Darren Kaberna

As most of you know the controversy around the hunting of Cecil the Lion has been flooding media outlets for weeks now. This is directly resulting in massive amounts of traffic around Dr. Walter Palmer and the dental industry. The articles, stories and opinions being put out there have had more of a negative impact on the industry than I think we all anticipated.

To outsiders this may be seen as a hit against the dental industry, the people in the industry need to see this as an opportunity. After seeing what kind of bad PR has been floating around about Dr. Walter Palmer, the quality of his dentistry and what his patients are saying about him has resulted in the River Bluff Dental Practice in Minnesota closing, temporarily and perhaps long term. This doesn’t mean that your patients are going to act out in the same way, keep in mind this incident has had nothing to do with the fact that Walter Palmer was a dentist. It could have been Justin Bieber, Jennifer Aniston, Michael Jordan or anyone else and the media would have taken to them the same way. 

Have you built a strong foundation for your dental office? What are the bedrock principles in your dental practice?  Can they stand the test of time? Having your core values established helps guide how your business is run on a daily basis.  It will also provide your dental team with an expectation of what services, service level and patient pool you are looking to provide services to.

Looks can be deceiving. Why compare your office to an office down the street?  Though they may have a look of having it all together, if you dug deep enough, it may not be in alignment with your values and your foundation. 

Do you ever wonder what dental patients are thinking the moment they walk through the front doors of your dental office?  Do your patients experience the typical aroma of a dental office or have you and your dental team taken care of that with pleasant smelling candles or room fresheners?  The dental tour can be thought of as important as how guests are made to feel the first time they visit your home.  Are you making your dental office warm and inviting, as opposed to boring and routine?

First impressions carry a profound message to patients about who you are and what you stand for.  Last week we spoke of the values proposition.  So just what is your “story?”  The office tour is a moment for you to shine and show how you are unique, special and different.  Its purpose is to not only cause patients to feel relaxed and right at home, but to also display what it is we do in a subtle and classy manner.

Increase case acceptance in your dental office by implementing the Hygiene Handoff! 


What happens when the doctor enters the hygiene treatment room in the final 10 minutes of the appointment without the hygienist preparing the patient properly? He/she diagnoses needed treatment, offers it to the patient and the typical patient response is, "I will think about it!" Right out of the gate, the patient is overwhelmed.

Sound familiar? There is a way to make the hygiene exam more effective, leading to excellent treatment acceptance. We call it, "The Hygiene Handoff." If you think of the hygiene appointment as a 60 minute clock, the first 15 minutes are designed to be the pre-diagnosing stage when necessary radiographs and intra-oral photos are taken and displayed on the monitor. At this stage, the hygienist can pre-recommend care that she/he expects the Dr. may see during the exam.

Once again you're interviewing applicants for your dental office! How do you hire quality people to join your dental team? Let's look at this process and how to get quality staff!

First, write your ad to sell your practice! Don't submit a typical ad for the position, make the candidates WANT to work there, not just have a JOB! Use words like, "Energetic office in search of a team player who knows how to INSPIRE patients to get the best treatment possible. If this sounds like you, please call our office today and tell us why you'd be a perfect fit for our office". Do not make it bland, "Dental office in search of treatment coordinator. Knowledge of Eaglesoft required." (Insert yawn here)