Time Flies, NuCalm Soars and Prayers for a Friend

The last 2 weeks flew by. I feel blessed with the amount of patients demanding my services. I have 2 excellent associates. This has been the busiest October for our dental practice. When all cylinders are firing properly the engine roars and performs at its best. Some of the best fuel is being silly sharing a laugh with team members. Letting them know you human. Also letting them know how you take care of yourself. Exercise and NuCalm are my secrets. Couldn't perform at such a high level without either. A dear friend of mine has been fighting cancer for the last 20 years. Too many people I have lost too this disease. None of us can say we do not know someone effected family member friend or maybe ourselves. This woman has saved countless individuals from themselves and disease and now she fights to live. Please say a prayer for Dena Mendes. She has a GoFundme page check it out.
https://www.gofundme.com/b577s3d8

Improve your Focus and Sleep with Nucalm

As I enjoy my cup of Java an have reviewed my schedule for the day. I wanted to share an experience with NuCalm this past week. It was actually yesterday that Susan was in to try in a 4 unit fixed bridge. She had NuCalm during the prep appointment and had requested on the seat appointment. Before we administered the supplements etc. I had come in to the operatory to say hello and ask her how she enjoyed the NuCalm last appointment. This big wide smile crossers her face. She said she enjoyed it very much. She said it was the easiest dental appointment she has ever had. I then asked her how did she sleep that night. She thought for a moment and said. " that was one of the best nights sleep I have had in a long time." This is a common theme amongst NuCalm users is the ability to get great nights sleep. When we achieve rest. Our body has the ability to heal itself and repair itself. When we our stressed and not sleeping we breakdown physically and emotionally. Focus is improved because we operate at a higher level of concentration when we are rested. As the dentist who administers NuCalm your focus is improved because the patient is less of a moving target. If you the dentist use NuCalm as I do, then your focus is improved. I see it in myself day in and day out. My goal is to provide the best care to my patients, using the best technology possible and creating the most caring atmosphere as possible. NuCalm allows me to do that. Susan enjoyed her NuCalm and is looking forward to her next appointment.

The Power of NuCalm

As a advocate and power user of NuCalm for myself and my patients. This technology continues to amaze me. Yesterday I put in a 12 hour day, this is a rare occurrence. I was exhausted physically and mentally. I slept for 8 hours. Still felt some fatigue. I arrived back at the office this morning and I decided I am going to NuCalm. I have a kit at home as well NuCalmed for a half hour and I feel unbelievable. Focused and ready for a great day.
I can not stress enough that the feeling of being in a state of just pure balance. Too often we are in a state of sympathetic nervous system dominance or the fight and flight mode. We are in this hyper drive state with all the stressors of "Life". NuCalm allows the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in and shuts down the Symathetic and helps restore balance.
Stressors and anxiety have been shown to cause suppression of the immune system leading to poor health. Stressors as we know have many negative effects on physical and mental health. NuCalm has been shown to bring us back to a more harmonious physiological state.
My first patient arrived at 7:45am for implant placement area of number 4 guided surgery. We were finished by 8:21. Right now I am sipping my coffee and blogging. A great morning!
The only thing better would be to be on my bike.
Go to www.nucalm.com change your day and your patients!
I receive no endorsements or compensation for these statements.
Dr. Kaufman

Epoch Dental and Mishmash: The Power of NuCalm

Epoch Dental and Mishmash: The Power of NuCalm: As a advocate and power user of NuCalm for myself and my patients. This technology continues to amaze me. Yesterday I put in a 12 hour day, ...

