Blog

by Dr. Scott Drucker, DMD

I’ve spent much of the past three years building Supply Clinic from inception forward. In the same time period, I’ve finished periodontics residency and now practice part-time at a general dental practice in Chicagoland. My experiences give me a unique perspective into both worlds, and there’s so much more crossover than initially meets the eye. Both involve using multiple skillsets to lead a group of people, build a functional company, and make people happy.

Below are 5 lessons I’ve learned from starting a company, that are equally important to learn in order to run an effective dental practice:

All too often, the noise from the dental drill elicits a visceral reaction from our patients. A cringe, a grimace- we all notice it. But as dental professionals, we aren’t the least bit phased by the noise. The noxious sound is so commonplace, it’s almost as though we don’t even hear it.

Soon after entering a private practice setting, Boston-based periodontist Dr. Sam Shamardi became painfully aware of just how much dental professionals endure, and it wasn’t just the drills. “We are bombarded with noise from all directions- we’ve got handpieces, ultrasonic instruments, high speed suctions, lab trimmers, air blasters, the radio, T.V. And, of course, people are talking.”

By Jacob Drucker

These are exciting times for dentistry. We’re witnessing a series of major shifts in the dental space today. I’ve already written about some technology shifts that are already changing the face of care. Equally important, though, are the individuals and offices providing that care, and their demographic and structural shifts. The old image of a dentist- an elderly white male who owns his own small practice- is rapidly being replaced by a model that’s simultaneously more diverse and more consolidated...

A few weeks ago, I attended the annual Oregon Dental Conference in Portland. One of the most interesting topics discussed at the conference is the impact of marijuana (cannabis), its active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD), in the medical and dental industries.

As many in healthcare may know already, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance, and according to the Drug Enforcement Administration, "has no currently accepted medical use." However, in the last few years...

New technology has reached every facet of our lives, from the way we make our coffee in the morning to how we consume the news late at night. We don’t watch TV the way we did twenty years ago. We don’t listen to music the way we did even a decade ago. And we don’t even use transportation the way we did five years ago. And in so many ways, the office, even the dental office, is getting its makeover, too.