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The relationship between patient and dentist - and for that matter, dentist and technician - is based on trust. When visiting a lab that looks like the men’s room at a stadium during a football game, where the desks, walls, and floors are covered in dust and pumice, how much confidence do you have that the work will be done with care? It’s important to my partners and me that the lab is clean, both for avoiding contamination of restorations and for making a professional presentation to customers and patients. You would judge my lab like you would judge a real estate broker, a clothing store, and a restaurant by their appearances. When was the last time you sat in your own reception area and looked around?
Let’s face it: you are selling dentistry. To clarify, selling in dentistry is not the pushing of unneeded treatment in unethical ways. I’m talking about the proper education of patients and effective presentations of their needs. But we must keep in mind that our appearance and the appearance of our practices are also making a presentation to our patients, for better or for worse.
You and your office might not be looking your best for a number of reasons. Perhaps business hasn’t been great lately, so you don’t want to invest in a new office and instrumentation. I understand, but that’s fairly short-sighted. When you originally bought your office, you had to invest to get it to where you are now. Maybe now is the time to reinvest in yourself in order to reenergize yourself.
Steven Pigliacelli, CDT, MDT, is an instructor in postgraduate prosthodontics at New York University. He manages Marotta Dental Studio and directs the general practice residency and prosthetic resident rotation, an intensive educational program that focuses on the value of the technician-dentist relationship. He lectures and performs hands-on demonstrations at study clubs and seminars.