The Dental Warrior Is Now a ®!

Posted on July 9, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

It took half a year (gotta love government efficiency!)  Woo-hoo!

 

If you have a brand name for your practice (or other business), be sure to protect it.

For more info on trademarks:  http://www.uspto.gov/inventors/trademarks.jsp

Posted in Dental Warrior Announcements, Marketing, What Happened Today | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Happy Independence Day!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I like that better than “Happy 4th of July,” which has no intrinsic meaning or significance.

Click on image to read the Declaration of Independence.

236 years ago, the people took up arms against a VASTLY more powerful, better equipped, better trained, and more numerous British military force… defeated them and declared Independence from an oppressive government.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

— That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,

— That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Do you REALLY know what’s in these documents?

Today is a good day to truly contemplate the power of a FREE PEOPLE. If you’ve never done it, it’s also a good time to read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  If you have… read them again.

He said, he said.

Some of my favorite quotes that are worth repeating on this day: Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Current Events, Editorial | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Dollars and Dentists – PBS Ignores Patient and Parental Responsibilities

Posted on June 27, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Sigh… another “exposé” on the shortcomings of the “dental care system” in our country.  This one is nearly an hour long, done by PBS.  I’m not going to write a long post about this program, however.  I’ll try to get to my points efficiently and then let you come to your own conclusions after you’ve watched the video.  And, if you’re a dentist, you should watch the whole thing.  It’s long.  Just take the time and watch it.  See video and commentary after the jump. Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Current Events, Editorial | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Social Media Time Allocation

Posted on June 22, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

There are lots of choices with social media these days.

Facebook has the lion’s share of active users and activity.  I’ve had a few techno-geek friends suggest that Google+ is up and coming and even better than Facebook.

I’ve been on G+ for quite a while now, and I just don’t see it.  I find the G+ interface cumbersome and SLOW.   And, it’s basically a ghost town.

To wit…

I just read a news story (published today) on a major online news source.  At the bottom, was the now-common set of buttons by which readers can share the article.  I couldn’t help noticing a glaring difference among them.  Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Current Events, Editorial, Social Media | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Writing Copy for Visitors, not Search Engines

Posted on June 22, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I’m a BIG fan of SEO done right.  I believe good SEO is some of the best money and effort you can spend on your website… to a point.  Many, including myself, have preached that “content is king.”  Ultimately, CONTENT is what CONVERTS (visitors into patients).

 

Three keys to winning with websites.

To review my tenets of dental website success:

  1. Get them TO your website (SEO, SEM, and other marketing).
  2. KEEP them ON your website (compelling content).
  3. Get them to take ACTION (make an appointment by calling or email contact form).

That’s it!  Get those three things in place, and your website will perform!  Unfortunately, some website designers (trying to keep dentist-clients happy) focus too much on one thing.

Too much of a good thing.

This blog article is about how one aspect of SEO can be over-done. Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Editor's Favorites, Marketing, Websites | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

“Free trial” Dental Product Scams

Posted on June 21, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I’ve been at this dental gig long enough to have seen these scams come around more than once.  I first learned about this one many years ago.  I got a bill for a composite build-up product that I never recalled ordering from a company I had never heard of (Denteac).  So, my assistant and I went looking for it.  We found it, still in the shrink-wrap, in the supply room.  My front desk had unpacked it, seeing that the invoice said “free sample,” and stuck in the back.

It turns out, it was a “free trial.”  And, if you keep it past a certain time (30 days), you get billed for it.  I called the company and told them I never ordered it, and I don’t want it.  The rep suggested I send it back (at my expense).  I replied that I would do no such thing.  They were free to come pick it up, or I would throw it in the trash.  They never picked it up, and I threw it in the trash.

Back then, a perusal of Dentaltown revealed I wasn’t the only one.  The scam is that most dental offices just pay the “supply bills” without much review.  I suspect these companies make a good deal of money doing this.

They’re still at it!

Today, I got a package delivered by FedEx.  Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Practice Management, What Happened Today | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Failing Dentistry or Poor Host Response?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Sometimes our best efforts don’t work out.  We dentists reflexively tend to blame ourselves.  Somehow, we’ve managed to bring ourselves to believe that our work is immune to the hostile oral environment and vagaries of human behavior (and lack of self-care).  Worse yet, we’ve contributed to the perpetuation of that myth among the general population.

Bonus points to the person who can identify this movie scene! 🙂

Self-flagellation is an activity in which dentists surpass most other professions.  And, if we’re not willing to beat ourselves up, there are plenty of our fellow dentists standing in line ready to pummel us. Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Case Presentation, What Happened Today | Tagged , | 13 Comments

Lethal Force In Self-Defense – A Rarely Heard Perspective

Posted on June 17, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

A Michigan newspaper article series (M Live) was just mentioned on one the forums I frequent.  This is a very well-written five-part piece by a man who has been there and done that:  Used lethal force to save his own life (in his own home).

Very few victims of violent crime, who are forced to save their own lives, speak openly about the incident.  Understandably many are psychologically affected and don’t wish to relive it.  Others consider legal repercussions and even exposure to retaliatory action by family and friends of the bad guy.

This compelling first-person story vividly recounts one man’s experience from the warning signs to the attack to the aftermath.

I think everyone should read this story (five parts linked below). Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Personal Security & Safety | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Image Copyright Protection

Posted on June 16, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

The mustache is fake. I’m playing a little joke on Chip. 🙂

My friend, photographer extraordinaire, and Photoshop savant, Chip Payet just posted a great article on his Digital Dental Photography blog about image copyright protection.  He saw my article, Major Online Referral Service Swipes My Photo! and wrote this article in response and support.

Thanks and AWESOME JOB, Chip!

Click on the link below to read Chip’s article, hot off the presses!  Also stay tuned to his blog, as he will be writing a follow-up article on Watermarking.

Image Copyright Protection

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Marketing, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Today’s Special Delivery

Posted on June 15, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

OK… now it’s yesterday’s delivery.  🙂

‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try… I can’t get no…

Sometimes the best part of my job is the satisfaction gained by significantly improving a patient’s quality of life.  This patient is in her mid 70s and has a host of health issues and difficulty with her upper denture (opposing natural teeth).  Her upper arch is quite flat… small ridge with a shallow palate, requiring the use of adhesive.  And, we all know how well that (doesn’t) work.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes…

This blog post isn’t going to be a comprehensive case presentation.  It’s just a quick demonstration.  Most of us don’t get to do many Continue reading →

Digiprove sealCopyright protected by Digiprove © 2013-2014 The Dental Warrior®
Posted in Case Presentation, What Happened Today | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments