Tuesdays with Transitions

Guest Column Lori Irvine TGNA Team & Leadership Coach Investing in Team Synergy can improve the bottom line Team training carries the potential to maximize human capital by promoting engagement, improving communication and building trust within teams. Although at times it is perceived as “fluff,” building a synergistic team can produce a significant return on … Continue reading Investing in Team Synergy Can Improve The Bottom Line →

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Guest Column Karina Bapoo-Mohamed TGNA Clinical Coach – Hygiene The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma & melanoma[i]. In North America one person dies every 52 minutes of melanoma[ii]. 1 in 73 women and 1 in 59 men will develop melanoma[iii] If caught early 95% of skin cancers … Continue reading “Sooner than Later” – Dentistry does save LIVES! Part 2 →

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Guest Column Karina Bapoo-Mohamed TGNA Clinical Coach – Hygiene “Last time I saw you, you said to me to go ‘sooner than later’. Those words kept haunting me, in January I went to my family doctor, who referred me to another doctor…He did a biopsy and within 2 days he called to say it was … Continue reading “Sooner than Later” – Dentistry does save LIVES! Part 1 →

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  People don’t get promoted for doing their job really well; they get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more – Tara Jaye Frank When considering internal promotions, often the person most skilled at their current job is selected for the new job. But is this really the best way to decide who would … Continue reading Best Person, Wrong Role? →

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Case acceptance is the practice currency in allowing us to doing the dentistry we love to do for patients who value it. Know what your case acceptance success is every month and set goals appropriately.  Once you have hit your goal for three months, raise the goal in 5% intervals. Knowing the number of cases, … Continue reading What Is Your Case Acceptance Success? →

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Case presentation begins with a diagnostic philosophy based on creating lifetime strategies for the patient’s oral health. If dentistry is not diagnosed, it cannot be planned, presented, accepted and most importantly made affordable. Every patient is entitled to know all that dentistry has to offer them, and have the necessary information provided to allow them … Continue reading Effective Case Presentation Creates Lifetime Strategies for Patient’s Oral Health →

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Job descriptions are extremely useful, yet frequently overlooked employment documents. They provide value in many situations face, including hiring, team member training and performance management, setting and achieving practice goals, and determining appropriate compensation for team members. Avoid hiring mistakes The hiring process is a great time to update your existing job descriptions, or in … Continue reading Benefits of Maintaining Up to Date Job Descriptions →

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The first impression of your practice is one that can last a lifetime. A patient makes a decision whether or not he or she wants to continue coming to your practice based on their first impression. Your front desk / receptionist will be the first team member all your patients interact with, and the person … Continue reading Does Your Front Desk Project Your Ideal First Impression? →

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Want to get a tangible idea of your practice’s performance-and what you could be doing better? It all starts with keeping score. The desire to compare one product or service against another has probably always been a part of human nature. In recent years, abetted by the spread of social media and comment sites online, … Continue reading Score Your Practice →

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1. Think first of the other fellow. This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. And it is the one truly difficult accomplishment you must make. Gaining this, the rest will be “a breeze.”  Check first impressions. We are especially prone to dislike some people on first sight because of some … Continue reading 7 Key Management Behaviors →

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Last week, we discussed the importance of transforming the hygiene department into a patient education center for oral health beginning with the process of care beginning with screening. Today, we continue with the SAPIE model of care beginning with Assessment The Assessment phase of the model consists of a Comprehensive Oral Evaluation that includes the … Continue reading Dental Hygiene is the heartbeat of the dental practice. →

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The evolution of research with respect to periodontal disease has created a major change in preventive and periodontal care. As such, the hygiene department must transform to an education center, requiring the hygienist to possess more than the technical skills required to perform deposit removal. They also need to have the ability to be critical … Continue reading Why Transformation of the Dental Hygiene Department is required →