Action and Consequence

No pun here our parents always said we needed to think before we act.  In dentistry we gather data. The patients chief complaint the system used in all medical fields is SOAP.
Gather Subjective information, this is the patients chief complaint. Next gather Objective information this is the information gathered from looking at the patient clinically it is what the doctor sees. Visually and through what they find through radiographs and sometimes through stone models of the patients dentition. We then Assess all information and formulate a Prognosis based on a determined treatment plan. I have simplified it here but it is a general overview of what takes place in the mind of the clinician.
In life if we break the law there is a consequence. If we overinflate a bike tire there is a consequence of a getting a blowout. If we ask a girl out on a date. She can say yes or no. If we don't maintain our oral health we can get cavities loose teeth etc.
If we choose not to continue to learn and embrace newer technology. We are not offering the best treatment for our patients.
Why am I writing about Action and consequence. I see to often in todays world of people acting without giving consideration of what that action will yield. At a young age I was taught to think before I acted. Yes I tested the limits. I got in trouble. But I learned, I realized, that hey my parents were right. As a father of 2 teenagers I see that this is not an easy lesson to be learned. As teenagers we think in our own world. That our opinion is the only one that matters. That society does not have a clue as to what is going on.  I am seeing to many kids getting in trouble, thinking that they are infallible. Then I see kids who do what is expected go to school get good grades and move on to a successful career.
I ask why the disharmony. Our some of us just pre-programmed to push the envelope act with out thinking. I believe these individuals are the non-conformers. They are the ones looking to make a change. Maybe they are the Bill Gates or the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world.
If we do not push the envelope then all stays the same. Change can be good or bad. It should not hurt another or negatively impact ones future.
Teenagers and young twenty something's push this envelope regularly. They live in the moment. Something we all need to do. At the same time using our brains and asking ourselves what willbe the impact of this action.
If I do not provide the best clinical care. Then there is a consequence to that action. A failed restoration. A infection left untreated, a cancer not diagnosed, tooth loss and the list can go and on.
We all need to think before we act. Whether it is in the Medical field or in living life.
We can not live in the past. We can only learn from it. We need to live in the present and think of how those actions will in fact effect our future and those that we interact with.

Dentistry,Cycling and CBCT(Cone Beam Computerized Tomography)

At the age of 51 I took up cycling. What I didn't know at the time was how addicting this sport was. In 2 years I own a Road bike, Cyclocross bike and a Mountain bike. Not only is it addicting it is expensive. I live in the Midwest we don't have real hills or mountains. Hats off to the real cyclers of the world who compete and live in mountainous regions. So what does Cycling and Dentistry have in common. In order to excel at anything we have to put the time in. Sometimes that means hundreds or thousands of hours of practice or training.
Cycling is a constant ritual of getting on your bike and putting in the time. Going long distances,sprinting and easy days of lighter riding. What I enjoy is how the strength and endurance builds over time. I also enjoy the freedom of buzzing through the woods or empty streets in the early dawn.
The CBCT world I entered 4 years ago. I have never looked back at this decision. It's funny fellow dental lecturers told me I was crazy to make such an investment. Those same lectures are talking about how they now can't practice with out it.
To get good at reading these CBCT and have a working knowledge of the software you need to spend extra time nights and weekends working with it. It pays off in the long run. It definitely changes your career trajectory and sets you apart from other providers. The improvement in diagnostic ability radically changes. Here is an example I had a patient in 6 weeks ago who felt in pain in number 6 took PA no pathology present. Accept for the straight facial 6mm pocket. I had one of my assistants take a small Field Of View CBCT and I found a fracture present. I sent to the oral surgeon who was getting ready to place implants 2-5 area. He and the patient elected to watch. Yesterday I received a call from him that he was about to extract 6 because it had a huge pus pocket an mobility present. The point here is get good at your game. Attend courses on CBCT. Spend time reviewing your scans. Put in the extra miles it pays dividends.

