What will the new normal be, and what can dentists do now to prepare?
To be perfectly honest, I don’t know. But then again, nobody does. And if you are seriously looking for some guru that has all the answers, may I suggest you read Michael Lewis’ The Undoing Project for a crystal-clear explanation of why all future models and projections are flawed and unreliable. That being said, there are some common sense things I believe dentists can and should be doing to serve our patients better, grow our practices, and financially prepare to survive the worst and prosper in the best, whatever the future brings; five things to be exact.
This is the first of five blog/vlogs I’ll be posting to explain what I believe are five steps each and everyone of us can do, starting right now, to get ready to hit the ground running as soon as we reopen our doors.
Step One – join an online support group
So far I have personally lost out on two conferences due to all this pandemic craziness. Many of our institutes thankfully are providing free online CE – Dawson and Pankey included. But those still lack the personal interaction we get from physically getting together. May I suggest that you consider joining a virtual online study club. I’m partial to Dawson study clubs due to their strong commitment to comprehensive dental care instilled by Dr. Dawson himself. And now with their Department of Integrative Dental Medicine, I believe they have reclaimed the title of “Premier Dental Institute”. They have an extensive library of study club modules to choose from, covering everything from equilibration, to predictable esthetics, to practice management, including the exciting emerging field of whole-health dentistry.
Many of their local study clubs are meeting virtually right now, and don’t hesitate to call Britton Daughtrey (800.952.2178) to see if there is one near you. On the other hand, they also have 3 virtual online study clubs, one of which is facilitated by yours truly. You can learn a little more about ours at LibertyMastermind.net. Then if you think you might be interested call either Britton or myself (855-55DRLON) to get signed-up.
However and wherever you decide to engage, keep learning, keep implementing, and keep in touch!
Next – I’ll be presenting my take on the most undervalued, under promoted, and most profitable – if you do it right – procedure you need to immediately ramp up for.
Dr. Lon Peckham provides comprehensive and wholistic dental care in Priest River, Idaho. He is a consultant certified in Lead Management and Choice Theory, as a Lifestyle Health Facilitator, and is currently pursuing certification by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. He helps patients and dentists successfully incorporate whole-health into their lives and practices.