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The Whitening Blueprint

12/1/2021

 
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​A training and strategy program aims to help Australian dentists up their whitening game and reclaim lost territory.
 
By Danny Chan
 
It seems everywhere you turn in the news and mass media, the teeth whitening market is experiencing a boom, but talk to an Australian dentist and the picture may look very different. Just ask Stephen Douglas, owner of Boutique Whitening, who has conducted 2000 interviews with principal dentists over 400 practice visits.
 
After chatting with a great number of Aussie practitioners about their whitening business, Douglas arrived at this unsettling conclusion: “Many dentists and their practices suffer and struggle from poor teeth whitening results. The consequences are disappointed patients, multiple complaints about sensitivity and lacklustre profitability.”
 
The whitening entrepreneur’s findings seem to agree with a 2018 study conducted by the Australian Dental Association, which found that more than two-thirds of people aged 18 to 35 who've whitened their teeth didn’t go to a professional.
 
While only 6% of whitening customers are going to non-dentist services for their cosmetic therapy, the ADA study found that 50% are buying over-the-counter (OTC) DIY kits from websites, chemists or beauty salons.
 
With or without you
 
Being excluded from a lucrative market, however, isn’t the only bugbear for Australian dentists.
 
“Less than half of those who bleached their teeth in 2020 did so under the supervision of a dentist,” Douglas says, alluding to patient safety concerns.
 
“And 65% of those surveyed were oblivious to the risks of home whitening.”
 
Australian regulations on teeth whitening, Douglas adds, are not helping the situation. He cited an August ruling which capped the non-dentist use of beaching gels at 6% for Hydrogen Peroxide and 18% for Carbamide Peroxide.
 
This gave non-dentist whitening service providers more leeway as compared to European legislation, which Douglas says precludes non-dentists from administering whitening gels above 0.01% Hydrogen Peroxide.
 
“Some dentists are coming to whitening vendors like me for 9% Hydrogen Peroxide gels just to maintain leverage over the non-dentist whitening methods, but a higher bleaching strength does not necessarily equate to a better bleach,” Douglas stresses.
 
“On the other hand, you can walk into Coles today and buy a whitening strip that contains 5.9% Hydrogen Peroxide without dentist supervision, but is it safe?”
 
Give me five!
 
In a bid to help dentists regain their footing in the teeth whitening space – in so doing increasing the level of patient safety and awareness – Douglas has launched The Expert Whitening Secrets training and strategy program.
 
As part of The Whitening Project that Douglas also created, the program is touted as a blueprint to teach dentists “the skills and techniques used by thousands of UK dentists to solve these dilemmas and set you on the road to a more profitable practice, all built on a foundation of teeth whitening.”
 
The program comprises of a 75-minute live session that dentists can access for $37. It includes a pre-recorded training session on teeth whitening protocols from Professor Van Haywood, a US-based practitioner whom Douglas refers to as the 'Godfather' of tooth bleaching. Dentists will also receive a complimentary Boutique whitening kit with a market value of $300 when they order the training program.
 
The five main components of the 56-page “blueprint” are as follows:
 
#1: Understanding the whitening market, and the advantages that a dental practice has over their competition.
 
#2: How to avoid the five biggest teeth whitening myths or mistakes.
 
#3: Debunking false beliefs, and how to successfully treat two stains. “And that really is the science and the patient compliance part,” Douglas adds.
 
#4: How the dental team can identify patients that are considering whitening, increase or improve their patient acceptance rates by converting them into paying customers.
 
#5: How to integrate the practice with Boutique, using their complimentary and bespoke package.
 
All in the package
 
Without giving too much away, Douglas says the program developers favour the home whitening method over in-chair whitening – “it makes better business sense for the practice as well as the patient getting far superior results.”
 
While customers are welcomed to use Boutique’s whitening products, Douglas insists the program isn’t tied to any brand per se. That is not to say he isn’t confident about his products. In fact, Boutique offers a full refund if customers are not completely satisfied with their kits. There’s no catch with the paltry $37 program fee as well.
 
“$37 represents a micro commitment to signal one’s interest,” he emphasises.
 
“We believe that if you follow the framework and build these protocols in, you’ll get really good results.”

The medium is the message

11/11/2021

 
The medium is the message | Podium | The River Tree | Danny Chan
The medium is the message | Podium | The River Tree | Danny Chan
The medium is the message | Dave Schiene | Podium | The River Tree | Danny ChanDave Schiene
​If statistics are anything to go by, dental practices that do not provide SMS text messaging services may be shortchanging their customers.
 
By Danny Chan
 
Question: Do the majority of Australian customers prefer to interact with businesses by phone or email? According to a recent business survey on customer communication trends, the answer may well be neither.
 
Results of the 2021 Local Business Messaging Trends Report (Australia Edition) show that almost 66% of consumers agree that having the option to text businesses would significantly increase convenience.
 
Most Australian consumers still call or email their local businesses as they are the predominant modes of interaction that businesses offer. Tellingly, the same survey found that only 12% of local businesses use text as a marketing tool.
 
Closing the gap
 
According to Dave Schiene, the Australia Country Manager of Podium, the company behind the survey, dental practice owners have much to gain from closing this gap in service.
 
“Today, so many of us live and work via our smartphones. For local businesses, this presents a significant opportunity,” he says.
 
“According to our report, Aussies on average open text messaging within three minutes. Our research also found that 95% of texts were opened in that time and overall texts have an open rate of 98 per cent.
 
“These statistics are important factors for businesses within the dental industry as it’s proof of how customers prefer to communicate and are looking for channels that offer convenience and speed.”
 
Podium is an SMS-based platform that helps local businesses receive reviews, collect payments, send SMS campaigns, and centralise their communications. Podium’s centralised platform even aggregates communications from channels such as Google, Facebook, Instagram and TripAdvisor.
 
Launched in 2014, the business serves more than 100,000 local businesses in the United States, Canada and Australia. Schiene says their customer base in Australia has almost quadrupled to over 3,000 local businesses since the start of the pandemic.
 
“Locally, we have over 70 employees in Australia and want to significantly expand our headcount to almost double that over the coming 12 months,” he adds.
 
Numbers don’t lie
 
Whether disseminating the latest teeth whitening offer, new patient promotion or announcing a new branch opening, many dentists are turning to EDM (electronic direct mail) and other SEO-driven, web-based campaigns to keep their patients informed.
 
Yet few are aware that SMS open rates are as high as 98%, compared to the email’s average open rate of 18% and click-through rate of just 2.6%. On average, it takes 90 seconds for someone to respond to a text as compared to 90 minutes for an email.
 
“It’s evident from our research that consumers want personal conversations with a business. Over half (56%) of mobile messaging is done through SMS texting (or iMessage) while the remaining 44% is done via third party apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger. Text has a 209% higher response rate than phone, email, or Facebook,” Schiene says.
 
“In terms of promotional messaging, our research revealed that 75% of consumers welcome SMS messages, when opted in. Consumers also redeem SMS coupons or promotions 10 times more than other types of coupons.
 
“When consumers were asked which channels they would like, but do not currently use, to learn about promotions from local businesses they frequent, text messaging was the top choice – higher than email, website or social media.”
 
More than just text
 
Some businesses underestimate SMS due to the common perception that it is less versatile than email marketing, which has the benefit of displaying colour, pictures and even animated content. Did you know that, apart from sending out appointment reminders and the occasional promotional blurb, SMS can help to increase your lead generation, conversion rates and feedback gathering?
 
Those are some of the practical benefits realised by Cairns Dental Precision Group via Podium’s turnkey messaging services. Built around text messaging, Podium offers a range of communication services aimed at helping the practice more effectively connect with their patients: Reviews, Payments, Webchat, Feedback, Teamchat, Inbox, Videochat and Campaigns.
 
“By using the ‘Campaigns’ tool, the practice was able to use SMS for customer service, updates and promotions,” Schiene says.
 
“Customers also used SMS to contact the dental practice directly which simplified scheduling appointments and gave patients the opportunity to opt-in to be notified for upcoming promotions and offers.”
 
Since working with Podium, Cairns Precision Dental Group’s opt-in list for text communication has grown to over 3,300 subscribers. By streamlining the process of leaving a review, the Group saw its average star rating increase from 4.47 to 4.85 and over 100 reviews were posted within the first month.
 
“Reviews is a great tool that can streamline the review collection process. Reviews automatically sends patients an invitation to leave a review via text message after their appointment, encouraging them to share their experience,” Schiene explains.
 
“This way, patients have an easy and convenient way to leave a review. Webchat allows them to engage with the business instantly, with a human-to-human interaction, rather than through email.”
 
The message is clear
 
While the phone and email are still utilised for customer interactions, Schiene says the trend is unmistakable if you pay attention to what customers really want.
 
“Our research shows that messaging has taken over. Customers use the phone and email only because they think that’s how local businesses are set up to interact.”
 
For businesses that offer alternate channels of communication – such as calling, emailing, website chat, texting and Facebook Messenger – Schiene says consumers are almost twice as likely (1.8 times) to prefer texting to any other communication method.
 
“Through text messaging, patients can be kept up-to-date with the latest updates and promotions as well as a more simplified way to coordinate upcoming appointments,” he adds.
 
“Customers want convenience today, and text messaging is exactly that.”

Baptism of fire

10/6/2021

 
Selling his practice months before the Black Summer and COVID-19 proved a timely decision for Dr Jeremy Sternson.

By Danny Chan

The dynamic dental practitioner is a well-known figure in Victoria’s close-knitted dental circles. With a finger in every pie, Dr Sternson’s abbreviated bio contains more commas than the grammar police would be comfortable with. 

President of the Victorian Branch of the ADA; Fellow of the Academy of Dentistry International (FADI); Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne (UoM); Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy (FPFA); Fellow of the International College of Dentistry (FICD); President of the Australian Dental Association, Victorian Branch (ADAVB); Deputy Chairman of the eviDent Practice-based Research Network, treasurer of the Evident Foundation; and Associate Investigator in the eviDent Implant Complications Project; Australian Dental Council Examiner;  Professional Assessor for AHPRA and the HCC. The list goes on.

On top of all that, Dr Sternson ran a thriving Melbourne CBD dental practice for 21 years as co-owner and Practice Principal.

Before asking if he requires eight hours of sleep like the rest of us, or surreptitiously keeps “time in a bottle”, you’d be somewhat relieved to find out that Dr Sternson has scaled back his practice involvement in recent years. 

Along with Dr Greg Barton and Dr Thomas Joseph, he sold the Melbourne Dental Group to practice acquisition firm, the Ekera Dental Group, in 2019. 

Time to focus

Dr Sternson’s primary motivation for the sale was, well, he needed more time. More specifically, he wanted to devote more attention to his original passion.

“I’d been a practice owner for 19 years and frankly the way compliance, regulation and everything was going, I found I was spending more of my time running a business than doing what I loved – dentistry,” he says. 

“Hence the idea of joining a corporate such as Ekera was attractive as it offered to take away the headaches of running a practice, allowing me to focus on why I became a dentist in the first place.”

Staying on as Practice Principal following the sale has deepened Dr Sternson’s appreciation for the practice buyer’s laidback mode of operations, and their robust back-end support. 

“Ekera has a very “hands-off approach” allowing the practice principals to continue to practice with autonomy and keep the practice running as it was – albeit with more efficiency and help from the Ekera team. 
 
“There hasn’t been much of a change except that now I get spare time in my day to catch up on things I’ve been trying to do for years.” 
 
The indefatigable dentist devotes a fair chunk of that spare time catching up on his multifaceted role as the ADAVB President, while championing practice-based research and advocacy work at the eviDent Foundation, where he served as past Chairman.
 
The Ekera difference
 
Hearing stories from industry colleagues, in addition to first-hand accounts from his vantage position as AVADB President, Dr Sternson admits he once held a “grim view” of corporates. It was Ekera Dental’s well-known “hands-off approach” that changed his mind. 
 
“The reason our practice had been successful in the past was not our waiting room and processes but the people that interacted and treated the patients,” he rationalises.
 
“Ekera recognises this and doesn’t want to interfere unless you want them too.” 
 
Since selling, the practice acquisition firm has helped the practice obtain accreditation and successfully managed a complex series of HR and COVD-19 issues.
 
“It has taken away all the things I didn’t like about running a practice,” he affirms.
 
“Our philosophy is still the same and I practice as I see fit. I can order what I want. If I want to entertain new technologies, Ekera can help me along that path.
 
“In Ekera, you deal with the people that run the corporation directly and they are honest and transparent.”
 
Dark time
 
The practice sale also helped see the Melbournian dentist through critical junctures and cope with unforeseen challenges, both professional and personal.   
 
Six months after joining the Ekera group, his house – recently upgraded with funds from the sale – and farming business at Mt Hotham in Victoria’s alps were ravaged by unusually intense bushfires, part of what became known as the Black Summer.
 
The Sternson’s dream house, built only nine years prior, and virtually everything on their farming property including budding trees producing their maiden crop, had been razed to the ground. Miraculously, two recalcitrant horses sheltering in a canyon, had survived. The family was staying with friends when the tragic event occurred. 
 
“It’s hard to explain what you feel when this happens.” Dr Sternson says, “ but it is like something has been torn out of you and the sadness is constantly there.”
 
“People often say they’re “just things”, but losing some things are like losing memories as certain objects spark feelings and fond memories of times past. It was a dark time for my family and changed our whole 10-15 year plan.”
 
Dr Sternson is nonetheless thankful for the timeliness of the practice sale.
 
“Not having the burden of looking after my practice at that time, together with the time I needed off, meant that I could help my kids with the reconciliation process and help them form resilience going forward,” he said in an interview published in the Ekera Dental Newsletter.
 
“Shortly after that, COVID-19 hit and we all know that story. It was good knowing Ekera had my back.”
 
Support in a pandemic
 
In a bizarre way, the pandemic lockdowns provided much needed downtime for the practicing clinician to attend to the clean-up and rebuilding process. A self-confessed control freak, Dr Sternson is in the middle of rebuilding an identical house on the same property, albeit to very high bushfire standards.
 
With Ekera Dental taking the driver’s seat at the Melbourne Dental Group, he was happy to relinquish the macro considerations and responsibilities of charting the way forward in these difficult times.
 
“When COVID-19 came, dentistry was definitely not normal: lockdowns, re-openings, and more lockdowns. Victoria was hit hard. It was great to be at the frontline in advocacy with the ADAVB and also to have Ekera there looking after the maze of HR issues that arose,” he says. 
 
“I would have been lost especially at a time when I was still coping with the tragedy. Having someone there to take care of the business gave me the freedom to rebuild my life and form strong resilience going forward.”
 
Going home
 
What little time Dr Sternson has left outside work and organised dentistry, he spends across a variety of leisure activities including fly-fishing, skiing (and all snow sports), hiking, mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking and looking after his two recalcitrant horses.

At the time of writing, however, he has been busy coordinating the final re-construction phase of his house due to complete in a few months. It’s been two years since the fire, and the wait is almost over.

“I look forward,” he adds with a mix of excitement and poignancy, “to making many more family memories up there.”

Ekera Dental gets it

9/2/2021

 
Dr Joseph Langdon is convinced that other corporates have much to learn from the practice buyer.

By Danny Chan

Heathmont Dental is a 55-year-old suburban practice in Victoria with a well-preserved and cherished heritage – but it’s not what you think. By “heritage”, I do not mean a jaded dentist’s office marked by ornate decor, antiquated furniture and orange-tinted tiles.

The “heritage” here refers to the practice’s laidback style of operations that dentists, staff and patients alike have come to appreciate over the years. It is what Dr Joseph Langdon inherited from Heathmont Dental’s founder, Dr Bruce Kaighin.

“I started out working part-time at a couple of practices, one of which was Heathmont Dental. I enjoyed working there because it had a casual and relaxing atmosphere,” he says.

So when an opportunity arose, Dr Langdon bought into the practice in 1980 and then in 1990, purchased the remaining shares from Dr Kaighin.

“Once I took over, I wanted to preserve that light-hearted atmosphere that’s quite unique to the practice.”

Laughing matters

To this day, Dr Langdon believes that Heathmont Dental’s informal and non-hierarchical style of operations remains the enduring hallmark of its success. Eschewing a more tradition-bound structure – for example, where the dental staff would address clinicians as “doctors” – the practice’s egalitarian outlook means that “nobody stands on ceremony around here”.

The result is a close-knitted dental team – comprising 6 dentists and 14 nurses – in which almost every single member has served more than 10 years. The practice manager, Melissa has been with Heathmont Dental for over 40 years.

The clinic’s friendly and jocular mood owes much to this sense of familiarity within the team, or with patients, many of who are second- and third-generation customers.

“Patients in the waiting room are more likely to hear spontaneous laughter spilling out from the surgeries than the groans of anxious patients,” he adds.

When it came time for Dr Langdon to sell his practice this year, he was hopeful that the new owner would recognise the value of maintaining the team camaraderie and patient rapport.

No corporates please

The practice has remained in the same vicinity since it was founded in 1966. It moved into its current 300-sqm purpose built facility in 1995, which is located just across the road from its original site. Due to Heathmont Dental’s success, longevity and sizeable clinical space, Dr Langdon received dozens of offers from dental corporates.
However, the dentist had a few bugbears with their modus operandi.

“When the corporates take over, they would usually change the name of the practice to that of their brand. This changeover would disappoint many loyal patients who may leave and never come back,” says Dr Langdon.

“Corporates also have the habit of running a dental outfit like a medical practice. They would obscure the identities of the dentists in such a way that patients are being assigned the next available dentist, rather than being given the opportunity to request for someone they are familiar with.

”What they don’t realise is that it doesn’t work like that in dentistry.”   

Non-corporate corporate

For these reasons and that of preserving the same style of practice, Dr Langdon had always assumed that he’d be selling to a private buyer. It was only after meeting Dr Tony Coulepis, the Executive Chairman of practice-acquisition firm, Ekera Dental, did he become convinced that a “non-corporate corporate” actually exists.

“In our initial meetings, Tony basically described exactly how I would like a private buyer to be,” he enthuses, “the only difference is, Ekera Dental has the financial muscle, size and infrastructure to run a practice as big as ours – which in hindsight, would have been difficult for a private buyer.”

Having inked the sale in April, Dr Langdon is happy to report that Ekera Dental has lived up to its “non-corporate corporate” reputation. For one, the clinic still displays each team member’s name and photo at the entrance, allowing patients a more personalised choice.

“Ekera Dental does not have an ego about putting its name on the practice. Heathmont Dental has a wonderful reputation accumulated over 50 years. Instead of reinventing the wheel, they had the good sense to leave whatever already works alone,” he says.

“There hasn’t been any change in staff or staff conditions either. Whether in terms of working hours or the buying of supplies, the team basically enjoys the same flexibility that I allowed when I was running it. Even Melissa was commenting on how smooth the transition was.”

Not to say that the Heathmont Dental team didn’t have reservations when Dr Langdon first brought up the idea of a changeover. In fact, there was enough negative feedback that the dental owner almost gave up the ghost.

“It soon became clear that it was only a matter of time that I would be selling the practice anyway, and it was too good an opportunity to pass on,” he explains.

“In terms of continuity, we were satisfied that Ekera Dental wasn’t the type of corporate that would bring in their own dentists to replace the current team. In fact, they will only expand the team if the patient numbers demand it.”

