Seeing Teeth Better and Seeing the Light!

Posted on February 16, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Designs for Vision – Dental Magnification Review

I’m not sure when I started using magnification in dentistry, but I estimate it’s been about 17 years.  I started with some 2.5x telescopes from Orascoptic.  They are technically and properly termed telescopes, even though they’re commonly called “loupes.”  Loupes are technically a device that uses lenses that are single-element… a single piece of glass that magnifies.  Telescopes are multiple-element lenses.

 

Let there be (more) light!

Just going to 2.5x magnification from the “naked eye” was a tremendous revelation.  But, then I wanted more.  Next I got a fiber-optic headlight (Zeon from Orascoptic) that clipped on to my Orascoptic frame.  Adding co-axial illumination to a magnified field of view is Continue reading →

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Posted in Dental Product Reviews, Tips & Tricks | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Looking for the “Best Dentist” (on my plan)

Posted on February 15, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

I just got an email inquiry through my website.  Here’s a copy of the email:

———————————————————————-

HowDidYouHearAboutUs: Web search.
DoYouHaveADentistNow: No.
AreYouHappyWithYourSmile: No.  I would like to improve my smile.
DidYouFindThisSiteInformative: Yes!  Very informative!
WouldYouRecommendThisSite: Yes! Continue reading →

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Posted in Practice Management, Websites, What Happened Today | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

You Can’t Fix Stupid (patients)

Posted on February 9, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

This is my ONE-HUNDREDTH blog post!

Now on to your regularly scheduled program…

I’m a blunt guy.  You’ll never be left wondering if what I say is congruent with what I think.  Surely some will think I’m being politically incorrect or simply “unprofessional.”  Maybe some will even accuse me of being unsympathetic or just intolerant.  No matter.  Today’s installment is not a contemptuous rant.  Rather, it’s just a peek into the reality in which we all live.  Fortunately, it represents a very small sliver of the bigger picture.

This week, the sliver pierced the happy kingdom I call my practice.  I had two callers to my office that were blatant examples of patients who simply don’t belong in my practice.

Caller #1

Continue reading →

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Posted in Editorial, Practice Management, What Happened Today | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Feline vs. Human Dental Fees

Posted on February 3, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Spike after rehab but in quarantine.

About 2 years ago, my office staff found a tiny kitten huddled outside the front door to my office.  As it turns out, he was about 5 weeks old, but he weighed 1.3 pounds.  My staff suggested I should do something.  The poor little guy was huddled and shaking.  He was skin and bones.  When I approached him, he found the energy to run for cover in the bushes.  I grabbed a box and cornered him.  He hissed but couldn’t do much more.  I grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and stuffed him in the box.  I put him in the staff break room.  At lunchtime, I ran out and got some “cat formula” and a dropper to feed him.  He wouldn’t take it from the dropper.  But, he would lick it off my finger.  Awwwwwww.  😉

I feel compelled to point out that I’m NOT a “cat guy.”  🙂  Keep reading… there’s a dental point to be made here. Continue reading →

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Posted in Editorial, Practice Management, What Happened Today | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Defy the “back” button. Be yourself – online!

Posted on January 28, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

A dentist friend sent me a message on Facebook with a link to a Ted Talk video about social media.  (I’ve embedded the video at the end of this article.)  The video reminded me of what I’ve been preaching for years about content you put up on your website.  But, the same principles apply to ALL online content you create, including social media.

Here’s how I feel (strongly) in a nutshell:   You CANNOT hire out (delegate to a third party) the creation of your online content… IF you want it to be REALLY EFFECTIVE (or at all). 

Dentists are lazy when it comes to marketing.  I think it must be related to the historical tradition of simply hanging your shingle and letting referrals (other people) send new patients to you.  That evolved into Continue reading →

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Posted in Editor's Favorites, Marketing, Social Media, Websites | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Isolite saves my butt again.

Posted on January 27, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

This week, I had two particular patients that presented clinical challenges.  In both cases, treatment involved lower posterior teeth.  I’ve written about the Isolite in this blog twice before:

Win the Isolation Battle with Isolite! (see video, too!)

Isolite Saves the Day

Case #1

The first patient has been in my practice for many years.  Super nice guy.  He is remarkable in that his gag reflex is strong and easily triggered.  The plan was to restore #30 with a 3-surface posterior composite.  I’ll just say that he is a “big boy,” and the intraoral soft tissues instantly obscure the lower posterior teeth.  Continue reading →

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Posted in Dental Product Reviews, Tips & Tricks, What Happened Today | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Is Groupon running out of gas?

Posted on January 26, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

In the early days of Groupon, I was intrigued.  My marketing efforts are nearly 100% internet-oriented.  It seemed like an easy and reportedly very effective way to attract new patients to my practice.  And, I had heard of some crazy success from other dentists – attracting literally HUNDREDS of new patients.  Count me in!  Or not. Continue reading →

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Posted in Marketing, Social Media | Tagged , , , , , | 50 Comments

Get off yer butt, and get MOBILE!

Posted on January 14, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Well, besides the fact that I DO need to get off my butt and start moving more (for my health), I’m not referring to exercise.  I’m talking about mobile websites.

I suppose my impending suggestion (keep reading) to explore the notion of setting up a mobile-device-friendly website should be based on the assumption that you are beyond the stage of a marketing troglo-dentist and actually have a regular website for your practice.  And, of course, it should be a PRODUCTIVE website.  Otherwise, what’s the point of having one?

The question on the cell phone on the left should more precisely ask, “Can I easily view AND USE your website here?” Continue reading →

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Posted in Editor's Favorites, Marketing, Websites | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Dental insurance is like getting a gift card from a control freak!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

My friend, Dr. Alan Mead, a dentist in Saginaw, Michigan recently blogged about dental “insurance.”  I put “insurance” in quotes because there is no such thing as dental insurance.  Rather, it is a pre-paid dental benefit plan.  And, that’s what we call it in my own practice.  We do not call it “insurance.”

Dr. Alan Mead wrote an EXCELLENT blog article explaining how dental insurance is like getting a gift card from a control freak.  His metaphor is perfect and he expounds on it eloquently and logically.

I recommend all dentists read this and consider how they might use this metaphor in explaining benefits to patients.  Click on the link below:

Like Getting a Gift Card from a Control Freak!

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Posted in Practice Management | Tagged , | 2 Comments

DentalTown / Townie Meeting – A Collective Dental Intelligence

Posted on January 4, 2012 by The Dental Warrior

Happy New Year!  And, this also marks the 1 year anniversary of my Dental Warrior blog.

Many of you are already on Dentaltown, and you might skip this blog post.  Preachin’ to the choir, as they say.  If you’ve been on Dentaltown and haven’t been to a Townie Meeting, keep reading anyway.

But, if you’re a dentist who has landed on TheDentalWarrior.com and have somehow missed Dentaltown, then listen up.  Or maybe you joined Dentaltown a long time ago but then didn’t go back.  Here’s why you should. Continue reading →

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Posted in Continuing Ed | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments