I love transitions for the anxiety they cause. Don't get me wrong, I don't like to see dentists struggle with change in their practices. This is especially true when I know their difficulties could have been avoided with the right planning. However, I do get excited when I sense the nervous energy around a client who is going through a transition, because it means they're really thinking about their practice.

If a practice that has been built around supporting the needs of one particular provider introduces a whole new dynamic by bringing in a second dentist, the anesthetic of familiarity wears off.

You start seeing your practice with renewed clarity. Suddenly everything is up for re-evaluation and things like your strategies around patient retention, new patient flow, case acceptance and invitations all take on new significance. Long-held assumptions and gaps in efficiency, or rather, what I call the "gray areas and black holes" of a practice's operations, become exposed.

There is great value in taking a fresh objective view of your practice and the systems you have come to depend on. Going through a transition will force you to think in those new ways, but the truth is you don't necessarily have to initiate a practice transition in order to initiate a change in perspective.

All it takes is to do a literal and mental "walk-through" of your practice, looking at it through the eyes of a new dentist considering it as a new place to practice. What would be most impressive about the facility? What needs to be updated? What operational strategies are delivering great results? Which ones have become stagnant and need a new shot of innovation? These are the questions we sometimes forget to ask as we get lost in the comfortable routine of daily performance duties. However, these same questions become obvious when you are looking to bring a new provider aboard.

So why wait? Imagine your practice is right now up for consideration among some of the most sought-after young associates. Look at everything around you with an honest appraising eye and I guarantee you will find fresh possibilities for optimizing how you do business and how you serve your patients.

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