I am proud to announce, Marie O'Neill RDH, has joined the team of The Money Doctors LLC. Marie and I have worked together for the last 16 years. Her hygiene systems with my patient treatment commitment systems are a winning combination. She truly understands how important it is to increase the patient's awareness of their dental healthcare. Specific dialoguing is used between her, the patient, the dentist and the treatment coordinator/financial coordinator. She is not a cleaning lady, she is a healthcare provider. Read Marie's credentials on our web site. We welcome Marie O'Neill as our hygiene consultant.

Many of the dentists I consult with share a common bond of living a life of unfulfillment. Their practice is not measuring up to what they thought it would be. They take very few days off in a year resulting in a lack of motivation and potential burn out. They love dentistry but are losing the drive to come to work. My 5 tips for living a life of fulfillment will offer you a different perspective and hopefully a different life.

Tip #1. Never ever give up. Winston Churchill's immortal words have stuck with me my whole life. Sometimes I have to step away from a project or situation to rethink, regroup or seek out a professional in the area I'm working on to help me but I come back with a determination to get it done. Never ever give up!!

Tip #2. Know what matters in your life. What is your purpose in life? If you do not know then sit down and jot down all the things you would like to do before you die. Does this include giving back to others? In what way? How would you implement that? When would you be willing to get started?

Tip #3. Be grateful. Look around you. Take an inventory of all the people and things you have in your life that bring you that attitude of gratitude. Breath in how that makes you feel and then hold on to that moment. Even if bills are piling up and staff is challenging remember what you have and who you are.

Tip #4 Stop procrastination. If you have a life of unfulfillment then you are not taking care of an unpleasantness in your practice or life. The challenge may seem to overwhelming or the task too hard. Then do something about it. Create an action plan. What one thing can you do today that would make a difference in your life right now. What resources do you need to get that task done? Then do it. If you are still stuck then it is time to call in a professional. Everyone needs help at some point in the life. Sometimes several times. Successful fulfilled individuals know when it is time to reach out. This could be a sales pitch opportunity for me right now but that is not the point of this article. Just reach out to someone who knows their stuff. Get moving forward today. I want you to succeed.

Tip #5 Surround yourself with people who genuinely care about your success. You can not go wrong with a loving supportive group of family and friends. Also it is vital to your success that you surround yourself with a loyal non toxic team. A team the truly supports your dreams.

As you move toward the light of fulfillment remember these five tips:

1. Never ever give up!!!!
2. Know what matters in your life.
3. Be grateful.
4. Stop procrastination.
5. Surround yourself with people who genuinely care about your success.

I recommend using a finance company like Capital One Healthcare or Wells Fargo Financial. They both offer zero percent programs. The Capital One Healthcare program accepts a larger range of patients who have had credit problems in the past. It is vitally important to have a frank discussion with your patient about their credit if they want to use this as their means to pay their dental bill.

It is not an easy conversation for most dental staff. However, it can be. Going into the conversation with the genuine attitude that you are there to help changes the perspective for the staff member. A simple question behind closed doors could be, " Mr. Smith I need to gather a little information before we start the financing process. In short, how is your credit? This let's me know which company would best suit your needs. I don't like to have a patient's credit checked more than once if at all possible. And never more than twice. I want to support your credit score that you have worked so hard to obtain."

Okay, now the patient has told you their credit score is about 625. I recommend using Capital One Healthcare Finance as long as the patient has not had a bankruptcy in the last two years and they have been paying their bills on time. If they have outstanding credit card bills that they have not paid, the chances they would qualify are slim. If they recently had a car repossessed you can count on they will not qualify for credit. So, don't even bother checking it unless the patient is insistent. After all, you really do want to support their rebuilding their credit score.

Most of us know that checking a credit history more than twice in the same month will bring their credit score down. Ask them if they have had their credit checked in the last 6 months and when. How many times? Being a good steward of your patient's credit score is a responsibility we should all take seriously. I know some of you will say, it is not our fault they have not been good stewards of their own credit why should we bother. Well, quite frankly, because I care.

If the patient is unable to qualify ask them if there is someone who could apply for them. According to my sources at Capital One Healthcare Finance and Wells Fargo Financial that is all okay now. It didn't use to be as of early last year, but they assure me it is now. Plus, I have used this system favorably several times. I totally disclose to the lender what we are doing and it has assisted the patient in getting their dental needs and wants met.

In my on site trainings or One Day Boot Camps one part of the training is role playing. Staff have found this to be invaluable as I coach them using their strengths to bring out that genuine dialog they will use for their patients. If you have found this information helpful pass it on to a friend. Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter. If you have a specific question for me, email me from my web site on the Contact page with your questions. I would be happy to answer them. I would also like to use those questions, without your name of course, for others to learn from. Have a great summer!!!