By Joe Blaes
Hopefully, you will receive Dental Economics before you celebrate Thanksgiving with your family. I know that my wife, Sue, and I and our family have had many blessings this past year, along with a few problems that are being solved through prayerful action. We are extremely thankful for all of God's gifts.
I give thanks to you, my readers, for continually making DE the best-read dental practice management magazine. I am always grateful that you turn to our website, www.DentistryIQ.com, for the information you need to better manage your practice. I am thankful for the great team in Tulsa, Okla., that supports me in producing this journal every month. They are a pleasure to work with every day. November is truly a beautiful time of the year. It should bring out the best in all of us. This is one of the best times to give thanks. Tell your family and your team how grateful you are to have them in your lives. If someone has made a real difference in your life, let him or her know. Remember to thank your mentors. Personally, I am thankful every day for life, health, and happiness.
I know you will enjoy the 7th Annual Dental Economics/Levin Group 2013 Dental Practice Research Report on page 70. We hope it will enlighten you about the state of your profession and encourage you to make positive, innovative changes -- changes that will position your practice for excellent growth in the new year. Patients are coming back and accepting more treatment, but practice profits are not keeping up due to outdated systems, increased overhead, and lower collection rates. Gross production per doctor increased a respectable 12.6%, while owner profits grew only 1.56% compared to last year's figures. The findings provide a unique frame of reference for dentists across the country. Our report enables them to measure their practice against a large number of their colleagues and also review how 2013 differed from previous years. The resulting report provides dentists with accurate, timely information about the state of the business of dentistry.
I hope that all dental professionals watch their practice numbers since this is the best way to discover trends in your practice and make necessary changes. These economic times demand that we keep tight control of our practices. I find it interesting that some practices are thriving this year while others are finding it hard to make ends meet. Some practices seem to have hunkered down while waiting for this economic mess to end, while others are out taking courses to expand the treatments that are available in their practices. This attracts more new patients and keeps your regular patients in the practice. How about adding endo, perio, ortho, or implants to your practice?
The key for me has always been to take my team with me when I attend CE courses. My mentor taught me many years ago that there is no such thing as a "secondhand experience." Your team needs to hear what you are hearing. I just returned from the Ultradent Dental Summit with Dr. Dan Fischer at their headquarters in South Jordan, Utah, just outside Salt Lake City. This was one of the best courses I have ever attended. I was impressed that a doctor from North Carolina brought his entire team to the meeting. That team will integrate more of what they learned than any other practice in that seminar simply because they all got inspired at the same time and had the same experience.
In the July 2013 issue of Dental Economics, I introduced you to the All Ball Pro Training Rebounder, which is made right here in the USA by my son-in-law, Kurt. Many of you have ordered or inquired about this great rebounder, and I would like to say thank you! The orders are still coming in, and it has been such a joy for us to receive all your emails about how much your families are enjoying using your new unit and the difference this has made in your lives. Many of you have commented on the amazing ball return that the All Ball Pro has. I have a favor to ask you -- Kurt is trying to attract a national distributor, so the next time you are in a Sports Authority or a Dick's Sporting Goods Store or your local sporting goods store, please ask if they carry the All Ball Pro. Thanks so much! The All Ball Pro is the best rebounder for any sport that uses a ball -- soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, football, lacrosse, volleyball, cricket, and golf. This system teaches confidence and improves skill sets. Check it out at www.allballpro.com.
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor
email: [email protected]
