The Nifty Thrifty Dentists

Latest Episodes:

Christian Allen & Ben Lonsdale- Money Insights- Teaching Dentists to Move from High Income to High Net Worth Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Christian Allen and Ben Lonsdale and the masterminds behind Money Insights, a wealth strategy group.

After realizing that the current strategies are not working, they knew there was a better way to go about creating wealth. The goal is to move from high income to high net worth. With many physicians and dentists as clients, they understand the unique needs they have. Their approach allows them to build wealth in multiple ways to create growth in multiple places.

What do you say to people who say they have a financial planner? That doesn’t assume you have a financial plan. Throwing some money in investments and hoping they stick is not taking control of your money. We aim to debunk myths on wealth growth and start a shift in their mindset to alternative growth options.

Throwing everything into your practice is good for growth, but the strategy can be difficult and risky. You don’t have complete control over the practice or that they may face challenges they don’t expect. Diversifying their income creates more stability long term.

What are some alternative investments Money Insights promotes? There are options to direct investing, syndicates, LPs, etc. As an accredited investor ($200K yearly income single, $300K combined, or $1M net worth minus your primary residence). Real estate, oil and gas, precious metals, or business interests can all be options.

Who is vetting the investors and investments? Money Insights vets all operator themselves and make sure they meet their standards before referring clients. The majority of the time they will have multiple deals they review before partnering with a company.

What does it mean to accelerate, optimize, and innovate? These are the core principles of the company. Whether accelerating your wealth growth, or your retirement timeline. Optimization means we make the approach as efficient as we can while lowering tax implications. Innovation is always happening. As taxes and investment opportunities change, Money Insights shifts their approach to continue to optimize your growth.

What do you say to someone just starting out without a lot of assets? There are plenty of strategies someone can use as they are starting out that can create a great foundation to start from day one.

What is the teaching component of your program? Learning about strategies gives you an understanding of what you are doing with your money. Most of their clients like to do their own research at their own pace, so it’s important to teach what they are looking for in an investment. At that point, they go at the client’s preferred pace.

What other resources are available? The videos on our website are the initial information, we meet with a client to talk about the videos and introduce them to the second stage of learning. There is no rushing clients to make decisions. If you want to get started, you can view the videos on the website and complete the contact form.

How often do you meet with people? At a minimum, they would meet to review once per year, but the nature of their strategy is usually more frequent than that. The program is not a one size fits all, they fit the options to your goals and needs.

What are the most common mistakes healthcare professionals make when trying to grow wealth? They tend to focus solely on growing their practice. They also often know how much they are making, but not how much they are spending. Another big mistake is not having a tax strategy. It can cause losses in the tens of thousands. Misconceptions can be a huge mistake because it may cause you to miss out on potential opportunities.

The Nifty Deal: They will offer a free consultation and white paper regarding one of their tax strategies.

Bonus: An ebook “Money Insights for Dentists” will be coming out soon.

Website: www.Moneyinsights.net

Drew Sparks- Swell CX- The New and Improved Swell 3.0 Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

Drew Sparks is the CEO of Swell CX. They were already planning developments and improvements before COVID, and have spent that time rebranding and represents their values around discover, connect, and grow.

They have always been known for their review services, but have expanded further to messaging and webchat features. Patients want to engage with you via text than pick up a phone.

Why is Swell messaging so fantastic? All messages from Swell patient connections come to a single inbox that can route to the correct people based on the topic. You can also assign a message to others so that the most appropriate team member can respond.

Swell has an iOS app already and the Android version is out soon. It will allow notifications or to check the platform via mobile. Texting through the app keeps your personal cell information private while you are free to communicate.

Swell Schedule is a plugin for our webchat or website for users to allow users to request an appointment. It does not write back to the practice management software. This is purposeful because the no show rate is high and the office may not always correctly mark available appointments correctly. Creating a personal connection will increase the conversion factor of new patients.

Can you send pictures, attachments, or PDFs? Yes, patients can share insurance or Xrays, or images in both the webchat and smartphone platforms.

Swell Survey is designed to help you improve your service and get feedback. You can limit it to certain types of appointments such as new patients or consults, and several types of followups can be listed and running in the background connected to a code.

Swell Pay was designed for contactless payments. They feel that the touchless pay method is not going to go away due to the ease of use and simple tracking system. It’s a great way to guarantee payment and more secure than paying or giving credit card information over the phone.

How hard are these new features to learn to use? One training session should be all you need so that they begin to run in the background.

