There’s a discussion on Dentaltown about amalgams (again) and the renewed debate, courtesy of TV’s Dr. Oz. One of my friends, Dr. Mac Lee, is a fantastic spokesman for dentistry. In fact, he was consulted about dentistry by Dr. Oz for some time. Mac has written a consumers’ guide to dentistry: Nothin’ Personal Doc, But I Hate Dentists!
Mac also writes a series of informative articles for his local paper.
Some dentists on DT have criticized Mac’s approach to this topic in his most recent newspaper article. They claim that articles like his make their professional lives harder. More specifically, in his article, Mac said he does not use amalgam in his practice. So, reportedly, that makes it harder for dentists who use amalgam to get through their daily grind at the office. Another dentist lamented that those professionals who use amalgam don’t have the opportunity to have their voices heard. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??
Poppycock! Don’t be a ninny! STEP UP! 😀
Naturally, I beg to differ. 😉 I submit that whenever the pot gets stirred by the likes of Dr. Oz, it is an opportunity for ALL dentists. It’s as if Al Gore was thinking of dentists when he invented the internet! Anyone can get his or her voice heard!
Immediately after Dr. Oz cracks unwisely about anything dental, it’s an opportunity! You can bet people EVERYWHERE will be Googling the crap out of this topic! Get busy writing! You don’t have to be as crisp and perceptive as best-selling author, Malcolm Gladwell. Just write like you talk! How would you answer a patient’s question in person? That’s what you should write! Create a webpage on your website. Write a blog. If you think an article in the paper was written by a bloviating asshole, call the paper and offer to write a counterpoint article! Write a letter to the editor. Send out a newsletter to your patients. Just do SOMETHING. And, it does not matter which material is your favorite… amalgam, composite, gold, porcelain.
Get out there and EDUCATE! The ADA, sure as shit, isn’t going to do it! It’s up to us! All of us… individually. We don’t need a consensus or a unified voice. We don’t have to agree. The truth is that, regardless of where you stand, you are RIGHT. You ARE an EXPERT. You don’t have to be everybody’s expert. Just speak to YOUR audience.
I did it! Right after I watched the Dr. Oz segment, I wrote a quick article for my practice blog site. Then I got busy creating a dedicated webpage on my practice website about this topic. Opportunity!!
I’ve been checking and checking on Google since then to see if it got indexed, yet. Even last night, it wasn’t showing up. But, JUST NOW, I checked, and I’m IN BABY!
I just Googled “Dr. Oz mercury fillings.” My blog article ranks #16, and my web page ranks #20! That’s GLOBALLY. So, both are on the “2nd page,” but I’ll TAKE THAT ALL DAY!
I googled “mercury filling removal my city,” and BOOYA! #1 BABY! Oh… I’ve also got positions #5 and #6 on the first page. That’s three slots (out of ten) on the first page!
Now, before some of you jump all over my ass for the “inflammatory” phraseology that includes “mercury removal”… Just listen for a sec! Think about what PEOPLE are going to search for (after watching the TV show). What will the folks using Google type into the search box? Those are KEYWORDS. Optimize your blog or webpage to show up for the keywords that PEOPLE are using. Even if you are an amalgam advocate, you can take advantage of this opportunity! You can use YOUR knowledge and expertise to REFUTE the notion of “mercury filling removal.”
Do you think anyone will be Googling this stuff??? You better bet your sweet ass, they are! And, “LONG TAIL” searches like this are EASY to dominate in Google’s results. Do you want more traffic to your website (and warm bodies in your chairs)? Again… Whether you’re on the side of amalgam, the side of composite, or BOTH…
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Opportunity knocks! Will you answer?
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Michael
Great angle on such an inflammatory topic…well done! You have grabbed opportunity by the horns! Thanks for sharing!
Another great post with insightful thoughts. It really is an opportunity to educate your patients and the public when a dental news story is in the headlines. Just like educating patients on infection control and proper sterilization in light of the news of the oral surgeon in Tulsa. This is akin to the often quoted statement of Rahm Emanuel “never let a good crisis go to waste.”