The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

Both Sides of a Great Associateship

Episode #282 with Dr. Kevin Groth & Dr. Renee Miller

A great associateship is possible — it’s a matter of effort and open-mindedness from both sides. And today, we have two guests, Dr. Kevin Groth and Dr. Renee Miller, to share their thoughts and experiences on how to create successful partnerships in a dental practice. Don't just settle for any job or environment! For advice on finding opportunities for a better practice and better life, listen to Episode 282 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

No dentist is perfect. Don't expect perfection from mentors or students.

Find people who share your core values.

Give associates room to make mistakes.

Seek out mentors! The sooner, the better.

Open your mind to better opportunities.  

Quotes:

“Everyone’s heard the story of the burnt-out, young, new grad dentist that is just miserable and has no defined vision for their life . . . And it comes from lack of confidence coming out of school and lack of having a good mentor.” (04:40—05:14)

“If you're a young dentist or in dental school, take opportunities to lean on [mentors] because they just want to be there to help. And if you're not going to take those opportunities, then you're missing out on potentially great opportunities later on in your career.” (10:32—10:45)

“A lot of associates don't think that they have a choice to find an environment that works for them. And until you're exposed to it, you don't really realize that you can.” (33:42—33:53)

“Nothing of what I did in dental school is shaping who I am as a dentist today. It was all the extra things I went and saw, and did, and people I sought out right out of dental school that really drew me forward.” (43:36—43:47)

“There are so many people that are there to teach with the right intentions. There are so many dentists out there that want to have mentees under their wing. And yet, nobody takes them under their wing because nobody asked. Nobody took the steps forward to get on page with them.” (44:26—44:42)

“The moment you're out of dental school, don't think it’s over. Try to be inspired to constantly find ways to grow and do better.” (45:54—46:00)

Snippets:

Why this is an important topic in dentistry. (03:46—06:25)

Renee’s journey. (06:37—08:12)

Kevin’s lessons learned about mentorship. (08:36—12:33)

Renee’s thoughts coming out of grad school. (13:05—14:42)

Renee and Mark’s core values. (15:03—19:39)

Lessons learned about hiring the right people. (19:54—23:05)

Be fair to new associates. (23:47—24:50)

The importance of having and giving support. (25:21—27:21)

Mark and Renee’s thoughts on work-life balance. (27:41—31:07)

Mark and Renee’s thoughts on what dentists get wrong. (31:28—34:24)

Give associates room to make mistakes. (34:27—35:28)

Be transparent from the very beginning. (36:57—42:00)

Advice for young dental students. (43:00—46:00)

The possibility of a great associateship. (46:49—47:31)

Last thoughts. (47:54—49:21)

Kevin Groth & Renee Miller Bio

Dr. Kevin Groth’s primary goal is for every person to walk out of his office knowing that they received the highest-quality, most personalized care possible. Dentistry is more than just a profession for Dr. Groth. He sees every patient as an extension of his own family, and when you are in his chair, you’ll always be treated well.

Dr. Groth’s favorite part of being a dentist is that every day and every patient is different. He loves the variety of people he gets to meet and procedures he performs to help patients maintain their smiles.

Since graduating from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Dr. Groth has been recognized locally by...

No BS Interview on Digital Photography

Episode #281 with Dr. Adamo Notarantonio

If you want to be a good dentist, you need a digital camera — and know how to use it! In today’s podcast, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Adamo Notarantonio to teach you why. Not only is it a way to display your work, but it is also an effective way to communicate with patients and prospective patients. To learn about other benefits of good photography in your practice, listen to Episode 281 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

Work ethic leads to success. Put the time in.

You need good photography in dentistry.

Dentists need social media. Instagram is free advertising!

Understand the materials you're working with to be a better photographer. 

You will never be a good dentist without a digital camera. 