Adding the integration to your website is easy and can be done by your webmaster or Swell.

Nifty Deal: One flat fee for all services. The Nifty Price is $179/ month with an annual contract, but the first 30 days will be free to try it out. If you don’t like it in the first 30 days, no problem. If you are a current customer you can keep your old plan or upgrade to the Nifty Price. You can try them out for 30 days to decide. This is their locked-in price!

Dr. Jennifer Hasslen- Clinical Skills Springboard Series- Life After Dental School Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jenn Hasslen is a clinical professor of general dentistry at Creighton University. She has been a dentist for 17 years and joined the Air Force as a dentist. She currently teaches full time and practices dentistry one day per week. She teaches operative dentistry at all four years of students as well as CEREC skills.

Here are some tips that help her succeed in dentistry:

#1 Believe in Yourself

Journal your successes and learn from your defeats. Going back to see the times you found success lets you see your progression and help you get through challenges.

#2 Your Schedule

Don’t stress about your schedule. Looking at it right before you leave means you take those stresses home with you. Look at your schedule earlier in the day if possible, or better yet, allow your assistant to look at your schedule for you. Be very clear about the next steps and take great notes so that your assistant can have everything set up ahead of time and your day goes more smoothly.

#3 I’m Hungry

Things don’t always work out as planned, and you aren’t going to be used to a more hectic schedule. There are days even as a seasoned dentist where you get behind. Keep snacks or a protein shake available. You will work better and save the embarrassment of a growling stomach next to your patient’s head.

#4 Exercise

Even running through an office may not be enough to keep you healthy. Find time to exercise for your health and well-being, even if it means getting up early to do it.

#5 Self-Care

Even when life is busy, you need to take care of yourself. It’s a physical job on your hands, back, neck, and shoulders. Read self-help books if you feel you benefit from them. Yoga can also be a great way to practice mindfulness.

#6 Ergonomics

Don’t be afraid to ask your patient to alter their position to save your body. There is no need for you to contort yourself and potentially damage your body 40 hours a week. Check out websites that specialize in ergonomics for dentistry. Set your loupes correctly so you are not straining your neck to use them. A saddle stool is also great to use because it puts our hips in a better position and doesn’t allow you to slouch, which helps prevent pain.

#7 Compartmentalize

Leave the office at the office ad home stuff at home. Your patients should not know if you have personal issues or issues between the staff.

#8 References

Keep things such as phone numbers, notes, textbooks, or colleagues close by. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help.

#9 The Binder

Keep all of your relevant information such as NPI numbers, board exam scores, and CE hour verifications. It makes it easy to revamp your CV or to enter your hours needed for credentialing.

#10 Do NOT Be Afraid

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Your first place may not be a perfect fit, or maybe you find a different avenue in dentistry, but don’t hesitate to explore lots of opportunities.

If you have further questions, please reach out to jennhasslen@creighton.edu

Dr Chad Duplantis- Clinical Skills Springboard- Stimulating the Visual Cortex Through Technology and Education Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Chad Duplantis is a practicing dentist who enjoys using technology to improve outcomes and patient experience. He is a Catapult presenter and educates other dentists.

5 Keys to success for the new dentist, communicate effectively, what are you creating, what are you selling, educate yourself, and educate the patient.

Many of the best innovators are successful because they know their “why”. As dentists, we need to find our why in relation to our patients.

Communication: Trust, value, and loyalty are all based on effective communication

Education: You need to continue educating yourself and, in turn, educate you patients

When pairing these two, you improve acceptance and patient care.

For exams, he focuses on foundation (perio, cancer, and caries risks), function (occluso skeletal), and finesse (restorative and aesthetics).

Use diagnostic tools and conservative treatment to get your patient’s desired outcome.

How do we overcome the 6 rejections to treatment?

They don’t feel a connection? Educate, communicate, and get to know your patients

They don’t understand the value of treatment. Educate and explain why you do it.

You don’t listen. Ask and listen to the answers. Learn body language and speak to understand. Practice volume, tone, and pace.

You don’t have a treatment coordinator. The dentist should not be presenting major treatment.

You don’t follow up. It easy to keep track and follow up with patients and to connect again. There are lots of tools you can utilize for texting patients or giving them online scheduling options.

You don’t offer financing. There are so many options for making care more affordable for your patients through in-office plans or outside financing options.

Remember there are many ways to achieve the desired results, and we need to offer them to our patients.

Know the difference between products and credence goods. Credence goods are the service and intangibles.

65% of visual information is retained but only 10% is remembered from hearing. Imaging is so important in presenting treatment.

