Dentistry North Texas
VOLUME 4
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ISSUE 1
a business and lifestyle magazine for north texas dentists
The Futurists
Ushering in a New Era of Endodontics
Smiles in the Spotlight
Ruben Ovadia, DDS, MS Immediate Implant Placement with Immediate Temporization
Money Matters
The Top Three Questions
Practice Management Powerful Practices
DENTAL IMPLANT COMPLICATIONS SYMPOSIUM: LEARN TO PREVENT, DIAGNOSE, TREAT & COLLABORATE FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014 DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX REGISTER NOW http://straumann.cvent.com/dic2014
REGISTER NOW! THE 3RD ANNUAL DENTAL IMPLANT COMPLICATIONS SYMPOSIUM will take place Friday, May 9, 2014 in Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX. Dr. Stuart Froum, current AAP President, and seven additional distinguished speakers will explore the full gamut of dental implant complications and provide you information from their experiences on this topic that is coming to the forefront of the dental world. OUR SPEAKERS SAY IT BEST “The experts on this program will discuss in detail practical clinical techniques to handle surgical and prosthetic complications that often arise with implant supported restorations.” –Stuart J. Froum, DDS “…the continuing use of implants daily means that the number of implants with complications is continuing to rise.” –David Cochran, DDS, PhD “This conference will improve your knowledge base in preventing and solving these clinical nightmares.” –Bobby Butler, DDS “…the audience is presented with state-of-the-art diagnostic, preventive and treatment strategies for dental implant complications by worldclass authorities.” –Ray C. Williams, DMD “The Dental Implant Complications Symposium will give you the tools to diagnose and treat clinical issues in an effective manner.” –Will Martin, DMD, MS
PROGRAM DATE Friday, May 9, 2014
LOCATION The Worthington Renaissance 200 Main Street Fort Worth, TX 76102
Receive $50 off by using discount code “NTXD2014”
7 CE Credits
SPEAKERS Stuart J. Froum, DDS Paul S. Rosen, DMD, MS Will Martin, DMD, MS Kanyon Keeney, DDS
Bobby Butler, DDS Don Clem, DDS Ray C. Williams, DMD David Cochran, DDS, PhD
AGENDA 7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Registration 8:00 AM – 5:15 PM Program 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM Cocktail Reception Straumann will provide 7.0 CE Credits for this program
Dentistry North Texas
ON THE COVER
The Futurists
Ushering in a New Era of Endodontics
5
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ON THE COVER: This team of doctors at Highland Park Endodontics and Rockwall Endodontics are changing the perception of root canal therapy. (Pictured from left: Dr. Craig Deagle, Dr. Antonio Berto, Dr. Murat Ayik, and Dr. Thomas Choate)
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BAYLOR COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY
Board of regents recognize exemplary contributions Dentistry professors Benson, Dechow named newest Texas A&M Regents professors
LEGAL MATTERS
9 Things to Know About Your Dental Associate Contract Starting your career on the right course
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Creating Powerful Practices By enhancing Emotional Intelligence
SMILES IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Ruben Ovadia, DDS, MS Immediate Implant Placement with Immediate Temporization Technique
HEALTHY LIVING
Crostini with Manchego Cheese and Jalapeno Preserves A quick and easy appetizer
PRACTICE MARKETING
Getting Noticed Why is that other dentist’s website ranking higher than mine?
BRAIN HEALTH
Exercise Improves Memory, Brain Function and Physical Fitness Aerobic exercise is good for both the mind and the body
MONEY MATTERS
Top Three Questions An inside look at QuickBooks
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from the publisher
Dentistry North Texas
Publisher | LuLu Stavinoha Photographer | Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios Contributing Writers | Tina Cauller, Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, Kathy Duran-Thal, Dr. Bob Frazer, Jr., Susan Gunn, Joseph L. McGregor, Dr. Ruben Ovadia, Neil Rudoff
The Southwest Dental Conference was once again a great success. To all of you who stopped by the booth, I appreciated your visit and positive feedback. It was good to meet many new people and reconnecting with old friends is always a treat!
Endodontic care in the Metroplex is the subject of this issue’s cover feature. North Texas Dentistry visited Highland Park Endodontics and Rockwall Endodontics, the practice of Drs. Murat Ayik, Thomas Choate, Antonio Berto, Craig Deagle and Jordan Schweitzer. Enjoy the read on this group’s philosophy on patient care and their relationship with referring dentists. Smiles in the Spotlight highlights a case, “Immediate Implant Placement with Immediate Temporization” by periodontist, Dr. Ruben Ovadia. This treatment is another example of the quality dental care provided in North Texas.
Also inside you will find some great articles. Money Matters answers some questions on QuickBooks best practices.
Brain Health explores the benefit of exercise for your body and mind and Practice Management discusses the value and power of Emotional Intelligence. Enjoy these and much more!
North Texas Dentistry Special Issue 2014 is in the works! If you sell to or provide services to the North Texas dental community you will want to be part of this issue. You will find the scoop on Inside the Exceptional Practice, Gearing Up For Success in a Q&A on page 29.
Ray Bryant
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tina Cauller
WRITING / DESIGN
Thanks to all of you who support this publication and help us to continue to bring you the latest news and information to the North Texas dental community.
Keep smiling and have a great day!
LuLu Stavinoha, RDH Publisher
Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of editorial material published in North Texas Dentistry, articles may contain statements, opinions, and other information subject to interpretation. Accordingly, the publisher, editors and authors and their respective employees are not responsible or liable for inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or other information in material supplied by contributing authors. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is prohibited.
Remember to “Like” us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/NorthTexasDentistry
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Advertise in North Texas Dentistry For more information on advertising in North Texas Dentistry, call LuLu Stavinoha at (214) 629-7110 or email lulu@northtexasdentistry.com. Send written correspondence to: North Texas Dentistry P.O. Box 12623 Dallas, TX 75225
Baylor College of Dentistry
Dentistry professors Benson, Dechow named newest Texas A&M Regents Professors Dr. Byron Benson and Dr. Paul C. Dechow at Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry are Texas A&M Health Science Center’s latest recipients of the prestigious Regents Professor Award. They were honored at the Jan. 29, 2014, meeting of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in Galveston, Texas.
“We are so proud to have two TAMBCD faculty members awarded this prestigious honor,” said Dr. Lawrence Wolinsky, TAMBCD dean. “It says a lot about the caliber of individuals we have representing Texas A&M Health Science Center.”
Established in 1996, the Regents Professor Award is bestowed annually by the Board of Regents in recognition of the awardees’ exemplary contributions to their university or agency and to the people of Texas.
