GRIT2

Dr. June Darling, the noted psychologist and dental consultant posted a great short lecture (18 minutes) explaining what GRIT means. This is what Dr. Darling said,
If you'd like to understand more about grit and the science of achievement (if you want to understand the path that Gerald is on):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaeFnxSfSC4

You can copy and paste this into your browser.

Like the test pilot, Chuck Yaeger who broke the sound barrier, I do believe that some human beings are "made of the right stuff." After my car accident in which my leg was amputated and then reattached, I knew that I was made of the right stuff. I returned to my senior year of dental school and despite missing the first two months of classes I graduated with my class against all odds.

Is this what GRIT means??? I would leave that up to the experts such as Dr. Darling.

GRIT

Our topics of discussion on the ACE Dental Forum are far reaching.One of my favorite people on ACE is not a dentist but a clinical psychologist. Dr. June Darling posted the following on the forum today:

Gerald and I have talked a lot about high performance. Gerald's life is a study in grit and perseverance. If there's a way of instilling that into our children, I believe it goes a long way in helping them be resilient and successful.

I did a LOT of stuff wrong with my children. I wish I would have known then what I know now. One brief thing that I did do right almost by accident did seem to have a big impact on Hoby (in terms of learning more about "grit.")

He really wanted to swim as a little guy. I had heard that one of the best ways to help kids swim was to get them on a swim team. So we went to sign ups. When we get there they tell us that all these little kids have to be able to swim the width of the pool. What??? (I thought they would teach them. We'd never really spent much time around water)

They line all these little tykes up. The kids jump in and start swimming away. Hoby is just trying to get across the pool any way he can. All the moms are on the other side of the pool and are telling me/screaming at me to pull Hoby out, he's going to drown. All the other little kids are across the pool. I'm biting my lip. I know this is an important moment - it really is sink or swim. But I decided that I had to show that I believed he could do it and give him every ounce of opportunity to try it. It took him forever to get to the other side of the pool, I'm crying, but he makes it - totally exhausted.

By the time he was ten, he had all broken all the swimming records.

The reason I remember this is because a Jehovah Witness lady came by my house last week. She looked at me and said..."Oh, yeah, I remember you. You're Hoby's mom. Do you remember that time at the pool? I sure thought that little kid was going to drown."

I'm really a softie. It's awfully hard for me to see people struggle and I know the tremendous value of stretching the grit muscles. I admire a number of dentists who show a tremendous amount of grit. Gerald is one of my favorite examples of true grit.

I love examples of grit. Rocky stories.

Dr. Darling loves my stories of struggles in life and my profession: My three years of rejection from almost every dental in the United States or my car accident in which my right leg was amputated in a car accident and surgically reattached so that I could resume my dental studies and graduate with my dental school class and even go on to run 5 miles. Or my 20 year efforts to study with the best of the world so that I could, one day, be like them even if it means forgoing vacations for 26 years in a row.

Dr. Darling's search is to find out WHY we are like we are...and that certainly will be a life long study. In the mean time, I just continue to do what I love to do...Beautifully restoring your teeth and keeping your mouth healthy...What a great job!

Infecting the Next Generation With Excellence

I spent 8 hours yesterday lecturing and teaching a small group (8 students) of senior dental students at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Some of the faculty at the Dental School believes that they are still living in the 1980s and refuse to advance their thinking 30 years to what is routinely being done in top dental practices today.

Every year I am invited to 'infect' the next generation of my colleagues with the virus of excellence in the hope that they too will seek to treat their patients at the highest possible level.

In his note of thanks and appreciation, my Chairman emailed me the following note:

"Thanks to you for affecting our new generation. We can't do anything about the old generation but the new generation certainly can be changed. Thanks for your contributions to esthetic dentistry and I encouraged you to continue giving CE courses."

It is, indeed, an honor and a privilege to teach those that will follow me into our wonderful profession.

In reality...I did this for you, my patient, so that you will be able to find someone to take care of you after I no longer can.

(And how much was I paid to lecture???????????? Absolutely NOTHING!!!. I did it because it my professional responsibility to give back.)

What is Obvious to Some

The average dentist works 30-35 hours a week and is exhausted at the end of the week.
I have worked 50-60 hours a week for almost 35 years and have loved almost every minute of it. I never take lunch or go on vacation. My last vacation was in 1985.
Some on the ACE forum questioned my sanity when I posted this information about myself. But then the highly regarded psychologist and noted dental coach/business consultant Dr. June Darling said the following about me:

"Gerald is traveling a different road. He aims to be the best in the world. He's energized rather than exhausted by his work."

I could not be more honored by Dr. Darling's observations.

I LOVE doing dentistry and I LOVE taking care of my patients. I do not sell dentistry but I do sell excellence.

Why would you want someone to take care of your teeth that does not LOVE dentistry? I cannot answer that.

Burn Out????

The average dentist works 30-35 hours a week and for most, doing dentistry is a chore. For me, It is a labor of love. I have ALWAYS worked 50-60 hours a week because I refuse to rush through treatment to see more patients. There is more satisfaction in placing beautiful, strong dentistry than there is to making more money.

I am viewed as a very talented dentist by my colleagues on the ACE forum. The truth is that I am not a naturally gifted clinician but I am passionate about what I do and I am willing to spend thousands of hours perfecting my craft.

When I recently told the ACE forum that I work 50+ hours a week treating my patients, one dentist privately emailed my and asked why I haven't BURNED OUT or had physical problems associated with restoring teeth.

Taking care of you is what I love to do..Is it hard work? Yes it is.
Going to work is what I get up in the morning to do..
Burn out??? I have no idea what that means.

Thank You So Much!!!

I love my new teeth; they have not only enhanced my smile but my confidence.

This is the email that I received from a patient who just completed a smile makeover.

My staff and I work very hard to achieve the best possible results for our patients and the overwhelming majority of patients not only gratefully pay us but always send us a note of appreciation.

Helping you achieve dental health is not my job...It is my life...Who I am and What I do.

Please keep this in mind when you select a dentist to take care of you and your family.

Education is Our Future

This is really going to be a great week! I will get to treat my patients for four days and then on Thursday evening, we will start our 2-3 year course using several different areas of dentistry to treat one patient. Starting this journey should be exhilarating for all involved.

On Friday, I will travel to SUNY/Buffalo to teach an all day course to the top senior dental students and some of the faculty. My job is to teach the students excellence because as my mentor, Dr. Fred McIntyre says, "If we don't TEACH our students EXCELLENCE, they will not KNOW excellence."

My goal will be to show my students that there are some dentists in private practice who pursue excellence and reject the status quo of mediocrity. The students believe that providing excellent dentistry is not possible in a private practice and that no one does that kind of work anyway.

I am hopeful that at least ONE dental student in the room will have a change of mind and make the commitment to pursue excellence. Why else would I give up my weekend and travel more than 600 miles?

To change ONE YOUNG MIND!

Kind Words from a Colleague

I am truly amazed when a dentist who only knows me by my work says nice things about me and the quality of my work. The ACE forum was discussing Groupon and my initial comment was that I only compete with other dentists on QUALITY and not on price. A dentist thought that in the 'modern world' (Aside: which means that mediocrity is the new standard of 'excellence') that a dentist like me should consider the concept of Groupon ie discount dentistry.

He said the following: Those that adapt and embrace will succeed. I am not saying that Gerald won't succeed at what he does, that man has some skills. But I think it would behoove him and anyone else to take a look at everything and figure out how it could fit in their office.

I am again honored that my colleagues recognize that the work that I do for you is wonderful.

You, as my patient, should also feel great in that you KNOW for a fact that other dentists admire YOUR DENTIST'S work.

Groupon and Discounts

I must be honest and say that when a dentist participates with insurance companies or another discount program such as Groupon that you, the patient will suffer. The insurance company knows that it will not let you charge your usual fee and expects you to make up for that lost income by volume.
When someone works with their hands, how is it possible to see more patients? The answer is that shortcuts must be taken and quality must go down. My success rate in a year is 99+% which means that it is unlikely that you will have a problem with my work. If my success rate drops to 80% because I have to rush to see more patients, it means that you will have a problem with 20% of the work that I do for you.

Do you REALLY want to sit in my dental chair any more time so that I can fix something that I had to rush in the first place?

Not ME!!!!!!!! I want my dentist to do the treatment as well as he can the first time.

So when a patient calls and asks if I participate with insurance companies, they are literally asking to spend MORE time in the dental chair. Why would they want THAT?

Hans Julius Baer

Mr. Baer was an influential banker and philanthropist who passed away on March 21,2011. From reading the announcement of his passing in the New York Times, I noted that he accomplished a significant amount of good works during his lifetime. What really impressed me was a quote by Mr. Baer:

"I have never tried to set boundaries between work and leisure. It was simply my life."

I feel the exact same sentiments as Mr. Baer. Who we are and what we do defines the person that we are. I believe in the old days, being a physician or a dentist permeated their whole life.

Things have changed but I do not think for the better.