Just like in the good old days

In short, Dr Langdon is glad the changeover proceeded virtually unnoticed. Ushering the seamless transition, he still makes it a point to go in three mornings a week – as he has been doing for the past 10 years – although he isn’t paid to do so.

For someone who has always shunned pomposity, preferring to be thought of as a peer than a boss to dental teammates, it is perhaps unsurprising that Dr Langdon would take a shine to Ekera Dental’s incognito approach. Yet the easy-going dentist believes there are more compelling reasons for choosing the practice buyer.

“Frankly, unlike other corporates,” Dr Langdon stresses, “Ekera Dental is the only one that gets it”.

Dr Langdon says Ekera’s successful business model shows they are willing to listen to what private practitioners have been saying all along, that you can’t run a dental practice the way you do a retail or medical outfit.

 “Tony understands that a positive dentist-patient relationship as well as working dental team dynamics are sacrosanct – and that they need to be protected,” he reasons.
​

“That alone makes Ekera Dental a game-changer in the Australian corporate dental scene.”

Swift buying decision

8/10/2021

 
Swift Buying Decision | Southern Cross Dental | The River Tree | Danny Chan
Swift Buying Decision | Southern Cross Dental | The River Tree | Danny Chan
Swift Buying Decision | Southern Cross Dental | The River Tree | Danny Chan
James Squirrell | Modern Dental Pacific | The River TreeJames Squirrell
Southern Cross Dental expands to include onshore denture manufacturing.

By Danny Chan

The market value of the Australian dental prosthetics market, estimated at around $354.9m in 2020, is predicted to surpass $500m by 2027. Growing at a rate of 6.3%, the total value is composed of revenues from the dental crown, bridge and denture markets.

Southern Cross Dental’s resolve to grow its presence in the latter market is strengthened by its July acquisition of Swift Dental Laboratory, the former supplier of SCD’s Australia-made denture range.

Natural progression

With the market for dentures booming, and expected to grow further in years to come, Southern Cross identified onshore denture manufacturing capacity as a strategic priority. This was in response to growing consumer demand for locally produced prosthetics.

The Swift acquisition was, in many ways, a natural progression for SCD. For about 5 years, the mid-sized Sydney-based lab had been a reliable outsource partner responsible for producing SCD’s popular Quest denture range.
The good working relationship and Swift’s high quality wares made it a straightforward decision when it came time for SCD to take on in-house denture manufacturing.  

“Swift Dental has been a strong partner for many years. When the opportunity arose to bring them into the fold as part of the Southern Cross family, we jumped on it,” says James Squirrell, CEO of Modern Dental Pacific, SCD’s parent company.

The acquisition of a denture-focused Australian lab, Squirrell says, really boils down to raising product quality and service reliability.

“From a dentist’s point of view, there’s a particular need with dentures to have consistent and fast turnaround speeds. Their patients, with missing teeth, often need a fast solution for a new or replacement denture,” he says.
“Swift’s facility, located about 5km from our head office, allows us to make that work onshore with much faster delivery times.

“Along with a proven track record for producing high quality dentures, Swift’s team of 9 technicians – pretty good size for Aussie standards – can turn around the high volume we require at a fast pace.”

Technological springboard

Established in 1983, Southern Cross Dental is one of the country’s foremost dental labs. Integration with Modern Dental in 2015 helped the Australian lab gain invaluable access to a wealth of technological resources from the world leader in the production of dental prostheses, orthodontics and anti-snoring devices.

Through the global affiliation, Squirrell wants to see Southern Cross raise the technological bar for locally produced dentures.

“Broadly speaking, the technology around how you make dentures is evolving very quickly in the last couple of years, especially in regards to the use of mills and 3D printers. Buying Swift allows us to be at the forefront of this development,” he adds.

“The acquisition also serves as an Australian springboard to develop international technologies and processes in our own backyard while growing the denture side of the business.”

Ready for the future

Where processes and protocols are concerned, Swift Dental operated largely as a traditional lab. Nonetheless, the Swift team boasts a collection of skillsets that will help accelerate the adoption of future technologies.

“Our new team members have exceptional denture-making experience. They were one of the biggest attractions of the acquisition. The lab manager William Perez, for example, has decades of experience and is an influential figure in the denture market,” says Jonathan Evans, General Manager of Southern Cross Dental.

“With the technological expertise of Modern Dental behind us, these individuals provide a core set of skills to help transition our denture-making abilities into the digital future.”

The Peakhurst facility further promises immense growth potential.

“With some adjustments to office space, the building has the capacity to allow a threefold increase in the workforce,” he reveals.  “We have great plans to invest significantly in both our people and our facility, to create a world class denture lab.”

Hybrid model

The Swift acquisition also boosts SCD’s “Made in Australia” credentials, which appeals to customers that want to support Aussie-made products, along with local businesses and jobs.

“Everything we do is about providing choice to our customers, whether it is how fast they get the product back, their choice of materials or where the product is made,” Squirrell says.

“Our hybrid model works really well in terms of giving customers more options.  The combination of specialised manufacturing in Sydney and Melbourne, combined with the reliability and scale of offshore work provides us with an unbeatable product offering.”

With in-house denture manufacturing capabilities, SCD is finally able to commit to the same quality assurance standards that the lab’s crown and bridge customers already enjoy.  

‘With Swift on board, we can fully apply the SCD stamp on denture manufacturing as we have for crown and bridge production,” Evans assures.  

SCD has been producing crowns, bridges, implants as well as mouthguards and splints for a long time. Now they have the capacity and expertise to give their denture customers even better quality control, consistent turnaround and competitive pricing.
​
“I’m personally excited to be involved with Southern Cross at this time,” Evans says.
“For now, all I can say is: Watch this space!”

Depth and breadth of implant knowledge

7/20/2021

 
Australasian Implant Academy | The River Tree | Danny Chan
Australasian Implant Academy | The River Tree | Danny Chan
Australasian Implant Academy | The River Tree | Danny Chan
Dr Ned Restom | Australasian Implant Academy | The River Tree | Danny Chan | The River TreeDr Ned Restom
No matter where you’re at, the Australasian Implant Academy (AIA) claims it has all the training components you’ll need for a rewarding career in implantology.

By Danny Chan

If you’re considering a move into the field of implantology, quality post-graduate training is imperative. Before deciding on your options, however, three big questions spring to mind: Where do I start; what do I hope to achieve; and how does the additional training build up my professional capital?

As well as equip you with the knowledge and skills to handle real-world scenarios with all of their clinical complexities, the academic route you choose should enhance, and not limit, your full potential to succeed in this lucrative and rapidly evolving field.

To help broaden your training choices, an Australian-based implant academy aims to deliver a world-class implant course that covers all the bases.

Launched in 2019, the Australasian Implant Academy (AIA) is offering what it claims is the first-ever complete implant placement curriculum in the country. Billed as “the most comprehensive theoretical and hands on implant course in Australia to date”, the curriculum spans the knowledge gap from basic implantology all the way through to full arch immediate load solutions.

“The fully integrated curriculum deep dives into the theory components as well provides compressive practical experience with hands on sessions working with models,” says Dr Ned Restom, AIA’s Founding and Faculty Member.
“Upon course completion, clinicians are able to develop complex treatment planning protocols and confidently place implants for their patients.”

Road to Fellowship

The AIA has adopted and modified programs from the California Implant Institute, offering three fellowship programs that will culminate into a fellowship through the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) Dental School.

The California Implant Institute has trained thousands of clinicians in the field of implantology for over 20 years. Based on 60 evaluation metrics, the UNLV dental program ranks in the top 50 dental schools in the USA.

The Fellowships provide comprehensive theory and hands-on learning with models to prepare clinicians for the American Board exams. In addition, students are able to hone their real-world clinical skills via three live patient surgical externship programs. These include basic and intermediate implant placement, advanced grafting program including sinus and block grafts, PRP and PRF, and Full Arch.

“The knowledge and skills gained during each theory 5-day Fellowship program and practical LIVE patient session, allows clinicians to confidently plan and treat their patients, and the ongoing support and tutelage ensures our students are never left mid-surgery, alone and worried,” Dr Restom assures.

Setting apart their offering from other implant courses, Dr Restom says it is one of the only live patient programs in ANZ and one of the only programs created in collaboration with a local private hospital to train clinicians working on patients under general aesthetics. The AIA also provides access to world-class speakers, high-end medical specialists and top anaesthetists. 

“We are one of the few programs that allocate CE points and prepare clinicians with the knowledge and skills to confidently sit and pass the American Board Exam. Upon completion of the Fellowship Program, clinicians are accredited with the ABOI (American Board of Oral Implantology),” Dr Restom adds.

World-class and home-grown

While one of AIA’s goals is to deliver world-class implantology education by bringing top lecturers from the United States, its teaching faculty also boasts leading local implantologists such as Dr Restom and Dr Dean Licenblat.

Dr Restom is the Principal Dentist at Avoca Beach Dental. He has completed the Master Series in implantology at the California Implant Institute and the surgical externship component including the live All on 4 surgical program. He also earned his accreditation through the Australian Society of Implant dentistry, and completed the Master Series in Implant dentistry at the Brenner Institute.

Dr Licenblat is the Principal Clinician at Sydney Dental Aesthetics & Implants located in Martin Place Sydney. He has completed a Master’s degree in Oral Implantology and Bone Grafting from the Goethe University in Frankfurt and has a teaching appointment with the university, tutoring their graduate students in Australia and New Zealand. Dr Licenblat runs one of a few dental surgeries in Australia to be awarded ‘Leading Implant Centres of the World’.

Every step of the way

Course attendees can look forward to quality lecturers and training, in addition to a mentorship program that includes private sessions with the tutors and a closed group for interaction amongst their own peers.

“The AIA aims to support and mentor the clinician every step of the way from their first treatment plan to the final prosthesis insert,” Dr Licenblat says.

“Clinicians can feel 100% supported when they return to their practices to develop complex treatment planning protocols and confidently place implants for their patients.”

The support doesn’t end even after you graduate. Once a clinician completes any one of the courses at AIA, they will be given exclusive access to the academy’s members-only Facebook group, where both Dr Restom and Dr Licenblat will post weekly tips and techniques for a wide range of patient cases and treatments.  

“Our aim is to foster an ongoing and close community of practitioners in order for all to feel supported throughout their implant journey and to be able to collaborate with their peers as well as specialists in the field,” Dr Licenblat adds.

For all intents and purposes

Whether you are completely new to implantology or an advanced learner, the AIA caters for all levels of knowledge and experience.

“Our program steers the novice clinician from entry level basics and takes them on a comprehensive journey toward the complex treatment planning of advanced grafting and full arch immediate loading techniques,” says Dr Restom.
“The AIA teaches a fully digital workflow to recreate aesthetic and functional outcomes, complementing optimal oral rehabilitation.”

The course is also designed for dentists with prior implant knowledge and experience. Based on positive feedback, Dr Licenblat says that even the intermediate to advance level clinicians who recently attended AIA’s basic course gained immensely from the refresher sessions.

“For those students who are more advanced, we offer advanced implant placement and advanced bone grafting programs, not to mention we've recently introduced a fully bespoke LIVE surgery program, teaching the practitioner the Full Arch immediate loading method,” he adds.
​
“This is a complete course that will put you on a rewarding implant journey. Indeed, the course will pay for itself in no time.”

Providing exceptional customer support in unpredictable times

7/14/2021

 
Providing exceptional customer support in unpredictable times | Andent Laboratory | The River Tree | Danny Chan
​From their newly launched online portal to dedicated Customer Relationship Managers, Andent is always looking for the best approach to help their customers navigate uncharted waters.

By Danny Chan

Even before COVID-19 descended, Australian dentists were already grappling with myriad challenges, mainly in the shape of fee-lowering insurance companies, corporate buyouts and consolidation, new (digitally savvy) competitors in the neighbourhood and a dominant Gen Y clientele weaned on social media. As compared to the threat of COVID-19, these challenges are no less imposing or unpredictable. In many ways, they can also be deemed as “unprecedented”.

Beset by uncertainty, dentists instinctively search for a sense of stability by erecting structural safeguards around their businesses. According to Matt Smith, one vital bulwark against the unpredictable headwinds is to partner with a reliable, customer-focused and digital-ready dental lab.

Smith is the General Manager of Andent, one of Australia’s most digitally inclined dental labs, also known in the industry as one of the pioneers in the scanning, designing and milling of dental restorations.

“In the same way that Andent has learned to adapt in order to compete, we want to assist our clients to endure these turbulent times by evolving with the realities on the ground,” he says.

Conversations with dentists have traditionally revolved around their cutting-edge processes and technology, 100% Australian-made high-quality work that requires fewer adjustments and their uncompromising standards of aesthetics. While those things remain unchanged, Smith believes that increasingly, dentists are seeking more from their labs than just quality products, but also exceptional and reliable customer support, turnkey solutions and greater convenience.

“It’s simply not enough offering good products at reasonable prices,” Smith says. “Our customer has always been the number one priority and one of our core values is focusing strongly on the customer experience.”

Personal connections

About six years ago, Andent began drawing closer to their clients through engaging Customer Relationship Managers – a staple in the banking sector but less known within dental circles.