Carpe Diem and NuCalm

If you know me personally or if you were my kid, which your not. You would know that the phrase Carpe Diem is part of me and its integral to my persona. That I don't like getting caught up in drama or BS. I believe in seizing the day, moving forward in life. Many of my generations parents served in WWII. My father was in the Air Force and trained bomber and fighter pilots how to survive compression and decompression in compression chambers. His generation didn't get caught up in the excuses of why something couldn't be done, they just did it. They figured out the how. Luckily for us as Dentists, patients and really the human race in general there is a proprietary clinical system to help us relax and regroup in minutes. A system that I personally use a few times a week. A system that I encourage readers of this blog to research and try. The system is called NuCalm. Go to www.nucalm.com and see for yourselves. What does all this have to do with Carpe Diem? Let's think about it, if we wait on the side lines and don't seize an opportunity to improve our own health which will enhance improve all levels of daily performance. Then we are not improving our condition. If we don't help our patients relax in the dental setting and reduce there anxiety, every time they come in their experience will be high anxiety. But if we begin to reduce anxiety and stress. Their experience becomes more enjoyable and relaxing. The dentist can perform on a higher level on a patient that is more relaxed. Engage now and seize the day! The good news is the how has been figured out for you. Now just do it!
Have an awesome day!
LK

Customer Service Builds The Brand

Having spent most of my life in the service industry the one key ingredient is providing top level customer service. How do we do it? How do we teach others to deliver it? Why do some big corporations provide it better than others?
The first question is the how. It is on going messaging which is internal and starts with how the management treats its employees. If we do not treat our team members well how can we expect them to treat our customers/patients well. No matter the size of the business or industry if we can not treat fellow team members, customers and patients well. We loose business. I would encourage anybody reading this to purchase the book "Fish" By Stephen C. Lundin, Ph.D., Harry Paul and John Christensen. It is a quick read. That should be read over and over and shared amongst all team members.
Customer service in big corporations. I look at the fashion retailer Nordstrom's and by far they are always at the top of their game in treating their team and customers extremely well.
Then I look at some of the companies that I deal with being a business owner. Some of these companies have great feet on the street. The sales people would do anything for their clientele. I have a friend who has held onto the top sales person slot for years with a dental supplier. They hold onto it because they always take care of the customer. I will not deal with anybody else in that company.
If she left the company then I would take my business elsewhere.
Recently a newer piece of technology has broken down in our practice. Only three and a half years old. For 2 weeks now we have been trying to get resolution on this issue. My IT company seems to be the only one who cares as much as we do about getting this resolved. The manufacturer wants us to spend more money on a new machine the dental supplier wants us to spend more money. Both of these companies did the original install. The sales person from the manufacturer barely returns calls or answers emails. The dental supplier we never hear from. This dental supplier is a major driving force in the industry. Here is the other part of the equation. I am getting ready to make major purchases in the next year. Obviously my business will not be directed to companies like these. Their branding and customer service is going down the toilet.
Until next time.
LK

Virtual employees

When I started practicing 20 years ago, it was easy to get applicants for the jobs we posted no matter the position we had tons of applications coming in. As I speak to colleagues in my demographic and surrounding areas, I have heard the same response or complaint in the difficulty in obtaining applicants and once found I here off appointments scheduled and the applicant does not show. 6 months I began looking into out sourcing my insurance processing to an outside company. That is when I found Dental Support Specialties. We love them. It costs less than we were paying a team member. This person has a dedicated team behind her. We all work in tandem at its been exceptional. Our insurance these days is running pretty smooth. It's not perfect but they show up every day for work  The resource I used to locate them was Dental Town. In my opinion if you are not a part of Dental Town you are loosing out on one of the best resources for being a small business owner/practicing dentist. There is no better tool out there. Where we can interact and learn from our colleagues. Give it a try. Have a safe holiday weekend.

