Cliff's Notes

“Got Staff Issues?” – “The Microlux Transilluminator!”

Cliff’s Notes for March 4, 2012

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

http://www.cliffsnotesblog.me

http://www.youtube.com/cliffmarsh100

 

The reason we do what we do, is so that we can to do what we want to do, when we want to do it!

It’s a tongue twister, but working as a team and making informed decisions, will get us there.

 

 

“Start with good people, lay out the rules, communicate with your employees, motivate them and reward them. If you do all those things effectively, you can’t miss!”

Lee Iacocca

 

This Week’s Feature on the Cliff’s Notes Channel

This Week’s Focus is on Employees and “Customer Service”

Nobody does it Better than Disney!

http://www.youtube.com/cliffmarsh100

 

In This Week’s Issue

• This Week’s Dentrix Office Manager’s Blog!
• Got Staff Issues?
• Product Review – The Microlux Transilluminator!
• Commentary for Sunday, March 4, 2012
  

 

This Week’s Dentrix Office Manager’s Blog……………………………

My last three posts, including today’s, outline the most critical parts of your patient’s clinical record. Where, how, and what to document can make or break you in a malpractice lawsuit. A 2005 survey by the ADA Council on Members Insurance was designed to determine the frequency, severity, and causes of dental malpractice claims reported between 1999 and 2003. The results of this survey can be found on page 13 of the ADA Dental Practice Dental Records guide. CLICK HERE to download your copy of this guide.

After reviewing this article, I found that five of the top 10 most frequent charting errors were in the clinical note section. Because this is such an important subject, I am going to help you avoid these potentially costly mistakes with the new Dentrix clinical note templates! For more information and to view the rest of this week’s Dentrix Blog, log onto: http://thedentrixofficemanager.blogspot.com/ 

 

Got Staff Issues? ……………………………………………………………….

Do you find yourself listening to everything going on around you? Are you concerned every time you hear staff talking to each other? Or, do you feel your staff is running the office and you’re afraid of losing them if you “define” the rules? Well, then we need to talk.

Understanding the employee situation is a key to a successful business. They all have the same problems you do, or did, or will. Money, children, and family discord are all part of life, and if you can manage the balance then you are a good manager.

Some of you reading this may think that I am speaking of you, but I am not. I am speaking about those managers and staff members that I talk to every day in every dental office. You are not alone, you all have the same problems and 99% of them can be solved! How do you solve them? You stop talking and start listening! After you listen, you think about all sides of the table and make informed decisions. It’s all about team harmony and production. Remember, your employees are NOT expenses, they are investments and an investment needs to realize the ROI.

Below is one of the thousands of article written on “Team Harmony” and a great video by Kerry Straine. It’s not about holding hands and singing, it’s about production, growth, and increasing retained earnings. Please contact me with any questions or concerns (201-321-7494 or cliff.marsh@henryschein.com.

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Building the Dream Team

Kerry Straine educates on the importance and joy of building a Best in Class Team.

Secrets to Dental Staff Retention in Difficult Times

By Rhonda R. Savage, DDS

Across the U.S., dentists, dental practice managers, and their dental staff alike are struggling. The dental practice is fortunate if it experienced growth in 2009 and 2010.  Many are flat in growth or have declined and dental practice managers are faced with these tough choices:

1. 1.      Lay off employees or cut hours
2. 2.      Decrease benefits
3. 3.      Reduce pay
4. 4.      Freeze salaries

By far, the most appealing of the four is freezing salaries. The problem is, no hard working dental staff wants to hear these words “times are tough…no raises this year.” The question is how do you keep employees happy and productive during tough times? In addition, key employees may have the opportunity to move to another company.  How do you retain, challenge and motivate these key dental staff to stay with you during the hard times?

Pay and benefits are not the number one motivational factor for employees.  While important, most rank the need for praise and appreciation the highest, closely followed by the need to belong to a close-knit dental team. Team members also need to have responsibility and feel like their voice matters in an organization.

