 2012 study estimated that 47.2%, or 64.7 million American adults, had mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis in 2009 and 2010. In adults ages 65 and older, prevalence rates increased to 70.1%.1 A 2016 study focused on individuals ages 65 and older by socioeconomic and geographic factors, among others. The authors estimated the lowest prevalence of periodontitis in Utah at 62.3% and the highest in New Mexico, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia at more than 70%.2 It is safe to say that 62.3% is nothing to brag about, and the difference between highest and lowest is pretty small.

Why is the dental profession failing to address these extremely high percentages of people with periodontal disease? Certainly, an indeterminate portion of these individuals who have some level of periodontitis do not have regular dental visits. Even if half of the numbers are represented by people who do not receive regular dental care, the percentages of untreated individuals are still far too high. There are several reasons for this lack of care. Indifference is likely one of them. Inadequate time on the hygiene schedule is another. The bottom line, however, is that the “untreaters” have not made it a priority.

What if there were a way to arrive at a diagnosis and treatment plan with a simple, straightforward approach that did the thinking for us? What if we didn’t have to think about the diagnosis, case type, treatment plan, adjunctive agents, etc., and we just had to do what we were told? Wouldn’t we all prefer to have things figured out for us, so we could just follow the instructions? Would that increase the number of dental professionals who provide comprehensive periodontal care for all of their patients? There is no answer to that question, since such a device is not currently available. Only time will tell.

Product review: Electric toothbrush, full-contour zirconia, transilluminator

Joshua Austin, DDS, MAGD

 

Goby electric toothbrush

I check social media way too often—always pulling down to refresh, have to see what’s new. During the past couple of years, I have noticed a toothbrush company that uses social media to market to the public. The company markets an “affordable electric toothbrush.” It has one of those hip one-word names. What surprised me about this “affordable electric toothbrush” was that it actually runs off of a couple of disposable batteries. That is not an electric toothbrush. That is a manual brush that makes noise. A real affordable electric toothbrush is Goby. Yes, Goby also has a cool one-word name . . . but this company is the real deal.

VIDEO

Goby is a rechargeable, electric-powered toothbrush, much like some of the more expensive ones on the market, and it can hold a charge for up to two weeks. It has a circular, oscillating brush head. As with any good toothbrush, the bristles are soft, polished, and end rounded for consistent plaque removal and gingival safety.

Goby is available in five different colors. The colored section of each toothbrush is rubberized to give the user a slip-proof grip. The all-black toothbrush is Goby’s best-selling brush. In fact, it sells so well that Goby charges $10 more for it, and it is still the best seller!

Diagnostic challenges of dental radiographs and adjunctive methods of caries identification

Ask Dr. Christensen

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Q+A

In this monthly feature, Dr. Gordon Christensen addresses the most frequently asked questions from Dental Economics readers. If you would like to submit a question to Dr. Christensen, please send an e-mail to info@pccdental.com.

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Q:

I am a mature practitioner, having practiced for 30 years. Early in my career, bitewing and periapical radiographs provided relatively good observation and identification of initial dental caries, and I did not miss many lesions. However, now I find that I often miss initial caries, and I am embarrassed on subsequent recall appointments to find significant, large lesions that I overlooked on earlier appointments. It seems to me that the current expensive digital sensors should offer better diagnostic capabilities than I am seeing. I am convinced that the analog radiographs that I used early in my career were much more diagnostic. What has happened to dental radiographs? What can I do to better identify initial caries?

A:

Your observations are shared by the majority of mature practitioners. Many younger practitioners have not noticed the inadequacy of periapical and bitewing radiographs because they do not have a historical perspective relative to the problem you described. I recently received a typical example from an excellent general practitioner in the eastern part of the US (figures 1 and 2).

Navigating bonding decisions for glass ceramics and lithium disilicate

Science & TechLee Ann Brady, DMD

Like so many things in dentistry today, seating a restoration has become more complex. On one hand, the complexity means we have a broader range of material and technique choices to provide care for our patients. On the other hand, the complexity means there is more opportunity for error due to technique sensitivity. There is also the anxiety of trying to figure out which technique and material will give us the best clinical outcome.

