Greg Kelly

The 2017 Florida Dental Convention takes place from June 22-24 in Kissimmee.

, will be held from June 22-24, 2017 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

A dynamic and engaging scientific program for all dental professionals has been created by a 13-member committee of FDA member dentists. The theme of this year’s convention is “Get Connected: Team to Technology.”

This nationally recognized dental meeting is expected attract about 7,500 dental professionals. This year’s FDC General Chairman is Bert Hughes, D.M.D., a Brooklyn-born doctor practicing in Gainesville. Hughes, who has dedicated his life to treating families with a limited access to quality health care, says attendees “should come for the CE and stay for the fun.”

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The FDC offers three full days of continuing education, including more than 100 courses consisting of lectures

 hands-on workshops, clinical lectures, certifications and state-mandated courses. A wide variety of topics taught by world-renowned speakers will be available for the entire dental team. Dentist-attendees can search for FDC2017 courses by date, time, speaker or topic 

Brooke Martin, the FDC Meeting Coordinator, says the hot topics on this year’s program include: Botulinum Toxin & Dermal Fillers, Forensic Dentistry, Mini-Implants, Lasers in Dentistry, Local Anesthesia and Dental Marketing.

Nearly 350 exhibitors offering a wide variety of dental products and services will fill the Exhibit Hall, which will be open Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Attendees are welcome to bring their families and join their dental colleagues on Thursday and Friday night for several nightly social events, including:

• Thursday: Sweet Success, 8-11 p.m. in Osceola C Ballroom.

• Friday: FDC Goes Country, 7-10 p.m. in the Hotel Atrium featuring live music from Tobacco Rd Band.

• Friday: The After Party, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. in Wreckers Sports Bar.

“What separates our meeting from others is that we focus on high-quality continuing education but we also have exciting keynote speakers that energize our attendees,” says Hughes. One of the most fun-filled and comradery-boosting events at the FDC is the 

, “where dental professional get to sing with a live band,” says Hughes.

Elizabeth Gesenhues, D.D.S, a St. Augustine-based orthodontist, will be honored as the 

Walt Disney World is not that far away for Florida Dental Convention attendees.

With the exceptional resort city of Orlando a little over 20 miles away, dental professionals will have a wealth of entertainment and dining choices from which to choose. Orlando, of course, is home to the famous 

. Opened in 1971, the massive entertainment complex is the world’s most visited vacation resort. Dentists, with or without kids, should make it a point to stop by.

Other interesting things to do in the area include: 

, the “Alligator Capital of the World,” which offers close encounters with hundreds of alligators, crocodiles, and other wildlife. Only minutes away from Kissimmee is the 

, “where rockets launch and inspiration begins at Florida’s gateway to space.”

With the headwaters of the Florida Everglades nearby, dentists might consider an 

  for a real nature rush. For some nature of the extinct variety, try a visit to close by 

, the world’s largest dinosaur attraction.

, a shopping, dining and entertainment destination “that breaks from the typical theme park experiences.” Dentists can rise about things with a 

 over beautiful Central Florida. For those patriotic dentists, a trip to the 

 “provides a historical glimpse into our military heritage.”

Some of the top-rated dining spots around the Kissimmee-Orlando area include: 

Weather for this time of the year in Central Florida calls for daytime highs in the low 90s with plenty of sun.

FDC organizers say numerous quality guest 

 are available for dentists and a complimentary shuttle service between most hotels will be provided.

For more information on the 2017 Florida Dental Convention, go 

Discover more Dentist’s Money Digest conference coverage here

Articles

The 2017 Florida Dental Convention (FDC), conducted by the Florida Dental Association, will be held from June 22-24, 2017 in Kissimmee, Florida. Get Connected: Team to Technology is this year's meeting theme. Bert Hughes, D.M.D., the FDC General Chairman, says attendees should come for the CE and stay for the fun. The gathering will include 7,500 dental pros, more than 100 CE courses and lectures, and 350 dental product and service exhibitors. The resort city of Orlando is nearby offering a quality assortment of dining and entertainment possibilities.

