Page 75 - The Dental Entrepreneur

The Dental Entrepreneur

There is one roadblock to major change for
dental hygiene. We have the resources, the
people, the intelligence, the commitment,
the energy, and even the possible paths to
follow. But we are lacking a crucial element

if we are to succeed with our respective
dreams. This missing link is a clear image of
how dental hygiene is unique as a
profession.” Irene Woodall ,1987

CHAPTER 12

The Dental Hygiene Dilemma

I chose the title of this chapter for a very specific reason. This is an area where dental school
falls way short of the mark in the preparation of young dentists for private practice. This is an
entity that is 1/3 of your practice’s revenue but you mistakenly think that the hygienists polish
teeth all day and are overpaid. Some young dentists actually think that this is something they
should be doing themselves! Trust me, the dental hygienist is the franchise player and can
make or break your venture. If you want to prosper as a self employed entrepreneur, spend
some CE time HERE! This is where everything begins.

It was late 2009 and I was preparing my first business class at the UK College of Dentistry. We
were coming out of the worst recession in recent memory and I knew it was a long term, game
changer. This series was on the various niches in dentistry and I went over 13 some individual
niches in dentistry that the students may not have been aware of. I knew the practice model
going forward would very much be the GENERAL practice of dentistry with many services
being offered under one roof. A single niche would not be enough to cut it going forward. I
knew in my heart the elective based ,heavily cosmetic centered practices were done. (That
has certainly been born out.) I knew the consumer would be shifting to a more value based
way of looking. (They certainly have.) and I knew it was time to re-visit a way of practice that
was not very popular but was really relevant, Mine! I had the great fortune of having gone to
several seminars by Dr Paul Keyes in the late 80’s. I was stunned at what I had learned from
his research and I did not understand why this wasn’t being taught in dental schools. My
practice changed overnight from what I learned about caries and periodontal risk assessment
and treatment. These were new concepts to me. I also had no idea as to the potential role of
the dental hygienist. It was a pivotal point in my career and was probably 20 years ahead of
mainstream thinking. This is a slide from that first presentation at UK in 2009.

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