Author: Darren Kaberna

Recently on a trip to Belize, I chartered a boat with a group of friends to go diving and snorkeling. We had traveled a good distance when the the boat arrived at the edge of the barrier reef and close to neighboring island. We noticed quickly that the island did not look like it was inhabitable; however, there was a man all by himself walking down the beach. We asked our guide what the story was with this situation and he quickly said “Oh, thats Joe and thats his island. He has lived on it his entire life with his father”.

Our minds quickly started to race with obvious questions. Where does he sleep? How does he get clean water? Does he get mail? How does he support himself? The list of questions were coming to our minds and coming fast! Before we could wrap our minds around all of this Joe himself jumped in his boat and approached the boat that we were on. Joe was likely one of the kindest people I have ever met. No question was too much or too ridiculous. He explained to us what life is like in detail living on this island with his 80 year old father and what they do to make ends meet.

Joe dives for conch shells and once every two weeks rows his boat across the open ocean to sell them at the market on the mainland. The reason I tell you this story is because Joe has wired his brain for success. He has a plan every day for what he needs to do in order for him and his father to survive.

He has a blue print for his life (it may not be like many of ours, but he certainly has one). His life’s work is tending to his land, caring for his father and getting into town when he needs to in order to sell his goods. I asked Joe if he ever celebrates when he has a good day at the market and what that looks like. He smiled proudly and said “Of course I do…”, we all were waiting for his response, he went on to say “I get two beers, one for me and one for my dad”. We of course all laughed with joy.

I think it is important to remember two things in life; we all need to have a plan to make sure that our personal needs, economic needs and professional needs are taken care of and the context in which you choose to look at things will drive whatever success means to you. Joe has a very different meaning of success than many of us; however, he has a plan to achieve what his goals are and he celebrates his successes. I think we could all learn something from Joe.

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There are a handful of doctors out there that see success as something completely different than Joe and more often than not those doctors are overcome with guilt about their success. Darren talks about this feeling and how to conquer it in the AMP TV show below.

“The pursuit of knowledge is never-ending. The day you stop seeking knowledge is the day you stop growing.” Brandon Travis Ciaccio made this very powerful statement that we should all consider in everything we do. With that being said……What do you think is your dental edge? What is your passion in dentistry that would encourage your dental practice to grow? How do you keep your dental team motivated?

Lifelong learning is increasingly becoming more and more important in the dental field. The dental industry undergoes major changes in short periods of time due to constant technological advances. Elevating your skillset by learning the latest techniques will put you in a position to lead, influence, and mentor others. In turn, this will enhance the professionalism of your staff by arming them with the latest knowledge in the dental field and provide them with opportunities for growth and advancement. Additionally, offering your patients cutting edge diagnostic, preventative, and treatment procedures that have been developed within the industry will not only cultivate the quality of service for your patients, but will improve your workplace as a whole and simultaneously benefit the development of yourself personally and professionally.

Dr. Duncan represents an impressive example of how continuing education along with having an attitude of constant development and growth will excel your practice beyond anything you ever imagined possible. He placed his trust in AMP almost 2 years ago and still uses the resources that AMP has to offer with his team to ensure they all, including himself, stay engaged and keep the momentum within the team to continue to grow. Reflecting back on his consulting experience with AMP, Dr. Duncan says that one of the best things about the program is that the relationship doesn’t end when the contract ends. He comments on how most consulting companies are out the door and you never hear from them again as soon as the contract is over. However, when his contract with AMP came to an end, he knew that he still had a strong alliance to help him stay consistent and continue to implement his daily routines. Dr. Duncan knows that being a leader will inspire his team to follow, encourage the staff to grow mutually with him, and generate positive results that can be celebrated together. He talks about how AMP has been a tremendous addition to his practice by helping his team members to see the value that they each individually bring to the table.

If we stay engaged, we will always have improvement and the resistance level for change will remain low. A vast amount of resources are consistently available for us to use to open a discussion that will encourage us to move forward to the next level or phase of growth. When you reach a goal, ask yourself……What can I do better now to improve?

In the third part of the Implant Case Episode on AMP TV we realize how many topics are addressed in a surgical office when it comes to advanced surgical cases. Think  about the diagnostic wax up process, when to include an orthodontist, immediate vs. delayed loading options, space limitations, digital vs. analog techniques, surgical guides, 3D printing, planning how many implants are needed for different people, designing different prosthesis, how you begin to provisionalize an entire arch if you need to, what abutments to choose/design, the CBCT…the list literally can go on forever.