Florida Dental Convention 2017: 'Come for the CE and Stay for the Fun'

Based on her research and experience, Susan Gunn says “about 60% of dental practices suffer from some form of embezzlement and the problem is growing by the year.”

Gunn, “a professional practice’s Financial Organization Expert,” is the owner of 

 based in Arlington, TX. She will be speaking at the California Dental Association’s 

CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry

 meeting to be held in San Francisco, California from August 24-26. The topic is implementing procedures to stop embezzlement.

With a background in criminology and business law, Gunn started out helping dentists organize their office’s financial data with QuickBooks. “One of the practices I had trained got embezzled,” Gunn explained. “It was from the nicest, sweetest dentist you could imagine. The thief took him for almost $300,000. The doctor didn’t deserve that and it really got me furious. That’s what compelled me to get my 

 accreditation and go into this business.”

From that bad experience Gunn says she has developed a “we’re in this together” approach with the doctors. “I do whatever I can to help them.” A popular author and speaker, Gunn’s mission is to help dentists better understand and protect their practice.

Gunn explained that a 30-year dental practice owner has a 100% chance of embezzlement. “That’s just logic,” she says. “My greater concern is doctor’s reluctance to do anything about the problem. It’s alarming.” During her career working with dental practices Gunn says she has seen everything from $647 up to $1.1 million taken from a practice through embezzlement.

“There are two types of embezzling thieves,” says Gunn. “You have the opportunistic one, who looks for an opportunity and seizes it. And that might happened a few times.” Then there’s the brazen thief. “They plan and strategize about their stealing,” Gunn says. “They figure out a way to take a lot more.”

The key to thwarting embezzlement is for the dentist to pay attention. “They are the business owner,” says Gunn. “I know they only want to do clinical. I can sympathize with them. Wouldn’t it be great if we solely got to do what made us good at business? But the reality is that we have to do lots of other things to be successful in business. The challenge with most dentists is they just want to do clinical. That doesn’t work.”

It’s the brazen thief that causes the most damage, says Gunn. “They don’t care about the practice, the doctor, the patients or anything else for that matter,” she says. “And while there isn’t a solution to prevent this, there are ways to catch it sooner. It all begins with properly overseeing the business — or you’ll never catch it.”

Sadly, Gunn says, the embezzler is “always, always someone they trust. These are the people who the dentist will initially say ‘no, they’re not stealing from me. They would never do that.’”

Typically, the brazen frauds are workers who have been employed for at least five years — most of them longer than that — says Gunn, and all the while they’ve been taking. “I teach the practice ways to get it stopped after the second or third month,” says Gunn. “And what I teach takes 2 or 3 hours a week at the very most.”

She did offer up one embezzlement thwarting tidbit for dentists: “Pay attention to your end of day activities.” Gunn says embezzlement can come from anyone in the practice. “It can be a hygienist, an assistant, the front desk manager, or a front desk assistant,” she says. “It can even be a spouse. It might also be the practice bookkeeper or CPA. I’ve seen it all — anyone can steal from you at any time of the day.”

The crucial pattern here, according to Gunn, is they always do it when no else is watching. “They’ll be there by themselves,” she says. “They’ll be there at night or on weekends. They’ll tell you they have to work late because there’s too much to do.”

As to the general absence of concern by dentists about embezzlement, Gunn says she speaks at dental schools and finds that many of the students lack perspective. “I tell the students that probably everyone in the room has had something stolen from them,” Gunn says. “That’s the angle I use to help them understand that this is a reality that becomes greater when they enter the business world.”

About 60% of dental practices in the nation suffer from embezzlement. Embezzling thieves come in two varieties, the opportunistic and the brazen. It's the brazen thief who does the most damage. The best way to stop embezzlement is for the dentist to pay attention. The owner of Susan Gunn Solutions helps dentists better understand and protect their practices. Gunn will speak at the California Dental Association CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry meeting in San Francisco, Ca. from August 24-26 on procedures to stop embezzlement.

CDA Presents: The Fundamentals of Dealing with Embezzlement

The CDA Anaheim conference will include more than 175 C.E. courses presented by industry thought leaders.

Organizes are calling it “the nation’s leading dental convention.” And with a draw expected to top 27,000 dental professionals, why shouldn’t they.

