PERMISSION TO PIVOT: HOW A MAKEOVER CHANGED MY CAREER

By Dr. Peggy Bown

To say that I have always loved dentistry is a bit of an understatement. When I was 14, my mom took us to a new dentist who had recently immigrated to a nearby community in rural Newfoundland. It was immediately obvious to me that he cared deeply about his patients and his team, and this both impressed and shocked me, as it was so different than what I had experienced in the past. Within only 2 visits, it was clear to me that dentistry was the coolest, most impactful career I could have imagined. Inspired by his caring and educational approach, I left his office that day, announcing to my mother that I would become a dentist.

Now, 35 years later, after graduating from dentistry at Dalhousie University, becoming an LVI Fellow, a DSD Master, Platinum Invisalign Provider, and taking literally hundreds of CE courses, I still feel there is much work to be done. That 14-year-old girl made a promise that she would make it her mission to help positively change public perceptions of dentists and dentistry.

So yes, it would be an understatement to say I LOVE dentistry. It would also be an understatement to say that it is an honour to be able to share my passion for the profession of dentistry with you, the DeW Life community.

My career began in 2001, but 2014 would mark a very sudden new chapter in my life. In May of that year, I experienced an abrupt and uncomfortable ending to my partnership. While the fallout of this was stressful, leaving me with only months to open my own solo practice, the excitement I felt around shaping my own patient experience and team culture outweighed the fear.

Luckily, I stumbled upon an abandoned Harveys restaurant that was for sale and in a good location. With the help of an incredible architect (shout out to my sister Heather Bown), a professional interior designer, and an excellent construction crew, we transformed this old space into the biggest makeover of my career. While the details were hazy, my vision was clear: build the most modern, technology-equipped, and patient-focused clinic ever experienced on the East Coast.

Now that I was free to dream, I began to focus on what I wanted to be known for. I knew that in order to inspire patients the way I was inspired, I would need to create patient engagement with an ‘education first’ approach. And as luck would have it, the digital dentistry of the 21st century had arrived. How could I be so fortunate?

The vision was to offer a wide range of smile and reconstructive services in a modern, caring, and sensoryfriendly clinic. The reconstructive cases were the most rewarding as a general dentist, and so, of course, I wanted to do as much as possible!

My new clinic was named Peggy Bown Dentistry, and would be the opportunity of a lifetime. Here I was, practically unknown as a dentist in my city, building a clinic from scratch, while still practicing full time, AND running on fumes as a mom of two small kids. I definitely had my work cut out for me, but as Simon Sinek would appreciate, my why was clear.

The truth is, it was stressful for many days and months that followed. I remember several difficult decisions and 16-hour days, but I never once considered the possibility of giving up. I believed in a better way.

In addition to the planning and construction obstacles I faced, I also realized that no one knew who I was. Most people in the area had never heard my name, much less knew about the advanced training I had done in cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry. I had been in the group practice for a long time without marketing, branding, or social media. Marketing myself and the unique experience and services I offered, came to me innately. All I wanted to do was share how awesome dentistry could be. However, in 2015, dentists were only beginning to show up on social media.

I knew enough that I had to create an online social presence, and so began my early days of Instagram, FB, LinkedIn, plus website building and content creation. Looking back, I knew that dentistry could be so much more for both patients and the dental teams. However, moving the profession forward in this way was impossible without social media.

For me, it presented a unique opportunity to share that dentistry could be both exciting and life changing.

Fast forward to January 2022, when I chose to rebrand and change the name of my clinic from Peggy Bown Dentistry to Luxe Dental Group. So many have asked me: “Why would you do such a thing?”, or “Why bother?”

Well, as we all know too well, the pandemic forever changed our industry. Not being one to step away from a challenge, I refused to sink and used time away from the clinic as an opportunity to learn about, and invest in communication and AI technologies.

Although my clinic continues to offer multiple services in general and cosmetic dentistry, we have improved our workflows, and ultimately, our patient journey. Pivoting during 2020 allowed my clinic to evolve and grow into so much more than I could have dreamed, and to my delight, my geographic reach has skyrocketed. We now draw patients from multiple provinces, including all of the Atlantic region, and as far as Ontario. Yes, patients are even flying in from Toronto!

With significant investments in training, technology, and leadership, I am providing what I call a ‘luxury level experience’, a cut above and beyond traditional patient care in dentistry. When it came to my mind to rebrand, I did so because I felt that the quality of service and the comfortable care we provide should be reflected in the name of the brand. My personal name for the clinic no longer represented who we are. The name LUXE, however, allows me the opportunity to signal we are a destination for luxury dental care.

Unlike any other industry, dentistry has never been thought of as luxury, especially the GP clinic. With endless options for dentists to now invest in digital technology, more comfortable procedures, and patient-team collaboration, I am thrilled to create a new luxury brand for patients who want to experience dentistry in the most modern way possible.

Changing our brand name has also allowed us to recommit the values and mission of our clinic, into a practice worthy of fulfilling the name, LUXE. However, with any brand name change, comes the tough decision of a new logo. While my original logo remains dear to my heart, I knew an updated logo could be more meaningful.

I chose my logo to be two triangles facing one another. The mirror image of the iconic triangle symbolizes quality care and the relationship between patient and team. Together both triangles create a diamond shape meaning a high-quality patient experience that can only be described as ‘LUXE’.

I have to admit that along with dentistry, I have added a new passion for branding and marketing since becoming a business owner. I now help other dentists do the same through my courses called the Modern Dentist, where doctors can receive mentorship on how to become more modern and differentiate themselves in an ever-crowded market. Through sharing my story, I have realized the massive demand for modern dentistry workflows and digital adoption. I have discovered many doctors have no idea where to start or what to do first, let alone how to implement it or market and brand themselves. Without the ‘how to’ guide of implementation, we have not progressed as a profession nearly as quickly as the technology has evolved. This makes the gap ever wider but a unique opportunity for some doctors to stand out.

Although my passion for dentistry was realized as a child, it has only continued to grow as I have found my path as a practice owner, and now, speaker. I am so excited to treat patients in a way that they have never experienced, while also showing other dentists how to do the same. There are endless opportunities to find your niche within this profession and reignite the excitement we all felt when we picked up our first mirror and explorer. A part of me hopes that by reading this, you are reminded of why you came into this field in the first place and that you, too, have satisfied the big dreamer inside of you that brought you along this journey toward becoming a dentist.

About the author:

Dr. Peggy Bown, a 2001 graduate of Dalhousie Dentistry, left her group practice in 2014 to open a modern and fully digital practice, later co-branding it as an official DSD Clinic. Her passion is creating an exceptional patient journey while improving public perceptions of dentistry. Dr. Bown has lectured across Canada and internationally on digital workflows, branding, and social media marketing. Sparked by the pandemic, she has recently created a curriculum and mentorship program called the Modern Dentist, with LIVE and on-demand courses, in addition to hosting a weekly podcast called The Truth About Dentistry. She can be reached on LinkedIn and Instagram @drpeggybown or via her website www.smilesbybown.com