What’s Your Marketing Philosophy? 

September 13, 2024 Paul Henny DDS

By Paul A. Henny, DDS 

Times change; that’s for certain. When dental advertising was first allowed in the 1970’s, there was much discussion around whether marketing a dental practice was ethical. Today, marketing ethics is an issue for dental licensing boards to decide, while most dentists have moved on to focusing on HOW to best market their practice. 

Combine this new marketing-oriented mindset with the internet, and there’s a lot of confusion, wasted time, wasted money, and wasted energy. 

Why? Because most marketing efforts are focused on bodies and not people with feelings, priories and values. To quote a popular marketer in dentistry today: “In the end, the only thing that matters is how many butts you put in the chairs.” Really? And as a result, too many dentists are hung up on paying attention to the wrong metrics: ad clicks, social media likes, a high search engine results page (SERP) ranking, new patients per month, and so forth. 

It’s nice to have lots of visitors to our website (and important), but the best question to ask is: Why are prospective patients visiting our website in the first place? The answer speaks to FIT: Is this person likely to be a good fit with our practice Mission and Philosophy? 

If the person fits in with our practice’s Mission, then we’re supporting our Philosophy and moving toward our Vision. If the person doesn’t fit in with our practice’s Mission, then we aren’t. It’s that simple. 

If the person fits, they’re much more likely to schedule an appointment. If the person is a good fit, they are much more likely to be open to a proper and thorough examination process. If a person is a good fit, they’re more likely to make good decisions regarding their dental health. And if a person is a good fit, they are much more likely to agree to appropriate treatment plans. Consequently, when most people in our practice are a good “fit,” our schedule is full of folks who show up, and are grateful they found us. 

The key to successful marketing of a health-centered / relationship-based practice therefore begins BEFORE each person visits our website and therefore BEFORE they call. And that’s all related to our reputation—what’s commonly called our “brand.” Our brand is the set of expectations the person has about us. 

So, it’s important to know who they are, what they are seeking, and how we can best address it. Knowing the answers is where marketing should begin. On this, Peter Drucker famously said, “True marketing starts out with the customer, their demographics, their realities, their needs, and their values. The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him or her so well that it sells itself.” 

And that represents a whole lot more than just getting a “butt in the chair.” Mastering person-centered marketing is a key element to realizing our dream. Failing to understand it forces us to try and manage people who aren’t a good fit—sometimes multiple times a day, and that simply isn’t very fun or rewarding. 

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Paul Henny DDS

Dr. Paul Henny maintains an esthetically-focused restorative practice in Roanoke, Virginia. Additionally, he has been a national speaker in dentistry, a visiting faculty member of the Pankey Institute, and visiting lecturer at the Jefferson College or Health Sciences. Dr. Henny has been a member of the Roanoke Valley Dental Society, The Academy of General Dentistry, The American College of Oral Implantology, The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantology. He is Past President and co-founder of the Robert F. Barkley Dental Study Club.

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Transitions Benefit from Intentional Leadership 

August 26, 2024 Edwin "Mac" McDonald DDS

By Edwin A. McDonald, DDS 

Case Study 1 

Early in my practice I was introduced to a periodontist in Dallas. We began a close working relationship for many years. He was a great mentor to me. His work was superb, and his patients had great experiences. He got to know our patients so well he could guide them to the best treatment decisions.  

One day we met, and he told me that he was retiring. I told him that he couldn’t do that to me! His response was that he had found the perfect person to partner and transition with. He had.  

The most important thing that happened was my mentor took the time and made the effort to communicate with me about what was happening. It made me realize that I was important and significant in all of this. The incoming periodontist, Ron, was a young version of his predecessor with the same meticulous surgical technique, superb results, and great patient experiences. In fact, in many ways he became better.  

Years later, Ron’s office is in the same location, just beautifully remodeled and updated. The hygienists remained for many years as did most patients and almost all referral sources. Ron has been extraordinarily successful. That makes me happy. He makes me a better dentist. 

In this case, the two periodontists were philosophically aligned, clinically similar, consistent in their judgement, and had great ability to build high trust relationships. Those four components created a powerful foundation to move smoothly from the past to a great future. 

Case Study 2 

Unlike the first case study, most transitions have gaps between the old and the new. In addition, often the existing practice needs an infusion of energy, a new and expanded mindset, and a more powerful vision to move toward what is possible. 

I have a friend that bought a very traditional relationship-based practice with tons of potential. He is different than his predecessor in his management style, approach to relationships, and desire to grow his practice. He has more than doubled it in just a few years. He also has had a complete turnover in the team. In this case, he needed a team that fit how he wanted to practice. He hired individuals who were prepared to embrace a new approach to practice.  