It’s also a superior chance for dentists to make professional and personal connections.

The California Dental Association will conduct the first of its bi-annual CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry meetings. The show will be held in Anaheim, California from May 4-6 in the Anaheim Convention Center (a second conference is in 

Meeting officials pledge that attendees (“whether you're a student, in your early years of practice or a seasoned dental professional looking to grow”) will be able to “learn new skills in practice management and clinical care while connecting with the best and brightest in dentistry.”

The CDA Presents meeting will include dynamic industry-leading speakers, more than 175 C.E. courses and hands-on workshops, and nearly 600 companies exhibiting the latest products and services in dentistry. Organizers have also developed a list of “Cool and New Products” to help guide dentist visitors.

Established more than 100 years ago, the CDA’s biannual conventions bring together dental professionals from around the world to learn about the latest clinical and technological advances in the industry.

“Whether this is your first time at CDA Presents or you attend every year, we invite you to discover the entire convention experience,” explains Clelan Ehrler, D.D.S., President of the California Dental Association. “Take the time to immerse yourself in exceptional learning opportunities, discover new and innovative products, connect with longtime friends and make new ones. Make your time in Anaheim an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally.”

The meeting’s host city located in Southern California has much to offer:

Almost everyone knows that Anaheim Is home to Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney established the legendary Disneyland theme park there in 1955 and it remains a major attraction today. Dentists, with or with kids, should give it a shot. Indeed, CDA Presents will hold a special party at Tortilla Jo's in Downtown Disney.

A Wine Cocktails 101 party is also on the meeting’s fun agenda. Attendees can mix with colleagues while “exploring the new rage in mixology.”

Baseball-loving dentists can catch a big league game. Angel Stadium of Anaheim is the home of the Los Angeles Angels of the American League. They host a weekend series with the Houston Astros. As of posting this, the city’s NHL franchise, the Anaheim Ducks, is still competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. A trip to a pro hockey at the massive Honda Center could be within reach for interested dental pros.

Dentists who love Rhythm & Blues are also in luck —chart-topping R&B singer Keith Sweat will perform at City National Grove of Anaheim that week. Dental pros can fulfill dining, entertainment and shopping needs with a visit to the Anaheim GardenWalk or the Anaheim Packing District.

Situated in swank Orange County, Anaheim is well represented in the culinary quality department. Among those restaurants to win wide praise are: Bistro Bleu, The Ranch Restaurant and Saloon, Healthy Junk, Steakhouse 55, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion, Anaheim Packing House, Slaters 50/50 Burgers, Coco's Bakery Restaurant, Reunion Kitchen + Drink, and Pour Vida.

Weather the first week in May for Anaheim calls for daytime highs in the low 80s with plenty of sun.

Organizers say numerous quality guest accommodations are available for dentists and a complimentary shuttle service between most hotels will be provided.

For more info on the CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry meeting (Anaheim) go 

The California Dental Association CDA Presents The Art and Science of Dentistry takes place in Anaheim, California, May 4-6 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This expansive convention will include industry speakers, more than 175 continuing education courses and more than 550 exhibiting companies. The home to Disneyland, the host city of Anaheim in Southern California offers numerous other excellent cultural, entertainment, and dining possibilities for dentists. The CDA president says dentists can grow both professionally and personally.

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When it comes to proper Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (

) compliance, too many dental practices “stumble over the matter and then give up,” explains one legal expert. “They can’t.”

, J.D., a West Coast attorney and a partner in the 

 law firm, says, “HIPAA is very important because it affects almost everyone — almost every dental and medical professional nationwide. It’s pretty far-reaching.” McCormick has represented healthcare professionals for most of her legal career, including orthodontists, and has also developed a HIPAA-focused practice.

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, held from April 21-25 in San Diego, California. Her topic is “10 Steps To Improve HIPAA Compliance at the Office.”

She says there are a few narrow exceptions to HIPAA (for example, if a person pays for the care themselves) but if an insurer or a government entity pays for the care, then HIPAA applies.

