In this article, doctors from Sunrise Dental Care will share to you what my coaching club, the Inner Circle Coaching Club, has done for the good transition of their dental practice lately. They will share to you what they have done in the past few years in the transition of their dental practice… and how they became a large practice with lots of fun and excitement with the help of my coaching club. And this is something that we focus specifically at our dental practice transition website!

Here’s what the doctors will share on how my coaching club has promoted the transition of their dental practice:

In September of 2006, we joined Ed’s Super Conference. After joining the conference, we then thought on how we would begin the transition of our dental practice. So we bought and signed up for everything and then we implemented things and took action. We started the New Mover program, and the response after the first mailing was just okay (and so we thought until we looked at the numbers!). We had 4 new patients, our production was up to $6,500.00, and the return on investment (or our ROI) was “not so bad”. But then, the second mailing goes out a month later, and then the third mailing after that. So for the period of these months, we had 21 new patients in our dental practice, our production increased to $33,000.00, and the return on investment was “not bad at all”.

So then, we thought, for the transition of our dental practice, let’s so more things to increase our cash flow! So we put into action what Wendy Briggs taught us in Hygiene Diamonds. So in our fluoride production increase alone, we had an increase from $252.00 for September of 2006 to $3,068.00 for February of 2007. And we had lots of activities: we had the Care to Share Brochure perfected and put into action (with the trifold handed out to everyone); we had the Child’s First Visit Certificate, we joined America Smiles, and we also organized our first Invisalign Open House, where we mailed out flyers to existing patient number of 2,500, and placed as FSI in local Thursday Paper 7000 (with which 15 patients responded to it), records were processed and submitted that night, and 24 patients accepted treatment… and we had an amazing $105,000.00 that night! And it was really fun too! Also, we had our monthly newsletters, our first free publicity successful press release # 1, the “Toys For Tots” formal party, and the first patient appreciation event for “Toys For Tots”. We got the prize wheel too! We had lots of winners in the event, we had face painting, Santa and elf, hot dogs, new visitors, toys for tots, and most importantly we had fun! We also mailed a “Thank You” note with a Santa photo to all who attended. We had another New Patient Mover, wherein we mailed the first step in mid-January and followed the second and third steps three weeks apart (where we had 12 new patients so far and a production of $16,000.00). We also continued our Invisalign Open House, where we had FSI printed 10,000 and placed it in local paper and we’re still waiting for the final numbers. We also had the “attack on sleep apnea”, where we printed out 30,000 FSI, with 20,000 placed in Sunday paper and 7,000 placed in local Thursday paper (which costed approximately $2,500.00… and so far we had 15 new patients within 6 weeks). We also participated in local fund raisers, where the charity keeps $99.00, but we opt the patients into our office and then “WOW” them!

In the transition of our dental practice, we also have new projects which include joint venture with local bike shop to sponsor essay contest and the winner to be at next June Patient Appreciation event. We have implemented a reactivation campaign. We have lead generation ads on implants and Mother’s day contest theater advertisement VIP club that is still in progress.

So, in the transition of our dental practice, things are changing so fast that we are becoming “dizzy” (in a good way, of course!). Things just keep changing and growing! Our staff tripled, we hired a marketing assistant, our excitement tripled, our goals doubled and then tripled, and we just keep working on new projects. All we can say is that things just got crazier and crazier! We had insurance letter sent out, we made a “War Wall” (where we can post things up and put them in the order we want to work on) to keep things organized, and we get testimonials that are good for our ego! We also do dentistry in our spare time. As for now, our production doctors have more than doubled in 6 months (as well as our hygiene production); our new patients went from 20 per month to 60 to 70 per month; our excitement in our practice doubled; and we also doubled the bonuses that we give to our staff, which makes them very happy!

So, all that we can say is if you want to attain the transition that you would like to have in your dental practice, join Ed’s Inner Circle Coaching Club like we did… and achieve success as well as experience excitement and enjoyment in your dental practice!

Dental care or brushing your dog teeth is one of the most common grooming tasks that have been overlooked.

Just like us, humans, dental care is very important task that we need to be aware of for our dog.

Brushing your dog teeth on a daily basis is essential.

Why?

Plague and tartar will accumulate on the teeth along the gum line in the dog mouth if no attempt is made to clean its teeth. Eventually, it is very likely to lead to other dental diseases like gingivitis and periodontal disease. This can be very painful and can lead to loose teeth, abscesses, and bone loss or infection.  

The ideal way to maintain good clean teeth is to brush the dog teeth daily; just like the humans.

There are special toothbrushes and toothpastes readily available at the pet shops or you can buy them online these days, if necessary.

You cannot use human toothpaste on your dog as your dog does not gargle and clean their mouth of the paste but they will lick and swallow it. Human toothpaste is a bit harsh for their stomach and the dog may fall sick.

You can also buy special treats that could help remove some plague or tartar; this is indicated on the label in the packaging.

I find that feeding them knuckle bones can help scrape off their tartar and plague especially the back teeth but not the front canine teeth. Similarly, giving the dog raw hide treat can also have the same effect when they chew on it.