Benson is professor and vice chair of the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and director of the radiology/imaging center at TAMBCD in Dallas. He is an internationally respected leader in the dental specialty of oral and maxillofacial radiology, having been elected by his peers as president of both the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology and the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology. He currently serves on the Board of Commissioners for the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. His areas of research include radiation risk assessment and diagnostic outcomes of advanced imaging systems. “This is a wonderful and humbling privilege to join the other distinguished recipients of this career culminating award,”
Benson said. “I have found it very satisfying to interact with peers, students and staff in providing an excellent educational foundation to dentists, dental specialists and dental hygienists for practice, academics and research. I appreciate the encouraging atmosphere of excellence and academic camaraderie of this institution.”
Benson received his master’s degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center and doctor of dental surgery degree from the University of Iowa. He joined the TAMBCD faculty in 1987, and currently serves as the graduate program director for oral & maxillofacial radiology. During the last three years, Benson was integral in developing, planning and coordinating the construction of the dental school’s new state-of-art imaging facility, which includes the predoctoral radiology clinic and the postdoctoral/extramural Oral and Maxillofacial Imaging Center. “Dr. Benson inspires enthusiasm in his students and particularly enjoys one-on-one clinical teaching scenarios,” said Dr. John M. Wright, Regents Professor and chair of diagnostic sciences at TAMBCD. “He consistently updates the radiology curriculum to include new technology and incorporates innovative educational experiences for students. Under his leadership, our college’s imaging facilities have set the standard and have been emulated internationally.”
Also receiving the Regents Professor Award is Dr. Paul C. Dechow, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 4 www.northtexasdentistry.com
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Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
cover feature
The team of specialists at Highland Park Endodontics and Rockwall Endodontics from left, Dr. Craig Deagle, Dr. Thomas Choate, Dr. Antonio Berto and Dr. Murat Ayik.
The Futurists
Ushering in a New Era of Endodontics
W
by Tina Cauller hile every dental student is taught how to perform a root canal procedure, not all clinicians have the same comfort level with endodontic procedures, particularly when the case is complicated by one or more troublesome factors. In cases involving retreatment, anatomy-related challenges, phobic or medically compromised patients, it can be advantageous to refer the patient to a specialist for treatment, which allows general dentists more time for other procedures and improves patient satisfaction. According to the AAE, endodontists perform an average of 25 root canal treatments per week, while the general dentist performs
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two per week. As a result, the endodontist is more familiar, faster, and more comfortable with performing a root canal than the typical general dentist. Forging a collaborative relationship with the right specialist strengthens the general dentist’s practice and ensures that patients receive the best possible care.
General practitioners who partner with the specialists at Highland Park Endodontics and Rockwall Endodontics recognize that their relationship with this remarkable group is an invaluable resource. When patients need advanced diagnostics or specialty care, the
Photos courtesy of Highland Park Endodontics
referring dentist can feel confident that this team has the experience and technology required to provide excellent continuity of care and the highest level of advanced treatment.
Endodontists routinely use sophisticated equipment that is not usually available in the general practitioner’s office. Rockwall and Highland Park Endodontics feature fully-integrated, state-of-theart endodontic equipment, such as powerful surgical microscopes that enable clinicians to identify cracks, extra canals, and other anatomical variations. Intraoral cameras allow the doctors to show patients images of the problem on a chairside computer, and then share those digital images with the referring dentist.
To elevate their diagnostic power to the next level, this endodontic team has added the most advanced technology, including cone beam computer tomography, to the diagnostic process. CBCT helps identify lesions that are not visible on two-dimensional radiographs. It also allows the endodontic team to evaluate traumatic injuries, root resorption, and fractures. This powerful diagnostic tool makes it possible to preserve more teeth than was historically possible and supports the general dentist in treatment planning. In addition, they are one of the only endodontic practices in Texas to have an endoscope, which uses a microscopic camera to visualize the inside of the tooth canal.
With patients as priority one, comfort is of paramount importance at Rockwall Endodontics and Highland Park Endodontics. A positive patient experience is assured by amenities like DVD players, ceiling-mounted TVs, CDs, a coffee bar, and blankets. Both offices use only state-of-the-art sterilization and infection control techniques.
According to Dr. Murat Ayik, “We want both of our offices to be seen as extensions of our referring doctors’ practices, and we strive to be a helpful clinical and educational resource. Our referring doctors know that we share their values and approach to patient care, which gives them confidence that their patient will have a positive experience.”
As owner of the two practices, Dr. Ayik brings the team together under one philosophical umbrella and has helped create systems to standardize the root canal process across the two locations. He is committed to helping team members be the best they can be, mentoring younger team members and collaborating on cases whenever needed to support the best patient care.
“ I want people to think of endodontists as the doctors who relieve pain, because that is the reality in modern endodontics.”
In a relaxing spa like setting, patient comfort is a top priority.
Both offices want to be seen as extensions of the referring doctor’s practice and strive to assist patients as needed.
“When patients are referred to us for symptoms related to pain, infection, or trauma, we take the time needed to thoroughly address their concerns and provide the most effective treatment, even if that means multiple visits. Having a team of specialists means we are able to accommodate every referral without delay, usually the same day.”
Dr. Craig Deagle, who joined the group last summer and treats patients in the Rockwall office, travels to the Highland Park office several times a month as needed to treat emergencies. “We see any patient in pain immediately,” he notes. “For non-emergent cases, I like to schedule longer appointments to be able to get to know the patient and establish a rapport. I take time to thoroughly evaluate the patient, make a careful diagnosis, and answer questions. I explain the procedure, the potential outcomes, and the long-term prognosis to the patient so there are no surprises. Usually, patients have some anxiety about seeing an endodontist, and knowing what to expect takes much of the anxiety out of endodontic treatment. Most patients are pleasantly surprised at how painless their root canal treatment was. Our goal is for them to return to their general dentist for restoration after a relaxed, positive experience.” www.northtexasdentistry.com
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Dr. Deagle is equally dedicated to thorough communication with the referring dentist. “My experience working in a hospital convinced me of the importance of seamless continuity of care. We make sure that our referring doctors are clearly informed of the diagnostic findings and our recommendations. After treatment, we outline the treatment and summarize the results. The patient experience and
the outcome are both greatly improved when everyone involved in the chain of care is on the same page.”
Dr. Thomas Choate, who sees patients in the Highland Park office, joined the group after 27 years of private endodontic practice and shares his team’s enthusiasm, noting, “I have really enjoyed the energy and excitement that comes from collaborating
Photo courtesy of Highland Park Endodontics
Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
Rockwall and Highland Park Endodontics feature fully-integrated, state-of-the-art endodontic equipment, including powerful surgical microscopes.
Dr. Thomas Choate and Dr. Antonio Berto were featured on WFAA-TV’s Good Morning Texas in the segment “All About Root Canals”.
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with the other team members, and have felt a lot of pride in helping to develop the practices.” Dr. Choate and the other doctors make an effort to meet with referring doctors to get acquainted on a personal level. “We like to get to know our referring doctors, understand their practice, and get a sense for how they approach patient care. That helps us provide the same high standard of professionalism and caring that their patients have come to expect.”