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A resounding yes! While providing performance evaluations can sometimes make employees or teams feel anxious, it is an essential part of achieving practice objectives, increasing team engagement and ultimately attaining business goals. Most of the time, positive and healthy feedback generated from a performance evaluation leads to better individual performance, which leads to better team … Continue reading Should individual performance evaluation be part of your dental practice? →

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Are your vacations TRULY vacations? If you are bringing work with you on vacation, you are missing out. Research consistently shows that people who take their vacation time are both less stressed and receive health benefits, including a lower risk of dying from heart disease. If you bring work with you on your vacation, you … Continue reading Avoid Overload – Take the time to truly recharge →

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This is an amazing world we live in today. Look what has happened over the last 20 years; from the internet being established to cell phones being a part of our everyday lives. We are connected more and more to what we hear and see every day. Where have you come along in dentistry? Dentistry … Continue reading Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy →

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I recently had a dentist ask me if a Treatment Coordinator really makes a difference in a dental practice. I understood exactly where they were coming from because, I too, had asked myself that very same question many years ago when I started working in a brand new dental office which had opened up in … Continue reading Can a Treatment Coordinator Really Make a Difference? →

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Come see Lisa Philp speak at the Vancouver Dental Education Centre’s 10thannual Team Development Event. This is a high-energy, interactive experience designed exclusively for dental professionals and their teams.   Includes: 8 hours of CE (Continuing Education Credits) |Breakfast | Lunch | Exciting Door Prizes (such as a FREE session with Lisa Philp and her … Continue reading Vancouver Dental Education Centre Event →

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Guest Column By Grant Gooley, Patient News Yes, I’m blogging about blogging. Why? Blogs on a dental website are important to the success of your digital footprint; they keep patients engaged and drive new patients to your site. Here are 3 reasons why you should have a blog on your dental website: Rank higher on … Continue reading Why Blog? The Benefits of A Blog On A Dental Website →

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Research shows that 10-15% of employees report they are NOT deeply involved or engaged in their job, work and career. This is very alarming considering we spend the majority of our waking hours at our jobs. When asked about their workplace and key reasons for not being engaged the common answer that comes up is … Continue reading Employee Engagement – The Search for Meaning →

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The Vancouver Dental Education Centre’s 10thannual Team Development Event is designed exclusively for dental professionals. This high-energy day provides dentists and their teams an opportunity to network within our community, learn about new innovations and have some fun. There will be five guest speakers, including industry leader, author, consultant and Practice Management Guru, Lisa Philp. … Continue reading Vancouver Dental Education Centre →

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The latest Canadian Dental Association Patient Survey shows that a patients #1 influence for their perception of how good a dental practice and/or dental provider is how they see and experience the practice/doctor’s CONFIDENCE. Overall patient’s service expectations of their dental experience are: Confidence Clear Communication Time Management Friendliness Empathy Operational Efficiency Generally, people are … Continue reading PATIENT SATISFACTION – ALL ABOUT CONFIDENCE →

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In a recent United Nations report, Canada rates 7th (for the second straight year) on the list of happiest countries in the world John Helliwell, a professor at the University of BC states that countries that rated highest have “high levels of mutual trust, shared purpose, generosity and good governance” ***. An interesting aspect of … Continue reading The Power to Overcome All Obstacles →

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DOES YOUR HEALTH CONSCIOUS PATIENT KNOW THAT THEIR MORNING ORANGE JUICE MAY BE WASHING AWAY THEIR ENAMEL? A recent study concluded that the acid in orange juice is so strong the tooth is literally washed away *1 Lemon juice, often used to detox, is one of the most acidic juices with a pH of 2.25 … Continue reading Is Your Healthy Drink Giving Your Enamel a Workout? →

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As we reflect back on the commitments that we made as we launched into a fresh new year, we may discover that we have not yet accomplished all that we intended and feel defeated. This is not the best energy source for future goal setting! Rather than be “reactive” by wallowing in a mindset of … Continue reading What are SMART Goals? →

