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The Dental MeTaMorphosis - The Profitable Dentist

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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />

<strong>MeTaMorphosis</strong><br />

Real-Life Reasons<br />

Your Patients Leave<br />

spriNG ‘08<br />

N e w s & I n f o r m a t i o n t o I n c r e a s e t h e P r o f i t a b i l i t y o f Yo u r P r a c t i c e<br />

®<br />

What’s Up<br />

With Deep<br />

BleachingTM Now?<br />

A New Approach<br />

to Composites<br />

<strong>The</strong> Road to True Happiness


Hurry ... offer expires March 31, 2008.


sTaFF<br />

Editor-in-Chief<br />

WOODY OAKES, DDS, FAES<br />

Associate Editors<br />

CRAIG CALLEN, DDS<br />

Executive Vice President of<br />

Operations/Finance<br />

DELAINE STEWART<br />

Executive Vice President of<br />

Marketing/Seminars<br />

CAROLYN SHOUSE MILLS<br />

Shipping Manager / Seminar Assistant<br />

LISA MERKEL<br />

Public Relations Liaison<br />

DONNA ARNOLD<br />

Front Office Coordinator /<br />

Administrative Assistant<br />

CHRISTY CLAYWELL<br />

Account Executive<br />

JENNIFER JONES<br />

Graphic Designer<br />

SUSAN VANDYKE<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> Design<br />

LEAH TAYLOR<br />

Taylor & Associates<br />

eDiToriaL aDVisorY BoarD<br />

DR. MICHAEL ABERNATHY McKinney, TX<br />

DR. BILL DORFMAN Los Angeles, CA<br />

DR. DAVID HORNBROOK La Mesa, CA<br />

DR. MARK HYMAN Greensboro, NC<br />

CATHY JAMESON Davis, OK<br />

DR. BILL KIMBALL Encinitas, CA<br />

DR. ROGER LEVIN Baltimore, MD<br />

DR. TOM ORENT Framingham, MA<br />

DR. STEVE RASNER Bridgeton, NJ<br />

DR. LARRY ROSENTHAL New York, NY<br />

DR. ROY SMITH Tyler, TX<br />

DR. BILL STRUPP Clearwater, FL<br />

Call Toll-Free: 1-800-337-8467<br />

Fax: (812) 949-8535<br />

Email: EID@theprofitabledentist.com<br />

© 2008 Excellence in <strong>Dentist</strong>ry, Inc., Publisher. Copyright enforced – no part of<br />

this publication may be reproduced without written permission. This publication is<br />

designed to provide reliable information in regard to the subject matter covered.<br />

However, it is sold with the understanding that it does not replace the need for<br />

advice from your personal, competent professional advisors.<br />

S p r i n g 2 0 0 8 | I s s u e 2 2 4<br />

Contents<br />

iN eVerY issUe<br />

Puzzle Piece 43<br />

Dont Forget Your Promises”<br />

by Dr. Woody Oakes<br />

Products & Solutions 44<br />

A Word from our Readers 44<br />

eDiToriaL<br />

A Word From Woody 4<br />

In the Spotlight 5<br />

<strong>The</strong> Road to Happiness 6<br />

By Dr. Johnny Savage<br />

praCTiCe MaNaGeMeNT<br />

“How to Handle Druggies” 8<br />

By Dr. Woody Oakes<br />

Seven Real-Life Reasons Your Patients Leave 9<br />

By Fred Joyal<br />

Case Acceptance 12<br />

By Dr. Mike Abernathy<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Metamorphosis 14<br />

By Dr. Guy Moore & Linda Camoriano<br />

Credit Repair: <strong>The</strong> Truth About What Can and Cannot be Done 17<br />

By Laurence H. Michelson<br />

Your New, Low Cost Employee ... Smile Reminder TM ! 19<br />

By Craig Callen<br />

Submitting Patient Information Online is Simple, Secure & Time Saving 20<br />

Dr. Keith D. Rossein<br />

An Interview with Dr. Jimmy Eubanks,<br />

founder of <strong>The</strong> Eubank Institute for Advanced Clinical Education 24<br />

Long Term Facility Requirements: What’s Your Plan? 27<br />

By George D. Vaill<br />

CLiNiCaL/TeChNiCaL<br />

Crown & Bridge Problems How To Fix <strong>The</strong>m! 28<br />

By Dr. Michael Curtis<br />

What’s Up With Deep Bleaching TM NOW?? 32<br />

An interview with Dr. Rod Kurthy<br />

Stress-Free, Easy and <strong>Profitable</strong> Dentures 35<br />

By Dr. John Lyons<br />

A New Approach to Composites 37<br />

By Dr. Dennis Brown<br />

hoW To reaCh Us<br />

aDDiTioNaL NeWs<br />

Telephone: 1-800-337-8467 or 1-812-949-9043<br />

Payments by North American Bancard 36<br />

Mail: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong><br />

By Leo Townsend<br />

3211 Grantline Road, Suite 20<br />

New Albany, IN 47150<br />

Fax: 1-812-949-8535<br />

Email: eid@theprofitabledentist.com<br />

<strong>The</strong> Shocking Truth 40<br />

about the U.S. Legal System!<br />

By Douglass Lodmell, J.D.<br />

Website: 1 - 8 www.theprofitabledentist.com<br />

0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


a Word<br />

from<br />

Woody<br />

Welcome to the Spring issue of “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong>”!<br />

We sense that all of you are ready to put the cold weather season<br />

behind you and move into the Spring and Summer seasons?<br />

I’ve just returned from an extended stay at my place in Sandestin,<br />

Florida and hope that many of you are making plans to join us April<br />

17-19, 2008 for our annual “Spring Break” Seminar!<br />

We anticipate a record crowd this year so please make plans now for<br />

you and your team to attend. (See page 7 for details.)<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are a lot of great articles in this issue of “<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong><br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>” that we know you’ll enjoy. And as always, we welcome<br />

your suggestions and feedback.<br />

Until next time, take care.<br />

Regards,<br />

Woody Oakes, DDS<br />

Editor-in-Chief<br />

of the only marketing program that Dr. Woody Oakes, Greg Stanley and other experts<br />

endorse because it gives the highest return on any advertising program in dentistry!<br />

Now you don’t have to pay a fortune (OR sign a contract) to<br />

target New “Fee-for-Service Patients” that have just moved into<br />

your zip code.<br />

• First, we mail a full-color, highly personalized introductory<br />

letter with powerful new-patient offers that really work!<br />

• <strong>The</strong>n, we follow up two or three times with our unique<br />

full-color, proven, personalized publication every 30 days for an<br />

unbelievably low price!!<br />

This proven program will flood your practice with “New Patients!”<br />

• We’ll get you an average on your advertising investment.<br />

• No one else can do this for you!<br />

Attract those New Patients before the dentist down the street gets them!<br />

For a FREE information<br />

packet, call today!<br />

Woody on the beach in Sandestin<br />

making sure every aspect of the<br />

Destin 2008 Seminar is perfect.<br />

See you there!<br />

����������������<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com<br />

��� ���<br />

���


iStockphoto.com/ailime<br />

Consulting for this<br />

Generation<br />

aegis progressive solutions<br />

Change. It can be felt. It can’t be avoided.<br />

It won’t be ignored.<br />

Regarding change, author Alan Cohen said, “It takes<br />

a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly<br />

secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security<br />

in what is no longer meaningful. <strong>The</strong>re is more security in<br />

the adventurous and exciting, for in the movement there is<br />

life, and in change there is power.”<br />

It is the best or worst of times for dentists depending<br />

on how they are approaching change. Changes in culture<br />

and consumerism are occurring so rapidly that many business<br />

owners are being caught with their eyes wide shut<br />

and are failing to compete and survive. <strong>Dental</strong> franchises<br />

are threatening traditional practices and popping up<br />

everywhere offering lower prices, same-day dentures, and<br />

on-the-spot comprehensive care. Business is changing.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>ry is changing and in the changes there is power.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>s get advice from all sorts of well-meaning<br />

advisors. <strong>The</strong> advice amazingly suggests the exact opposite<br />

of what should be done. Many dentists are confused in a<br />

cloud of consulting white noise and can’t seem to determine<br />

what is right, what will work, or whose advice to follow.<br />

Because the business of dentistry is changing so<br />

much, so quickly, this “white noise” and yesterday’s<br />

tactics aren’t good enough. Out-of-the-box thinking, new<br />

perspectives, and modern solutions are necessary for survival,<br />

prosperity and extreme practice growth. It is time to let go<br />

of out-dated advice that just isn’t producing lasting results<br />

and take courage in something exciting.<br />

Aegis Progressive Solutions is an inviting power, a<br />

fresh presence, a new force in the business of dentistry that is<br />

changing dentists’ philosophies and producing extreme results.<br />

Aegis provides Consulting for this generation.Consulting for<br />

this generation knows dentistry and business.<br />

Too many times the person telling you how to build a<br />

super-profitable practice has never even touched a patient<br />

or built a successful practice themselves. Dr. Moore has<br />

cared for thousands of patients and been involved with many<br />

multi-million dollar practices. In just a couple years, he<br />

built a $900,000 practice into a extraordinary $3,000,000<br />

single-practitioner dental practice.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Vice President of Aegis, Linda Camoriano,<br />

presents years of clinical experience as an EFDA as well<br />

as educational and professional experience in marketing,<br />

communications, and public relations. Every Aegis em-<br />

In THe spoTlIgHT<br />

ployee is a top-notch<br />

dental professional<br />

who has combined<br />

clinical and business<br />

experience. <strong>The</strong>y are edgy and speak today’s language for success!<br />

<strong>The</strong>y bring the best of dentistry and business to your office.<br />

Consulting for this generation is comprehensive and<br />

uses the “Focus On Five” approach. <strong>The</strong> approach combines<br />

Message – Marketing – Momentum – Management – Money and<br />

offers comprehensive, congruent systems in one, all-you-need,<br />

affordable program.<br />

Message – Creating (or recreating) and establishing<br />

business identity. Centering the practice. Branding.<br />

Marketing – a strategic campaign to dominate the<br />

marketplace and increase the flow of new patients to at<br />

least 100 per month.<br />

Momentum – Creating the bandwagon effect. When new<br />

patient flow reaches a really good “critical mass” where<br />

the practice begins to take on an energy working to<br />

meet the demands.<br />

Management – Implementing a fresh, efficient business<br />

model and team approach to accommodate increased<br />

patient flow, higher production, and overall practice<br />

growth, in a low-maintenance, stress-free environment.<br />

Money – Make a lot more with fewer headaches. Use<br />

Aegis’ unique, modern approach to financing, which<br />

removes obstacles to case acceptance and higher<br />

production and almost totally eliminates collections.<br />

Consulting for this generation is visual and hands-on.<br />

Aegis doesn’t just tell you what to do, they show you or do it<br />

for you. <strong>The</strong>ir consultants recommend and implement procedures<br />

and protocol. <strong>The</strong>y even “scrub up” to provide clinical<br />

coaching and live case presentations.<br />

You deserve to make a lot of money and you deserve to<br />

enjoy everyday you’re working. Aegis brings vision and contagious<br />

enthusiasm to you and your staff.<br />

Aegis clients across the nation are approaching change<br />

head on; they are not afraid of it nor are they ignoring it.<br />

Instead, they are inviting it!<br />

Go to www.aegisprogressive.com to contact Dr. Moore and<br />

Linda. See information about their upcoming seminar on page. 15.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


editorial<br />

<strong>The</strong> road to happiness<br />

By Dr. Johnny Savage<br />

This “epiphany” came to me several months ago while I was<br />

thinking about happiness. So I stopped and wrote down this<br />

insight before I forgot it. That will happen at 73!!<br />

Also, I wrote my thoughts down about this idea and wanted to<br />

share it with you. I have had an opportunity to share it with two<br />

different gurus and have gotten a tremendous response.<br />

Your ego wants you to be bigger,<br />

better or to have more than others.<br />

As you see on the diagram, the ego<br />

will always cause you to think on a<br />

horizontal plane back and forth from<br />

past to future with ego controlled<br />

thoughts leading the un-happiness in<br />

the present moment.<br />

For example: How do you feel when<br />

you have resentment toward others,<br />

judge or feel superior. Certainly we<br />

realize that thoughts of fear, envy,<br />

hate, worry or guilt do not add joy to<br />

our lives. What about trying to force<br />

or change your spouse, children, or<br />

friends. It never works! We all know<br />

that! For the rest of your life, think of<br />

these ego thoughts as horizontal and it<br />

will help you to change.<br />

For happiness, vertical thoughts<br />

are much superior and I believe<br />

they come from Source – the Creative<br />

Power of the universe – we know as<br />

God. Just think of how you feel when<br />

you have an attitude of gratitude for all<br />

the things in your life.<br />

And don’t we all know that we have<br />

to forgive everyone who has ever<br />

hurt us in any way. We all want to be<br />

accepted and approved. We love to<br />

be around people who are kind, caring<br />

and considerate. It is a special blessing<br />

to be with these persons.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se are all vertical thoughts that<br />

lead to peace, serenity, and happiness<br />

“powerful insight #1”<br />

A good description of your ego is<br />

that it is a “Psychological<br />

dis-functional relationship with<br />

the present moment”<br />

Past<br />

Ego<br />

Criticize, Condemn, Complain,<br />

Envy, Rigid, Resentment,<br />

Judgement, Blame, Superior<br />

<strong>The</strong> ego always wants you<br />

to be bigger, better or have<br />

more than others. <strong>The</strong> ego will<br />

always cause you to think on<br />

a Horizontal Plane from Past,<br />

Present, and Future leading<br />

to unhappiness in the present<br />

moment!<br />

for you. Thus if you will begin to think of your thoughts as<br />

vertical or horizontal you will get an instant insight as to whether<br />

you need to change and make yourself happier. By asking this<br />

first important question with any thought: “Am I vertical or<br />

horizontal?” You can improve your happiness in any moment.<br />

Vertical or horizontal has made a big impact on my happiness<br />

and I hope it will be of benefit to you.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Road To happiness<br />

By Johnny Savage<br />

October 2007<br />

Peace, Serenity and Happiness<br />

Unconditional Love<br />

Love<br />

Happiness<br />

Joyfulness<br />

Helping Others<br />

Giving<br />

Non-Judgemental<br />

Honesty<br />

Virtuous<br />

Present Awareness<br />

Kind<br />

Caring<br />

Thoughtful<br />

Compassion<br />

Acceptance<br />

Forgiving<br />

An Attitude of Gratitude<br />

Source<br />

<strong>The</strong> Creative Power of the Universe<br />

GOD<br />

“powerful insight #2”<br />

<strong>The</strong> most important question<br />

to ask yourself in any moment<br />

“Am I horizontal or vertical in my<br />

thoughts and actions?”<br />

Fear, Force Control, Hate,<br />

Righteous, Dictatorial, Anxious,<br />

Arrogant, Anticipate, Worry, Guilt<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com<br />

Future<br />

Ego<br />

“<strong>The</strong> Solution”<br />

This simple question: Am I<br />

horizontal or vertical in any moment<br />

will give you a powerful<br />

insight if you need to change<br />

from horizontal to vertical to<br />

increase joy, peace, serenity<br />

and happiness in your life.<br />

Johnny has both dental and law degrees from Emory University in Atlanta. While in dental school at Emory, he was elected<br />

President of the student body. After graduation, he was a dentist in the Navy on an icebreaker for two trips to Antarctica.<br />

He then returned to Atlanta and served for ten years in the Georgia Legislature. He currently practices dentistry in the river<br />

swamps of northwest Florida, thirty miles from the closest town. He is very active tennis player and has a passionate interest<br />

in dentistry, philosophy, psychiatry, religion, politics, and happiness. Johnny has spoken to many professional and civic<br />

groups on these various topics.<br />

John Savage<br />

5419 Little Acre Road<br />

Ebro, Florida 32437<br />

(850) 535-2257


“Can You Say <strong>The</strong>se 7 Things<br />

About Your Practice?”<br />

• He produces $3,750/Hour<br />

• one single cHange added $1M/year<br />

• His practice does over $4M/year witH only one associate<br />

• tHe practice does $750,000 in Hygiene alone witH 55% net<br />

• He attracts 80 new sedation patients/MontH<br />

• His office is 6,500 square feet (on tHree acres), Has a detacHed<br />

exercise/weigHt rooM for tHe staff<br />

• He’ll be flying His private plane to our destin, florida seMinar<br />

If not, plan to attend dentIstry’s # 1 semInar!<br />

and… He’ll tell yoU eXaCtly HoW He does It!<br />

Destin 2008<br />

Here are 22 more reasons to attend:<br />

Sally McKenzie, CMC<br />

Keynote Speaker<br />

Dr. Mike Abernathy Dr. Bill Kimball<br />

Dr. Bruce Baird Dr. Rod Kurthy<br />

Dr. Earl Bergersen Dr. Lorne Lavine<br />

Dr. Jeff Blackburn Dr. Marc Liechtung<br />

Wendy Briggs, RDH Tom Limoli<br />

Dr. Clifton Georgaklis Vicki McManus, RDH<br />

Dr. Robert H. Gregg Dr. Wayne Mortenson<br />

Fred Joyal Dr. Roy Smith<br />

Gary Kadi Dr. Joe Steven<br />

Dr. Chris Kammer Dr. Pat Wahl /<br />

Ginny Hegarty<br />

18+ CE credit hours. Approval of credits subject to individual state guidelines.<br />

