Cliff's Notes

The Straine Effect!, Sleep Apnea, Is Your Marketing Working?

Cliff’s Notes for July 11, 2010
…..E-Blast…..

Cliff Marsh, Henry Schein ……Cell: 201-321-7494……Fax: 201-262-2210…..E-mail: cliff.marsh@henryschein.com
http://www.cliffsnotesblog.wordpress.com

“Responsibility is the Price of Greatness.”
Winston Churchill

In This week’s Issue
• The Straine Effect!
• Sleep Apnea, Another Under Diagnosed Condition!
• Is Your Marketing Effective or Just Looking Good?
• Empress Direct by Ivoclar Vivadent

The Straine Effect…………………………………………………………………………………
I had the pleasure of meeting Kerry Straine on my last trip to Wisconsin for continuing education. His approach to “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is very unique. Kerry arrived in the dental industry over 20 years ago and brought a real world view about business management and how it directly relates to quality of life. Kerry is an expert in the total management concept. Although Kerry is fully versed in the practice of dentistry he stays focused on procedure and protocol & team harmony. There is so much more to managing a dental practice than just practice management. It’s called managing your practice & your life.

“What is freedom and what makes it so important? Great thinkers, politicians, writers, and artists have debated the meaning of freedom throughout history. Straine believes in freedom for everyone, release from oppression, but not from self-control.” Freedom is not abandonment … it’s about personal accountability in all aspects of life. Find out why the Harvard Business Review suggests that The Obligations of Freedom is relevant in today’s working environment.

On Friday morning, October 22, 2010, Kerry Straine is scheduled to speaks in East Windsor, NJ. This is Kerry’s only scheduled visit to New Jersey. The information is below. I strongly suggest you make every attempt to attend, I will.

The Straine Effect
Bringing Together The Hard Side & Soft Side of Ownership
Friday, October 22, 2010
8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Holiday Inn of East Windsor
399 Monmouth Street, East Windsor, NJ 08520
Dr. – $129.00 Staff – $49.00
4 CE’s

The “hard side” of ownership is about structure, process, procedure, measurement and tools. The “soft side” is about buy-in, commitment, attitude, creativity, overcoming resistance to change and self-motivation.

Sleep Apnea, Another Under-diagnosed Condition…………………………………………….
Portions of this report were supplied by Christine Taxin.

What is Sleep Apnea? When a sleeping person stops breathing for 10 or more seconds, they have “apnea.” OSAS, or obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, is one type of sleep apnea. Lack of adequate breath during sleep reduces airflow, causing the brain to tell the body to wake up and breathe. In some cases, sleep apnea patients only move into a lighter stage of sleep, while other times, patients wake completely.

Why should your office provide Sleep Apnea Non Surgical Treatment?
Non-Surgical Sleep Apnea Therapies
A few tests can determine whether you suffer from OSAS, and non-surgical therapies may alleviate the problem. A nasal mask (cPAP) can deliver air to keep nasal passages open during sleep. Even more effective, patients may now wear dental appliances that reposition the tongue or mandible (lower jawbone). A Swedish study showed that the anterior mandibular positioning dental device (AMP) is actually more effective than surgical therapies. The same study stated that adverse health effects and appliance repairs were rare.

According to experts, sleep apnea is an under-diagnosed condition, and more men than women suffer. If a patient’s sleeping partner says they snore or stop breathing while asleep, or experience daytime sleepiness, you should arrange for a consultation. A sleep apnea device may improve quality of life. It’s just another way you, a dentist, can help make a smile. A bonus for your patients is that most medical insurance will cover this treatment.

Try doing a write-up on sleep apnea in your next patient news letter. You may be surprised what develops when you educate your patients. Sleep apnea can be a life threatening condition. As a healthcare provider, you can make a difference.

