Dentaltown July 2014 - (Page 14)

howard speaks column Why Two Out of Three Cavities Go Untreated Every year, since 1991, there have been more cavities diagnosed than the year before. That's a terrible statistic. What would happen if the fire chief of a city reported that in the 23 years he had been in the position, more houses had burned down each year than the year before? Legendary, successful mayors are the ones who substantially lower the crime rate while they're in office. "I'm so proud of the fact that there were more murders than last year! We're hoping and expecting even more next year!" said no one ever. On average, for every three cavities a dentist diagnoses, he only removes the decay on one. One! He doesn't remove the decay two out of three times! That's below average dentistry! We all claim to be good dentists, but on average, we can't all be. I always hear clinicians say they're 20/20/20 dentists-"My fillings are bonded with greater than 20 megapascals." "All my indirects fit within 20 microns." "All the materials I use wear less than 20 microns a year." They use their fancy adhesive bonding agents and their fancy CAD/CAM machines on one-third and do squat on the other two-thirds. You are a dentist because you got A's in science and math, and because you (hopefully) genuinely care about removing decay and disease. But part of the problem is that dentists typically aren't good at sales. And to fix patients' cavities, and in turn, prevent the spread of disease and decay, you've got to convince them they have a problem that needs fixing. Say you have a patient in the dental chair and you are presenting treatment after an exam. You might say something really technical and clinical. "You have an interproximal legion on the distal of three. It's causing irreversible pulpitis. You'll need endodontic therapy, a post-build up and a full-cast restoration." The patient just stares at you like a deer in headlights. She doesn't understand what you just told her, doesn't realize the importance of fixing the issue and because she, like most people, doesn't buy based on information, she walks out to the front desk, says she'll call later to schedule her treatment and then leaves. Two out of three cavities are walking right out your front door! Let's look at this same situation by putting ourselves in different shoes. Say a dentist was selling real estate. He'd walk in the house with the client and say something like: "The altitude of this house is 368 meters above sea level. This side of the street gets direct sunlight in the morning. The climate of the area is mostly rainy..." Boring! It would be all technical information. A good real estate agent, on the other hand, would present a house much differently. She would walk you into the living room and help you imagine the big parties with family and friends that you could have. She'd sit with you around the fire pit and talk about how fun it would be to BBQ on the patio during the summer. She'd make it relatable. She'd make it an emotional decision rather than an informational one. There is a biological science to selling. There are only two things humans can love. It's not ice cream or cookies or dogs or cats or family. It's dopamine and serotonin. Your dog sees you walk in the front door from work. His tail wags and he jumps up, excited to see you. You think you love each other but you actually love the two chemicals. The real estate agent is secreting dopamine and serotonin too. by Howard Farran, DDS, MBA, Publisher, Dentaltown Magazine continued on page 16 14 JULY 2014 » dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown July 2014

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Why Two Out of Three Cavities Go Untreated
Professional Courtesy: Appsolutely Amazing
Continuing Education Update
Ethical Dilemma: Don’t Underestimate the Embezzler
Money Versus Doctor
Full Arch Reconstruction
New Technique Ideas Please!
What is Normal in Terms of Transition from One Dentist to Another?
Open Sinus Lift
Look Before You Leap: Lessons from the Field
A Tale of Inherited Problems
Retire in Practice
You Should Know: Diashine
Townie Choice Awards Product Showcase
Product/Service Extras
Dentaltown Research: Periodontics, Product/Service Extra
Continuing Education: Oral Cancer in the Dental Office
What’s on Your Tray?
Ad Index
Product Profile: Synergy Dental Partners
Perio Reports
Perio Program Series—Step 3: Create a Plan
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown July 2014