Dr. Choate is active in charitable dentistry and regularly travels with his church group on mission trips to a small village in Honduras to provide much needed dental care, sometimes under the necessary protection of armed guards. The village, which was without water until recently, now enjoys clean drinking water thanks to wells drilled by the mission group. The group has been returning to Honduras annually for 13 years – their next trip will be this June.
Dr. Antonio Berto, who provides endodontic care at the Highland Park office, speaks for the entire team when he expresses a heartfelt goal: “People frequently associate root canals with pain. I want people to think of endodontists as the doctors who relieve pain, because that is the reality in modern endodontics.” Dr. Berto teaches in Baylor’s AEGD program, and offers continuing education endodontic seminars to referring doctors. Dr. Berto is actively involved in charitable dentistry, and served as the 2013 President of the North Texas Hispanic Dental Society. He participates in numerous events to benefit the community, including Give Kids A Smile, which recently provided dental screenings for more than 100 children in McKinney, 10 of whom required endodontic treatment. Last June, Dr. Berto helped organize a Zumba fundraising event, which was featured in ADA magazine. The event attracted more than 150 participants and raised $2,000 for pediatric dental care for children in need. In April 2013, Dr. Berto served as lead doctor for Carnaval de Salud, a free community health care event sponsored by UT Southwestern Medical School as part of the United to Serve campaign, to benefit students and their families in the sur-
Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
General practitioners who partner with this team of specialists can feel confident that they have the experience and technology required to provide excellent continuity of care and the highest level of advanced treatment.
rounding community. The annual event is held at T.J. Rusk Middle School. Students, faculty, and staff from all UT Southwestern schools participate.
A working relationship with experienced endodontic specialists who value good communication and patient care is an asset to any general dentistry practice, and one that is sure to lower stress, improve effiThis year, the 10th Annual
UTSW United to Serve Health Fair
Carnaval de Salud
will be held on Saturday, April 12. ciency and boost patient satisfaction. The doctors at Highland Park Endodontics and Rockwall Endodontics are committed to cultivating strong partnerships with referring doctors who share their goals of providing the best possible patient care through collaboration. n
ROCKWALL ENDODONTICS
is located at 1215 Arista Drive, Suite 101 Rockwall, TX 75032 and can be reached at (469) 698-ROOT (7668) or on the Web at http://rockwallrootcanal.com. Photo by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
HIGHLAND PARK ENDODONTICS
is located at 7001 Preston Road, Suite 301-A Dallas, TX 75205 and can be reached at (214) 390-3345 or on the Web at highlandparkendodontics.com.
Photo courtesy of Highland Park Endodontics
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Dr. Murat Ayik graduated from Tennessee Technological University and received his DDS from the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. After graduation, he was commissioned as a Naval Officer in the United States Navy and served for four years. He earned an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) certificate at the Naval Medical/Dental Center San Diego, California. After his tenure in the US Navy, he completed a 27-month advanced specialty training program in root canals and microsurgical endodontics at The Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry, where he served as chief resident in his final year of training. He currently holds Board-eligibility status from the American Board of Endodontics. Dr. Ayik was the president of the Dallas/Fort Worth Endodontic Study Club for 2010-2011. Dr. Ayik coauthored a ground breaking article that has been cited numerous times in current dental literature – Woodmansey KF, Ayik M, Buschang PH, White C, He J. Maximum bite force and chewing efficiency of dental implants and endodontically treated teeth: a preliminary clinical study. J Endod. 2009; 35(1)10-4. Thomas W. Choate, DDS
Dr. Choate was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Baylor University in Waco, graduating in 1980 with a BA in Business Administration. He received his dental degree from Baylor College of Dentistry. Dr. Choate was elected to the Odontological Honor Society, and Omicron Kappa Upsilon upon graduation in 1984. In 1985, after a year in private practice, Dr. Choate returned to Baylor College of Dentistry and received his certificate in Endodontics in 1987. He has been in private practice limited to Endodontics since that time. Dr. Choate opened his office in the Carrollton area in 1988. He will celebrate over 25 years practicing dentistry in the Dallas area. He has been named to D Magazine’s “Best Dentists of Dallas” and “Super Dentists of Texas” by Texas Monthly. Dr. Choate and his wife Dr. Barrie B. Choate (who practices dentistry for infants, children and adolescents in the Woodhill Medical Complex in Dallas) have a son and daughter who are currently studying dentistry at Baylor, and a son in the oil and gas industry. Dr. Choate enjoys playing golf, and attending Dallas sporting events with his children. He also enjoys hunting, fishing and spending time outdoors. Antonio Berto, DDS
Dr. Antonio Berto completed his dental training in Madrid, Spain, where he received a BDS degree in 2005. In 2006, Dr. Berto became a Fellow in the Department of Endodontics Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry. He continued his studies 10 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
there, and in 2009, was awarded a Certificate in Endodontics. He has been board eligible since 2009 and has set a goal of becoming a Diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics. He is an active member of the American Association of Endodontics, American Dental Association, North Texas Hispanic Dental Association serving as President-Elect, Spanish Dental Association, DFW Metroplex Endodontic Society, and the Irving Dental Study club, where he currently serves as Vice President. In 2010 he became Assistant Professor at the Department of Endodontics. He also teaches at the AEGD department where he is responsible for the Endodontic section. He was honored with the 2013 Rodriguez Carvajal award for the best clinical case published in the official journal of the Spanish association of Endodontics and is a key opinion leader for Tulsa Dentsply. Dr. Berto and his wife have a young son. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and watching all types of sports, soccer being his favorite. Craig Deagle, DMD, MMSc
Dr. Craig Deagle received his bachelor’s degree at California State University and his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Boston University School of Dental Medicine. He completed a two-year General Practice Residency at the University of Virginia where he served as chief resident during his second year. Dr. Deagle then pursued his interest in Endodontics and dental research at Harvard University School of Dental Medicine, graduating as a specialist in Endodontics and achieving a Masters of Medical Science degree. He is a member of numerous dental organizations including the American Association of Endodontists and the American Dental Association. Dr. Deagle remains active in dental volunteer work, organized dentistry, and dental education. Jordan Schweitzer, DDS
Dr. Schweitzer graduated with a B.S. degree from the Plan II Honors Program at University of Texas at Austin in 1982 and received his DDS from Baylor College of Dentistry in 1986. He completed a General Practice Residency in Jacksonville, Florida in 1988, then trained at Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he earned a Certificate in Endodontics and Masters Degree. Dr. Schweitzer was in private endodontic practice from 1990-2006 and taught at Baylor College of Dentistry part time from 1990-2001. In 2006, he began teaching full time in Baylor’s undergraduate program doing development supervision in the graduate clinic. He attends continuing education courses in his area of specialty and general dentistry and was honored with Baylor’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2012. Dr. Schweitzer grew up in Fort Worth and is married. His interests include computers, dog rescue, historic architecture, and music. He also serves on the City of Dallas Board of Adjustment .
