Chris Grahln e w s l e t t e r

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As your Patterson Dentalrepresentative I appreciatethe opportunity to help with dental supplies, elite technology such as CereC and eaglesoft, office supplies, dental equipmentand creating a more enjoyablepractice. I hope you find somehelpful tips and ideas in thisedition of the newsletter! -Chris Grahl

On the inside...

Dental MarketinG iDeas to Fill suMMer sCheDule Gaps

For a lot of practices summers get crazy as patients head out on vacation or have lots of other activities going on. At times this makes dentistry seem like a low priority until things slow down again when autumn comes. Below are some good ideas from patientnews.com that might help you and your team out!

As business leaders, we all recognize business ebbs and flows, particularly in a small to medium-sized organization where leaders work “in” the business as well as leading and fulfilling the business vision. Planning and preempting production highs and lows can often get waylaid due to the current “busy” work.

Here are 8 ways you can make sure you make the most of your summer schedule:

1. engage your team in a brainstorm-ing session.Inter-departmental communicationalways improves teamwork. Doeseveryone understand practice goals? Share each area’s unique challenges and you’ll find creative ways to hit your goals more reliably. There is always morebrainpower in a group.

2. talk to patients. it makes them feel more valued.It shows you care when you ask about patient experiences. Patient news can

help you execute a satisfaction survey and compile and provide business insight results.

3. engage patients with referralincentives & special offers.Set monthly referral goals and ASK for them. Always ask new patients to bring family members with them. If yourmarket area averages 3.7 people per household, your patient list should reflect this. If not, you have some work to do! Based on the goals and challenges you identified in your brainstorming session, determine effective marketing strategies.

4. Get out there! Fun races, team building, charity events.Slower schedules allow for team training and energizing community participation. Don your branded colors and make your practice stAnD OUt. take pics for your website, Facebook, and patient newsletter updates.

5. What’s your market potential? how many people who live near you are your patients?Do you know your dentist-to-population statistic…or the areas that will provide the best opportunities to increase your market share? Your Account Manager can prepare your market analysis report and help you understand what the numbers mean.

6. Don’t stop! team training and marketing should be constant and consistent.Inconsistency is the biggest business killer. when revenue dips, we turn to cost-cutting (often marketing and wages are targeted), but marketing and team development are critical investments in practice growth. Want to move the needle on practice revenue? Continuously train and keep your marketing plan consistent.

7. slice and dice your data to uncover ways to improve.• How many new patients did your prac-tice generate last year?

the Dental lanDsCape is ChanGinG — Pg 2

Contact informationChris Grahl, Patterson Dental | (706) 461-4588 w.grahl@pattersondental.com

www.PattersonDental.com

By the nuMBers: artiCaine Vs. liDoCaine — Pg 2

2 BirDs, 1 toothpaste: 2 BeneFits to usinG presCription strenGth toothpaste

7 Daily haBits oF exCeptionally suCCessFul people

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Dental MarketinG iDeas to Fill suMMer sCheDule Gaps — Pg 1-2

J u l Y 2 0 1 6

Dental neeDs Questions: — Pg 4

happiness! — Pg 4

Chris Grahln e w s l e t t e r

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2Chris Grahl, Patterson Dental | (706) 461-4588 w.grahl@pattersondental.comwww.PattersonDental.com

• Has your total active patient count increased over the previous year?• Does every new patient from the past 6 months have recare scheduled?

8. review past marketing activities…with caution.unless each campaign used call tracking analytics, you will be relying on anecdotal data. That’s why it’s usually most effective to look at marketing from a topline revenue standpoint. If you’ve been guilty of start/stop marketing, it’s probably affected your practice potential. A consistent marketing plan will drive consistent growth.

the Dental lanDsCape isChanGinG

This information was shared by Jill Nesbitt-Dental Group Practice Consultant.

She suggests several trends have occurred that makerunning a dental practice today more challenging:• Increase of dental insurance PPOs• Increase of dental school debt• Explosion of technology for clinical care and advertising• Patients expectations for customer service haveincreased• Medical insurance trends affecting dentistry - moregovernment intervention

The culmination of all these trends has changed the landscape of private practice. It is difficult to stay on top of clinical care, technology, staff management, insurance changes all while you’re paying down school debt and wondering what the future of health care will be?! I don’t list these trends to scare you, but to help you to see that by focusing on your dental practice management skills you can become more effective and more profitable.

