There are More Than Enough Patients to Treat
by Jason Tierney, COO of DS3
“I’d like to get into dental sleep but there’s already a guy in my town that everyone goes to.”
“There’s another dentist in my town doing this. Do you think there are even enough patients?”
If I had a dollar for each time I’ve heard some version of these comments, I could buy something that costs around 200 bucks. When discussing Dental Sleep Medicine with someone interested in or new to the field, they possess a strong desire to be a part of it for the right reasons. They want to help people, to feel good about what they’re doing, and lastly, they want to make money. Then, as they begin to explore the opportunity, they realize there’s a resident guru in town which causes some trepidation. To that, I say, “SO WHAT?!?”
It is estimated that 20% of adults in the U.S. suffers from OSA. For the math addled readers, that’s 1 in 5. Los Angeles county has an adult population of ~8 million. Statistically, that equates to about 1.6 million apneics. St. Louis, MO has a smaller population of around 240k. 20% prevalence = 48,000 apneics. People need your help.
I know what you’re thinking, ”but Jason, I live in a small town and there’s already someone here and everyone goes to her.” Where do you live? You live in Lacrosse, WI with an adult population of approximately 100,000? That’s 20,000 potential patients. She sees them all? Really? She could have 6 arms, be quadruple booked 7 days per week with 2 associates and not even scratch the surface.
My colleague, Dr. Gy Yatros has essentially created his own competition by training more than 30 dentists in a 50 mile radius. He is certainly regarded as one of the so-called gurus in his area. He’s also acutely aware that OSA is an epidemic and that the more trained clinicians available to treat the disease, the better off we’ll be as a society. Remember this when considering if you should get involved. And if you’re a guru reading this, drop the protectionist posturing. Help your colleagues. Share your knowledge and experience. It will benefit the profession and improve your community. People need your help.
Also, what about your 1,000 active adult patients? They aren’t going to see someone else; to see the guru. They are coming to you. They trust you. That’s 200 people that you’re not helping, but you can change that. Get a dental sleep education. Implement a system for screening, testing, treating, and billing. Be the change. Don’t wait for someone else to do it. Be the change in your community. In your patients’ lives. In your own life. Make it happen.
