I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and your year has gotten off to a great start.  Now that the great Polar Vortex of 2014 has come and gone (but apparently is coming back again), I am sure everyone is finally getting back into the swing of things.  The holidays, combined with the weather, certainly delayed my start for 2014.  So, let me apologize that I have not been able to make it around as regularly as usual.  Fortunately, this has given me ample time to prepare for this year and ask myself what Henry Schein and I can do to help you reach your goals for 2014.

With this New Year comes a changing health care landscape, as well as a fear of the unknown that seems to be coming along with it.  Do not fret though, for this is why you do business with me, or for some of you, why you should do business with me!  I have a number of resources at my disposal that can help you navigate these changes successfully, minimizing your stress, and maximizing your profits.  The following are just a few examples:

• Henry Schein Practice Analysis – By far, the most important tool in my bag, the HSPA will increase your production by an average of $100,000!  By analyzing your practice’s data, I can and will help you and your staff implement a few minor changes that are guaranteed to increase your production without seeing a single new patient.
  
  
• Coding – Another area where I can be of service that is tied into the HSPA is proper coding.  Improper coding can cost you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars every year, neither of which is good. 
  
  
• Marketing & New Patients – A healthy practice should be seeing an average of 25 new patients per month, per doctor.  I will help you set, and attain your new patient goal, as well as develop and implement your marketing strategy.  After all, when it comes to marketing, whatever you are doing, or not doing, is the message you are conveying to your patients and the community.
  
  
• Compliance & Consulting – As a certified OSHA and HIPAA trainer, and CE provider, I can help your practice stay up to date in these two mandatory governmental regulations.  Along with this, Henry Schein partners with a number of consultants specializing in varying services that will help you take your practice to the next level, and reduce the stress that comes with managing a business.
  
  

Of course, this is merely a sampling of what I can offer you and your dental practice.  With big changes come big opportunities, and there is no time like the present to let me help you.  When you are ready to take advantage of everything I can offer, please feel free to contact me to discuss your plans and goals.  You may also visit Henry Schein’s Dental Business Solutions website for more information and please feel free to connect with me through social media as well.  I wish everyone a prosperous 2014, and I look forward to working with each of you.  And, as always, Go Cats!

Regards,

Clint

According to the Kentucky Labor Cabinet's website, it is time to "remind employers that by December 1 all employees who could be exposed to chemicals are required by law to be trained on the label elements and safety data sheet format of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).  Employers who do not train the appropriate employees could face citations and monetary penalties." 

As a certified OSHA trainer, I will help ensure that your practice is compliant.  For any follow up questions, contact me to schedule your dental practice's annual OSHA training.  I've also included a link to the Kentucky Labor Cabinet's website which is an excellent resource on state related OSHA issues.

http://www.labor.ky.gov/Pages/LaborHome.aspx

It has been a long summer and one in which my updates have been lacking, which I apologize for.  With school back in and October upon us we enter the 4th quarter of 2013.  Many dentists are looking to acquire capital equipment this time of year and there will be some fantastic financing options to finish up 2013.  Below is a link that will explain a little more about Section 179 and how this tax code can benefit your practice.  Have a great weekend everyone. 

http://www.henryschein.com/us-en/Dental/Services/Financial/IRSSection179199.aspx

    This last month has flown by, and before we know it summer will be gone.  With the family vacation to the beach behind me and the flooding of my basement (5" of water the day after returning from the beach)  now dealt with, I am finally getting back into the swing of things and ready for the last half of 2013.  That being said, there has been a lot going on since my last post, and there is a lot to look forward to in closing out the year.  So, without further delay, let me begin.
    Last month I attended the annual Henry Schein National Sales Meeting.  This is an oportunity for our manufacturing partners to educate us on any new or existing products, equipment, and technology.  Out of the hundreds of items I saw, there were quite a few products that stood out.  Obviously I cannot touch on each of them in one post, so I'll mention a few and then sav some for a later date.
    The first product is Realine from Align Technology, the makers of Invisalign.  Realine is a 5 step invisible aligner system designed to fix minor orthodontic and cosmetic issues that general dentists see on a daily basis.  If youe information on this new treatment, either ask me, or go to www.realine.com 
    The hottest piece of technology has to be the new NEVO scanner from D4D Technologies, maker of the E4D CAD/CAM system.  This scanner can capture a full arch scan in 2-3 minutes with video rate speed.  It can also scan enamel and dentin in a wet environment, and most importantly, increases your efficiency and work flow by eliminating the need for a temporary restoration and the second appointment is eliminated 80% of the time.  For more information visit www.e4d.com 
    Along these same lines, advances in dental imaging continues and I saw a number of fantastic extraoral imaging devices.  The latest trends revolve around 3D imaging and bitewing features.  The best in show, in my opinion for these categories goes to the Instrumentarium  OP30, Planmeca Promax, both of which have a bitewing feature and excellent image quality.  As for 3D, there are a number of systems that are impressive, but for me, the i-CAT FLX continues to lead the pack.  This machine provides full dentition 3D imaging at a dose lower than a 2D pan, which is a nice benefit to ease patient concerns about radiation exposure.
    This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to new products & equipment that will benefit you, your business, and your patients.  As always, if  anyone has any questions or comments, please contact me any time.  Enjoy what's left of the summer and Go Cats!

