Listen to the podcast here Watch the full video on Youtube Dear Zen Members, We launched ZenSupplies in 2016 with a simple goal to streamline the ordering process and help organize the dental world one order at a time. Step by step we made progress and I personally met most of you at conferences or in your office. All of these meetings made ahugeimpact on me and most importantly allowed me to see how Zen was being used in real time in a dental office. It also added a sense of responsibility to build the right product that truly brings value to each one of you. These one-on-one meetings allowed me to learn and deeply understand the challenges of each practice, team dynamics, and how Zen needed to better function in order to solve your problems. As we learned and continued to grow I realized there were decisions I made early on that were holding us back from the potential we were capable of. For example, how we structured catalogs or how order approval processes were made. I can remember many instances when I visited one of your offices and saw how painful it was to use certain parts of the Zen site. I had this growing desire inside of me and I knew Zen could be better and have a platform that every practice would love using. In 2021, I decided it was time to build a new platform from scratch. This would take everything we had learned into account and provide our members with a much better, faster, and more importantly- smoother experience. Prices and stock levels are updated in real time and search is so intuitive that it feels as if a human is listening to you and finding what you are looking for. This new platform would also give us the flexibility we needed to scale to many more vendors and add long-awaited features such as expense management, budget labels, and predictable ordering through integration with your practice management software. I am very excited about the near future and can’t wait for you to see what this new Zen platform can do for your office. We will begin offering demos and a preview of the new platform starting early November into December with a goal of starting migration on January 1, 2024. My team is relentlessly working around the clock to make this process as smooth and easy for each of you as possible. My hope is that you will find the new Zen platform to bring even more efficiencies, a better user experience, and even more amazing savings to your office. Please keep an eye out for email updates and important information as we get closer to the launch date. And please make sure to sign up for a demo. I am confident you will love it! You can reach me attiger@zenone.comand by phone 872-225-2090 or Delaney atdelaney@zenone.comor by phone 872-225-2894. Tiger and the entire Zen Team
AI and technology have been in front of everyone this summer, but the real trend flying under the radar of many people in the industry is a growing resistance to selling your practice to the DSOs. The movement kicked into high gear after a DSO veteran, Dr. Brady Frank, posted an ad on Instagram urging dentists to sell their practice to DSO before the window for high multiples closed. Since then, many people have shared their opinions and horror stories of what happened when they thought selling their businesses would bring them freedom and wealth. The most critical questions on the issue were asked by the hosts of the Bulletproof Podcast, Dr. Craig Spodak and Dr. Peter Boulden: What is next after you sell? How are you going to deploy the capital? Do you have the confidence to put the money to work and generate a 10–15% consistent return? Most importantly, what are you going to do with the time? If you want to experience something close to that, take a month off, do what you always thought you would do when you retire, and see if you like it." These are fundamental questions that many dentists need more time to ask themselves before the sale. Many end up selling for the wrong reasons. Link to the podcast on Spotify Later, Dr. Boulden and Dr. Spodak started the movement #TeamNeverSell to encourage dentists to continue practicing independently and build their practices into resilient businesses that can provide financial and time freedoms without selling. My recent podcast with Brad Freeman (Spotify Link) discusses how rising interest rates will slow down DSOs' growth and provide private practices with a path to strengthen their position. There are still many questions facing both Private Practices and DSOs, and one of the most important is attracting and retaining associates. DSOs historically struggled to retain associates, but rising student debt made them more enticing for young doctors. However, all the things that make DSOs strong, such as standardization, simplifications, the narrow focus on offered procedures, and profitability, left the same DSOs vulnerable for young dentists to apply new skills and try new technologies. This is where private practices have become a beacon of private ownership in dentistry. Most private practices, at least once focused on excellence and growth, are constantly looking to add technology to their workflows (CEREC, 3D printing, lasers, digital scanners, etc.) and improve their clinical skills through high-level continuing education (Spear, Kois, etc.) and private coaching and masterminds. Yes, DSOs will give unlimited CEs, but the question remains: Can you apply what you learned at the practice where you associate? Other essential questions when it comes to evaluating the option to sell your practice to DSO or continue working as a private practice are: - Systematization of processes - Staffing (hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining) - Access to DSO-level pricing on supplies, labs, and equipment - Access to capital for associate doctors to buy into the practice - Positive Mindset and Burnout The good news is that there has been a boom in technical startups for most of the above questions. Take tech companies, such as ZenSupplies, Trainual, UptimeHealth, Lassie, and many more that are working hard to bring solutions to private practice at a lower cost than full-time employees usually do at the DSOs related to procurement, contract negotiations, systematization, insurance reimbursement, and equipment purchasing and maintenance. I expect complete integration of these solutions into your practice management software in the next 5-7 years to provide a seamless experience. When managing your mindset and positive outlook on the profession, there has never been a better time than now. It is now widely accepted that burnout and depression are a thing, and many doctors have shared their own experiences working through them while still practicing dentistry. With private coaching and access to mastermind groups, practice owners have a safe place to share their struggles with peers and help each other overcome the challenges. Industry leaders such as Dr. Mark Costes, Dr. Peter Boulden, Dr. Craig Spodak, Dr. Dave Maloley, and many more have all dedicated their entire masterminds and private coaching to helping private practice owners stay private and avoid burnout. The last unknown is the current market conditions and access to capital. With high-interest rates and student debt, it isn't easy to make big decisions for associate doctors to purchase or start a practice. For private practices to thrive, we need an easier way for associates to access capital to buy an existing practice from a retiring dentist. Ultimately, the doctor decides whether to sell or continue, but this is the best time to continue your solo enterprise, enjoy the freedoms it offers, and build wealth through hard work.
Case acceptance is the key to a thriving dental practice. More importantly, it’s the first step to giving your patients the care they need to enjoy better health. You might get advice from a thousand different places about how to get your patients to sign onto their treatment plan so you can get to work. Unfortunately, the constant push to improve case acceptance rates can sometimes make us lose sight of the bigger picture: running the kind of practice that will help our patients trust us with their dental care. Let’s look at three simple principles that will help your office run as smoothly as possible while improving case acceptance. Build Trust by Being Well-Organized Case acceptance is a direct reflection on how capable you are at earning your patients’ trust. When you present a treatment plan, you’re asking your patient to trust that you’re recommending the right treatment and not taking advantage of them. It’s a lot to ask when many patients have a limited understanding of their treatment needs or the value of your care. Scrambling for materials, not having the instruments you need, or floundering during your case presentation because of disorganized diagnostics can all shake your patients’ trust in you. Ensuring punctual appointments is crucial, as making patients wait can lead to doubt when presenting treatment plans, especially higher-cost ones. Respect for their time fosters trust and confidence. Timeliness positively impacts the patient-provider relationship, increasing the likelihood of treatment plan acceptance. When appointments start promptly, patients are more receptive and engaged during the consultation, enhancing the overall experience. This patient-centered approach minimizes hesitation and encourages informed decision-making. Running a well-organized office (link: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/systems-that-work-how-to-create-routines-your-dental-office-staff-will-dependably-follow/) helps patients feel confident in their choice to trust you with their care. Knowing where things are when you need them at all times helps to: -Improve your sense of authority. -Help patients see that you have everything under control. -Make you appear competent. Beyond looking like you’re on top of things, good organization makes the patient’s experience better. Good Organization Leads to Better Patient Experiences Many patients dread the idea of time in the dental chair. One sure way to improve your case acceptance rates is to make each procedure as fast and comfortable as possible without sacrificing the quality of your outcomes. Every experience your patient has in your office sets their expectations for how things will probably go next time. If you can perform fillings faster than expected without any unexpected hiccups, your patient will remember how impressed they were with how organized your team was (more on how to trian dental assistants communicate more effectively) and how smoothly their procedure went. That means next time you recommend treatment, they won’t feel the usual dread and they’ll feel more confident scheduling and completing that treatment. Building a reputation for providing fast, stress-free care means patients won’t feel overwhelmed by the idea of getting the care they need. It also helps ensure they’ll tell their friends and loved ones about you! Decreasing Stress in Your Team Makes Your Office a Welcoming Place Beyond helping procedures go quickly and smoothly, running an organized practice (more on how to organize your dental practice ) will also help you create a positive environment for your staff and your patients. A well-organized, well-stocked dental practice tends to run more smoothly. The fewer speedbumps your staff has to deal with day to day, the less stressed they’ll probably be at work. That translates directly to a better experience for your patients. Modernizing Your Office Makes It Easier to Stay Organized and Boosts Case Acceptance Dental offices with up-to-date technology have significant advantages when it comes to case acceptance. Let’s look at three areas where updating your office can have the biggest impact on case acceptance. 1. Digital Diagnostics for Convincing Case Presentations The vast majority of dental practices now use digital x-rays, which can add tremendous versatility and detail over traditional x-rays. However, if you stop at x-rays, you’re missing some of the most convincing and affordable pieces of technology in your diagnostic arsenal. Intraoral cameras should be a go-to at every appointment. It can be hard for patients to understand their treatment needs when they can’t see what we’re seeing. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and a close-up, high-resolution image of cracks, caries, recession, and any other visible damage will do more for your case presentation than your words alone. Have a consistent, reliable method in place to organize your diagnostic images as they’re being added to your patient’s file. Many times, your dental software will have a system built in, but you may need to customize it to suit your flow and presentation style. The important thing is that you can show the patient what they need to see without searching for what you need. The more streamlined and organized your case presentation is, the more convincing it will be. 2. Update How You Communicate with Patients Good communication is key to building a great relationship with your patients. Modernizing how you communicate with your patients can significantly improve compliance when it comes to recall appointments and following up on needed treatments. There are tons of services for HIPAA compliant texting to remind patients of upcoming appointments and follow up with them about further treatment needs. Building your digital footprint with effective social media strategies is another way to stay at the forefront of your patients’ minds so they’re more likely to follow up on recommended treatments. 3. Automate to Eliminate Paper Clutter and Mistakes Automating tasks is a great way to minimize excess paper in your office and avoid disruptions to how your practice runs. Even the most technologically advanced practices often still rely on pen and paper for everything from equipment maintenance checklists to ordering materials. Every extra piece of paper adds clutter, adds to mental burden for your staff, and makes mistakes more likely. While automation isn’t fool proof, it can drastically cut down on stress and decrease the potential for system breakdowns. Automation can cut down on stress and prevent problems that can shake your patients’ faith in your practice and your skills as a healthcare professional. Software that can track your inventory, automatically replenish when needed, and coordinate between the various suppliers you work with can significantly improve the efficiency of your office (link: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/5-reasons-why-dental-practices-need-an-inventory-management-and-procurement-software/), freeing you to focus fully on your patients, which is the best way to earn their trust. 4. Train your dental team to present a treatment plan. In an ideal scenario, the responsibility of presenting treatment plans doesn't solely rest with the doctors themselves; rather, it involves a collaborative effort from various team members, including dental assistants. It's not uncommon for instances to arise where the doctor briefly steps out of the room, prompting patients to turn to the dental assistant for insights. In this pivotal moment, the dental assistant's role becomes paramount, as they have the opportunity to provide a thoughtful and informed perspective. For instance, if a patient queries, "What do you think?" the dental assistant's response holds substantial weight. They might eloquently convey, "Mrs. Jones, your inquiry is valued. Our doctor possesses extensive expertise in this particular procedure, having successfully completed numerous instances of 'procedure X.' In fact, only last week, we performed the very same procedure with excellent results." This not only reassures the patient of the doctor's proficiency but also underscores the dental assistant's own insights, establishing a harmonious bridge of trust and knowledge between the patient and the dental team.
Many dental assistants that I interact with share with me that they have difficulty communicating with their doctor(s)/employer(s). As a result, they become unhappy with their jobs, less productive, and in some cases, leave the practice. Working in dentistry can be stressful under the best of circumstances. And when the circumstances are not optimal, effective communication between doctors and all team members is critically important. Experts in communication and performance agree that “better communication techniques help employees to better comprehend their roles, which in turn helps employees perform their assigned duties better. Resources and time can be saved through these techniques, therefore getting more work done and reducing stress” Assuming that the experts are correct, why don’t dental teams, particularly dental assistants and dentists practice better communication methods? Let’s explore how to enhance communication between dental assistants and doctors to increase productivity and decrease stress. Barriers to Communication: For dental assistants, there are several potential barriers to greater effectiveness in communicating with their dentist/employer. First is the dynamic of self-confidence. Currently, many dental assistants come to work in a practice with little or no experience. It can be difficult to approach a highly educated dentist with questions or concerns. Even experienced dental assistants have some challenges in approaching their doctors, who are not only the authority figure in the practice, but also the person who signs their paycheck. Over time, team members take on the attitude that they just need to accept how things are because they believe that their doctor(s) would not listen to their concerns or requests. Time works against effective communication in many dental practices. The pressure to stay on schedule while delivering quality patient care is stressful and can result in stressful reactions when running behind or treatment not going as planned. When under stress emotion takes precedence over logic when individuals interact with each other. Yet another barrier to communication that occurs frequently is a doctor/employer that has a non-confrontational behavioral style and avoids situations where issues may need to be discussed. This type of behavior is frustrating to the team members and may be perceived as a personal issue i.e., the doctor doesn’t like them or is unhappy with them. There are other barriers to effective communication, such as gender, race, cultural issues, socioeconomic differences, and family situations. The bottom line is that no matter what the barriers, dental assistants can be proactive in improving communication by following some specific steps to ensure successful and productive discussions with their doctor/employer. Step 1 – Evaluate the Situation Decide if the issue is urgent or if it can wait. An urgent issue would be one that would affect the patient currently being treated or a patient scheduled later that day. Another example would be an issue that arises with a team member who may not be able to perform their job, or who is acting in an offensive or appropriate matter. The latter also applies to patients behaving inappropriately. It these cases, it is in the best interest of the team to stop, take a breath and deal with the situation. This needs to be done in private, with the affected parties present, not in front of patients or the entire team. If the issue is not urgent, but the assistant believes it needs to be addressed, wait until a later time on that day to approach the doctor for a discussion. Attempting to talk to the doctor in between patients may not be the best time since their focus is on the patients, so finding a time during lunch break or at the end of the day may be more productive. Just because a dental assistant (or any team member) has an issue to discuss, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the doctor needs to be involved. Each team member should think about whether the issue is just a personal issue, or if it does affect patients and the team. If the latter is true, then the doctor needs to be involved in the discussion. If it is a personal issue, some introspection is in order before any resolution can be achieved. If, for example the dental assistant just doesn’t like or get along with another member of the team, s/he should approach that person first to find some common ground. Avoid putting the doctor in the middle! If the dental assistant wants to change how things are done, such as ordering supplies, then s/he must first decide if they just want their way or can the practice benefit from the change. In other words, we sometimes just need to get over our bad selves and realize that we don’t work in a perfect world, with everything the way we want it. Step 2 – Develop a Plan/Strategy After analyzing an issue, the dental assistant should develop a strategy for communicating with the doctor about it. This would include answering these questions about the anticipated discussion. What is the desired outcome from the meeting? Do you need an answer soon or will it wait? What type of information or documentation would help to support the dental assistant’s position? For example, if a dental assistant needs a new operatory stool, have ready a list the reasons (back pain, inability to adjust an old stool, etc.) and convey a benefit to the doctor, e.g., increased ability to see in the patient’s mouth during treatment. How would the doctor, patients, team, and the dental assistant from resolving the issue? Could a free trial of a new type of stool be arranged? Or is there a dental meeting that the team will be attending, where some research can be gathered? If a specific stool is desired, be prepared to share information on the stool, including the model and price. It is helpful to keep in mind that the doctor will want to know how they and/or the practice will benefit from any proposed change. The doctor may also question the validity of the issue – so be prepared. If the doctor says no to a specific request, a good reply is: “Is that no for now, or it is no forever?”. Practice saying this ahead of time. Step 3 – Select a Time and Place to Approach the Doctor Once prepared, be sensitive to the busyness in the practice on a given day, and other issues that may affect the doctor’s receptiveness to meet. Trying to grab the doctor’s attention as s/he is in the middle of the busy workday isn’t usually successful. A better time might be before the workday starts, during lunch, or at the end of the day. Make it easy for the doctor – keeping in mind that they may be fearful of a confrontation, or of being dragged into the drama that may be occurring among the team members. If the doctor states that it isn’t a suitable time to talk, ask when a suitable time might be. If the doctor won’t commit to a time, make another attempt the next day. If the doctor keeps putting off the conversation, that may be a sign that the doctor is avoiding the discussion. Step 4 - Get to the Point Once the doctor and assistant agree on a time to meet, don’t waste time on small talk, which individuals do sometimes when they are nervous. Get to the point – tell the doctor what the conversation is about, define the issue or problem, and present a solution (e.g., buy a new stool). Be open to listening to the doctor’s responses and answer questions when asked. Again, keep in mind that the doctor will want to know how an issue, change or purchase will benefit the practice and him/herself. Try to avoid becoming defensive of accusatory. Stick to the facts or data. As stated previously, if the answer is no to a request, ask if that is the final answer, or can the request be revisited in the future. Be sure to thank the doctor for meeting and listening to the concerns. Don’t walk away angry or with a bad attitude. That discourages the doctor from wanting to have future discussions or possibly reconsidering a request. Final Thoughts If a dental assistant is continually struggling to communicate with the doctor or other team members – ask them what to do to communicate better. Also ask what not to do to communicate better with them. Sometimes dental assistants are not a good fit on a particular team. If that is the case, seek out a team where the team culture is a better fit. Whining and gossip have no positive effects on team morale and shouldn’t be part of the culture of a dental practice. Remember that perception is different for everyone. We don’t all see situations the same. Remember that it is better to be kind than to be right in some situations. It is my hope that these thoughts give some insight into making conversations between dental assistants and doctors – and other team members a little more comfortable. Discussing concerns or issues is the first step to resolving them. Letting the issues go because of fear of bringing them up in a conversation doesn’t make the situation go away, in fact it may make it worse. Be positive and expect good outcomes. Allaya Cooks-Campbell, BetterUp, “Communication is Key in the Workplace. Here’s How to Improve. https://bit.ly/3O9UrgG .