(Dr. Schweitzer photo courtesy of Highland Park Endodontics)
Photos by Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
Murat Ayik, DDS
FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY WITH A
ON DENTISTRY
creating compelling professional images that speak for your practice
817.966.2631 www.Bryant Studios.com raybryant@me.com
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legal matters
Things to Know
About Your Dental Associate Contract by Joseph L. McGregor
Your first dental associate contract can set your career on a positive trajectory. It can also result in disappointment, disadvantage, and in some circumstances, a lawsuit. This article is intended to outline a few common issues in dental associate contracts that may not be apparent to first-time dentists.
1. Contracts are negotiable.
Nearly all dental employment contracts are negotiable. Most likely, the contract presented to you is a stock contract that may or may not have been prepared with you in mind. Accordingly, there will be provisions that are neither relevant nor appropriate. Your employer understands this, and nearly every employer will entertain reasonable revisions. An employer unwilling to at least listen to your concerns should be seen as a red flag.
2. Are you an employee or an independent contractor?
Whether you are an employee or independent contractor is not nearly as important as understanding the difference between the two. Both formats have their place, and each have their benefits. Very generally, employment relationships are typically more protected under state laws, while independent contractors have the potential to realize better tax efficiency. Legally, though, what’s most important is that you have an employment agreement for an employment relationship, and an independent contractor’s agreement for a contract relationship. Mixing the two can lead to expensive misunderstandings. 12 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
3. How are you compensated?
It’s common—and understandable—for job-seekers to fixate on the percentage of the pay. It must be understood that not all percentages are created equal. Is your percentage based on gross production, or is it based on gross collections? Are you penalized for write-offs, or discounts awarded by the practice? Are you compensated for hygiene or x-rays? Are supplies or lab fees deducted? Will you be given an accounting of the practice’s collections or deductions?
4. How are you scheduled?
Most dental contracts do not promise any certain level of scheduling, which can significantly impact pay. This can render high percentages illusory if the practice fails to generate patient traffic, or suffers a dip in business. This is especially true in startup practices, but can also be relevant to practices where the owner operates a satellite office close enough for patients to travel back to the owner, and in cases where another associate works in the office alongside you. Few practices are willing to assume the risk of promising patients to you, so read the contract in the context of worst-case scenario.
5. Where are you working?
Many practices are trending towards satellite offices. It’s important to understand if you are contracted with one office, or all
offices administered by the practice. This is particularly important when considering the contract’s restrictive covenant; you do not want to be potentially elbowed out of a community because you worked a few days a year in a satellite office.
6. How can you be fired?
One of the most overlooked provisions of a dental associate contract is the termination provision. Most contracts provide for termination for serious issues, which are to be expected; if an assistant finds you comatose in the bathroom with a needle of heroin in your arm, you probably deserve to be fired. But most contracts also feature grounds for termination based on extremely vague and legally undefinable phrasing like “moral turpitude” or “injurious to the reputation of the practice”. There are only a handful of lawyers in this country who cannot fit anything you do into phrases like that, which essentially renders your contract terminable at will.
7. Is your restrictive covenant reasonable?
There is no hard-fast rule for measuring whether a restrictive covenant is reasonable. A restrictive covenant’s enforceability depends on duration of employment, how many offices the practice has, how spread out those practices are, the office’s branding, how dense the population is, and innumerable other facts that vary in importance state to state, community to community. What’s most important is that mileage is typically more important than time, and that often dentists are more interested in being able to take along staff rather than patients to their new job. The worst approach to an unreasonable restrictive covenant, however, is not to ignore it on the promise that it will not be enforceable; many banks will not lend to you for your new venture if a potential lawsuit is looming. Instead, it’s best to negotiate the best terms possible, and then abide by them.
financially devastating for those who work in practices that receive payments several months after billing. Finally, many contracts obligate you to finish any outstanding treatments, which can be impracticable for those moving away, for those whose new employers will not grant the time off, or for those not getting paid to complete that work.
9. This list is not all-inclusive.
Each dental associate contract presents its own unique issues, and therefore each contract must be read in its own context. All relevant factors must be considered, including the practice’s plans for you, your plans for the practice, the owner’s reputation, standards in the local dental employment marketplace, and any other additional issues identified by your experienced attorney. Joseph L. McGregor specializes in dental law, with particular focus in practice acquisitions, practice startups, and dental employment agreements. His Dallas-based firm writes or reviews over 300 dental associate agreements each year. Joseph is a 2007 graduate of the J. Rueben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.
8. What are your termination obligations?
One day your employment will end. It’s important to understand what obligations are expected for that time. Many contracts have a fixed term, meaning that you cannot voluntarily quit before the first year without penalties or other expensive consequences. Additionally, if you fail to give timely notice of your voluntary exit, will you have to pay any penalty fees? It’s becoming increasingly common that once you turn in your notice, the practice will no longer be obligated to pay you for your accrued but unpaid collections. This can be
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Powerful Practices
practice management
Creating
By Enhancing Emotional Intelligence by Bob Frazer, Jr., DDS, FICD, FACD
E
very major discretionary (dental) purchase is first and foremost an emotional decision. Effective leadership of a practice demands emotional competency. Therefore, E.I. is central to our success.
The leading businesses in the U.S. and across the world have taken to heart research out of Harvard and Rutgers showing that 75% of high achievers’ success comes from Emotional Intelligence (E.I.), while 25% comes from necessary technical competency. In doing so, they have insisted their leaders and key customer interface people have E.I. training. We believe it is even more important for those of us in private practice.
Often the most intellectually gifted (high I.Q.) and technically excellent dentists seem to be on a never-ending journey to elevate their technical competency. But many end up frustrated, sometimes even depressed, as they encounter countless recurring leadership and staff problems – plus, no mater how much they learn, they can’t get most patients to elect their finest service.
Yet, I also encounter good dentists, generally well trained, with half the technical training, who have happy, prosperous practices with patients wanting the dentistry they offer. So what is the difference? I am convinced one must have technical competency, but the difference? – Emotional Intelligence.
According to author Daniel Goleman, “Emotional Intelligence is defined as our capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, for managing emotions well in ourselves and our relationships.”1
Recently I joined one of my coaching clients during a patient treatment case presentation. Models were prepared, as well as photographs and a computer generated treatment plan. The patient, “Kathy,” and her husband, “Ed,” were greeted warmly and escorted to the consult room.
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They were a healthy looking, casually well-dressed couple in their mid 60s. Kathy was physically attractive, but her smile clearly detracted from her appearance, causing her to look 10 years older. She was soft spoken and was most concerned about the implants that had been recommended.
Ed was quite warm and extroverted. He projected the charisma of one who was a leader.
The treatment recommendation was full reconstruction beginning with the maxillary teeth. After too short an initial dialogue, my client jumped right into Kathy’s problems and how they could best be solved with a combination of implants and crowns. When the word implant was mentioned, both Kathy and Ed’s brows wrinkled slightly and they looked either confused or concerned.
