According to the World Health Organization’s March 25th, 2020, report on oral health, dental caries remains the number one dental issue globally to this day. While we are seeing a decrease in dental caries in both fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in Canada, there is still much work to be done. Dental decay occurs when the … Read more
I have been a dentist for 30 years but only practised for seven. I spent more than 20 years in the regulatory sector, and taught oral health professional students in six post-secondary institutions and medical students at two universities. I also have mental illness. After I was interviewed recently for a feature article in another … Read more
It happens daily. A dentist looking to practise is presented with an associate agreement. Meanwhile, another dentist, selling their practice, is presented with a purchase and sale agreement. Both agreements include a non-compete clause, which tries to restrict that dentist from practising within a certain geographic area (e.g. 5 km radius from the practice) and … Read more
Every dentist shudders when they think about it: You’re going through the mail for your practice and amidst junk mail and bills, there’s an envelope with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (RCDSO) logo in the top left corner. It’s marked “PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.” You open it and are shocked to learn that … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story Dr. Rebecca Hulbert could see that to meet the needs of the evolving “quality-of-life-centred” dental healthcare consumer, that convenient, multidisciplinary specialty care was needed under one roof. Due to advancements in treatment modalities and technology, local GPs are often diagnosing complex, advanced care treatment plans requiring specialist involvement. These treatment plans … Read more
Do you remember why you became a dentist? Are you happy you chose dentistry? What would you say to someone who wants to be a dentist – that it’s a dream job or to keep dreaming? Recently, my friend’s son got accepted to both dentistry and medicine. My friend is a dentist and our dentist … Read more
A year-and-a-half into this ever-evolving pandemic and we find ourselves in the grip of a third wave. The pandemic has caused a significant change in all of our lives. The only constant we’ve had is the constant of the unknown. The virus has proved to be relentless and efforts to contain the spread require a … Read more
Dentists spend almost every day assessing the dental health of their patients, but evidence suggests most don’t spend enough time examining the current state of their own practices.1 And although dental practice management software (PMS) will provide many reports, my experience consulting with practices is that they continue to find it difficult to determine what … Read more
Culture can be a nebulous word that’s hard to pin down to a definition, but when we’re applying the concept to companies, teams and dental offices, there is actually a clear-cut definition. Culture is the set of established and accepted behaviours, attitudes and perceptions collectively established by a team. It is defined by the values … Read more
While you work on your dental practice, you also want to make sure that your money is put in the right place. With the proper plan, you can not only ensure financial security, but also build sustaining wealth that can last for generations. Here’s a look at 10 simple financial steps you can start taking … Read more
I always felt secure working in dentistry; safe from business cycles that can affect other businesses but not dentistry. Dentists carried a belief that we operated within a resilient, recession-proof industry; after all, when a patient breaks a tooth or loses a crown, it needs to be fixed. March of 2020 dealt a substantial blow … Read more
In dentistry, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Every patient is different, and there are always exceptions. What is good for most people still is not good for everyone. The same is true of websites, and marketing plans in general. What works well for an e-tailer is not likely to work for a dentist. Furthermore, holistic … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story Dr. Zina Alkafaji is a pediatric dentist. As a mother of three young children, she and her loving husband share their exciting story of building their dream practice in North Vancouver, BC. Their professional journey with exploring practice ownership began quickly and immediately upon graduating from her dental school in Chicago, … Read more
As a specialist, a significant portion of my patients present after endodontic treatment has failed or was abandoned mid-treatment, due to an unforeseen complication. Throughout my career, I have seen my fair share of my own failed treatments, and I have witnessed the distress these situations can cause my colleagues as I certainly know they … Read more
I was so mad, I couldn’t see straight. He was blinded by love. I have thought about where these phrases came from after enjoying a wonderful article titled Tame Reactive Emotions By Naming Them by Mitch Abblett. I do a lot of reading about how our brains work with respect to dealing with our emotions … Read more
What’s my biggest regret? Dental school. I don’t regret going; I regret not doing it right. I would go through dental school all over again…and pay for it. Why? You see, I was an unlikely dental student. I never dreamed of being a dentist. In fact, I applied at the last minute after realizing that … Read more
Every week, our law firm has this same conversation with dentists. Dentist: “Will it hurt?” Lawyer: “A pinch at first. You’ll barely feel it.” Dentist: “What if I leave it alone?” Lawyer: “It’ll eventually infect your entire practice sale.” Dentist: “How much will it cost me?” Lawyer: “Not much up front. But a heck of … Read more
When you think of improving your dental SEO (search engine optimization), you probably think about better content, keywords, or technical factors such as site loading time. There are virtually endless ways to improve and optimize your website, but that is not enough to propel your website to the top of Google’s search results. To accomplish … Read more
The “post-COVID” dental practice marketplace continues to demonstrate a steady rebuild of productivity, adaptation to the return of health-conscious patients, while being deemed an essential health service. The profession’s ability to overcome a pandemic climate is commendable. The pandemic has definitely not impacted the high value of dental practices, the shortage of practices for sale … Read more
THE WHY: Clinicians’ story Dr. Mahbod Tabaei built his dream practice “Vita Dentistry” in North York and excitedly opened its doors to serve the community. He owned his first practice in Iran before deciding to move to Canada in 2012 to begin the next chapter of his personal and professional life. He arrived with his … Read more