Here is the information you have all been patiently waiting for: the 2nd Annual Profitable Practice Seminar in Lexington, KY. We are expecting another great turnout and I look forward to seeing each of my customers there. The following is the link to register and a picture of the flyer, since for some reason I can't upload PDF files to my blog I had to improvise. Call me with any questions.

http://hsevents.mcservices.com/hsdrsvp.php?Ev=1798

Did you know 83% of dentists have a lease that could prevent them from ever selling their practice?

The details in a dental office lease can cost doctors $100,000’s in traps and even the ability to sell their own practice. No oneintentionally signs a bad lease; they often just naturally focus on items like rent, rather than expensive hidden clauses. Cirrus negotiators review and analyze the dentist’s lease to evaluate agreement economics, flag critical action dates and identify hidden risks, helping him/her build a strong negotiation strategy. The office can also choose to have Cirrus handle the lease negotiation on their behalf, from start to finish. Don’t sign or renew an expiring lease without talking to Cirrus first. A free phone consultation is available to get started. Let me know if you or anyone you may know is interested in finding out more about this service.

By now I'm sure you've all heard about the Oral Surgeon in Oklahoma that has been accused of not practicing proper infection control and other violations by the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and other government regulatory agenciesl. If not, here is a link to an article from CNN that describes what Dr. W Scott Harrington has been accused of:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/01/health/oklahoma-dental-warning/?hpt=he_c2

This is unfortunate for the dental industry as a whole because, as the saying goes, one bad apple spoils the bunch. My suggestion would be to turn this into an opportunity to show your patients the cleanliness of your own dental practice. This will help put your patients' mind at ease and they will know they are being provided with clean, infection free care. To further prepare yourself for potential questions, I came across an article from Dentistry IQ on reassuring your patients of the safety & proper protocol in your practice:

http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2013/03/rdh-infection-control-columist-reassure-patients-of-your-safety-.html

As a reminder, I am a certified OSHA trainer and would be happy to provide training for you and your staff. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me any time.

Are you interested in incorporating 3D imaging into your dental practice? If so, join me in Las Vegas on April 19th & 20th for the 7th International Congress on 3D Dental Imaging.
According to the i-CAT website, this event is a "unique two-day experience that will provide you with lectures and demonstrations of real 3D imaging applications in dentistry. The workshop is brought to you by i-CAT, award winning cone beam 3D system. Join us for an intimate setting and get perspectives from knowledgeable industry experts and colleagues on real 3D imaging applications in dentistry during lectures and breakout sessions. Enjoy many opportunities to network and learn."
This two day event will offer:

CRITICAL CONTENT. A two day workshop filled with lectures and demonstrations of real 3D imaging applications in dentistry.
EDUCATION. An excellent educational opportunity on how to optimize your treatment using 3-D imaging. Receive 12 Continuing Education Credits.
INDUSTRY NETWORKING. Networking opportunities with clinicians from around the world
HIGH LEVEL KEYNOTERS/SPEAKERS. Get perspectives from knowledgable industry experts on real 3D imaging applications in dentistry.
PARTNERS AND VENDORS. Learn more about your 3D imaging options and tools for your practice.
This should be an exciting event in an exciting city! Let me know if you would like to attend and begin incorporating 3D dentistry into your practice today.
For further information call me or go to the i-CAT events website at
http://www.i-cat.com/events/live-3d-events/

Dentrix is now accepting Beta-testers for Dentrix Ascend, a new cloud based dental Practice Management system. Call me or go to http://www.dentrixascend.com/ if you are interested.