Quotes:

“One of my biggest pet peeve questions I get when I show my photos on Instagram is, ‘What camera did you use?’ And I'm like, ‘Listen, I can physically send you my camera with my SD card, and you'll never take a picture like me. Why? Because you don't understand light. You don't understand camera settings.’ You have to put the time and hours in to understand this to create the kind of work that you see that these guys create.” (11:28—11:52)

“I don't know how anybody practices without a digital camera. I think you're nuts if you do. But if you can start getting into the artistic stuff, and it doesn't have to be crazy, the amount of advertising — I get so many patients from Instagram. And we used to spend $10,000 on 30,000 flyers to five local zip codes and get patients looking for deals, not looking for quality.” (15:59—16:20)

“A lot of people will ask, if I post a composite, ‘Which composite?’ That's really not the question you should ask. ‘What camera?’ It doesn't really matter, to be honest. You need to understand how the composite I'm working with handles, what color is it really, how does it reflect light, and stuff like that.” (18:50—19:07)

“If you're not taking before and after photos of your work constantly, which is what I do, how are you going to improve?” (23:31—23:37)

“When you're able to display your work at the highest level, they come to you. You don't even have to do anything anymore.” (32:48—32:56)

Snippets:

Dr. Notarantonio’s background. (03:32—06:32)

Denzel Washington’s garbage truck story. (06:56—07:58)

How Dr. Notarantonio became successful. (08:16—12:26)

Why photography is an important topic in dentistry. (13:01—16:39)

His aha moment. (17:27—18:13)

What dentists get wrong on this journey. (18:39—21:46)

You need good photography in dentistry. (22:35—25:43)

Photography as a communication style. (26:41—29:27)

Taking risks. (30:05—31:38)

Where to start. (32:11—35:07)

Last thoughts. (35:30—36:56)

His courses. (37:28—39:19)

Reach Out to Dr. Notarantonio:

Dr. Notarantonio’s email: [email protected] 

Dr. Notarantonio’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamoelvis/?hl=en

Dr. Notarantonio’s ImP.R.E.S. courses: https://imprescourses.com/

Further Reading:

Talent is Overrated by Geoff Colvin

Photo course, “When the Pictures Really Matter” http://en.whenthepicturesreallymatter.com/

Adamo Notarantonio Bio

ADAMO E. NOTARANTONIO, DDS, FICOI, FAACD

Dr. Adamo...

The Art of Selling in Dentistry

Episode #280 with Dr. Leonard Tau

A myth about dental patients is that they only care about cost. While that may be a significant factor, patients also care about high-quality dental work — and are willing to pay for it! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Leonard Tau to teach you the art of selling in dentistry. He claims that by becoming a better listener and communicator you will increase case acceptance. If you want to know more on how to get patients to say yes, listen to Episode 280 of The Best Practices Show! 

Main Takeaways:

If you don't sell treatment, patients will spend their money elsewhere.  

Patients will say yes to treatment if you create the value for them.

Dentists should learn to talk money to patients.

Know your numbers. Ask patients their budgets.

Get a chat button for your website. It’s another opportunity to reach out to patients.

Learn to actively listen to your patients.

Your reputation is as important as your credit score.

Be cognizant of body language. The right body language can increase case acceptance!

Help patients get money, and they will accept treatment.

Quotes:

“A healthy practice has a really good case acceptance. An unhealthy practice has a poor case acceptance, and people walk out, and they go somewhere else and they spend their money elsewhere.” (05:58—06:07)

“[To] grow your practice, patients need to say yes. You can only make so much money from the re-care and the small things that come through the office.” (06:48—06:55)

“Most dentists don't like to [talk money]. I think you need to learn how to do it because, ultimately, the patients trust you. They come into the office, they trust you, they want to hear what they need, why they need it, and the cost involved.” (10:54—11:07)

“When patients feel comfortable and they understand the value, the money is not necessarily the biggest issue. Patients can find the money if they see the value.” (11:38—11:45)

“The art of the sale actually starts with the first interaction with the practice.” (13:04—13:08)

“Patients don't say yes to treatment because they don't feel a connection to the office. I connect with the patient before they even come in.” (15:35—15:40)

“The chat allows me another opportunity to reach out to patients who are trying to interact with the practice. Patients who are scared don't necessarily call the practice. They're going to chat with you online.” (21:08—21:17)

“We don't listen very well. That's a huge mistake we make as dentists.” (23:43—23:47)

“[Dentists] have very poor follow-up skills. When a patient says maybe, most practices have no way of reaching back out to them.” (36:12—36:18)

“I don't shy away from third-party financing at all. I embrace it and I want to use it as much as possible, because I'd rather have 90% of something than 0% of zero. And if a patient says no, they don't spend any money at my practice.” (44:03—44:17)

“Education without action is just entertainment.” (46:11—46:12)

Snippets:

Dr. Tau’s background. (03:24—04:58)

Why selling is important in dentistry. (05:41—06:55)

One reason patients say no to treatment. (07:25—08:03)

Learning to talk to patients about money and treatment. (08:29—10:16)

Should the dentist or a team member talk money to patients? (10:34—12:10)

How to get better at selling dentistry. (12:37—15:58)

Ask patients their budget. (16:06—19:48)

Call versus chat. (20:14—22:02)

What dentists get wrong in the art of selling. (22:12—25:09)

Trust is the bottom line. (25:33—26:05)

Your reputation matters. (26:20—26:58)

How to disarm patients. (28:00—31:39)

Importance of body language. (31:50—35:02)

Work on follow-up skills....

Right People, Right Seats

Episode #279 with Kirk Behrendt and Christina Byrne

You want to find the right people for your practice, but how do you find them? To answer that question, Kirk Behrendt chats with Christina Byrne to share lessons on creating the best conditions to attract the best people for the right seats. Don't waste time figuring out the how! Focus on finding the who using tips from Episode 279 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

With the right people in the right seats, you will be more productive and less stressed.

Create the best conditions to attract the best people.

Be clear. The clearer you are, the less problems you will have.

Know your core values and focus.

Create a function accountability chart.

Focus on finding the who rather than figuring out the how.

The right people share your core values.

The right people GWC — they get it, they want it, and they have the capacity to do it.

Give people a chance to succeed.

Quotes:

“One of the most important lessons [Peter Dawson] ever taught me — and I can still see his eyes when he said it — he said, ‘Kirk, you need to understand. When you have the right people, you can produce twice as much in half the time with a quarter of the stress.’” (07:14—07:27)

“Another thing I'll never forget as long as [Peter] lived — and as long as I live — is he would say, ‘Money is the byproduct. You get the right people in the right seats, or you do dentistry for the right reasons, and any dentist can make plenty of money. And they’ll never have to worry about money because they’ll be creating so much value.’ And I found that to be absolutely true.” (07:36—07:58)

“The clients that we coach, I find the ones that really care about what they do, they always do extremely well. The ones that just need money, I worry about them because it’s the money that's the focus and it’s not the people.” (07:59—08:11)

“Find the greatest people ever. Find the right people, put them in the right seats. You'll be good for the rest of your life.” (08:34—08:39)

“When you find the right chairside assistant, it changes your life not in a month but in about a minute.” (08:49—08:56)

“People always ask us, ‘How do you find the right people?’ Well, you don't. They find you — for the most part.” (10:06—10:12)

“Nobody ever quits a dental office. They quit a person.” (10:50—10:53)

“Patrick Lencioni says in his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team — it’s my favorite quote in the entire book, and I absolutely believe this to be true — if you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction, you could dominate any industry.” (19:51—20:07)

“When it’s everyone’s job, it’s nobody’s job . . . In a business, you've got to clearly delineate and outline who does what.” (26:32—26:44)

“When you stick to your core values, you're always going to be okay.” (32:06—32:08)

“Dan Sullivan, who’s a great coach of mine, said this, ‘Stop trying to figure out the how. Just try to find the who.’ And I found that to be true, because the who can do this way better than you can trying to figure out the how.” (35:58—36:10)

“When your core values don't line up with another human being, it never, ever, ever, ever, ever works . . . You have to tell people what you care about, which attracts other people that care about the same things. The wrong people, they're not bad people. They just don't share your value system.” (37:22—37:58)

Snippets:

The importance of having the right people in the right seats. (03:09—04:20)

Some lessons learned. (06:12—08:11)

The secret to dentistry. (08:12—10:12)

Create the best conditions to attract the best people. (10:12—11:51)

There are four conditions. (11:52—17:34)

The fundamental...

7 Steps to Drop Your Bad PPOs

Episode #278 with Dave Monohan – CEO of Kleer.com

Are you tired of dealing with bad PPOs in your practice? Many dentists are, but have a hard time moving away from them. And to teach you how, Kirk Behrendt invites Dave Monohan, CEO of Kleer, to talk about the seven steps you need to know to drop your bad PPOs. If you're a dentist who’s frustrated with insurance and wants to take action, listen to Episode 278 of The Best Practices Show for Dave’s advice!

Main Takeaways:

Step one: face your fears.

Step two: implement a dental membership plan.

Step three: stop offering discount plans.  

Step four: analyze your PPOs.

Step five: renegotiate or drop bad PPOs.

Step six: support your patients through the transition.

Step seven: market to new patients.

Quotes:

“Dental insurance went from broken to obsolete because of COVID-19. And it’s a point now where dental practices are basically at the breaking point. A lot of dental insurance is just completely unprofitable for dental practices now.” (05:19—05:33)

“What we see with our practices that offer a membership plan is patients who get the membership plan, relative to uninsured or uncovered patients, will come in two to three times more often and they’ll accept twice the amount of treatment.” (07:33—07:44)

“When a patient has a plan — it doesn't have to be a membership plan; it can be another plan, just so they have a plan — they come in two to three times more often.” (09:05—09:13)

“75% of treatment acceptance comes as part of your hygiene visit. So, if you're coming in for your hygiene visit, you end up accepting a lot more treatment. That's the simple math. And it ends up being you drive about twice the production for membership plan patients versus uninsured patients.” (09:41—09:54)

“What we hear from a lot of dental practices is they have a lot of frustrations and anger towards insurance. But they don't take action to move away. And the reason is they're worried, and they have fear that if they make significant changes to their PPOs, they potentially will impact their production, how many patients they have, their profitability.” (12:53—13:15)

“The number-one surprise we see is actually how many [PPOs] are unprofitable for practice . . . Anywhere between half and 60% or 70% of the PPOs that dental practices are accepting are actually creating negative profit for their practice.” (14:45—15:06)

“Just get rid of the discount plan. You don't need it anymore. Your membership plan takes the position of the discount plan, and it’s much better for you and it’s much better for the patient.” (22:17—22:26)

“The average in the U.S. right now, a dental practice is in network with 15 dental clients. It’s gone up. About 10 years ago, it was five. It’s now 15. And so, a lot of practices are just bringing in whatever, not even knowing it’s profitable for their practice.” (24:06—24:24)

“If you're going to threaten that you're going to move away from [bad PPOs] or drop them, be ready to do it.” (30:38—30:45)

“When COVID-19 hit and the practices were shut down except for emergency care, we were still selling quite a few membership plans.” (38:23—38:29)

“If you don't control the dental plans that are in your practice, you won't control your practice.” (45:53—45:59)

Snippets:

Dave’s background and Kleer. (02:58—04:06)

Why this is important in dentistry. (04:50—05:33)

How Kleer can help create care plans. (06:15—07:57)

Data for uninsured patients’ behavior. (08:24—09:54)

The subscription plan is the new economy. (10:39—11:59)

Step one: face your fears. (12:20—13:51)

Biggest myth about PPOs. (14:38—15:43)

Step two: implementation. (16:12—18:52)

How smart pricing...

