Dental industry news, trends and information from Patterson Dental.
Campers instead of patients, canoes instead of exam chairs, a treehouse instead of a waiting room, and counselors instead of staff. Dr. Raelene Fulford combined her passion for pediatric dentistry with her love of the outdoors to create a one-of-a-kind dentist office.
“Employees are a company’s greatest asset – they’re your competitive advantage. You want to attract and retain the best: provide them with encouragement, stimulus, and make them feel that they are an integral part of the company’s mission.” -Anne M. Mulcahy It’s true! The greatest […]
Cheers to a successful 2016! You welcomed numerous new patients to your practice, performed countless restorations, and feel great about the beautiful smiles you’ve created. There’s no arguing that dentistry is an admirable profession that changes peoples’ lives for the better. But, as you (and […]
Doctors Steven Ozer and Anne Norris-Ozer built their thriving Manhattan Beach, Calif., dental practice, Beach Teeth, while raising three sons who are now ages 22, 24 and 26. When their first son was just six months old, the Ozers hired a consultant to help with […]
Being an endodontist is no easy task, especially when you consider that one of the big challenges is breaking down the perception that a lot of patients have of what their visit is going to be like. As Dr. Garrett Morris, endodontist in Metairie, La., explains […]
“I’m a big rock and roll fan and have been since I was young,” said Anthony Hatch, DDS, who has decked out his San Diego practice with rock and roll memorabilia. “My first concert was Ratt, who I went to see when I was 15.” […]
When Laura Hatch and her husband, dentist Anthony Hatch, opened the doors at their Maryland practice in 2003, they chose a rock and roll theme that has carried over to their new practice in San Diego – Scripps Rock Dental, which they opened in 2008. […]
Dee Dee Meevasin, DMD, has learned a lot from her mentor, Dr. James Saycich, her dentist since she was a child. Dr. Saycich inspired her to go into dentistry while she worked as his assistant in high school. After graduating from the University of Las […]
“So how do you put a geeky germophobe to good use? Make him office manager.” This is the introduction to Mike Cruz, Office Manager at Dee for Dentist Family & Cosmetic Dental Care, on the practice website. Each team member is featured on the site […]
For Peter J. Repole, DMD, and his wife, Mary, the coastal town of Eastport, Maine became a beloved vacation destination because of its breathtaking natural beauty and small town atmosphere. The couple visited frequently from their home in northern Virginia, where they owned a successful […]
When Dr. William Shattuck graduated from the dental program at the University of Texas at Houston in 2012, he had narrowed his practice search down to three criteria. He wanted to work with staff members who had the knowledge and drive to make the treatment […]
By 2010 Rich Cooper, DDS, and his staff members had built West Loop Dental Associates, Ltd. into a thriving practice in the trendy West Loop neighborhood of Chicago, Ill. As much as he enjoyed helping patients, Dr. Cooper felt that the day-to-day tasks of dentistry […]
When Erin Roberts, DDS, purchased a dental office from a retiring dentist to open Healthy Smiles in Enid, Okla. in 2003, she had no idea what kind of challenges she would face with the outdated office and equipment. There was little room to move around, […]
When Mark W. Heidebrecht, DDS, started his practice, Gentility Dentistry in Wichita, Kan., he wanted to create an atmosphere that supports good dentistry. “I really want to do what’s best – to have the best technology and give my patients the best care possible,” he […]
Kristen Burris, DDS, started her dental practice in Shattuck, Oklahoma, more than 20 years ago after she and her husband bought a cattle ranch and moved across the state. Although she was excited about the possibilities, Burris says that fear set in when she realized […]
When Cecilia Mescain, COO at Smile Central Dental, P.C. in Paterson, N.J., lists off her many responsibilities it makes you wonder how one person can achieve so much. From handling payroll, billing, accounting, training, marketing, and compliance issues, to managing more than 80 staff members […]
Dr. Jeff Just of Just Orthodontics doesn’t believe he was predestined to be an orthodontist. Though his father and his grandfather were orthodontists before him, he says he came to the profession after seeing their passion for serving people in the community. For more than […]
Every endodontist has two words working against them before a patient even sets foot in the dental practice: “root canal”. With a patient base that is often unfamiliar with him and nearly always apprehensive about the work he’ll perform, endodontist Dr. Garrett Morris has his […]
Dr. Garrett Morris has two words working against him before patients ever set foot in his practice: “root canal.” Dr. Morris, of Endodontic Specialists in Metairie, La., said there’s a stigma attached to root canals that makes patients apprehensive and fearful, and he sees it […]
Dr. Ed Hood of Hood Dental Care in Denham Springs, La., cherishes his relationships with his patients. It was his desire to serve people that attracted him to dentistry nearly 30 years ago. And it’s the relationships that developed in that time that keep him […]
In his 28 years of practicing dentistry, Dr. Ed Hood hasn’t learned everything. Though he still learns something new every day, he’s always known the importance of relationships. “People don’t buy fillings. They don’t buy crowns. They buy relationships and they buy the way that […]
There is a strong connection between oral health and overall health. That’s not news to you, but too often, it is news to patients. One of the goals of Hygiene Assistant Cynthia Clegg is to help patients understand how taking care of their oral health […]
For Nicole Mathewson, the patient experience starts with comfort. Nicole, office manager at Hadfield Dental Care in Lehi, Utah, sees many patients who approach visits to the dentist with some level of anxiety. Making them comfortable has been a focus at Hadfield Dental, and it’s […]
There are many factors that contribute to a patient’s comfort level with their dentist. Added up, these factors can make a world of difference for a practice. Nicole Mathewson, office manager at Hadfield Dental Care in Lehi, Utah, and her fellow staff members work to […]
A young dentist breaking out of dental school and into the profession has plenty to worry about. A partnership with Patterson Dental can help ease some of those concerns. That’s what Dr. Randal Hadfield discovered as he prepared to launch his first practice. A second-generation […]
Is your staff as engaged as you would like them to be? Are they energetic and excited when they walk through your office doors in the morning? Will they greet your patients with a friendly, welcoming smile each day? Are they consistently demonstrating a high […]
By promising a partnership with the practices it supports, Patterson Dental shows that its focus is on helping practices succeed. Dr. Randal Hadfield came to that conclusion when he started working with Patterson as he set up his first practice. Dr. Hadfield’s practice, Hadfield Dental […]
Sometimes, attitudes can build monuments. My job is to help doctors and their staff members improve their dental practices. In the past 15 years I have visited well over a thousand dental offices, which has helped me to understand what works and what doesn’t. There […]
The successful implementation of technology in the dental office has been a game changer for many dental office administrators including myself. Our office is a fully digital (chartless) office, run effortlessly with our Eaglesoft “brain”, which greatly reduces administrative time spent dealing with paper charts. […]
When was the last time you sat down with your dental team and talked about the purpose of dentistry? Was it your last team meeting? Maybe at an annual planning session? If you’ve never conducted a joint exercise in drafting your practice’s mission statement, now […]