My client was on a roll with her models, photos, plus pictures of implants and it was about five minutes before she stopped to ask if they understood or had questions. They were concerned about the surgery and the appearance of implants. My client fielded that technically quite nicely, then noted that bridges could be used and surgery avoided.
They liked that idea. But, then Ed wanted to know what just the upper dentistry would cost, since he was a little shocked by the total fee for upper and lower. My client answered about $12,000, but failed to help him understand that the upper needed to couple well with the lower, and without restoring the lower there would be an over-contour of the lingual of the uppers. In turn, this would accelerate the wear on the lowers and within five years, Kathy would have to have the lower restored and then the upper would have to be reshaped or remade.
Very quickly, a complete reconstruction was degenerating into segmented treatment for only the most visible. My client was unwittingly un-selling the case. Not because of technical competence,
but because of lack of emotional intelligence. She was not resonating with this couple.
I simply asked to see the models and then asked my doctor/client the implications of not doing the lower teeth at the same time. As she described the negative implication, I watched Kathy and Ed’s facial expressions. This was not what they wanted. Then, I simply said, “As your questions were being answered, I noticed that you seemed disturbed by the answers. Did I sense that accurately?” Ed confirmed that I did. Then, I simply said, “You two strike me as people who want things done once and done well.” They nodded agreement and I said, “Then it’s crucial to do these together.” I added that doing both together would add a youthfulness to Kathy’s smile and face. They both smiled and nodded.
It was obvious to me when Ed and Kathy arrived that they were people of means, who valued health and wanted to do what was best. They simply were concerned about surgery and I sensed they did not want to compromise treatment. How did I know that? Through E.Q.
We invite you to join our Emotional Intelligence Workshop, November 13-15th, 2014 as we explore the powerful concepts of E.I. in our patient and team interactions, plus how to grow your E.Q. so that you and your team can join the stars of our profession. 1
Bob Frazer, Jr., DDS, FACD, FICD
For 30 years, Dr. Frazer lead a highly successful (top 2%) insurance independent, relationshipbased, values-driven dental practice.
He and his firm offer dentists a range of transformational services: Applied Strategic Planning, Emotional Intelligence training, Performance Coaching, Wilderness Adventures, Leadership Adventures, and a National Study Club. Recognized as the foremost authority in Applied Strategic Planning and Emotional Intelligence in dentistry, he helps dentists achieve lives of balance, fulfillment and significance.
A masterful storyteller, Dr. Frazer shares how to harness the powers of vision and emotional intelligence in one’s life and practice. A pioneer in collaborative diagnosis, he and his associates teach dental teams how to interpret value so your patients routinely choose your finest, most complete care. He is a Fellow of the American and International College of Dentists. Dr. Frazer has presented more than 1000 programs and published more than 50 articles in dental journals including 20 articles on Emotional Intelligence.
Contact Dr. Frazer at the email address below for a complimentary article on seven ways to grow your emotional intelligence.
R.L. FRAZER & ASSOCIATES, INC.
(512) 346-0455
www.frazeronline.com bob@frazeronline.com
Daniel Goleman, Working With Emotional Intelligence. Bantam 1998
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NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
15
SMILES SPOTLIGHT in the
LEADERS IN NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY CREATING UNFORGETTABLE SMILES
Procedure
Pre-procedural rinse with chlorhexidine was performed for one minute and then local anesthetic was provided. Flapless atraumatic extraction of #7 was done. Quality and quantity of keratinized tissue, as well as, integrity of socket was confirmed. Implant osteotomy was drilled to final depth and diameter. A Nobel Active 3.5x10 implant placed in the adequate 3D position with a final insertion torque of 45Ncm confirming adequate primary stability. Freeze-Dried Bone Allograft was used to fill the gap between the implant and the socket wall. No sutures required.
External root resorption
4
The Patient
A 25-year old healthy female was referred to our practice by her endodontist for evaluation of hopeless tooth #7 and dental implant consult. She suffered dental traumatism several years ago.
Case Presentation
Clinical and radiographic evaluation revealed a generalized healthy dentition with a thin biotype particularly around her mandibular canines. Adequate homecare and discoloration of tooth #8 due to internal root resorption. Tooth #7 had significant mobility and severe external root resorption. She was very worried about needing an extraction, the resulting loss of function and esthetics, but most of all, having to use an interim removable prosthesis during the healing period post-extraction.
CT scan view #7
Atraumatic extraction
Implant placement
A prosthodontist inserted a temporary abutment for immediate temporization and fabricated the provisional crown with adequate contours to help preserve the interproximal papillae and emergence profile of the soft tissues, making sure the crown is completely passive and out of occlusion.
Initial x-ray 16 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
Ruben Ovadia, DDS, MS Dr. Ovadia is a Board Certified periodontist and Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology with a private practice limited to periodontics and dental implants in Dallas, Texas.
Dr. Ovadia has presented his clinical work and research about topics related to Dental Implants and Periodontal Disease both nationally and internationally in Europe and Asia. He is an active member of many professional associations and has written several articles in scientific journals and publications.
Fabrication of temporary crown Temporary abutment and crown 4
Results
The patient was very happy with the final outcome, especially with the fact that she did not have to be on a removable appliance during the healing time and the length of the overall treatment was reduced significantly with the “Immediate Placement / Immediate Temporization Technique”.
Immediate temporization
Final crown
No occlusion After three months of healing and osseointegration was confirmed, final impressions were made to fabricate the final abutment and cementable crown.
Periodontal Associates
Final x-ray
8722 Greenville Ave #100 Dallas, TX 75243
(214) 503-1000
Patient’s final smile
info@dallasimplant.com
www.dallasimplant.com
www.northtexasdentistry.com
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Serves: 30; Serving Size: 1 piece
healthy living
Ingredients 1/2 French baguette 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste
Crostini with Manchego Cheese and Jalapeno Peach Preserves
Crostini, which means “little toasts” in Italian, date back to medieval times. It’s not surprising that this simple dish has survived the centuries – it’s one of the most versatile and crowd pleasing appetizers ever. Crostini (the plural of ‘crostino’) can be sweet or savory, simple or indulgent, depending on the toppings you choose.
This quick, easy recipe combines the mellow, nutty flavor of Manchego, a hard cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain, with the tangy sweetness and fire of jalapeno-peach preserves to create an impressive appetizer your guests will love.