What is a Dental Technician? A Dental Technician or Certified Dental Technician is a valuable part of the dental team. Dental lab technicians are responsible for creating and repairing implants, dentures, veneers, bridges and crowns, and orthodontic appliances. Most dental technicians work behind the scenes and collaborate with dentists to fabricate dental prostheses and appliances in a laboratory for patients. Some choose to open their own dental laboratory or work at established dental labs, dental offices, and dental schools. Skills Of A Dental Technician Deciding if becoming a dental technician is the right fit for you can be done by looking at the skills required and determining if they align with your strengths. Although they have little to no interaction with patients, they are an integral part of the dental team. Their primary responsibility is creating custom dental prostheses and appliances that help people chew, speak and gain confidence in their smile. Some of the necessary skills of a dental technician are: Dexterity Steady hands Independent worker Detail-oriented and precise Interpersonal and collaborative skills Knowledgeable of dental materials and anatomy of the oral cavity Individuals working as dental assistants possess many of the qualities listed above. Those looking for a change in their career with the capability to work independently with no patient interaction may consider becoming a dental technician. The overlap in job responsibilities and education can allow an easy transition. Dental assistants that have completed college courses may be able to transfer those existing credits to a dental technician program. In addition, they have the advantage of hands-on experience and prior knowledge in a dental setting which can make them stand out among other applicants. Becoming A Certified Dental Technician (CDT) Upon the decision to become a Certified Dental Technician, there are multiple things to consider. Certification is granted to those that have passed all exams administered by the National Board for Certification in Dental Technology. Eligibility to take the exams requires either being employed as a dental technician for five years minimum or completing a dental technician program by an accredited school. Admission into a dental technician program requires a high school diploma or equivalent and prerequisite courses. Including college-level English, science, math, and others based on the application requirements. Only a select number of spots are available, and students are selected based on their grade average. Depending on the location, schools offer a two or four-year program with varying tuition costs. Those attending a two-year program will graduate with an associate degree or certificate, and graduates of a four-year program will be awarded a bachelor's degree. Earning an advanced degree in dental technology is an investment that can expand future job opportunities and income and prepare you for the CDT National Board Exams. CDT National Board Exams The National Board for Certification in Dental Technology administers three separate exams: Comprehensive Exam ($255) Written Specialty Exam ($255) Practical Exam ($595) Each of the exams independently tests the knowledge and skills of the individual. The comprehensive exam is a 160-question multiple-choice exam that covers a broad spectrum of ethical practices, oral cavity anatomy, dental terminology, health and safety standards, etc. The written specialty exam is an 80-question multiple-choice exam related to the individual's chosen specialty. Specialties include implants, orthodontics, crown and bridge, complete dentures, partial dentures, and ceramics. Lastly, the practical exam is given in a dental laboratory setting to test the hands-on skill of the individual in their chosen specialty. Career Outlook Being a Certified Dental Technician proves your knowledge and ability to do the job, and gives you ground to negotiate a higher salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average yearly salary is $39,090. Dental Technicians are not required to be certified to work. However, most companies are searching for trained and educated individuals. Certified Dental Technicians can select the setting they will work in. Some choose to work at a full-service lab which allows them to diversify their tasks each day. Meanwhile, others may prefer staying within their chosen specialty where their strengths lie in. To maintain certification status, Certified Dental Technicians must complete twelve hours of continuing education (CE) courses per year. This is required to stay up to date with the latest technology, dental practices, and safety standards. The projected growth of the workforce is expected to be 2% from 2021 to 2031, with an average of 9,900 open positions per year. If you are passionate about becoming a Certified Dental Technician and helping the people in your community, now is a great time to take the first steps. The sacrifice and hard work will be worth the reward in the future! Article Content References “Dental and Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians and Medical Appliance Technicians : Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4 Oct. 2022, www.bls.gov/ooh/production/dental-and-ophthalmic-laboratory-technicians-and-medical-appliance-technicians.htm. “CDT Application & Exam Process - National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology.” , nbccert.org/certificants/certified-dental-technician/cdt-application.cfm. “Certified Dental Technician (CDT) Continuing Education Requirements - National Board for Certification in Dental Laboratory Technology.” , nbccert.org/education/cdt-requirements.cfm.