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  This is an amazing world we live in today. Look what has happened over the last 20 years; from the internet being established to cell phones being a part of our everyday lives. We are connected more and more to what we hear and see every day. Where have you come along in dentistry? … Continue reading Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy →

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  Dear Dr., Let your voice be heard by completing the Dental Industry of Canada professional survey below. The results are totally confidential and I am supporting as a member of the board encouraging Canadian dentists to express their views. Survey is supported by the Canadian Dental Association and didn’t want you to miss out. … Continue reading Attention All Canadian Dentists. Let Your Voice be Heard! →

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An employee handbook can be a valuable communication resource for both the employer and the employee. It provides guidance and information related to the organization’s history, mission, values, policies, procedures and benefits in a written format. It is also viewed as a means of protecting the employer against discrimination or unfair treatment claims. It is … Continue reading Where to Start when Developing an Employee Handbook →

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ENAMEL EROSION CAN NOW BE SEEN IN OVER 45% OF YOUR TEEN PATIENTS2 Dietary factors, especially consumption of acidic drinks, have been found to be the main etiological factor of dental erosion.1 The greater the amount of erosive products consumed per day, and the more often they are consumed, the greater the risk of Erosive … Continue reading YOUR TEEN PATIENT’S DIET HAS CHANGED →

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Leadership isn’t just what leaders do; it is instead innate to who they are. Genuine leadership encompasses honesty, integrity and trust-trust built on truth-telling, keeping one’s word, getting feedback on one’s personal behavior and ensuring consistency with one’s states values. That’s how you get others to follow the course you chart. What are the traits … Continue reading Profile of an Excellent Dental Team Leader →

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Money is often an uncomfortable topic of conversation for teams and patients. Dentists want to do what’s right for the patient and, most often, patients would prefer to say “yes” to the care they need. But, dentists should also be appropriately compensated for their services in a timely manner.   Miscommunication during the financial conversation … Continue reading Are Financial Conversations Uncomfortable? →

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Effective communication skills are the key to establishing positive and productive relationships with both the patient and the dental team.   Incorporating excellent communication skills starts with the dental team. Start by creating a practice vision and mission statement together that you and your team will follow.   A supportive dental team creates a greater … Continue reading How Communication Improves Your Dental Practice’s Health →

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DENTAL EROSION HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC LEVELS Recent research has shown that approximately 30% of dental patients aged 18–35 years had at least one tooth with advanced erosive tooth wear2 Current research shows that dental erosion in children can range from 10% to 80%3 Effective management of dental erosion is largely dependent on a thorough understanding … Continue reading THE EROSION EPIDEMIC: THE GROWING IMPACT ON PATIENTS’ ORAL HEALTH →

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After decades of coaching thousands of dental practices in North America to be their best, via patient retention, new patient growth and case acceptance, I have created the following list of characteristics that patients value most, in order of importance, about their dental experience. These characteristics are essential for patient loyalty, attracting new patients and … Continue reading 14 Characteristics of Dental Patient Value; How do you Rank? →

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In dentistry, we can no longer overlook, deny, or be complacent that we will sustain or survive these tough times. Respond by focusing on the things you can control, using these five key strategies:   Increase the longevity (loyalty) of your existing patients Sixty-eight percent of patients leave your practice because of “indifference.” Make sure … Continue reading Thriving in Financial Challenges →

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It’s time to listen and hear your team. One of the most valuable assets a Doctor has is his or her team. Team members have a wealth of knowledge and when encouraged to share this knowledge, wonderful things can happen. Team meetings if organized properly can facilitate team ownership. When the team is empowered, the … Continue reading Effective Team Meetings →

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Choosing the “right person” isn’t only about qualifications. That’s why we conduct job interviews – to get a sense of what a person is like. Some people are naturally outgoing and enthusiastic. Others are more measured in their approach to human contact. Yet both people might share the same basic qualifications in terms of schooling, … Continue reading Who is Right for the Job? →

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Keeping your patients happy should be your number one priority as a dental practice. Spend your time giving your patients quality care will make their experience unforgettable! Here are a few helpful tips to keep them happy:   Remember your patients! This makes the experience personable when you remember their names and what is happening in … Continue reading 5 Tips for a Happy Dental Patient! →

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One of the top questions our coaches receive in the area of dental practice management is; “How can I motivate my team members?” All leaders agree and believe that motivation is critical to increasing employee performance and productivity. The assumption that only some employees are motivated is false. Research indicates that all behavior is motivated. … Continue reading Effective Ways to Motivate Others →

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Assertiveness is often considered to be one of the required traits for a successful personal and professional life. So, just how do you go about being more assertive? Following are a dozen simple communication techniques that you can practice … starting today.   Use “I” messages and “feeling” verbs. Assertive communicators personalize their comments by … Continue reading 7 Tips to Become More Assertive →

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We all long for success but we often have to struggle for it. And while we think we fear failure, or at least don’t want it around us — we all face it in one form or another every day. Everyone fails. But, failure is relative. Its measurement is subjective. Mostly it occurs in your … Continue reading Overcoming Obstacles: Fear of Failure →

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Logically, the key to improving patient satisfaction is to have the “magic ratio” of positive interactions between your team and patients. Communication should be thoughtful and purposeful. Here are a few ways to hit the magic ratio and positively enhance patient satisfaction and retention:   Pull, don’t push. Your team’s role is to be an … Continue reading How to POSITIVELY Increase Patient Satisfaction →

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Dentistry is changing at an alarming rate in regards to providers, consolidation, influence of the dental team, patient retention/ loyalty changes, the power of the mother in health care and the national plateau of financial growth The role of insurance benefits and fee guides, combined with high competition in urban centers, drives dental services to … Continue reading So Many Choices.. Which one is Right for Your Dental Practice’s growth? →

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An attitude of Gratitude Yesterday, Canada celebrated Thanksgiving. Often in the busyness of family gatherings and meal preparation, we forget the purpose of the holiday; reflecting, with thanks, on the blessings in our life. Gratitude. Sometimes this most obvious patient retention tool is often overlooked; showing through our words and actions that we are glad … Continue reading Putting Patients First →

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Dental demographics are changing almost faster than we can keep up: the Baby Boomers are retiring, and the archaic system of employer-provided benefits is looking more long in the tooth than ever. As such, smart dentists are reconfiguring their practices around a choice-based, consumerist mentality. Think of it from a customer-relations standpoint: To an unprecedented … Continue reading Charm Offensive →

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As we prepare for the grand opening of our new home office and training center, we are seeing the career-long dream of our Chief Visionary Officer, Lisa Philp, brought to fruition! This center is a result of her grit, determination, hard work and her great passion. Passion is the pulsating energy driven from the fire … Continue reading Are you living a life of Passion? →

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Power is the ability to make change and exists for one reason only – transformation. Power is from the Latin word podere, meaning to be able. When the old has outgrown its purpose, it is time to transform into something new. Power is not a thing, but a way. It is a process of becoming … Continue reading THE RIGHT USE OF PERSONAL POWER →

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In the dental practice, daily preparation to plan for the next day is critical for practice management, efficiency, productivity and team involvement in the patient experience. The practices who audit their charts each day and come together to communicate the findings have an INCREASE IN GROWTH OF 10% WITH NO CHANGE. Think of what a … Continue reading How Chart Audits Increase Your Dental Practice’s Growth →

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 Periodontics has the greatest immediate potential for growth due to the amount of periodontal disease amongst our existing patients. The research shows that 60-80% of adults will have some level of periodontal disease. A tremendous service opportunity and growth center exists within your practice.   The answers to applying and standardizing the hygiene department to … Continue reading A Periodontal program is not an OPTION; it is a requirement! →

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Having a social-media strategy for your practice is no longer a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “right now.” Twitter, Facebook and the like can seem trivial, but they — along with a user-friendly Website — are vital for a modern dental practice. Here’s how to take advantage.   BUILD A BETTER WEBSITE: Professionals … Continue reading Social Media Skills →