Cut one measure twice

My dad taught me at the ripe age of 8 the skills of cutting wood. Always verify twice the measurement and cut it once. We have all heard this age old saying. This morning I was to place an implant surgically guided case of course. This was for a major dental supplier who wanted me to try their new company out and maybe place their implants. I liked the system and said I would do a few cases and give my feed back, incorporate into dental lectures. I was looking forward to this.
As we all do before any case large or small I review my protocols check my instruments etc. The manufacturer had sent the right tissue punch, drills, but the wrong size implant. The reps reply when I called him. "that not cool". I said "its more than not cool. We have just inconvenienced my patient who took a day off from her work to be here. My time has been wasted and now I am loosing money." He asked,"what my time is worth?" I gave him the figure. I told him don't you understand this is marketing, image, reputation etc. etc. Who is really at fault? In my opinion are the people who placed the order with the dental supplier. The outside rep told me he gave the order to the inside rep. Here is my question. Why is the outside rep having the inside rep place his order. Seems ridiculous and double the work. I guess these corporate giants don't care about payroll expense.
The inside rep should of closely reviewed their order and checked it twice.

Great people

In my last post I made mention of another remodel of our existing dental practice. This would be the third in the last 20 years. The last was a significant acquisition of new space. We had a great contractor who had a very detail oriented working for him crew Who paid attention to all the details. This time not only do we need this great contractor but I am working with a phenomenal architect who has no ties to any dental supply company. While dental supply companies offer design they are not architects. In my opinion they are solely looking to sell equipment that will go into that new space. Case in point. 2 and one half years ago I made a substantial investment in new technology for my practice. I received a phone call today and an email stating that a PC had to be replaced without it the imaging capturing device is worthless. I am leaving manufacturers names out of it. Also sales companies out of this. I might throw the name out there in the coming months. Now we barely receive phone calls back. Why? Easy we already spent the money. Unless your spending more money they do not have the time of day to speak to you. There are exceptions to this they are just far and few between. To me those are the great people to do business with. Our contractor is the exception. He could give classes to all the salesman in the world on how to treat and act with your client base.

Fifth Grade

When I was in fifth grade we had to pick a person in history who had made an impact on the field of business. My pick was Henry Ford I was fascinated with the man. Weird I know! We give him credit for developing mass manufacturing concepts. That's a given.
But, the biggest take away is the concept that he employed is surrounding ourselves with great people. Seek counsel from those smarter than us. Know the importance of delegating and not micromanaging your team. We have to let people excel and fly. We need to steer when necessary. We need to listen to what our team has to say. The greatest leaders surround themselves with incredible advisors. They challenge others. Ford once had a mechanic tell him that something was impossible to manufacture. Ford said keep trying and eventually you will figure it out.
My point here is hire great people. Train them and let them excel. Don't hold them back. Make sure you are having fun.
Recently I have been exploring making changes to my existing working space. Maybe moving to a different suite. Maybe remodeling what I am currently in. I am great full for surrounding myself with great people because I have gained invaluable insight into many areas of design principle and lease negotiations. My advice less headaches when we work with experts in their field.
As I digress into many areas in my writing today. The underlying message is to become a great leader and thinker like Ford. We need to keep surrounding ourselves with talented people and never accept that something can not be done.
Continuing to invest in ourselves and practice allows us to provide the best patient care possible.
Remember to take care of ourselves. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air like you did as a kid. At least the kids I grew up with we were always outside. Have tons of fun and bring out the fifth grader in you. It will help you make an impact each every day.

Yelp it

The old adage of bad news travels fast is history. All news travels fast these days. It is what we do with the news that matters. I was going through our yelp reviews a few months ago and. Something I have not done in the past. I read this disparaging review and I was like f____ this. Then I read some incredible reviews.
The poor review really upset me. I was mad. Why? We have satisfaction score of 97-98% on Demand force and solution reach. Companies that we use for patient communication/marketing. I spoke to some friends in the industry who said yeah spend some money with Yelp and positive reviews will appear more. I said to myself wait this is an opportunity to really shine. I like the adage lets turn lemons into lemonade.
I decided I am going to embrace yelp, I am going to ad photos of our office. I am going to spend advertising dollars. I am going to ask patients to review us. This has led to increased brand awareness. Increase in new patients locating us. And an increase of positive Yelp reviews.
It is so important to embrace social media. If you do a great case post it to your patients and friends.
Important news to share post it. Take advantage of this affordable advertising medium. Before they Yelp you.

