The Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Dental Practice
During our examination and planning process we ask you to think and feel what is most important to you regarding your dental and physical health. We want to help you design preventive and corrective treatment that is consistent with YOUR needs, wants, values and goals.

Being Proactive means taking action consistent with your beliefs, values and goals. Since 90% of all dental disease is preventable, once you know the causes of decay and gum disease, you will be able to take much more PROACTIVE actions to prevent future disease and problems with your oral health.

Habit Number 2: Begin with the End in Mind

In 30 years of practicing dentistry, I have noted that the majority of new patients coming into my practice do not have a plan. They do not know the state of their existing condition and less than 1% have ever created long-term plans for their future dental health.

Begin with the End in Mind means just what it says. By first setting reasonable objectives of just what you want from dentistry, together we can plan a future for you rather than just letting things happen by accident.

By knowing what you want and where you want to be, I am in a much better position to help you get there. This enables you to be far more in control of your dental future than you might realize.

Habit Number 3: Prioritize

Once we know what you want and have created a preventive and corrective plan to help you get there, then all the time we spend together will be organized and prioritized according to your GOALS and OBJECTIVES. You will find that with this approach, there is little or no wasted time. All appointments are planned and all our time together is much more effective.

With good planning and sound treatment, there is no waiting and our entire time together is more predictable and fun.

Every procedure in our office is designed primarily for you. Unless we can both walk away from our relationship feeling good about the time, effort, and energy we have put into it, then one of us has lost. Then it’s no fun. It is a waste of time and money.

If we work together to create worthwhile goals for you, the whole process becomes worthwhile.

These are not idle words. If I don’t believe we can create a WIN-WIN relationship, I opt for the second choice and that is no deal. I would suggest you approach our relationship in the same manner.

My practice is primarily oriented to produce the RESULTS YOU WANT. We have to determine what those are and then guide all of our time together to achieve these worthwhile objectives.

Habit Number 5: Seek to Understand, then to be Understood

If I truly believe this principle, then I must really listen to you with no pre-judgment. I must be open to you and care about your point of view. I cannot and will not try to manipulate you. I cannot and will not care more for your teeth and your oral and general health than you do.

But since I believe each individual person has INFINITE WORTH, I will always try to respect your point of view and attempt to design corrective treatment that will meet your goals and objectives.

What I have experienced is that it does take some time to really get to know people. In our culture it has been quicker and easier to just pre-judge and then complete corrective treatment as fast as possible.

I want to take a little extra time to be sure that I have fully listened to you and understand what beliefs, values and desires you have. In that way our relationship will be worthwhile as I will be able to help you achieve the objectives you want.

Habit Number 6: Synergize

The benefits of synergistic relationships are many. The majority of problems we have in life regard getting along with other people.

In spite of landing on the moon, people in our culture have still not learned to get along on a day-to-day basis. Lack of understanding, lack of trust, lack of appreciation for each other leads to tremendous STRESS and MISUNDERSTANDINGS in relationships.

Since life is a process (and a short one at that), I intend to enjoy the process, and my practice is a big part of my life. I love my profession and I want to know and enjoy the patients I serve.

I have found that when I have a relationship of reciprocal trust and concern with my patients that everything goes better. We appreciate each other more. The quality of our time together is better. Even the quality of the dentistry I produce is better. Everything works better when there is synergy.

Habit Number 7: Sharpen the Saw

I have spent over 3,000 hours in continuing education since graduation from the University of California in 1974.

Each and every year I take a minimum of 100 hours of continuing education in my specialized field. I do this for my patients, but I must tell you that I primarily do it for me.

I do it because I love dentistry and I enjoy getting better and better at my chosen profession. I do it also because the half-life of dental knowledge is about five years. It is essential to keep up. Whether I practice 5 hours a week or 50, I have the same responsibility to myself and to my patients.

Yes, Dr. Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People fit directly with a high quality dental practice and they help me articulate to you the essence of my practice philosophy in a way we can both understand.