What is Your Success Plan?

It is not an exaggeration to say that almost every dentist who takes one of our hands-on workshops comes away profoundly changed by what they have learned. As many of them attest, it's like discovering a new way of seeing. It is an exciting thing to say: "I will never look at dentistry the same way again."

But then reality sets in. These dentists get back home and they find themselves dealing with patients—and team members—who do still see dentistry in the same old way. How do you get them on board with the exciting new vision that is driving you now?

The answer is to have an implementation success plan...

First of all, share your new vision for success with your team in a systematic way. Have structured team meetings where you outline exactly what you have learned, what that means for patients, and what it means for each team member. Take advantage of the easy accessibility of online education. Use lunch times and after-hour pizza meetings to get everyone up to speed on the new standards you want to establish. If you are a Spear Premium member, you will find plenty of team-centered brief videos in our Course Library.

As for patients, start with the new ones. After all, they come with no pre-conceived ideas about you, your practice or the success of your practice. This is your chance to start with a fresh, blank slate. Give every new patient a comprehensive examination and treatment presentation based on your latest knowledge, using the techniques you have recently developed. This way, you will have a chance to introduce your new skills and treatment protocol in a way that will find the least resistance, and you will be able to seed the practice with patients who are conditioned to expect the best.

After that, move on to existing patients. Start by selecting one hygiene patient in the morning and one in the afternoon to bring back for a comprehensive re-examination. Explain to them that conditions in their mouth have changed, and so have your abilities to treat them. Do this right, and you will have created yet another batch of new patients who have a deep appreciation for what you do. Eventually, this mode of exam and delivery will come to seem natural, for you and all your patients.

In the end, being a great dentist and achieving success is not about how much you know. It's about how much of what you know you can deliver to the greatest number of people. And to do that effectively, you need a plan.




If you find topics like this helpful, check out Imtiaz Manji's practice management courses available to you through our Course Library. Not yet a member of Digital Suite? Click here to learn more.