What is Dental Smiles Month? — June is nationally recognized as Dental Smiles Month. The mission behind the campaign is to bring awareness to the importance of dental health and promote healthy smiles. A smile matters because often it is the first feature we notice about one another and a way to express confidence. The health of your oral cavity is directly linked to your overall wellness, and many health conditions can arise from bacteria spreading from the mouth to the rest of the body. Dental Smiles Month is dedicated to making dental resources available and educating the community. Serve Your Local Community Serving your community well can be beneficial to yourself and others during the process of establishing your dental office in the local community. Serving others establishes rapport and can give insight into the values of a dental office. Also, it can be rewarding to be able to contribute to the community. Many ways in which that can be done are through volunteering, monetary contributions, and donating dental supplies. 1. In-Office Free Dental Service Day Designating a day once a month to offer free services can benefit those in the community and your office. This is a way to give back to the community and bring in people who may never have stepped into your office otherwise. Getting their foot in the door can lead to a long-lasting relationship in which they continue returning for future treatment and refer others. Free clinic days should still require scheduled appointments ahead of time to ensure the dental team does not feel overwhelmed. These designated days can include services such as: Radiograph Day Dental Hygiene Day Invisalign Consults Day Restorative Treatment Day 2. Host School Dental Assemblies Hosting a school assembly about the importance of dental health is a great way to make dental education fun for children. Did you know in the US, dental caries are the number one most common preventable childhood disease? Providing a space to educate students on how to take care of their teeth equips children with the knowledge to make changes that can improve their dental health. Dental education can influence change which has the opportunity to create a lasting impact that benefits them now and in the future. Providing demonstrations during the assembly can ensure the children are using dental products correctly, and gifting goodie bags containing these products can enhance dental hygiene routines such as: Brushing Timer Tongue Scraper Mouth Rinse Toothbrush Toothpaste Floss 3. Use Your Social Media/Website To Provide Dental Educational Tools Creating a platform on social media sites and a dedicated website is necessary today for any dental office to stand out among the competition. These platforms can be leveraged to educate more people about dental health and provide value to current patients. Providing dental educational tools is also a way to market your office for others to find and become a part of the dental family. Educational tools can be provided in the form of videos, text, and blog posts dedicated to a specific topic. This information can consist of topics such as preparing a child for their first dental appointment, pediatric dental care, braces, Invisalign, adult dental hygiene routines, etc. Trusted information from a reliable resource is invaluable and necessary for those looking to find answers. 4. Team Up With Local Sports Leagues Gaining the attention of those in your local community can be accomplished by sponsoring local sports teams. The teams can vary from little leagues to professional sports leagues in your area. Typically, a donation will be made on your behalf in exchange for advertisements with your office name and logo on team jerseys, banners, and various advertisements. The sporting events can provide an opportunity for your office to set up a booth to talk to attendees, hand out flyers, and raffle dental items and services. In addition, free tickets are provided to games which can be distributed to dental team members for a group outing! 5. Support Non-Profit Dental Clinics Non-profit dental clinics provide dental services to those who are low-income and uninsured. They rely heavily on funding and support given by the community to keep their clinic afloat. Therefore, donations and volunteers are necessary to continue their efforts. Volunteering at a non-profit dental clinic is a great way to have a positive impact on your local community if your budget does not have the capacity for donations otherwise. Donating your time and expertise can be equally as valuable! Spread Awareness Of The Importance Of Dental Health With A Smile! Article Content References Benjamin, Regina M. “Oral Health: The Silent Epidemic.” Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2821841/. *Please note that this article has been written by a guest writer, and the opinions expressed therein may not necessarily reflect those of the company.
Most of the time a Dental Assistant will reach a cap on how much they are able to make hourly. This isn’t uncommon for most jobs, but especially Dental Assistants. Many are passionate about what they do and don’t care about the pay. If you are someone who is looking to make extra cash while not leaving your current job, or even having to leave the comfort of your couch, we got you! In this article we will dive into online side hustles you can easily pick up while working as a dental assistant whether it’s full time or part time. Starting your own blog What are your hobbies? What do you like to spend time doing or chatting about? If you like to write, then this may be the side hustle for you. You are able to build a business you love to educate, entertain, or provide opinion based feedback. If this interests you, we have found an easy step by step guide by Scott Chow to get you started! https://www.theblogstarter.com/?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwpayjBhAnEiwA-7ena4vMCSyLM6Bh0kTh5ZzAdJqoW-hjfpzBO64J3P9GGr28j95G7VeiKBoCSvQQAvD_BwE This guide will provide you with everything you’ll need to get started with blogging. If you remain consistent with this, it can become quite the lucrative side hustle. Selling clothes, shoes, home goods, etc If you love fashion, but find yourself only wearing items of clothing one or two times only to never see them again. Reselling is a great side hustle you can do from home! Like many, trends and your tastes in clothing or homewear can change over time. This can be a pretty easy way to earn extra income and profit from what you originally purchased. There are many secure sites out there for this like Poshmark, Depop, Grailed, Amazon store fronts, etc. This side hustle takes very little time to set up and actually get going. Here you will find how to set up a profile with one of these sites and get to selling right away. https://www.themodestman.com/how-to-sell-clothes-online/ Freelance work You may have heard this term a time or two, but in case you haven't, freelance is a type of self employment. You essentially choose when and who you would like to work with. This means that since you have the freedom of choosing your own days and hours, it can be the perfect side hustle job opportunity. An example of one of these jobs could be a virtual assistant. https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-make-money NerdWallet provides all of the details you need to see if this could be the right fit for you and your lifestyle. Social media manager If you’re someone that likes to spend time on social media platforms, then you can get paid for it too! Being on social media is how most businesses market themselves nowadays because it’s fairly inexpensive to what other marketing methods cost. With how much time we spend on social media daily, this is now turned into a job opportunity for some. For someone that likes to create and post content, the job itself is a great side hustle all from your phone. “Businesses will now hire social media managers to expand their online presence and brand awareness, increase sales and revenue, and attract business opportunities. Primarily, social media managers create content with heavy marketing strategies to attract potential customers and clients.” Says Jason Fell from the 8 best online side hustles. https://www.entrepreneur.com/guide/side-hustles/the-8-best-online-side-hustles-of-2023 Teach a language remotely If you think about it, there are people all over the world that speak a different language than you do (whichever one you may speak primarily) and would like to learn the language you speak as a second language, third, sometimes even fourth. This side hustle can be a great way to make extra cash as you get paid by the hour for your services. A lot of things can be done online now, so teaching a student one on one is no different! You don’t need any teaching experience to join these sites, but most do require you to have a Bachelor’s degree. Once you’ve picked up a few regular clients and made a name for yourself, it will be easier to attain a consistent income for yourself. https://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/building-websites/best-side-hustles/ Start a Youtube channel This option leaves you with a lot of room to completely customize your content to what you want, like, and the audience you are targeting. Although this side hustle can take some time before you see the income, it’s definitely worth it since you are 100% in control. One idea can be a faceless channel. This means you create videos with voice overs, photos, clips of other things besides your face. So no need to worry if you’re camera shy. Be sure to publish your content on a consistent basis with a niche. The goal is to gain a following so you can be paid for views, brand deals, and sponsorships. Turn a hobby into a business. You can easily sell the art you create online for extra income. You can gain a following this way as well and have people customize or request certain orders to fit what they are looking for. This side hustle again, allows you to be 100% creative on your own time and be passionate about a project you are working on. Many people sell handmade items or original artwork online, either through an independent online shop or through different selling sites. https://www.coursera.org/articles/side-hustles-from-home Test Websites Testing websites sounds a lot more technical than it really is. You aren’t required to have any technical background in order to do this job. Essentially, this role will have you testing different sites and seeing if there are any bugs or improvements to be made. You report back any errors or feedback and that’s it. You can work on your time without a strict schedule with certain hours, so you are able to make it work whenever you have free time. https://www.digitalnomadsoul.com/online-side-hustles/ Creating templates/layouts/digital wallpapers As you can see this side hustle all has one thing in common, it’s completely digital and all for online use only. If you are artistic and like to create, this can create a fun side job for extra cash. Focus on the different prints you’d like to create for a specific audience. Are we wanting them to be templates for birthday E-invites? What kind of phone wallpapers can they access if you offer different themes? You can create a large variety of different templates, layouts, and digital wallpapers to sell to larger companies for use. Or you can sell them individually to whomever is looking to purchase them from you. https://yesimadesigner.com/the-best-online-side-hustle-ideas-for-creatives/ Online Surveys That’s right, get paid to take surveys online! It’s pretty simple to do too. These companies will notify you if they have a survey that matches your profile. These are typically online market research polls for influential brands. It may not be as lucrative as the other side hustles mentioned above, but it’s still a good way to earn extra cash aside from being a Dental Assistant. Sometimes the day to day can get busy, and this option provides little effort. https://www.entrepreneurmakeover.com/fast-side-hustles All in all, whether you work part time, looking to make more money, need something remote, etc. We have you covered. Start by assessing your skills, consider the environment in which you would be working in, and find your niche or hobby that interests you. Your side hustle should be fun and not feel like a burden. Hopefully these 10 ideas will help you get started as a Dental Assistant looking for a side hustle.
