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Rent-a-Dentist Joe Steven Jr, DDS

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I have to admit that I kind of felt sorry for that doctor after our phone conversation! An out-of-state dentist called me at home to talk about some clinical concerns he had. We visited for about an hour, and before we said goodbye, he said, "Joe, thanks for talking to me tonight! I can't remember the last time I talked to another dentist. It's been years!"

I thought about how often Mark Troilo and I talk with each other since graduating together 33 years ago. We talked nearly every night about the clinical and management side of dentistry because we love talking dentistry!

I realize that there is more to life than dentistry, and all dentists will have different levels of passion about our profession. This article is about what those conversations can do for a dentist. Because we talked dentistry all the time over the years, our practices grew very successful simultaneously. Our practices mirror each other very closely when it comes to the size, team, philosophies and production numbers.

Is this just coincidental? I don't think so. I believe it is a direct result of the fact that we discuss dentistry whenever we can. We learn from each other. We take turns trying out new products and systems, and then share our results. Over the last four years, we've had many discussions on incorporating associates. We discuss things that we learn at different seminars and work together to implement them into our practices.

At our seminars Mark and I talk about how important it is to have a good friend who is a dentist whom you can talk with on a regular basis. We even go so far as to joke about that if you don't have a friend who is a dentist, go rent one! We think it is that important.

Mark and I have been very lucky to be best friends since dental school, so yes that makes it easy for us. But, what do you do if you don't have a close dental friend? There are several things you can do. The easiest is to join some of the dental e-mail network groups. Dr. Howard Farran said it best when he started Dentaltown.com with the tagline, "Never practice alone again!" What a great way to learn from other dentists while building friendships. Dr. Mike Maroon and his friends started the ACE e-mail network, which accomplishes the same learning experiences. We started one with KISCO that you can join easily by going to our Web site. I've picked up many good ideas from these groups. Because of these networks, my daughter, Dr. Jasmin Rupp is doing Six Months Smiles, which has been great for our practice. So, if you don't belong to any of these groups, what are you waiting for? They don't cost anything. And please, don't be afraid to share your input with others also.

Joining a study club is another great resource. You can also start your own. Contact some of your colleagues in your area and visit with them about starting your own club. I belong to one here in Wichita, and we meet every three to four months. We discuss different dental topics and also dental politics. Our group has been very proactive in state politics and has made positive changes for the profession in our state. You can do the same. Along the way you just might pick up a close friend or two who you can call late at night to tell them that you broke another NiTi reamer in a patient's tooth!

If you practice in a medical or dental building with several other dentists, try to get all the dentists to go to lunch once a month or every other month. If you practice alone, call several dentists within a radius of a couple of miles, and invite them to do the same. While building good relationships with some colleagues, another advantage is that you might find good connections for covering each other's office emergencies when those situations arise.

And then of course, there are plenty of personal consulting programs out there that you can bring on board to help manage your practice. These programs are ideal for getting doctors more involved in the business side of their practice because now they have to talk dentistry on a regular basis with someone who is trying to help them. Too many times dentists are just so busy practicing dentistry and raising a family that they don't have time to really implement and improve systems in their office.

Can you become successful without any of the above? Sure you can, but the large majority cannot. It just makes sense that it is much easier to improve your practice if you have a friend, a colleague or a coach to help you through your dental business journey. Plus, it's good to have someone you can call to vent some of your frustrations and problems. Better yet, it's great to have someone you can share your clinical dental successes. All around, it is a much more beneficial way to practice dentistry!
Author’s Bio
Dr. Joe Steven graduated from Creighton Dental School in 1978 and has been in solo practice in Wichita, Kansas, up until June, 2007 at which time his daughter, Dr. Jasmin Rupp joined him. He is president of KISCO, a dental products marketing company, providing "new ideas for dentistry," and is the editor of the KISCO Perspective Newsletter. Dr. Steven, along with Dr. Mark Troilo, presents the "Team Dynamics" seminar. Dr. Steven also presents three other seminars: "Efficient-dentistry," "Efficient-prosthetics" and "Efficient-endo." Dr. Steven also provides the KISCO Select Consulting Program to dentists in the form of a monthly audio CD recording. He also offers a coaching consulting program called the KISCO's 21 Club. Contact info: jsteven@kiscodental.com; 800-325-8649; www.kiscodental.com.
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