Excellence in <strong>Dentist</strong>ry is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider<br />

18+ CE<br />

Credits!<br />

AGD recognizes and accepts the ADA CERP approval for Fellowship and<br />

Mastership credit. Approval of credits subject to individual licensing authority.<br />

June 2009<br />

Call 1-800-DESTIN-7<br />

(1-800-337-8467)<br />

“We can’t reveal who this speaker is until<br />

the event, but he has the most amazing<br />

general practice I have ever seen!”<br />

says Dr. Woody Oakes.<br />

Need aNother reasoN<br />

to atteNd?<br />

“Anyone who is planning on hosting<br />

a dental meeting should study the<br />

magic and mastery of the excellence<br />

in dentistry meeting put on by Woody<br />

Oakes and his team. We attend at<br />

least 25 events a year and no one does<br />

it better!” Ron Joyal, Chief Mkting.<br />

offiCeR<br />

1-800-<strong>Dentist</strong>, los angeles, Ca<br />

“If you want to meet the best dentists—<br />

go to EXCELLENCE IN DENTISTRY”<br />

DR. loRin BeRlanD,<br />

Dallas, tX<br />

“I had a marvelous time at Destin and<br />

on a scale of 1 to 10, it was about a<br />

40!” DR. Mike BonneR,<br />

san antonio, tX<br />

“Great conference. Enjoyed all 3<br />

days, and discovered dozens of pearls.<br />

Liked it so much that I signed up our<br />

staff for next year’s conference. I’m<br />

convinced we can produce a million<br />

per year and I believe it can be done<br />

within 3 years or less. Thanks again.”<br />

DR. gene ZiegenhoRn,<br />

anDRews, sC<br />

Register<br />

Today!<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

8<br />

“how to handle Druggies”<br />

By Dr. Woody Oakes<br />

All of us have<br />

problems from<br />

time to time with<br />

folks seeking pain<br />

meds they don’t<br />

need. Here’s<br />

the office policy<br />

of Louisville<br />

Neurosurgical<br />

Specialists that<br />

nicely covers<br />

this touchy<br />

topic.<br />

Reprint from the<br />

Neurosurgical Specialists.<br />

PRESCRIPTION/DRUG POLICY<br />

Prescriptions will not be refilled after normal business hours, on holidays or weekends<br />

when the doctor on call does not have your records. This is for your safety and the safety of<br />

others. An early refill on your pain medicine will NOT be granted if you take more than the<br />

prescribed amount.<br />

Prescription refills should be called into your pharmacy. Your pharmacy will then contact the<br />

office. It will take up to two working office days to refill a prescription.<br />

Prescriptions will not be refilled if you have cancelled your last appointment, did not<br />

show for your last appointment, if you do not follow through with recommended medical<br />

treatment/testing, you have been discharged from the practice, or if you were to return only<br />

as needed (PRN). WE DO NOT PRACTICE PAIN MANAGEMENT.<br />

Prescriptions that have been lost (or discarded) will not be refilled.<br />

Prescriptions that have been stolen will not be refilled.<br />

During the time of your care in this office, unless we have referred you to a pain management<br />

specialist, this office will be the ONLY SOURCE OF YOUR PAIN MEDICINE. You may<br />

still receive other medication (for an example, antibiotics.) from your family doctor, but only<br />

ONE doctor should be prescribing your pain medication at a time.<br />

It is our legal duty to report to the authorities the name of a patient whom we believe may be<br />

taking, selling, or distributing narcotics or other medications illegally.<br />

We reserve the right to terminate the doctor-patient relationship in the even of any breech in<br />

this policy by the patient.<br />

I HAVE READ THE ABOVE AND UNDERSTAND THE PRESCRIPTION POLICIES.<br />

PATIENT SIGNATURE: ____________________________ DATE: ______________<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


When was the last time you took a close look at your patient<br />

database? If it’s been a while, many of your records could be<br />

outdated or inactive. While many dentists concern themselves<br />

with how many new patients are coming in the front door, few<br />

spend time figuring out why existing patients leave.<br />

At 1-800-DENTIST, we receive calls 24-hours a day from people<br />

looking for a dentist. <strong>The</strong> majority of these callers don’t currently<br />

have a dentist, but some admit they are searching for a new<br />

practice – and they are eager to tell us why. After working<br />

with thousands of practices and interacting with millions of<br />

patients, here are the primary reasons we’ve determined<br />

why patients leave...<br />

real-Life reasons<br />

Your patients Leave<br />

By Fred Joyal<br />

CEO & Co-Founder of 1-800-DENTIST<br />

#1 <strong>The</strong>y move away.<br />

According to the U.S. Postal Service, roughly 14%<br />

of the American population moves or changes addresses<br />

annually. More importantly, 8% move out of their current<br />

county—which means they probably aren’t going to keep<br />

the same dentist. So, in a large city, you can expect to<br />

lose 8-10% of your patients every year. Do you know<br />

which of your patients have moved? Usually you only<br />

find out when the patient, or their new dentist, requests<br />

their dental records.<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


10<br />

#2 Your practice doesn’t offer<br />

what they want.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y’ve heard about Invisalign®, lasers, one-day<br />

restorations with CEREC® machines, or they saw ZOOM!®<br />

whitening on Extreme Makeover® – the problem is that you<br />

don’t offer these things. So they go somewhere else to get it.<br />

#3 <strong>The</strong>y don’t know what you do.<br />

You may have done 600 hours of cosmetic C.E. with<br />

the top clinicians in the country. Perhaps you offer I.V. sedation<br />

and place implants. But this doesn’t make a difference unless<br />

they know that you do. Don’t assume that you or your staff have<br />

mentioned it or that they know because you have brochures<br />

available in the waiting room. <strong>The</strong> reality is that patients spend<br />

most of their time in your office looking at the ceiling. So unless<br />

it’s written up there, they most likely don’t know about it. More<br />

importantly, telling people what you can do for them once is not<br />

effective. Most patients are only listening if it’s something that<br />

matters to them right at that moment. Effective practice marketing<br />

means repeatedly telling your patients in a variety of ways about<br />

the services your practice offers and the benefits of those services.<br />

I’ve heard dentists mention having a long-time patient<br />

show up for a recare appointment with a full set of veneers.<br />

When asked why they went elsewhere for the procedure, the<br />

story is always the same: <strong>The</strong>y saw an ad for a great “cosmetic”<br />

dentist. When the dentist explains that he also does veneers, the<br />

patient says, “Oh, but cosmetics is the other dentist’s specialty!”<br />

Now their “general” dentist gets to do prophys on that smile<br />

for the next 20 years. Communicate what you do to your patients<br />

repeatedly – this is your greatest resource for increased production.<br />

#4 <strong>The</strong>y haven’t budgeted for<br />

dentistry, so anything more<br />

than zero is “expensive.”<br />

One of the most common complaints we hear from<br />

consumers is about fees for dental care. <strong>The</strong>y’ll say, “He charged<br />

me $1,000 for a root canal!” And we’ll calmly answer that this<br />

is a reasonable fee. Let’s face it, most people don’t understand<br />

what dentistry costs because it hasn’t been fully explained to<br />

them. In fact, cost is one of the main reasons why people avoid<br />

the dentist in the first place. <strong>The</strong>y think it’s expensive (and<br />

insurance doesn’t pay for it, they lament!) and all they’re paying<br />

for is discomfort. Many believe that six-month recall is a myth<br />

created by the ADA. <strong>The</strong> truth is, in order to bring patients into<br />

comprehensive care, they have to appreciate the value of what<br />

you do. This means your staff, office environment, technology<br />

and you as the doctor have to communicate to the patient why<br />

they should value the care you provide.<br />

Remember, 80% of what you do in dentistry is elective.<br />

And people spend their discretionary income on things that they<br />

want, not things that they need. So it’s up to you and your staff<br />

to demonstrate how what you have to offer can improve their<br />

quality of life, build their confidence and enhance their looks –<br />

you’re not just providing scheduled maintenance.<br />

#5 <strong>The</strong>ir insurance changed, and<br />

you don’t take it.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re’s not much you can do about that, right? At<br />

1-800-DENTIST, we ask consumers if they are willing to go<br />

out of their plan for the right dentist, and often they will. People<br />

want good dentistry, not necessarily the cheapest. For those<br />

patients who are contemplating leaving because of an insurance<br />

plan change, let them know you would still like to treat them even<br />

though they’re on a closed plan. Hopefully they will find value in<br />

the relationship and some will stay. Others will come back when<br />

they don’t like the care they’ve gotten somewhere else.<br />

#6 <strong>The</strong>y are embarrassed about how<br />

long they’ve put off their recall.<br />

This may seem strange, but people feel uncomfortable<br />

about being chided for neglecting their exams and cleanings.<br />

Some people would rather go to an entirely new dentist rather<br />

than face a dentist they’ve avoided for a long time. Don’t make<br />

your patients feel guilty. Let them know you’re there to treat<br />

them when they are ready, and ask how you can make it more<br />

convenient for them.<br />

#7 <strong>The</strong>y don’t think you care.<br />

Many patients think you don’t care about them<br />

personally. It’s very easy for you to get caught up in the clinical<br />

side of things and very often your staff is multi-tasking and<br />

doesn’t pay proper attention to the patient. But it only takes a<br />

moment to let your patient know that you understand their fear<br />

and their discomfort – and suddenly they feel cared for. <strong>The</strong>y<br />

don’t expect dentistry to feel good, which is all the more reason<br />

to take the time to acknowledge what they’re going through.<br />

Otherwise you’re just telling them that all they represent is<br />

income to you. And no one likes feeling that way.<br />

Successful practices make their highest priority ensuring<br />

their patients know they care. This can often take as little as<br />

a minute of your time, or your staff’s time, asking about their<br />

kids, telling a joke or sharing a story. My dentist was doing a<br />

rather long and unpleasant crown restoration on me and right in<br />

the middle he stopped and said, “Why don’t we let your mouth<br />

calm down a little bit since we’ve been doing a lot of work here?<br />

So, what’s new?” After two minutes of talking, he resumed and<br />

completed the treatment. Instantly, he showed how much he<br />

cared about my comfort. With a little effort, it can take only a<br />

few minutes to turn someone into a long-term, loyal patient.<br />

<strong>The</strong> simple solution most often is communication,<br />

the kind of interaction that shows patients that they are in a<br />

relationship with you about their lifelong oral health. Show<br />

them you care, relate to them, equip your office with the latest<br />

technology and for goodness sake, tell them what you do. Getting<br />

new patients is tough enough. It’s worth the effort to keep them.<br />

Fred Joyal co-founded 1-800-DENTIST® in 1986 to provide screened patients to<br />

member dentists while emphasizing the importance of oral health to millions of<br />

consumers through national commercials, which feature him as the spokesperson.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ir internal marketing program, Patient Activator, also helps educate patients,<br />

improving recall and treatment acceptance for member dentists. He can be reached<br />

at fjoyal@1800dentist.com or (310) 215-6400.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


Learn Jay Geier’s Practice Building Strategy That Has Changed<br />

the Lives and Practices of 2,322 <strong>Dentist</strong>s Across the Country!<br />

“Jay has a unique approach to new patient generation and practice expansion that is truly<br />

amazing. I am so impressed with Jay’s results that I have hired him to work with my<br />

MEGA coaching group & my Excellence in <strong>Dentist</strong>ry team.”<br />

- Dr. Woody Oakes, Editor-In-Chief of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong><br />

“Jay, I want to relay to you the incredible influence you’ve had on our office. It has been a practice-altering experience! In<br />

the last year, our New Patients have increased 145%. Our practice growth has been incredible as well. This is a remarkable<br />

statistic as I have been in private practice in the same location for 25 years and we have always been busy and successful.”<br />

- Dr. Edward G. Johnson, NJ<br />

“When we started with the Scheduling Institute we were averaging 198 new patients a<br />

month with a conversion rate of 64%. In the last three months we have averaged 358<br />

new patients a month with a 91% conversion rate.” - Dr. Michael Abernathy, Texas<br />

“From our first month back in April, we have been up anywhere from 60 to 75% each month in our new patient volume<br />

compared to the previous year. That was just incredible for me and that also meant a great return on investment because<br />

our practice also jumped about 20 to 25% over the last six months. And so we’re just thrilled.” - Dr. Ron Senn, WA<br />

“<strong>The</strong> doctor who sold me on Jay and the Scheduling Institute had just seen his new patients increase from 200<br />

per month to over 350 per month in just 30 days. I was blown away! Since then, we introduce Jay’s program<br />

into every office we service!” - Greg Stanley, Whitehall Management<br />

“<strong>The</strong> $12,000 a month we were spending on advertising was performing less and less. We made<br />

the bold decision to discontinue our paid advertising at the same time we started working with Jay.<br />

BINGO! In the first month our office saw an immediate jump from 175 to 250 new patient<br />

appointments. Jay’s wisdom and ‘keep it simple’ strategies are refreshing and can be<br />

implemented economically and immediately.” - Dr. Roger W. Abbott, Georgia<br />

“Working with the Scheduling Institute has actually been a mini miracle in my life. My new patients<br />

have increased effortlessly 30%. I was averaging 35 to 40 new patients a month and now I see about<br />

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v Ready to Enroll in Jay Geier’s Scheduling Institute Today?<br />

Call 770-518-7575 for Express Enrollment—Guaranteed 5 Minutes or Less!<br />

v Want More Information? Jay Will Send You a FREE Custom Analysis of Your Staff<br />

1. Call 770-518-7575<br />

2. Visit www.JayTeachMyStaff.com, OR<br />

3. Copy this page, complete the form below, and fax it to 770-518-7577.<br />

________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

Your Name Email Address<br />

________________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

Mailing Address *<strong>The</strong> information we will be sending you is confidential and should only be reviewed by you, the dentist. <strong>The</strong>refore,<br />

we ask that the mailing address you provide is an address where you are the ONLY one who opens the mail.<br />

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City State Zip<br />

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Office Phone Fax<br />

For Express Enrollment—Guaranteed 5 Minutes or Less—Call 770-518-7575<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 11


PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

12<br />

Case aCCepTaNCe<br />

By Dr. Mike Abernathy<br />

<strong>The</strong> “can’t miss,<br />

shooting dead fish<br />

in a barrel with a<br />

bazooka strategy”<br />

to 100% case<br />

acceptance.<br />

We regularly receive questions about case acceptance, indicating<br />

that there is a lot of confusion in dentistry about the<br />

subject in general. It seems to mean different things to different<br />

people. If you attend enough continuing education<br />

courses, you never seem to discover a common consensus<br />

about how you define or measure it.<br />

In a recent email, a doctor posed three questions about case<br />

acceptance and how to measure it:<br />

1. If the patient says “Yes” at the chair, or in<br />

the consultation room, does that mean they<br />

have accepted your entire treatment plan?<br />

2. Does the patient have to say “Yes” and<br />

then pay for all of the treatment for there<br />

to be case acceptance? (If they pay as they<br />

go would that still be case acceptance?)<br />

3. What if the patient starts the treatment but<br />

for some reason stops prior to completion of<br />

the entire treatment plan?<br />

We are going to answer these questions and give you<br />

everything you ever wanted to know about case acceptance.<br />

So, what is case acceptance? Remember, in any case<br />

presentation the bottom line is to “tie the patient to the<br />

office.” I consider case acceptance to have occurred when<br />

the patient says “Yes”, shows up, pays for treatment, and<br />

refers everyone they know.<br />

Let me take a moment and tell you what case<br />

acceptance is not. <strong>The</strong> patient can say “Yes” and still not<br />

have accepted the case. <strong>The</strong> only reason they said “Yes”<br />

was to get out of the consultation room (otherwise they<br />

would have to listen to the Doctor go on and on and on<br />

and on). <strong>The</strong>y had no intention of actually showing up for<br />

the appointment. <strong>The</strong> process of case acceptance starts<br />

with the first phone call. Miss any step, mess up once, and<br />

you’re done. What if they say “Yes”, show up and change<br />

the treatment plan? Instead of a crown and buildup you are<br />

faced with doing an extraction. What if they say “Yes” in<br />

the treatment room but can’t afford it or you can’t fit it into<br />

their budget? <strong>The</strong>y say “Yes” but you’re not open during<br />

the hours when they want to come in? <strong>The</strong>y need to come<br />

in after work or maybe on Friday or Saturday. As you can<br />

see, case acceptance is not a moment in time but a series<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


of systems that set the stage and carry the patient through to a<br />

successful result. Only if the patient says “Yes”, shows up, pays<br />

for treatment, and refers everyone they know do we have true<br />

case acceptance. Our patients vote with their feet. If you keep<br />

seeing the backs of their heads, something is wrong.<br />

Where do we start? Let’s look at it from the patient’s<br />

point of view. I’m going to show up at your door step in one<br />

of two scenarios: I call with a problem (toothache) or I call<br />

and want my teeth cleaned. From the perspective of the caller<br />

(potential patient) these are the only things I know to ask<br />

for. As a consultant, I feel we need to give the patient more<br />

of what he or she wants, and less of what he or she doesn’t<br />

want. Remember, you can’t get better at giving patients<br />

what they don’t want. If a potential patient calls and you<br />

can’t say “Yes” to what they ask for, the first step in the system<br />

of successful case acceptance has failed. As the patient, I<br />

want my teeth cleaned or I want the problem to go away. We<br />

sell “solutions to problems” and “good feelings.” You must<br />

happily give them what they want, and tell them what they<br />

need. <strong>The</strong> trick is to help them “want” what they need, and fit<br />

it into an already tight budget.<br />

Turn Key practice<br />

opportunity:<br />

pLaza<br />

DeNTaL<br />

GroUp<br />

For<br />

saLe<br />

Dear Doctor,<br />

How, as dental professionals, do we balance this ethical<br />

dilemma with running a consumer driven business? Let’s look at<br />

it from the doctor’s point of view. We have conflicting strategies<br />

of what the new patient “experience” should look like. It seems<br />

that every guru or consultant has a different definition of what<br />

“comprehensive dentistry” is and how we should deliver it.<br />

How can we determine what to do? Axiom #1: You must tell<br />

the patient what is wrong, what caused it, what will happen if it<br />

is not addressed and what you recommend as treatment options.<br />

Axiom #2: You must give the patient what they want, in order to<br />

have the opportunity to eventually deliver what they need. Vary<br />

from these principles and your case acceptance will plummet.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se last few sentences form the foundation to excellent case<br />

acceptance. Misunderstand their implications and you will ruin<br />

any opportunity at success in dentistry. Before you challenge<br />

any of the above, remember: If you are not growing you are not<br />

meeting your patients’ needs.<br />

Back to the original question from our doctor: <strong>The</strong>re are....<br />

Read the rest of this article complete with sample forms at<br />

www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com.<br />

Are you looking to stArt A prActice<br />

without spending $250,000?<br />

Last year Woody started Plaza <strong>Dental</strong> Group and Plaza <strong>Dental</strong> Assisting School<br />

in beautiful New Albany, IN just over the river from Louisville, KY and right next to the<br />

publication office. While Woody enjoyed putting the office together and getting it off to a great<br />

start, I’ve convinced him that he’s too busy with his other commitments and his recent back<br />

surgery to spend time “at the office” working on teeth. He asked me to coordinate the sale of<br />

the dental office while allowing him to retain the assisting school since that doesn’t take hands-on<br />

time from Woody. This is a wonderful opportunity to be mentored by one of dentistry’s greats while<br />

growing your own dental practice. I’ll bet you’ll also get all the dental DVDs, CE seminars and one-onone<br />

visits with the people Woody interacts with … most of the biggest names in dentistry.<br />

Take the virtual tour at www.plazadentalgp.com. Woody only spent $83,000<br />

putting the office together, which includes great signage, reception, consultation and<br />

business areas, central sterilization, lab, Panoramic x-ray, and two fully equipped<br />

operatories. He would be happy to just get his money back out, which is pretty generous in<br />

my opinion … but that’s Woody. Please call me at 1-800-800-6950 to discuss if you might be<br />

a candidate for this opportunity to work with woody!<br />

to your success,<br />

Bill Kimball, DDS<br />

President, Kimball Consulting, Inc.<br />

Bill<br />

800.800.6950 Direct 805.460.0774 Fax 888.357.8346<br />

www.kimballconsulting.com<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 1


Page 1<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

1<br />

<strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Dental</strong><br />

<strong>MeTaMorphosis</strong><br />

By Dr. Guy Moore<br />

and Linda Camoriano<br />

Success in today’s dental world demands that dentists morph<br />

the roles of clinician and business person.<br />

As a single-practitioner, I produce $3,000,000 annually.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>s nationwide ask, “How in the world do you produce<br />

that much?” I produce this much because I have forced myself<br />

to morph – to become a really good dentist and an equally good<br />

business man. <strong>The</strong>se roles are no longer mutually exclusive. I<br />

have to keep a two-fold perspective – I view myself as a dentist<br />

and view my practice as a business.<br />

Business success depends on clinical abilities. As dentists<br />

we need to master the services within our discipline and strive to<br />

have referral-free businesses.<br />

Today’s general dentists can skyrocket their income and job<br />

satisfaction by maximizing their skill sets instead of referring<br />

patients out. People want one-stop shopping – they want to have<br />

all their dental work completed in one convenient location. It is<br />

bad business to send customers elsewhere for service.<br />

Many patients come to my office because their dentists<br />

referred them to a specialist who was out of town and cost more<br />

money. <strong>The</strong>y see my advertisements or hear about my practice and<br />

call to schedule an appointment. After I treat them, I encourage<br />

them to return to their “regular” dentist. Most of the time they<br />

won’t go back because I offered them a superior skill set and a<br />

better experience. In cases like this, I do not apologize; I don’t<br />

steal patients, other dentists lose them.<br />

Realize that talent is only a starting point and the skills of<br />

dentistry must be constantly increased and refined. Expand your<br />

skill set to include endodontics and extractions. Learn to perform<br />

adjunctive procedures: tori removal, implants, bone augmentation<br />

and apicoectomies. Not only are endodontics and surgeries high<br />

profit procedures, they allow you to deal with complications and<br />

manage failures easily and comfortably within your office.<br />

Expanded skill sets allow practitioners to promote and<br />

provide the highest standard of comprehensive, convenient care.<br />

Having a referral-free office dramatically increases patient satisfaction,<br />

patient retention, referrals and production.<br />

Clinical success depends on business abilities. A smart<br />

business man will:<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


1. Think lemonade.<br />

Don’t complicate things. <strong>The</strong> business of dentistry is<br />

like a lemonade stand – you recognize customers’ needs,<br />

you offer a great product and service, you make the consumer<br />

aware of your product, then you make it affordable and<br />

convenient. You must manage your plan, your resources, and<br />

your finances for success.<br />

Compete for customers; don’t let them wait to find you.<br />

Strive for 100 new patients a month and don’t make excuses<br />

why you can’t. Watch what Fortune 500 companies are doing<br />

relative to branding, marketing and customer service, and<br />

then copy them on a smaller business scale. Look outside of<br />

dental trends to stay edgy in business tactics.<br />

2. Manage well.<br />

You’ve heard Benjamin Franklin’s saying, “Drive the<br />

business or the business will drive you.” Think about it –<br />

build your business like a high-performance car. Engineer it,<br />

put every part in its proper place, give it great aesthetics, and<br />

make it different and better than the rest. When everything<br />

is centered on maximum performance, you will easily climb<br />

into your office and gently manipulate the wheel. Everyday<br />

business can and should run this smoothly with patients<br />

enjoying the ride.<br />

My staff and I don’t come in early for morning huddles<br />

or stay late for meetings. Expectations are clear, a business<br />

model is in place, everyone is accountable to perform… so<br />

I come to work, drink some coffee, scrub up, do dentistry,<br />

have fun, and make a ton of money. If you manage well, you<br />

live well!<br />

3. avoid micro-managing.<br />

Superior management depends on leadership and requires<br />

little more than motivating other people. Many dentists<br />

complain that their staff is just not motivated and they blame<br />

them for problems and poor results. An unmotivated staff is<br />

symptomatic of weak management. <strong>Dentist</strong>s are only as good<br />

as the people around them so find quality staff, with positive<br />

chemistry, and delegate as much responsibility as possible.<br />

If you are micro-managing then you do not trust your<br />

team. You’re probably choking the life out of them and getting<br />

poor performance. You have a boss-centered business<br />

rather than an employee-centered business. You invest a<br />

lot of effort, time and stress into management that seldom<br />

results in lasting change.<br />

Try a new leadership style. Get a fresh vision and prove<br />

the way with character and enthusiasm. Remind yourself that<br />

a man’s character is his fate. Don’t be a controlling dentist, be<br />

a dentist in control. Let go and empower your team to take<br />

your business to the next level.<br />

4. Keep evolving.<br />

What I thought was a negative early in my career, eventually<br />

became a positive. Because it took me awhile to find<br />

a home – somewhere to settle in and do the type of dentistry<br />

that was fulfilling to me, I spent time in several practices. At<br />

the time it seemed unstable, but it proved to be an excellent<br />

opportunity to learn from others successes and failures.<br />

I’ve always had a passionate interest in dentistry and<br />

business. This passion fuels a lot of questions. I search for<br />

answers from multiple sources and study the cause and effect<br />

of business successes and failures.<br />

As dentists, we struggle with the awful evil of pride. It<br />

keeps us from happiness and hinders our ability to succeed.<br />

We find it uncomfortable to listen to the advice of others. All<br />

advice, whether wise or foolish, is profitable. To be honest<br />

with you, I owe much of my success to “having listened<br />

respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away<br />

and doing the exact opposite” –novelist G.K Chesterton.<br />

5. Get help.<br />

<strong>The</strong> reason most dentists are struggling in business is<br />

because they are ill equipped with a lack of formal education,<br />

are too busy to engage in mentorship, and are not learning<br />

modern practice management ideas to prosper in the midst<br />

of drastic changes in the business of dentistry.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>s are compromising clinical success because<br />

they’re stressing over business. When it comes down to it,<br />

business is like any other learned skill. Very few have a natural<br />

aptitude for it. If you are a dentist who is not a “natural,”<br />

understand that the next best thing to handling business<br />

yourself is having the intelligence to find someone who can<br />

handle it for you.<br />

So let’s face it, dentistry and business go hand and hand<br />

and we no longer have the luxury of separating the two.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>ry is becoming an increasingly more competitive<br />

business and those who fail to morph: to transform quickly<br />

between the roles of clinician and business person, will<br />

struggle. Those who do morph will enjoy a new kind of<br />

success and prosperity.<br />

Dr. Moore is the founder of Aegis Progressive Solutions and has been practicing<br />

dentistry for 12 years. Linda Camoriano is Vice President of Aegis and has<br />

years of experience as an EFDA and educational and professional experience<br />

in marketing, communications and public relations. You may contact<br />

them by phone at 260-414-4857 or online at www. aegisprogressive.com<br />

Seminar Opportunity<br />

Because of a high demand for Aegis services, a seminar<br />

(CE credits) will be offered Sat., June 7, 2008 in<br />

Chicago, IL. Space is limited. Contact Aegis now to<br />

pre-register or to acquire a free informative package.<br />

Aegis Progressive Solutions 260-414-4857<br />

aegisprogressive.com<br />

Be sure to stop by the Aegis booth<br />

at DESTIN 2008!<br />

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1<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


Credit repair:<br />

<strong>The</strong> Truth about What<br />

Can and Cannot be Done<br />

By Laurence H. Michelson, President of FiCODOC<br />

Contrary to what the credit bureaus would like you to<br />

believe, credit repair does work and can work for 100%<br />

of people in most circumstances. This is, of course,<br />

provided you are getting the best advice and have an<br />

experienced professional working on your case.<br />

Anyone with a credit score below 720 can benefit longterm<br />

from the advice and information provided through credit<br />

repair; however, there are times when your own limitations make<br />

adhering to this advice impossible. <strong>The</strong> two limiting factors are:<br />

(1) your financial situation, and (2) the time frame within you<br />

need to reach your results. It is possible to remove anything<br />

from a credit report, even accurate items, if the creditor does<br />

not adhere to the law that outlines what needs to be done and by<br />

when. Just because you have a certain type of account removed<br />

at one time does not mean other, similar items are going to be<br />

able to be removed, even with simlar circumstances. A hit-ormiss<br />

aspect exists in credit repair, because credit repair relies<br />

not only on the strategies of the person attempting to repair the<br />

credit, but also on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the<br />

creditors and credit bureaus in adhering to the laws. Sometimes<br />

you want the credit bureaus to follow the law, sometimes you<br />

don’t-it all depends on your particular situation.<br />

<strong>The</strong> reason credit repair has received such a bad name<br />

is due to the abundance of scam artists who flock to the easy<br />

money made available by people desperate for this type of<br />

service. This unfortunate reality leads the credit bureaus and the<br />

FTC to make blanket, untrue statements such as, “Credit repair<br />

does not work” and “<strong>The</strong>re is nothing a credit repair company<br />

can do for you that you can’t do for yourself.” Given that more<br />

than 90% of credit repair companies are scam artists, promising<br />

the world and then disappearing when you pay, the credit<br />

bureaus and the FTC are forced to make such bold statements. It<br />

would be impossible for them to explain the truth to consumers<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

without causing them to make a bad choice that would result in<br />

the getting scammed. As a result, the credit bureaus and the FTC<br />

must adhere to the “credit repair does not work” position<br />

As I have stated, credit repair does work, but…don’t let<br />

anyone tell you that credit repair is effective every time. Its<br />

success varies with the number of players in the game, some<br />

of whom never perform consistently. Even if you have a true<br />

master of credit repair on your side, you have to take into<br />

account that sometimes the other players perform in a way<br />

that throws your master of his game. Take Shaquille O’Neal...<br />

although he has the ability to win every game for his team, there<br />

are going to be times when the other team has a formation that<br />

takes him off his game and causes his results to be less than<br />

optimal. Given that fact, you still cannot predict to any level of<br />

certainty whether or not he will perform well or poorly the next<br />

time he faces that team. Credit repair is similar. Sometimes the<br />

opposing side shows up strong, other times they don’t. Even if<br />

you follow the same approach with every situation that arises<br />

when doing credit repair, your results will still vary due to the<br />

other players involved. So the next time someone tells you they<br />

can get everything repaired on your credit, run the other way,<br />

because, at best, the pendulum will swing widely both ways for<br />

the same situation.<br />

Credit repair limitations occur almost 100% of the time<br />

under the following situations. <strong>The</strong>se situations make it nearly<br />

impossible for credit repair to help someone needing results within<br />

six months to a year. Please keep in mind even when you can’t<br />

be helped in the short term, the advice that can be given now,<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 1


18<br />

if coming from a professional, can prevent you from making a<br />

mistake in the near future that may worsen your situation.<br />

Here are examples of situations where not much can be done<br />

within a six to twelve month period.<br />

1. If more than 50% of the negative accounts showing on<br />

the credit report appear as unpaid collections, charge-offs,<br />

repossessions, or foreclosures and you do not have the money<br />

to either pay the accounts in full or settle them. Due to the<br />

negative accounts remaining unpaid, these items will simply<br />

reappear on your report once removed. Any negatives, even<br />

unpaid accounts, can be removed-but, unless the negative<br />

account is current, paid or settled, it will simply reappear in<br />

10-90 days.<br />

<strong>The</strong> only way to prevent this is to bring the account current<br />

by paying the past due amount, or, in the case of a collection,<br />

charge-off, repossession, or foreclosure, pay the balance in<br />

full or settle it for pennies on the dollar. Unpaid accounts that<br />

do not have collection, charge-off, repossession or foreclosure<br />

status require only that the past due balance be paid to be<br />

considered current. Unless the negative account is a public<br />

record, the only way to keep it from being re-reported is to<br />

make sure the status is “current, paid, settled, transferred or<br />

sold.” In other words, if deleted, any negative account that<br />

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does not show one of those five statuses will most likely get<br />

re-reported, unless the account is a public record.<br />

Public records are the only negative items that do not need<br />

to be paid to prevent re-reporting. Because they are only<br />

reported once, public records, such as unpaid judgments and<br />

tax liens, can remain unpaid and yet will not reappear once<br />

they are removed. In fact, the only time they reappear is when<br />

the initial reason for removal was the public record agency<br />

failing to respond the credit bureaus’ verification request within<br />

the 30-day period outlined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, in<br />

which case the credit bureau would reinsert the public record<br />

if and when the public record agency responds to the credit<br />

bureaus after that 30-day period.<br />

2. Credit repair is nearly impossible if you can’t pay your<br />

minimum monthly payments and you keep adding new late<br />

payments to your report. This is a “spinning wheels” scenario<br />

that rarely yields much improvement to your credit score.<br />

In conclusion, you can repair your credit if you hire a pro<br />

and listen to his or her professional advice<br />

Laurence H. Michelson is the President of FiCODOC and a financial credit<br />

consultant, he is also the author of “Getting the White Picket Fence Without a<br />