Then I paused and realized that none of these things matter unless a doctor and treatment coordinator can connect with a patient on a different level and the patient earns your trust and allows you to do the dentistry of today. None of the training you have gone though can be used, none of the materials can be used and none of the technology can be used unless you get a “yes” from the patient.

Of course considering all of these things listed here are critical to great dentistry; however, maybe one thing that is overlooked too often is the fact that doctor/patient relationship and understanding what is driving your patient is just as important. Before you jump the gun and get to plan and preform a great surgical case, take the time and communicate with your patient about what is important to them, why are they there in your office, what are they looking for or what is their primary goal going into treatment. If you take the time to learn these things about your patients and make a plan based off of what they need/want and you provide them options that allow payment to be reasonable you will always be closer to getting the “yes” you are looking for, the “yes” that allows you to do the dentistry we all love being a part of.

Planning the case and using the technology is wonderful but in my eyes, meeting someone and changing their life for the better is the greatest opportunity that we have in dentistry and that does not happen without slowing down and doing a proper consult and truly learning about what is driving your patient.

We believe one of the major obstacles in dental treatment presentation is getting to the dental patient’s “WHY.” WHY do they want this treatment; how is it going to impact their life? If the dentist can get to that WHY, you will get to the emotional connection. You are on your way to getting the patient to “want” it perhaps even more than they “need” it.

This TV Show is the second part in the journey of Jan, a patient that needs a minimum of $35,000 worth of dental treatment and is looking for options to pay for it.

One of the points mentioned in the show is that there are always options. They might be a Chevy option, instead of the Mercedes, but you don’t have to accept that there is nothing for you to do. Basically, giving up before starting. How bad do you really want it? What are you willing to do to get it?

Knowing the WHY is a must in treatment presentation but other musts are:

1. Always have x-rays up
2. Always have the pictures up
3. Always have a hand mirror available so patient can see how they look
4. Always have models of each option you are presenting
5. Always make this patient your priority and do not allow interruptions.

As you are going through each option, don’t forget to bring the emotions, the patient’s WHY. This also shows the patient that you are listening and are empathetic; you care.

After the patient chooses their option, the next step is to create a financial estimate of the cost. One fact to take into account when presenting financials is that patients usually identify with a monthly payment rather than a large sum.

Don’t forget to watch the third installment of Jan’s journey. If you would like training on treatment presentation/case acceptance, contact AMP or your coach!!

We are excited to have the opportunity to share Jan’s Dental story today and provide our Dentists and their teams with a dental patient’s perspective and how to present dental treatment options.

Imagine the last time you bit into an apple; how long has it been? For Jan, it has been decades since she could enjoy that simple pleasure. Jan reached out to AMP for a second opinion; she doesn’t have the finances to move forward with needed treatment so she started doing research on how to obtain the financial means to save her smile.

Our hope by sharing Jan’s story is that perhaps we can help in introducing her to a doctor interested in helping her.

Jan was born with a congenital birth defect that deprived her of many permanent teeth. While most of us can recall high school as a time with friends or playing sports she remembers spending most Fridays driving an hour and a half to the school of dentistry for treatment needs. She saw how the struggles of missing teeth affected her parents and yearned for a different outcome. In her early 30’s Jan went to a dentist in Tulsa who asked her “If you could change your mouth in anyway, what would it be?” When is the last time you asked your patients that simple question? For Jan it was a powerful question and the first time she ever had a dentist ask what she wanted. This led to a total mouth makeover with implants, bridges, and a permanent non-removable lower prothesis. Her dentist in Tulsa said the work would last for about 20 years. Now, 23 years later, Jan is in desperate need of treatment.

An essential part of case presentation revolves around the patient sharing their story so we can understand how this has affected their life and the desire for treatment in order to connect the dots with an emotional connection to their treatment needs. The condition of Jan’s mouth has deteriorated with her non-removable prosthesis becoming loose. She carries fear of it falling out in public and her husband has to help her put it back in at times. This has left her with restrictions- she cannot eat certain foods and chews most of her food on one side of the mouth. Smoothies have become a great friend to Jan and solid foods, even lettuce, have to be cut up very finely before eating. Tune into AMP TV as Jan shares how this has impacted her quality of life and we discuss how as dental professionals we can help lead Jan to the solution her heart desires.

As I listened to the AMP TV show called The New Year and The Power of Coaching I thought a lot about Darrens examples of athletes and how they are coached as it relates to the coaching we do and some of the offices that we work with. These top athletes that will be in the Olympics are coached by people that do not compete at the same level as the athlete; however, they get these athletes to preform at such a high level much like a dental coach may not practice clinically; however, we are able to understand how to get them to preform at a high level.