An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Report…………………
Practice Parameters for Oral Appliances—AASM Practice Parameters
PRACTICE PARAMETERS
Summary: These practice parameters are an update of the previously published recommendations regarding use of oral appliances in the treatment of snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Oral appliances (OAs) are indicated for use in patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer them to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, or who do not respond to, are not appropriate candidates for, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP. Until there is higher quality evidence to suggest efficacy, CPAP is indicated whenever possible for patients with severe OSA before considering OAs. Oral appliances should be fitted by qualified dental personnel who are trained and experienced in the overall care of oral health, the temporomandibular joint, dental occlusion and associated oral structures. Follow-up polysomnography or an attended cardiorespiratory (Type 3) sleep study is needed to verify efficacy, and may be needed when symptoms of OSA worsen or recur. Patients with OSA who are treated with oral appliances should return for follow-up office visits with the dental specialist at regular intervals to monitor patient adherence, evaluate device deterioration or maladjustment, and to evaluate the health of the oral structures and integrity of the occlusion. Regular follow up is also needed to assess the patient for signs and symptoms of worsening OSA. Research to define patient characteristics more clearly for OA acceptance, success, and adherence is needed.
Keywords: Practice parameters; practice guidelines, standards of practice, snoring, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, oral appliances, dental devices
Citation: Kushida CA; Morgenthaler TI; Littner MR et al. Practice parameters for the treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances: An Update for 2005. SLEEP 2006;29(2): 240-243

The complete report as well as more information can be viewed by following the link to The American Academy of Sleep medicine. You can also find the link at my Blog, http://www.cliffsnotesblog.wordpress.com.

http://www.aadsm.org/News.aspx?id=1102

http://www.aadsm.org/index.aspx

Is Your Marketing Effective or Just Looking Good?…………………………………………………..
So you have a great looking Web Site but is it as effective as it should be? It depends on who created it. Let’s start by asking “Cliff’s Basic Question,” did you have a plan? Was there a discovery meeting with your designer to identify the target? Do you even know what your target is? Now I’ll try to explain.

Websites are often created by graphic designers. They do beautiful work and you will be impressed. However, everyone has a beautiful site and what looks great to you may not be effective or focus on your target. You need to speak with an advertising specialist, they help create the plan and instruct the graphic designer on what to do. Here is one true story that I like to tell.

One of my clients wanted to create a web site so I introduced him to a healthcare advertising/marketing expert that I highly respect. After a 3 hour discovery meeting the ad expert understood the doc and what the office wanted. During the design process the doc picked colors for the layout and that when things got a little crazy. The ad expert was adamant about not using the colors the office liked and insisted on something different. Needles to say, they were upset. When I confronted the ad expert he replied, and I quote:

“Cliff, they told me they wanted to attract young families. Family healthcare is usually decided by the Mom. Young families means the target is women between the ages of 35 and 45 years old. Millions of dollars are spent every year on market research and that research tells me what color and formats are the most effective.”

You need to try to look at your organization from the outside. What does it look like to the average person. All too often we are too close to the forest to see the path through the trees. Talk to experienced experts. Informed decisions generate better results.

Please feel free to contact me at any time to continue this discussion. 201-321-7494 cliff.marsh@henryschein.com.

IPS Empress Direct by Ivoclar Vivadent………………………………………………………
Sometimes you come across a company that does everything right!

The only Direct Composite that can be called Empress!
• Exceptional handling
• Simplified application
• True-to-natureSM shades
• Superior polish
IPS Empress Direct is a universal nano-hybrid filling material for direct esthetic restorative procedures. IPS Empress Direct offers a high gloss polish and the lifelike opacity, fluorescence and opalescence necessary to create beautiful and naturally esthetic restorations with remarkable efficiency. Collaboration among dental professionals, researchers and color specialists led to the development of IPS Empress Direct, a new resin formulation maximizing handling characteristics, physical properties and uncompromised shade match. The high level esthetics and natural beauty of this new material makes IPS Empress Direct the ideal composite for use in combination with IPS Empress ceramics. The newly expanded IPS Empress System continues to be synonymous with highly esthetic restorations, giving even your most discerning patients the radiant smiles they desire.

The Empress brand

http://www.ivoclarvivadent.us/empressdirect/index.php

July 11, 2010 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized