AME: Leftover Scallions

[00:00:00] Very Dental Podcast Network, I hate to be that guy, but we hope you'll support the folks that support us. Crazy Dental has the lowest prices for dental supplies anywhere. But you know what's even better than lowest prices on dental supplies? Free shipping! If you use the coupon code VERYSHIP, that's V-E-R-Y-S-H-I-P, you'll get free shipping on every Crazy Dental order. So head over to crazydentalprices.com and use coupon code VERYSHIP for free shipping.

[00:00:27] Remember, Crazy Dental supports The Very Dental Podcast Network every time you order with these coupons. Okay, let's talk about one of the most underrated tools in your practice, the dental mirror. It's in your hand all day, every day. But have you ever thought about how much it actually impacts your work? If your mirrors aren't giving you a crystal clear view, you're working harder than you need to. That's where Zerk comes in with their Crystal HD Dental Mirrors. I love these mirrors. I keep two in every single setup just in case I drop one. These aren't your average mirrors. They're so much brighter than the standard ones.

[00:00:57] That means better visibility, reduced eye strain, and more confidence during every procedure. And they're durable and lightweight, designed to reduce hand fatigue and improve ergonomics, so you can work comfortably even during those long, demanding days. Plus, your patients will love them too. Available in a variety of vibrant colors, these mirrors are made with durable resin to prevent galvanic shock and eliminate the unpleasant clanking against teeth, ensuring a more comfortable experience for everyone. Upgrade one of the most important tools in your kit with Crystal HD Dental Mirrors from Zerk.

[00:01:26] The moment you bring one into the oral cavity, you'll be amazed at the clarity and brightness. It's like seeing your procedures in a whole new light. Lately, we've featured CareStack, a really great cloud-based practice management software that Kevin is using in his practice. We hope you'll check out all those episodes and then head to carestack.com for more information. If you decide CareStack is a great choice for you, and we think you might, they're giving podcast listeners 50% off implementation costs. It's a great deal, but be sure to let them know you heard about it from the podcast.

[00:01:54] This is a production of the Very Dental Podcast Network. Alan Mead is a dentist with too much time on his hands and too much recording equipment in his basement. Armed with an obsession to bring entertaining and informative content to the dental world in a way that's never been done before, I give you the Alan Mead Experience.

[00:02:24] Well, hello and welcome to another episode of the Alan Mead Experience. I'm your host, Dr. Alan Mead. I'm a dentist, podcaster, and... narrator. Let's say narrator. All right, folks, I have something kind of funny for you today. I have to say, okay, so back in like, I don't know, 2017, 2018, in a world where we were still the dental hacks and we'd never heard of COVID.

[00:02:53] Life was a simpler time then. And a bunch of our friends that were regulars on the podcast and kind of regulars in the dental hacks universe came together and started writing a blog. And you can go, you can still see it. It's up on the, it's dentalhacks.com. There's lots of good stuff up there. There's a blog. We wrote about practice management. We wrote about saving money. But we also came up with my favorite part of the whole, the whole endeavor.

[00:03:19] And we called it the scallion because it was kind of a dental version of the onion. The onion, which is like sort of satirical articles about news and everything like that. So we kind of did like a dental version of the onion and we called it the scallion because scallions are kind of like onions. It was good. It's good gig. Like, anyhow, we actually wrote a bunch of these articles and I was looking at them. I don't know, earlier last week, I was kind of going through them and I'm like, man, they really hold up.

[00:03:48] I mean, in some ways they don't because like there was no such thing as like an influencer. Tick tock and Instagram were just not that big of a thing at that point. And influencers as, as marketing is not that big of a thing. But, but honestly, the articles are still quite funny and they're, they're, they hold up. So what I thought I would do today is I'm going to, I just, I'm just going to read some of them to you. I'm going to go back and read them word for word.

[00:04:13] I will also put links to the actual articles because honestly, some of them have funny photos in it and stuff like that. But I don't know, man, they hold up pretty good. I'm, I'm pretty proud of that effort we put together on the Dental Hacks website. But, so we call them the scallion. There's a whole bunch of, whole bunch of articles. I read a bunch of them and I hope you enjoy the heck out of them. Let me know what you think of them in the Very Dental Facebook group. And we will catch you next episode.

[00:04:41] Dentist seeks PTSD treatment after Starving the North exhibit floor incident. Brainerd dentist, Dr. Jerry Swanson thought he was attending just another dental meeting. As he headed south to St. Paul for the annual Star of the North dental meeting. I've been going there for years and never experienced anything like this. Sure, there have always been those aggressive scrap metal refiners and mildly hostile practice brokers. But I've never experienced anything like this before, Swanson said.

[00:05:10] Dr. Swanson took a course in team communications on Friday morning. And then headed to the exhibit floor to look for some new spoon excavators. That's when things turned dark. I was looking for the Hugh Freedy booth when all of a sudden someone selling endophiles jumped in front of me. Before I knew it, I was stuck between someone selling scented hand towel heaters and someone who wanted me to buy some very expensive scrubs. They were both big and kind of scary.

[00:05:38] The woman selling scrubs wasn't going to take no for an answer. I don't even wear scrubs. Recent declines in attendance at dental meetings have meant bleak sales for dental reps across the spectrum. The desperation is palpable, said an unnamed dental implant rep. I look across the aisle at the dude selling those goofy massage chairs and I think, it's him or me, man. It's him or me. Dr. Swanson was found by his dental assistant cowering under a display of autoclaves.

[00:06:07] He wouldn't come out, she said. I was glad to have taken that communications course. I was able to coax him out, but we never did get any spoon excavators. Four out of five dentists lie at parties. Berkeley, California. Surprising new research from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health sheds some negative light on one of the most respected professions. It seems that dentists aren't as honest as once believed.

[00:06:35] Dr. Ron Hensel, RDH, MPH of UC Berkeley explains, We've always wondered, but our research seems to confirm it. Four out of five dentists lie about their profession at parties. Apparently, there's a certain amount of shame dentists feel when meeting new people about what they do for a living. Linda Swanson, DDS of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was one of the dentists surveyed in the Cutting Edge Project. Look, I just tell people I work at the Kohler plant.

[00:07:03] I see enough abscesses and broken teeth at work. I don't really want to hear about the root canal this woman had while I'm out having some beers. It's way easier to just say I assemble toilets. And she's not alone. According to Dr. Hensel's research, over 80% of dentists in the United States would prefer to talk about fantasy jobs like sous chef or plumber instead of their actual chosen profession.

[00:07:27] Interestingly, the 20% of dentists that are willing to talk about their profession share some characteristics. It seems that the only dentists that are routinely happy to talk about their profession in social situations are aspiring practice brokers and Invisalign providers, said Hensel. Clearly, more research is needed in this area, but it's a struggle to get straight answers out of these people. Periodontal disease linked to hyperbole. Portland, Maine.

[00:07:55] Recent research from the University of New England College of Dental Medicine points to a previously unknown correlation. Dr. Wilbur Carrington is an epidemiologist who's been studying various correlations with periodontal disease for decades. His latest multi-site meta-analysis may surprise you. Oh, yeah. We've been keeping track of how gum disease relates to other chronic inflammatory illnesses for quite some time, said the folksy yet intense scientist.

[00:08:23] If you've been reading any popular science articles, you'd think periodontitis caused just about everything, wouldn't you? But when the rubber hits the road, most of this correlation is a reflection of the fact that these folks just don't do a very good job of taking care of themselves. So what does Dr. Carrington think of recent research pointing to a direct cause and effect relationship between periodontal disease and heart disease? Well, the data just isn't there yet.

[00:08:50] We'd love to say, oh yeah, your nasty gums will cause a heart attack, but we just can't do it. Even better, we'd love to tell the fellas that they'll struggle getting it up, if you know what I mean. Because what's going to get a gentleman in your chair quicker than him thinking his little soldier won't stand at attention? But I'm afraid all those correlations are pretty weak. We've really only found one very strong correlation, and it's wicked strong.

[00:09:14] Our latest research has shown a direct one-to-one causative effect between those that want to increase gum disease treatment in their office and articles with bombastic headlines about periodontal disease. The diminutive epidemiologist continued, The relationship was absolutely uncanny. Odd data from Facebook groups, website copy, and sloppily written news articles showed that dentists wanting to increase revenues from periodontal therapy

[00:09:40] essentially all promoted headlines that made frightening medical claims about gum disease. When pushed, Dr. Carrington mentioned another strongly correlating factor. Ah, yeah, well, there's always smoking, right? People who smoke get all that crap too. But that's old news. It's much easier to threaten a fella's boner, you know? Adobe Stock vows to increase accuracy in dental stock photography. That's not how this works.