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Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Thinly slice baguette diagonally into approximately 30 pieces (1/4-inch thick). Place baguette slices on baking sheet. Brush slices on both sides with olive oil. Bake for 6 minutes till dry on top, flip each slice over and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 6-8 more minutes till golden brown. Let cool. Spread each crostino with a small amount of Fischer & Wieser Jalapeno Peach Preserves and top with a very thin slice of Manchego cheese. Use any preserves you like. I like the kick that the Fischer & Wieser Jalapeno Peach Preserves provides. (www.jelly.com) *Variations: After turning over slices for additional cooking, simply sprinkle freshly grated parmesan on top and finish baking for simple, rustic crostini. Or, omit oil, salt, and pepper. Carbohydrate Choices: 1 serving (1 piece) = 0 carbohydrate choices Nutritional Analysis Calories 16 Sodium 4mg Fat 2g Carbohydrate 0g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Protein 0g Recipe provided by Kathy Duran-Thal, R.D., Director of Nutrition Cooper Wellness Program, A Cooper Aerobics Company
A healthier, brighter future starts with Cooper Wellness. 12230 Preston Road | Dallas, Texas 75230 972.386.4777 | 800.444.5192 | cooperwellness.com
18 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
20th Year Anniversary Building Your Dream Office “Your Partner For The Future”
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practice marketing
GETTING NOTICED
Why is that other dentist’s website ranking higher than mine? by Neil Rudoff You’ve built or revamped your practice website (or hired a marketing or web design firm to do it for you.) You’ve added photos, content and details about your specific services and procedures. You might have even tasked someone on your staff to do all the behind the scenes online marketing work that is supposed to help your website show up on the first few pages of a Google search. You feel pretty good about your marketing choices. After all, you are a dentist and
not an online marketing expert, right? Then it happens. You have some downtime between patient appointments, so you decide to sit down at your laptop and search Google for dentistry services in your area. And right there, on page one, are all of your local colleagues, while your site is nowhere to be found.
You have every right to be confused as to why (and how) your colleagues’ websites are organically showing up before yours in a Google search for dentistry services.
20 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
Hadn’t you done everything you could? Perhaps not.
The truth is, Google is constantly (and we mean constantly) tweaking, changing and altering what it deems to be “the right way” to optimize your website to show up in the first few pages of a Google search. At times, it can be a full time job just to stay on top of all the new rules changes. What makes it even more difficult is Google is notoriously ambiguous about how and why they change the rules and it truly does take
a trained marketing expert to interpret the changes and implement them correctly.
So, why would that other dentist’s website rank higher than yours? While we could speculate all day about the possibilities, here are just a few of the many key elements of a good search engine ranking that could be making the difference:
Quality and quantity of your website content
We’ve heard for quite some time now that Google rewards websites that have high quality content that is unique to your website. While that is still true and will probably continue to be for the foreseeable future, the amount of copy on each of your practice website service pages is also important. Make sure each service page of your website has at least a few paragraphs of quality, unique content. A sentence or two just won’t cut it. TIP: We’ve also been hearing that conversion is starting to matter more to Google (i.e., how many people click on your “Contact Us” button.) Make sure each of your service pages are built to convert.
Number of Google reviews
Most dentists know that getting positive reviews and recommendations from their current patients is beneficial for many reasons. But many don’t know that they should be strategic in where they ask their patients to go to post them. Research has shown that positive reviews on your practice’s Google+ profile are fairly supportive in helping your search engine rankings. But make sure they are genuine. Google is incredibly intelligent and has advised against posting fake or false reviews and asking your patients to post the review right in your office.
Social signals
We’ve written about social media a lot lately. To read some of them, check out our blog at www.onlinedentalmarketing.com/blog. Several studies have been released (and subsequently debated) that found social signals like Facebook Likes, Facebook Shares, Twitter Retweets and Google +1s contribute to your website’s search engine
ranking. What we do know is that evidence is beginning to show that Google is favoring content that is being “interacted” with; meaning shared and commented on within social media networks. If your practice doesn’t have social media profiles on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, now might be the time to consider creating them.
Keywords that are too competitive
All dentists want their website to be found when someone searches for “dentist + your town”. But, depending on the size of your market, the possibility of showing up organically for those keywords can be next to impossible. If your website is trying to rank for generic and very competitive keywords and you live in a metropolitan area (like D/FW), you may be fighting a losing battle. When choosing your keywords, try to imagine what your potential patients actually type into a Google search and try to refine your keywords. Additionally, Google has just revamped their search algorithm to accommodate for people using voice search on their mobile devices and typing in complete sentence questions in their Google search bar.
Domain authority
Believe it or not, Google considers the age, popularity and size of your website’s domain when it decides which websites to display. Your domain is the web address that your potential patients see or type in when they want to be taken to the home page of your website. Google tends to give favor to domains that have been registered
and used by people for a long period of time because it shows that the website can be trusted. So, if the dentist up the street’s website is ranking higher than yours, it could be, in part, because it’s just simply been around longer.
Keeping up with Google’s constant updates can be a timely process and usually takes a seasoned marketing professional to manage and implement them all. If your website isn’t ranking where you want it to, contact our digital marketing team today, we specialize in building, optimizing and marketing websites for dental practices. Neil Rudoff is the Senior Account Executive at Bullseye Media in McKinney, Texas. He received his B.A. from Tufts University in 1989 and his MBA from UT Austin in 1993, and has been an online marketing and web design consultant since 2003. He can be reached at (214) 491-6166 or neil@bullseyemediallc.com. BullseyeMedia, LLC is a McKinney, Texas based full-service digital marketing agency that specializes in helping dentists leverage the internet to grow their practices. Visit our website at www.onlinedentalmarketing.com.
If values aren’t shared, they aren’t lived. Mei Miao mmiao@bbandt.com direct 972.754.1443
www.northtexasdentistry.com
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brain health
Study Finds Aerobic Exercise Improves Memory, Brain Function and Physical Fitness By Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D.
A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas published online in the open-access journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that engaging in a physical exercise reg-
priority and concern in the United States.
“Science has shown that aging decreases mental efficiency and memory decline is the number one cognitive complaint of older adults,” said Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D., founder and chief
The combination of physical and mental exercise may be the best health measure to improve overall cognitive brain health. imen helps healthy aging adults improve their memory, brain health and physical fitness. This finding is significant considering that among adults 50 and older, “staying mentally sharp” outranks social security and physical health as the top
director of the Center for BrainHealth, Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair and lead author of the paper. “This research shows the tremendous benefit of aerobic exercise on a person’s memory and demonstrates that aerobic exercise
22 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
can reduce both the biological and cognitive consequences of aging.”
For the study, sedentary adults ages 5775 were randomized into a physical training or a wait-list control group. The physical training group participated in supervised aerobic exercise on a stationary bike or treadmill for one hour, three times a week for 12 weeks. Participants’ cognition, resting cerebral blood flow, and cardiovascular fitness were assessed at three time points: before beginning the physical exercise regimen, mid-way through at 6 weeks, and post-training at 12 weeks. “By measuring brain blood flow noninvasively using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, we can now begin to detect brain changes much earlier than before,” said Sina Aslan, Ph.D., founder and president of Advance MRI and collaborator on the study. “One key region where we
To think we can alter and improve the basic structure of the mature brain through aerobic exercise and complex thinking should inspire us to challenge our thinking and get moving at any age. saw increase in brain blood flow was the anterior cingulate, indicating higher neuronal activity and metabolic rate. The anterior cingulate has been linked to superior cognition in late life.”