5 Things Every Dentist Needs to Know About Nutrition

Episode #277 with Dr. Uche Odiatu

Dentists are experts on teeth. But how many are experts in nutrition? Today, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Uche Odiatu to remind you that nutrition is a vital part of your practice. With over 15 years of professional knowledge in various areas of health and fitness, Dr. Odiatu will teach you the best practices on how dentists can stay fit while in practice. Not only will you be in better health, but your patients will be more willing to learn about nutrition and overall wellness. To hear about the five things every dentist needs to know about nutrition, tune in to Episode 277 of The Best Practices Show! 

Main Takeaways:

Understand the foundational principles of nutrition.

Calories are misunderstood. You don't have to give up everything.

Intermittent fasting is good for the human body.

Teeth are vital for chewing. Chewing better means absorbing food better.

Good nutrition habits should be effortless, doable, and sustainable.

People have different nutritional needs. 

Get in shape yourself before talking to patients about nutrition and overall health.

Quotes:

“See all of [the patient], not just their hormonal system, not just their gingiva, not just their mind. Integrate the knowledge and you can really get patients better.” (03:43—03:52)

“One of the most important aspects of what the mouth does is masticate. So, if we don't understand the common threads and the foundational principles of nutrition, we are just basically fixing stuff and going, ‘Good luck with the nutrition. Good luck with the diet.’ And they're going downhill, because the number-one inflammatory source in our lives is eating inflammatory foods, eating food that doesn't serve us well.” (05:24—05:49)

“It’s almost impossible to be healthy if you're eating fast food all day, not eating vegetables, not drinking water, and drinking alcohol daily to excess.” (07:14—07:25)

“The better quality your food, the more your caloric intake will be regulated on its own. So, the first step of this is, understand calories and how we’re being misled into thinking we all have to eat less. Meanwhile, you eat better, eating less will happen automatically because your body will stop searching for nutrition.” (10:30—10:49)

“It’s not any one meal that makes people fat or unhealthy; it’s meals eaten every day for a decade that make you unhealthy.” (11:32—11:40)

“Any time the body is not eating, the body is healing.” (21:53—21:55)

“We know enough to talk nutrition, but we always think it’s outside our scope of practice.” (23:29—23:32)

“We try to explain to patients about nutrition and overall health, and we ourselves have a hip that hurts. We have reflux. We have a fading memory . . . I would say you can't take a patient on a journey that you haven't been on. So, get in shape first.” (26:32—26:48)

“Teeth are much more than looking great in your headshot. It’s about digestion and absorbing food better. And whoever absorbs food better is going to have less inflammation, longer life, better mental clarity, flatter stomach, possibly have a six-pack, and more hormonal balance, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, growth hormone. Hormonal balance needs ideal foods being brought in.” (29:38—30:01)

“Anything that makes nutrition more complicated, patients drift away from . . . Anything that’s complicated is not sustainable.” (34:01—34:33)

“The number-one mistake is cutting calories to get healthy. Cutting calories has no place in 2021.” (40:19—40:24)

“Nutrition, fitness, health, inflammation, ergonomics — it should be effortless, doable, and daily.” (46:23—46:30)

Snippets:

Dr. Odiatu’s background. (02:47—04:03)

Why nutrition is an...

How DSM Saved Some Practices During the Pandemic

Episode #276 with Dr. Mark Murphy

What if adding dental sleep medicine to your practice not only improved people’s health but also increased revenue? Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Mark Murphy to tell you how! We know sleep is important for overall health, yet this topic is often overlooked by the dental community. With up to 30% of Americans possibly affected by obstructive sleep apnea, dental sleep medicine is an area every dentist needs to implement into their practice. If you want to learn more about this growing market that will continue to grow beyond the pandemic, listen to Episode 276 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• A billion people worldwide have obstructive sleep apnea.
• The majority of people with obstructive sleep apnea go undiagnosed.
• Bad sleep negatively affects physiology.
• People’s health and life will change by treating this disorder.
• Treating this disorder is also very rewarding for the dentist.
• Obstructive sleep apnea does not just affect obese or old patients.
• Adding sleep to your practice will increase revenue.

