TheWealthyDentist.com™ Newsletter Archive

News From The Wealthy Dentist #105: July 16, 2008

Editorial: Jim Du Molin
Government Dental Plan Soliciting Bids from Offshore Labs
The US government offers federal employees a choice of four nationwide plans for dental insurance. I have heard that one of these dental insurance companies has been soliciting bids from offshore dental laboratories in order to provide a low-cost product option to their network of providers. This raises health concerns and seems to fly in the face of the Buy American Act. Click to continue...

Survey: Being an Associate vs. Owning a Practice
Most Dentists Would Prefer To Be Their Own Boss
Three-quarters of dentists in our most recent poll said they would rather be their own boss than work for someone else. (Among specialists, zero respondents said they would prefer to be an associate.) But with freedom comes responsibility, and some associate dentists prefer focusing more on practicing dentistry and less on practice management. Click to continue...

Botox Advertising Ban for UK Dentists
Dental Council Says No to Non-Dental Cosmetic Marketing
Though UK dentists can offer Botox, the General Dental Council (GDC) has just ruled that they can't advertise for "non-surgical cosmetic procedures that are not part of dentistry." So, in the UK, you can be a dentist. And you can offer Botox. You just can't market those two things together. Do you offer Botox at your dental practice? Take our survey! Click to continue...

What Your Patients Are Reading
Can Braces Be Both Effective and Attractive?
A new survey reveals a sad truth: the most effective orthodontic braces are also considered the ugliest. Traditional metal braces were seen as the least attractive, and those with no visible metal were rated as most aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately, the more attractive options tend to be harder for dentists to work with and/or move patients' teeth less effectively. Click to continue...

Maine Dental Practice Almost Ready for New Home
Machias Dental: Almost Ready to Move In!
The move-in date looms for Machias Dental's new facility. Their new associate is about to arrive. They're wrestling with wallpaper and furniture. Their resident computer whiz is connecting 33,800 feet of cable. (Yes, that's over six miles of cable.) "It takes 4 hours every day for my wife to unravel the issues and do the research required by the general contractor," sighs Dr. Sparaga. "I just do the dentistry." Click to continue...

What's on My Bookshelf
Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim
How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
The "red ocean" is a marketplace saturated with competitors, while the "blue ocean" is a new market free from competition. These "untapped market spaces" can offer the best opportunities for big profits. While others contemplate a crowded red ocean, innovators will find clear waters in new areas. Want to get the book?

Results Marketing
Another Satisfied IDA Dentist "Initially 8 to 10 patients a month, now up to 41 new patients a month - including cosmetic, sedation, TMJ. IDA marketing systems has been responsible for a 114% increase in business," writes Dr. Janice Ormsby of Ithaca, New York.