The Best D@mn DSM Blog Ever

Back in the day, I worked at a dental lab that manufactured oral appliances. Like a Bill Murray-less Groundhog Day, the customer service team called dentists to get feedback about their first cases. Dentists raved about how the patient’s spouse thanked them with hugs, cookies, or the whole Sentimental Value Meal. “It was the easiest thing I’ve done as a dentist, and they were both so damn happy. By the way, what do other dentists normally charge for these things?” “It varies, but it’s usually between $3,000 and $6,000,” the rep answered. “WHAT?! Are you kidding me? That seems criminal.…

STRANGER DANGER, SQUARE PEGS, AND EMPTY PROMISES “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”  —George Bernard Shaw Lately, when you’re not working, you’re ferrying kids from practice to rehearsal and dropping them off at sleepovers and playdates. All the kids. All the equipment. You decide it’s time to acquire a new minivan, and you meet Pat, a salesperson at the car dealership. Buckle up. Pat’s about to take you for a ride through the four obstacles to selling.  THE FOUR OBSTACLES TO SELLING Stranger Danger: Pat’s appearance is disheveled: partially untucked polo shirt…

It takes a village to raise a child. This African proverb is apropos when looking at my new book, TRANSFORM DENTAL SLEEP: The Step-by-Step Guide to Doubling Your Sleep Patients, Increasing Physician Referrals, Simplifying Processes, and Improving Your Life. I’m not suggesting that this book is as meaningful as a child or that it’s development was as challenging as childbirth. It certainly felt like it at times. Instead, I am asserting that this book is the result of input from many contributors in the Dental Sleep Medicine village. Their Words of Wisdom (W.O.W.) are inserted throughout the book to drive…

A good friend of mine who happens to be a dentist just finished reading my book. Afterward, she called to provide some feedback. She dove into it before I even had a chance for nervousness. “I’ve already used a few of the techniques you mentioned, and they totally worked. The book is so funny and it’s really the kick in the @$$ so many of us need.” I took a seat and took it in as my face blushed the color of a ripened tomato. Just as quickly as she launched into her live Amazon review love-fest (by the  way,…

THE 100 CLUB In 2015, Frost and Sullivan, a respected market research firm, published a report on the state of the sleep field and its forecast for the next five years—basically where we are today. Their data crunchers noted that only 100 dentists—what I’ll call “The 100 Club”—were responsible for approximately 32 percent of the custom appliances prescribed in the U.S. each year. It also divined that, by the time you read this, more than 3 million appliances would be delivered annually. They missed the bullseye. Hell, they missed the entire target. The ADA estimates the number of general dentists…

R.E.A.D. THE ROOM The consultative selling process is invaluable. It can benefit you in just about every area of your life. It will make you a better communicator, a more confident leader, and a better dentist, parent, partner, and friend. DSM is rife with acronyms, and it’s time to introduce a new one to represent this proven process. There is no debate or controversy as to its efficacy, like there is with AHI or STOP-BANG. This acronym and the process it represents are irrefutably effective, period. Full stop (bang). You’ve heard someone say you should “read someone’s body language” or…

THE WAIT IS OVER - MY NEW BOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE! That feeling you get when you finally board after your flight home was delayed for hours. Inducing labor because this kid needs to get on with her life. The newest season of binge-worthy Netflix and Chill content. Craig Bruce opined, “You usually have to wait for that which is worth waiting for.” Hopefully you’ll find that to be true when you read my new book which is finally available. It’s called TRANSFORM DENTAL SLEEP: The Step-by-Step Guide to Doubling Your Sleep Patients, Increasing Physician Referrals, Simplifying Processes, and Improving…

Many dentists know a lot…about dentistry. Most of these same dentists don’t know a whole lot about team dynamics, interpersonal communication skills, or how to craft a purpose-driven mission statement that everyone in the office will die for.

Dentists face myriad pressures from dental service organizations (DSO). In 2017, a mere 7.4% of dental practices were associated with a DSO, but that number increased nearly 40% over the following three years. Some forecasts estimate that by 2030 ~80% of practices will be affiliated with a DSO or similarly managed organization.

Years ago, in Dallas (or maybe it was St. Louis, Rochester, or Waukesha), I kicked off a dental CE presentation by asking everyone to “Raise your hands if you screen all your patients for oral cancer.” Each hand went up. Every one of them. “How many of you with your hands up have detected a lesion in the last 12 months?” Almost every hand went down. In a room full of 30 dentists, two hands were still up. My next question. “Of you two with your hands up, have you detected more than one squamous cell carcinoma in the past year?” Both hands went down.