Chuck Woolery for (kick ass) President!

Posted on November 18, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I just came across this video.  It’s funny while educational to those who have been fooled by the media and politicians.

Posted in Editorial, Guns & Knives, Personal Security & Safety | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Your Car’s Tires – #1 Safety Item

Posted on November 17, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

And, now for something non-dental.  But, it may save dental lives.  I just came in from the garage after rotating my tires and adjusting their pressures.

The number ONE safety device on your car isn’t your seat belt, air bags, or anti-lock brakes.  It is your TIRES.  It’s very important to have your tires inflated to the correct pressure.  It’s critical!  I’m amazed at how often I see people driving with a tire that is obviously under-inflated…. even FLAT.

Keep in mind the correct pressure is NOT what is printed on the side of the tire.  The correct pressures are printed on a metal placard or sticker, typically on the door-jamb on the driver’s side.  Open the drivers door and look near where the door-latch is on the car body.  You’ll see something like this: Continue reading →

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Posted in Personal Security & Safety | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Veterans Day

Posted on November 11, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America,” for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

A lot of dentists are veterans, myself included.  My father, my brother, and I are all Navy men.  I wouldn’t trade my military experience for anything.  Our troops are all volunteers who serve proudly.  I’m glad I did it when I was single.  I can’t imagine the hardships of serving and leaving my family behind.

The United States of America is unique in the world.  Our natural rights are protected by the Constitution.  Our troops take an oath to protect and defend the Constitution.  And, they volunteer to do this without any reservation.

The Dental Warrior salutes all veterans!  A Navy blessing:  “Fair winds and following seas.”

Posted in Current Events, Editorial | Tagged , | 2 Comments

12 Reasons to Go to the Townie Meeting

Posted on October 31, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

The Townie Meeting has been my favorite dental meeting since the very first one.

The speaker line up is always fantastic and presenters offer experience and ideas you can immediately implement in your practice (and take to the bank).

The exhibit hall is full of the latest and greatest gizmos, knowledgeable reps, a continuous party atmosphere, and good deals.  Whenever I’m ready to buy new equipment, I do it at the Townie Meeting.

The SOCIAL LIFE! The social life! It’s my favorite part and the main reason I go! Seriously! Getting to meet your Townie buddies for the first time (or the tenth) is worth the trip all by itself. It really is. The side discussions in the hallway, over lunch, in the exhibits, at the bar, and other places (that stay in Vegas) often offer as many pearls as the speakers.

A dozen reasons to go:

1. Getting a hug from Rod Kurthy (take a deep breath first!)
2. Meeting Howard Farran in person!
3. Blackjack with John Cannariato.
4. A swig of premium scotch from Howard Goldstein.
5. Meeting two Indians that are taller than you (Sameer and Tarun)!
6. The party!
7. Meeting Howard Farran in person!
8. Eating a $65 bone-in filet Mignon at Del Frisco’s! Worth it!
9. Talking with a real Australian (Linc Harris).
10. Sandy Pardue!
11. It’s Vegas, baby!
12. Meeting Howard Farran!

Click the link below for more info and register!
Posted in Continuing Ed | Tagged | 5 Comments

How Would You Handle This (medical history)?

Posted on October 24, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

We dentists deal with all kinds of patients.  This week, I had a patient who became very suspect of my office’s practice of placing protective eye-wear on all patients at every appointment.  She saw my hygienist first and asked her if she was a cop.  She had a restorative appointment with me afterwards, and when my assistant gave her protective goggles, she said, “I’m not falling for that again.”

While this may seem amusing, I have been seeing this patient for a while, and I think there is something wrong with her mentally.  This was out of the ordinary… bizarre behavior, even for her.

There is a dentist next door to me.  Last week, they had a patient arrived at her appointment with her medical history in hand.  See photos below.

As you can see, it’s a THICK, three-ring binder that is tabbed and even has an “Appendix!”

How would you handle this situation?  Are you going to read the entire volume?  What liabilities might you encounter if you don’t read it?  Are you seeing any red flags?

Comment below!

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Posted in Editorial, Practice Management | Tagged | 6 Comments

Don’t do this! (Dental Website Photos)

Posted on October 12, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I just came across this dental website.  I’ve written a fair bit about the value of photography on a website.  Click on this link to see a list of articles on dental photography in this blog.

Just don’t do this!

When I called my wife over to see this photo gallery, she looked and immediately turned away in revulsion and exclaimed, “GEEZ!  I don’t want to see that!!”  No normal person wants to see this.  It’s a good thing I didn’t “click to enlarge” this photo from the gallery for my wife to see: Continue reading →

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Posted in Photography, Websites | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Christina Applegate Googles Dentist

Posted on October 4, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

OK, folks… it’s 12:30am, and I can’t help myself.  I’ve been inspired.  I’ve gotta blog!

One of Jay Leno’s guests tonight is Christina Applegate.  And, the first thing they talked about was her very recent emergency dental treatment.  Without further ado, I’ll let the video speak for itself.  (edit:  OK… NBC didn’t like that I posted my own annotated version of the video.  So here’s the video from their own channel.)

If Christina Applegate broke a tooth while visiting your town, which dentist would she find on Google?  Would you skip dinner to meet her at the office?  😀

OK… Discuss!

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Posted in Marketing, Websites | Tagged | 8 Comments

You Meet the Nicest People on the Internet

Posted on October 1, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Even today, I hear dentists doubting the value of website marketing of a dental practice.   Most commonly, the objection is based on a perception that you wouldn’t get “quality” patients through a website.  My experience has been quite the opposite.  But, then again, I believe like attracts like.

This speaks toward my perennial argument that your website content must reflect the unique qualities of you and your practice.  Canned, generic content just doesn’t do that.  It can’t do that.  When your website content is unique (and preferably written by you), it resonates on an emotional level with the visitor.

On Sunday, I got an appointment request via my website.  He had a crown knocked out in a rugby game.  Here’s our email exchange: Continue reading →

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Posted in Editorial, Websites, What Happened Today | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Stuff Happens – Is It (in the) Safe?

Posted on September 30, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Another quickie post here.  A recent news story about a home invasion inspired this post.  See the news video after the jump.

I’m obviously an advocate of our rights protected by the 2nd Amendment (and the rest of them).  I also admit enjoying stories about when the good guys win (against criminals).  Our right to keep and bear arms gives victims of crime a fighting chance at survival.

I’ve written before on gun safety, and I obviously believe in keeping guns out of the reach of unauthorized hands, including children.  Having a gun safe is arguably prudent for every gun owner.  But, what good is a gun (for self-defense) if it’s locked away when the crap hits the fan?  Will you have time to get it? Continue reading →

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Posted in Personal Security & Safety | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

It’s My Mouth!

Posted on September 28, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

This will be a relatively short post.  But, I wanted to get it out while it was fresh in my head.

This week, I had a new patient come in for a Six Month Smiles consultation.  This patient was a young woman in her mid-20s.  She found me via my website.  Her chief concern was a rather large space between her upper central incisors.  Otherwise, she had a very attractive and healthy smile.

I always ask patients about how they came to find me.  She said she did a “LOT” of research on the internet.  Remarkably, she also told me she had been to about 7 other offices, including orthodontists.  Wow.  Obviously, she hadn’t found what she was looking for.  She said she got conflicting advice on whether she was a candidate for clear aligners.  OK… it’s not so unusual to get various opinions.  After all, the only thing two dentists can seem to agree upon is that the third dentist is an idiot.  😉

But, she said something else that struck me.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Editorial, Practice Management, What Happened Today | 4 Comments