How do you build a general practice that can pay the bills? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. John Cranham, co-founder of Cranham Culp Digital Dental, to share his tips for balancing bread-and-butter dentistry with your niche so you can have a fulfilling and profitable career. To learn how to build a healthy general practice that you enjoy, listen to Episode 962 of The Best Practices Show!

Learn More About Dr. Cranham:

• Send Dr. Cranham an email: [email protected] 
• Join Dr. Cranham on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.c.cranham
• Follow Dr. Cranham on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnccranhamdds
• Learn more about Cranham Culp Digital Dental: https://www.ccdigitaldental.com

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen
• Join The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360
• Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_US
• Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt
• Get The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine
• Please leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218

Episode Resources:

• Watch the video version of Episode 962: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videos
• Read Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://bookshop.org/p/books/good-to-great-why-some-companies-make-the-leap-and-other-s-don-t-jim-collins/ec0b317c56aaceb4?ean=9780066620992&next=t

Main Takeaways:

• Don't get addicted to growth. Seek eudaimonia.
• Find your niche and balance it with your general dentistry.
• A healthy hygiene department is key to having a strong general practice.
• Pay attention to how you're scheduling. Keep your records and consult spots full.
• Align with your team so they understand why they shouldn't book your specialty spots.
• Balance what you love doing, what you can be the best at, and what can pay your bills.

Snippets:

0:00 Introduction.

2:11 Dr. Cranham’s background.

3:59 The general practice paying the bills, explained.

7:40 How much is “enough”?

12:32 What dentists get wrong about what is enough.

14:44 How a general practice can pay your bills.

19:53 Specialty, explained.

23:11 Not all patients are specialty patients.

26:26 What is the ideal number of records per day?

28:01 Keep your record spots and consult spots full.

30:00 Maintain balance.

31:17 Three things to ask yourself when finding your niche.

33:48 Final thoughts.

35:08 More about Cranham Culp Digital Dental.

Dr. John Cranham Bio:

Dr. John C. Cranham is a highly respected and renowned dentist in Chesapeake, Virginia. At his state-of-the-art office, he delivers unsurpassed general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry, including TMJ therapy and dental implant services. He uses his vast experience and expansive knowledge to create healthy, natural-looking smiles. 

Dr. Cranham was an honors graduate of the Medical College of Virginia in 1988. He is an internationally recognized speaker on the esthetic principles of smile design, contemporary occlusal concepts, treatment planning, restoration selection, digital photography, laboratory communication, and happiness and fulfillment in dentistry. 

Dr. Cranham founded Cranham Dental Seminars, which provides lectures, mobile programs, and intensive hands-on experiences to dentists around the world. In 2008, Cranham Dental Seminars merged with The Dawson Academy, a world-famous continuing education facility based in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

As The Dawson Academy’s acting Clinical Director, Dr. Cranham is involved with many of the courses and provides continuing education to dental professionals across the globe. He spends approximately two-thirds of his time in private practice and the other third as an educator. He believes this balance keeps him on the leading edge of both disciplines. 

Dr. Cranham is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, and American Equilibration Society.