How the schedule is handled within a dental practice serves as the heartbeat that pulsates through every aspect of the work and the patient interactions. It is not merely a logistical task but a critical element that influences the practice's productivity, the quality of care provided to patients, and the overall well-being of the dental team and doctors.

The initial patient interview can often be a challenging encounter, where individuals may diverge from discussing their dental concerns or may be reticent in sharing essential information, making it arduous to grasp their complete story, motivations, and needs. For some patients, this encounter can feel like an interrogation, with the doctor or team member methodically running through a checklist of questions to ascertain the primary issues or purpose for the visit.

In this article, Dr. Edwards discusses the 6 box framework he introduced in the book Through The Red Sea, and how it has the potential to assist the doctor or team member in building rapport and empathy for the other.

Transitioning from insurance-based care to fee-for-service or private care is a profound journey that demands unwavering conviction and confidence. In my guide, “Through The Red Sea, A Path to Private Care,” I delve into the intricate process of leading healthcare teams and patients through this transformative shift. This guide is a compass, steering doctors towards a mindset shift that prioritizes patient-centered care and fosters a creative approach to healthcare delivery.

A recent email about politics read, “Read this, and your blood will boil.”

I thought to myself, why would I want to read that? I surely don't want my blood to boil!

But I wondered how many people would open it, read it, forward it, and spread the anger. Maybe the feeling of anger reminds them of their aliveness and gives them some emotion to remove them from the doldrums.

The politics of the country divide. The news agencies, if you can call them that anymore, make money on division. They are in effect, feeding our ego’s. The ego exists on dualism and division. The ego needs to draw contrasts and judge to feel power and justified in taking charge of your consciousness; for example, this caused that so now you have permission to blame, shame, and draw distinctions. In moments like this, as the collective ego of the society rises and thus drives division, anger, and hate.

Just as Jonathan, the seagull who dared to challenge the conventions of his flock and soar to new heights, The Schuster Center encourages you to break free from societal norms, from the volume approach to dentistry, from surface relationships with patients, of more and more, and embrace your unique potential and their purpose.

The Schuster Center for Professional Development stands in stark contrast to the many voices in dental magazines, the consultants, and the insurance companies that perpetuate a production model, one size fits all style of dentistry. This narrow focus on volume overlooks the critical factor of profitability, quality of the patient experience, organizational and personal development, and fails to address the holistic needs of both practitioners and patients.

Does my insurance cover that? Why people don’t move forward with comprehensive care and more in this article.

Sell me this pen.

Learn the simple things dentists can do to reduce risk of IRS audit.

What is good management? There’s no single, comprehensive answer. But in our research, we focus on three facets: target-setting, incentives, and monitoring. Well-managed companies set reasonable, strategic goals; set their staff up to contribute to them; and measure their progress. Call it boring if you like — I call it good business.

Many dental offices are experiencing burnout and issues with what is called “surge capacity.” Surge capacity is a collection of adaptive systems both mental and physical, that people draw on for short-term survival in acutely stressful situations — situations like COVID, hyperinflation, skyrocketing supply costs and shortages, a decrease in the available workforce, and on and on.

When your hygienist comes to you wanting a significant increase, how do you figure out what you can afford, and if it is worth it?

This workshop is open to anyone: doctors, spouses and teams. Interested in Joining PC? Contact Dr. Edwards directly to see if it is right for you, 636-234-7481.

As the paradigm shift happens, the doctor quickly realizes the uphill battle it will be to enact change. The office culture and systems created on old thinking, and now this new paradigm will meet resistance from many seen and unseen obstacles. Old systems, team members, the schedule, insurance companies and finally the patients themselves — the ones you are trying to help.

You will never be better than the five people you hang out with the most!

What you are experiencing in your life is largely due to your orientation — are you more reactive or more creative?

Why do so many of us get stuck in a reactive orientation in our life or in our practice?

It was American psychologist Abraham Maslow who coined, “self-actualization.” He called exceptional people he studied “self-actualized people.” Many others, including Carl Rogers, also a psychologist, wrote in depth regarding the notion of actualization.