When I think of my career years ago and compare it with how everything has changed since joining AADOM, I’m reminded of the saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” As office manager at Kerr Endodontics for 22 years, I really thought I had all the answers, but at my first AADOM conference, I learned so much that I wondered if I actually knew anything before! Shortly after I returned, our entire team was benefiting from what I learned and saw at the event. AADOM is all about building a team culture that will make the practice better and more profitable.
The Specialty Difference
Kerr Endodontics is a specialty practice as well as a one-doctor operation, and my team has to be trained at a very high level because we often see nervous, apprehensive patients who will return to their general dentists after seeing us. Most people don’t realize that our practice relies on referrals from general practices—it's our bread and butter! Our rule of thumb is simple: while patients may walk in unhappy, we want every one of them walking out with a smile.
The AADOM Annual Conference, which offers education and networking opportunities for dental practice management professionals at every stage of their careers, gave me the chance to meet office managers from other endo practices across the country who share the exact same issues I face every day. It's invaluable to form friendships with people who do what I do, and I’ve found the most helpful courses to be in marketing and financials. These are the 2 most critical areas to our bottom line. Our billing needs to be perfect, and we need general practices to refer their patients to us, which is where marketing comes in. Conference vendors have allowed me to sample the newest technologies. In fact, we’ve implemented CareCredit and the Rectangle Health practice management system as a direct result of meeting company reps at the AADOM Annual Conference.
A Well-Oiled Dental Team
AADOM has taught me that my dental team is everything. We can have the best clinician doing the best root canals ever, but if the team isn’t working full circle around that clinician in every aspect—from the customer experience to the financials and everything in between—then it’s all for nothing. Luckily, AADOM has given me the tools to ensure we have a well-functioning team.