For example, this applies to resin-based materials and techniques. Materials now allow for enhanced bond strengths, which can be achieved by preparing and conditioning the intaglio of the restorative material. As a result, the line between bonding and cementation has been blurred. We see terms such as “adhesively assisted cementation” and “mechanically assisted adhesion” that are used to describe a variety of hybrid techniques that exist somewhere between cementation and bonding.

The first step to making good material and technique decisions is to conceptualize things as a decision tree. By doing this, we can become comfortable with the different choices available. The variables include:

• preparation design;
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• the type of restoration;
• 
  
  
• partial coverage or full coverage;
• 
  
  
• the restorative material;
• 
  
  
• the amount of mechanical retention from the tooth preparation; and
• 
  
  
• the esthetic property of the cement desired.
• 
  
  

Different manufacturers offer different material choices, which can be thought of as families of products. For this article, I will use examples from the Ivoclar Vivadent family of products.

The economic benefits of a single composite

Ian Shuman, DDS, MAGD, AFAAID

There are many direct composite materials available; however, few offer a majority of the characteristics sought by clinicians. Optimum composite restoratives are those that can be used in cases ranging from posterior Class Vs to anterior composite veneers. Having one type of composite resin offers economic benefits (i.e., a reduction in product overhead and waste) and adaptability in multiple restorative situations. It also means the clinician needs fewer shades on hand, and shades are less likely to expire before they are used or even opened.

There are composite resin systems with the clinical components and benefits sought by clinicians in a single product. One of those traits is sensitivity to photopolymerization. Some composites implement radical-amplified photopolymerization (RAP) initiator technology.1 This technology offers an increased working time under ambient light (90 seconds), with a decrease in curing time under halogen light (10 seconds).

Additionally, particle type, size, and shape have a direct effect on strength, durability, and polishability, among other attributes. For example, materials that contain a high percentage by weight of silica-zirconia filler show increased longevity and strength.2 Also, composites available in a multitude of shades in both syringes and preloaded tips are ideal.

Product waste is a very real problem for dentists. Running a practice is akin to managing a miniature hospital. Practice overhead must be managed, and material waste significantly reduced or eliminated. Ideally, 5% of a dental budget should be devoted to supplies.3 This figure can remain stable provided that inventory is under control. One way to manage the supply budget is by limiting the inventory needed per procedure, including direct composite restoration materials. By reducing product overhead, less waste is produced. In addition, with the right composite system, fewer shades are required—including rare shades that often expire prior to complete use or even use at all.

5 dental instrument processing myth busters: Sources for infection control protocol must be credible

Marie T. Fluent, DDS

Sterile dental instruments must be supplied for each patient, at each appointment, and processed in a consistent manner every time. Each step of instrument processing must be completed per accepted guidelines and recommendations that satisfy applicable regulatory agencies and be performed in a safe manner. In addition, dental personnel who clean, inspect, package, sterilize, and store instruments often have a myriad of other clinical responsibilities; instrument processing is only a fraction of one’s job! The entire process may seem daunting.

The question remains, how do busy dental personnel learn the proper methods of instrument processing?

Fortunately, manufacturers’ instructions for reprocessing dental instruments are provided for each reusable instrument or device. These instructions should be detailed, easy to understand, and posted near the reprocessing area. Fortunately, instrument processing recommendations have been made available to dental personnel in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings—2003.1

A more recent CDC document provides the “CliffsNotes” version of infection prevention to use as a reference, introduction, and/or review. The 2016 Summary of Infection Prevention Practices in Dental Settings: Basic Expectations for Safe Care is based on the 2003 Guidelines. The Summary is not considered a replacement for these more extensive guidelines, and readers are urged to consult the full document for additional background, rationale, and scientific evidence behind each recommendation.2

Investing in the latest technology in the later years of practice

William Huntzinger, DDS

I graduated from Case Western Reserve Dental School in 1980 and completed my general practice residency in 1981 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, New York. I worked with another dentist for about a year before opening my own office in Swanton, Ohio. From the very beginning of my career, I invested in products and equipment that I believed would improve patient care while increasing profit.