My friend needed to become a more effective leader of his team and develop a deeper understanding of how important they are to his current and future success. That meant investing more time and energy into getting to know everyone, communicating his career goals and learning about their career goals as they together cast a vision of the future …a worthy destination that honored the past as it created an abundant future. That meant leaving behind some beliefs, assumptions, and patterns of thinking as he matured and as they matured. 

“All of the stakeholders around a practice transition will embrace the change if they see the incoming dentist and new team members living the values that have kept them connected to the practice for many years, there is clear and frequent communication, there are genuine efforts at building trust, and there is an expressed understanding of what is mutually beneficial to all parties.”
–Dr. Edwin A. McDonald (LineofSightCoaching.com) 

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Edwin "Mac" McDonald DDS

Dr. Edwin A. McDonald III received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Economics from Midwestern State University. He earned his DDS degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Dr. McDonald has completed extensive training in dental implant dentistry through the University of Florida Center for Implant Dentistry. He has also completed extensive aesthetic dentistry training through various programs including the Seattle Institute, The Pankey Institute and Spear Education. Mac is a general dentist in Plano Texas. His practice is focused on esthetic and restorative dentistry. He is a visiting faculty member at the Pankey Institute. Mac also lectures at meetings around the country and has been very active with both the Dallas County Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. Currently, he is a student in the Naveen Jindal School of Business at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a graduate certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching. With Dr. Joel Small, he is co-founder of Line of Sight Coaching, dedicated to helping healthcare professionals develop leadership and coaching skills that improve the effectiveness, morale and productivity of their teams.

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Advice for Young Dentists Part 3: Be Open to Change 

August 18, 2024 John Cranham, DDS

By John C. Cranham, DDS 

Pete Dawson and I talked about this often. No matter how many years in practice, dentists never have everything figured out. The things that you are doing now are not going to be right forever.  

My advice to young dentists is to be open to new processes and new materials even if you have a predictable way of doing things now. Learning and adapting makes dentistry incredibly fun. Even in my 60’s I am always learning something new—like the digital 3D world of dentistry. I haven’t been this excited about dentistry ever. 

Starting out as a new dentist wasn’t easy for me. I wanted to be known for something in my community. I wanted to be known as the dentist who solved problems that other dentists couldn’t. The first thing I needed was courage to put myself out there and do whatever I needed to do.  

The second thing I needed was training, mentoring, and experience. I went to The Pankey Institute and Dawson Academy. I took all their courses. I took a veneer class with Bill Dickerson back in the day. I listened to Ross Nash and Larry Rosenbaum. At the turn of the millennium, I was trying to take the traditional occlusal information and blend it with the hottest cosmetic information at the time. (Those concepts were diametrically opposed back then. It was blasphemy to put them together.) I prevailed and became better at solving functional problems and improving aesthetics at the same time. Today, dentists do this all the time. 

I and all my colleagues coming up over the last 30 years have had to be open to change. We’ve had to try new things and work at mastering them. I don’t think I am doing anything today in the same way I was trained in dental school.  

My message in this blog is that it’s important to evolve as a dentist to stay enthusiastic about what you do and to provide the best care you can. It’s common for maturing dentists to let go of certain procedures and focus on what they enjoy most and develop specific expertise in niche services. It’s also common for other maturing dentists to continue enjoying general dentistry half of their time and focusing on complex cases the other half.  

Enjoy the relationships you build and take pride in improving your restorative work as you need to redo it. Patients are wowed by what you can do now and how you do it compared to how you did it years ago. They love learning about the advances in dentistry that benefit them.  

The relational part of practice will always be rewarding. Being able to choose what you do and who you do it with will always be wonderful. Passion for what you do is fueled by learning, so keep setting goals to learn something new and be open to that learning changing you. 