Man” For more information please visit his web site www.ficodoc.com or call<br />

1-877-899-2565.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


Your New, Low Cost employee ...<br />

sMiLe reMiNDer TM !<br />

By Craig Callen<br />

Last year I signed up for Smile Reminder TM after hearing<br />

a couple of colleagues say some good things about it. It has<br />

become one of the best investments in my practice from a<br />

marketing and management standpoint that I have made. For<br />

those of you who haven’t yet heard of it, Smile Reminder TM is<br />

an Internet-based program that integrates with your existing<br />

practice management software to help boost your practice. How<br />

does it do this you ask? After a short live phone training program<br />

and set up you are ready to take advantage of all that Smile<br />

Reminder TM has to offer including:<br />

1.) It automatically confirms patients’ appointments by e-mail<br />

and/or text messaging. When and how is determined by you.<br />

<strong>The</strong> messages are all customizable. When the patient sends<br />

back the confirmation you are notified by e-mail. In our<br />

practice with three hygiene schedules to confirm five days<br />

a week, this is a huge time savings for our front desk staff.<br />

<strong>The</strong>y know for a fact that the patient got the message, not<br />

just hope that they listened to an answering machine. That<br />

extra time can be spent taking better care of the patient in<br />

the practice.<br />

2.) <strong>The</strong> program will send e-mails and /or text messages to<br />

your patients on their birthday. This has been a nice PR tool.<br />

Some patients have told me that this was the ONLY birthday<br />

greeting they got.<br />

3.) After a patient’s appointment they will get a post treatment<br />

survey. <strong>The</strong>y can respond either by name or anonymously.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re are standard questions, or you can design your own.<br />

This has been huge for our practice. Not only have we<br />

learned what we are doing right, we have learned what<br />

we are doing WRONG. We have been able to head off<br />

misunderstandings, or just plain screw ups on our part and<br />

make it right with the patient to salvage our relationship. <strong>The</strong><br />

program keeps track of all of the responses and maintains a<br />

running percentage for you to track. I will regularly print out<br />

a survey, highlight the good or bad comments and post it in<br />

the staff lounge for all to see and learn from.<br />

4.) Custom surveys can be designed and sent out at any time. If<br />

you are considering adding Saturday hours, you can survey<br />

your patients to see how many would avail themselves of the<br />

new hours.<br />

5.) As many times as you would like you can send your patients<br />

an e-mail newsletter. You can write your own stories and<br />

import any images you would like to include. I try to<br />

send one every month and sometimes two for a special<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

event or news. Not only can you keep your patient base<br />

informed and educated about your services, but you can also<br />

communicate important changes affecting your patient’s<br />

health. For instance, when the American Heart Association<br />

changed the recommendations for pre-medication, I was<br />

able to communicate this to my practice almost immediately.<br />

Generally I will try to educate/motivate them towards<br />

treatment, focusing on one main thing per newsletter such<br />

as bleaching or facings. I will often then tie in some sort<br />

of offer such as $100 off take home bleaching. Patients<br />

are encouraged to refer their friends and family through<br />

the newsletter. Personal information about someone in the<br />

practice or one of the doctors is included occasionally to help<br />

the patients get to know us a little better.<br />

6.) Custom Marketing Messages can also be sent as often as<br />

you would like. <strong>The</strong>se postcard like messages are meant<br />

to announce a new product, technique, or to get a new<br />

promotion out to your patient base. <strong>The</strong> average cost of a<br />

postcard mailing to your patients is about $.50 per mailing.<br />

With Smile Reminder TM you are basically getting this for free!<br />

7.) Send notices to patients of last minute openings in the<br />

schedule. Just had a bridge appointment cancel? You can<br />

broadcast a message to those patients willing to come in on<br />

short notice that you have an immediate opening.<br />

8.) Recall reactivation is streamlined with automatic messages<br />

set up by you. <strong>The</strong>se reminders encourage patients to call and<br />

return for treatment.<br />

One of the challenges we had was to collect the e-mail addresses<br />

of as many of our patients as possible. While our new patients already<br />

registered their e-mail addresses, the more established patients had<br />

not all registered their e-mails. After begging and threatening, I<br />

decided to set up a reward system to encourage the staff to ask<br />

for and enter the addresses into our system. What I did was to put<br />

$1 in the pot for every new address entered over a three month<br />

period. We collected enough new e-mail addresses to take the whole<br />

staff out for dinner at a nice local restaurant.<br />

<strong>The</strong> system continues to grow and evolve with us and new<br />

features are being added all the time. Smile Reminder TM will<br />

save valuable staff time, reduce no-shows, encourage referrals<br />

and increase patient loyalty to your practice. This is a NO BRAINER<br />

decision at a one time set up cost of $399 and a flat monthly rate<br />

of $249. You will save this much just in saved postage the first<br />

couple of months. <strong>The</strong> more you use the system, the more you<br />

SAVE and the more your practice will GROW! You can contact<br />

Smile Reminder TM at 866-605-6867 or www.smilerminder.com.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 1


PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

20<br />

submitting<br />

patient<br />

information<br />

online is<br />

simple,<br />

secure and<br />

Time saving<br />

Dr. Keith D. Rossein<br />

Some might say that over the last 15 years, dentistry has gone<br />

through a digital revolution with products such as digital x-<br />

rays, Cerec, intraoral cameras, digital diagnostics and practice<br />

management software.<br />

And yet, with all that, dentistry as a profession has been<br />

slow, by comparison, to have greater involvement with the<br />

Internet and all the advantages of digital communication.<br />

I’d liked to discuss one important phase of dental practice<br />

management that has previously missed an opportunity to keep<br />

up with technology and has been stuck in the mud in trying<br />

to move forward. I’m referring to the necessary process of<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

Are new patients unhappy about coming early for<br />

their first appointment to fill out paperwork? After a<br />

patient fills out their personal, insurance and medical/<br />

dental history, are the forms often illegible? Does your<br />

staff spend countless hours scanning or retyping this<br />

information into your practice management software?<br />

Are you considering “going paperless” for your practice?<br />

If any of these answers are YES, you need to read on.<br />

ascertaining information about new and existing patients that<br />

is extremely important to their treatment, health and their longterm<br />

relationship to the dental practice.<br />

Most dental offices have some type of practice management<br />

software installed in their computers for record keeping, storing<br />

of patient information, appointment reminders and recall notices.<br />

Standardized codes and procedures have made it easier to submit<br />

insurance claims and get reimbursed quicker, especially with<br />

electronic submissions.<br />

Yet, when a new patient comes for their first visit, we<br />

hand them a clip board and pen and a stack of forms that are<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


often 4 th generation copies, and we ask them to provide us with extremely important<br />

information about themselves and their families. What’s wrong with this picture? <strong>The</strong><br />

scenario only gets worse.<br />

First, the patient is told to come a half hour early to complete the paperwork<br />

(they just love that). Patients stress out about other patients sitting nearby who may<br />

be looking over their shoulder, about where to put their insurance card/social security<br />

card or other documents that they removed from their pocket book or wallet and about<br />

where to get another pen when the first one stops writing (on the clip board propped up<br />

on their knees); in some case they have to keep one eye of their children.<br />

And, this antiquated process is a burden to your office staff. It’s not uncommon for<br />

the patient to make several interrupting trips to the front desk to ask your office manager<br />

questions about the questions. When the often illegible forms are returned by the patient,<br />

your staff first goes to work. Some offices scan the forms and store them in the patient<br />

document center of their practice management software. Other practices retype all of the<br />

information into the electronic patient chart (only takes from 15-20 minutes).<br />

<strong>The</strong> good news is that there is a better way. It’s a website called<br />

SubmitPatientForms.com [Fig. 1] that provides an inexpensive online service<br />

to dental practices so that their patients (unlimited number) can complete their<br />

paperwork before they come in for their first appointment.<br />

Here’s how it works. A new patient calls the office. <strong>The</strong> office manager says,<br />

“We have a simple, secure and convenient way for you to fill out your paperwork<br />

online, so you do not have to arrive early for your first appointment. You may also<br />

print a copy for yourself before you submit the forms to our office. What is your<br />

email address? I will send you the link to get started. Please be sure to complete the<br />

information and submit it several days before your appointment.”<br />

<strong>The</strong> office manager then logs onto your management account that was created<br />

when the dental office originally signed up [Fig. 2]. She clicks on “Refer a Patient.”<br />

When the next page is displayed, she types in the patient’s name and email address<br />

and clicks on “Submit.” [Fig. 3] This automatically sends a prepared email letter from<br />

the office to the patient. When the patient clicks on the enclosed link, it brings them to<br />

the HIPAA document for your office and they follow the online menu.<br />

Patients can save their information as they type it. So, for example, they can start the<br />

forms on Monday evening, continue on Tuesday afternoon and finish up on Thursday.<br />

Before they submit, the patient can print out a copy of the forms for their own records.<br />

Once the forms are submitted by the patient, the office gets an email notification;<br />

the office manager can then log onto the management account and clicks on “Registered<br />

Patient List.” A list of all patients that have submitted their forms will be displayed<br />

[fig. 4]. You will have three different formats in which to view or download the<br />

information – PDF, JPEG and/or Excel. If you want hard copies for the patient chart,<br />

open the PDF forms and print. If you want to store the forms in a patient document<br />

center of your practice management software, unzip the JPEG format [takes the place<br />

of scanning] and download those forms to your computer. If you need to type certain<br />

information such has name, address, phone, etc for a new patient into your practice<br />

management software, you may copy and paste from the Excel database to save time.<br />

Having the forms completed before the patient arrives for their appointment has<br />

CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

Figure 1<br />

Figure 2<br />

Figure 3<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 21


22<br />

Figure 4<br />

Figure 5<br />

many advantages. <strong>The</strong> office can validate the patient’s insurance coverage; potential<br />

medical complications, pre-medication requirements and/or past adverse reactions<br />

can be red flagged; time normally allocated to reviewing the entire medical/dental<br />

histories can be better spent getting to know the patient and double checking any<br />

concerns that were previously notice on the forms.<br />

This service can be utilized with or without having your own practice website.<br />

During the sign-up process or at any later time, the practice can copy some Java<br />

Script from their management account that will allow their webmaster to embed<br />

a navigation button in the office website. This will provide a direct link to the<br />

appropriate page at SubmitPatientForms for your patients to start the process [Fig. 5].<br />

This service should be used not only for new patients but for current patients so<br />

that all patient histories will be legible and standardized. In fact, Dr. Woody Oakes<br />

suggested that practices should contact their inactive patients, asking them to bring<br />

their histories up-to-date online, as an excellent way of reactivating these patients.<br />

<strong>The</strong> “New Patient” form is the default form and will appear each time a<br />

patient is sent to fill out the paperwork. If your patient has already provided all the<br />

appropriate information by filling out the “New Patient” form at a previous time, but<br />

has some changes/additions to their information such as a change of phone number,<br />

address, insurance and/or has a new medication or medical complication, then the<br />

patient is instructed to choose the “Patient Update” from the drop down menu. This<br />

simplifies the process for the patient and allows the dentist and staff to quickly determine<br />

any significant changes without having to read all the past information and figure it out.<br />

Some offices, because they are specialty practices or because they want to have<br />

specific questions with a specific layout, prefer not to use generic forms. So, for<br />

a one-time reasonable charge, your own custom forms can be converted into the<br />

SubmitPatientForms software and utilized with the same low monthly fee.<br />

<strong>The</strong> SubmitPatientForms website is extremely secure [a comprehensive<br />

explanation can be read at their site]. Only the patient’s dentist will have access to<br />

their personal data via a username and password. Once the patient’s records have<br />

been downloaded by the dentist, he/she has the option of deleting the information.<br />

SubmitPatientForms periodically purges the patient records from the server, so they<br />

don’t remain in the database indefinitely.<br />

As a special promotion for the readers of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong>,<br />

SubmitPatientForms is offering a free month trial. During the sign up process you<br />

will be asked if you have any coupons. Type in EID18 and you will receive a free<br />

month trial and a discounted monthly fee of $18.95, instead of $24.95. <strong>The</strong> practice<br />

will still be asked to put in their credit card information, but there will be no charge<br />

until the second month. If before the 30 days are up and the practice wants out,<br />

they can call the toll free number or cancel by email, and there will be no charge to<br />

the credit card. It’s a win-win situation and it would be hard to believe somebody<br />

wouldn’t want to try it for free and see how well it actually does work.<br />

Dr. Keith Rossein is president of International <strong>Dental</strong> Consultants, a partner in Web<strong>Dental</strong>Marketing.<br />

com and SubmitPatientForms.com, the editor of Implant New & Views, is listed in the Seattle Study<br />

Clubs Speaker’s Bureau and presents CE workshops on electrosurgery, narrow-body implants, stress<br />

management, care & maintenance of implants and Internet marketing. He can be reached at 888.385.1535<br />

or krossein@optonline.net.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


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PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

2<br />

An Interview with<br />

Dr. Jimmy eubanks,<br />

founder of<br />

<strong>The</strong> Eubank Institute, one of the world’s leading centers for<br />

the advancement of clinical education and training, is dedicated<br />

to helping dental professionals who want to provide complete,<br />

quality care to their patients. <strong>The</strong> Institute is headed by Dr.<br />

Jimmy Eubank, an internationally-renowned leader in the<br />

field of aesthetic and functional dentistry, with over 33 years<br />

experience as a dental practitioner. A graduate of the University<br />

of Texas School of <strong>Dentist</strong>ry, Dr. Eubank has the unique<br />

distinction of being the only professional in the world accredited<br />

as both a dentist and a laboratory technician.<br />

Dr. Eubank’s other professional distinctions include being<br />

a Fellow and past accreditation Chairman of the American<br />

Academy of Cosmetic <strong>Dentist</strong>ry, a Fellow of the Academy of<br />

General <strong>Dentist</strong>ry, and a Fellow of the American Academy of<br />

Esthetic <strong>Dentist</strong>ry.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> talked with Dr. Eubank about the goal of<br />

the Institute, its course offerings , and what makes it unique.<br />

Q. What is the goal of the Institute?<br />

Eubank: It is our goal to guide, to enlighten, and to teach<br />

students the skills and techniques that provide superior esthetics<br />

within the framework of optimal occlusion. By integrating<br />

esthetic techniques with the principles of proper occlusion,<br />

students are able to address complex cases with both competence<br />

and confidence.<br />

Q. What courses do you offer?<br />

<strong>The</strong> eubank institute for<br />

advanced Clinical education<br />

Eubank: <strong>The</strong> Institute offers an integrated curriculum ranging<br />

from beginning and advanced occlusion, to anterior and posterior<br />

esthetics. All courses are offered at our state-of-the-art facility<br />

in Plano, Texas, approximately 20 miles north of Dallas. <strong>The</strong><br />

full-service facility includes instructional classrooms, multiple<br />

operatories, and a state-of-the-art laboratory.<br />

Q. What makes the Eubank Institute unique?<br />

Eubank: To enhance the learning experience, we limit our<br />

classes to ten participants; this ensures that students receive<br />

one-on-one instruction and ample hands-on clinical experience<br />

as they learn new techniques in our classroom... practice them<br />

in our lab... and then apply them directly in our operatory.<br />

<strong>The</strong> boutique-class size and 360 degree approach to training<br />

and education are hallmarks of the Institute’s learning-based<br />

environment. Additionally, the Eubank Institute includes postcourse<br />

mentoring for all its participants. As we see it, our<br />

responsibility is to teach and help our students grow.... and that<br />

responsibility doesn’t end when the course is over. In fact.... it’s<br />

just the beginning.<br />

Q. Do you welcome personal inquiries from doctors, and if<br />

so, how can they get in touch with you?<br />

Eubank: Absolutely! It’s why I started the Institute. I love talking<br />

with doctors about challenges they are facing or successes<br />

they’ve experienced in their practice. To reach me, they can call<br />

888.596.1811 or send an email to dr.eubank@therightfitdentist.com.<br />

Q. Anything else?<br />

Eubank: I’d like to personally thank Dr. Woody Oakes for this<br />

opportunity to talk about the Institute. It is my passion and I’m<br />

thrilled anytime I get the chance to share information about it<br />

(just ask my wife!). I’d also like to thank all of the doctors who<br />

entrust us with their clinical training and education. We pledge<br />

to do our very best to continue to provide participants with<br />

abundant opportunities to learn and thrive.<br />

For more information on the Eubank Institute call 888.596.1811 or visit<br />

www.therightfitdentist.com.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


DATE PROGRAM<br />

February 21-23, 2008 <strong>The</strong> Diagnostic Box: Patient Management & Treatment Planning<br />

