I’m going all in on this one, my friend. I just can’t hold back any longer. I want to address the rampant contradictory irrationality that is washing through our industry during a time when it ought to be more proactive than ever before.
I’m not talking about the Virus, though there is that too. I’m talking about the incredible (in the completely poor sense of the word) and irresponsible speculation – yes speculation – about what will or won’t happen.
Yes, things are uncertain now. You’ve been told by various people and governing bodies that you are either not-essential and/or not-safe. Thus, you can no longer practice. I wonder if anyone saying this has actually read the Department of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services definition of essential and how they categorize dentistry.
Have you seen the standard that says, “All Healthcare Professionals Are Essential” because it’s out there on the places that matter. Just not our industry associations.
Either way, I am not here to debate whether or not you think what you do is essential to a patient’s health or if practicing dentistry is safe during the pandemic?
I will leave you to your opinion on these items, not that it matters. Other people who don’t know anything about what you do or the impact on patients’ health for delaying treatment are making the decisions for you for seeable future.
My job and responsibility to you (as stated similarly on a different profession’s governing body association website, which is not dentistry – can you guess?), is to advocate for your control over and decisions on your own dental practice and unrestrictive ability to not be told how to practice or how to run your business.
Of course, right now, we are in extraordinary times and that calls for extraordinary measures… that’s why I’m not arguing one way or another – yet.
The absolute most important thing you can possibly do is protect yourself, your team, your family, and your patients. Right now, this new threat of the coronavirus is the focal point of everything in order to “stop the spread” and buy time in order to better handle the volume of people who are affected.
What I’m saying is: all health matters. Even though this is taking precedence right now, it doesn’t and shouldn’t make anything “dentistry” be of lesser importance overall for the total and complete health of people.
Here’s the question that someone has to be asking…
“If it’s okay to wait, delay, and skip ‘elective’ and ‘non-essential’ care (as defined by someone else), now – during the Virus – why wouldn’t it be okay to continue putting it off afterwards?”
There are some self-righteous, grandstanding Doctors out there that will claim by me saying you should be allowed to open and see patients if you want to, that I’m risking people’s lives and that there is a greater calling and purpose we can all do if we band together now by staying home.
I’m for a temporary shutdown, if that’s what we have to do to beat the pandemic as fast as possible. Then we can get back to proactively taking care of patients’ long-term health.
What I have been saying – as soon as you get over the worry, the loans, the (often appropriate) impulse reactions that need to be taken to minimize and mitigate the damage being done to your practice – it’s time we turn our attention towards protecting the assets that matter most in your business…
The people.
You can protect your patients by keeping them away – physically. However, while doing that, you ought to go on offense protecting their minds mentally. So, when the dust settles and the virus passes, you still matter, you are still relevant, dentistry IS in fact an ESSENTIAL part of their Healthcare.
If you are going to stand idly by and let other people talk for you, you are going to be in a world of hurt. Patients will not ever lose their ‘need’ for dentistry, it is more a matter of whether or not they will lose their ‘need’ for you.
Over the next handful of weeks, I’m going to be laying out step by step the most powerful Practice Recovery Plan that you can take to proactively (and safely) hit the ground running when you are ready (or when someone gives you permission). This will allow you to come back into your practice more prepared than ever, more relevant than ever, and more important to your patients than ever.
I see amazing things out there being done by amazing doctors who are strengthening their relationships with their patients in ways they never have before. They are already seeing the fruits of it, patients lining up for future appointments, days of hygiene expanding, referrals being made, new patients curious about options for them… the list goes on. Creative, entrepreneurial, positive things are being done all over the country to serve patients in new and different ways.
Here is what is really trying my patience right now – in addition to the virus – it’s the people in our industry telling you that…
“It’s going to be tough”
“Patients are going to be fearful”
“No body will want to do dentistry”
“They won’t have any money”
“We are in this for the long haul”
“Blah, blah, blah”
I call them outright lies. Fear mongering, just like the media.
If you want me to be more polite, then we’ll go back to my previous word…
It’s all speculation.
First of all, if you lose one or two months of patients in your practice, you are going to be busier when you come back, not slower. That’s common sense based on simple math. Even if there are some that aren’t ready, you might lose 5-15% but still be fine for the coming months because you lost 5-15% of the time.
And, about patients’ mindsets, I’d be real careful how you go about announcing why you are closed and what you are saying to people between now and when you ask them to come back.
Whoever stands up, takes the lead, is willing to be a truth teller of positive optimism, and gives them guidance on getting healthy will be who they believe.
They aren’t going to be afraid of coming to the Dentist. They will expect you to take various precautions of course, but they trust you because you have always been there for them – especially during this time of crisis. They are going to be excited to come back in, be around people (won’t we all), and begin to experience a sense of normalcy.
I’ll be the first to admit when I’m wrong – I have broad shoulders. I also have insight to more doctors and practices than just about anyone. I have a great deal of confidence that…
Patients will even accept treatment more than ever before because they will have faced this life and death experience – like we all have – and they will choose to be MORE PROACTIVE than ever before. That’s what people do.
You can’t possibly listen to an industry that is fed by big corporations and insurance companies – even though you out number them. Take a look around and tell me who has your back? So, you better have your own.
Speaking of who has your back… have you asked your Team how they are enjoying being at home all day long? I have. They can’t wait to get back in the office taking care of patients.
And those patients will walk in with money to spend.
I know you aren’t the one who needs this message (the Doctors that aren’t here reading this are the ones that need it the most; you could send it to them but I’m not sure we even want them around)…
There is NO economic problem. The economy has been turned off; it has been manipulated. It is incredibly sad that the term “unemployment” is even allowed to be used when the government forced the shutdown to happen. The people have jobs; they’ve just been told to sit on the sidelines.
Demand isn’t going down – Supply has been taken away. When supply returns, demand will have been pent up like never before. (How badly do you miss your date night dinners?) People are WAITING to break free and spend.
What you should be doing is reaching out more than ever – filling the pipeline, building relationship, and creating your own demand. You can capture their interest while it is sitting there doing nothing (while everyone else is sitting there doing nothing).
To wrap up, let me be clear: I’m not telling you to see patients or not to see patients. You will be able to again when the time is right. What I don’t like is someone else holding you hostage from your own decisions and never telling you when that ends – when is it okay for all Healthcare Professionals to be considered essential once again?
When will dentistry matter again? Another month, a month after that, after the last coronavirus case has been counted. And who gets to decide?
I don’t expect you to agree with me or be willing to take such a position. You don’t have to, you get to make up your own mind. I look forward to the time when you can fully do that again – and when patients can too.
In the meantime, you better get out in front of your patients and protect them from people inside our industry who are going against everything that you have worked for, for your entire life. They can’t continue telling your patients that what you do doesn’t matter, that it is ‘non-essential’ and only emergencies count.
You can close down your practice to join the quarantine – it may very well be the right community service thing to do – but don’t tell people it’s because you or they or what you do doesn’t matter.
Rest assured, I will always have your back. Whether we agree every time or not, I’m looking out for your best interest and your ability to practice privately, independently, and on your own terms.
