Dentaltown November 2013 - (Page 14)

howard speaks column » Not Getting it Done? Hire a Consultant by Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, Publisher, Dentaltown Magazine There is a very interesting thread on Dental town.com called "43 and Burned Out" that, as of this writing, is pushing 6,000 views and almost 250 replies. [Editor's Note: You can view the entire thread here: www.dentaltown.com/43andBurnedOut]. Every year since we launched Dentaltown in 1999 a thread like this pops up, where a dentist admits to being burned out. You read upsetting declarations like, "I just don't feel it anymore," or, "I'm trapped because my lifestyle is based on the earnings of a dentist, but I hate dentistry and there's no way I can get another job to make this kind of income." They're desperate for help or even a point in the right direction. I've written about burnout before. Sadly, it is still the biggest problem facing the dental profession, leading to awful, harmful vices like alcohol and drug addiction, and even suicide. You can focus on improving your environment and your gear, and you can retool your practice so you can work on what gets you excited, but another thing you need to focus on is your own health. I've written often about my Four Bs - the four things I always focus on to remain successful: my Body, my Babe, my Babies and my Business. Take notice of the first B: my Body; it's the most important one. Once you lose your body, it's game over, and the other three Bs don't matter anymore. The most powerful and productive dentists I've known over the last 25 years all have one thing in common. No, they weren't all valedictorians. No, they're not all second- or third-generation dentists. No, they didn't have specific undergrad degrees in business, marketing or finance. All of the successful dentists I know have their bodies together! They're healthy. They eat right. They exercise. I know far too many dentists who are couch potatoes. They work a high-stress job and come home at the end of a long day and just veg out, eating and drinking awful things, and generally do not take very good care of themselves. Then they wonder why they're depressed and sick all the time. We still have a society that is based on the ancient model of medicine that goes all the way back to when people saw witch doctors: You have a problem, you go to the witch doctor, they make you a lotion or a potion with herbs, or they pull out their knives and cut something off of you. No pill a doctor gives you will counteract years and years of destructive living! It's time you realize your health is in your own hands and you need to do something about it! That's easier said than done, though. I should know! On the day I turned 50, I asked myself, "What's my goal?" I mean, every New Years Day when I was in my 40s, my goal was to lose 10 lbs. Then it became, "I want to lose 20 lbs." Then it became 30 lbs. On my 50th birthday I realized I was 50 lbs. overweight and I wasn't getting it done. So, what did I do? I hired a diet coach who came to my house, threw away about six grocery bags of food I had laying around in my pantry, sat me down and went over nutrition. That coach came to my house every Tuesday for three months before I finally figured out the proper way to eat. Once I figured out my nutrition, I signed up for maybe what is the craziest goal I ever could sign up for: I decided I was going to participate in an Ironman triathlon where I would have to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a full marathon. Everyone I told about my new goal literally laughed in my face. They'd say, "Dude, you're 50 lbs. overweight, you don't swim or bike or run, you're a workaholic and you basically sit at a desk all day." Because I wanted to achieve this goal, I knew I had to train properly. I couldn't do this myself, and I had such success with my diet coach that I hired coaches to help me train for my triathlon. I started taking swimming lessons and found after swimming for two minutes straight, I'd either have to stop to catch my breath, or I'd turn my head to breathe in and I'd breathe in water. I also had to relearn how to ride a bicycle. You think all you need to do is mash your foot down on the pedal, but when you're training for a triathlon, you clip your shoes onto your pedals and learn to push and pull. I even needed a running continued on page 16 14 NOVEMBER 2013 » dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com/43andBurnedOut 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