AIM, AIM, AIM, SHOOT!

Jason Tierney, COO of DS3

I used to play basketball. That was seemingly a lifetime ago. I remember one game, down by 1 point with just seconds to go. The ball was inbounded. Our crowd was cheering while theirs was jeering with deafening ferocity. I was a fairly adept 3 point shooter but not very strong in the paint. The ball was passed to me near the foul line with NO ONE within 6 feet of me. I received the rock, looked to the basket, and dribbled the ball. Seconds crept by in a timeline that seemed like hours while I fixed my gaze on the net. Then, the buzzer shattered my concentration with the ball still in my hands. We lost the game. I failed. My emphasis on taking the perfect shot eliminated the opportunity to take ANY shot.

So why am I regaling you with 30 year old tales of basketball failings?

What could this possibly have to do with dental sleep medicine (DSM)?

I speak with dentists interested in DSM every day. They always want to help patients, increase their career satisfaction, and generate more production. However, they aren’t all ready to take the shot. Too often, they procrastinate, waiting for some ever-elusive prime time to implement. They don’t want to treat any patients until they’ve received their Medicare number. They don’t want to get their Medicare number until they’ve treated some nebulous number of patients to warrant getting credentialed. The number of dentists I’ve spoken with that have attended 50+ hours of DSM CE without having ever treated a patient is mind-boggling.

Aim, aim, aim, THE BUZZER SOUNDS. Opportunity lost. Game over. You lose, the team loses, your patient loses.

What’s the alternative? Yes, you have to get educated. Yes, you have to have systems in place. Screen your patients, implement best practices, and start treating your team, their family members, your friends. There will never be a perfect team, the perfect time, the perfect patient, or the perfect shot. The buzzer is always ticking and there are always defenders. Shoot the ball.