March 6-8, 2008 Advanced Occlusion<br />

April 3-5, 2008 Essential Occlusion<br />

June 12-14, 2008 Advanced Esthetics & Restorative Procedures<br />

June 19-20, 2008 Annual Alumni Program<br />

July 24-26, 2008 Essential Occlusion<br />

August 28-30,2008 <strong>The</strong> Diagnostic Box: Patient Management & Treatment Planning<br />

September 25-27, 2008 Smile Design & Direct Composite Bonding<br />

October 9-11, 2008 Advanced Occlusion<br />

December 4-6, 2008 Essential Occlusion<br />

2008 Course Calendar<br />

helping dental professionals provide complete, quality care<br />

Here’s what doctors are saying about the Eubank Institute for Advanced Clinical Training & Education:<br />

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1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 2


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PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

Long Term Facility requirements:<br />

What’s Your plan?<br />

By George D. Vaill<br />

Doctor Blue in Tulsa had a terrific retirement plan. He’d<br />

had a small, but very successful boutique practice for many<br />

years and was very happy with what he had put aside. He felt<br />

safe that his financial future was secure. <strong>The</strong> plan earmarked<br />

funds for college tuitions and for supporting the level of lifestyle<br />

that he and his family had come to enjoy. He had even been able<br />

to set aside extra funds to build that fishing lodge on the lake that<br />

he had dreamed about his whole career.<br />

Unfortunately, what he had not counted on was losing his<br />

lease, being forced to move, and having to invest hundreds of<br />

thousands of dollars to construct a new dental facility elsewhere.<br />

He had not made any provision in his financial plan for that<br />

eventuality. So, to his great disappointment, that fishing lodge on<br />

the lake was sacrificed to fund the new facility – with only 4 years<br />

remaining before his retirement. In spite of all of his years of hard<br />

work and scrupulous planning, his fishing dreams went up in smoke.<br />

Could Dr. Blue have avoided this sudden and most drastic<br />

change in fortunes? <strong>The</strong> simple answer is “yes.” If he had set aside<br />

and regularly funded a reserve to cover any potential, major facility<br />

renovation or relocation, he might well have been able to pay for<br />

such a contingency without totally gutting his retirement portfolio.<br />

Developing a long-term plan for your practice commonly<br />

entails reviewing such issues as clinical methodology, personnel<br />

management and facility utilization. Frequently, however, dentists<br />

who lease their office space often fail to consider long-term<br />

occupancy requirements: (i) how long the facility they currently<br />

occupy will efficiently accommodate their practice growth<br />

plan; (ii) what changes in that occupancy may be forced by an<br />

expiring lease or may be required in order to achieve desired<br />

practice growth; and, (iii) what capital investment may be<br />

necessary – and should be budgeted – to fund changes that may<br />

be required in conjunction with a facility expansion, renovation<br />

or a planned or forced relocation. Any long-term planning that<br />

does not include such considerations accompanied by a budget<br />

contingency for facility capitalization is incomplete. Such a lack<br />

of anticipation and planning may well result in an interruption<br />

of your occupancy (and, thus, your practice) accompanied by an<br />

unplanned expenditure for facility replacement that significantly<br />

alters your financial model: a rude surprise indeed!<br />

Unless consciously negotiated with specific time frames<br />

in mind, office leases rarely provide the kind of flexibility<br />

that allows you to come and go at will in response to your<br />

growth plan. <strong>The</strong>refore, it is paramount that you review your<br />

lease carefully to understand fully what occupancy rights (and<br />

obligations) you have and how they may affect your ability to<br />

carry out that plan in the years to come. Given the number of<br />

years you wish to work, the practice size you envision and the<br />

projected demographic basis required to support your plan,<br />

among other questions you must answer are:<br />

1. How large a facility (and how much parking) will you require<br />

five years out? 10 years out? 20 years out?<br />

2. Will your existing facility meet those needs over the long<br />

haul or will you likely require a facility change?<br />

3. Does your lease contain terms that guaranty, obligate you to,<br />

or limit long term occupancy?<br />

4. Does your lease contain renewal options of sufficient<br />

number and length with pre-negotiated terms offering transition<br />

increment opportunities that coincide with planned growth steps?<br />

5. When is the ideal time to renegotiate term length and renewal<br />

options in order to best position yourself for uninterrupted<br />

occupancy – or for premature termination?<br />

If you are uncertain about your occupancy rights and obligations,<br />

a dental office lease professional can help you interpret your lease<br />

and provide expert guidance that will prove invaluable. Once you<br />

have answered these questions and determined how well your<br />

current facility and your lease provisions do or do not support<br />

your projected needs, you will be in a better position to plan<br />

accordingly and reduce the likelihood of that rude surprise.<br />

Leasing<br />

Space?<br />

You negotiate an<br />

offi ce lease once...<br />

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iStockphoto.com/asiseeit<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 2


CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

28<br />

Crown & Bridge problems<br />

how To Fix <strong>The</strong>m!<br />

By Dr. Michael Curtis<br />

100’s of Pearls on<br />

Fees & Case<br />

Acceptance<br />

Plus countless tips to skyrocket your profit!<br />

• Fast, easy and totally<br />

practical for the busy<br />

general dentist.<br />

• Saves 1000’s of dollars<br />

and countless hours in C.E.<br />

• 100’s of Pearls from 100’s<br />

of sources...Do you know<br />

them all?<br />

Do you ever have<br />

For <strong>The</strong> General <strong>Dentist</strong><br />

problems with Crown<br />

& Bridge? Are your<br />

patients stressed<br />

when their expensive<br />

work begins to fail?<br />

Some tips for the most<br />

lucrative cases we do:<br />

1. recurrent Decay:<br />

How should you repair early decay under crowns? Do NOT use composite! Resins on<br />

root surfaces leak like crazy and cause tissue inflammation. Glass Ionomers (GI) or Resin<br />

Modified GI’s (RMGI) seal far better, reduce inflammation and are proven cariostatics.<br />

Some products:<br />

• Self Curing: “Fugi IX GP Extra” (GC): When you can’t get your curing light<br />

to a difficult area, inject this self-cured GI material. Wait 15 seconds so it’s not<br />

sticky to shape. Sets in only 2-3 minutes. Trim and polish all GI’s with water to<br />

prevent cracking.<br />

• Light Cured Flowable: “Fugi II LC” capsules: I place this RMGI; then etch,<br />

bond and place resin. (Superior to using flowable.)<br />

• Difficult Isolation: “Fugi Triage”: A GI designed as a sealant, but adheres even<br />

when you can’t get total isolation.<br />

• Highly Esthetic Areas:” “Ketac Nano (3M Espe): RMGI with great esthetics<br />

and polish.<br />

• For how to prevent recurrent decay under your new crowns, ask for our FREE<br />

Report: “Xerostomia & Root Decay” when you order any of our guides.<br />

2. Black scuzz:<br />

Have you ever removed a temporary and noted a black discolored area on your prep?<br />

• Hemostatic agents that contain ferric ions (Cut-Trol, Viscostat) can cause this<br />

black residue. Try “Viscostat Clear” (Ultradent) instead. For more, see “100s of<br />

Pearls on Endodontics.”<br />

• Micro-leakage may also cause the problem. Avoid resin-based temporary cements.<br />

Use a Bis-Acryl resin (Luxatemp etc.) for the most accurate temporaries. To fill<br />

voids at margins, clean with alcohol; dry, apply bond and flowable composite,<br />

re-seat on prep. <strong>The</strong>n cure. Trim margins intra-orally with a ½” Aluminum<br />

Oxide disc (Moore) for ideal contours.<br />

3. Crown Breaks off:<br />

What can you do for bridgework that has broken off at the gumline?<br />

• “Metabond” (Parkell): This miracle material is now easier to use, but still<br />

holds impossible cases when other cements can’t. Buys time until you can fix<br />

the problem permanently.<br />

• “Snap-On Smile ® .” This is a strong, removable resin material that snaps over<br />

existing teeth with no anesthesia, no prep, and < 30-minutes chair-time. A new<br />

inexpensive answer for patients that can’t afford large cases (877-776-2766).<br />

• Buildups: Many dentists leave and prep old fillings when doing crowns.<br />

Wrong! <strong>The</strong>re’s almost always decay underneath, which will worsen under<br />

your new crown. Always remove all old filling material. Prep retention for<br />

your liner or buildup even if bonded.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


4. one abutment Loosens:<br />

What should you do when one abutment loosens, while the<br />

others remain tight? If you try to remove the bridge, you risk<br />

fracturing porcelain or the remaining abutments. Make a hole in<br />

the loose abutment with a round diamond. Pull up on the bridge<br />

and inspect for recurrent decay. If you can remove the caries,<br />

inject permanent cement into the hole and re-press the bridge<br />

into place. Place your finger over the opening so back pressure<br />

extrudes cement out the margins. Repair hole.<br />

5. Crown Needs endo:<br />

Root canals under crowns are often tight and calcified. How can<br />

you get down them every time? How can you get old posts out?<br />

Why are apex locators unreliable within crowns, and how can<br />

you fix them? For answers, see our “Endodontics” guide.<br />

6. poor Contacts:<br />

Improper contacts are a major cause of crown failures as food<br />

catches lead to recurrent decay and perio problems. To produce a<br />

natural self-cleansing papilla, most contacts should start apically<br />

about 4mm from bone. After prepping, push your perio probe<br />

through the sulcus and sound to bone. Measure how far your<br />

finish line is from bone and ask lab to start contacts at that 4mm<br />

level. Contacts should be broad, wide areas, not contact points.<br />

• Pindexed dies move. Always pour a second uncut<br />

model to check contacts.<br />

• Soft tissues are commonly distorted from prepping,<br />

cords, chemicals, lasers or electrosurgery. To avoid<br />

“black triangles,” do a try-in and take a pickup impression.<br />

<strong>The</strong>n, have your lab pour a silicone “soft tissue<br />

model” that mimics gum contours for ideal emergence<br />

profiles.<br />

7. root sensitivity:<br />

Countless patients have root sensitivity. <strong>The</strong>re are dozens of<br />

products for sensitive roots, but unfortunately none work reliably.<br />

For a protocol that works every time, and how to bill insurance,<br />

see page 138 of our “Anesthesia” guide.<br />

8. sandblaster in every op:<br />

• A micro-etcher (Danville etc.) can more than double<br />

crown retention. Place an extra air line (~$250) and<br />

sandblast the internal of metal crowns. Blasting can<br />

also remove old temporary cement, organic debris or<br />

black residue from preps. Cover tissues first with any<br />

liquid dam, so you don’t induce bleeding.<br />

• Sandblast internal of temps too so cement stays in your<br />

temp rather than on the prep for an easier faster insert<br />

appointment. Always micro-etch old resin when adding<br />

new composite to create a reliable bond.<br />

9. Crowns Don’t Fit:<br />

• Consider >3.5X magnification and a 4000K headlight<br />

to see the details you need to create excellent preps,<br />

check impressions, margins, dies etc.<br />

• When you need precise control, turn your rheostat<br />

turned down to a slow 25 PSI. <strong>The</strong>n, prep finish lines<br />

with no water for better visibility. For short crowns,<br />

prep mini-parallel inlays and grooves for better retention.<br />

• Some lab stones exhibit serious expansion or distortion.<br />

Call your impression manufacturer for the best stones<br />

to use with their material.<br />

10. sub-gingival Margins:<br />

100% visibility is critical for sub-gingival margins. Electro-surgery,<br />

laser or the “double-cord” techniques work well:<br />

• Cord: Immediately after breaking contact, pack a thin<br />

cord (000 Ultradent) around tooth. Cut off excess so<br />

cord does not wrap around itself and remains totally<br />

buried. Prep to this tissue level for optimal margin<br />

placement. If tissue is not too thin, pack a second<br />

cord after preps are done and leave five minutes. Pull<br />

second, but not first cord to get a wide trough, so your<br />

impression of the margin does not distort or tear. Leave<br />

first cord under gum line until you dismiss patient for<br />

wonderful tissue control.<br />

• Bleeding: If you get bleeding while injecting, apply<br />

a gentle stream of air to clean and move impression<br />

material into area.<br />

• Ferrule: On posteriors, a 2mm ferrule (1mm deep) is<br />

critical facially and lingually, but not interproximally.<br />

This is because occlusal forces rock teeth bucco-lingually,<br />

but not mesio-distally. Consider Captek or other<br />

gold margins for the best tissue reaction to a buried<br />

margin.<br />

11. anterior Temporaries:<br />

Do your anterior temporaries look like real teeth or a continuous<br />

blob? Try Brasseler’s 945, 080 ¼” diamond disc for an ultra-thin<br />

interproximal cut, to define each tooth.<br />

12. everyday issues:<br />

• Costs: What is the #1 reason people reject dentistry?<br />

Cost; especially for crown & bridge. To skyrocket your<br />

case load and get paid faster and easier, consider our<br />

“Fees & Case Acceptance” and “Collections” guides.<br />

• Post Op Pain: What is your biggest practice builder?<br />

It’s how comfortable your patients feel in the hours<br />

following your procedure! 90% of dentists don’t know<br />

these simple tips and loose themselves a fortune. For<br />

what to do, check out our “Anesthesia” guide.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 2


0<br />

• Non-Restorable Teeth: Do you employ “rapid extrusion”<br />

or “intentional re-plantation”? Both are easy ways<br />

to save “non-restorable” teeth and are used around the<br />

world. For more, see our “Endodontics” guide.<br />

13. Do You Know all our pearls?<br />

“100s of Pearls” guides have sold in 23 countries!<br />

• “Anesthesia & Pain Relief” Over 500 “Pearls” in 97<br />

categories<br />

• “Fees & Case Acceptance” Over 400 “Pearls” in 79<br />

categories<br />

• “Endodontics” Over 600 “Pearls” in 87 categories<br />

• “Financing & Collections” Over 400 “Pearls” in 76<br />

categories<br />

• More coming soon!<br />

For questions or to order, call 800-427-2830, visit us at HundredsofPearls.com<br />

This article is excerpted from several “100s of Pearls” guides and is copyrighted<br />

and reprinted with permission.<br />

Dr. Michael Curtis practices in Connecticut and is the author of the<br />

“100s of Pearls” series of books and founder of “Hundreds of Pearls”<br />

(www.HundredsofPearls.com). For questions or to order, call<br />

1-800-427-2830 or email to hundredsofpearls@sbcglobal.net.<br />

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S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


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Altadonics. We broke the mold on making dentures.<br />

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<strong>Dentist</strong> gross<br />

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Above example is for illustration purposes only. Results may vary based on fees and other factors.


CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

2<br />

What’s Up With<br />

Deep Bleaching TM NOW??<br />

an interview with Deep Bleaching TM inventor, Dr. Rod Kurthy<br />

Rod Kurthy and his Deep Bleaching TM technique have been favorites of our<br />

subscribers for some time now. In response to the multitude of requests, we<br />

interviewed Rod in 2006 for our Driving <strong>Dentist</strong> Series. <strong>The</strong> interview received<br />

enormous rave reviews from our subscribers, so we featured Rod on the cover<br />

of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> later in the year. With Rod having now formed his<br />

own company to provide his Deep<br />

Bleaching TM products, and espe-<br />

cially since Rod will be lecturing<br />

(twice) at our upcoming Destin<br />

Spring Break Seminar, we want-<br />

ed to get the scoop from Rod<br />

regarding all his exciting<br />

new updates.<br />

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


Woody – Thanks for being with us Rod. As everyone already<br />

knows, Deep Bleaching has become all the rage among dentists<br />

all over the world. You’ve figured out how to achieve permanent<br />

incredible whitening success on every single patient and also<br />

figured out how to do it with very low or no sensitivity. But recently<br />

we’ve been hearing great things about your new Evolve<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> Technologies company and your new Deep Bleaching<br />

products. What made you decide to start your own company?<br />

Rod – Well Woody, it’s a long story. For years I’ve given help<br />

to most of the major bleaching product companies when they’ve<br />

asked. I even developed a formal relationship with one company.<br />

<strong>The</strong> problem has always been that companies tend to be<br />

concerned about profit far more than they are about the things I am<br />

concerned about. Everything had to be weighed to determine<br />

how profitable it would be. My hands were often tied, and frequently<br />

my suggestions fell on deaf ears.<br />

Having my own company gives me the ability to do things the<br />

way I want to. I don’t have anyone telling me that I can’t do things<br />

that aren’t profitable enough. I can now do the things I’ve wanted<br />

to be able to do with Deep Bleaching TM for a long time.<br />

Woody – Hey, I’ve had the same experiences so I know exactly<br />

what you’re talking about. You said that you can now do things<br />

you’ve wanted to do for a long time. Tell us about those things.<br />

Rod – <strong>Dentist</strong>s have been asking me to provide a place where<br />

they can get virtually everything they need for Deep Bleaching TM<br />

instead of having to go to various companies, and we’ve done<br />

that. We’ve also brought out some very exciting new products<br />

that I’ve wanted to provide for some time now – and we’re<br />

getting rave reviews about them like crazy. Our products have<br />

been selected and developed by me to specifically have the exact<br />

physical properties necessary for the very best results with Deep<br />

Bleaching.<br />

Woody – Tell us a bit about some of your new products.<br />

Rod– <strong>The</strong>re are several. First of all, in addition to the Standard<br />

Deep Bleaching TM , I’ve introduced my Deep BleachingMAX TM .<br />

This is for dentists like me who want to totally knock the socks<br />

off ALL of their patients. Deep Bleaching TM is a super-charged<br />

bleaching system as it is, and this is the top of the top! And I’ve<br />

also brought out a brand new desensitizer that, most importantly,<br />

is also a whitening enhancer. This product makes teeth whiten<br />

much faster than ever before, so the end results are even better.<br />

And we’re using what I feel is a vastly improved desensitizer<br />

system for the patients to use at home.<br />

Woody – I know that your Deep Bleaching Tray design and<br />

fabrication technique are major components of Deep Bleaching,<br />

and I’ve read in your book about how fanatical you are regarding<br />

the impressions. So what’s this I hear about a new impression technique<br />

and new impression materials just for Deep Bleaching Trays?<br />

Rod – Well Woody, the materials and technique are not just for<br />

Deep Bleaching tray impressions. We have numerous dentists<br />

who’ve been so flipped out about the materials and technique,<br />

that they’re now using it for their crown & bridge impressions.<br />

Bottom line is that no matter how diligent I was in my instructions<br />

regarding the impressions, this was the most frequent<br />

cause when practices screwed up Deep Bleaching. You already<br />

know that I do my clinical testing in my own practice on Fridays.<br />

I worked and worked on the research, development and clinical<br />

testing of the<br />

new impression<br />

technique and<br />

new products<br />

specifically for<br />

use with the<br />

technique. I<br />

know we don’t<br />

have time<br />

here to teach<br />

the technique,<br />

but it’s nearly<br />

foolproof, and it even captures a great impression of the gingival<br />

sulcus throughout the mouth, which is exactly where we need<br />

precision for the Deep Bleaching trays.<br />

Woody – I’ve seen your new packaging of the bleaching kits<br />

that are given to the patients to take home, and I have to say<br />

that I think it’s very colorful. It looks almost like something<br />

that you’d take with you after purchasing products at a highend<br />

cosmetics store. I bet the patients love it?<br />

Rod – We’re definitely getting great feedback from dentists.<br />

<strong>Dentist</strong>s charge a good amount for<br />

Deep Bleaching, and they want to<br />

feel proud of the packaging of the<br />

products they give to the patients<br />

to take home. This was one of the<br />

most common requests that I used<br />

to receive from dentists – asking<br />

me to create something they’d be<br />

proud to give out.<br />

Woody – I know you’re “<strong>The</strong><br />

Marketing Guy” Rod. You’ve<br />

written two books on dental practice marketing called “<strong>The</strong><br />

No-Coupon Marketable <strong>Dentist</strong>,” which I think most dentists<br />

have heard of. So what have you done regarding marketing of<br />

Deep Bleaching TM for dentists?<br />

Rod – Well, I haven’t had a chance to complete all of my<br />

marketing ideas yet, but they’re in the works. I know you like<br />

and respect my buddy, Howie Horrocks, who owns New Patients,<br />

Inc. Howie is an amazing marketing professional, and he and I<br />

have brainstormed and developed marketing techniques together<br />

for a number of years. We are putting together Deep Bleaching<br />

marketing kits for dentists that include many types of marketing<br />

staples such as various ads, statement suffers, press releases,<br />

counter displays and other things.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


I have a pet<br />

peeve. I believe in<br />

truth in advertising<br />

– especially for the<br />

health professions.<br />

And it just really<br />

bugs me when I<br />

see teeth whitening<br />

brochures with<br />

models that have<br />

white teeth that<br />

were NOT made<br />

white with the<br />

technique being<br />

advertised in the<br />

brochure. Some<br />

of these models’<br />

photos have been<br />

retouched to make<br />

their teeth so white,<br />

and some even<br />

have Hollywood<br />

White porcelain<br />

veneers. I refuse to<br />

do that.<br />

My Deep Bleaching cover girl is beautiful, has amazingly<br />

white teeth AND her teeth are white BECAUSE of Deep<br />

Bleaching. She’s not a professional model. In fact, she’s my<br />

daughter, Shannon. On our brochures (meant for dentists to<br />

have on their counters for patients to read and take with them)<br />

and posters, it says right next to her picture that she’s not a<br />

model, that the photos have not been retouched, and that her<br />

teeth are white because of Deep Bleaching. And I’ve used all of<br />

my marketing knowledge to make the Deep Bleaching brochure<br />

a tremendously effective marketing tool for dental practices.<br />

Woody – Well, I’ve saved the best for last Rod. I know that<br />

you are absolutely a fanatic about refrigeration of bleaching<br />

products. You and I have discussed the importance of that<br />

before. And I know that you’re really excited about how your<br />

company handles your bleaching products. So tell us all about it.<br />

Rod – Yes, this is something that I’ve harped on for a long,<br />

long time. I believe that we dentists often, or even routinely,<br />

receive bleach that has already lost a significant amount of its<br />

effectiveness – and we have no way of knowing. But none of<br />

the companies I’ve worked with wanted to endure the high cost<br />

of refrigeration. So I’m now free to do it myself, and the reports<br />

that we’re getting from dentists are amazing – even beyond what<br />

I’d anticipated.<br />

ALL bleaching gels are unstable. <strong>The</strong>y’re supposed to be.<br />

That’s why they will give up their oxygen rapidly when placed<br />

in the mouth. But this instability has a downside too. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

products start to degrade immediately after their manufacture.<br />

<strong>The</strong> only way to prevent the degradation is refrigeration, but that<br />

is VERY expensive as you will see. And even more important<br />

than refrigeration is the protection from HIGH HEAT, which<br />

QUICKLY destroys bleach. I believe that the lack of refrigeration<br />

and protection from heat is why we dentists complain of varying<br />

effectiveness of bleaching gels that we receive.<br />

We all know how HOT it can get in warehouses and inside<br />

trucks! UPS has informed us that they expect contents of packages<br />

to reach at least 125 o F even when shipped ‘next day’ shipping.<br />

And slow freight shipping of product from the factory to the<br />

bleaching product company in unbearably hot trucks can take<br />

five days or more! Typically bleaching product companies do<br />

not refrigerate all of their gels at their facilities. Warehouses can<br />

get very hot, especially over the weekends, and dentists already<br />

know that they usually don’t receive bleaching gels in a refrigerated<br />

container. <strong>The</strong> lack of refrigeration is bad enough, but the<br />

exposure to high heat during slow freight shipping, warehouse<br />

storage and shipping to the dentist is unacceptable to me.<br />

ALL of our Evolve bleaching gels (hydrogen AND carbamide<br />

peroxides) are: 1) Refrigerated immediately after manufacture<br />

and until shipped to Evolve (I insisted on and arranged this special<br />

handling with the factories). 2) Shipped REFRIGERATED to<br />

Evolve in planes and trucks every<br />

second of the way. 3) Immediately<br />

placed in Evolve’s huge industrial<br />

walk-in refrigerator. 4) Shipped<br />

to dentists in thermally insulated<br />

foam boxes with cold packs.<br />

This ensures that dentists receive<br />

100% fresh, 100% effective<br />

bleach every time!<br />

It was always my strong<br />

opinion that this was important, but<br />

there was no way for me to ever<br />

test it. As much of a difference as I thought constant refrigeration<br />

would make, it’s turned out to be even more impressive than I had<br />

imagined. <strong>The</strong> response we’re getting from dentists is amazing.<br />

And I’m talking about dentists who have been using Deep<br />

Bleaching TM for some time.<br />

Because moisture from condensation during refrigeration<br />

will ruin typical fancy box containers, all of our bleaching gels<br />

are provided in plastic containers so that we can keep them under<br />

constant refrigeration without damage to paper boxes.<br />

<strong>The</strong> first thing that most dentists ask me when they hear this<br />

is, how much more do we charge because of all the refrigeration?<br />

<strong>The</strong> fact is that we don’t charge ANY more at all. It’s something<br />

I believe in very much, so we just do it.<br />

Woody – Thanks Rod, it sounds like you’ve got a lot going on,<br />

and we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. I know<br />

that our readers will have more questions, so how do they<br />

contact Evolve <strong>Dental</strong> Technologies?<br />

Rod – Hey Woody, you know that this is my favorite topic in the<br />

world – and I’m really looking forward to speaking at Destin.<br />

That is always an amazing meeting! I’m excited to be a part of<br />

it this year and to get to hang out with all of your fans for a few<br />

days. I’m normally at my dental practice, but Evolve can be<br />

contacted at (866) 763-7753, and the website is www.Deep-<br />

Bleaching.com. See ya at Destin bud!<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


stress-Free,<br />

Easy and <strong>Profitable</strong><br />

Dentures<br />

By Dr. John Lyons<br />

Learn to love doing<br />

dentures as I do.<br />

Most dentists I talk to hate doing dentures. When asked why,<br />

they usually respond with one of the following replies:<br />

1) <strong>The</strong> patients are never satisfied;<br />

2) <strong>The</strong>y keep coming back for adjustments endlessly;<br />

3) I don’t make any money with dentures; or<br />

4) I cannot compete with the guy down the street.<br />

In this article, I would like to show you how to reverse these<br />

negative experiences and thoughts and get you to love doing<br />

dentures as I do.<br />

We will review the special situations that arise most often<br />

and show simple and effective ways to deal with them.<br />

1) <strong>The</strong> “never-ending” complainer:<br />

Although 97% of all edentulous patients are easily satisfied<br />

with the confection of new dentures, some patients will<br />

never be pleased with their prosthetic appliances. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

people want that big piece of plastic in their mouth to<br />

function and look like natural teeth!<br />

Obviously the trick is, as they told us in dental school, to avoid<br />

this type of patient. But how can you tell!<br />

We have all heard of the scenario where the patient comes in<br />

once and tells you that he is unable to get used to his dentures<br />

and that they are the third ones he has gotten this year. While<br />

this would be a “no-brainer,” it rarely happens. Usually the<br />

“difficult” patient is much harder to spot and will give only small<br />

clues revealing his potential future discontentment. Possible<br />

signs to look for are:<br />

Dr. Lyons DVD series is available at<br />

www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com.<br />

CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

A) When a patient is way too detail conscious. Although<br />

you may spot this only at the try-in appointment, it is<br />

still not too late to stop everything.<br />

B) When a patient speaks of any unrealistic or extremely<br />

difficult expectations. While it may be tempting to try<br />

a case where you feel you might be able to satisfy this<br />

patient’s needs, the risk is too high to get involved.<br />

C) When the patient fails to understand the reasons his old<br />

denture is no longer any good. This could be a patient<br />

with insufficient lower ridge height requiring implants.<br />

<strong>The</strong> patient “hears” you when you explain the reasons<br />

for the instability of his lower denture but quickly<br />

replies “just make me a new lower denture.”<br />

Contrary to the unrealistic patient, however, this patient can be<br />

content with a new “set of teeth” since you have explained and<br />

often repeated that the new denture may not hold any better than<br />

the old one.<br />

Solution:<br />

For the rare case where the patient has somehow slipped<br />

through your screening process and for whom you have gone out<br />

and completed new dentures (although you now wish you had<br />

not), reimburse him quickly. <strong>The</strong> sooner you give him back his<br />

money, the less time, aggravation, and eventually money, you<br />

will lose.<br />

As for those patients you do not wish to treat (3%), tell them<br />

that this case is a special situation and you feel you might not be<br />

able to satisfy them. Refer them to the best prosthodontist or to<br />

your worst enemy.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

2) <strong>The</strong> patient who wants his new dentures to be exactly the<br />

same as the old ones.<br />

Although some techniques exist to duplicate existing<br />

dentures, patients should be warned that you can get “as close as<br />

possible to” but never exactly the same as their old dentures.<br />

3) <strong>The</strong> guy down the street is really inexpensive!<br />

Solution: Who cares!<br />

If there is one thing I have learned about my job, it is that I<br />

only love doing what I get paid for. Whether it is ortho, crown<br />

and bridge, surgery or dentures, I hate doing things for free or<br />

for an inadequate compensation.<br />

However, you can still compete with “el cheap” down<br />

the road by giving patients a choice. Tell them that there are<br />

different qualities of dentures and that you offer three types.<br />

payments by<br />

North american Bancard<br />

By Leo Townsend<br />

Leo Townsend, president of Paymerica of Illinois, LLC,<br />

is pleased to announce the formation of Payments by North<br />

American Bancard. This new organization will allow merchants<br />

the ability to not only receive wholesale rates on their credit card<br />

processing, but can provide free equipment to those in the need.<br />

Also, if you’ve been reluctant to switch your processing due to<br />

cancellation fees by your current processing bank, Leo can now<br />

pay up to $295 of the cancellation fee for qualified merchants.<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> has worked with Leo for more than<br />

five years on saving dentists, and other businesses, money on<br />

their processing. It’s as simple as faxing a recent statement to<br />

Leo for review and the entire application process to switch your<br />

processing and begin recouping your savings can happen in<br />

as little as two days! Most often you won’t need to switch the<br />

equipment that your staff is familiar with, reducing the training<br />

time involved.<br />

Why continue to put your hard earned money in your<br />

processing banks pocket? Leo has saved 100% of those who<br />

contacted him money. <strong>The</strong> choice is yours.<br />

With all the credit card processing companies soliciting your<br />

business and the many different rates that you are being quoted<br />

it’s hard to know who to trust. Woody Oakes trusts Leo and one<br />

of the local dentists near you are probably already saving money<br />

through Leo’s program.<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is the economy denture (competes with the fee of Dr.<br />

Cheapo), there is the quality denture (at a reasonable fee) and<br />

there is a deluxe model with the most esthetic teeth and highest<br />

quality acrylic (high fee).<br />

By doing it this way, you remain competitive while offering<br />

the highest quality. You will be surprised by the number of<br />

people who go for the deluxe mode.<br />

For a complete LIVE demonstration, order Productive Video’s Dentures and<br />

Partials DVS at 1-800-337-8467.<br />

Need more help? Order “Adventures in Dentures” set by calling 1-800-337-<br />

8467. Mention this article and get 1 of the 3 DVDs for FREE!<br />

North American<br />

Bancard<br />

was previously<br />

Paymerica of<br />

Illinois, LLC<br />

Keep these things in mind when you are shopping for credit card<br />

processing:<br />

q All credit card processing companies have the same costs as<br />

determined by MasterCard/Visa. <strong>The</strong> difference in the rates<br />

offered to you is predicated by their profit requirements.<br />

q <strong>The</strong>re is NO Visa/MasterCard “medical/dental” program.<br />

Companies are claiming a “special” rate for this program<br />

which is generally just standard pricing.<br />

q Many sales people in the industry are using the ploy that<br />

your equipment will be decertified in 2008 or 2009 as a way<br />

to get you scared and their foot in your door. Payments<br />

by North American Bancard can reprogram over 95% of<br />

the equipment in service today. If for some reason they<br />

can’t, they can tell you what to purchase on your own on<br />

eBay, provide wholesale pricing or even free equipment for<br />

qualified merchants.<br />

Contact Leo today for a FREE, no obligation quote on just how much money you<br />

could save in 2008. Fax your statement to 815-273-2133 or call 866-522-1169<br />

more information. Tell them Woody sent you!<br />

©2005 North American Bancard - A registered Merchant Service Provider for<br />

HSBC Bank USA, National Association, Buffalo, NY<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


