I’m nearly done. But before I go, can I share what I have learned in over forty years in practice? 

I’d like to do that.

I’ve witnessed the landscape of dentistry change over the years, it’s progress I suppose, there’s always a new angle to running a practice. Does this mean we throw out all that was good from the past as we take advice from bright eyed business people with no dental acumen at all? 

I remember when hospitals were run by matron. She ruled. Didn’t matter what you did, porter or consultant, you looked busy when matron walked past. She didn’t last, replaced by a whole reef of administrators who know how to create administrative jobs, but again with no medical acumen. 

Things change, I get that, but what about the people? Us! Don’t we matter anymore in the whole equation. Is the bottom line so much more important than the service we provide, the service we receive? If we build relationship can’t it be win win? Do corporates, DSO’s care about people?

Dentistry is a people business. As people we don’t care how much someone knows until we know how much they care. In that statement is the art of dentistry! How we convey that to the patient, not just through our technical skills but our body language, our personality, our authenticity is really what drives a personally successful practice. 

It starts with you knowing just why you joined this profession. It starts with you knowing who you are as a person in practice. What you want to achieve professionally and personally and how you are going to achieve that.

It’s not a conversation with a businessman, it’s a conversation with an older colleague. Someone who’s been there before, done the hard yards, fallen and risen. 

That’s what I want to talk to you about. It’s a great profession and it is being gradually pulled apart by people who think they know better. They may know more about the books, systems and staff management, but they don’t know about being a dentist, doing dentistry. What it’s like to spend your days in close proximity to fear, panic, stress and pain. You do, or you will as you treat real people, not a phantom head, breathing, moving, pushing you to the limit. 

It’s dentistry and I’d like to share some tips on just how to manage a niche, patient centred, you centred practice and why it makes sense. I don’t have all the answers, far from it, but I do have answers!

I’d love to share before I go! There’s “MORE”