“Since our lab services clients across Australia, CRMs help to extend our reach, improve customer engagement and increase customer satisfaction,” Smith explains.

“More importantly, the idea is to take the dentist-lab relationship to the next level. Through the CRMs we are able to establish a personal connection with the dentist.”

Allowing for seamless communication and transfer of products between the lab and practice, the relationship managers are contactable across different time zones and outside regular business hours.

Whether over an email, phone call, zoom conference or in-person meeting, the knowledgeable liaison officers offer end-to-end, personalised customer support for each individual case. When they are not meeting dentists at an expo, CRMs can be found at the client’s surgery talking them through screen shots of a challenging case. 

“Essentially, I function as the bridge between the lab and the dentist,” says Huy Dang, Andent’s Customer Relationship Manager.

“Some dentists are not familiar with the inner workings of a lab. At Andent, we want to make sure they understand the processes, and how we work internally. It’s important that we’re all on the same page so there are no surprises.”

Noting how every dentist operates differently, Dang would establish at the outset the clinician’s preferences for how much – or little – technical support he or she requires so as to tailor the communication approach accordingly. The personalised attention, he stresses, can be individualised to each and every dentist, even within a multi-chair setting.  

Another Plus point

For dentists that prefer online correspondence, Andent recently rolled out a customer service portal that offers increased efficiency and ease-of-transactions. Andent Plus was launched in March as a testament to the lab’s commitment to meet the constantly evolving needs of the Australian dental industry.

“Andent Plus is part of our continuing investment in customer-focused technology. Instead of simply investing in lab-side technologies that make our work easier or those that improve the quality of our products – which we have consistently done and will continue to do so – we are also putting resources into technologies that enhance the customer experience,” Smith emphasises. 

Andent Plus provides customers 24/7 access to real-time updates on the status of their cases. Available as a value-add service at no extra charge, dentists only need to create a free account to begin their online interactions with the lab.

Once they have booked in a case, the dentists would receive a confirmation via email with a note detailing which day the case is scheduled to dispatch. They will get another email, along with tracking number, when the case leaves the lab. In short, you can track your case easily, immediately, at any time of the day.

Andent Plus also acts as a one-stop portal for dentists to access all the relevant information for each case, letting users view all their transactions at one glance. This includes purchase history, invoices (available for downloads), and a convenient e-payment system. Further, customers are able to book a pick-up, submit a digital case, order personalised lab sheets or print them instantly. Case photos and further technical instructions may also be uploaded.

Man or machine: it’s your choice

For all its advantages, Smith says, Andent Plus is but another option with which to interact with the lab, as some dentists may want to review cases after hours, or download invoices and statements at their own convenience – similar to online banking. All the other channels of communication – including easy phone and email access to the technical support team and the personalised assistance of the CRMs – remain intact.

“The portal is about giving people access to information they have come to expect to be available on-hand when they want it,” he says.

“We still want to maintain that strong interaction with all our dentists and customers. End of the day, it’s about building the customer relationship in a way that benefits each individual dentist.”

Real-time reliability

As dentists navigate the new normal business environment in which they now operate – one fraught with sudden lockdowns and unforeseen restrictions – Dang believes that the need for open, transparent and instantaneous communication between dentists and their labs is more imperative than ever.

Andent customers enjoy the added assurance that all their cases are locally made and distributed. During the messier periods of ad hoc restrictions, Dang personally helped clients expedite their cases – such as, when the temporary crowns did not last as long as anticipated – or held back packages when the clinics were abruptly forced to close.

“If you aren’t transparent or able to work to specified deadlines, the client’s business won’t be able to function well,” Dang says. “We offer clockwork service so that dentists know well ahead of time how to rebook their patients, some of whom are booked 4-5 months in advance.”
​
“Whether they are using Andent Plus, going directly to a CRM like Huy (Dang)” or even chatting to the amazing team in the lab, Matt adds, “we are all about giving dentists reliability and predictability. And that is something to say, in this day and age.” 

Working out a work-life balance

6/16/2021

 
The ultimate delegation of responsibilities is to sell your practice to a reliable corporate, says Melburnian dentist Dr Andrew Fisher.

By Danny Chan

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once remarked: “Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.”

Knowingly or unknowingly, Dr Fisher has applied the positive implications of this truism throughout key moments of his life. The Practice Principal at Cardinia Dental (located in Pakenham, Victoria) is someone who clearly understands that it takes conscious effort to build a fulfilling career, just as it does maintaining work-life balance.
And when it came time to make critical decisions – including the 2017 sale of his practice – Dr Fisher was not in the least confused.

Paying dues

Since graduating from the University of Melbourne in 1988 and beginning private practice the following year, Dr Fisher has found dentistry nothing short of a dream vocation – albeit one that involves paying dues long before you can reap the returns.

Within the first four years working as part-time dentist for two clinics in Koo Wee Rup and Pakenham, Dr Fisher bought over the latter practice in 1993.  Hesitant at first, he sought the advice of Dr David Grant, owner of the Koo Wee Rup clinic.

“I asked David if he was interested to partner up to buy the Pakenham practice. Instead he convinced me to go at it alone, promising to support me every step of the way,” Dr Fisher says.  

Dr Grant’s support, though more moral than material, provided a timely impetus. Dr Fisher continued plying his trade between the two locations, working six days a week. This went on until 1998, around which time Dr Fisher first realised the dangers of burning the candle at both ends.

When the practice relocated that year – two doors down to a new facility purpose built by his brothers – he took the opportunity to reduce his clinical commitments, actively employing dentists to fill the gap.

“This goes back to David Grant who was a mentor in every sense. He encouraged me to have work-life balance, which I not only followed but also instilled in my dentists – asking them to have a day off besides Saturday and Sunday,” he explains.

Regaining balance

The Pakenham practice grew significantly. Annual business turnover doubled in the first 3-4 years, and subsequently maintained double-digit growth. By 2003, it had expanded into a 4-chair practice with six full-time dentists on the roster.

“We were absorbing much of the growth in Pakenham. As the workload increased, however, I found myself drifting from my work-life balance again,” he recounts.

He had completely stopped practicing as a dentist by 2012. Piling practice commitments ran the gamut from IT to equipment maintenance, renovations to human resource. Even Sundays were not spared.

Dr Fisher remembers this juncture for two reasons: One, he had read an article written by then CEO of Australia Post, Ahmed Fahour, about the need for an exit plan, which consolidated his fleeting notions about selling his practice; and two, he decided once again to scale back his involvement by increasing staff numbers and work delegation.

