Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor
e-mail: [email protected]
The last couple of months have been a blur of meetings and seminars. This is the time of the year for serious continuing education - major meetings in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and Anaheim, as well as lots of smaller but equally important regional meetings. I have been to many of them in February, March, and April. I have seen lecture rooms crowded with dentists. Many dentists brought their entire teams to the meeting. This can be at a great expense to the practice but the learning experiences of having everyone hear the message at the same time is unequalled.
Recently, I was speaking all day at the Big Apple Dental Meeting in Tarrytown, N.Y. It`s a great two-day meeting hosted by the Bronx Dental Society. I was talking about the systems that need to be in place for practices to meet the demands of today`s dental patients. At the first break, a hygienist came up and asked how she could communicate this information to her dentist. I assumed that he was not attending, but she replied that he was listening to another speaker that day. I asked if there was a forum within the practice to share the information. She said that they did not have staff meetings, and she did not think the dentist would listen anyway. What a sad state of affairs!
This hygienist was not new to dentistry, and she still was extremely interested in giving her patients the best that she has. How can she do it in a practice that does not care? I don`t believe she can. That dentist probably will end up losing her and wonder why. She will move on to a practice that has a similar belief system to her own. Hopefully, she will find that practice and not "burnout," leaving dentistry. We cannot afford to lose dedicated people like that. The pool of available people to fill the positions that we have in our practices is shrinking. Look around you at all the "help wanted" signs. Everyone is looking for people to work in the service industries. If you are fortunate enough to have found staff members who are loyal and dedicated to serving their patients, find a way to hold on to them! They will not be easy to replace.
I spoke at the Hinman Meeting in Atlanta in March. This meeting is one of the best in the country. I am amazed that more people do not attend it. The weather is fantastic, the facility is first rate (all the meeting rooms and exhibits are under one roof), and the program is designed to bring you the best in continuing education. The Hinman Society, a dedicated group of dentists who volunteer their time, is responsible for this meeting. The exhibit hall is a delight with wide aisles and adequate facilities. This is a meeting where you will experience the true meaning of "Southern hospitality." Put it on your calendar for next year.
In association with The Levin Group, I am proud to announce the winner of the annual Dental Practice of the Year Award. Roger, may I have the envelope please. The winner is Deerhaven Family Dentistry located in Traverse City, Mich. Dr. Roger Levin and I visited the winner`s office to present them with this prestigious award.
I would like to personally thank the many offices that applied for the award this year. The application process for this award is time-consuming, but it can teach us a great deal about our practices. Roger and I will give you a complete report on the Dental Practice of the Year in the June issue of Dental Economics. We are proud to be associated with The Levin Group in sponsoring this award.
Be sure to join the contest next year! Perhaps your practice will be featured on the cover of Dental Economics!
On another note, I must apologize to my good friend, Dr. Charles Blair. In the last few issues, we have either given a wrong phone number or left it out entirely. You can contact Charles at (704) 424-9780.
See you next month!