The difference between a digital pano and CBCT can be worth the difference in price and can be great for diagnosing sleep apnea or implants.

Intraoral cameras are a must because they are powerful in educating patients.

Other devices include caries detectors, transilluminators, and cancer screening devices.

Use photography regularly, but understand your camera and clarity of the image. Suggested images include full face, anterior retracted, buckle views, and occlusal arches.

Intraoral scanners can educate the patient and show real-time results. This has application for the patients, the dentist, and improved communication and results with your lab.

Dr. Shea Bess- Clinical Springboard Series- Achieving the Highest Bond Strengths Possible May 29, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Shea Bess graduated from Loma Linda and returned back to Utah after graduating and started his own practice about a year later. He Is both a general dentist owner as well as a consultant in R&D at Ultradent. He focused on bonding and learned a ton about bond strength.

The biggest issue in bonding failure is that the dentist doesn’t follow the instructions. The developers have worked very hard to make the most effective product, but it isn’t being applied correctly and therefore, fails.

Another issue that is common is that when the bonding agent is thinned, the dentist will wave their air and water syringe back and forth. This creates ripples that are uneven. Push one time in one direction to keep it even. You also need to pay attention to the proper time.

You need to account for time for the solvent to evaporate.

All bond strengths are not equal because not all products are equal.

Which bonds have you tested? Many are products outside of Ultradent as well as all Ultradent products. The range of effectiveness was staggering and show easily where you can avoid bonding issues.

Why do you use a different product when you bond to dentin vs enamel? Consider the strength you need and the impact the surface will take. Be prepared to use either once you prep ad evaluate.

What advice would you give for new grads? Whatever the truth is, tell it. Things will not always go perfectly, but be honest when something goes wrong.

How can they get ahold of you? Shea_bess@yahoo.com

Dr. Joe Maio- The Doctor's Edge- Getting Back to Basics May 28, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Joe Maio was a graduate of Creighton Dental school during 9/11. He initially considered leaving dental school to join the military, but ultimately decided to serve in the Air Force as a dentist. He went into private practice and began to grow his practice. He decided to sell last year to help align with what his goals really were. We wanted to talk about working towards or reverse-engineering your vision.

Life is about experiences and relationships. He wanted a free life where work was enjoyable, but not mandatory. His goal was to operate a business without having to actually be present. Many of us are a slave to our business. The areas of his life he wanted to impact were financials, physical health, mental health and growth, social impact, and spiritual life. Those 5 areas bring balance and increased freedom.

This is a perfect time to reflect on living on “the hamster wheel”. He says a lot of time is wasted on social media. Results never happened through inaction. Everything with COVID was completely out of our control. Money follows value, so find a way to serve other first and your money will follow. Controlling your mindset is everything. For those still in the workforce, don’t get discouraged. The entire planet is experiencing this together. For a strategic approach, start with marketing from local sources and social media, then take care of patients and staff one person at a time. Work on your interpersonal skills because you only get paid when they agree to treatment. Show people why they need your service. Treat the person, not the tooth. If you have a problem asking for payment for your service, you don’t believe you are providing something of quality. Your goal is to make a profit to make a difference. People buy based on feelings, so you need to have that in mind.

In speaking with consultants, he encourages you to create tools that help you take action. An effective consultant should put themselves out of business. Dr. Maio got tired of seeing people not getting the results, during quarantine he decided to package everything he’s learned and made it into a tangible program. The cost of $499 is designed to cover production costs. For the first 5 buyers, he will do a short phone call to help you with questions or implementation.

Yes, this is a scary time, but it doesn’t have to be. There are people who are going to fold, and those who will soar.

The Deal: The One Week Dental MBA

Cost: $499

To get this deal: https://thedocsedge.com/

Dr. Sharon McMahon- Clinical Skills Springboard- Do Composite Like a Rockstar May 27, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Susan McMahon is a practicing general dentist in Pittsburgh and I AACD certified focusing on cosmetics. She has been an associate, a private practice owner, sold to a DSO, and eventually became a practice owner again.

We are focusing on anterior composites specifically. With the interest in cosmetic dentistry, a less is more approach can be very effective if you learn to do good composite work. In looking at the example, you can see that the color is good, but the sheen is dull and the composite plane is flat. The anatomy is slightly off. Moving from the facial plane to the interproximal plane, we can see there is no corner. Additionally, the lobes are not present, which does not look natural. The angles are important because light reflection is affected. Over polishing also loses much of the natural-looking surface texture. Striations on the tooth are found in nature. Mixing a translucent and body shade composite also gives a natural look.

