One of the things I have learned in creating a thriving practice in a soft economy is that the era of ‘sleepwalking is OVER! Let me explain. What I mean by sleepwalking is when you show up to work in the morning, punch the time clock, sleepwalk through the day and then punch the time clock on the way out. The dentist can be as guilty of this as the team members. Those days are over. Gone, dead, buried, and not coming back! One of the keys to a thriving dental office is to learn how to practice with intention.
Here is a great way that you can have some intention regarding your hygiene exams. One of the challenges in any dental practice is motivating your existing patients to accept pending treatment, especially if the teeth are asymptomatic. In most dental offices the process of reviewing an existing patients’ dental history is pathetic. Pardon my directness here, but let’s not sugar coat this. Here’s what I often see.
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About a month ago I began publishing the audio podcast titled the 
“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to arrive thoroughly used up, worn out and loudly proclaiming, WOW, what a ride!”
There is a tremendous difference between making a living and making a life. I have spoken about that concept often to dentists over the years. However, this is a topic that applies equally to your team members. Making a living conjures up images of trudging off to work, doing mind-numbing things to collect a paycheck. Sadly, this is what going to work feels like to many dentists and if the dentist feels that way, the staff feels even worse! One of the things I’ve noticed is that a dentist making a living has a staff (staph!), while a dentist making a life has a team. A dentist and team making a life on the other hand look forward to going to work because they know they are making a difference in patient’s lives and also in their own.
