I don’t think I can remember a time when there was such a contrast in the attitudes of the dental profession.
On one hand, I visit practices where the by-word is not just caution, but ultra-caution. Their major concern is to save money; their confidence is at a low ebb. Conversely, I am working with Principals who simply couldn’t be more different. They are optimistic about the future, investing in their practices and energetically going for growth.
Of course, Brexit has made many people cautious and inclined to tread water until the economic outlook is clearer. Fair enough but bear this in mind; businesses don’t stand still. If you don’t go forward, you go backwards and markets, like nature, abhor a vacuum. If there’s a space to fill, someone will fill it. That is something you can depend on.
The challenge I want to throw down to you is this. Are you looking to save money or make money? I know that sounds blunt, but that’s what it boils down to. If your practice is tired, its value to patients and ultimately to potential purchasers will reflect this and decline. That’s another thing you can depend on. I’m not suggesting that by doing the bare minimum you lose patients overnight; but by the same token, you won’t attract the patients who are happy to spend heavily on oral care (only those who see it as a distress purchase).
Finally, let me ask another rather blunt question. Are you enjoying doing dentistry?
If you are then chances are your patients will enjoy visiting you and people will like working with and for you. You will want to invest in yourself and your practice and you will take a long-term view based on a realistic and informed evaluation of a changing market.
If you’re not, and you’re counting the hours to the end of the day, I would ask you to think again. The long-term future is bright for dentistry and I believe the confidence so many of my clients have is well justified.
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