In this exciting podcast episode, Melissa Widner, CEO of Lighter Capital, sits down with Tiger Safarov, the founder of ZenSupplies, to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and the valuable lessons he's learned with his Dental Tech Startup. ZenSupplies is a dental management system designed to streamline the day-to-day operations of dental practices, and Tiger's story of how he started the company from scratch is truly inspiring. In recent years, dental tech startups have been on the rise, revolutionizing the way dental practices operate and improving patient care. One such startup making waves in the industry is ZenSupplies, a dental management system designed to streamline the day-to-day operations of dental practices. By leveraging technology, ZenSupplies helps dentists manage inventory, automate ordering, and simplify the process of running a dental practice. Throughout the conversation, Tiger shares his insights into the challenges of raising capital and the importance of choosing the right funding model. He explains why he opted for non-dilutive funding, which allowed him to maintain control of his company while still securing the resources he needed to grow. Listeners will gain valuable insights from Tiger's experience as an entrepreneur, learning about the strategies he used to overcome obstacles and achieve success. Whether you're a seasoned business owner or just starting out on your entrepreneurial journey, this podcast is sure to provide valuable insights and inspiration. So sit back, relax, and tune in to hear Tiger's inspiring story and learn valuable tips for building a thriving Dental Tech Startup in today's ever-changing landscape. Listen to the full episode here:
The success of any dental office depends on the effectiveness of the team working together to achieve a common goal. Dental assistants are one of the most important members of a dental clinic who play a vital role by providing support to the dentist and ensuring the smooth running of the office. However, the dynamics between dental assistants and other team members can be complex and challenging. In this post, we will explore the relationship between dental assistants and other team members in the workplace. We will also touch base on 5 different positions that you may be able to relate to in your workplace. There is a hierarchy in every Dental office and the DentalTown states the order in which this goes is and the dynamics between dental assistants and team: Dentist, Office manager, Hygienists, and assistants with seniority. 1. Lead assistant and assistant. The lead assistant is someone who has more experience and responsibilities around the office. They help take charge of the ordering, staying under budget, making sure inventory is stocked, assistants are contributing to the set up and take down duties, (the list goes on). Although there is a power shift in this dynamic, at the end of the day if you’re doing what you were hired for, the lead assistant is there to help guide you and answer any questions you may not know the answer to! Most lead assistants would prefer to be your friend, and not your enemy. The lead assistant helps the office manager in decision making for the back office staff sometimes. 2. Assistant that’s been there 5 years and the assistant who was hired a week ago. This Senior assistant knows the ins and outs of Dentistry by now. If they aren’t already the lead assistant, you will notice they still hold power around the office. They may even help the office manager on certain tasks as well. For example, training the new assistant that just got hired so that they pick up on all of the correct procedures and habits the Doctor is looking for. 3. Office Manager and assistant The office manager is in charge of making sure everyone and everything is running smoothly. They often help with the entire hiring process…and the firing. The office manager's role in a Dental office is extremely important. If you’ve had multiple jobs you can probably recall a manager you really liked, and one you would never work for again. They are going to be helping the Doctor in certain decision making or problem solving. This role takes a lot of work and dedication to keeping your team happy and hopefully a very low turnover rate. 4. Dental Hygienist and assistant The Dental Hygienist carries a huge responsibility in the office. They are usually running around all day long with minimal free time in between patients. The assistants are responsible for helping the Hygienists out during this time. Helping probe chart, taking X-rays, cleaning and setting up their rooms, and even being able to do coronal polishings or sealants on patients if certified. Hygienists know how important the assistant is to the office and you’ll usually receive a lot of gratitude for taking the extra time in your busy schedule to help them out too. 5. Doctor and assistant This is probably the most important duo in any office. The Doctor is with their assistants day in and day out. With every patient and procedure. As an assistant to the Doctor, you need to know what they need next without even being told. This comes with time and training, but should eventually be an easy task. If you’re constantly having to get up and leave the room, or have appointments set up wrong, this may cause some tension throughout the day. Dental assistants have an important role especially during procedures. The doctor is usually going from room to room so you need to know details like where the anesthetic will go, what tooth or teeth are being worked on, does the patient have any medical concerns before getting started, etc. Also, communication is key in this relationship. The assistant must be able to effectively communicate with the doctor about any concerns or changes in the schedule, and the doctor must be able to communicate clearly about what they need during procedures. Trust is also important, as the doctor must trust that their assistant is competent and capable of handling their responsibilities. So, which one are you? Every job in the Dental office is important and wouldn’t function properly if one role was missing. There are many dynamics between dental assistants and team members and they can be complex and challenging. throughout and the list could go on. If you’re contemplating on which role in the Dental office you think would fit you best, don’t hesitate to ask your local dentist(s) if you can shadow their office for a day! Going into dental, or any schooling pertaining to the dental field, a lot of times offices don’t mind when you shadow them for a day.
Have you ever been getting ready for the workday, or even on the way to work when you get a message that the Doctor will be out of the office at the last minute for a certain reason or another. Maybe you already clocked in for the day and are wondering what to do now? Well, a lot of people don’t have the luxury of just taking the day off. Sometimes just because the Doctor is out of the office, doesn’t mean you can have the day off anyways. This all depends on how busy the office is, what the manager has in mind, what hours you are needing to work, common dental assistant duties, etc. With all of these factors in play, for whatever reason, here is a list of ten things you can do around the office to help make the day go by quicker! 1. Deep cleaning Unless your office has a hired cleaning crew, cleaning the office space is one of the dental assistant duties. It can be office members taking turns, going off of a checklist, designated space to certain people to clean, etc. However your office does it, this is one of the top ways to take advantage of downtime. When you’re working in a very busy dental office, there typically is limited time for cleaning bathrooms, reception area, dusting, scrubbing, the list goes on. Tackling these projects in downtime will keep your office patient friendly, and OSHA compliant as well. You can also keep better track of your dental inventory system by getting rid of expired supplies or items you no longer need in the office. 2. Organizing Who doesn’t love to be organized? It makes the day flow a lot easier, so take advantage of the downtime by organizing your space! Using this time to go through everything and label cabinets, put things in their rightful place again, get rid of old models, cases that are no longer needed, etc. will give you more space for other equipment, make you time efficient, and allow you to feel stress free when looking for something during those busy days. It will also ensure you have everything needed in your inventory. Tiger Safarov, owner of ZenSupplies writes: "The organization of your dental supplies is the key to being able to utilize the software to its true potential": https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/dental-inventory-management-in-a-private-startup-dental-practice-guest-post/. 3. Help your Hygienists In most cases, Hygienists are busy bees with hardly ever any downtime. If you are wondering what to do after your dental assistant duties are completed, they greatly appreciate any help you can provide! For example, you can help them by taking x-rays for their patients, help them perio chart patients, keep up on the sterilization, and help clean and flip their rooms for the next patient. These tasks may seem simple or small, but in the grand scheme of things, it helps them out more than you know. So next time you aren’t sure what to do in downtime don’t hesitate to lend a helping hand to your hygienist(s). 4. Help front office Most dental assistants are cross trained to help up front when needed. This can include anything from scheduling appointments, doing care calls, to checking patients out by taking payments, updating forms, insurance, etc. When there is downtime and you see the reception area flooding with patients, this is a good time to hop in and help keep the flow of the office smooth. Betty Hayden Consulting wrote an entire article on this one topic to really get into all of the details for future dental assistants: https://bettyhaydenconsulting.com/tag/what-to-do-during-dental-office-downtime/#:~:text=During%20downtime%3A&text=Make%20calls%2C%20send%20emails%2C%20postcards,or%20almost%20due%20in%20hygiene. 5. Practice new techniques on each other you need to work on You know what they say, practice makes perfect! This is one of the best ways to continue perfecting your craft as a dental assistant. If the Doctor is out unexpectedly, you can use this time to brush up on skills you are not normally able to do, due to it being busy on the normal day to day. You can grab your other dental assistant friends and practice with each other. Examples of this can be new technology in the office, taking radiographs or intraoral photos, practicing impressions or pouring up models. There are a lot of duties a dental assistant must achieve, and this is a great time to practice some you may need extra help on. 6. Stocking the treatment rooms Making sure all rooms are properly stocked each week is one of the essential dental assistant duties which will prevent you from having to get up and leave the room during an appointment with a patient. You should always keep a list on you of how much you are stocking and of what in each treatment room. Doing this will help keep your lead assistant organized with dental inventory and know when to place an order. Stocking the treatment rooms regularly and when the Doctor happens to be out of the office, will make the flow of the schedule a lot more efficient for you and your team. 7. Prepare for the following work day Assuming the Doctors are going to be back by the next working day, you can prepare by setting up rooms with proper instruments and supplies you’ll need for that day's appointments. An easy way to do this is creating a checklist of what should be done before leaving the office at the end of the day. The Dentaltown has a great post to reference if you’re needing ideas on what should be included into this checklist. They provide opening procedures, daily routine, end of the day, week ending, and end of the month checklists for you: https://www.dentaltown.com/blog/post/6576/dental-assistant-checklists 8. Coronal polishing/sealants Depending on how long the Doctor will be out of the office, this downtime can be another great way to work on expanding your techniques, knowledge, and certifications! If you are already certified in this area, you can help out by taking these patients during the day so they do not have to be rescheduled. It’s quite easy to be certified in this area, all you have to do is research local colleges or dental schools near you that offer this type of training. 