Quotes:

• “There are a billion people worldwide that have obstructive sleep apnea. In the United States, it’s estimated somewhere between 20% and 30% — we don't know for sure — 45, 50, maybe 55 million. Depends on which article — it doesn't matter. A shit-ton of people have obstructive sleep apnea.” (10:18—10:39)
• “85% to 90% of people with obstructive sleep apnea have never been diagnosed or treated. So, it’s this huge pandemic within the country before we had the pandemic.” (10:42—10:51)
• “You don't really die of sleep apnea. You die of heart attack. You are 23 times more likely to have a heart attack if you have obstructive sleep apnea, four times more likely to have a stroke, ten times more likely to have an arrythmia, depression, diabetes, congestive heart failure — we could go on.” (11:08—11:28)
• “Once you dip your toe in treating it, just like any dentist who’s dipped their toe in pain management, dipped their toe in cosmetic dentistry, dipped their toe in any aspect of dentistry that wasn't just Joe fill-and-bill, it feels very rewarding.” (11:45—12:01)
• “Think of how their physiology is getting whacked when they're five, six, eight, 12, 15, on their way to all the list of comorbidities that I talked to, how many people had abnormal childhoods because we didn't know about this. But today, we can go into that mouth and we can say, ‘Holy crap. You don't have enough room for your tongue and it’s falling back on itself and choking off your airway.’ And you think, ‘Well, it’s not such a big deal.’ No — snoring is, by itself, an indicator that that child has obstructive sleep apnea.” (13:41—14:13)
• “I was closing the patients’ airways who needed it open more than the other patients! I was killing my patients by making them bite splints and being so attentive to MIP or centric relation . . . But it’s what we knew at the time. It was the standard of care . . . To do that today, to treat a patient who’s a grinder with a traditional bite splint and not thinking about their airway would open them up to potential litigation down the road.” (16:51—17:28)
• “We can learn how to do dental sleep medicine. It is, mechanically, incredibly easier than a bite splint — way easier than a bite splint.” (19:56—20:04)
• “Dental sleep medicine grows 12% to 15% per year no matter what.” (23:47—23:53)
• “How did dental sleep medicine save some dental practices? Well, when your dental practice is closed and you're not permitted to do dentistry, other than emergency work, what I do is not dentistry; it’s medicine. I am a dentist, but I am a DME, durable medical equipment, provider for a very necessary disease that needs to...

The Current State of Education in Dentistry

Episode #275 with Dr. Wael Garine

Main Takeaways:

• There is a lot more to learn after dental school!
• Learn from verified sources such as Seattle Study Club.
• Stay up to date with research, products, and techniques.
• Be a speaker that is authentic, down-to-earth, and gives applicable advice.  
• Teach people to be predictable, efficient, and practical.

Quotes:

• “You are going to be as good as the people that you associate yourself with . . . and the same thing goes with education. We are going to be as good as the dental education entity that we are associating ourselves with.” (07:32—08:02)
• “Dentistry is one of the strongest professions . . . If you want to know how the economy is doing, ask your dentist.” (21:55—22:07)
• “The best people that I learn from are people who are very down-to-earth and meet us at the same level. They're not coming from above; they're coming more from the same level from where we’re coming from.” (31:45—31:55)
• “To me, a good goal for me as a speaker is, I want to speak about something, and I would hope that everybody in the audience will take something from my talk and be able to apply that the next day in their practice.” (32:12—32:22)
• “What we should expect to see is that digital learning is going to be there more than it was before . . . However, I know down in my heart, this is not going to overtake the face-to-face education that we love to do.” (34:08—34:35)
• “There is room for digital; there's no question about that, and I think the pandemic showed us that. But I do believe that in the future, education is going to be in person with a little bit of eLearning.” (35:21—35:32)
• “You don't know what you're missing. You definitely don't know what you're missing until you come and see what's going to happen at Seattle Study Club Symposium. You absolutely will miss a great, great opportunity to see phenomenal speakers that will be very, very difficult to see in person over the next five or ten years.” (36:13—36:31)

Snippets:

• Dr. Garine’s background. (02:49—03:52)
• What is Seattle Study Club? (04:30—08:20)
• Seattle Study Club Annual Symposium. (08:21—10:26)
• Symposium for non-club members. (10:52—13:35)
• Current state of continuing education. (14:55—17:30)
• COVID-19 meeting guidelines. (18:37—20:48)
• Challenges on the trade side of things. (21:14—23:35)
• Trends in continuing education post COVID-19. (24:22—25:06)
• Tools in virtual education. (25:40—27:27)
• The Symposium platform. (28:49—30:39)
• Advice for prospective speakers. (31:18—33:41)
• The future of continuing education. (34:08—35:50)
• Last thoughts. (36:13—38:25)

Reach out to Dr. Garine:

https://drgarine.com/about/team/dr-garine/

Don't forget to register for the Seattle Study Club Symposium!

General Dentistry & Sleep: How They Go Together

Episode #274 with Dr. Erin Elliott

Snoring is a problem that almost everyone denies having. In fact, most people don't realize they do it, or how potentially life-threatening it can be! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Erin Elliott, who warns that sleep apnea is no longer an “old, fat man’s disease.” It can affect people of all ages, shapes, and sizes — even children — and it can go undiagnosed for years. So, how can dentists help? To learn how and why you should implement sleep apnea treatment into your dental practice, listen to Episode 274 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Dentists are on the front lines for people’s health.
• Sleep is important for overall health and wellness.
• Learn to screen for and treat sleep apnea.
• Medical insurance will pay for oral appliances.
• Help patients realize they need help. It will increase compliance!
• But don't be too pushy.

Quotes:

• “As soon as I see someone’s anatomy, I'm like, ‘You have sleep apnea,’ because it’s not an old, fat man’s disease. And unfortunately, in America, that's how people look at it, is an old, fat man’s disease. And I treat young, petite people, healthy people, all the time.” (09:33—09:49)
• “It’s not voodoo. Oxygen is not anything crazy to get to this kid. Sleep is not crazy to want to achieve. So, I don't understand why there's so much resistance. (10:50—11:02)
• “The myth is that medical insurance doesn't pay for oral appliances. They do if you have the right documentation. The other myth is that they don't pay well — which is often true . . . And the third thing is that you can’t do sleep without medical insurance.” (18:30—19:01)
• “We get people to sign up for aligners every day. Comprehensive care, cash fee, insurance doesn't help, $5,000 to $6,000. Why aren't we able to present an oral appliance that could improve the quality of their life and even extend their life for $2,500 and get them to accept treatment? And it’s because people are so reliant on medical insurance . . . That's the first question they ask. They don't care about my certifications and initials after my name. Their first question is, ‘How much is it? Do you bill medical?’” (19:20—20:01)
• “It’s the primary care, the nurse practitioners, endocrinologists, psychiatrists, marriage counselors — there are so many people that are in the trenches with people that need help — chiropractors, naturopaths. So many people need our help, and these people are exposed to them and interact with them every day. They just don't look for it and don't know what to look for. And there's some fear in the medical world because they don't know enough about the appliance. So, then, they just don't bring it up.” (23:14—23:47)
• “Where the medical world really misses is connecting with the patient, finding their pain points and helping them realize they need help. You'll get far more compliance when they understand the disease that we’re trying to treat.” (27:52—28:07)
• “So many orthodontists think, ‘Oh, no. We’ll just wait till they're 12.’ Let's just wait till they're done growing and their sutures are sealed, and they’ve been sick this whole time. Why are we not expanding and intervening in growing jaws earlier? That, I'll never understand.” (30:47—31:02)
• “There are so many things in the way that our lifestyle of convenience exacerbates inflammation, tonsil enlargement and obligatory mouth breathing, no filtration of bacteria, ear infections. It’s just a bad downward cycle, because once those tonsils are so large and they can't breathe through their nose, there's no chance to catch up.” (33:11—33:36)
• “Complexity is the enemy of implementation.”...

