Page 76 - The Dental Entrepreneur

The Dental Entrepreneur

To say that I was met with some universally blank stares when I came to describe this niche
would be an understatement. And to top it off I was calling it the “Ultimate Niche, the largest
emerging market in HISTORY.” Now that was bold for certain.

I subsequently scoured the Internet to try and show my class some references that were
current. Dr Keyes had retired and the web site that I had built for his foundation, the
International Dental Health Foundation (IDHF.org )was down. Dr Dan Watt who worked
closely with him had left the D.C. area. I really had thought that this fabulous approach to
prevention had fallen by the wayside. After all, prevention is not a very highly compensated
service and we now had implants in a day, Botox, Invisalign and other super high dollar
procedures to focus on from a profitability standpoint.

It was a chance email in 2013 about a relatively new organization that brought it all home for
me. At the same time that I had been so desperately searching the Internet, a new group of
physicians and dentists were meeting and organizing. The American Association of Oral
Systemic Health was formed in 2010 and I had the great pleasure of becoming involved last
year. It was like a great homecoming for me. I had met like minded people from way in the
past but most importantly, really sharp young people who will carry this forward.

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