I believe there are parallels because whether you are an athletic coach or a dental coach the end result is the same. We both point out the issues with a particular plan, provide a pathway for improvement, create a vision of success and make the goals necessary to get you to where you want to be.

The hope I have for my offices in 2018 is that together we will build what real success looks like for the doctor and that they will allow us to point out issues along the way, provide a pathway for improvement, create the vision of success and create goals together.

I look forward to helping all of our offices set goals and hold them accountable for the changes that they want to make in 2018. Through this process we get one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. It is the gift of going on the journey to get you to where you want to be that is possibly the most rewarding thing we can do together, it’s not always the destination or end result.

Dear Doctor,

I need to get something off my chest. I need to share a revelation with you that one of my doctors had during our dental coaching visit yesterday when he warned you to be careful. To be careful of committing to AMP and having a dental coach due to the profound change it will create in your life. What this doctor shared with me was “Be careful because once you go with AMP there’s no turning back…

your life will be forever changed. If you don’t want to change your life and you’re content with doing bare minimum average and never growing then don’t do AMP because AMP will change your life; not only in your business but in your personal life as well; and you will wake up tomorrow a better person every single day. So, when you’re ready to make that change you want for yourself talk to Darren; he will help change your life on your terms; only when you’re ready.”

So, let me level with you Doctor. At AMP we have high expectations. We follow standards of exceeding care for our patients, your staff, and most importantly for you and your practice. When I first start coaching my boss man, our CEO Darren Kaberna, shared with me that in order to coach it we must live it. Please keep in mind your life is not the only one being changed here. You know…that whole ripple effect starts from the leader and works its way down. Just as poor attitudes spread like cancer through a practice so does positive mentality, laughter, hope, and change in fact, it is absolutely infectious and when these spread from you to your team to your patients be careful because you must be ready. Be ready to answer challenging questions. Be ready to show your coach and team vulnerability. Be ready to play full out and be held accountable. Like Dr Martinez shared yesterday we create profound lasting change but it only occurs when you take responsibility and play full out. This is the aspect I’d like you to grasp right now so we can get you those profound results that much quicker.

We love to teach in the art of delighting our patients through wow factor experiences. Just as I want to blow your expectations away as your dental coach I expect you to do the same for your patients; every patient every time. I understand that other traditional “consultants” haven’t worked for you in the past. I understand that often times the biggest growth both personally and professionally is produced out of some fairly uncomfortable situations- some hard to have conversations if you will. I also understand that the result of that growth, often times both personally and professionally, creates the catalyst for delighting you, our client, and providing a wow factor experience.

So, what’s the catch? The catch is it will not work until you play full out hence the warning above from Dr. Martinez. You will not see lasting change until you take action whether that be in committing to weekly coaching calls, executing assigned tasks from your coach, or leading your team. The good news is we are extremely well versed in helping steer you towards those break throughs. We are not afraid to have a hard conversation with you, wear our heart on our sleeve, and give you a loving nudge for that break through; but only when you’re ready to wake up being a better person every single day.

How does the drama in your dental practice evolve? Why does it evolve the way it does? Take a second to undersatnd the roles yourself and each one of your team members plays in the office.

There is a triangle that’s been in rotation for years now that describes drama and the roles different team members play in drama. You have the persecutor, who is defined as the problem dominates, blames, the one who keeps the victims down. The second one is the victim who feels powerless, their dreams are denied, the “Poor me.” Lastly, there is the rescuer who is the pain reliever, saves the day but fears not being needed.

No matter which one of these people you are, in your eyes the other two people are the problem. There’s no one person that is the problem, we are all guilty of pointing the finger at someone else. The triangle illustrates that in a team dynamic, no matter the role, we are all responsible.

This dynamic is going to develop within a room of people no matter what! However, what if we could transition out of these roles into roles of empowerment? Instead of the Persecutor, Victim and the rescuer, you have the Creator, Coach and Challenger now all of a sudden you have everybody empowered to do this.

So, the question is can we transition our team into an empowerment dynamic to where we are all going and being empowered instead of all just having drama. If we all continue to have drama in our practice and in our lives, we will continue to feel stuck.

Can you identify the role you’ve been playing in your dental practice? Can you identify the role your team members are playing?

If we can understand our team members and start to understand their hearts we can begin that shift. We can understand how we can change and how we can help out the team, how we can show up. Incredible things can happen.

When you start to shift how we see things, how we see each other, our identity we will start to see sustainability.

Now, take a second and decide which transition you’d like to make. But keep in mind that we can’t just go through the motions, we need to commit to the shift from within.