Dentaltown November 2013 - (Page 73)

finance feature by Douglas Carlsen, DDS The Mind: Games Dentists Play Consultants comment to me that when money is tight and bills pile up, doctors often purposely avoid evaluating the numbers related to their personal and practice finances. Why? Dr. Shawn Worthy, professor of clinical psychology at Metropolitan State University of Denver comments: One strategy used is denial. Denial is an ancient human form of dealing with stress and fear. For many of us who have not developed positive stress-coping skills, denial might become an option. When in denial, the person will function as if the problem doesn't exist. When the problem becomes serious enough one will flee the situation. Physically leaving the state, divorcing, closing one's business and substance abuse are all possible. Another strategy is avoidance. One purposely does not engage the issue for fear of evoking negative stimuli. Looking at a budget may expose that the doctor is underworking, overspending, or that a new device is not producing the proper production. The decision to not confront the issue today provides relief and saves time. It can wait until tomorrow. What happens tomorrow? The same lack of action again provides relief. Avoidance can last a very long time. The avoider knows that the problem will go away or eventually blow up. When it does blow up, grief and loss, as losing a loved one, often occurs. Remedies: Realize that probably 80 percent of dentists avoid important financial issues. Financial consultants have a tough time attracting dentists to seminars as most dentists either avoid the topic or are ashamed of their lack of financial control. Engage the financial threads on Dentaltown.com. Smart doctors provide sound advice and great stories. Read The Millionaire Next Door by Dr. Tom Stanley and The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John Bogle. The former describes how professionals fall into spending traps; the latter provides great investing advice. If you have serious avoidance or denial issues, seek a therapist. The Mind/Body: Zoom-Mode Takes Its Toll Lisa Knowles, DDS, speaker, owner and coach for Intentional Dental Consulting, www.intentionaldental.com, provides personal thoughts about the frenetic pace of dentists and its toll. Dentists are always in need of more time. Many of us are in zoom mode at the office. I was not aware of many things when I started out in dentistry and my brain would not let me be aware of problems. I had learned to hit the override button and keep going in dental school. I unintentionally learned to shut down my physical and emotional needs with mental toughness and endurance to survive. Temporarily, this works. Then came my first warning sign: acid reflux. My physician encouraged me to take Nexium. Purple pills for the rest of my life? I couldn't swallow it. I read about natural ways to resolve these problems and about the acid/base balance our bodies crave. With a minor in biochemistry, I should have known, yet I never applied the knowledge to myself. After reading Alkalize or Die, I experimented with acid levels in my body and took the time to become aware of what was going in my mouth and how it was making me feel. My second indicator: right shoulder pain at age 35. My massage therapist did her best with no resolution. She convinced me yoga would help. As a decent athlete in college, I was aghast at the thought of doing yoga. But, I was desperate. continued on page 74 dentaltown.com « NOVEMBER 2013 73 http://www.Dentaltown.com http://www.intentionaldental.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown November 2013

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Not Getting it Done? Hire a Consultant
Professional Courtesy: Painful Advertising
Continuing Education Update
Second Opinion: The Role of Teamwork in the Third Era of Medicine
Deprogrammed Open Bite Can Help with Veneers
Bruxism Worse with Splint
Corporate Profile: Burbank Dental Laboratory
Product Profile: Eaglesoft 17
Debunking the Social Stigma of Stress
The Personal Side of Stress
In Your Face: Facing the Realities of Stress in Dentistry
When Tragedy Strikes: How to Prepare for and Recover from a Natural Disaster
The Latex Problem: It’s More Complicated Than You Think
Why Dentists Require Specific Exercise
How Much Money Can You Make When You’re Dead?
Denture Stabilizations with Small-diameter Implants
You Should Know: CrownMen
Product Profile: Synergy
Product Profile: NuSmiles ZR
Continuing Education: The New Evolution of Chariside CAD/CAM Technology
Ad Index
In This Issue: Dry Brush Inside Bottom Teeth First
Perio Reports
Dentally Incorrect
101 Ways to Reduce Stress
Achieving Goal Congruency

Dentaltown November 2013