Elevation and differentiation
When Alistair Graham, an experienced implant dentist, came across DSD he had been looking to take a big step in his professional development. "I had a very clear vision of where I wanted to go and I needed to surround myself with new mentors and the best minds,” he explains. It was after hearing Christian Coachman speak at a dental event that something switched for him. “I looked into DSD and realized what it was. And that's when I jumped," he continues.
Something that struck him about DSD right from the beginning was that the concepts and workflows go far beyond actual dentistry.
He became aware that pursuing this path would give him something “better than just a brass plaque on the door.”
Since becoming a certified DSD Clinic, the impact has been significant. "Our net income has increased year-on-year,” since we became a DSD clinic,” he says, adding that the type of dentistry he does now has shifted from “day-to-day drill and fill to doing complex interdisciplinary cases.”
He mentions that he and the team felt pride in meeting the stringent requirements to qualify to be a DSD Clinic and how that became an important differentiator for their clinic. Alistair attributes his enthusiasm and passion for DSD to the team’s adoption of the workflows.
“For us, becoming a DSD Clinic was the starting point. The daily implementation required consistent effort and teamwork,” he explains, adding that the payoffs were noticeable. “As a team our confidence began to grow in implementing comprehensive digital care and our patient communication skills,” he says.
“Clinically it has pushed me forward and made me a better dentist. From a business perspective it has made me a better clinic owner,” he continues.
Another factor that has been a game-changer for Alistair and the team has been the aspirational effect of being part of the DSD Clinics community. Fellow clinic owners connect, discuss and share experiences with each other on a regular basis on all aspects of DSD implementation.
"You're surrounded day to day by excellence from around the world; it's challenging and inspiring," he says.
“Clinically it has pushed me forward and made me a better dentist. From a business perspective it has made me a better clinic owner.”
New confidence unlocked
The holistic impact of DSD beyond patient care and business growth at Mona Vale Dental can be summarized as follows: With increased motivation and skill enhancement, the team felt more empowered and equipped to tackle complex dental cases, leading to higher job satisfaction and reduced turnover.
Alistair emphasizes how this affected his personal work satisfaction: “DSD gave me the confidence and ability to, as a general dentist, hold my head high when sending patients to specialists. Being in control of the whole treatment plan is hugely empowering to me.”
When asked what advice he would give to dentists who are considering becoming a DSD Clinic he says: "Embrace it, get involved in it, don't expect it all to work immediately but it will help you become a better dentist and a better clinic; it will be the catalyst for positive change." He explains that DSD has a wealth of resources on all implementation topics that is accessible to its clinics network, in addition to access to its experienced coaches and talented professionals.
“If you're looking for a partner to elevate you, help you and challenge you, make you do the work to be better, then I can't think of a better partner than DSD,” he concludes.
“Embrace it, get involved in it, don't expect it all to work immediately but it will help you become a better dentist and a better clinic; it will be the catalyst for positive change.”