The reality is that when your practice is bringing in good money, you don’t have to work very hard at managing your business. As the money gets tighter, you have more of a challenge. In many ways it is like playing a sport. If you’re playing against your 5 year old, its easy to win, but suddenly when the college level players step up, you better be ready for some tougher competition. And, as the landscape becomes more challenging, its time to up your game.

I believe that I have some good ideas and information to share that will help you operate your practice moreefficiently and effectively and would love to meet and share this information with you.

By the nuMBers: artiCaine Vs. liDoCaine

local anesthetics are among the most commonlyadministered drugs in clinical dentistry. Articaine andlidocaine, two of the most popular types, may soundsimilar, but there are key differences in their chemical makeups. understanding these differences can help guide you when choosing the safest and most effectiveanesthetic for your practice. And, when it comes to patient experience and comfort, what could be more important? To better understand the specifics on how they vary, we have put together an illustrated diagram that – unlike Articaine or lidocaine – is anything but numbing! Orabloc is an anesthetic indicated for local, infiltrative, or conductive anesthesia in both simple and complex dental procedures. It is made by Pierrel, a company that has been manufacturing local anesthetics for over 40 years, and it is the only aseptically manufactured Articaine in the uS.

Check this diagram out. I have great pricing on Orabloc. Talk to me about the savings you will get from this product vs other brands.

Chris Grahln e w s l e t t e r

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3Chris Grahl, Patterson Dental | (706) 461-4588 w.grahl@pattersondental.comwww.PattersonDental.com

2 BirDs, 1 toothpaste: 2BeneFits to usinG presCription strenGth toothpaste

this article was posted on our offthecusp.com blog and is a great education piece for the whole team to understand and com-municate. Also ask me about the promotions 3M offers on this great product.

As a dental professional, you undoubtedly are often asked by your patients, “What’s the best kind of toothpaste to use?” For many patients, any off-the-shelf toothpaste is adequate for daily cleaning, but for some, a stronger solution is needed. These patients may not realize that there are prescription strength options available, or that they could benefit from using one. But when you have that patient in your chair and have their undivided attention, it may be a good time to consult with them about this option! When speaking with patients who are considering a prescription strength toothpaste likeClinpro™ 5000, there are two key benefits to whichpatients will be able to easily relate.

1. presCription strenGth toothpastesreDuCe the risk oF tooth DeCay

If you have patients who are at high risk for tooth decay, prescription strength toothpaste may be an especially good option for them. Clinpro™ 5000 contains 5,000 parts per million (PPM) of fluoride, which is more than four times the amount of fluoride contained in typical off-the-shelf toothpastes. especially for patients who have recently had a cavity filled, wear braces or take medication that causes dry mouth, a toothpaste like Clinpro™ 5000 can help stave off the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Plus, it can replace your patient’s regular toothpaste for whatever amount of time you deem necessary – they won’t have to alter their brushing schedule or habits in any other way.

2. presCription strenGth toothpastesinCrease tooth strenGth

A major benefit of Clinpro™ 5000 is its tri-calciumphosphate. For most of your patients, this term won’t mean much, but something they will understand is tooth strength. Jen Post, senior technical service engineer at 3M and former dental hygienist, likens fluoride to a bridge that transports calcium and phosphate into the tooth, resulting in increased tooth strength. After brushing, adult patients should avoid immediately rinsing their mouth for at least 30 minutes. The time immediately following brushing is

when calcium and phosphate particles are still present in saliva, thus extending exposure to the tri-calcium phos-phate.

Clinpro™ 5000 anti-Cavity toothpasteHelp your patients take ad-vantage of these two greatbenefits with one tooth-paste, and dazzle them with the science behind Clinpro™ 5000. This paste is available in spearmint, vanilla mint, and bubblegum!

7 Daily haBits oF exCeptionally suCCessFul people

When you see people who are capable of accomplishing extraordinary things, you can’t help but wonder, What is it that makes them so different?