Use the following tips to keep dental staff happy, employee turnover down and productivity up, despite “no raises this year”:

To view the rest of this article, log onto: http://www.dentalmanagementu.com/dental-practice-management/dental-staff-retention/372

For in-office assistance and consultation on staff management issues, contact Cliff @ 201-321-7494 or cliif.marsh@henryschein.com.

 

Product Review – The Microlux Transilluminator!………….…………….

 Transilluminator: Illuminate and view teeth in 3D. Go from opaque to translucent and revealing cracks, craze lines, fissures and more, instantly!

The fiber optic light guide is a high quality image grade glass light guide designed to focus the LED light at the output. The light guide can be wiped with disinfectant, cold sterilized, autoclaved, or heat sterilized. It is NOT recommended they be chemclaved.

Simply place the fiber optic probe adjacent to the oral structure under examination and the passage of the light through the tissue is proportional to the translucency of each material. Caries, calculus, cracks and the orifice of root canals do not transmit as much light as healthy enamel or dentin and appears darker.

The use of fiber-optic illumination in general dental practice.

The diagnosis of approximal carious lesions, in the absence of cavitations, is often difficult and bitewing radiographs are frequently used to supplement the visual, clinical examination. Recommendations regarding the prescription and timing of bitewing radiography have been made recently1 but there is still considerable variation in their use between individual dentists and different regions of the country2. Radiographs can enhance the detection of approximal lesions3,4 but there is a need to keep exposure to radiation as low as possible.

Click here for the Diagnostic System Guide (Video Presentation)

 Microlux Transilluminator Available with 2 & 3mm glass light guides which allows doctors to better visualize caries on anterior and posterior teeth.

 Posterior Caries To visualize posterior proximal decay, place the probe on the cervical area of the tooth. Caries appear as a dark shadow on the occlusal surface.

Anterior Caries Anterior caries can be visualized by placing the probe on the labio-cervical region of the tooth and examine from the lingual.

Root Fracture Root fractures can often be detected by using the Endo Fiber tip. Place it either bucally or lingually in the gingival sulcus. Fracture lines will appear dark via transillumination from the outside to the inside of the canal.

Root Canal Orifice To help locate root canal orifice, place the light source on the buccal or lingual cervical region of the tooth.

Periodontal Disease To help detect the depth of the pockets and gingival recession, use the lighted Perio Probe and insert the tip in the gingival sulcus. The depth indications are 3, 5, and 7mm.

Features:
• Autoclavable light guide, available in 2mm and 3mm
• High output L.E.D
• Battery Operated
• Portable and easy to use
• Protective Sleeves available

For under $220.00, your diagnostic abilities can dramatically increase.

Henry Schein Part #107-5222 – Cliff’s Notes Privileges Club Members get special pricing. Call 201-321-7494 or e-mail cliff.marsh@henryschein.com.

Commentary for Sunday March 4, 2012……………………………….

My career in the dental trade has offered me the opportunity to speak with and learn from some of the brightest and forward thinking people in our industry. At the end of the day everything we do is all about “life after dentistry” and unfortunately we tend to lose sight of that along the way. You may be in your 40’s with kids in grammar or high school (they are expensive, aren’t they) and think you have time, you don’t! Or you may plan on working another 10 years so start planning now! I’ve seen too many people wait too long and leave a lot of $$$ (real money) on the table. If this is you, please call me. A one hour conversation could change your life.

Today is Sunday, March 04, 2012 and spring is in the air. We’re 30 days away from baseball’s opening day and you’re thinking about planning your summer vacation. It’s time for your “New Birth of Freedom” so enjoy it all!

Cliff Marsh

Henry Schein Dental

P.O. Box 663 / 45 Rt. 46 East, Suite 605

Pine Brook, NJ 07058

Cell: 201-321-7494

Fax: 201-262-2210

cliff.marsh@henryschein.com

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March 4, 2012 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized