Posts
Most physicians and dentists believe that they are good at what they do.. A very old article (2004) appeared in the New Yorker Magazine about the differences in medical care and medical outcomes.
This is the article: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/12/06/the-bell-curve
Doctors themselves were shocked to learn that some hospitals have significantly better outcomes than other hospitals.
How can this be???
Human nature. Every physician and dentist firmly believes that they are better than average until they are confronted with the results of their own outcomes.
This is why it is soooo important to be evaluated and treated by the best.
Saturday, April 20, 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
A Champion Always Gets Up Off of the Canvas
Champions have as much heart as they have talent.
Tiger Woods demonstrated that yesterday. Injuries and personal issues caused his fall from grace and many thought that redemption was not possible.
The heart of a champion.
Tiger Woods demonstrated that yesterday. Injuries and personal issues caused his fall from grace and many thought that redemption was not possible.
The heart of a champion.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Offended by Negative Reviews
After 42 years, I am still saddened when a patient leaves our practice. When someone writes a negative review about our practice, I am deeply offended.
A relatively new patient wrote that I am outrageously expensive....
What she meant to say is that she did not value fine restorative dentistry and if that is the case, then she should not be a patient in our practice.
This is like walking into a BMW dealer and telling the salesperson that they can buy a Ford, Chevy or Toyota for 1/3 of the cost of the BMW...That is not comparing apples to apples.
As I have told you for the last almost 20 years of writing blogs is that I will never hurt you to increase my income. That I will never destroy your tooth structure with a crown to increase my wealth...That I will never listen to an insurance company and provide the least expensive, lowest standard of dental care for you or your family rather than do the best that I can do.
When patients complain about fees it is because they don't care about excellence OR the cost is above their comfort number that they believe that dentistry should cost.
As I wrote in a blog yesterday...one of my colleagues said, " Gerald does things the right way but most of us (dentists) cannot make a living without placing crowns." (Paraphrased)
If a patient thinks that all dentists are the same...that is fine. But I KNOW that it is not so.
A relatively new patient wrote that I am outrageously expensive....
What she meant to say is that she did not value fine restorative dentistry and if that is the case, then she should not be a patient in our practice.
This is like walking into a BMW dealer and telling the salesperson that they can buy a Ford, Chevy or Toyota for 1/3 of the cost of the BMW...That is not comparing apples to apples.
As I have told you for the last almost 20 years of writing blogs is that I will never hurt you to increase my income. That I will never destroy your tooth structure with a crown to increase my wealth...That I will never listen to an insurance company and provide the least expensive, lowest standard of dental care for you or your family rather than do the best that I can do.
When patients complain about fees it is because they don't care about excellence OR the cost is above their comfort number that they believe that dentistry should cost.
As I wrote in a blog yesterday...one of my colleagues said, " Gerald does things the right way but most of us (dentists) cannot make a living without placing crowns." (Paraphrased)
If a patient thinks that all dentists are the same...that is fine. But I KNOW that it is not so.
Equally Great Advice for Young Dentist and Young Physicians
Milton Packer, MD wrote a great short article to his young colleagues:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/revolutionandrevelation/79125?fbclid=IwAR0itWFpaTGs6YpGMOU92SASWTpmJj7P9xSdSloI8tcoYB2OzREDjYFk_UU
Asking whether medicine was their job or their career? The difference, according to Dr. Packer, is that if health care is your job, you are only concerned about making your employer happy. If health care is your career, then your goal is to find positions that allow you to pursue your own goals and development. If you think of medicine as a career, you select positions that allow you to keep focused on your mission. He feels that being the best at some aspect of your job is very important in a career but not the only important thing...What he truly believes is important is challenging conventional thinking and take your own path.
In 1956 we obtained the ability to bond to enamel and in 1992, we learned how to bond to dentin, the layer of tooth structure just below the enamel. At that moment, I realized that what I had been taught in dental school was no longer valid information when treating patients. Dentinal bonding meant that I no longer had to destroy tooth structure for a crown and therefore teeth would last longer and perhaps an entire lifetime.
I was roundly condemned by colleagues but 25+ years later, I was right in not following conventional thought. How do I KNOW that I was right???? Virtually all of my long term patients of 20, 30 and even 40 years have almost every tooth that they started with me as their dentist...And they don't have many crowns.
I took a big risk and all of you won because you have kept your teeth.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/blogs/revolutionandrevelation/79125?fbclid=IwAR0itWFpaTGs6YpGMOU92SASWTpmJj7P9xSdSloI8tcoYB2OzREDjYFk_UU
Asking whether medicine was their job or their career? The difference, according to Dr. Packer, is that if health care is your job, you are only concerned about making your employer happy. If health care is your career, then your goal is to find positions that allow you to pursue your own goals and development. If you think of medicine as a career, you select positions that allow you to keep focused on your mission. He feels that being the best at some aspect of your job is very important in a career but not the only important thing...What he truly believes is important is challenging conventional thinking and take your own path.
In 1956 we obtained the ability to bond to enamel and in 1992, we learned how to bond to dentin, the layer of tooth structure just below the enamel. At that moment, I realized that what I had been taught in dental school was no longer valid information when treating patients. Dentinal bonding meant that I no longer had to destroy tooth structure for a crown and therefore teeth would last longer and perhaps an entire lifetime.
I was roundly condemned by colleagues but 25+ years later, I was right in not following conventional thought. How do I KNOW that I was right???? Virtually all of my long term patients of 20, 30 and even 40 years have almost every tooth that they started with me as their dentist...And they don't have many crowns.
I took a big risk and all of you won because you have kept your teeth.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
"Gerald Has the Right Model, if You Can Do It"
A very fine dentist near Pittsburgh, PA posted a case on one of my few remaining dental forums in which he said that his patient was WILLING to have ceramic onlays placed on her teeth but that he could not destroy healthy tooth structure (and hurt his patient) in order to make a higher profit. This dentist is very talented and preferred to place conservative, direct bonded resin restorations over the more profitable onlays.
I wrote the dentist who has been a friend of mine for 20 years and commended his integrity for doing the right thing.
Another dentist posted his response on the forum and said,
"If direct resin fees were raised to what the should be, more would be done and teeth preserved. A back ass model for sure. We are paid more to destroy teeth instead of more to preserve them. Gerald has the right model if you can do it."
Truth be told. We all know that insurance companies are responsible for tremendous numbers of crowns placed for patients in America.
Congratulations for being wise enough and care enough to select our office for your care. I will always do the right thing even it means making less money. You get to keep your own teeth your entire life and I have the privilege of taking care of you.
Win-Win
And other dentists KNOW how I treat my patients.
I wrote the dentist who has been a friend of mine for 20 years and commended his integrity for doing the right thing.
Another dentist posted his response on the forum and said,
"If direct resin fees were raised to what the should be, more would be done and teeth preserved. A back ass model for sure. We are paid more to destroy teeth instead of more to preserve them. Gerald has the right model if you can do it."
Truth be told. We all know that insurance companies are responsible for tremendous numbers of crowns placed for patients in America.
Congratulations for being wise enough and care enough to select our office for your care. I will always do the right thing even it means making less money. You get to keep your own teeth your entire life and I have the privilege of taking care of you.
Win-Win
And other dentists KNOW how I treat my patients.
Two Hour Drives Each Way
The average dental patient will drive 5-8 miles to visit a dentist.
Yesterday, two different patient each traveled more than 2 hours to have direct bonded resin restorations.
Two HOURS. One patient has been my patient for more than 30 years while the other patient has been with me for 5+ years.
Why would people travel that far for routine dentistry?
1. Because they trust me.
2.Because they know that I will take care of them.
3.They know that my work will last.
Despite the fact that my office is located in Saratoga Springs, the overwhelming majority of my patients do not live in Saratoga Springs.
If you believe that every dentist is the same, you would never travel 2 hours in each direction and you would never be MY patient.
Yesterday, two different patient each traveled more than 2 hours to have direct bonded resin restorations.
Two HOURS. One patient has been my patient for more than 30 years while the other patient has been with me for 5+ years.
Why would people travel that far for routine dentistry?
1. Because they trust me.
2.Because they know that I will take care of them.
3.They know that my work will last.
Despite the fact that my office is located in Saratoga Springs, the overwhelming majority of my patients do not live in Saratoga Springs.
If you believe that every dentist is the same, you would never travel 2 hours in each direction and you would never be MY patient.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)