Use a disk to get the angle at first, next use a coarse diamond dry and move it very slowly at about 20,000RPM. Go over the entire surface, then create the lobes, before flipping it longways to create the striated lines. The coarse diamond is great for surface texture.

Use a medium spiral polisher followed by a fine spiral polisher and finish up with a jiffy brush with diamond paste if needed. Polisher speed should only be about 8000RPM to preserve the lines and lobes created with your composite.

A direct veneer is a great product that is easy to use and fast. U-Veneer has a mold kit that will help match the desired tooth structure and includes the surface anatomy you want. The process involves isolating the tooth, etch, apply the adhesive, cure, then fill the mold with your composite. Overfilling slightly is important. Place the filled mold onto the tooth making sure to prevent air bubbles, and clear the excess with an explorer. Finish it the same way as with the composite, coarse diamond followed by polishing steps. The surface texture is heavy on the mold, so it gives you options to create the most accurate surface texture.

This is a great option because it is 100% reversible, has no reduction in tooth structure, a provides a great result.

What is the best way to follow you? Her schedule is on Catapult Education. She will also be at the Chicago Midwinter meeting talking about minimally invasive cosmetics for young adults.

Lindsay Nienhouse- Ascentcare Dental- An Affordable Solution to Aerosol Reduction May 15, 2020

Show notes

Lindsay Nienhouse is the Marketing Director of Ascentcare Dental. There has been a lot of talk about HVE suction. The company has been around for about 4 years and seeks to innovate to make a dentist’s life better. They do both design and production in house. They have an adapter piece that works with Zyris, Dryshield, and Isolite systems. They have the Vaculux system in stock and ready to ship within two weeks. While the adapter is a great product, what additionally sets it apart is the fiber optic lighting that can be added. It is powered by a light engine and can run 6 hours continuously between charges. It’s very portable and can move between ops easily. It magnetically couples to the adapter and has a 5-foot long cable, so it can easily be set on the floor under the chair. It is made of aluminum to stand up to repeated autoclaves. It is sturdy and lightweight.

Does the battery pack work with other products in your company? Yes!

The light has 3 settings, and most doctors prefer the medium setting, which will expand the length of use.

Another attachment they have is an illuminated mirror that reflects light on to the mirror to increase visibility inside the mouth. The transilluminator attachment can provide great viewing for caries assessments and root canals.

The battery pack has one connection.

The bite buddy is a study block with a magnetic track to quickly add accessories. Attachments include a saliva ejector, tongue block, and several illuminated attachments as well. It works as an extra set of hands.

How long does the lightbulb last? It is an LED, and their customers have not needed a bulb replacement since the company started 4 years ago.

Can you use the system with the Zyris disposable pieces? Yes

Can you replace the mirror when it scratches? It is not replaceable but is a very durable front-facing rhodium mirror.

What are the prices?

Vaculux- normally it is $229, but they have temporarily lowered the price to $199 to help as offices begin to reopen.

The light engine is $369

Mirror- $24.95 with a buy 5 get one free additional deal

Bitebuddy mouth props: $24.99

Saliva ejector holders: 2 for $19.95 (left and right)

Bitebuddy starter kit: contains 3 bite block sizes, left and right saliva ejector holders, and two sizes of tongue guards for $149.95

Lighted attachments for bit buddy: $40 each

www.ascentcaredental.com

Nifty Deal: 10% off light engine, and accessories

The Adaptor is already priced $30 off.

Use code: NIFTY or mention Nifty Thrifty with your phone order

Dr. Mic Falkel- OnPharma- Seat, Treat, and Complete May 15, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Mic Falkel is the CEO of OnPharma anesthetic buffering system. After losing a child, he decided to go back to his chemist background to solve problems in his practice as a distraction. He was known for giving a very gentle anesthetic, but the chemical mix still left the patient wincing. He didn’t like anesthetic failure and the wait time while the patient was getting numb.

How does buffering anesthetic make a patient get numb fast? Anesthetic comes as an acid to increase shelf life, but the body can’t accept it to work until it is a base. The latency period is the time between injection and implementation. Using sodium bicarbonate to buffer the mixture to the body’s 7.5, we don’t have to wait or risk a patient being unable to become numb. When an infection is present, tissue can be in the 5s and will not let the body raise the pH high enough. It cuts the time significantly.

Based on our current issue of only treating one patient at a time, we can save both time and money. This simple change allowed him to work faster and reduce the overall days in the office.