“It’s important to know that an individual can’t enforce HIPAA,” McCormick says. “It’s something that is enforced by the government. The 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights

While dental professionals must notify the government if they suspect a data breach, HHS also gets leads via complaints, McCormick says. HHS also does audits for compliance, “They go out to see if dental professionals are compliant,” she says. Although audits are completely random, McCormick says it is the larger and more significant healthcare organizations that are the usual targets for an audit.

She says the main reason for HIPAA compliance failure comes through the negligence of the dental staff. “The majority of problems are from mishaps,” McCormick explains. “This also includes snooping through patient data by staff. Information access control is vital to proper HIPAA compliance. The best way to prevent this is to have a ‘minimum necessary’ or ‘need to know’ rule to limit the exposure of data.”

In her law practice, McCormick says she sees a lot of noncompliance but most of it is due to ignorance. “It’s not easy to comply,” she says. “With HIPAA there are a lot of things to consider. I’m trying to create awareness. It’s a big mountain to climb but dental practices have to make a start and always try and move in the right direction.”

The best way to begin is through a risk assessment for the dental practice, says McCormick. This begins with the “Where’s my data?” question. “You as the owner of your practice need to ask and understand that question,” McCormick says.

Regarding patient information, doctors must ask “What do I have?” and “Where do I have it?” And then “What is the risk of it being compromised?” To help answer those and other questions, McCormick says the federal government’s 

 program. McCormick explains that “at a minimum” dental professionals should “spend some time with this free tool.”

McCormick also warned that dental professionals should be aware that most electronic health records (EHR) vendors, even if they claim to be, are not HIPAA compliant. You still need to assess the risk with EHRs,” she said.

Another very important step for correct HIPAA compliance is for the practice to set up formal policies and procedures. “HHS won’t care if you are a big or small practice,” McCormick says. “You must have rules and rules for patient data and they should be written down. This way they can be verified. So if you are audited or something bad happens you can pull up the rules that you documented. This formally identifies how you and your staff handle data. Since about two-third of HIPAA problems are mishaps, this will be significantly reduced with written policies.”

McCormick says that penalties for HIPAA noncompliance can be steep. “Fines can come from both the state and federal levels,” she says. “If the practice violations are egregious then the fines can be significant — you’re not going to walk away with just paying a couple thousand dollars. Some first time violators, whose problems aren’t egregious, might get just a warning. And if you do find a violation on your own, always notify the HHS first. It’s important to work with the regulators and not against them.”

Discover more Dentist’s Money Digest® conference coverage here

Too many dental practices stumble over achieving proper HIPAA compliance. Most HIPAA problems come from staff ignorance and mistakes. The road to correct HIPAA compliance begins with information control, doing a practice risk assessment, and in having a written set of guidelines for patient data. Lawyer Simone McCormick, who will be speaking at the AAO 2017 Annual Session, held from April 21-25 in San Diego, California, seeks to build awareness for correct HIPAA compliance for healthcare professionals.

AAO 2017: Legal Advice for Proper HIPAA Compliance

The 2017 AAO Annual Session will take place this year at the San Diego Convention Center from April 21-25.

On one hand is a city that boosts of having the 

. On the other hand is the world’s oldest and largest dental specialty organization. Sounds like a great combination.

The American Association of Orthodontists

 (founded in 1900) will conduct its 2017 Annual Session at the San Diego Convention Center from April 21-25. More than 18,000 members are expected to attend the 117th annual meeting, whose theme this year is “Navigating Orthodontics: The Art, The Science, The Business.”

Considered “the premier global gathering of orthodontists,” organizers pledge that the five-day event will provide “informative educational programs with a mix of entertainment and activities.”

More than 300 lectures (many offering CE) for orthodontists and their staff will be conducted. Attendees will hear the latest on orthodontic research, technology and practice management. And in deference to busy doctors, this year’s lectures will feature more speakers and shorter presentations.

AAO organizers call this year’s Exhibit Hall “the largest of its kind under one roof.” With more than 350 exhibitors on hand to display useful products and services, orthodontic professionals “will find everything all in one place.”

