Dental Assistant Recognition Week, scheduled for March 7–13, 2010, is a week-long tribute to the commitment and dedication this essential team member exhibits throughout the year. The dental assisting role continues to diversify and expand. Whether they are taking digital x-rays, working chairside with the dentist, or contributing to the success of CAD/CAM & CEREC Connect, dental assistants are vital to the success of the dental practice.

“One Team, One Goal: Improving Oral Health” is the theme for the 33rd annual Dental Assistant Recognition Week, which is sponsored by the ADA. This is the perfect time to acknowledge and recognize this versatile, multitalented member of your dental team—your Dental Assistant.

We appreciate our Dental Assistants because we recognize this vital role they play on our team! This is national DA Recognition week – what is your team doing to recognize all the hard work from your dental assistants?

Woodbridge Dental Group and Orthodontics

We are proud to announce the opening of Woodbridge Dental Group and Orthodontics; Pacific Dental Services’ newest affiliated dental office in Texas.

• Clinical leadership provided by Dr. John Barnes
• The PPE provided by Dr. Elizabeth Samuel

The team in Texas is great and we are always looking forward to seeing them grow.

CNN recently did an expose of Hospital Bills and Medical Expenses. One patient was charged $1,000 for a single toothbrush!

Watch the video via CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/health/2010/03/01/cohen.health.care.bills.cnn

(In case you were wondering, no the toothbrush is not from the future)

Dr. Raether and her family celebrate with Linda Ryan, Joe Saporito, and Marvine Martinez

First off we want to congratulate Dr. Gail Raether for becoming Colorado’s first owner doctor. Dr. Raether provides the clinical leadership at River Point Dental Group and Orthodontics in Sheridan. Congratulations Dr. Raether.

Regional Partner Joe Saporito presents Dr. Raether with a key to her future.

We also wanted to recognize our January “I’m a Big Deal Winner” Ryan Lucio who also is from River Point Dental Group in Sheridan where he serves as the Operations Manager.

Dr. Ashleigh Harrison, Dr. Vidhya Sampath and Regional Partner Joe Saporito congratulate Operations Manager Ryan Lucio.

Ryan was the unanimous choice this month! His team sent in wonderful stories regarding his character, team spirit, professional attire, commitment to excellence, PPE, and his professional daily attitude and demeanor under any circumstances!

Way to go Colorado, don’t stop a rockin!

Click Here For More Photos!

On February 5^th, 2010 – PDS affiliated offices participated in the American Dental Association^® (ADA) “Give Kids a Smile^®” event to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Forty PDS-affiliated offices – in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, United Way, local schools, churches and homeless shelters – provided a day of free dentistry, including dental exams, digital x-rays, cleanings, fillings, sealants and extractions, to more than 400 children throughout California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado.

“We are very proud of our affiliated offices that spent the day volunteering for children in need,” said Steve Thorne, Pacific Dental Services founder and president.

This was the fifth consecutive year PDS has participated in “Give Kids a Smile^®,” “and below are a few of the stories that came out of this touching event.

We had a little boy named Joshua. He and his father were here at 7:35 for their 8am appt. Joshua needed 8 extractions and 4 fillings and was so sweet about it all. Jessica the dental asst was taking Joshua’s x-rays and he began to cry as he looked at them, Jessica noticed and said “Do your teeth hurt?” He said “yes.” Dr Hashemi after completing an exam decided it would be too much for the boy to go through all the work and asked if I minded if he brought Joshua back to complete the other half of his mouth on his own time. I said “of course”. Joshua’s dad works for very little delivering blankets to the homeless, and they don’t provide insurance to the members of the organization. He was so good during his treatment and his dad was so very thankful for what we had done for his son. I went to the operatory to check on Joshua and he was watching a movie with a ton of gauze in his mouth, I said “you did really good today Joshua”, he shook his head yes. This is the reason we do this event for kids just like Joshua.

Katrina Davis – Stockton

The day went great we saw nine kids.  We did have one boy from the homeless shelter that is 14.  When he was 8 he broke his front tooth so he doesn’t have anything there.  The root tip is still there but we’re looking to see if maybe we can help him in some way?  His mom left him 8 months ago.  He and his dad live in the shelter.  We had a lot of great kids did a lot of fills and sealants. Everyone had a lot of fun and the staff even had ponytails.

Sue Leverett – Hesperia 2

I know we were heartbroken when the first time anyone had shown one of our “kids” how to brush and take care of his teeth was when he arrived to our office at 15 years of age. I was so thankful we had bilingual staff on hand to assist and show them step-by-step. Our Doctors were very generous in their efforts to assist the children as much as they could. All the children left the office smiling and saying that going to the Dentist “wasn’t so scary after all. They also loved their kid-themed goody bags.

Nicole Armstrong – Thousand Oaks

These examples are just a snapshot of why “We Serve”

Are you indispensable? That is the question that legendary marketer Seth Godin asks in his new book “Linchpin”. Imagine if suddenly there was a dental office on every corner of every street, or the dental market became saturated with a product that you were making. How would you succeed, what would you do to be indispensable? February 11^th Seth made a rare trip to Orange County and spoke to 800+ of us at the St. Regis in Dana Point. I was given the amazing opportunity to photograph the event and listen in on Seth’s words of wisdom.