As an eager adopter of technology, I learned very early in my career that embracing new technology drives patient care to new levels, increases production, and improves workflow. As soon as I completed my residency program, I purchased one of the first curing lights offered on the market, and I thought it was one of the best things ever made. Throughout the years there have been so many products that I’ve invested in, including an air abrasion system, rotary endo instruments, a diode and erbium laser, intraoral cameras, digital x-rays, a computerized tomography machine, a CariVu caries detection device (DEXIS), a CEREC chairside milling unit (Dentsply Sirona), and our latest tool for success purchased a year-and-a-half ago, the Solea 9.3 μm CO2 laser (Convergent Dental).

All of these investments have helped our practice go from one dentist (me), one front desk person, two assistants, and one hygienist in a three-operatory office to three offices, 10 dentists, and 52 staff members. Two locations are state-of-the-art, 12-operatory practices. The third is older, includes five operatories, and is currently undergoing renovation.

Minimally invasive thin veneers: Esthetics and longevity

Ross W. Nash, DDS

Debra Engelhardt-Nash

In 1997, I placed eight porcelain laminate veneers for a young woman who wanted lighter teeth without whitening procedures. Her oral health was excellent, and I was able to use thin veneers bonded to enamel on minimally prepared teeth to achieve her goal. Vita shade A1 was chosen by the patient in 1997. She was excellent with her home care and made nearly all of her recare appointments during the following years.

In 2016, she decided that she wanted to replace her veneers with the new bleach-shaded materials available today. In Figure 1, you can see her veneers as they appeared after nineteen years. Note the excellent tissue health and minimal tissue recession. There was a small fracture in the disto-incisal corner of the right central incisor. The incisal view at this date can be seen in Figure 2.

The process

By carefully removing the veneers with fine diamond burs in a high-speed handpiece with water spray, I was able to minimize additional tooth structure removal, and no anesthetic was needed. Figure 3 shows the facial view after removal of the veneers. The incisal view can be seen in Figure 4. The patient decided that she wanted two additional veneers for her second premolars. Final impressions were taken, as well as a facebow record and occlusal registration. The patient chose Vita OM2 bleach shade as her desired color.

Figure 1: The patient’s porcelain laminate veneers placed in 1997 as seen in 2016

A new era in implant dentistry: Evolving technology creates efficiencies and makes dental care more affordable for patients

A new era in implant dentistry

Mark McOmie, DMD

The year was 2001. I had been out of dental school for three years and was very happy with our practice. My wife and I had met in dental school and married when we graduated. Shortly thereafter, we did the unthinkable. We started a dental practice from scratch. Many told us not to, and although we were nervous, we did it. Things were going great. Our practice was growing rapidly, and we were profitable.

We decided we would like to get into dental implants—not just restoring implants that specialists had placed for us, but doing the placement surgery as well. We researched courses and finally decided to take a course in Provo, Utah, from Dr. Gordon Christensen. We went to two hands-on courses, trying a half dozen or more implant systems in the process. We came home feeling confident about doing simple posterior implant surgery. We both liked the same dental implant system. We made a large investment with the company and started placing implants. It was exciting and fun.

The implants we were buying cost about $600 for the implant itself, $300 for stock abutments, and $50 for a healing abutment. We were trying to deliver a service at a price people in our community could afford. Just the parts on an implant were running close to $1,000, sometimes more. Our implant representative came in one day and told us the company was increasing our fee for an implant by $50 and removing the cover screw from the implant package. The cover screw would cost an additional $50 instead of being included in the package. This would increase our cost per implant by $100. Our rep then told us about the lavish annual session in Las Vegas, where the company had the penthouse suite at the Bellagio and held parties where Cirque du Soleil performed in the suite for them.

Glutaraldehyde is more than a desensitizer: Lesser-known uses for total-etch adhesive techniques

Courtney Lavigne, DMD

While adhesive dentistry has added a whole new world of benefits to the field, it’s not without its frustrations and shortcomings. One of the most common complaints is postoperative sensitivity. It’s frustrating for the patient, and it’s frustrating for the practitioner. It’s an extra appointment with a disgruntled or uncomfortable patient that doesn’t have to happen.

Glutaraldehyde is commonly used to decrease sensitivity. Many practitioners use it for deep fillings, but I’ve found through conversations I’ve had that very few are using it as part of their protocol for all bonded direct and indirect restorations.