He also began speaking to practice-acquisition firms with the intension of feeling out the market. Unimpressed with many of the corporates, he felt most offered “poor terms of sale” – including clawback agreements, which he considered a “deal breaker”.

Reality bites

Nonetheless the pragmatic entrepreneur was taking stock of the reality on the ground: the number of new dental clinics sprouting across Pakenham and next-door suburbs was outpacing the population growth.

“Our practice growth may have doubled over a 10-year period but the population had quadrupled. Although we were still the biggest practice in Pakenham, that will have an impact,” he remembers rationalising.

Other concerns were cultivating patient loyalty amongst fickle millennial customers who are more susceptible to social media trends than time honoured relational bonds; and keeping pace with evolving digital marketing platforms – the area that he believed, would become increasingly difficult to navigate.

Sell or burn out

Dr Fisher’s resistance towards selling the practice softened even more after he met up with Tony Coulepis, the Executive Chairman of Ekera Dental, in 2016.

“Tony refers to Ekera Dental as a “non-corporate/corporate”. It’s still a corporate but relative to the others, they had a more personalised philosophy that I found appealing,” Dr Fisher recalls.

In September 2017, Dr Fisher turned the reins of Cardinia Dental over to Ekera Dental.

“I don’t know how much longer I could have run the operations, but I thought I was going to burn out, “ he says.
“I was afraid I would not be able to provide the same quality service to patients or employ as many dentists and the business would start to contract.”

Family affair

At the point of sale, Dr Fisher notes, the Pakenham practice had increased “significantly” in valuation since he purchased it in 1993. 

Crediting his wife for Cardinia Dental’s growth and success, the former practice owner says:

“Sharon was the unspoken business “partner”, a great co-worker and excellent brainstorming collaborator.

“I suspect many private practices have thrived because of the “family model” – which is certainly the case with Sharon and our four daughters. To this day, whenever they get the chance, my family still helps out at the clinic.”

The financial bonanza notwithstanding, relinquishing the practice has afforded the Fisher household the time and freedom to indulge in travelling sprees – even more than they’ve been doing since he stepped back in 2012.

The globetrotting dentist’s travel diary reads like a Lonely Planet brochure. Shopping in Paris. Skiing in British Columbia, Canada. Hiking adventures in Italy, North American National Parks and the Austrian Alps. Laidback cruise on the historic river Rhine. Road trips around Europe and the West Coast of America. Trekking through Scandinavian capitals. You name it.

In many ways, the semi-retired clinician is still savouring the fruits of his decision to buy the Pakenham practice 28 years ago. Yet things may look very different if he hadn’t taken a mentor’s advice to heart. The release valves he put in place throughout each growth phase helped prevent excessive pressures from building up.

“In the end, I guess the ultimate delegation of responsibilities is to sell your practice to a reliable corporate,” he says.

Time to sell?

Andrew feels very fortunate to have had broad-ranging advice and support throughout his career. In turn, he has been “paying it forward” to other professionals who seek his counsel – something he is quite happy to do if and when approached.

A strong advocate for dentists having a clear exit strategy, Dr Fisher offers this piece of advice for those still peering into a hazy crystal ball:

“The way the industry has changed over the last 8-10 years has resulted in more market uncertainties.

“I really believe it’s time to consider selling to the corporates because the opportunity may not always be there. At some point the market will become saturated and if no longer competitive, you may get pushed out.
​
“If you choose to remain independent, then make sure you’re prepared to go all the way.”

The “Stay-on” Exit strategy

4/4/2021

 
An abiding passion for his practice, work and patients prompted Dr Nabil Ishak to continue working for his practice buyer.

By Danny Chan

When it’s time to bow out of your practice, there are many paths to consider. Some choose to simply sell and leave. Others bank on creating rapid growth and hiring associate dentists to spread the workload, then gradually cutting back on hours until they are ready to sell. Then there are those who would hire a young dentist to groom as the heir apparent to satisfy a buyer-in-waiting.

Yet another option is to stay on as an associate and continue to work for the organisation that buys your practice. If you truly enjoy doing dentistry, the latter option may provide the ideal transition from active practice to full retirement.

That is certainly the position of Dr Nabil Ishak. After handing the keys over to practice acquisition firm Ekera Dental in October, the experienced dentist chose to stay on.

“Yes, because I love what I do, I love my practice, and I love my patients. I’ve been seeing them and their families for generations,” says Dr Ishak.

“I have been working in this practice for 30 years so I wouldn’t just leave my patients and the community.”

Through the years
Dr Ishak established the Melton Dental Group (MDG) back when Melton was only a satellite town. Rapid suburban growth has turned it into a commuter town in the Melbourne-Ballarat growth corridor, now poised for merging into Melbourne’s future conurbation.

From the outset, Dr Ishak’s goal was to provide family-oriented dentistry using cutting edge tools and techniques. Always pushing the envelope, he would engage specialist dentists to deliver hands-on training workshops to his team on site.

MDG eventually became the first in the area to deliver treatments such as dental implants, all-on-4 implants and dentistry under intravenous sedation and full general anaesthesia.

Besides offering forward-looking dentistry, MDG is also known for enhancing the “stress-free” and “pain-free” patient experience.

Lounging with a cuppa, plugging into your choice of in-chair entertainment or immersing in the iPad Play Centre, the clinic offers an array of modern comforts and convenience. In addition, their use of light-handed dentistry, and availing of Nitrous Oxide and local anaesthesia help to promote a welcoming atmosphere for nervous patients and those requiring more complex treatments.   

Over the years, these patient-centred qualities have endeared MDG to Melton locals and patients from neighbouring suburbs, extending from Gisborne, Macedon, Bacchus Marsh, to Ballan and beyond.

Aligned visions
As part of his exit strategy, Dr Ishak wanted to preserve the foundational principles behind MDG’s hard-earned reputation.

“I put my heart and soul into my practice and I wanted to hand it over to a group that would respect my ideas and ethos and continue to run it according to my vision and goals so that the practice would remain as a source of high quality, honest and trusted dentistry in the region,” he enthuses.

“I still had many years of dentistry in me and wanted to plan a smooth transition for the future. A corporation was the best option, as I was happy to continue working, but I needed to find the right corporation for me.”

Introduced to Ekera Dental by a friend familiar with his selling motivations, Dr Ishak found their corporate model appealing after doing his own research. His first meeting with Ekera Chairman, Dr Anthony Coulepis, reinforced that notion.

“We felt that we were like-minded in the level of honesty, ethics and professionalism,” he recalls.

Non-threatening support
Dr Ishak reveals that a major factor deciding the sale was Ekera’s hands-off management approach.

“They respected how we operated and trusted us to continue to run the practice as we see fit. They did not force and impose corporate ideologies and processes on us or our staff,” he says.

“They did not dictate how we are to run the practice or how we deal with our staff. The transition was so smooth, our staff did not at any point feel uneasy or threatened,” he says.

Staying on as the principal dentist, Dr Ishak appreciates the fact that Ekera’s hands-off approach does not equate to a lack of support – rather, it’s there when you need it.

“A stand out feature of this experience is that Tony’s door is always open and he is truly only a phone call or email away,” says the impressed clinician.

“His finger is on the pulse and he is always aware of everything taking place within his operations and management team.”  

The MDG operations enjoy Ekera’s backbone support in many areas: Marketing; IT; online presence; management; human resources; bulk buying of stock; legal; as well as corporate representation in insurance matters, industry bodies and associations.

In addition, Ekera facilitated the purchase of a new intraoral scanner with smile design; an OPG/ Lat Ceph and CBCT machine; and a new compressor.

“No questions were asked,” Dr Ishak attests. “They simply trusted our judgement and case presentation.”

Secure in the knowledge
Overall, the passionate dentist would describe his post-sale experience as being “very positive and encouraging”. Having heard cautionary tales from colleagues with negative experiences selling to corporates, Dr Ishak is glad to offer a counter perspective:

“Ekera Dental has lived up to all of the promises that were made prior to the sale. They honoured every deal and promise and this is something that I value very much.”

“As a dentist, my experience has also been positive,” he adds. “They respect and value my professional judgement and experience.

“On a personal level my experience has been one of reassurance and liberation in the knowledge that I am now on my way to reducing my stress and responsibility for the practice that was my heart and soul for so long.
​
“I am comforted by the knowledge that the practice will continue to operate according to the ethos and culture that I had established.”

Q&A with Dr Geoffrey Hall (part 2)

3/24/2021

 
PictureDr Geoffrey Hall
In this second instalment, Australasian Dentist continues the broad-ranging conversation with one of Australia’s leading orthodontic educators.

By Danny Chan       

Tell us about your initial interaction with your mentor, Dr Rohit Sachdeva, and how you came to embrace his clinical methodologies?

When I first met Rohit about 10 years ago, he requested me to show him 10 cases that I was doing. I showed him the photos as well as the braces and wires. On two or three of those cases, he predicted that there would be certain problems and specified exactly what to expect.

I was thinking this guy was full of garbage, basing his predictions on the initial photos and seeing some brackets. Photos of two to four months later showed that he was right with every prediction, in every case.

When I started doing my mentorship with Rohit, it felt like my first day in orthodontic school. My business partner Martin Poon, who joined Rohit’s program a year after me, felt exactly the same way.

Rohit trained under Charles Burstone, who is considered the father of orthodontic biomechanics. Rohit is an amazing thinker who managed to distil everything Charlie taught him and put into a methodical practical clinical approach. Those principles he has taught me over time are what we now deliver to our OrthoED students.

The average treatment time for orthodontics is about two years. If you know what you’re doing and using the right force system – which is very easy to understand once you understand the principles – you can treat about 80% of cases in about 14 months. The reason it usually takes others two years is because treatment and tooth movement is out of control and they end up spending a lot of time fixing what should never have happened in the first place.

Rohit’s principals requires not only proper planning at the beginning of the treatment, but also understanding the forces at work. It’s not about putting braces on every tooth but understanding what is going to happen, when it will happen  and why.

What are the biggest myths in orthodontics?

Myth 1: The majority of orthodontic cases require extractions. In reality, about 80% of our patients are treated without extractions.

Myth 2: With aligner therapy, all you need to do is put the case in to the aligner company and they will take care of the rest.

If that is true, what’s the difference between a dentist-administered aligner treatment and that supplied from a company like Smile Club Direct? In probably 99% of cases, a system that completely relies on the technician for the set-up without any input from the dentist is likely to fail. I’ve never been involved in an aligner case where I have not modified it at least four times.

The bottom line is, whether for aligner therapy or orthodontic treatment planning, you cannot depend on a one-size-fits-all system. Cookie cutters only work for cookies.

What sort of resistance did you face because you tailored your training courses for GPs, and how did you overcome them?

I’ve received threatening letters from orthodontic bodies – one of them asked me to leave simply because I was teaching general dentists. It’s the only professional body that I know of that actually tells you not to teach other dentists.

The training ethos of the ADA actually encourages specialists to mentor the general dentists and to help them. But I was told not to do that.

How did I deal with that? Unfortunately, with potential litigation and that stopped any further negativity. I used to get upset in the early days but now it’s like water off a duck’s back. My general feeling is if they are upset with me, I must be doing something right.

Perhaps as a form of vindication, I’ve had specialist orthodontists attend my courses over the years – both Smilefast and the full-on orthodontic programs – and not one of them has been able to criticise my teaching or my courses but instead have been full of compliments.

Has the Covid-19 pandemic affected your courses in any way?

It disrupted our physical sessions, but fortunately, also pushed us in a positive way.

Due to Covid-19, we actually set up a dedicated TV recording studio here in my business office in Melbourne. We were able to live-stream all the lectures last year as part of our efforts to deal with the situation. We’ve also kept all the recordings and will be putting them together into an online course that we will be launching in February.

If people cannot make it for our face-to-face courses, they can now choose to attend the online course instead. The physical course attendees will get the online recordings as well, as a refresher education to listen to at their convenience. On top of that, we hold weekly treatment planning sessions and webinars which are included as part of the course program.

The online course was always something we were going to do but the Covid situation fast-tracked it.

What’s the future outlook for you and the profession?

I’ve probably got another five years of practice in me, and maybe eight to nine years of teaching before I say “enough is enough”.

As for the profession, I remember the famous words of Dr David Penn, one of brightest dentists I’ve ever come across.

He believes the future of a dentist is to become a mini specialist. A GP can be a mini specialist in two or more areas of specialty. You will end up in a practice with four to five dentists who cross-refer to each other.

In 10 to 15 years’ time, if you wish to be a specialist orthodontist, you would have to be a really good specialist – treating the toughest of tough patients and you’re going to have to charge accordingly. That’s because increasingly, general dentists will be exposed to the work that used to fall under the domain of specialists.
​
Unlike the old days when everyone did well, many more dentists will be joining our ranks (and performing orthodontics) in the future and it’s going to be tough for everyone.

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    Danny Chan | Dental Blog Writer

    Danny Chan

    Danny is founder of The River Tree, a Multimedia Company based in Melbourne that provides Quality Content & Digital Marketing Services to Dental Professionals across Australia and New Zealand.

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