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The greatest dental marketing tool of your practice is to RUN ON TIME. Patients expect to be seen on time in order to stay loyal, accept treatment plans and refer their friends. If your practice runs behind consistently, see below what we have discovered, from our experience as dental practice consultants, are the main obstacles … Continue reading Does your practice RUN on TIME? →

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Change is both inevitable and necessary to keep your practice productive and profitable. However, it is not uncommon for a change in policy, systems or responsibilities to be met with strong resistance from team members. When this happens, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that the resistance is due to obstinacy or laziness … Continue reading The Fear Factor of Productivity →

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One of the most common downfalls of many dental practices is the lack of roles and responsibilities. Often, team members know what needs to be done but there is quite a bit of confusion as to who is accountable for systems within the practice. What ends up happening is that work loads among team members … Continue reading Maximizing Team Performance →

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Alarm is being spread throughout the dental industry, due to the increasing number of practices being closed by Public Health due to improper sterilization and infection concerns. Just this summer, two practices have been temporarily closed in Ontario. In comparison with the number of practices, this is a low percentage, but, as members of the … Continue reading Sterilization in Dentistry: Get Compliant →

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Treatment coordinators can help a practice increase its case acceptance by up to 20%. That’s a laudable figure, but what should a Treatment Coordinator ultimately be responsible for to help make it happen? Choosing the right one can make all the difference between a practice that’s moderately successful and one that’s extravagantly so. NEW PATIENT … Continue reading Most Valuable Players in a Dental Practice →

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As dental professionals, we share a common goal of providing our patients with the very best. Maintaining a professional team image, with an up to date, stylish office will certainly impress your patients when they walk in the door. However, the one key element that determines both patient loyalty and referrals of family and friends … Continue reading The Power of Personal Connection →

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Consistently, studies have shown that patients rate their service satisfaction based on the depth of their emotional connection through personal and proactive communication and rate this as “very important” on the scale of what they expect from a dental practice. Visiting the dentist can often cause the emotions to run high in anxiety, dread, fear, … Continue reading How to Exceed Your Patient’s Expectations →

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Deciding to start your own practice can be both exhilarating and overwhelming. Your own practice provides you the opportunity to focus on your decided patient care philosophy and specialty. It also requires that you focus on all the business details that you didn’t learn in dental school. Decades of experience in dental practice management has … Continue reading Setting the Stage for Success: 4 Key Steps →

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At TGNA, we have had the pleasure of working with Dentists in all stages of their career. Most of our clients come to us to grow, change, and enhance their current operation. Some come to “get their house in order” before retiring. And others are just looking to build the practice they have always dreamed … Continue reading Setting the Stage for Success: Starting a practice. →

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Our up and coming employees in the work force are Millennials. It is the current executives and leaders (Gen X and Baby Boomers) responsibility to take the time to understand this generation. If we don’t take time to understand what drives them, what makes them want to get up every morning and come into work, … Continue reading Is The Millennial Generation Lacking Service Aptitude? →

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Scheduling How you engineer the schedule is of paramount importance for emergency management. Your history of the number of emergencies will determine the amount of pre- blocking you will need to do in your schedule. If you do not record your history of emergencies, pre-block your schedule for two emergency blocks a day. Pre-blocking for … Continue reading Scheduling & Treating Emergencies →

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As a coach for dental practices, one of the major areas of stress that we see in the daily operations is the way the team handles last minute emergencies. What usually happens is a patient calls with a concern and they are squeezed into the schedule between regularly scheduled clients. The result is serious time … Continue reading Handling Dental Emergencies →

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We all have gone to school to learn how to prepare teeth and treat periodontal pockets in the best possible way. We all have followed what has been taught to us throughout the ages at the dental schools. Today we should ask ourselves if our schools are keeping up to the times and changing needs. … Continue reading High-Tech, High Touch Dental Practice →