The Bulletproof Practice

Episode #273 with Dr. Craig Spodak

Many dentists want a bulletproof practice, but few know how to build it. If you happen to be one of them, you're in luck! Today, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Craig Spodak, author of The Bulletproof Practice, to teach you what it is and how to create your own. Whether it’s fear of failure, having a fixed mindset, or being too comfortable and “coasting,” Craig will teach you how not to prevent yourself from building your dream business. To learn more about how you can become fulfilled in your practice, listen to Episode 273 of The Best Practices Show! 

See the video and get the show notes at https://www.actdental.com/273

Main Takeaways:

• Life is about nonstop learning.
• Have hunger and resiliency to achieve more.
• The “bullets” never stop.
• Develop a sense of self-reliance. 
• Learn from people who have gone before you.
• Be willing to fail. It may lead you to be happier.
• Growth mindset is teachable. 
• The gears of a practice is more than sales and marketing.
• Invest in human capital.
• Focus on the good moments.

Quotes:

• “I think life is all about sequential and nonstop learning. You just keep learning. And it’s okay to stay a consummate beginner and a consummate learner. I think it’s really cool.” (06:34—06:43)
• “A bulletproof practice is one that takes the challenges and hardens from the challenges; they get better. You don't just survive and persist; you actually evolve and thrive through the challenges.” (09:39—09:52)
• “Success is building with the bricks people are throwing at you.” (09:57—10:01)
• “A bulletproof practice is one in which all the systems are designed, and the psychology is right to defend yourself against any “bullet” that may be coming at you.” (10:21—10:29)
• “I think the decision to have a better day is entirely up to you. You can decide, if on your way to work you spill the coffee on your lap and someone cuts you off, you can decide at that moment before you ever enter the office if today’s going to be a good day or a bad day.” (11:40—11:54)
• “Your fulfilment and your happiness is going to be the art that you have to design. It’s an art of fulfilment. It’s not a science of it.” (12:48—12:56)
• “People that have growth mindsets always use the word “yet.” ‘I'm not good at this yet. I don't have it yet. I haven't learned it yet.’ And a fixed mindset is just like, ‘People don't learn. People don't change. It’s easy for them. They don't have to do the work.’” (14:13—14:26)
• “I find leadership to be a very troubling word to use, because you can't appoint a leader. Leadership is earned.” (21:34—21:48)
• “There's all types of leadership. And we’re all leaders in certain domains of our life.” (22:58—23:02)
• “The gears of a practice are its culture, its leadership, its team, its marketing, it’s systems, its numbers. Those are the gears that run the practice . . . a bulletproof practice has the ability to have all those gears turning.” (29:13—29:54)
• “If your human capital is not engaged, if you're not appreciating and encouraging and developing your human capital, it will never appreciate, and it won't work. Yet, we turn a blind eye to that.” (32:49—32:59)
• “If your admin team is handling your phone calls in an offensive manner, your dental work will not be appreciated.” (35:53—36:00)

Snippets:

• Dr. Spodak’s background. (02:55—04:41)
• His philosophy on learning. (05:11—06:43)
• Origin of the bulletproof concept. (06:55—08:54)
• What is a bulletproof practice? (09:03—10:29)
• The “bullets” never go away....