I predicted this in 1980

My Father was thrilled when the hospital that he and my Mother went to for tests and treatment offered an HMO style of health care. He was attracted to the idea that health care would cost less and keep costs down. I warned him that this would lead to a decline in the quality of care that he and my Mother were receiving. But what did I know? Well when my Father was hospitalized for his Crohn's disease, the care was excellent and bed pans were collected after use. Fast forward to the mid 1990s when he had another hospitalization for Crohn's and it was THREE HOURS before the bed pan was removed.

There was a story yesterday on the internet that there is a shortage of physicians and nurses and the author was bemoaning the fact that care will become mediocre.

I told my Father that this was the inevitable consequence of an insurance dominated health care system but neither he nor anyone else would believe me.

Let's be honest... A good plumber or electrician makes a greater income than the average physician and doesn't have to pay for an education that cost $350,000.

No one wants to pay for health care when they are young and feeling great...but what happens to our parents as they age and see their doctor several times a month?

The best and the brightest college graduates are no longer willing to become physicians because the cost is too great and income too small for the effort.

I could have told you this in 1980...But then again, I did but no one was listening.

Recognition

Most humans desire recognition.In fact, recognition is a human need and it is something that we crave more than money.All the studies suggest that workers appreciate a bosses recognition of doing a good job more than they appreciate a raise.

I have receached the point in my career where I have a significant amount recognition. Recently a dentist in Albany sent me a patient because he could not understand why the bonding that he placed on one of his elderly patient's teeth kept breaking off. I took some models and placed them on a machine which approximates how the teeth sit in the jaws and I discovered the reason for the breakage. When I called the young dentist he was amazed that I had solved his patient's problem.

Just today, two young dentists told me that I was the only restorative dentist (a dentist that just fixes teeth) that they could call to discuss their challenging cases. They then asked, "Who would we call if you were not here?"

I must tell you that I never had the luxury of having a highly educated and talented local dentist that could help me with my challenging case. I either had to fly to Seattle, WA or drive 5 hours each way to Buffalo, NY to get help with my cases.

I am delighted that I have reached the point in my career for being recognized as the dentist who understands how mouths break down and then how to fix them.

Ok...so there is ONE good thing about getting older. lol

I Have Heard This Before

Two patients that know each other were treated in my office today, one at the beginning of the day and the other at the end. One has been my patient for 10+ years and the other almost two years.

One day, they were discussing their dental treatment and each one claimed to go to the best dentist. After a few minutes, they realized that they were both my patient.

I am always honored when my patients feel or believe that I am the best person to care for them.

When I see the dentistry Gerald creates it inspires me to up my game!

I am so honored when one of my colleagues is inspired by my work.
Some dentists think that I am a show off looking to lecture for a manufacturer or attract more patients. At this stage of my career, I post my work to hopefully inspire others to move to their next stage of excellence.

My mentor, Fred McIntyre used to say, "If we do not show our students excellence, they will not know excellence."

Most dentists work alone in their office and are isolated and insulated from what others may be doing. Only by attending lectures and participating in online forums can dentists decide and determine whether their current work is average, good or excellent.

I would hope that my work inspires others as others have inspired me. The ultimate Win-Win.

Something to Ponder

Most people watch the best in the world and ask, "How did they do that?" or "How can they make things look so easy?"

I love watching Michael Jordon or Tiger Woods or Newton Fahl (the world's best bonding dentist) do their magic because they do it 'effortlessly.'

What Michelangelo is saying is that you are seeing all the results of blood,sweat and tears in effort to be so good at something that it appears to be easy.

People Become Angry When Faced by Their Mediocrity

I think that you know that it is my job to pursue excellence when caring for my patients. When I post my work on some dental forums some dentists become very defensive and angry. And basically ask, "Why do you feel that you have to be better than the rest of us and make us feel bad in the process.

One dentist today wrote:

"Well I'll be the first to say it .
I like being mediocre
Yes Gerald you fillings are pritty and folks love to see you and ---- well
good for you."

I'm sorry...I do not enjoy being mediocre and I took an oath on the May 29, 1977 that I would do my very best to take care of my patients in the best way that I possibly could.

If I was this dentist's patient and I saw that sentence, I would fire him as my dentist. Physicians and Dentists should be held to very high standards and anyone that that does not want to uphold high standards should be asked to retire.

I did apologize to the dentist for making him admit that he was mediocre on a forum.

My Best Visit in a Dental Chair

Many patients tell their dentist how wonderful and caring they are and I am most fortunate that my patients verbally express their appreciation to me for taking care of them.

My friends Susan and Richard were our neighbors for 10 years before Susan and I left for Saratoga Springs. Last year Susan had a terrible experience with her dentist of 25 years just before they were to leave the Capital District. Her dentist had begun a root canal that he should have referred to a specialist and Susan was in severe pain and called me on a Thursday evening pleading with me to ask Dr. Francisco Banchs to see her the next day. I was able to have Dr. Banchs see Susan to relieve her significant pain and my friends vowed that I would become their dentist despite the fact that they were moving 3 hours away.

Yesterday I performed some fillings for Richard and he sent me the following email today:

"Gerald, yesterday was by far my best experience in a dental chair. It was painless, comfortable and very good for my general health."

Can you imagine what Richard's dental visits must have been like for his best dental visit to have occurred in his mid 60s? Mediocrity is everywhere and it is only when patients recognize that better dental treatment must be available in another dentist's office will they make the difficult decision to change to another dentist.

I am honored by Richard's remarks just as I am honored by the kind words of the majority of my patients. You ask me to take care of you and you trust me to do the right thing. I will do everything possible never to abuse your trust.

Thank you for being my patient.

Teacher/Mentor

In the 1950s, being a teacher was almost a spiritual calling and despite the fact that society did not financially reward teachers well, parents and children held teachers in the highest regards. Teachers were not only highly proficient at what they did but they were able to maintain order in the classroom so that one could hear a pin drop.

Those days are long gone and I really don't think that you want to hear my views on that subject. I do strongly believe that quality teacher/mentors are the lifeline to the next generation. I received the following email from one of the young dentists that I mentor:

"One of the best thing you have done in your life time is mentoring a student like me, because you have given a new life to your student, There is nothing more for a true teacher than this.

I am reaping many rewards at this stage of my career and they have little to do with my income. I have promised you that I will find another dentist to take care of you when I no longer can so I am working very hard to find the right person for you. Fortunately, I have a long time to find that individual.

"Thank You For Saving My Mother's Life"

Early this afternoon I was removing large amounts of decay from the tooth of an 88 year old patient when I realized that she had become unresponsive to my simple requests to open her mouth. This was not a medical crisis as such because she was breathing on her own and did not appear to be in distress. I stopped treatment and went into the waiting room to inform my patient's daughter that her Mother's usually alert nature had significantly changed and that I was going to call 911. I returned to the treatment room and requested that my staff get our patient a glass of water and an aspirin because the possibility existed that she had suffered a small stroke.

The rescue squad arrived within two minutes and initiated treatment which included taking our patient to the hospital.

This evening I received a call from my patient's daughter thanking me for saving her mother's life and that indeed her mother had suffered a stroke but was recovering.

My job is to take care of my patients and today I did just that.

It is a privilege and a pleasure to take care of you on a daily basis and I thank you for trusting me and my staff.

Helping the Next Generation

Many of you are aware that I founded the first Esthetic Center at a Dental School 15 years ago, lecture to both dental students and practicing dentists and mentor the next generation of young dentists. It is imperative that young dentists understand that taking care of patients is a sacred responsibility and that they must not to be blinded by the lure of wealth.

My young friend and dentist from Bangalore, India asked me to send him photos of some of my recent work to help inspire him to work harder. I sent him 4 or 5 cases that I recently completed and today I received the following email from him:

"Your physical body is getting older, but your will power and gut is getting stronger and younger day by day, hats off to you. You are my Hero."

I am honored to have been selected by my young friend to serve as his mentor. I am also pleased to see that he can appreciate the hard work during my 35 year career which has taken me to this point. I make every effort to achieve excellence with every patient that I treat.

If patients refuse to select dentists that pursue excellence in dental treatment for their patients, excellent dentists will cease to exist.

My Brother-In-Law's Teeth

In 1997, I began treating my wife's family. Her brother told me that if I started to take care of them, I would become their full time dentist.
Six or seven years ago Susan's brother moved from the Buffalo area to Huntsville, Alabama. Gary has had three root canals and each of them has failed. How is that possible since two root canals were performed by specialists and one done by a general dentist. My good friend Francisco Banchs, one of the best endodontists in the world believes that specialists are no longer special and I agree with him.

What is the world coming to when you can't trust people to take care of us?

Mediocrity

"Averageness: A quality of being adequate or acceptable, but not very good."

This is the definition that I found on one website. What does this mean when we are talking about a physician or a dentist? It means that the dentist does not know his or her subject matter very well but still continues to provide the treatment despite a lack of thorough knowledge of the subject. Or it means that the dentist does not CARE enough about their patient and "good enough is good enough." And more, it means that I can make all the money that I want with my current but inadequate knowledge.

Mediocrity is totally unacceptable when caring for another individual and yet many if not the majority of patients knowing select a mediocre doctor to take care of them. How or why is this possible? Many patients KNOW that their physician or dentist is average but he or she:

1. Takes my insurance and I don't have to pay a co-pay.
2. Is close to my home or office
3. I have been going to that office for a long time

If a physician or dentist KNOWS that they are mediocre but that they have plenty of patients then the dentists convinces themselves that mediocrity is 'ok' because that is what patients want anyway.

Mediocrity is never acceptable in my office or the offices of the specialists that I refer you to. It is never acceptable for me to become mediocre or average.I promise you that I will retire the day I can't take care of you a the highest level or Tricia or Jeanine tells me that I no longer have 'it.'

If someone wants a mediocre dentist for a low fee, then I will not be their dentist.

A dentist posted the following on a dental blog:
My concern is the day I had issues with an implant. I posted a question. Within minutes while my patient was in the chair, I had helpful texts, calls to my office and emails. How many are going to monitor this enough to do that? And most importantly, are all of my Facebook friends going to see that I didn't know what the heck I was doing?!?!

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!!