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Listening is a skill ~ an art. The more I coach, either in a team setting or one on one, the more I realize how important it is to develop our ability to listen. The key to communication and influencing people is to listen first and talk second and very little. Seek first to understand … Continue reading IS ANYONE LISTENING? →

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A crucial element to having an outstanding dental practice is outstanding team members. Many applicants may look great on paper, but will that translate to someone who will adhere to the practice vision and excellent job performance? An ideal way to get a true sense if an applicant is suitable for the position, focus on … Continue reading HIRING OUTSTANDING TEAM MEMBERS →

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The second thing we must do to decrease downtime is to educate our patients A lot of our patients have a very limited scope of what periodontal problems are and their effect on the entire body. We need to be able to show our patients the links between periodontal disease and heart disease. Let them know … Continue reading DECREASING DOWNTIME THROUGH PATIENT EDUCATION →

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Continuing with our “I just want to be a dentist” series, downtime in the schedule is a burning issue for almost every practice. Addressing the issue of hygiene downtime is a high priority for everyone involved. An acceptable measurable percentage for non-productive time in hygiene is 5-8%. If the hygiene program is appropriately designed, the … Continue reading DECREASING HYGIENE DOWNTIME →

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I have identified five specific conditions that must be created in order for successful and energizing change or transitions to take place. 1. A sense of urgent need and a plan of action that is clear and palpable to everyone on the team. A sense of urgency with an action plan is the first step. … Continue reading WHAT IT TAKES FOR A SUCCESSFUL & ENERGIZING TRANSITION →

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“Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine” Change is everywhere; the economy, the technology, the procedures, products, patient service demands and management philosophies are just a few of the changes that we are seeing every day within the dental industry. Dentistry is not the only profession seeing huge paradigm shifts and being challenged to … Continue reading CHANGE IS INEVITABLE →

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In a recent United Nations report , Canada rates 7th on the list of happiest countries in the world…

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The Assessment phase of the model consists of a Comprehensive Oral Evaluation that includes the collection of data from a procedural perspective combined with behavioural discovery…

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Fortunately for the profession of dental hygiene, we are no longer the “cleaning ladies” of the dental practice…

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The Success of a modern dental practice is entirely dependent on how effective it is at influencing its patients to say yes to optimal dental health…

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Dentistry is a human capital–people business and the patient’s loyalty, retention, case acceptance…

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Today’s dental economy and environment is more challenging and more competitive than ever before…

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To become a patient’s trusted advisor, our objective is to learn as much about the patient as you can in order to connect their dental treatment plan into their life…

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The success of a dental practice is completely dependent on how effective the team is in influencing patients to say “yes” to recommended care…

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Maintaining credibility when one’s practice or industry is under fire as described in our article last week, is much more difficult than simple mistakes…

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What does it mean to be resilient? When you are resilient, you are able to bounce back from frustrations and setbacks, by adapting and moving forward…

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While technology helps us work faster, access important information and stay in touch, it also has drawbacks, the most common is information overload…

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Don’t be afraid of changing, be afraid of NOT changing. Continual growth and evolution is the way to success and fulfillment…

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Email overload is a common stressor in the modern workplace. If you feel that email is impacting your productivity, the following tips may help…

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Last week we reviewed the signs and symptoms of stress due to overload and below are some strategies to gain control and reduce overwhelm on the job…

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Overload has a measurable and a significant impact on our physical, mental and emotional health, with 40% of the job turnover rate being directly related to job stress…

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Overload is everywhere and more and more people are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, depressed and burned out with all that is coming at them in both their personal and work lives…

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It is so hard to believe it is already the fourth quarter and the last couple of months for 2016. One of the greatest lessons for me in 2016 was how to overcome the stimulation, incoming messages, and scheduling while traveling…

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Ransomware, a rapidly growing form of internet based cyber attack, a type of malicious software that encrypts a practice’s data and holds it for ransom. It can affect any computer device. A ransomware attack can come from web browsing…

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