I will state the obvious:<br />

Composites have different handling<br />

properties than amalgam. So why are<br />

dentists using amalgam techniques to<br />

restore teeth with composite? Amalgam<br />

techniques of wedging and separating<br />

teeth create inconsistencies when<br />

applied to composites. Using amalgam<br />

technology for composites, the dentist<br />

can not always assure proper isolation,<br />

rounded interproximal contours and<br />

tight contacts. Tight contacts every time<br />

seems to be the most elusive.<br />

Now you can predictably perform better<br />

Class II, III, IV, and V composites with<br />

simple techniques described in this<br />

article.<br />

“Congratulations Dr. Dennis Brown on selection of the Great Curve tofflemire band to<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> Products Report – Top Ten Chairside Products (2007)<br />

CRA Buying Guide – Best Products of the Year (2007).”<br />

– Woody<br />

a New approach to Composites<br />

By Dr. Dennis Brown<br />

Class ii<br />

<strong>The</strong> technique will be demonstrated on a broken down tooth #19. A difficult<br />

direct Class II composite made simpler. (Fig. 1 & 2)<br />

Fig.1. Pre-opt #19<br />

Fig. 2. All decay removed.<br />

Ready to be restored<br />

<strong>The</strong> new method is a twist on the familiar tofflemire band. Refer to Fig.3.<br />

<strong>The</strong> left matrix is a standard tofflemire band and to the right is the “Greater<br />

Curve tofflemire band.” <strong>The</strong> Greater Curve matrix has a greater curve<br />

(hence the nick name “banana band”). When the Greater Curve band is set<br />

up in a retainer the flare from bottom to top is obvious. (Fig. 4)<br />

Fig. 3.<br />

CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

Fig. 4. Set up in retainer.<br />

Use of the Greater Curve tofflemire matrix band has four advantages: (Fig. 5)<br />

1) <strong>The</strong> band pulls very tight around the cervical for a very tight seal.<br />

Excellent isolation is mandatory for successful composite placement.<br />

2) <strong>The</strong> flare of the band places it intimately against the contact areas of<br />

the adjacent teeth.<br />

3) No need to force teeth apart with wedges or separating springs.<br />

Teeth restored while remaining in a neutral position.<br />

4) <strong>The</strong>re is a direct build of composite against the adjacent tooth.<br />

Here is where the technique becomes interesting. So simple, it is surprising<br />

G.V. Black didn’t think of it. A small football shaped composite finishing<br />

carbide (i.e. Brasseler’s 7404, or Shofu’s White Stone (FL2)) is used to burnish<br />

an opening in the matrix at the contact position. (Fig. 6) KEEP THE CARBIDE<br />

AGAINST THE MATRIX THE ENTIRE TIME. DO NOT LIFT THE<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


CLINICAL/TECHNICAL<br />

8<br />

CARBIDE. IT IS A “RUBBING, SMOOTHING IN” SIDE TO SIDE<br />

MOTION. YOU ARE GENTLY PEELING AWAY METAL. (See arrow<br />

in Fig. 5) A smooth surface is left on the adjacent tooth’s contact. Around<br />

the opening the matrix imperceptibly blends against the adjacent tooth. <strong>The</strong><br />

dentist has absolute control over the size and position of the contact. Contacts<br />

will be a direct build of the composite against the adjacent tooth. (Fig. 7)<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is no danger of nicking the adjacent contact when executed<br />

correctly. It is 180º from the way we were taught. It is easy to do. We<br />

all use composite finishing carbides to smooth composite<br />

against occlusal enamel, and no nicking occurs. Using<br />

finishing carbide at the interproximal is no different.<br />

<strong>The</strong> buildup is completed. (Fig. 9) DO NOT WORRY<br />

ABOUT PLACING ANY SEPARATING AGENT AT<br />

THE CONTACT OPENING. <strong>The</strong> contact is broken with<br />

the blade of a metal spatula before the band is removed.<br />

<strong>The</strong> bond will break very cleanly for two reasons: (Fig. 8)<br />

1) We are only dealing with a small 1mm oval. Not<br />

much surface area bonded.<br />

2) <strong>The</strong> contact area on the neighboring tooth was<br />

smoothed with finishing carbide as described above.<br />

<strong>The</strong>refore, the composite itself will be smooth<br />

at the contact position. <strong>The</strong> band removes in one<br />

piece. It slides through the contact. Why, because<br />

the periphery of the opening blended imperceptibly<br />

against the adjacent contact.<br />

A difficult Class II buildup with wide embrasures, on<br />

a short misaligned tooth made simple. Tight contacts<br />

with rounded contours having both width and depth.<br />

(Figs. 9, 10, & 11)<br />

Class iii & Class iV <strong>The</strong> Greater Curve works very well for anterior teeth. (Fig. 12)<br />

After the Greater Curve matrix has been tightened around tooth #8, a mesial opening<br />

is created in the matrix as described previously. Cutting away the<br />

labial portion of the matrix provides access to the cervical portion<br />

of the prep. <strong>The</strong> dentist has plenty of visibility coupled with great<br />

isolation from saliva invasion. Matrix secured with Triad Gel. (Fig.<br />

13) Composite is placed, and matrix slides out in one piece. Why?<br />

<strong>The</strong> periphery of the opening blended imperceptibly against the<br />

adjacent contact. (Fig.14)<br />

Final mesial Class IV composite tooth # 8. Note the rounded<br />

emergence contour. <strong>The</strong> base of the<br />

contact is near the papilla. (Figs. 15<br />

& 16)) Forget awkward mylar strips.<br />

You will never again experience<br />

straight line emergence contours<br />

and unsightly black triangles caused<br />

by mylar strips secured with wood<br />

wedges. Long vertical contacts which<br />

are the nature of Class IV’s are easily<br />

accomplished.<br />

Fig.14. Matrix slides out in one<br />

piece.<br />

Fig. 6 Brasseler<br />

# 7404,<br />

Shofu # FL2<br />

Fig. 9. Composite travels<br />

across wide<br />

mesial and distal<br />

embrasures.<br />

Fig.7 Contact opening<br />

made in matrix.<br />

Fig. 10. Contacts with width<br />

and depth.<br />

Fig. 5. Greater Curve<br />

tofflemire band in<br />

place. No wedges<br />

needed. No<br />

separating springs<br />

needed. Band<br />

pulls very tight for<br />

a 0º excellent<br />

seal. Set up is<br />

very simple.<br />

Fig. 8. Blade of metal spatula<br />

breaks contact.<br />

Fig.11.<br />

Rounded<br />

interproximal<br />

contours.<br />

Fig. 12 Class IV prep tooth #8. Fig.13. Matrix secured (Triad Gel)<br />

Fig. 15. Final restoration<br />

#8<br />

Fig. 16. Lingual view final<br />

restoration #8.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


Class V<br />

<strong>The</strong> Greater curve works well for many Class V restorations. It is a<br />

savior when:<br />

1) the caries are deep relative to the gingival margin.<br />

2) the gingiva is very thin and friable making it impossible to<br />

place cord.<br />

3) superior isolation from saliva contamination is paramount.<br />

Class V caries on #31 extends from mesial to distal along the lingual.<br />

(Fig. 17) A Dent-a-pop at the lingual contains the tongue and draws<br />

saliva away. Prep is very well isolated in a location that is normally<br />

difficult to isolate. <strong>The</strong> Greater Curve matrix provides plenty of<br />

access to place restorative material (Fugi II LC). (Fig. 18)<br />

In summary the Greater Curve tofflemire band technique has advantages:<br />

• <strong>The</strong>re are no wedges needed! No separating springs needed! Hardware greatly reduced.<br />

Set up very simple.<br />

• Teeth restored in a neutral position because there is no need to force teeth apart.<br />

• <strong>The</strong>re is excellent isolation of the cavity prep. Particularly those with deep subgingival<br />

decay. <strong>The</strong> band pulls very tight at the cervical.<br />

• <strong>The</strong> cost per restoration is reduced.<br />

<strong>The</strong> quality of your composite restorations will soar. Tight rounded contacts with width and depth.<br />

For more information on how the Greater Curve tofflemire band can make restorative dentistry simpler and more<br />

predictable go to www.greatercurve.com or call 866-493-3437.<br />

Why Not Simplify Direct Composites?<br />

Throw away awkward mylar strips.<br />

Create rounded emergence contours with long contacts on anterior teeth.<br />

“Best Products of the Year – 2007”<br />

CRA Buying Guide<br />

Wide open embrasures with<br />

deep cervical decay easily bridged<br />

with tight, smooth contacts.<br />

“Top Ten Chairside Products – 2007”<br />

DPR<br />

www.greatercurve.com<br />

����� �������� � ������������������������<br />

Fig. 17 Lingual prep # 31<br />

Fig.18 Excellent isolation<br />

lingual #31.<br />

Fig. 19 Final lingual subgingival<br />

Class V #31.<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


0<br />

<strong>The</strong> shocking TrUTh about the U.s. Legal system!<br />

Discover the hidden secrets of Litigation that<br />

plaintiffs’ Lawyers pray you Never Learn!<br />

By Douglass Lodmell, J.D.<br />

Let me ask you a question. “Have you ever wondered<br />

why it feels like you need to consult a lawyer before talking to<br />

the parents of your children’s friends about why their kid came<br />

home with a bruise from your house? Do you notice how you<br />

feel when someone slips and falls, or even bumps their arm in<br />

your home or office building? Or, if you own a business or have<br />

employees, why even a loose comment or risqué joke around the<br />

office now makes you cringe with fear? Or why sometimes the<br />

patient sitting in your chair does or says something that triggers<br />

a fear that they might just be a lawsuit waiting to happen?”<br />

Why is that? Why is it that even normal minor accidents or<br />

casual conversations can trigger a deep sense of fear and insecurity<br />

in you? What do you attribute this to? Why do you think that is?<br />

It’s because this fear is legitimate! For some of you it is<br />

because you have already been sued, or have seen a friend,<br />

colleague or neighbor go through a nightmare lawsuit. Not to<br />

mention that we all see the aggressive advertising of plaintiffs’<br />

attorneys on TV, billboards and radio that implore the masses to<br />

call them “after any accident” to get their “rightful” cash awards,<br />

as if it was a government subsidized entitlement program.<br />

Let’s face it. We have all learned to take on a sense of guilt<br />

if anything goes wrong in our own lives AND in the lives of those<br />

around us. We all know about this guilt! But what you might not<br />

know is how a small group of lawyers and judges has taken that<br />

sense of guilt and used it against the very people they are here<br />

to serve to create the biggest money making scheme in history.<br />

And in the process, have turned our legal system into a sham!<br />

Just like Cold War Russia or North Korea of today, we<br />

are now ruled by the Law of Fear! What this law says is that<br />

you better not take any risks, hurt anyone or even be around<br />

when something goes wrong in someone’s life, because there<br />

is an army of lawyers that will be there to serve the victims of<br />

your negligence and find JUSTICE. And since this is America,<br />

justice is measured in terms of COLD, HARD CASH – so you<br />

will just PAY! And, of course, these lawyers are not doing<br />

this as a public service. <strong>The</strong>y are taking a BIG cut of the $300<br />

billion each year in lawsuit action for their honorable position as<br />

the purveyor of justice (i.e. conflicts)!<br />

When I started writing this story for <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong>,<br />

I found myself writing page after page (far too many pages for<br />

this publication). <strong>The</strong> story was about a justice system where<br />

the “justice” has been replaced with an economic model where<br />

the most aggressive and ruthless attorneys use the lawsuit as<br />

a weapon and make ridiculous amounts of money by doing it!<br />

<strong>The</strong> story became so big and so important that I can only do it<br />

‘justice’ by offering you the whole story!<br />

What got created is an incredible “Insider’s Report” that<br />

tells all! This report is far more than a simple article. It is a<br />

full story of exactly how our legal system was designed, what<br />

happened to it, and WHY! What I can assure you of is that there<br />

are a lot of facts, and information that I know you will want to<br />

know, such as:<br />

q How the Plaintiffs’ attorneys have ‘rewritten the rules’ over<br />

the past 30 years to make it easier, and more profitable, for<br />

them to sue you.<br />

q How we moved from a system where ‘contingent fees’ were<br />

immoral and illegal for lawyers to use, to one in which they<br />

are virtually the only way plaintiffs’ attorneys now work!<br />

q How clever attorneys removed the prohibition against “attorney<br />

advertising” and created an industry of TV, Radio, and<br />

Billboard lawyers designed to stir up conflict—just for profit!<br />

q How lawyers have changed their own self-governing ethical<br />

rules to allow the use of sleazy tactics and frivolous lawsuits!<br />

q How even the Rules of Civil Procedure have been modified by<br />

attorneys to make it easier to sue, easier to use a lawsuit as a<br />

harassment tool, and harder to get a bogus lawsuit thrown out!<br />

q Why all these changes make anyone with even a modest level<br />

of assets a SITTING DUCK for almost any plaintiff’s attorney!<br />

q Why being a Doctor creates a ‘triple-whammy’ effect and<br />

increases your risk far more than you ever imagined!<br />

q How lawyers have targeted your employees as the latest<br />

“victims” in their money-making lawsuit mills, and why, as<br />

an employer, they are now your #1 risk!<br />

q How Lawsuits REALLY WORK, and how lawyers use the<br />

“no loser pays” system as a tool for LEGAL EXTORTION!<br />

In fact, once I got started writing the WHOLE STORY, I<br />

couldn’t stop at just telling you what’s wrong with the system. I<br />

had to go the whole way and also tell you what solutions are out<br />

there, which ones work, which ones don’t, and what YOU can do<br />

to turn the tables in your favor! You will also learn:<br />

q How a simple policy you can implement in your office can<br />

VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE employee lawsuits!<br />

q What “Asset Protection” really means, and why 95% of<br />

all “Asset Protection” planning you hear about or find on the<br />

Internet doesn’t work, and may even get you into BIG<br />

TROUBLE!<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


q Which assets you have are ALREADY protected and which<br />

ones are not, and what you can do today to increase your<br />

protection with no expenses!<br />

q Why numbered bank accounts and secrecy as asset<br />

protection tools Don’t Work!<br />

q What Nevada Corporations really are and why you want to<br />

STAY AWAY!<br />

q How you can maintain 100% control of your assets and still<br />

have them COMPLETELY PROTECTED!<br />

q What Insurance Companies don’t want you to know about<br />

your coverage – and why what you don’t know can hurt you!<br />

q How you can stop almost any lawsuit from ever gaining<br />

momentum, and how that can save you hundred’s of<br />

thousands of dollars in worthless legal fees (even if the<br />

claim are ridiculous and bogus!) And much, much more!<br />

By the way, when you request and receive your Insider’s Report<br />

on the legal system and discover the previously hidden dark<br />

secrets, you will understand that it applies to everyone! You will<br />

find out why this is true, even if you never get sued!<br />

<strong>The</strong> information and solutions you will be given can not<br />

only save you thousands of dollars that might otherwise be spent<br />

on litigation, but will give you something even more valuable;<br />

peace of mind and a sense of freedom that will allow you to<br />

focus on what’s most important to you!<br />

Many of your colleagues who have already read this Insider’s<br />

Report say that it was critical in helping them to make the best<br />

decision about their family’s financial future. <strong>The</strong>re is no cost or<br />

obligation for you to inform yourself about the REAL story!<br />

With more than 30 years of legal experience,<br />

Lodmell & Lodmell, P.C. is one of the nation’s<br />

premiere providers of integrated estate planning<br />

and net worth protection services. Co-founded by<br />

attorneys Gary and Douglass Lodmell, the Phoenixbased<br />

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and tax law, estate planning and asset protection.<br />

Douglass S. Lodmell, Managing Partner &<br />

Co-Founder, is an expert in estate planning, taxation<br />

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international clients. In addition to a Juris Doctorate<br />

degree, Doug Lodmell has a Bachelor of Science<br />

degree in finance as well as an advance law degree<br />

in taxation. He has authored numerous articles for professional journals and is<br />

currently at work on a book about the explosion of lawsuits in America and how<br />

personal wealth is no longer safe in this country. For more information you may<br />

contact Douglass Lodmell at 602-230-2014 / 800-231-7112 or online at www.<br />

lodmell.com or www.lawyers.com/lodmell com.<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> Genius’ Fall 2007 ad was incorrectly printed, and was the mistake of the printer. We regret the error.<br />

Find Your Inner Genius.<br />

It’s defined as ‘extraordinary intellect and creative power’.<br />

Your dentistry already shows it. However, if you’re like<br />

most dentists you struggle with managing a complex and<br />

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Improve 20% Or More. Take Advantage of Our<br />

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Curious about what’s examined?<br />

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1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G 1


2<br />

Doctor SAVES $6,000/month!<br />

Good Morning Doctor,<br />

I thought that you would be interested in this e-mail I received from one of our members:<br />

“We gave Dr. Oakes’ new <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> Buying Club (through Darby<br />