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John Cranham, DDS

Dr. John Cranham practices in Chesapeake, Virginia focusing on esthetic dentistry, implant dentistry, occlusal reconstruction, TMJ/Facial Pain and solving complex problems with an interdisciplinary focus. He practices with his daughter Kaitlyn, who finished dental school in 2020. He is an honors graduate of The Medical College of Virginia in 1988. He served the school as a part time clinical instructor from 1991-1998 earning the student given part time faculty of the year twice during his stint at the university. After studying form the greats in occlusion (Pete Dawson & The Pankey Institute) and Cosmetic Dentistry (Nash, Dickerson, Hornbrook, Rosental, Spear, Kois) during the 1990’s, Dr. Cranham created a lecture in 1997 called The Cosmetic Occlusal Connection. This one day lecture kept him very busy presenting his workflows on these seemingly diametrically opposed ideas. In 2001 he created Cranham Dental Seminars which provided, both lecture, and intensive hands on opportunities to learn. In 2004 he began lecturing at the The Dawson Academy with his mentor Pete Dawson, which led to the merging of Cranham Dental Seminars with The Dawson Academy in 2007. He became a 1/3 partner and its acting Clinical Director and that held that position until September of 2020. His responsibilities included the standardization of the content & faculty within The Academy, teaching the Lecture Classes all over the world, overseeing the core curriculum, as well as constantly evolving the curriculum to stay up to pace with the ever evolving world of Dentistry. During his 25 years as an educator, he became one of the most sought after speakers in dentistry. To date he has presented over 1650 full days of continuing education all over the world. Today he has partnered with Lee Culp CDT, and their focus is on integrating sound occlusal, esthetic, and sound restorative principles into efficient digital workflows, and ultimately coaching doctors on how to integrate them into their practices. He does this under the new umbrella Cranham Culp Digital Dental. Dr. Cranham has published numerous articles on restorative dentistry and in 2018 released a book The Complete Dentist he co-authored with Pete Dawson. In 2011 He along with Dr. Drew Cobb created The Dawson Diagnostic Wizard treatment planning software that today it is known as the Smile Wizard. Additionally, He has served as a key opinion leader and on advisory boards with numerous dental companies. In 2020 he published a book entitled “The Cornell Effect-A Families Journey Toward Happiness, Fulfillment and Peace”. It is an up from the ashes story about his adopted son, who overcame incredible odds, and ultimately inspired the entire family to be better. In November of 2021 it climbed to #5 on the Amazon best seller list in its category. Of all the things he has done, he believes getting this story down on paper is having the greatest impact.

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Values In Transition 

June 19, 2024 Edwin "Mac" McDonald DDS

By Edwin “Mac” McDonald DDS  

Change isn’t just about external circumstances; it’s also an inner evolution. We go on a transformative journey, and our reflections as we go touch upon our intention and legacy, our personal identity amidst the change, and decisions we make as the change unfolds.  

Challenge 1: Intention and Legacy 

When facing change, having a clear intention is like setting the compass for your journey. What legacy do you aspire to leave behind? Aligning your actions with your deeply held beliefs ensures congruence between your intentions and outcomes. But stress may cause you to move away from your most deeply held beliefs. I’ve witnessed this happen, just as I’ve witnessed deeply held beliefs guide what happens. 

Challenge 2: Personal Identity Amidst Change 

The question “Who do I want to be during this transition?” is profound. It invites introspection. Consider how you want to show up for yourself and those around you, especially those who are most important to you. Authenticity matters. 

Challenge 3: Listening and Accountability 

Change often involves decisions. Whose voices matter? Listening deeply to trusted individuals—those who respect and understand you—can provide valuable perspectives. Forming a leadership team of diverse viewpoints helps guide you toward success. 

The Importance of Values During Dental Practice Mergers and Acquisitions 

Many private dental practices are being acquired by large partnerships in 2024. These transitions have tons of potential and profit associated with them. Associated with these transitions are complex changes for the practice owner and team members…expanded ownership, more complex organizational structure, new operational systems, and a distancing of some decision making. They also come with the unknown of who will be your future partners after the next sale of the organization. Are you prepared for all of that?  

Preparing yourself and your team is essential. On the front end, asking every possible question including questions about the partnership’s core values, how they are integrated into the day-to-day operations, and communicating the importance of that to you and your team is essential to long term success. These questions and expressions are an attempt to examine the congruence and compatibility between you, your team, and your new partners. 

I am witnessing several friends transition successfully to one of these new partnerships. The common factor I observe is that each dentist has great self-awareness and received very strong assurance that they would retain autonomy to continue to practice according to the most deeply rooted values. I also observed that the large partnership was very stable with excellent systems and had high quality leadership.  

My father often told me: “The person that you have an agreement with is more important than the agreement itself.” In other words, a person of strong character will find a way to honor the intent of the agreement regardless of the specific circumstances of the moment. Values have longevity. Circumstances come and go. 

I have also witnessed an abandonment of strongly held values as an organization was going through the painful changes of decline. In abandoning their values, stakeholders were hurt and distanced themselves. It intensified and accelerated the decline. Values matter. Character counts. Clinging to our core values in times of change or decline will increase and accelerate recovery. There are countless Fortune 500 case studies to support this idea. 

Another Example of Values in Transition from My Life 

Finally, I want to leave you with a case study from my church, The Village Church. We had become a multi-site church in response to the demand of many people attending our main campus. As it grew, our leadership became painfully aware that it was not fulfilling our mission and it was not consistent with our closely held values of community and individual relationships. Over a period of several years, each church was given the opportunity to vote on becoming independent. They all voted around 95% in favor of the change. We gave away around 40 million dollars of real estate, equipment, furniture, and other assets to all of the churches.  

Today, the new independent churches are thriving as is our main campus where we attend. The decision was in conflict with everything that is happening in our business and church worlds where there is constant consolidation and scaling. However, the decision was consistent with the values that drive the purpose of the church. The change created multiple thriving churches that are serving their specific communities and growing people and their impact on our world. 

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About Author

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Edwin "Mac" McDonald DDS

Dr. Edwin A. McDonald III received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Economics from Midwestern State University. He earned his DDS degree from the University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston. Dr. McDonald has completed extensive training in dental implant dentistry through the University of Florida Center for Implant Dentistry. He has also completed extensive aesthetic dentistry training through various programs including the Seattle Institute, The Pankey Institute and Spear Education. Mac is a general dentist in Plano Texas. His practice is focused on esthetic and restorative dentistry. He is a visiting faculty member at the Pankey Institute. Mac also lectures at meetings around the country and has been very active with both the Dallas County Dental Association and the Texas Dental Association. Currently, he is a student in the Naveen Jindal School of Business at the University of Texas at Dallas pursuing a graduate certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching. With Dr. Joel Small, he is co-founder of Line of Sight Coaching, dedicated to helping healthcare professionals develop leadership and coaching skills that improve the effectiveness, morale and productivity of their teams.

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Dental Sleep Medicine in Restorative Practice Part 9: Marketing Dental Sleep Medicine 

February 28, 2024 Todd Sander, DMD

Dental Sleep Medicine in Restorative Practice Part 9: Marketing Dental Sleep Medicine 

By Todd Sander DDS 

How do you start reaching out to physicians and other providers to build a dental sleep medicine practice? Start with the ones you know. Start with your own personal physician and start a conversation. If your dental patient is on CPAP, get permission to converse with their doctor. I spend time contacting many primary care doctors and find they are the ones who know patients are non-compliant with their CPAP therapy. They help me get patients re-evaluated by a sleep specialist. 

This may not be true in your community, but in Charleston, SC, where I practice, many primary care doctors don’t know what to do with their non-compliant CPAP patients. They are thrilled to have someone to refer them to try alternative therapy. 

Years ago, I reached out to sleep testing centers to communicate my services. Both independent sleep labs and hospital-based sleep labs have been great sources of referrals. For many years, I was the dental advisor to a sleep lab. A great conversation starter with sleep physicians, is the potential of combining CPAP and an oral appliance. This often allows the CPAP air pressure to be turned down so their patients be more comfortable and compliant. 

When you screen your dental patients for airway issues such as sleep apnea and snoring, the next step is referring your patients with issues for a sleep study. When the patient discusses their symptoms with their primary care physician or a sleep physician, you are mentioned and often documented as making the referral. Over time, physicians come to know you as a go-to provider of dental sleep appliance therapy. This process is sped up when you take the time and initiative to contact your patient’s primary care physician with your patient’s permission. You can guide physicians and remind them of the recommended standards-of-care, including appliance therapy in place of or in combination with CPAP therapy. 

Some patients self-refer to me, as friends and family talk about their experiences in my office, but I am not spending money on digital advertising to bring in dental sleep medicine patients. Mostly, they are referred to me by physicians, dentists, and other patients.  This is the same for my dental practice. 

As mentioned in a previous part of this series, our hygienists have attended dental sleep medicine courses with me and screen for airway issues. They adeptly educate and guide patients who have signs and symptoms to schedule an examination and consultation with me. 

Note: When patients are referred to me for dental sleep medicine, I never encourage them to become dental patients in our practice. This is a choice they might make but I am extremely careful to refer patients referred by a dentist back to their referring dentist for all dental needs. I am an adjunct to help other dentists’ patients fulfill a prescription for a dental appliance. 

If a patient comes in for sleep-disordered breathing but is also experiencing facial pain or TMD, I understand that this patient’s two issues are likely connected and I will not be able to successfully treat one without treating the other. This is an opportunity to communicate in depth with the referring dentists and let them know I plan to treat the patient for both issues simultaneously. This has been easier for me to do because I have had years of experience in treating facial pain and TMD issues in my dental practice, as well as sleep apnea and snoring. 

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Todd Sander, DMD

Dr. Todd Sander is a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the School of Dentistry at Temple University, and a one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency with the US Army at Fort Jackson, SC. He completed three years of active duty with the US Army Dental Corps and served in Iraq for 11 months. Dr. Sander completed more than 500 hours of postgraduate training at the Pankey Institute for Advance Dental Education and is one of only three dentists in the Charleston area to hold such a distinction. Dr. Sander is also affiliated with the American Dental Association, South Carolina Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of General Dentistry, and American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Areas of special interest include: TMJ disorders; advanced dental technology; cosmetic dentistry; full mouth reconstruction; sleep apnea /snoring therapy; Invisalign orthodontics.

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