Numerous studies show recurring characteristics congruent with high achievers. exceptionally successful people…

1. plan each day with purpose and action. sunday night gets a bad rep because it means having to face another week, back on the treadmill, spinning the wheel once again. successful people plan their days (yes, even Sundays) different, better, more exciting, more purpose-ful, more meaningful. Tony Robbins says action without a higher degree of purpose is a waste of time. How much of your life are you designing?

2. step outside their comfort zone. successful people thrive when they are stretched beyond what they think they can handle. They consistently push the boundaries of what’s possible and don’t accept settling. This means step-ping outside our comfort zone and questioning the world around us, looking for opportunities to constantly improve. How long have you been in your comfort zone?

3. surround themselves with smart people. Some of the world’s trailblazing entrepreneurs, such as Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Mark Zuckerberg, had a solid team around them from the beginning-they knew their team was crucial to their success. Collaborationallows you to refine your thinking and challenge yourself and be challenged. We become the average of the five closest people we surround ourselves with. who are you spending your time with?

4. Focus on the big picture. Focusing on details allows you to track results and make improvements based on

2 BENEFITS TO uSING PRESCRIPTION strenGtH tOOtHPAste

4Chris Grahl, Patterson Dental | (706) 461-4588 w.grahl@pattersondental.comwww.PattersonDental.com

facts, not guesswork. But sometimes, we get lost in the doing and forget the building and creating. If you are not designing and creating a better life for yourself, who will? Never lose sight of the big picture and always work on your why.

5. Get the job done. It’s human behavior toprocrastinate. High achievers have developed laserlike focus when it comes to getting things done. At times they can be obsessed and selfish, often making sacrifices most of us would not be prepared or willing to make. Prioritize better; set aside time to focus on your goals list, not your to-do list.

6. refuse to take no for an answer. when you’ve hit a wall, it’s easy to consider that the end of the road and tend to give up. Only the most stubborn among us willpersevere long enough to climb the rest of the mountain. Think of the Wright brothers trying to get people in the air. Can you imagine what their peers said? Today we can’t imagine a world without planes. What’s your dream?

7. never stop learning. One of our great capacities is the ability (and urge) to learn. unfortunately, most of us stop actively learning once our formal education stops. We allow ourselves to remain stagnant in our careers and personal lives. One of my mentors, Dale Beaumont, once said, “If you are not green and growing, you are ripe and rotting.” How much of your week do you dedicate to learning?

Dental neeDs Questions:

As a doctor or hygienist or assistant in the practice you are viewed as experts by your patients. In such a respected position it can result however result in situations where the patient passively listens while you educate them. One of the very best ways to have the patient be a more active participant is to seek their feedback through asking open ended questions.

Back in the late 90’s the las Vegas Institute For Advanced Dental Studies created a manual that showcased some of the dialogues being used by Dr Bill Dickerson. Thefollowing are some of the questions from that manual that can be used or adapted to your particular situation and

practice to create more active, engaged, patients while at the same time opening up opportunities for cosmetic services.

1. How do you feel about your smile? Your teeth?

2. What would you change about your smile in order for it to be ideal?

3. How would a confident smile benefit your career?

4. These are pictures of some work the doctor has recently completed, what do you tink?

5. What do you think makes a smile beautiful?

6. What would keep you from having straight, white teeth?

7. If you could have your idea of a perfect smile, what would that look like?

8. Would you like us to show you what your perfect smile would look like on the computer?

9. What benefit would you see in having ugly, broken-down fillings replaced with strong, natural looking material?

10. When you meet or talk to people, what do you notice about their smiles that you like? Dislike?

happiness!

It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. - Charles Spurgeon

There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved. - George sand

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.- Omar Khayyam

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition.- Martha Washington

“At Patterson Dental we often talk about creating a great “patient experience” and why this is so important in your practice. I think we can all agree that patient’s purchasing habits have changed over the last few years. The question is have we adapted to our patients? Are we creating more value for our services and building stronger relation-ships? I want to do this in my business and also want to help you do this in your prac-tice. I believe we have great ideas to share and help implement in your practice. let’s work together and reach our potential and have some fun in dentistry!”

Chris Grahln e w s l e t t e r

t H e