I want to elucidate some of the lesser-known benefits of glutaraldehyde, and in doing so, I hope that you’ll come away with a greater understanding of how this little liquid can decrease those unnecessary second visits. I’m going to make a case for using glutaraldehyde as the second step in all of your total-etch adhesive techniques—that is, any time you use a fourth- or fifth-generation bonding system.

Desensitizes, disinfects, and strengthens

Glutaraldehyde, popularized by the name brand Gluma Desensitizer by Kulzer (figure 1), has become well-known as an additive to desensitize. But glutaraldehyde’s benefits extend far beyond desensitization. It not only desensitizes, but it also disinfects and strengthens the bonding agent’s ability to penetrate, therefore making your bond last longer.

Figure 1:  Gluma Desensitizer (Kulzer)

Setting goals for your dental practice

Derek Hein

Do you remember when you established your 2017 practice goals? Did you take the time to set goals? As you have only a few weeks left to make those goals a reality, will you achieve them? What was your plan to achieve those goals? How have you been monitoring your progress?

A study that discussed goal setting analyzed a group of Harvard MBA students over a 10-year period. The students were asked about their professional goals and monetary earning goals. Only 3% of them had any written goals accompanied by plans to accomplish those goals, while 13% had goals in mind but did not write them down or mention them to anyone, which left 84% with no goals at all. The study concluded 10 years later with the same group of students. The 13% who had goals in mind but did not write them down earned twice that of the 84% who had no goals. Most astonishing was that the 3% who had written goals were earning 10 times as much as the other 97% of the class combined.1

Without something to keep you in check, it’s easy to stray from your goals. Use the study as your motivation, and think about incorporating SMARTER strategy to set goals:

Specific—Set specific attainable goals and write them down.

Meaningful—Set goals that you will encourage you to do what it takes to achieve, (the “why”).

Achievable—Goals must be achievable given current and available resources.

Last-minute improvements before a dental practice sale

We ask two experts the same question on a complex issue.

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Question: What are the most cost-effective ways for a seller to increase the value of his or her practice in less than six months?

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EDWARD C. CHALLBERG, MBA, MST, CPA

For five years you’ve been increasing production, revenue, profitability, and new patients, as well as updating technology and making major equipment purchases to maximize the practice value before sale. Now, during the last six months, what can you do to add value? You need to look at your practice through the critical eyes of a potential buyer.

1. Cosmetic—Clean up debris around the office, paint, repair broken equipment, replace carpets, refinish floors, replace worn furniture and fixtures, dispose of old plants, add new plants, and display flowers.

Goal—Show that your practice is a showcase for patients.

2. Staff—Tune up the staff, but proceed with caution. Set the tone with the team that the transition will be welcomed and embraced as a positive step forward. If a spouse is working in the practice, does the person need to step aside? If there is a position in the office that needs to be filled, should a new person be hired and trained before the transition occurs? If a person needs to be terminated, how and when should that be handled?

Dentist retirement: How to get in better financial shape

Roger P. Levin, DDS

Saving enough for retirement takes planning, discipline, and endurance. It’s like running an ultramarathon for 30 years. The sooner you begin saving, the greater your chances of reaching your destination at the earliest possible time.

But let’s be realistic: retirement isn’t something most people, including dentists, think seriously about until they hit their late 40s or early 50s. Unfortunately, it’s one of those issues that we put on the backburner until one day we wake up and realize the big 5-0 is staring us in the face. Then it’s “Uh-oh, I better get my butt in gear” time.

Playing catch-up, whether you’re running a race or saving for retirement, is never a good position to be in. Wherever you are on your journey to retirement—from just starting out to nearing the end of your career or somewhere in between—there are always strategies to get in even better financial shape. Let’s stick with the basics and look at three effective techniques.

Live below your means

Too many dentists want to live like rock stars. That’s fine if you’re the owner of a state-of-the-art cosmetic practice generating $3 million in annual production. But if you’re a recent dental school graduate, it’s probably best to save the Jon Bon Jovi lifestyle until a little later in your career.

We all want to have nice things. I get that. But why strap yourself with unnecessary debt? It’s hard to make progress toward your financial goals when you’re weighed down with an $800,000 mortgage.

You might think this example is an exaggeration, but it’s not. I’ve met too many dentists who were drowning in debt because they couldn’t control their personal spending. What good do status symbols—McMansions, luxury cars, exotic vacations, expensive dinners, and the like—mean if you’ve barely got $100 in your bank account?