“Become an artist” was Seth’s driving point the entire night. Art isn’t about just using brushes and painting, it’s about doing “emotional work”. Work that you pour yourself into and that you are passionate about.  Creating that connection with your patient, modeling that CAD/CAM crown and laughing with your staff can be art. It shows you care, and in a world where word of mouth is driving business, showing you care can create an exponential amount of new patients and hopefully make your work life more enjoyable.

When I first started with Pacific Dental Services 3 years ago the Dental Industry was a much slower beast. Most marketing was done with traditional local ads and postcard mailers. Online, things were a little more innovative but still way behind other fast paced industries. Now it’s 2010 and things are changing rapidly, our patients are demanding value, dentistry is becoming much more competitive. Business used to be about talking about how valuable your service was; now it’s about proving it.

You can quote me when I tell you that business has changed forever. With the adoption of social tools and mobile on the rise, the practices that offer the best experience for their patient and employee will become indispensable. How great is that? Those who do “emotional work” reap the reward.

How are you and/or your practice going to be a Linchpin in 2010? How is your business or place of work going to be the one where people see value?

Tell us how you will be indispensable in 2010 and comment below! Now go “make some art”!

I want to give a special thanks to Bryan Elliott who managed to put this event together in grass roots style. He is truly a Linchpin. To see the rest of the photos from the event visit my posterous page

“I had previously donated to the Red Cross to help Haiti and then I saw a special segment on CNN and I knew I had to do more.” said San Clemente Owner Doctor Darin Reagan.   That’s exactly what Dr. Reagan and his team at San Clemente Dental Group did.

The office decided that they would volunteer their services, come in on a Saturday and partner with their patients.  San Clemente Dental Group contacted their patients through e-mail and phone to offer an opportunity to receive previously diagnosed dentistry for a flat donation to the Red Cross in support of Haiti.

“We wanted to do something to make a difference and help those poor people and this was a way to get involved.” said Barb Vartanian office manager.  The office targeted patients who needed a crown or an onlay so that they could put their CEREC machine to work and provide patients with the “right fit” all in a day.

It was a great opportunity for the patient to get a great deal with a tax write-off, receive the dentistry they needed, and help someone in need.  Talk about a win, win, win for the patient.

Dr. Reagan and his team were able to win as well because it allowed them to strengthen their relationship with their patients and use their talents to help others who desperately need assistance.  At the end of the day the San Clemente team was able to see 10 patients and raise $5,000 for the victims of Haiti.

Great work Dr. Reagan, Barb, and the rest of the San Clemente team.

You can also watch the above video on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlXrxnteg8E

Our December Winner Cassi!

Here is our Colorado – I’m a BIG DEAL winner for December!! Cassi Foster our BC from Marketplace Dental Group . She has been nominated every month since we began the award.  We had 14 different nominations for December for various team members and the momentum is growing each month. Staff is really getting involved recognizing our top performers and it is great fun to watch, and get the stories about why they want the person they are nominating to win!

She is a joy to work with and truly is a BIG DEAL!!  Congratulations to Cassi!!!

Congratulations to our Colorado PDS November “I’m a Big Deal Award” – Employee of the Month

Dr. Tuchklaper is Kind of a Big Deal

Dr. Scott Tuchklaper – Associate Dentist from Orchard Dental Group and Orthodontics in Westminster, CO.

Dr T won a $250 Gift Certificate to Knezel Photography for a Family Photo with his brand new sweet baby daughter, and a commemorative plaque.

The Colorado Region “I’m a Big Deal Award”  Award Criteria is:

Must be Excellent in the following areas

• Can do attitude, passion and purpose
• Perfect Patient Experience
• Attendance
• Appearence
• Teamwork

Great job Dr. T!

President & CEO Steve Thorne

It’s amazing to me that most dentists still practice dentistry the same way my grandfather did for 50 years; and he retired about 30 years ago!  Yes, bridges and partials were common practice for him.  I don’t believe he ever did an implant.  He used film to take x-rays (most dentists in America still use film).  He also sent his crowns out to laboratories and told his patients to come back two weeks later for a delivery, hoping that the patient’s temporary didn’t come off and the crown would fit.

Check out this video clip from David Letterman prodding at dentists in America for their deficiency in practicing Modern Dentistry (a concept that PDS is pioneering).  It’s an excellent commentary; a true patient’s viewpoint on what patients want from their dentist!  Patients don’t want goopy impressions.  Patients don’t want multiple visits.  Patients don’t want temporaries that simply fall off.  Patients want to be offered up-to-date techniques and the best possible care.  They deserve to have their dentist practicing Modern Dentistry. At PDS we are continually working to make sure that patients don’t have the same experience as Mr. Letterman.

To all of our colleagues in the world of dentistry, what advancements have you seen add real value to your patient’s experience?  What are ways that you have helped make your patients love coming back to your office?  If we can make going to the dentist an efficient and enjoyable experience for everyone; it’s a benefit for all!  Tell me your thoughts.

P.S. Mr. Letterman, I would love for you to experience true Modern Dentistry at any PDS affiliated office any time you want, compliments of me!

Video Courtesy of Youtube®