<strong>Dental</strong>) a try for the first time in May. Wow! Our supply bill on $250,000<br />

production is usually $12-$13K or 5-6% of production. I’m happy to say Darby<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> reduced our supply bill to $6K or 2%. I saved $6,000 and that doesn’t<br />

count the 3% rebate I will get back at the end of the month!”<br />

Dr. Jon Germany<br />

“Wow” is right… this is extra money in your pocket with ZERO extra work! If you’d like to learn more about<br />

what Dr. Germany and thousands of our members are so excited about call 1-800-683-4723 to request a FREE<br />

supplies magalog now!<br />

PS – Every day you wait to check this out is costing you BIG $$!<br />

Regards,<br />

Woody Oakes, DDS<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


PUzzLE PIECE<br />

“Don’t Forget<br />

Your promises”<br />

by Dr. Woody Oakes<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> patients are very similar to customers in other types of businesses. Twenty<br />

percent of them provide you with 80% of your business and another 20% provide<br />

80% of the problems.<br />

<strong>The</strong> best defense for these potential troublemakers is a good offense. By that I mean<br />

if something goes wrong, or you’ve promised something that’s not going to happen<br />

on schedule… communicate with them.<br />

Here’s an example: One time we did alot of crowns in one month. In fact, as I<br />

recall, it was over 100 units. All of these people were<br />

pre-scheduled for the deliveries, but here’s what happened.<br />

Our C&B laboratory moved into a new building that month and<br />

everything that could go wrong went wrong. We were notified<br />

that all cases would be “delayed” at least two weeks.<br />

We immediately put together a postcard to those folks waiting<br />

for crowns explaining to them exactly what happened. <strong>The</strong>n,<br />

after the bright orange cards were mailed, we also called to<br />

see if they got the cards and apologized for the delay.<br />

Several dentists in our town (who used the same lab) did<br />

nothing… they had people show up at the office with NO<br />

lab work! Talk about some upset people!<br />

When you communicate and explain things to your<br />

patients… most will forgive you for life’s slight<br />

inconveniences.<br />

Here is a card used by our<br />

local cable company that<br />

does the same thing:<br />

part #187<br />

of<br />

the<br />

$100,000 puzzle<br />

remember…<br />

CoMMUNiCaTioN is the KeY, don’t forget your promises!<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 2 0 0 8 S P R I N G


imageMax<br />

<strong>Dental</strong> Film Processor<br />

For those of you who are still using dental x-ray film… at least<br />

consider moving up to the “new age” of dental film processors!<br />

ImageMax costs only $2,495, it is virtually self-cleaning, has no<br />

moving parts and uses 2/3 the chemicals of conventional x-ray<br />

processing machines.<br />

<strong>The</strong> installing is as simple as plugging it in. It has a small footprint<br />

so it easily fits on a counter or can be placed on a wall mounted<br />

shelf. It does periapical films, panos and cephs. <strong>The</strong> ImageMax<br />

also comes with an<br />

exclusive 5-year<br />

warranty.<br />

To find out more,<br />

call 1-888-230-<br />

9500 or visit www.<br />

ImageMax.us and ask<br />

for a special in-office<br />

two-week trial and<br />

free ground shipping<br />

that we’ve arranged<br />

for readers of “<strong>The</strong><br />

<strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong>.”<br />

Be sure to mention<br />

the promotional code<br />

#TPDSI08.<br />

a Word From our readers<br />

woody,<br />

Loved your article on Buyer Beware! i figured this same concept out a few years ago but<br />

unfortunately not soon enough. i have a room full of expensive toys that are now high-priced dust<br />

collectors. As a favor to our profession, we need to speak out on the crap dental supply houses<br />

spread. how many times have you heard, “doc, ya only need to do an extra crown a month to pay<br />

for this new piece of equipment.”?<br />

scott kiser<br />

Salt Lake City<br />

Dear Scott,<br />

I wish we could have saved you the financial pain of that decision! We try<br />

to provide cutting-edge, yet practical information to help dentists like yourself<br />

grow your practice without being controlled by it. Keep reading. <strong>The</strong><br />

articles will hopefully help you save (and make) more money in the future!<br />

Waiting room <strong>The</strong>ater TM<br />

Waiting Room <strong>The</strong>ater is an innovative and<br />

dynamic service designed by dentists to educate and<br />

entertain patients while minimizing revenues per<br />

patient.<br />

Developed by Dr. Jay Grossman for his own<br />

practice in Los Angeles, Waiting Room <strong>The</strong>ater<br />

provides a continuous, professional multimedia<br />

presentation to patients design to help inform and<br />

educate patients about services provided by your<br />

office.<br />

Waiting Room <strong>The</strong>ater is filled with humorous clips,<br />

dental factoids, “Consumer Reports”-style product<br />

comparisons, and information that stimulates<br />

patients’ questions about dental services without<br />

any high-pressure sales. WRT’s presentation will be<br />

refreshed several times per year.<br />

To learn more, visit www.waitingroomtheater.com<br />

or call 1-888-978-0550.<br />

This service costs $299/quarter and Dr. Grossman<br />

claims it adds $6,000+ in additional revenue per<br />

month. For a FREE trial of the service, give them a<br />

call and mention promotional code # TPDS08.<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com<br />

Woody<br />

Buyer Beware! discusses the quandary<br />

that many dentists face – buy vs. invest.<br />

This article can be found in our Winter<br />

2007 issue. Don’t have your last issue<br />

on-hand? Read it and other great articles<br />

online at theprofitabledentist.com.<br />

Let us know how <strong>The</strong> <strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong> has<br />

helped your practice or suggest topics that you’d<br />

like to learn more about. Email us at<br />

eid@theprofitabledentist.com


Good Morning Doctor,<br />

<strong>The</strong>n it dawned on me… I should have asked you “Why?” Maybe you<br />

felt you didn’t have enough time to listen to the CDs? Perhaps you<br />

thought the product would not be helpful to you? Did we drop the ball?<br />

But I didn’t ask any of those things, so please… accept my apology.<br />

And now, for the good news! We would like to send you one of our best<br />

selling DDS interviews for FREE (all I ask is that you pay $9.95 to cover<br />

shipping and handling). Fair Enough?<br />

That CD is my recent interview with Jay Geir of <strong>The</strong> Scheduling Institute.<br />

On this amazing CD, you’ll find several new strategies, including a<br />

cell phone “system” that can generate another $75,000+ for your practice<br />

in the next 12 months!<br />

To take advantage of this offer, simply complete and return the GIFT<br />

CERTIFICATE on the reverse side of this card.<br />

Regards,<br />

William W. Oakes, DDS<br />

P.S. – Doggone it, maybe I still haven’t done enough? If you decide to begin your<br />

membership I’ll send you, absolutely FREE:<br />

1) Dr. Mike Abernathy’s “Secrets Of An $8,000,000 General Practice”<br />

DVD ($297 value)<br />

2) Dr. Jon Germany’s “Get Ready, Get Set, Go” DVD ($107 value)<br />

3) Gary Kadi’s “Million Dollar <strong>Dentist</strong>y” CD ($97 value)<br />

“I’m So Confident<br />

You’ll Love Our DDS CDs…<br />

We’ll Send You One For FREE<br />

Plus $ of FREE Gifts!”<br />

I’ve got some really great news for you, but first… I have a confession to make. Here’s my confession:<br />

I realized you were not a member of <strong>The</strong> Driving <strong>Dentist</strong> Series (monthly CD program) and when<br />

you didn’t start your membership… I should have called or written you to see why you haven’t at<br />

least taken a “test drive”?<br />

But I didn’t!<br />

NOVEMBER 2007 DR. GUY MOORE<br />

Aegis Progressive Solutions<br />

“$900K to $3M in 23 months!”<br />

· How To Develop Marketing Momentum<br />

· Why 5% may be to low for Marketing<br />

· How to Produce $520 K/year in emergency care alone<br />

· How referring patients out to specialists cripples a practice.<br />

· <strong>The</strong> easy way to increase daily production by 30%<br />

DECEMBER 2007 DR. CLIFTON GEORGAKLIS<br />

“Six Month Rapid Braces”<br />

· <strong>The</strong> number one way to market rapid braces<br />

· How to lower the stress of a typical GP practice<br />

· What about the mid-line when you remove an incisor<br />

· <strong>The</strong> magic of RIBBOND splints<br />

· How to charge (and receive) almost a full mouth ortho fee<br />

· <strong>The</strong> effective use of associates to build your niche practice<br />

· A web site that produces 15-35 new patient/month<br />

JANUARY 2008 WENDY BRIGGS, RDH<br />

“Whitening For Life”<br />

· Five Preventative Services to add to hygiene NOW<br />

· How to easily increase hygiene production $225K/year<br />

· Deciding which of the hygiene “models” is right for your practice<br />

· What’s the only way to compensate you hygienist?<br />

· What’s all the excitement about “Whitening for Life”?<br />

Individual programs are available for $39.95 each. If ordering a single program, please circle the month requested above and send with your order.<br />

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

Address:________________________________________ City, State, & Zip: ________________________________________<br />

Telephone:___________________________ Fax:________________________ q VISA q MC q DISCOVER q AMEX<br />

E-Mail: ________________________________________________ Card #_________________________________________<br />

Signature _____________________________________________________________ Expiration Date ________/___________<br />

CODE: NEWS


FAx THIS FORM BACK TO 1-812-949-8535<br />

$537<br />

GIFT CERTIFICATE<br />

Woody’s DDS “Welcome Package”<br />

q YES, Woody please send me the FREE DDS “Welcome Package” valued at $537 which includes the Dr. Mike Abernathy<br />

DVD ($297 value), the Dr. Jon Germany DVD ($107 value), the Gary Kadi CD ($97 value) and the Jay Geier CD.<br />

I understand that by accepting this FREE “Welcome Package” I’ll start my membership in the Driving <strong>Dentist</strong> Series<br />

and will receive a new audio CD (with transcript) every month. Each CD is worth two hours of CE credit and (for my<br />

convenience)... my credit card will be auto billed each month for $39.95 (includes FREE shipping and handling).<br />

I further understand that all CDs come with our 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE and I may cancel my membership<br />

at any time and still keep the FREE gifts valued at $537.<br />

q MAYBE, Just send me the FREE Jay Geier CD (for $9.95 Shipping/Handling) at this time… I’ll pass on the ONE<br />

TIME OFFER of $537 in FREE bonus gifts.<br />

To accept either offer, please complete and return the Acceptance Form below to get started and to<br />

receive your FREE GIFTS. This offer EXPIRES 4/15/08!<br />

RAPID ORDER FORM<br />

To order, please complete the payment information below and fax it back to:<br />

(812) 949-8535 (our secure fax line) or call 1-800-337-8467 or visit www.theprofitabledentist.com<br />

Name: ______________________________________________<br />

Address: ____________________________________________ Payment Method: MC VISA AMEX DISC<br />

____________________________________________________ Card #: _________________________________<br />

____________________________________________________ Exp. Date: ____ / ______<br />

Phone (___) _________________________________________ Signature: ________________________________<br />

Email_______________________________________________<br />

Fax (___) ____________________________________________ Code: EID Copyright 2008<br />

Order Products<br />

7 Days A Week!<br />

<strong>Profitable</strong> <strong>Dentist</strong>s use their time efficiently.<br />

So order any of our products whenever it is<br />

convenient for you ! Whether it’s a 6:00 am,<br />

6:00 pm, or even a holiday, call our secure<br />

voice mail order line – and get profitable!<br />

1-800-337-8467 ext. 5<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 0 8 www.<strong>The</strong><strong>Profitable</strong><strong>Dentist</strong>.com


®<br />

re: <strong>The</strong> SOLD Out Tele-seminar<br />

“ax Your Tax” Tele-seminar”<br />

Mark Frey, CPA John Plisky, MBA<br />

Good Morning Doctor,<br />

It’s that time of year again, and you know what that means? Uncle Sam will soon be paying us all a visit. Let us help ease the burden that<br />

we each face (year after year) with this exciting and informative discussion, presented by some of the nation’s leading financial advisors,<br />

John Plisky and Mark Frey.<br />

This tele-seminar will leave you feeling relaxed, confident, and full of fresh, new ideas to help grow and protect your financial plan.<br />

Here’s just some of what you’re going to discover:<br />

• Real-life examples of dentists slashing their tax burdens and rapidly closing in on their retirement goals.<br />

• How to quickly amass an EXTRA $2.1 million on top of your current plan even if you don’t have a lot of years before retirement.<br />

• <strong>The</strong> three ways the “dirty little secret” of the retirement plan industry costs dentists millions (and the simple way to keep them<br />

from picking your pocket.)<br />

• How to grow your money 278% faster – without having to work any harder.<br />

• <strong>The</strong> two best types of retirement plans for dentists – and why you’ve probably never heard of one of these before.<br />

• How to legally walk up to $207,477 of profits out of your practice each year before the IRS can even touch a penny of it.<br />

• How some dentists legally keep 90% of their plan’s contribution for themselves – while still passing all the IRS tests.<br />

• <strong>The</strong> Triple Guarantee that Wall Street and the insurance companies would never even consider matching.<br />

• A common mistake most dentists make when they try to cut down the required contribution for the staff that actually costs them<br />

more money.<br />

• “Insider secrets” you won’t find anywhere else.<br />

• How to achieve your tax reduction and retirement plan goals using a 421(i) Defined Benefit Plan.<br />

• How to use a Section 79 plan to implement a discriminatory income tax reduction plan/retirement vehicle.<br />

• How to put the maximum amount away for yourself into a qualified plan while retaining flexibility regarding the amounts for<br />

your employees.<br />

• Five tax reduction strategies (basic)<br />

• A/R Continuation Plans… this alone is worth the price of the program!<br />

• How to achieve your retirement plan goals using a New Comparability Profit Sharing Plan.<br />

o<br />

And much, much more!<br />

Your investment for the CD of this entire event is only $107 and you will also receive all handouts mentioned on the call. Along with<br />

your purchase of these CDs, you’ll also receive a certificate for a FREE $1.2M telephone consult from John Plisky!<br />

To order the “Ax Your Tax” Tele-seminar on audio CD, please complete and return the ORDER FORM below, or call us at 1-800-337-8467.<br />

Regards,<br />

William W. Oakes, DDS<br />

YES, please send me the “Ax Your Tax” Tele-Seminar CDs for only…………...…….......…………..…....................…$107.00<br />

Please Add $9.95 for Shipping and Handling<br />

Name: ______________________________________________________________________<br />

Address: ____________________________________________________________________<br />

City: ___________________________________ State: _______ Zip: ___________________<br />

Phone: (____) _______________________ Fax: (____) ______________________________<br />

E-mail: _____________________________________________________________________<br />

o Visa o MC o Amex o Discover o Check<br />

CC# ________________________________________________ Exp. Date: ______________<br />

Signature: ___________________________________________________________________<br />

Fill out order form and return to:<br />

Excellence in <strong>Dentist</strong>ry, Inc.<br />

3211 Grantline Rd., Ste. 20<br />

New Albany, IN 471590<br />

For Faster Service FAX<br />

this form back to (812) 949-8535<br />

or call 1-800-337-8467<br />

100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!<br />

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 3 7 - 8 4 6 7 Copyright EID<br />

2<br />

2008<br />

0 0 8 S P R I NCode: G TSNS


© 2008 Productive <strong>Dentist</strong> Academy<br />

PDA Graduate:<br />

Mariela Lung-Comptom, DMD<br />

(with husband, Casey)<br />

Solo Practitioner<br />

Lakeland, FL<br />

PDA’S MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE<br />

Increase your production by $300/hour—or your money back.<br />

LEARN HOW TO<br />

RAISE YOUR PRODUCTION<br />

TO $1,250/HOUR—AND KEEP IT THERE!<br />

Mariela Lung-Compton describes her life as 'balanced.'<br />

She loves where she's going in the morning… and<br />

loves where she's going in the evening. In short,<br />

she's got it all. But it wasn't always that way…<br />

“I graduated from Tufts University in 2002 knowing a lot about<br />

dentistry, but very little about clinical organization or how to<br />

run a business. With the help of Productive <strong>Dentist</strong> Academy,<br />

I raised my production from $300/hour and I’m now consistently<br />

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ISN'T IT TIME YOU DISCOVERED<br />

PRODUCTIVE DENTIST ACADEMY?<br />

Join the ranks of the nation's top dentists who consistently<br />

produce over $1,000/hour. Call 800-757-6077 or<br />

visit www.productivedentist.com<br />

NEXT PROGRAM DATES:<br />

MARCH 27–29, 2008<br />

JUNE 5–7, 2008<br />

3211 Grantline Road, Suite 20<br />

New Albany, IN 47150<br />

®<br />

PRSRT STD<br />

U.S. POSTAGE<br />

PAID<br />

L&D

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