How to set goals for your dental practice

Rebecca Boartfield

Tim Twigg

Did you read our last Staff Issues column in Dental Economics titled, “The end of the annual performance review”? Did it make you feel good and nervous at the same time? The article proposed giving up the age-old annual performance review (that’s the feel-good part). Instead, it proposed putting goal setting at the forefront of your performance management going forward (that’s the nervous part). While the shift to focusing on goals may seem daunting, it is worth it and easier than you may think.

Why goals?

The simple answer to “why goals?” is, to gain employee engagement. You can’t be a practice manager without being concerned about employee engagement.

In its research, the Gallup group created the Q12 Survey. Gallup “conducted decades of research—writing, testing, and refining thousands of question items to find the ones that would best measure employee engagement. In 1996, Gallup finalized the 12 question items that consistently and powerfully link to practice outcomes, including profitability, employee retention, productivity, safety records, and customer engagement.”1

What was number one on the list? It was, “I know what is expected of me at work.” This would seem to be a fundamental component to high performance and employee engagement. Goals, among other methods of communication about expectations, such as job descriptions, can be a good way to create that experience for employees.

Creating goals

As the manager, owner, and employer of the practice, creating goals begins with you. You must know where you want your practice to go in order to determine the best way to get there. Therefore, you need to carefully analyze your practice to determine what needs to be improved.

Using Botox and dermal fillers to fill holes in your dental practice schedule

Louis Malcmacher, DDS, MAGD

I have two quick questions for you to consider. First, are you busy? Second, are you able to handle more capacity in your office? In other words, are you capable of seeing more patients with the office structure that you have in place right now?

Dentists tell me all the time that they are just not busy enough. They say they have full-time practices, yet their schedules still have significant holes. They have the capacity to see more patients but can’t seem to get their chairs filled. On top of this, these dentists are bored with dentistry. The first thing I ask is what services they are offering to patients. The answer I typically get is “everything.”

Now the fun begins. I question these dentists further. Do you do crown and bridge and restorative dentistry? “Of course.” Do you do endodontics? “No, I never really liked endo.” Do you do orthodontics? “No, I couldn’t figure out the wire bending or aligners.” How about cosmetic dentistry? “Sure, I do a couple of veneer cases a year.” Do you place implants? “No, surgery always scared me, but I restore them sometimes.” What about Botox and dermal fillers? “No, I know my patients want Botox, and my team wants to learn, but I haven’t gotten around to it.”

Figure 1: Before and after photos show how Botox and dermal fillers were used for facial volumization and gummy smile treatment as an alternative to surgical procedures.

Section 179 considerations for dental practices

Robert H. Gregg II, DDS

Yes, what you’ve heard is true: you may be able to save a third—33%—on the cost of a capital equipment investment by taking advantage of the Section 179 tax deduction. Now, if you’re like most dentists, you’re probably being besieged with marketing communications that encourage you to make your Section 179 purchase by the end of the year. But what part of the promised savings is true, and what part is hype?

Here are the basics: Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code is a section of the tax law designed to encourage business owners to invest in equipment and technology. Section 179 allows businesses—such as dental practices—to deduct the full price of qualifying equipment purchased or financed during the tax year, up to $500,000, from gross income. Section 179 gives business owners a choice: apply full depreciation for the equipment purchase in the first year, or spread it out over five years.

If your practice has purchased, financed, or leased less than $2 million in new or used equipment during the previous tax year, then you may qualify for Section 179.

It sounds easy, right? Just purchase equipment and hand off the receipt to your dental accountant . . . Well, that’s only part of what you need to know. Before you decide whether you can afford that new technology you want, here are a few things you should consider.

Assess the investment potential

Every technology purchase should start with an honest assessment. Ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want the technology?
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• Will it affect the way you treat patients?
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• Will your patients benefit? If so, how?
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• Will it add a new revenue stream?
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• Will it pay for itself?
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Answering these questions helps to cut though the marketing hype. It also helps you determine if a certain technology or equipment purchase will bring an actual benefit to your practice. Regardless of the equipment cost or promised savings, understanding the value the technology brings to your practice, patients, and bottom line will help you prioritize your investments.