I recently had the honor of being interviewed by Dr.BiCuspid.com for its Leaders in Dentistry series. In a wide-ranging discussion, Editor-In-Chief Kathy Kincade asked me a variety of questions about the current state of dentistry in the post-recession economy.

Here are a few highlights:

On The Impact Of The Recession

We are a permanently changed profession in my opinion. Consumers have developed new habits and behaviors in terms of decision-making. The consumer purchasing psychology has changed, with longer decision-making times.

What Can Dentists Do To Spur Growth

The first step is to do a practice analysis. Too many dentists make knee-jerk changes without really understanding their situation. Before making any significant change, you need to analyze the practice itself. Analysis is all about comparison and identifying opportunities.

The Future Of Dentistry

I believe that any practice that implements proven business systems will have 30% to 50% growth potential in one to three years. We see it here all the time, with every type of practice, so we know it can be done. So I am very optimistic about the future of dentistry. The only difference is you are going to have to run an excellent business. Dentistry has always been focused on excellent care, but now we also have to run an excellent business.

To read the full interview, go here.