They are also special oral gel to remove stubborn tartar and plague but you will need to be patient as it can take up to 30 days for the gel to soften the tartar and plague before they can be removed easily. These gels are much more expensive than the normal dog toothpaste.

I believe that starting to brush the dog teeth when it is a puppy and continuing to do it daily, is the best approach for its dental care.

If only we could get our pets to brush their teeth regularly! Well you know that can’t happen . . . but we can help our dogs take care of their teeth and gums. They don’t, of course, realize how important dental care is to their health (and maybe you didn’t realize it either).

Following are some facts about dental problems that may either be causing your dog discomfort right now or might soon affect your dog’s health; we’ll also give you some tips on treating those problems.

Gingivitis: Gingivitis is a gum disease that occurs when gum tissue becomes inflamed. If not treated, gingivitis will lead to periodontitis (described below); if it is not treated, gingivitis will cause your dog to start loosing teeth.

Periodontitis: Periodontitis is an advanced gum disease that attacks not only the gums but also the bones that underlie the gums. Commonly called periodontal disease, this is the most common dental problem for dogs. Even relatively young dogs may have Periodontitis or the earlier-stage gum disease, gingivitis.

Imagine a year or two of buildup on your dogs teeth — buildup of plaque, food particles and bacteria. If your dog has gum disease you may not have to imagine it, you will probably be able to see a near-white substance coating the teeth and gums — that’s the result of the bacteria.

Tooth fractures: Dogs love to gnaw on things like bones and when they do they might develop small breaks -fractures of their teeth. Endodontic disease is the name for infections that develop inside these fractures.

Preventing the problems mentioned above is as simple as keeping your dog’s teeth clean. Clean teeth means less bacteria and less bacteria means less disease . . . and the extra bonus of no more ‘doggie-breath.’

Brushing your dog’s teeth. The best way to keep your dog’s teeth clean is by brushing them every day. That may sound like an impossible task but its really not. Over time, if you approach it slowly and lovingly, your dog will accept tooth brushing as an enjoyable daily activity.

Important: If you think that your dog has gum disease or fractured teeth take the dog to a vet to have the condition treated and cleared up before you try brushing the teeth yourself. If the dog has diseased gums, any attempt at tooth brushing may be painful and from then on the dog will associate tooth brushing with pain.

Ideally, you should start brushing a dogs teeth when its a puppy. As a puppy this will be more of a game than a threat and, over time, it will turn into an activity the puppy loves.

If your dog is older and has healthy looking teeth and gums, introduce it to a tooth brush by coating an old toothbrush with something the dog likes to taste; one suggestion is a paste made out of garlic salt and water. Let the dog lick it and even chew on it for just a second. The next day, the dog will recognize the tooth brush in your hand and come running over for another “treat.” Gradually work your way into brushing it’s teeth like that, day-by-day.

Eventually you’ll need to get a toothbrush and toothpaste that is made specifically for pets; you’ll find both in any good pet supply store. It is especially important to find toothpaste that is made for pets; don’t try to use toothpaste made for people. Human toothpaste isn’t intended for ingestion and since your dog can’t ’spit it out’ you need to get a toothpaste that won’t make the dog sick when some amount is swallowed.

There are two types of pet toothbrushes, one looks like a human toothbrush that is designed to brush a small child’s teeth and the other is a finger brush. A finger brush looks like a large thimble with a pad or bristles mounted on it. Both types of toothbrush are fairly inexpensive so you may want to purchase one of each and see which one works best for you. Either way, as long as the toothpaste tastes good to your dog, it won’t mind you ‘messing around’ in it’s mouth and, eventually, it will even look forward to the daily ritual.

Have your dog’s teeth professionally cleaned. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to or you can’t brush your dogs teeth yourself, take it to a veterinarian and have the vet give the dog’s teeth a professional cleaning. The vet will sedate your dog and do all the necessary scraping and cleaning of the teeth while the dog is sleeping.

Give your dog a checkup. Its a great idea to give your dog’s mouth a regular checkup. You’ll be looking for any broken, chipped or cracked teeth or any signs that the gums are not healthy. If you see any problems, get the dog to a veterinarian as soon as you can.

Protect your dog’s teeth. Sometimes dogs need to be protected from themselves. A dog will chew on anything and the really hard things like some bones, rocks and other very hard items may eventually crack or break the dog’s teeth. Get rid of the hard stuff and buy your dog some softer chew toys.

Buy some mouthwash for your dog. Nope! Not kidding! There are mouthwash products for dogs and just ignore that mental picture of trying to get your dog to gargle. You just add some of the mouthwash to your dog’s water dish and the mouthwash will not only improve your dog’s breath, it will keep the do’s teeth clean and free of tarter.

As you can see, dogs have dental problems that are very similar to human dental problems and they benefit from dental care just like we do. For all the products suggested here for your dog’s dental care, ask your veterinarian for his or her recommendations on the best products to use. Your vet is your dog’s doctor and should be trusted like you trust your own doctor.