[00:10:09] That's not how any of this works. Dr. Cheryl Henderson of Boring, Maryland, has had it up to here with dental stock photography. I take my profession seriously. So why can't the companies that supply us with stock photography do the same? One company that's been working on this vexing problem is Adobe Stock. William Woody Logan of Adobe Stock explains, Dentists are moving away from all the smiling, bloodless images into true dental realism.

[00:10:38] Adobe Stock wants to move dental stock photography toward the gritty truth that most dental patients are used to. Dr. Henderson cites numerous examples of inaccurate dental depictions that routinely appear on dental websites. Generally speaking, patients need to be leaned back slightly in the chair to be treated. Overwhelmingly, dental stock photography allows people to think that dentistry can be delivered in a sitting-up position. Most patients would be very uncomfortable sitting so closely to all but the most attractive dental teams.

[00:11:08] Many dental images show dental professionals posing with dental instruments in their pockets, said Dr. Henderson. Why the hell would you keep dental instruments in your pocket? It goes against basic cleanliness as well as OSHA regulations. Even worse, dentists don't use toothbrushes on their patients. It doesn't make any sense. Perhaps the most egregious error stock photographers make is the way that they depict dentists holding a dental drill. You'd think they might ask one dentist how it's supposed to be done, right? Dr. Henderson opined,

[00:11:37] If I ever held a handpiece like that, I'd lose my license. Dr. Henderson volunteered to pose for as many photos as necessary in an effort for stock photographers to show how it's actually done. There's just so much smiling, said Dr. Henderson. I've been working in dentistry for almost 30 years and I have yet to see patients this excited to be worked on by a dentist. Most of their smiles would be pretty lopsided from the anesthetic anyhow. All we want from these companies is a little realism.

[00:12:04] The CEO of Adobe Stock could not be reached for comment, but several unnamed employees told us that the reason they featured dental instruments being used incorrectly is because they looked cool and don't really like going to the dentist anyhow. Dr. Henderson's final appeal is to her colleagues. If we keep buying these overpriced and inaccurate representations of our profession, they'll just keep making them. Garbage in, garbage out. Come on, people. Get your heads out of your asses.

[00:12:36] Dentist discovers that she's horrible after purchasing loops. Alpharetta, Georgia. Dr. Marianne Brown first became interested in perching a pair of loops after attending the annual Hinman Dental meeting in 2014. The salesman gave a very good presentation and Dr. Brown took the literature back to her practice to review. Dr. Brown stated,

[00:13:00] I brought the literature back to the office four years ago and was really considering purchasing the new piece of equipment, she went on to add. I eventually decided that I didn't need loops as I was an excellent dentist with 15 years of experience. My work was perfect and I never had trouble seeing the margins. This past spring, Dr. Brown attended the Hinman meeting again.

[00:13:23] She was cornered by the Designs for Vision booth when the line for the free blow-up dolphin at the Oral-B booth blocked the aisle in her getaway route. She eventually succumbed to his sales pitch and purchased a pair of loops, even upgrading to the sport frames. When the loops finally arrived at her office, it was a couple weeks before Dr. Brown decided to give them a whirl just for fun on an occlusal filling for tooth 29. While prepping the tooth, Dr. Brown noted, I destroyed this tooth.

[00:13:52] I nicked the adjacent tooth. I got phosphoric acid on the gingiva. I left a void at the margin. The polish looks like it was scratched by a chicken. Until purchasing the loop, she had no idea what a truly horrible dentist she was. After that fateful day, Dr. Brown put her loops on her desk and is now working full-time at the Starbucks at the corner of 17th and Main Streets. Marketer thinks dentists are stupid. He might be right.

[00:14:21] Marketing whiz, Neo Reeves, has taken the dental digital marketing world by storm this week with his unique brand of advice. Although he is new to the dental space, his marketing methods have a proven track record that can catapult practices to the next level. We got a chance to sit down with Neo to see how it all works in an exclusive one-on-one interview. Scallion Thanks for taking the time to talk to us today, Neo. Can you tell us what advice you have for dentists to improve their marketing? Neo Sure thing!

[00:14:51] I'm happy to help dentists because they have a lot of money and are clueless about how marketing works. Scallion Excellent! Tell us the secret! Neo What I teach is fairly simple. You need to maximize your ROI by focusing on your SEO and creating leads through ClickFunnels and leveraging your social media through Facebook pixels and retargeting leads through email automations.

[00:15:15] Combine that with direct mail, billboards, church bulletins, sandwich boards, ValPack, Groupon, and a guy dressed up like a taco dancing in front of your office. And you have a recipe for success. However, you must use tracking phone numbers, Google Analytics, and an abacus to track all the data. Make sense? Scallion I think so. Is there more? Of course!

[00:15:41] By using radio and TV ads to segmented marketed demographics, you can build an audience to start a podcast to directly deliver your message to the right people. By positioning your brand as a leader in the field, you can use logos and internal marketing to recapture existing clients. Scallion Sounds comprehensive. Can you tell us more about branding? Sure, it's simple. Just copy what the ice cream industry does. Scallion Ice cream? Neo Yes

[00:16:10] Ice cream comes in different flavors in interesting cartons with unique logos. The logos and branding make you buy more ice cream. Scallion I thought people bought ice cream because it tastes amazing. Neo I wasn't finished. People buy ice cream because it's expensive and it only costs a dollar to make. Scallion Um, okay. How does that relate to a dental practice? Neo Because it only costs a dollar to make. Scallion I'm not sure I follow. Neo

[00:16:40] What I teach is fairly simple. You need to maximize your ROI by focusing on your SEO and creating leads through click funnels and leveraging your social media through Facebook pixels and retargeting leads through email automations. Combine that with direct mail, billboards, church bulletins, sandwich boards, ValPack, Groupon, and a guy dressed up like a taco dancing in front of your office. And you have a recipe for success.

[00:17:05] However, you must use tracking phone numbers, Google Analytics, and an abacus to track all the data. Make sense? Scallion Perfect sense. So there you have it. Common sense ideas to really take your practice to the next level. Maybe even 10x from a guy who likes to work with dentists because they have a lot of money and are dumb. New dentist experiences hate crime. Muncie, Indiana

[00:17:34] Recent dental school graduate Michael McIntyre was shocked and appalled by a malevolent comment made about his profession. I just don't know how it could have happened. He said, I've never met this woman in my life. She doesn't know anything about me. Or at least no more than the generic and overly confident biography that we put in the paper mentioned.

[00:17:56] He went on. I went into the operatory to introduce myself like I have been ever since I started working at Dr. Avery's office. Then it happened. Dr. McIntyre then paused, shaken in his recounting of the story. A few deep breaths later, he continued. She looked up at me with a blank look on her face and said, No offense, Doc, but I hate dentists.

[00:18:20] Then Dr. McIntyre went quiet, all the color leaving his face, victim of an unfounded hatred so common to dentists nationwide. When asked for comment, Dr. Steve Avery, owner of the practice where Dr. McIntyre is employed, said, Give me a break. I hear that stupid line every single week. Mike just started here on Tuesday, so maybe he's never heard it before, but he better get some backbone pretty quick. Patients are pretty awful sometimes. It's time to suck it up, cupcake.

[00:18:47] Jake. Dentist changes after Facebook argument. Garland, Texas. Dr. Delbert Woody Hahn has seen some arguments about dental topics in his day. Yeah, I was on Dentaltown in the early days. We're talking 2002. It was the Wild West back then. Boy, did people fight. Composite versus amalgam. CR versus neuromuscular. Panky versus LVI. I've seen it all.

[00:19:16] More recently, Woody has found himself inhabiting private groups about dentistry on Facebook. I belong to a bunch of them. People just add you to them, you know? Before you know it, you're in 40 different groups and you're fighting with dentists from Maine or Brisbane, Australia. The one thing that's never changed? His mind. Yeah, I'm pretty much always right. Most people on Facebook are pretty dumb, but I love to fight, so I just figure that comes with the territory.

[00:19:43] So that's what he's done. For the better part of 17 years, he's been goading other dentists into fights about anything they'll fight about. I don't even care that much about what we're fighting about, just as long as we're fighting. I love making people hate me. I figure I've trolled just about every dentist on Facebook. But then, something happened to Woody that changed everything. Ha! We're just kidding. Nothing changed at all and Woody's still a total douchebag. And will be. Forever.