Exercisers who improved their memory performance also showed greater increase in brain blood flow to the hippocampus, the key brain region affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Chapman pointed out that, using noninvasive brain imaging techniques, brain changes were identified earlier than memory improvements, implicating brain blood flow as a promising and sensitive metric of brain health gains across treatment regimens.
“Physical exercise may be one of the most beneficial and cost-effective therapies widely available to everyone to elevate memory performance,” Chapman said. “These findings should motivate adults of all ages to start exercising aerobically.”
Chapman cautioned that while physical exercise is associated with a selective or regional brain blood flow, it did not produce a change in global brain blood flow.
“In another recent study, we have shown that complex mental training increases whole brain blood flow as well as regional brain blood flow across key brain networks,” Chapman said. “The combination of physical and mental exercise may be the best health measure to improve overall cognitive brain health. We have just begun to test the upper boundaries of how we can enhance our brain’s performance into late life. To think we can alter and improve the basic structure of the mature brain through aerobic exercise and complex thinking should inspire us to challenge our thinking and get moving at any age.” The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging at the National
Institutes of Health (RC1-AG035954), the Lyda Hill Foundation, the T. Boone Pickens Foundation, and the Dee Wyly Distinguished University Endowment.
To learn more about healthy brain habits to improve your brain health at any age, check out Dr. Chapman’s book, Make Your Brain Smarter. n Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D. is the founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth, a Distinguished University Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas and author of Make Your Brain Smarter: Increase Your Brain’s Creativity, Energy and Focus.
Dr. Chapman has a remarkable gift for translating the complex world of cognitive neuroscience into easy-to-understand language. For the last 30 years, she has focused her research on how to make the human brain smarter and healthier.
With more than 40 funded research grants and more than 200 publications to her credit, she is recognized as a leading thinker, transforming popular misconceptions about what smart is, when we are the smartest, and how to repair the brain after injury or in the face of disease. Her approach to the science of thinking smarter aims to help people of all ages improve creative and critical thinking, incite innovation and maximize brain performance throughout life.
Visit www.centerforbrainhealth.org for more information.
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money matters
THE TOP THREE
I’ve just returned from speaking at the Chicago Midwinter meeting where the two sold out QuickBooks classes were full
of attendees wanting to take charge of their practice’s accounting. Truly, they had more questions than previous
years, but QuickBooks is changing and people are becoming
more involved in their practice’s accounting. Here are three of those questions.
by Susan Gunn
What about QuickBooks Online?
QuickBooks Online is often encouraged by a CPA for easy access but I still do not believe it is the best product for a practice. Let’s compare QuickBooks Online Essentials with QuickBooks Pro, which I do recommend. Cost. A two-year subscription of the QuickBooks Online Essentials product is
24 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
$646.80. I only recommend the PC QuickBooks Pro be upgraded every two years, so in comparing costs, it’s $279.00 vs. $646.80. For me, that’s a no brainer.
Products. The report customization is extremely limited in QuickBooks Online. At this writing, the chart of accounts can only be arranged by account type, in alphabetical order. Your chart of accounts is the most important aspect of your QuickBooks use. How it is designed is how you review your reports. They’ve gone backwards in the QuickBooks Online product. Speaking of reports, there are only 40+ Online vs. over 100+ in Pro. And, most custom reports in Online are gone as well. Accessibility. I marvel at how everyone assumes switching to QuickBooks Online is the only way to access QuickBooks thru the internet. QuickBooks has a remote
access capability ($3.95 monthly), as well as many other remote computer possibilities, such as Windows Remote desktop or Logmein.com, which are both free. These are better options to remotely access QuickBooks, than giving up the full QuickBooks capability.
Converting back to QuickBooks Pro. Somehow users aren’t warned enough. Downloading an online copy to convert back to Pro can be problematic. If you were using Pro then went to Online, then want to return to Pro, before you give up Online, be sure to print copies of the Balance Statement and Profit & Loss Report with a date range of All. Then after conversion, compare the same reports in Pro. It can be done – just be careful to compare reports and enter adjustments as needed.
If you are a current Pro user, you will be frustrated at the limitations of Online. If you start with Online, you don’t know what you don’t know, until you know how different Pro is, which then will be frustrating. Even with my heavy travel schedule, QuickBooks Online would be great – but not yet.
By the way, there are few Advanced QuickBooks ProAdvisors that recommend Online. It will mature eventually but it is nothing compared to its big sister, QuickBooks Pro.
What’s the advantage of QuickBooks’ Complete Payroll option vs. my CPA, Paychex, ADP or other payroll providers?
Full service payroll companies have a stronghold over practices. Yet, as more practices are doing accounting in-house, payroll has also come in-house.
ADP, Paychex and others all offer to pay your employees by check or direct deposit. Typically, the employees’ hours are calculated, hopefully reviewed and called into the payroll service or entered on their website. They pay the payroll taxes, file the payroll reports and create your W-2s at the
end of the year. Because the monies are withdrawn from your bank prior to processing, these amounts must be manually entered though into QuickBooks, typically as three lump sums.
There is no detail information of the paychecks in QuickBooks, so one must defer to the actual payroll service’s website or printed reports for detail questions regarding a paycheck. The amounts are only entered into QuickBooks as lump sums, not how much was Withholding, Social Security or Medicare.
Well. Guess what? QuickBooks has a Complete Payroll option. Enter the employee’s hours in the Start Scheduled Payroll window, click continue, review the information then click Create Paychecks. Enter your password and the payroll is sent to Intuit for processing. But, here’s the cool part – all your payroll
detail is contained within QuickBooks, not some external site. And, you don’t have to enter any lump sum amounts.
It is just so easy to create payroll in QuickBooks. I seriously do not understand why anything else is ever recommended. Attendees who have switched say that it was less expensive than their previous source. If you go to my website and click the Resources tab, you will find an Intuit contact that will give you a 20% discount and free setup for switching.
Can’t I just download all my transactions into QuickBooks without entering the checks or deposits in the QuickBooks register manually?
Sure you can, but that’s not the wisest management move. Manually entering deposits then downloading ensures you
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NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
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were paid what the practice software said you should be paid. It is a check and balance to an already complicated system.
Set your sights high. We’ll help you get there. We specialize in accounting, financial and consulting services specially tailored to the needs of dental professionals. We promise affordable, experienced, and friendly service with a dedication to professionalism, responsiveness and quality.
Mitul Mehta, cpa, pc
Accounting, Financial & Consulting Services
A full-service accounting firm licensed in Texas
(682) 233-0272 info@cpamehta.com www.cpamehta.com
I advocate back-to-back accountability between QuickBooks and the practice software. The end-of-day procedures include printing the daily deposit report, batching out the credit card terminal, printing the credit card summary, and creating a bank deposit slip (or batching out the check processing machine). Staple the credit card summary and a copy of the bank deposit slip to the back of the daily deposit report. Hand the physical deposit and the reports to the doctor. With three out of five practices currently experiencing embezzlement, I strongly suggest the doctor takes the deposit to the bank and the doctor reviews all amounts to match all the reports. Overseeing is a good management skill.
