Who Are The Best Advocates For Ideal Dentistry?

A while ago, my longtime business partner, Dr. Glen Wysel, arrived at the office showing off the renewed dental work Dr. Frank Spear had performed on him. It wasn't that there had been any obvious or pressing concerns, esthetically or clinically.

But like a lot of dentists, he has always been diligent about maintaining his oral health, and he was aware of some deficiencies and outdated restorations. Just as important, he was aware of what was possible, and what Frank could do, so he had the necessary upgrades done to keep his dental health ideal.

One of our faculty leaders (and fellow Spear blogger), Dr. Gary DeWood, also had some significant dental work done recently, and his smile has never looked better. Not only that, he performed some important dentistry on Shayna Phipps, who is familiar to many of you who have had any dealings with our CERECdoctors curriculum.

All of this got me thinking about how much dentists themselves really embrace the idea of comprehensive ideal care for themselves and the people around them. In my experience, dentists are lot like other patients – they fall along a spectrum of participation.

What about you? Does the level of care you choose for yourself match the story you're promoting to your patients?

It's not just a matter of appearances and credibility (although that is a big part of it). It's also about how deeply you internalize the message you're delivering, and that's something patients can sense.

The only way you can really “own” the premise of ideal dental care is to take the time and trouble yourself to get in the chair and demand the best treatment possible.

Give your team members the best care, too – there is no better advertising for your services. If you really want to be trustworthy advocates for the profession, don't just be dental care providers – be the patients you would like your patients to be.