Five years later

Its hard to believe that almost 5 years ago I never used NuCalm. Then again only one Dr. had used it. How did we practice with out it? Not everybody needs NuCalm. Its fun when patients request it. And for those new patients whom have avoided dental treatment for years. They are eager to try it. Lets just say we have many relaxed patients in our practice. Personally I NuCalm 1-3 times a week. It helps me recharge and refocus. Last fall I had lower back surgery. I really believe that NuCalm has helped me recover and feel better. Five years ago we didn't know what we didn't know. I encourage you to go to their website NuCalm.com and read up on all the roads NuCalm is traveling on.
What is wonderful? It is very easy to implement in practice. 3 minutes and the patient begins to experience relaxation. Our practice has  patients who regularly come in just to NuCalm. Sometimes I think they want the NuCalm more than the cleaning.
Maria was in this morning and she had high anxiety. I explained the procedure and she elected the NuCalm. She was almost fully asleep when I gave her the injection. She was so thankful when we were all done with the crown prep today. We often hear wow that went fast. That is because there seems to be a loss of time.
One thing is for sure as a provider if NuCalm your procedures area quicker and faster who thought at the Age of 53 I would say I am quicker and faster than at 43. Life is good!

I had a feeling.

This last weekend my main house a/c blew while we entertained 30 high school theatre department teenagers in our home. Thank goodness they were so wrapped up in thermselves that they did not notice. On Sunday I called a local HVAC company with 110 years of expierience out to my home. My regular guy was out of town and would not be back for a couple days. I was told the diagnosis was a grounded compressor. Okay whatever that is. Long story did not make sense to fix but to get a new one. I couldn't believe a 10 year old unit with a life expectancy of 15-20 was dead. Well the owner of the company came by the next day. Actually the 3rd or fourth generation owner. He proceeded to tell me everything that was wrong and what needed to be fixed in my mechanical room. Which is interesting because it had passed inspection twice. Red flag went up at this point. So I let him do his thing and that night he sent me his estimate over $4500.00 for new A/C plus if I wanted the extras another $900.00. I said thank you widdled him down and told him I would get back with him the next day. In the mean time my guy came out the following evening and diagnosed the problem and fixed it for $100.00 Turns out that it was the capacitor that had gone bad. Which is the item I had told the tech from the other company to check in the first place. I was pissed off aggravated etc., I was asking myself was this just an incompetent technician or was this a upsell. I live in a modest home about ten years old. I don't know.
           I called the owner today and calmly told him how I felt what I thought etc. He genuinely and humbly listened and told me what he was going to do. I wished him good luck with his family business. I reminded him that this business has survived 110 years because of great customer service and taking care of the customer. That its not about how much you sell. What I have seen is if you take care of people honestly and ethically. Your business will do extremely well.
           The feeling I had was a gut feeling, that came to me. Its important to listen to those silent clues. Call it intuition. We are not beholden to what others tell us. If a patient seeks a second opinion I encourage it.
           The next cast party the house will be cooler.  They won't notice.

Guided Implant Surgery

First let me say I am four years overdue in writing my blog. I wasn't missed.
To say I am busy is an understatement.
2 years ago this October I attended my first implant training seminar in Jamaica. The course was given by Dr. Michael Schulman the founder of ADIS Island Implants. We had five attendees and we place fifty implants in four days. Needless to say it was an educational experience. We did not use CBCT or any guided surgery this was all done the "old fashioned way"
The reality is in todays modern dental practice. It is recommended by this author and many leading clinicians around the globe to place implants using surgical guides. In my opinion not to so is a disservice to our patients. Being able to pre-plan your surgery using virtual software allows the day of implant placement go very smoothly. All of our cases in my office: Chicagodentistry are surgically guided. If your planning to have implants placed find out of your dentist is using guided surgery.
I would like to thank Dr. Schulman for helping me along this path.
Till next time.
LK