Once a week, enter these amounts individually into QuickBooks as they are deposited into the bank: Cash & Checks, MC & Visa (& Discover), American Express, Care Credit, etc. Then when you download, the amounts match! …unless you have not called Care Credit and asked them to stop taking the fees prior to deposit but instead as a monthly lump sum withdrawal, just as credit card companies. When Care Credit does this for you, create a date range report in both QuickBooks and your practice software and it should be relatively close. The collections date and the deposit date is often a two-day difference.
It’s been encouraging to see practices take ownership of their accounting and the wise timely decisions they’ve been able to make as a result. It’s really not that hard – seriously – and for a dental practice doing payroll every two weeks, should only require a couple hours of your Friday.
Find your thirst for QuickBooks knowledge quenched at the ADA Annual Meeting in San Antonio this year. Join us for another robust class of questions! n
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26 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
About Susan Gunn
Long considered dental practices’ QuickBooks Expert, Susan is the author of 27 books regarding QuickBooks In Your Practice. She is also a Certified Fraud Examiner and it is her goal to organize the practice’s financial systems in such a way to help provide necessary business controls. A nationally recognized speaker, she provides down to earth, realistic advice.
Susan lives in Arlington, Texas and is an active member of her city, regardless of the national scope of her business. Susan is the Treasurer of Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau's Board of Directors. She also currently serves on the Arlington Arts & Tourism Council. Susan is also a proud season supporter of the Texas Rangers baseball club.
www.AFTCO.net
AFTCO is the oldest and largest dental practice transition consulting firm in the United States. AFTCO assists dentists with associateships, purchasing and selling of practices, and retirement plans. We are there to serve you through all stages of your career.
Gordon C. Damon, Jr., D.D.S. (UT Houston 2011)
has acquired the practice of
Jay W. Baxley, D.D.S. & (Baylor College of Dentistry 1986)
Chad C. Perry, D.D.S. (Baylor College of Dentistry 2002)
Fort Worth, Texas
Preston C. Carter, D.D.S. (University of Tennessee 2011)
has acquired the practice of
Terry V. Braswell, D.D.S. (Baylor College of Dentistry 1974)
Texarkana, Texas
Jay H. Oakey, D.D.S. (University of Oklahoma 2011)
has acquired the practice of
Rick E. Cofer, Jr., D.D.S. (Baylor College of Dentistry 1990)
Whitney, Texas AFTCO is pleased to have represented all parties in these transitions.
Call 1-800-232-3826 today for a free practice appraisal, a $5,000 value!
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 4
Sciences at TAMBCD. Dechow’s research interests include the growth, adaptation, and evolution of the craniofacial skeleton and related soft tissues, with his current research focused on the structural properties, biomechanics and modeling of the craniofacial skeleton. His research has been supported by agencies such as the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. During his tenure with the college, Dechow has been heavily involved in two main areas of the department’s predoctoral teaching program: human gross anatomy and evidence-based dentistry.
“Dr. Dechow has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment toward the education of the graduate students in our department and has been very effective as a mentor of many,” said Dr. Kathy Svoboda, Regents Professor and graduate program director in biomedical sciences at TAMBCD. “His mentees have been successful at obtaining individual
National Institute of Health and other grant funds to support their research as students and postdoctoral fellows.”
After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania, Dechow earned a doctorate in Anatomy from the University of Chicago. He joined the TAMBCD faculty in 1986.
“I wish to thank the Regents for their consideration of me for this award,” Dechow said. “Knowing the quality of the past recipients, I am humbled and much encouraged by this honor. I also acknowledge all of my outstanding colleagues and staff at Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry, who every day encourage me to do my best in our mutual goal of producing high quality dentists for the state of Texas.” Award recipients are designated as Regents Professors for the duration of their service or employment within the A&M System, provided a $9,000 stipend
28 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
payable in $3,000 increments over three consecutive years, and receive a special medallion bearing the seal of the A&M System and a certificate signed by the Chancellor and the chairman of the Board of Regents.
Drs. Benson and Dechow join the growing list of now 31 TAMHSC faculty members to receive this distinction as Regents Professor Award holders. n
Founded in 1905, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas is a college of the Texas A&M Health Science Center. TAMBCD is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education, research, specialized patient care and continuing dental education.
Dentistry North Texas
special issue
A: Businesses that sell products and provide services to the dental profession will be featured in the issue.
a business and lifestyle magazine for north texas dentists
Inside the Exceptional Practice Gearing Up For Success
A
Q &
Q: Who should be part of this guide?
Q: How will the guide be formatted?
A: The issue will be divided into sections to showcase the specific industries that impact dentistry. The categories are: Facility Factors (real estate, construction and design), The Bottom Line (banks, accounting, wealth management, insurance), The Cutting Edge (dental supplies, specialty equipment, computers, software, networking, audio visual), Running it Right (personnel, marketing, management, sales and transitions), Precision in Practice (full service laboratory, CAD/CAM, implants).
Q: What marketing options do I have?
A: Print advertising and Custom Profiles will spotlight individuals, companies or products. You may supply your own content and photography or the team of North Texas Dentistry can assist you for a modest additional charge.
Q: What is the purpose of this issue?
A: Inside the Exceptional Practice, Gearing Up for Excellence takes a look at the different moving parts in the dental practice that must fit and function together to achieve success. This guide will present leading companies and individuals in the dental community and will be a valuable tool for doctors to keep at hand for reference.
Q: What other editorial will be part of the guide?
A: The editorial team of North Texas Dentistry will contribute a feature for each section based on the latest research.
Q: What is the deadline for this Special Issue? A: Reserve your space in this Special Issue by August 8, 2014. Contact info@northtexasdentistry.com or call LuLu Stavinoha at (214) 629-7110.
Inside the Exceptional Practice
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY SPECIAL ISSUE www.northtexasdentistry.com
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NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
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ADVERTISER’S INDEX
AFTCO ................................................27 BB&T ...................................................21 Bryant Studios......................................11
Bullseye Media ....................................28
Burkhart Dental....................................15
Community Bank .................................13
Cooper Wellness .................................18
ESA Construction ................................19
Legacy Texas Bank ....Inside Back Cover
Med-Tech Construction .........Back Cover
Midco ...................................................30
Mitul Mehta, CPA, PC ..........................26
Pronesis Liability Insurance Agency
Pronesis Liability..................................30
Straumann USA .........Inside Front Cover
Tina Cauller .........................................30
Transworld Systems ............................23 US Oxygen Supply ..............................26
30 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
MED-TECH CONSTRUCTION
INSPIRING DREAMS
FINISH-OUT REMODEL GROUND-UP
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