They used to try to convince people that seeing one patient at a time can be more effective, but people may not have seen that as a problem. With the changes from COVID, one patient at a time has become necessary.

How does the system work? When you open the cartridge, it is good for 7 days. The cartridge connector connects your pen with the anesthetic and you dial the correct volume. It needs to be used immediately to take advantage of the CO2 released from the reaction.

Why is this system better than buffering your own? Infection control is greatly reduced and is just as cost-effective. The bicarbonate you buy changes each time you purchase, so the results can vary.

Does this lower the patient's discomfort? Because the acid is being buffered, it is similar to the body’s pH. A normal injection is equivalent to piercing the skin and putting lemon juice in it.

For a new grad that is listening, what is the most comfortable way to give an injection? Buffering is the simplest way to do it and keep your finger on the plunger. He doesn’t use topical because it tastes terrible and starts lots of saliva production, which is bad for restorative work. Pull the tissue taut and put one small drop on the tissue before injection. Heating, tissue vibration, and going slowly are all additional tips you can use. Most patients are afraid of the injection and being hurt during a procedure. If you can lower that factor, they will refer like crazy. He also suggests using endo ice to check. If a patient can keep the endo ice on for 5 seconds, you know they won’t feel anything.

What types of anesthetic can be used? Anything but Marcaine, but he feels that should be only used at the end of a root canal to help with prolonged pain. Articaine/ Septocaine is a great one to use.

There is no shortage of supply at this time, but he suggests you buy now to be trained and ready to serve from day one.

Nifty Deal: 10% OFF and free shipping with a 100% money-back guarantee in the first 3 months. Their starter kit can be used for 80 uses.

To get this deal:

Promo code: nifty

https://onpharma.com/

Romy Humphries- Sugarhouse Health- Reusable Isolation Gowns Made in the USA May 14, 2020

Show notes

Romy Humphries is the Sales and Marketing Director for Sugarhouse Health. They started in 1941 and typically produce custom canvas products. They typically design boat covers and enclosures as well as awnings. After seeing someone was making face masks out of the same material, they realized they could adjust their focus to serve in healthcare. As an American made company, they wanted to do what they could to help and employ people in their area. The response was so overwhelming that they were able to outsource much of the cutting to other businesses that could help. In addition, they have employed smaller companies and mom and pop shops to help.

The gowns are made to fit the regulations and met PPE and healthcare standards. The material is called “Odessey”, and is impermeable to water due to the polyester structure. There are 3 different sizes and have an elastic wrist cuffs to seal around your wrists. The material is designed for outdoor use for years. The fibers are coated and woven, then coated a second time. They are machine washable and air dry, but you can Lysol wipe them between uses.

How hot will it be to wear? It can get warm but can be opened between uses as well as working on an additional change in the design to open in the front.

The gowns come in 3 sizes and colors, but for efficiency, it is a single color per size. On orders of over 100, they can customize a bit more to meet specific needs.

What is the shipping time? Shipping is 5 days out on the gowns.

The masks they have available are ready to go today. They are washable material and great for your front office. It loops around the neck with a cinch and has both a fleece-lined and unlined option. A simpler design is a stretchable mask that goes behind the ear. It will not slip off and is more comfortable to wear all day.

How many ties are in the back? There is a tie around the neck and one around the waist. Nifty is exploring Velcro front closure options. They own all of the steps of production, so if there is a sufficient demand they can adapt the design to fit the requests.

Can you make surgical caps? They currently have a prototype in the works.

They will need a minimum of 250 to print a custom logo.

They also have face shields and offer social distancing stickers and decals.

Can you add a logo to the gown? She is checking into it to see what kinds of printing would be possible.

Will the caps have enough room for long hair? It should hold well.

What color are the gowns? They are grey, blue and green. This is dependent on size, but orders over 100 can be customized.

To order: go to www.sugarhousehealth.com It is an online shop

The cost per gown is $40, but don’t worry, there’s a Nifty Deal!

Are the gowns wipeable? Yes, they are waterproof, so you can quickly wipe it down. The material can withstand chemical cleaning. The warranty is designed to last 3 years, but it will really last much longer.

How should you wash them? Washing instructions are on the tag, but hot water in a washing machine is fine. It is really cleaning the cuffs, as the rest of the material is waterproof.

What’s the Nifty Deal? Go to www.sugarhousehealth.com and enter code: THRIFTY at checkout for 10% your order with no limit on how many times it can be used.

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