9. Social media content This project is a great way to promote your office in downtime when all other jobs have been completed. Everyone loves Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Using these platforms as a way to show your office and team off is a great way to make patients feel like they can relate to you. This makes it a bit more personal and can set the tone for the type of vibe you want your office to have. Taking photos for birthdays, creating funny videos, coming up with and posting a giveaway, (big or small) can take up quite a bit of time, but also be very rewarding. Especially in this day and age where social media is a huge part of almost everyone's life. 10. Decorating for the seasons Having an aesthetically pleasing office really does benefit you when patients are coming in. You can decorate the office for the time of year to give it a more ‘homey’ feel. It’s going to make patients feel a lot more comfortable walking into the office rather than if it was plain, bland, and uninviting. This should be the last priority on the list if everything else above is completed. Often times people will make judgement off of what they see as soon as they walk in the door, so if you have a few extra minutes to hang some paintings, add some throw pillows, or seasonal decorations, this will go a long way in making the patients feel like they aren’t at the dentist so much. ZenSupplies.com - https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/dental-inventory-management-in-a-private-startup-dental-practice-guest-post/ Bettyhaydenconsulting blog post for #4- https://bettyhaydenconsulting.com/tag/what-to-do-during-dental-office-downtime/#:~:text=During%20downtime%3A&text=Make%20calls%2C%20send%20emails%2C%20postcards,or%20almost%20due%20in%20hygiene. Dental assistant checklist #7- https://www.dentaltown.com/blog/post/6576/dental-assistant-checklists
Dental events can be slightly different from the next. You can make an educated guess on how the event may play out from experience, but once you’re there everyone has their own way of how the schedule will run. Here is everything you need to know about what to expect, what took place, and maybe get ideas of your own if you host these kinds of dental events. Place of the event This specific dental event we attended took place in Durham, North Carolina. It was held at the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club. Lightwave Dental put on and organized a great event for their members and vendors. They ensured we had a large space with comfortable seating to converse with others during the time we were there. There were name tags on lanyards provided with the full weekends schedule posted on the back. Big win right there! When there were breaks that allowed offices to come and speak with us, there was a good amount of time to do so. This way no one felt rushed and we were able to really get to know each person coming up to our table. Raffle as an important part of dental events Lightwave made talking with us vendors fun by including a raffle into their weekend where members who attended could win some really great prizes. We got to hand out tons of tickets to people who participated in some friendly competition. One of the vendors present stood out to us. Her name is Celeste Izquierdo. She is a multimedia artist with outstanding paintings. She even created the design for the T-shirts that were up for sale at the event. If you have the chance to take a look at her work, you certainly won't be disappointed. We gave away a green Yeti cooler, and everyone seemed stoked to enter in to win. It was a great way to kick start conversation and introduce everyone to each other around the table. Our winner at the end of the weekend is from Pleasant Plains Dental. Kayla is a lead Hygienist for this office and was extremely excited to win this cooler for the summer! It was great to be a part of such a big dental event with so many in attendance. From the kind faces we met during the day to seeing the band play in the evening, it made the experience unforgettable. Overall, the dental event was extremely successful. We got to connect with people you may only see through a camera or screen, or meet new faces that were interested to learn more about what ZenSupplies has to offer. We look forward to partaking in more of these events in the near future! Links https://www.lightwavedental.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7060327296305434625/?actorCompanyId=15261567
Tiger, some few words about the situation in France… I saw your new services on the website: it's a very good solution. Congratulation !! I don’t know if this document can bring something to your project but it is my way to keep the contact and help : it is essential for me. Take care Tiger Saturday March 13 : Diner with friends at home. As the Prime Minister are announcing a 2 weeks confinement, my friends arrive at home one after the other. Dentists, traders, physiotherapists and parents: we are all affected by this announcement. Tonight, we are already illegal, but let's take advantage of this last moment together in pulpit and bone. Sunday March 14 : My dentist friends provide a responsible guard and welcome 14 people with their usual equipment (surgical masks and gowns). 10 days later… Relieved, we were not positive and no one was infected. Today, we are starting our second week of confinement. For the majority, French people are at home !! A small part remains outside, in front of the infected : the carers. Hospitals are seeing an exponential increase in the number of patients and the first caregiver deaths are recorded. While the tsunami is expected for the next few weeks, the hospitals are gradually organizing themselves materially. In town, general practitioners, nurses and dentists continue to provide emergencies under difficult conditions. and my friends dentists then? During the first week, they no longer had masks to handle emergencies. I managed to find some masks but not enough to work in suitable conditions. This week, the clinics are closed. The SAMU (emergency regulation service) contacts dentists to go to their office to receive patients a day or two for a week. The precursor wants that they must go to the council (Ordre des Medecins) of the order to recover masks FFP2 (the only ones which block the virus. The SMALL stock of surgical masks of the 176 dentists of my city were given to the hospitals. Suppliers no longer deliver and only the government delivers the material. A the start of the epidemy, they have sold matérials with a high price. For example, the price of a FFP2 was 9€ (incrédible). In a second time, Governement regulated prices and now suppliers deliver all except (mask, gloves and other disposable equipment) In the meantime, many dentists have been contaminated because the precautions had not been taken. I wanted to write these few lines to you to share our situation and that you can take advantage of this experience. By sharing, we will be able to work effectively together. “We are stronger together than we are alone” Walter Payton
English is a funny language. Words that are spelled the same can have different pronunciations and wildly different meanings. Words that are spelled differently can mean the exact same thing. To complicate things further, we also like to use everyday words in our slang. This can create some confusing and often humorous situations around these words. Avatar. That word likely brings to mean a number of things. The smash-hit Disney movie by James Cameron likely is first, maybe it is the animated character and show by the same name or the electronic version of oneself on Twitter and the blogosphere. There is still yet another meaning and we are not talking about the incarnation beliefs of the Hindu religion. Merriam-Webster defines avatar in the way we want to use it today perfectly. “An embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person” When setting out to determine what makes a Zen-user avatar, this author had some preconceived notions. Through constant feedback, careful listening, and crunching some data those notions were laid to rest. There was no real correlation between office size, storage locations, the age of the doctor, the age of the team, nor current distributors. The factors that create the Zen Avatar are much truer to the definition listed above. These users embody the philosophy of Zen. Purchasing anything without embracing the philosophy behind that product will ultimately lead to shoving it aside on a shelf somewhere. Let’s use a metaphor. Everyone would like to be in better shape than we are now. Most of us know the steps, even small ones, that we could take for little gains. We could drink more water, do some push-ups every morning, or go for a jog after work. Yet, these things often give way to the other things in our lives. We are not truly too busy or too old to work out. More accurately, we have not embraced or embodied the philosophy that fitness is a lifestyle. Much in the same way, when someone subscribes to Zen, their results can vary. The software does not change but its implementation and consistent use in the dental practice management system moften does. This boils down to which concepts are embraced and which ones are not. Here are some scenarios on both sides of the coin. For example, two doctors want to reduce overhead. They both find Zen, take a demo, and sign up. Doctor 1 sends his only their lead assistant in for training, glosses over the change in a staff meeting, and skips the next training session altogether. I can tell you already this team is set up for failure. On the other hand, Doctor 2 engages their team through the entire process. They discuss “the why” at length so that the team does not feel it is a change for the sake of change. Instead, they see how this new process will benefit and make their lives easier. Everyone who is involved with supplies is in for both training sessions. They ask engaging questions and work to understand what they do not know. The doctor stays involved through the implementation process and holds the team accountable for their end of the bargain. Doctor 1’s office will struggle with buy-in at the team level. “I don’t understand it.” “It just creates extra steps in my day.” “I have my own process.” This team will also not be able to make full use of Zen. They will not verify orders in a timely fashion, which will not allow them to restock their dental inventory management software with one click. Now, they are back to their old ways of counting each item and guessing what they would need for the month to come. Then the end of the month comes in emergency orders are being placed and the budget smashed to ruins. Doctor 2’s office will look far different. They put in some leg work at the beginning but now the team is operating better and freer than ever. There is never a worry whether they will have everything because they always do. Orders come in every two weeks and the team hardly seems to notice. There is not a mad dash to the supply order because everyone knows they will have what they need. The ordering process takes less than 10 minutes and they are using that time to more effectively treat patients. These are small examples of the giant impact that a mindset can have. You see, it is not about much more than that. As a leader or THE leader in the practice, it is your duty to guide the team to function at the highest level possible. This ensures that each patient is getting the highest level of care possible. With any change, there will always be push back. The best offices manage that push back from the onset by effective communication and accountability. Those who choose to cut corners, get an incomplete system in the end and no one is happy with that. The ones willing to put in the work to truly establish a process, end up with a real solution that helps them grow. In summary, it is all about the mentality of the office, the end users. That mentality starts at the top. If a team is finding all of the reasons that a system will not work, I can assure you they will find those excuses in practice. The teams that are finding the solutions to integration will find solutions throughout the entire process. This is not to suggest that we like certain clients better. Through hard work and research, this is what we have found to be true, “It can be a great day or not, the choice is yours.” Embodying this philosophy makes a true ZenSupplies avatar.
