Dental excellence is something every dentist will SAY is a goal, but too many have no idea what it really means or what it will take to achieve it. This conversation with Dr. Eric Ballou explores the pursuit of the very best work we can do, as a dentist, as a caring professional in the lives of our patients, and as a great leader to the teams who work alongside us in our offices. You’re going to hear some of the approaches T-Bone has learned in all of those areas - as well as a good deal of conversation about how to improve the “sale” of sleep apnea treatment both with and without the help of a sleep apnea physician. You’re going to get a lot out of this one, so be sure you listen. The incredible benefits of 3d imaging technology. T-bone is fond of saying, “X-rays are lying to us.” It’s not because X-rays themselves are inherently flawed, it’s just that with the advent of 3D imaging there is so much more information available to properly and effectively treat all kinds of dental problems. In this conversation, you’ll get to hear from 3 Dentists who use 3D imaging. Each of them has their own particular love for the technology but in the end, you’re going to realize this is a group of Docs who are entirely enthusiastic about the changes the tech is making to how they approach treatment, and their bottom line. You won’t believe it until you hear it. Simple steps to increase your ability to treat sleep apnea in your dental practice. Most dentists are aware of their ability to treat sleep apnea, but the hoops it appears you have to jump through in order to do it are a bit intimidating to many. But it doesn’t have to be that way. On this episode of T-bone Speaks, T-bone addresses the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea from a dental perspective and gives dentists a handful of tips for beginning, leading, and ending the conversation in a way that will make your sleep apnea treatment more profitable. You’ll want to hear this one. The pursuit of dental excellence requires that you be conscious of the human side of the business. When you think of what it takes for your average patient to make it to their dental appointments you’ll realize that it’s not as simple as showing up on time. That’s especially true if you’re talking about children who are patients. Your patients have to take off work, rearrange their schedules, arrange for babysitters, and much more. When you are mindful of those kinds of things, you’re taking into account the very real things your patients have to deal with in order to take care of their health - and you can make the processes they need to follow inside the walls of your office more conducive to their personal concerns as well. This episode’s conversation covers that topic and a whole lot more, so make sure you listen. What are your bold goals as a dentist? When you pursue excellence in your practice, don’t forget about setting goals that have to do with what you are trying to accomplish in your own life. Where do you want to be in 5 years? What will it take to get there? Do you even think about your practice in those terms? You should. In this conversation, T-bone makes a very hard but powerful challenge to you and offers advice for how you can be honest about your personal goals with your office team in a way that will fuel your goals and theirs at the same time. This section alone is worth the time it will take you to listen. Outline of This Episode [0:15] Today’s recording studio: The kids’ bedroom! [0:55] Introduction of Dr. Eric Ballou and his background in dentistry. [9:07] Erin’s entrance introduction to 3d imaging technology. [15:25] Sleep apnea issues and specialization. [18:40] How T-bone and Erin met. [20:06] The mistakes Eric made trying to implement procedures around sleep issues. [28:58] The 4 step process when dealing with sleep apnea patients. [33:10] Getting past the myths dentists are lead to believe regarding sleep apnea. [42:00] Learning