Dentaltown New Grad 2014 - (Page 65)

practice management feature by David R. Rice, DDS If you're anything like me, as a new grad you're thrilled to have walked across that stage, and a bit nervous about how to make this whole dentistry thing happen. You're not alone! Every new grad I work with and every dentist on Dentaltown.com has felt or feels just like you. You are exactly where you're supposed to be! What I'm about to share may at ﬁrst seem counterintuitive. After all, you just spent the last three or four years laser-focused on all things teeth-related. So here's the deal, I want you to know that what you've learned to date is very, very important. I also want you to know that I am a ﬁrm believer that you need to further your clinical education - just check my bio, I'm a conﬁrmed CE junkie. Your patients deserve your best and so do you. That said, I want to let you in on a little secret: Your professional success is more about the dating game than anything you've learned in dental school. Crazy? At ﬁrst glance. Truth? All day long! The dentistry, although highly detailed and ever-evolving, is the easy part. I know you've heard professors, clinical instructors and mentors share this. That's what you and I trained for. That's what we traditionally do well. The real key is getting your patients to say yes to the dentistry you've worked so hard to learn and you're so excited to provide - to choose you over every other dentist. Those of you who have heard me speak know I'm a big fan of natural laws. For example, if I asked you to hold your smart phone out in front of your body and let go, what would happen? It would fall, it would shatter and you'd rightly think I have a screw loose for asking you to do it. And if you kept buying smart phones, and I kept asking you to repeat, they'd keep falling. That's gravity. That's a natural law. We can count on it to happen every time. There are many natural laws that I count on in dentistry every day. One in particular: the natural law of emotion. And just like gravity, we can count on the natural law of emotion to hold true every time. The natural law of emotion states this: People make decisions based on emotion and they justify those decisions later with logic. If you haven't lived it already, picture this. You're a new grad who, after four long years, just landed your ﬁrst job. Maybe it's a residency program, a specialty program or maybe you've jumped right into private practice. It's a big day - someone just handed you your ﬁrst real dental paycheck. You feel outstanding. And it just so happens, you have to hit the mall on the way home to pick up a few necessities. As you walk along, you look to your right, and there it is. The Apple store. You have a few extra minutes, shrug your shoulders and think "what could it hurt?" and you walk in. You do the mandatory walk around and what do you see? The latest iPhone. You look down at your not-latest iPhone. You look back up, and 1.5 minutes later the credit card is swiped and you walk out with a huge smile on your face. And $500 lighter. continued on page 66 65 dentaltown.com « NEW GRADS http://www.Dentaltown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown New Grad 2014

HOWARD SPEAKS: Keep Living Like a Dental Student
PROFESSIONAL COURTESY: They Call It a Practice for a Reason
CONTINUING EDUCATION: Dentaltown CE — Never Stop Learning
DENTALTOWN.COM HIGHLIGHTS
Bombed Out Max Thirds
The Art of Hand Filing
Predictable Full-arch Treatment
PRODUCT PROFILE: Shatkin F.I.R.S.T.
DENTALTOWN FEATURES
I’m Out, I’m Ready, I Owe How Much?
The Fastest Way to Eliminate School Debt
The Student Loan Tipping Point
Land Your Dream Job
Left or Right Foot: Starting in Real World Dentistry
PULP NONFICTION
How Not to Waste Your First Year Out of School
Here’s What You Need to Know
The Science of Location is the Key to Practice Success
AD INDEX
Dentistry and the Dating Game
OFFICE VISIT: Atlanta’s Reason to Smile
10 Must-Haves for a Powerful Practice Brand
10 Actions for Increasing Treatment Acceptance
DENTALLY INCORRECT

Dentaltown New Grad 2014