today ADX Sydney 2014

science & practice8 ADX14 Sydney tients. I still take home $450,000 to $500,000 per year as a passive income and it feels great. The greatest surprise of the managementprogrammewasthat I learned to communicate better. This skill enabled me to develop deeper relationships with my pa- tients, my staff and my family. The skills I learned are true life skills. I truly thought I was already an ex- cellent communicator, but I had a great deal to learn. I learnt the art of listening, something I had for- gotten years ago. I had so much knowledge I thought I needed to use every opportunity; I had to im- part this valuable information to my patients. It is amazing how much better my relationships have become now that I know how to listen. I thoroughly encourage youtotryit.Insteadofsolvingyour patients’ problems immediately, listen to them. Show you under- stand and care, and you will be amazed at their responses. I learned all this through a compre- hensive examination process, my caseacceptanceratesskyrocketed and I was able to perform the type of dentistry I wanted to do. Life be- came so much less stressful. Well, those are the good bits. What is the downside of joining a management programme? Well, firstly, such programmes appear to be costly. Most are around A$3,500 per month. I looked at this as being less than two crowns a month. I personally began doing more than two crowns a day after a year in the programme. I had no idea how I was going to meet the monthlypaymentsatfirstandthis had prevented me starting. In all honesty, once the programme had begun, I increased my production immediately and I never thought about the monthly fee again. If the programme is not making money for you and you are doing all you have been asked to do, then it is not right for you to continue. Most programmes will allow you to dropoutifthisisthecase,butIcan honestly say that if you complete the required work there is always improvement in your bottom line. Secondly, it takes time and hard work. Eventually, you will have more time to do what you want but at first you need to make changes that require your atten- tionandeffort.Thefirstsixtonine months in particular are a time that you will feel like pulling your hair out on more than one occa- sion. It does get better; you just have to give it a chance. The final challenging aspect, which got me out of my comfort zone, was the verbal skills I was taught. I struggled with some of the statements I was supposed to use. One day I just gave up and startedsayingthesamethingsbut in my own words and it was so muchbetter.InAustralia,weneed much more of an Australian spin to the things we say to patients. I always say the verbal skills are the recipe, but you need to add your own ingredients to make it comfortable and yours. As Aussies, we do not like anything that sounds fake or non-genuine and we can detect it from miles away. It is important that the con- versations you have with people aregenuineandnotforcedorfake. Therearemanyothergreatrea- sons that make joining a manage- ment programme a good idea. Of- ten, as dentists who practise on our own, we can feel quite iso- lated. Unless you have friends from university with whom you keep in touch or you are involved in other dental groups, you may never socialise with other profes- sionals who face the same issues you do. It is amazing how even dentists in the same suburb can become friends and genuinely help each other with support, ideas and companionship, and in doing so share their knowledge and grow their businesses. The community spirit and opportu- nity to talk about difficult cases, patientsandstaffcanallhelpease the burden we all endure in being a practice owner. Why spend your time trying to reinvent the wheel when there are companies out therethathavedoneitandproved it works in practices all over the world? I must reveal that I have a bias towards Momentum Manage- ment. I found the programme so life-changing for me, I had to be part of it and help others to expe- riencethesame.Withmyownsuc- cessful practice practically run- ning itself, I now also had the time and financial means to purchase Momentum and continue the great work it has done for over 13 years. And yes, I can now use the famoustagline“Iloveditsomuch, I bought the company!”. A Dental Science graduate of the University of Melbourne, Dr Toni Surace is a principal dentist and the Managing Director of Mo- mentum Management in Mel- bourne.ThisFriday,shewillbelec- turing on the importance of mar- keting in dental practice as part of the ADX14 continuing profes- sional development programme. www.idem-singapore.com THE BUSINESS OF DENTISTRY Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Andrea Berghoff Tel: +65 6500 6706 a.berghoff@koelnmesse.com.sg IDEM Singapore offers an unrivalled opportunity to reach out to the dental fraternity in the Asia-Pacific region. With a powerful combination of an extensive international trade exhibition and a world-class scientific conference, IDEM Singapore has been a cornerstone event in the dental community calendar since 2000. It is a “must-attend” for dental practitioners and professionals in the Asia-Pacific looking for the latest cutting edge technology and innovations in dental solutions and services. ONE-STOP SHOPPING AND BUSINESS NETWORKING With more than 450 exhibitors from over 36 countries in one location - See, learn and shop for the latest and best deals in dental technology at IDEM Singapore 2014. For the traders and distribution houses, IDEM Singapore 2014 will also feature many new exhibitors globally, using this exhibition as a platform to seek distributors in Asia. Meet dental professionals from all over the Asia-Pacific region. Establish contacts, exchange ideas and socialise with colleagues both familiar and new from the regional dental fraternity. For a full list of exhibitors, please visit our website. Register online to visit the trade exhibition for free. A CONTINUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT IS TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS In four power-packed days of lectures and workshops, IDEM Singapore 2014 caters to Dentists and the rest of the dental team, including Dental Technicians, Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists. A diverse range of topics and educational sessions will be presented, so you can tailor a valuable program that is relevant to your needs. Planned Topics Include: Regenerative Endodontics • Making “Real World” Practice Productive and Enjoyable • Future of Dental Implants • Developing your Ideal Practice • Multidisciplinary Approach to Periodontal Therapy • Adult Orthodontics Today Featured Speakers: #NewDentist Forum Aside from the main scientific conference, dentists within 7 years of graduating with a dental degree and final year dental students will enjoy two unique and exclusive sessions to provide them with the foundation for success in the early stages of their career. Dental Technician Forum This 2-day dedicated program includes groundbreaking lectures from the industry’s key opinion leaders, focused entirely on the latest advances in the dental laboratory. Dental Hygienist and Dental Therapist Forum Dental Therapists & Dental Hygienists from the region will have the opportunity to learn about new developments in their field, to meet and network with fellow colleagues. APRIL 4 - 6, 2014 Pre-Congress Day: April 3, 2014 For list of speakers and their topics, visit www.idem-singapore.com Singapore Dental Association Co-organizerHeld InEndorsed By In Co-operation WithSupported By REGISTER ONLINE NOW! Enjoy free entry to the Trade Fair & Conference Early Bird rates Gordon J. Christensen Founder and Director of Practical Clinical Courses (PCC) and Chief Executive Officer of Clinicians Report Foundation (CR) Ken Hargreaves Professor and Chair of Endodontics, University of Texas Health Science Center, USA Derrick Setchell Hon. Professor of UCL and Hon. Consultant, Eastman Dental Hospital, UK AD page 6