A week does not go by when patients are telling me about the quotes they received for dental work from some “Holistic” dentists. After the initial shock, I can only think of two things:
1. I should raise my prices, or
2. People are paying for things that I personally feel are over the top.
Every dentist has the right to run their business as they see fit. That means doing procedures they want to do and setting prices for those procedures. I am not criticizing what others do or saying what they do is wrong. My concern is paying for too much frosting when all you really needed was the cake.
Any professional practice is a reflection of the person or persons delivering the health care. Or at least it should be. Sometimes this gets clouded for various reasons. Sometimes the person delivering the service is just doing as they are told from people at the top. Other times certain production goals are placed on the providers. And sometimes it’s just the economic model of the practice.
I look at things a little differently. I went to work at the age of 13. During all those years of working, I had some really great mentors on business and customer service. When I worked at a hardware/home center (before the big box stores), the owner used to tell me that business is about people, and if you work from that principle you will always be able to put food on the table and take care of your family. I try to run my practice on that principle and try to do the right thing for each person. Dentistry is more than a set of procedures, a bunch of fancy equipment, and materials. It is about helping people get healthier and live a better life. The rest will fall into place.
Meet Dr. Rose
A graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry, Dr. Rose is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships with his research published in many professional dental journals.
His outstanding work has been lauded by colleagues and patients. Recognized as an expert in dentistry, he has been featured in Cleveland Magazine, Avenues, The Plain Dealer, the Sun Newspapers, and is a guest contributor of The Cleveland Women’s Journal magazine.
Dr. Rose has been on Channels 3, 5, and 19 as well as WERE 1490 Radio with Ed “Flash” Ferenc. He was featured in the book, “Unleashing the Power of Dentistry: An Introduction to Neuromuscular Dentistry,” as well as in “Secret Service,” a book about excellence in customer service.
Dr. Rose and one of his patients are planning to be featured in an upcoming book about cosmetic dentistry and how it can change a person’s life.
Voted one of America’s Top Dentist’s for 2005 – present by The Consumer’s Research Council of America and voted one of Cleveland’s Top Dentist for the years 2006-present by Cleveland Magazine.