AAO president DeWayne McCamish, D.D.S., explains that today “navigating an orthodontic practice is an art, a science and a business.” And the Tennessee orthodontist for more than 40 years says the San Diego event will offer “unparalleled access to insights on current scientific and clinical aspects of orthodontic treatment, as well as today’s best business practices.”

This year’s Scientific Program offers a wealth of insightful information, including: the latest research on sleep apnea and accelerated tooth movement, findings on advanced finishing techniques and the proper application of the principles of interdisciplinary care, state-of-the-art mechanics presentations (TADS,  Class II correction, vertical control and open bite correction), information on pre-adolescent treatment modalities and facial esthetics, new findings on the management of TMJ disorders and discussions of the impact of biology and genetics the orthodontics.

The Opening Ceremony on April 22 will include a performance by country music singer and songwriter, Martina McBride. And tennis legend Andre Agassi will keynote The Excellence in Orthodontics Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on April 23.

Matching San Diego’s awesome weather are countless fine dining and entertainment possibilities.

You haven’t been to San Diego, if you haven’t been to the city’s world-renowned 

 — it’s everything it’s touted to be. Located in beautiful Balboa Park, the 100-acre zoo is home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals and has a botanical collection with more than 700,000 exotic plants. No matter your age, it will impress. To complete the nature tour, spend some time at San Diego’s amazing 

. Known as California’s “Crown City,” visitors can walk the surf, dine at the spectacular Hotel del Coronado, bike or sail around the island.

Orthodontists who love golf might look into playing the city’s U.S. Open-caliber course, 

. The links where Tiger Woods won his last major tournament in 2005 is open to the public.

 should also be on the dental professional’s agenda. Rich in Victorian architecture and history — the neighborhood offers a variety of shops, art galleries, theatres and trendy restaurants.

John McDonald, D.M.D, a Salem, Oregon orthodontist, believes that dental professionals “are crazy not to come” to the 

. He says “there's great value for your money” in attending and “you’ll learn something you don’t know and see something you haven’t seen.”

For more info, here’s the AAO Annual Session 

The American Association of Orthodontists will conduct its 2017 Annual Session from April 21-25 in San Diego, California. Orthodontists and their staff can choose from more than 300 scientific and professional lecture classes. More than 350 orthodontic products and services vendors will fill the Exhibit Hall. The city of San Diego offers splendid weather and numerous excellent dining and entertainment possibilities. Orthodontists who attend will get great value for their money.

AAO 2017: What You Need to Know About This Year's Annual Session

Lois Banta, CEO and Founder of Banta Consulting, delivered tips on better communication at the 2017 Hinman Dental Meeting. One of the keys when talking to patients, she said, is to inform them, not ask them.

“There is a cause and effect to everything you do in dental practice and everything comes back to how you communicate with the patient.” So maintains Lois Banta.

This was Banata’s message during her continuing education session, “High Imapct Communication,” on Wednesday, March 23 at the 

 based in Grain Valley, Missouri, Banta says, “The field of dental coaching found me. I jumped into the deep end of the pool and started my company 21 year ago. And I still love it.”

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Banta believes that “the secret to a having a growing and thriving dental practice is to make sure to set systems and protocols for communications skills so as to predict success. There’s a lot of talk about corporate dentistry taking over the world and that private practice dentistry will go away. But I see a happy medium for everyone. In many ways we’ve become fear based — there’s too much anxiety that patients won’t want what we have to offer them. It’s important to create positive opportunities. Dentists just have to choose that route.”

Above all, Banta explains, when dealing with patients, “don’t ask them; inform them.” Patients must be made to feel in control of their destiny — either when they are scheduling an appointment, or making a payment, or even in handling a point of confusion or concern regarding a proposed treatment plan, Banta said.

She says that an important rule of thumb, consistent with every dental practice, is to “never ask patients yes or no questions.” For example, she says “don’t say to patients ‘Do you want to make your payment today?’ Instead ask: ‘How do you want to handle today’s payment, cash, check or bank card?’ And don’t ask, ‘Do want to schedule your next appointment?’ Say, ‘Let’s go ahead and schedule your next appointment.’ This puts the practice in a position to better determine what the patient wants — because they tell you what they want.”

Banta calls this “an action-oriented approach done in very positive and compassionate way.”

When communicating with patients, a dental practice must remember three important things, Banta explained: “Be positive, be confident in the purpose of your message, and be matter of fact.” She says that most problems occur because practices don’t preplan a dialogue and ask questions the wrong way.” For example, she says, “If it doesn’t occur to you to ask for a payment, then it won’t occur to a patient to pay their bill.”

And effective communication affects all areas of the practice, Banta explains. “It isn’t necessary just for the administrative team, it’s vital for the clinical team too. Both must guide the patient. When you offer more options, it lets the patient feel as though they are in charge when, in fact, those are the options that work best for the practice.”

This method works even when reaching out to patients on the phone, Banta explains. “It’s best to say they are overdue for appointment and you are calling to schedule a new one. You don’t ask them if they want to schedule an appointment or are they interested in making an appointment. You inform them and offer quick options.”

Banta says a practice works when it helps the patient identify and receive the best quality care. “Even when handling objections, it’s best to try and anticipate those concerns,” she says. “So it doesn’t become an adversarial situation, ask the patient what concerns they may have about a treatment plan. If the patient has some questions, you’re making it okay to ask those questions. Some patients aren’t confident enough to know what questions to ask so you must fill in the blanks for them.”

When scheduling a new patient, Banta says, it’s always wise to share with them what they can anticipate during the visit. “This is when it’s important to offer verbal and written communication because you don’t how a patient listens and you shouldn’t try and predict,” Banta explained. “And the two messages must mirror each other because some patients listen with their eyes and some listen with their ears. This way presents an opportunity to help the patient listen visually and audibly.”

Discover more Dentist’s Money Digest® Hinman Dental Meeting coverage here

Lois Banta, CEO and founder of Banta Consulting, provided dentists at the 2017 Hinman Dental Meeting with leadership advice in her continuing education session, High Impact Communication. Make patients feel like they are in control of their own destiny, she said. To best communicate with patients, don't ask them. Inform them. A practice must be positive, confident, and factual. Offering verbal and written communication methods is the optimal way to connect with patients.

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To be successful today, dentists “must do a lot of things right,” says 

He should know. McGill has been working with dental professionals on achieving “financial freedom” since his graduation from law school more than 35 years ago when he started a financial consulting business with Charles Blair, D.D.S., a dentist from his hometown in Charlotte, North Carolina.

 newsletter, sees both challenges and opportunities ahead for dentists. He will cover some of those challenges and opportunities at the 

 in Atlanta on March 24, where he will speak on the topic of achieving financial independence.

How to Use Video to Grow Your Dental Practice

“The margin of error in dentistry has been dramatically reduced since the time when dentists graduated with little student loan debt and the competition was a whole lot less,” McGill said. “Fast forward to today and the amount of education debt has skyrocketed and the competition level is significantly greater.”

McGill said the oral healthcare field is much more competitive because older dentists are practicing longer (70 is now the average retirement age) and a rising number of dental school grads are joining the field each year. A big rise in corporate dentistry has also heightened dental marketplace competition.

The average dental school graduate has about $200,000 in student loan debt, McGill said, and specialty school grads sometimes face up to $600,000 in debt. For those dentists whose entrepreneurial spirit maybe zapped by the large debt, McGill advised: “the fastest way to get out of debt is to make more money.”

The top challenge facing today’s dentist is practice growth, McGill says. He believes that success comes in finding and reaching optimal capacity for a practice. To be as busy as you want to be.

“As quickly as possible you want to get to 100 percent of capacity,” McGill said. “We’ve found that the fastest way to get there is to buy a practice or if you have a practice that is at only 50 percent of capacity, perhaps merging with another practice.” McGill has guided more than 300 dentists in taking this approach and “all of them were making more profits just a year after they did it,” he said.

Through his work, McGill has learned that having a staff that is committed to the practice can make all the difference. Surprisingly, McGill says, the secret to building a superior staff is not to “throw money at them” but to get them more involved, value their contributions, and recognize their efforts. “Dentists who do this will succeed,” he said, “but few do.”

To increase patient traffic McGill says the best way is by internal marketing. That is, referrals from existing patients. However, when asked this, just 10 percent of dentists felt they were good at it.

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“They’ll spend thousands a year on external marketing when the answer to real growth is right under their noses and costs nothing,” he said.

To maximize internal marketing efforts, the practice must offer superior customer service — the doctor and staff must be personally engaged in the effort.

“Take the time to get to know the patient and find out their personal concerns — dental and otherwise,” McGill says. “The smart doctors understand it’s a people business. We’ve found that even a mediocre clinician can build a million dollar practice with the right personality.”

To better control overhead, doctors should raise their fees annually, McGill says, but only about 50 percent do so. He also said that while participation in managed care programs may be necessary, dentists must be very selective in how that is done.

“Be sure to take time to evaluate every plan to determine what the write-off percentage is,” he warned. “Sometime you work harder to make less money. It’s a hidden threat.”

As for retirement, McGill said many dentists are good when it comes to the finances of their dental practice, “but I’ve seen just as many go from the penthouse to the outhouse when it comes to their personal finances.” He said real contentment “starts with tracking personal spending habits, but sadly, half of the dentist we talk to don’t have a clue of how much they spend each month.”

With just five percent of dentists able to afford retirement at age 65, McGill believes that the foundation of personal financial security comes with how much you can save. He says it’s vital for doctors to determine a monthly savings goal and then set up an automatic contribution out of the practice into an investment plan. One dentist told McGill this was the best thing he ever did for him.

“He told me: ‘If I can’t see the money, I can’t spend it.’”

The competition in the dental practice market has greatly increased. Dental school education debt is skyrocketing. Practice growth is the biggest challenge facing dentists today. Dentists should increase their fees annually, according to John K. McGill, C.P.A., who will be speaking at the upcoming Hinman Dental Meeting, which takes place in Atlanta from March 23-25.


Hinman Dental Meeting: How Dentists Can Achieve Financial Independence

Janice Hurley will be lecturing on the power of video for dental practices at the upcoming Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting on Thursday, March 23 at 9 a.m. in Atlanta, Georgia.

The presentation of video on your dental practice website or via social media can be very impactful on practice growth, according to 

. And the cost is really nothing — it’s just a dedication of time. The initial fear of failure is the only stumbling block, she says.

“While much of the dental care profession is slow on the uptake in using this method, they don’t want to be too late to this party,” Hurley explains. “This is how people make judgments today. Decisions are made so quickly and a proper and positive testimonial video is the best way to make a connection. It’s worth it for a dental practice to take the time. It’s efficient, effective and profitable.”

Hurley, who has earned the title “dentistry’s image expert,” says her business is helping dentists develop and deliver “the optimal patient experience.” Born into a family of healthcare professionals, Hurley has been a dental practice management consultant in San Diego, California for the past 25 years. Hurley will appear at the upcoming 

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Hurley is encouraging dentists to use their iPads and video cameras to build practice success. “How patients and potential patients get information has changed drastically — whether that’s through Yelp, Google, or other social media,” she says. “Video now plays a major role in marketing. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth 70,000 words. Patients will click on a video long before they read any text you offer them.”

To encourage participation, it’s important to prep the patient. “Notify them before that you want to video them so they arrive feeling attractive and upbeat — on their own terms,” Hurley says.

And the script should be concise. “To begin, patients should give their name and how long they have been a patient,” she says. “Then they offer up three aspects of the practice that set it apart from others. For example, appointments are always kept on time, or there are never surprises during a procedure, or the dentist is extremely caring and gentle. And always, the patient should start and finish with a smile — because that’s what viewers will see and remember.”

Patients should be allowed to practice their statement and “sometimes we show them examples of others who have done it,” Hurley says. And it’s best to try and get it in fewer than three takes. “It must be as natural and real as possible because viewers have more trust for those who are not paid actors,” she says. “The video must be warm, informational and really short — the whole thing should be under two minutes long, and ideally, it ought to be about one minute.”

As to the execution, Hurley says, more time should be spent with preparation and setting up a suitable background with proper lighting, then the actual recording. Regarding the camera angle, the horizontal view always plays best. “It looks better that way when viewed on Instagram or Facebook,” Hurley says.

Scenes should be shot in a casual setting, she said, and “definitely not” with the patient in a bib or in the chair getting treatment. “In those scenes the patient is often uncomfortable or can’t communicate as well,” Hurley explained. “Right or wrong, there’s a negative association with the treatment room. It’s not inviting. ”

To get patients to participate, according to Hurley, the best route is through compliments. “Tell them how much you enjoy caring for them and how it makes the practice staff feel good that they’ve made a difference in your life,” she says. Also it’s better to approach more extroverted patents.

Discover more Dentist's Money Digest conference coverage here

Patients are getting their information about dental practices in new and different ways. Posting videos of satisfied patients is an excellent marketing tool. Patients being videoed should provide three key points on why dental practice is superior. There's no need to be timid about this technology its easier than you think.

Hinman Dental Meeting: How to Use Video to Grow Your Dental Practice

A mainstay in the field of healthcare is trust. Without it, very little can be accomplished. When Americans were recently asked to rate the integrity of 22 professions, four of the top five were healthcare professionals.

 on Honesty and Ethics, the nation’s dentists received “very high/high” trust ratings from 59 percent of those polled. While that score placed dentists in the top five among all jobs, they lag other healthcare professionals in this important consideration.

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Trust is an issue is of some importance to the dental profession and its leaders.

Phillip Fijal, D.D.S., the president of Chicago Dental Society, was recently 

 as saying, “My personal mantra, what I live by, I call my ‘H.I.T. Principle’ which stands for honesty, integrity and trustworthiness. I apply that to my life whether in business or personal.”

Last year was the 150th anniversary of the American Dental Association’s formation of its Principles of Ethics and Code of Conduct, called “

For the 15th year in a row, the public voted nurses (84 percent) as the most ethical and trusted profession in the country. Pharmacists finished second at 67 percent. Tied for third were medical doctors and engineers at 65 percent. Chiropractors and psychiatrists (both at 38 percent) were the lowest rated healthcare professionals. Dentists topped police officers (58 percent) by one point. In the history of the poll, dentists have never fallen below 50 percent in the “very high/high” ethical ranking.

Just 7 percent of those surveyed gave dentists a “very low/low” rating in honesty and ethics. Only 3 percent of those polled said nurses had “low/very low” ethics and honesty; 7 percent gave that bad rating to MDs and 8 percent for pharmacists.

At the bottom of the trustworthy list were Members of Congress — just 8 percent of Americans think their national leaders in Washington, D.C. are honest/ethical. It was the only profession a majority of Americans rated as "low or very low."

Click to the next page to see the complete trustworthiness rankings by profession.

Based on telephone interviews with 1,025 Americans in every state, here are the honesty/ethics ratings for various other professions:

The newest Gallup Poll on honesty and ethics places dentists in fourth position among healthcare professionals. Nearly 60 percent of Americans gave dentists a very high/high trust ranking. The American Dental Association's Principles of Ethics and Code of Conduct recently marked its 150th Anniversary. Nurses are ranked as the most honest/ethical professionals.


Poll: Dentists Trail Other Healthcare Workers in Perceived Honesty

The 2017 Hinman Dental Meeting is expected to draw about 22,000 dental professionals, 7,000 of which will be dentists, organizers say. This year's theme is "The Changing Face of Dentistry." Image source: Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society

The modern dental convention is an ideal way for busy dentists to do some real learning and living. A choice opportunity comes this spring when the annual 

 is held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from March 23 to 25, 2017.

“The meeting attracts about 22,000 dental professional from around the country,” said Kim Ryan, an Atlanta native and Hinman meeting PR consultant for the past 16 years. “This includes up to 7,000 dentists. Outside of the education, there are a great many social and networking events that are available every night. We’re seeking to create a true collaborative environment for dental professionals.”

The Hinman Dental Meeting returns to Atlanta, Georgia, this year at the World Congress Center. The annual meeting, hosted by the Hinman Dental Society, will feature about 22,000 dental professionals from across the U.S. The theme of this year's meeting is The Changing Face of Dentistry. It will feature more than 245 continuing education courses. The very first Hinman Dental Meeting took place in 1912.