ZenSupplies is a lifesaver when implemented and the entire team is on board. In order to understand what does it really take to implement Zen the right way and also provide true feedback from the "trenches", we decided to interview one of our most successful lead dental assistants Brittany Lopez from Castle Peak Dental Tiger Safarov: Okay, awesome. So, I have Brittany on the call today from Castle Peak Dental. She is absolutely the right hand and Dr.Summer always says that she is not only the right hand but the left hand and pretty much takes care of everything at the office is Brittany, right? Brittany: Yes, so I- Tiger Safarov: Did I describe it accurately? Brittany: Ha Ha Ha, pretty much, yes. Tiger Safarov: Yeah, Dr. Summer always tells me about you and she's like I don't know how I can survive without Brittany and I believe that's absolutely true even when I visited you guys, which was probably way too long ago. I need to come back. You were really on top of things. Brittany: I try to be. I mean, we're such a bigger office now than probably when you came and if I'm not on top of things I feel like everything falls apart. Not just me but as a team, but you know, in the back office we've got to keep it together just as much as the front, so. Tiger Safarov: That's true. Well, Brittany let's dive into this, because what I really want to get into your mindset and how do we present this to the Doctors. So, let's just say when we're starting up an office, one of the big questions or worries of Office Managers and Doctors is how the team is going to react to it. What's your take on this? What's the best way to present it? How do we flip the coin so that the Doctor's know how to talk to their team about Zen? Brittany: So, it all just comes down to managing your overhead. I mean, a lot of offices, their team isn't as involved and overhead percentage and keeping it as low as possible as, maybe, some other offices but, you know, in order to gain bonuses and, you know, make your time there worth it, you have to worry about that kind of thing, right? So, in our office, for example, I'm the person who's responsible for making sure overhead is low and if it's not and there are not people contributing with that, then nobody gets a bonus and I feel like that's a huge incentive for people, don't you think? Tiger Safarov: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Brittany: So, go ahead. Tiger Safarov: Yeah, I'll come back to it. You touch on something so important, I always talk about it but I don't want to interrupt you. Brittany: Oh no, you're fine. Tiger Safarov: You know how some offices I go to I know its definitely not your office, but some offices I go to, people say well the doctors are providers or the hygienists are providers too and who are the dental assistants and I feel like if you take over the budgeting for supplies and show the office that you can bring money, you're in the same boat. You're the provider. You're saving money in the budget. That gives so much leverage to the lead dental assistants. Would you agree with that? Brittany: Oh, oh, yeah one-hundred percent. I mean, yes, the dentist are providers as are hygienist but if you're, like, the leader of the back office and, you know, responsible for ordering supplies you're just as important. It's your responsibility to make sure you're getting the right costs, the right percentages, all that stuff in order to function well as an office. Tiger Safarov: That's so true. So, back to that same question. If Dr. Awesome is about to sign up with Zen, and we call him Dr. Awesome because they're signing up with Zen. What's the best way for them to present it to their team and say, like, do it during the morning huddle or what would you say from your standpoint. How did Dr. Summer Kassmel present it and how would you suggest for other doctors to do it? Brittany: Well, she made sure she had enough time to really explain the system and the importance of it during a team meeting where we actually had the time to discuss it and she basically just said, you know, like I touched earlier, overhead's important if you want that extra cash in your pocket. If you, you know, to function smoothly as an office it's important to make sure our supplies are low enough and are running smoothly and with Zen, which is so awesome you're absolutely right, it's just a place where you can make it easier, you know. We have our budgeting on there. Brittany: We have all the distributes on there. It's just an easy system and one go-to place where the front office can order, the back office can order. Whatever you need is in one place and I think that's the most important part because I think that at least for me, it was super stressful to log on to a bunch of different websites and find what I needed and go back and forth to find the lowest price and the best product and, you know, I'm sure its super stressful for assistants that don't have the time to do so and so that in itself was, like, the best benefit to why I first mentioned Zen and your company. Tiger Safarov: Mm-hmm, right there. Let's take the next step. Let's just say you're the lead dental assistant. You're pretty much; you and I are setting up Zen. We're going through this whole product inventory and then we get to the point where I say okay Brittany so now I'm going to give you homework. It's going to be- not moving forward but your homework for the next training to add quantities and you're like “uh-oh, that's an extra step on my plate that I'm not sure if I have time to do.” Tiger Safarov: How do you think we can overcome that? How would you suggest for the team members or if that's something you think we should truly do as Zen, maybe that's the case but when we get to these quantities and setting up the quantities in the dental inventory system, what's your take on that? Brittany: You know, you're right it is a bunch of work on the forefront. That is dedication and making sure you have enough time to do so and I think that's where your other team members and dental assistants, you know, I guess it depends on the size of the office and how many you have but that's why the team works together to give you that time to do the quantities and figuring out the inventory. That's the only way I feel like you can get Zen to work in the first place is if you figure out what you have and how much you need. I mean for me it was more so doing it on my off time, you know, unfortunately because I didn't have the time to do so but, I think that's a great opportunity for other assistants to work together to figure out what's best and that's why we have Dr. Kasmel helped because like you said she's my right hand but it's definitely worth it once it's figured out. Tiger Safarov: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, okay. So, did you guys have anything, like, you know for example you sat down with a team and said okay guys in order for me to set up Zen, I need five-six-seven hours and by the way, that's another question? How long did it take you to get all the quantities into Zen? Brittany: I broke it up into a couple of days, spending like an hour or two each day. So, I would say, like, just breaking it up like a good week, to be honest. Just, like, with an hour to two a day. Tiger Safarov: Mm-hmm. What if a dental practice wants to go cold turkey and just sit down for whatever number of days to get all of this figured out. What would you say? A day or two? Brittany: Depending on the average I would say yeah, a day or two. Tiger Safarov: Okay and so, how did you guys approach it when you sit down with a team and said hey guys I will need an hour or two a day to work on this. Can you guys cover me up on certain procedures or what was the discussion like? Brittany: Basically, I just let my team members know, you know, Dr. Kassmel had already introduced Zen and the importance of it and why we are switching to you guys. So, I just, you know, had to make sure my team members were on board with them taking over procedures for me. Just basically saying, like, hey if we want this system to work and we want the best possible outcome there is, then this is something I have to do and, you know, I just made sure- Rachel, that's our other assistant. I just made sure she was able to cover where she could and then I just used Dr. Kassmel as best I could when needed. Tiger Safarov: Awesome, and you definitely got huge support from Dr. Kassmel, right? Brittany: Oh, definitely. She is my biggest supporter, the offices biggest supporter, she just is amazing. Tiger Safarov: Okay. I do want to touch on this very quickly. From your experience, how much during the implementation or after implementation the doctor should be involved in Zen. What are the touch points that you absolutely need the doctor for? Brittany: I definitely think in the beginning to implement it into the team I think definitely having the doctor have your back or whoever it is ordering whether it be the lead assistant or whoever, having your back and letting the team know, like, hey, this is their system. This is why it's important. This is what we're doing and then just being able to set the budget, obviously. Dr. Kassmel is very hands-on when it came to budgeting, kind of finding the lowest prices and then once it was all set up and all said and done she, kind of, just left it in my hands to, kind of, just play with and figure out and now, you know, its like second nature to me but in the beginning she was one-hundred percent involved in every single piece of it. Tiger Safarov: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Next question is tough. The ZenOut. Every time we do the demo's, or the trainings, or a simple implementation it gets to the point where some of the practices, not all, but some of the best dental practice software practices get to the Zen Out app and see it as one of their challenges, since they need to get the whole team to ZenOut the products, similar to scanning, but on the app. What was your process for this? How were you able to get the team to ZenOut products? Brittany: So, what I did was I got a whiteboard and I put-like we're a smaller office so I was able to put like, you know they had two hygienists so I put each of their names. We only had two assistants so I put each of their names and then I just put, like, Doctor's and front office and I labeled all of that on a whiteboard and just basically told the team when you take something, you know, the last of something I need you to write it on the whiteboard and then at the end of the day go Zen it out. Brittany: I did it daily because I didn't want a few days to go by or it be the end of the week and then somebody forget or it just-I felt like it'd get tossed to the corner and then it'd get left behind so I made sure it was a daily thing and then on the little I-Pad that we the Zen out app on, I put super simple instructions on how to Zen out so that a front office person or a hygienist who has no extra time, it literally- and I timed it, it literally took like a minute if not a minute and a half for them to log-in, Zen out what they needed to and then move on with their day. Tiger Safarov: Wow. Would it be possible for you to take a picture of the ? We can erase the names so that people don't see it. Do you mind if I included part of the article? Brittany: Oh, no not at all. Tiger Safarov: Okay, that would be so cool and then also the instructions for the Zen out. I would love to share it with the rest of the people. Brittany: Okay. Tiger Safarov: Alright, so probably as we're wrapping up one of the last questions is for us at Zen when we think about the valid that we bring to dental assistants, like, it's great that there are a price comparison and budgeting and that you spend less money on dental supplies but one of the biggest things for me personally is the time. I love to think, or I tend to think, that with Zen essentially you're spending less time managing inventory and taking control of the inventory. Tiger Safarov: I want you to ask if that's true or not and how much we impacted the time part of your life? Brittany: Oh my gosh, it's one-hundred percent true and I can definitely say my time spending with Zen as opposed to when I used to order is cut in half. I order bi-weekly and before I used to have to put a block for, like, two hours to, like, stalk everything, look through all my inventory and then order from like I said different websites, different companies and with Zen it literally only takes me like half an hour if that because I know what I'm low on. I know what I have to order. I know the lowest price and it's in one spot. Zen is like a lifesaver so thank you so much. I love it. Tiger Safarov: Wow, that's awesome. I really appreciate it, it means a lot. I just really wanted to get that honest feedback from you because I know you're always honest and it's, like, truly the impact of Zen and if we're moving in the right direction because like I said my biggest thing is time and it’s the only thing we can never get back and one thing I want to strive for is for our assistants to make sure that you guys don't waste time on just things that don't matter. Brittany: Oh, one-hundred percent and I think you guys are doing a great job with what you're offering and I think any kind of office or assistant should definitely use Zen because like you said it's a time saver more than anything. Like the price comparison is amazing, don't get me wrong, but, you know, to have that time to be able to do your other duties or just assist I think being able to use Zen and do it that quickly, as long as its implemented right, then I think it's just amazing. Tiger Safarov: I one-hundred percent agree with you. As we're wrapping up, what do you think would be the final suggestions you have for the offices. Like, as they're looking to implement Zen, what would you say is your one or two or three tricks or, like, maybe short cuts, even though I hate short cuts but what would you say is the thing? Brittany: It would definitely be, be patient with it because I know in the beginning it may feel like its tedious just putting your distributes in one spot and your inventory count and, you know, quantity and all that but just making sure the team implements ZenOut because if you don't do that or, you say, forget or your team's not on board then it puts more work on whoever it is ordering. It makes you have to go back and re-count your inventory and it's just making sure the team implements it just as much as you first and foremost and then you just have to mess around with it. I did a lot of research on it playing around with it and just finding quickest ways and distributes you can to make it that much easier and quicker. Tiger Safarov: You're so awesome. Thank you, thank you so much. Brittany: I appreciate it. Tiger Safarov: Yeah, like, from day one I knew that you guys were going to be awesome, you know. I can definitely say you're one of my top five's, that's for sure and it's so much fun too. Even I know when you go into the chat and ask some questions because when I go back and I listen or I look at the chat messages I know there's going to be some gold there because when you ask questions its probably something we don't have as a feature that we need to look back and maybe build it, you know. That's how I look at it. Brittany: Right, and I love that you guys are so on top of it. Any time I do have questions or concerns you get back to me if not instantly, like, within twenty-four hours so I appreciate your guy's customer service as well. Tiger Safarov: Awesome. Brittany, thank you so much. I don't want to take more of your time. I'm just grateful to have you, that's all I can say. Thank you. Brittany: I am grateful for you and Zen. You guys have saved us so much time and money and what you're doing is amazing and so I'm so thankful for you and your team. Tiger Safarov: It means a lot. Well, keep doing that. Alright, so, thank you so much. We'll be wrapping up and this episode will be available on our blog so subscribe it and Brittany I probably am really clued- I'll just see if anyone has any questions for you if they want to reach out to you I'll just ask them to reach out to us first and we'll coordinate it so you don't get bombarded with questions, okay? Brittany: Okay, that's perfect, no worries and I will send you over the picture of the instructions and the whiteboard. I don't work today or tomorrow but if you need it by a certain time before next week, I can get that to you. Tiger Safarov: Awesome, awesome.
We've always wanted to put together a completely unbiased guide for STARTUPS for your first dental supplies order. I couldn't do it without my good friend Dr. Andy Tran DMD, wh opened a practice in Austin Texas in February of 2019. It's a rather short interview, so get comfortable, take notes and get ready for what could possibly save you Thousands! Interview Notes: Step 1 Gather templates, startup lists from your friends or download what Dr. Andy used below Dr. Andy Tran template is here Step 2 Know your products. Spend time on Clinicians Choice to look for product reviews and assemble a list of items that you will be using at your dental practice software. Dr. Andy's focus was on main procedures such a are Extractions, Fillings, Restorative, Endo. Since it’s your practice it makes sense to do thorough research. Use places like Dentaltown.com and Facebook Dental Group (The Making of a Dental Startup is a great resource). Step 3 Create your own initial list. Then use it to get quotes from supply reps. I usually recommend this step because we have seen (at Zen) prices varying dramatically based on your physical location. So if you are located in a rural area then you might get really good prices even from the reps. Make sure to tell reps to quote EXACTLY what’s on the spreadsheet (you will hear from Andy his story about this step). Also, do not buy into intimidation such as “well doc how are you going to practice without this little plastic that makes everyone’s life easier”. Step 4 While you waiting for supply reps to quote your list (which might take 2-4 weeks) start using a site such are Scottsdental.com Dentalcity.com. Open accounts with buying groups – Synergy group is free and offers great savings with Brand name products Step 5 Make your final decision 3-4 weeks before the opening. You don’t want earlier because construction is still in progress and products can get damaged (unless you ship them to your house). More importantly, you don’t want to wait until the actual opening. Many dental products are back-ordered and if you are purchasing items off of eBay it may be shipped from different parts of the world. You can contact Dr. Andy Tran for more information at DoctorTranDMD at Gmail dot com