The Sunday plane ride back from my latest CE course required a five hour flight followed by a three hour drive in blinding snow from Boston. I got to bed at 3 a.m. with my mind still spinning. By 6:30 a.m. I was up again, ready to be in the office by 8. I was frazzled.
Forgetting the great CE course I had just attended in Phoenix would have been easy. It would have been just as easy to change nothing and continue doing what I was taught in my residency. After all, my orthodontist friends were all doing the same thing.
But I knew better. I am reminiscing about actual moments from my CE journey that began in 1981, when I realized I simply could no longer practice the way I was trained.
Trying something new without a mentor in a small town where everyone knows you requires true commitment. Success or failure spreads fast.
What you have to do is burn the bridge behind you so there is no way back to the old ways. If you have seen someone succeed at something new that patients embrace, it is up to you to make it happen in your own life. Make no excuses. As Nike says, “Just Do It.”
This is how I transformed a tooth oriented practice into an airway focused practice. I saw others succeed with new treatments and realized they were no smarter than I was—and no one was more committed than I was.
The good news is that when faces look better and airways improve, patients and parents understand. Success breeds success. But you must be prepared.
You need a team that recognizes the uniqueness of what you are doing and adds value for patients and their families. You must appreciate and reward your team. You must be “all in,” and so must they.
Many people circle the swimming pool of opportunity for their entire lives.
What if the water is cold? What if it is too warm? I’m not the best swimmer! What if I drown?
Get over your fear. Realize that others have transformed their practices and prospered in a true health care profession. They may never have imagined it when they entered dental school, but they were not afraid—or at least not afraid enough not to try.
Happy mothers and happy patients with cell phones will spread the word about what you are doing. Social media amplifies results. Your biggest problem will not be finding patients but keeping up with demand.
You won’t have to fake a smile on your face.
Jump in. The water is fine.
