Dr. Paresh Shah is here to talk about the importance of continuing education, treatment planning, and having a mentor. Dr. Shah was born in India, but has been in Winnipeg, Canada for 50 years where he has been a solo practitioner. He has recently added an associate to his practice. After being an associate, Dr. Shaw purchased a practice from a retiring dentist and built that practice up. He really became excited about dentistry when he found mentors and teachers and like minded people to grow with.
In this episode, Dr. Shaw shares a lot of great information for young dentists and dentists starting out. He talks about the importance of getting or buying a patient base when you first start out. He talks about how to use technology in a smart, efficient, and profitable way. We talk about how to find and communicate with labs and lot more great stuff on today’s show.
You can find our Dr. Paresh Shah here:
Westwood Dental Center on Instagram
Show Notes:
[01:51] Dr. Shaw was born in India, but he has been in Winnipeg Canada for over 50 years.
[02:26] His family and his practice are in Winnipeg and his daughter is a dentist in Chicago.
[02:59] Dr. Shaw has been a solo practitioner, but he just got an associate.
[03:06] He does restorative dentistry, implants, cosmetic dentistry, and interdisciplinary care.
[03:20] He has a busy practice with three full-time hygienists. They have five rooms and their operation is very efficient.
[03:32] Dr. Shaw loves what he does. He used to be a super dentist and do everything, but now he focuses on what he does best.
[03:37] He has a great group of specialists that he works with.
[04:06] When Dr. Shaw first started in dentistry, he was an associate. Although, he almost became an oral surgeon.
[04:45] A distribution rep told him about a practice that was for sale, and he ended up buying his practice. He started with three chairs and no hygienist. He built the practice adding hygiene one day at a time.
[06:15] How corporate dentistry is entrenched in the US. If you work hard, and you are smart, you can buy a practice and pay the debt off.
[06:47] The importance of finding a practice that already has a patient base.
[07:20] Ask what the dollar value of those patients are?
[09:18] You can take the approach and build it and people will come, but to be successful you need a patient base.
[09:53] You could also transition the patient base of a retiring dentist.
[11:05] Find a mentor that will teach you how to diagnose and treatment plan and communicate with patients.
[11:54] Millennials want a practice that has a luxurious look.
[13:30] When you buy a new practice, there are aesthetic things you can do to make the practice look better.
[14:35] The point of buying an existing practice is cash flow.
[15:12] At first, Dr. Shah wasn't enjoying his work. Then he met a group of mentors and teachers and learned how to properly diagnose and treatment plan. He spent 5 or 6 years at the University of Minnesota.
[16:40] He saw the great lives and practices of these older dentists and their passion for dentistry.
[16:54] He is still friends with these guys. By surrounding himself with this group and taking several continuing education courses, he became enthusiastic about his practice.
[17:58] Like minded individuals can be inspiring.
[19:40] Hanging out with people ahead of you closes your information gap.
[21:07] Learning the foundation by going to the Kois Center and Spear Education.
[22:45] To understand and learn everything a young dentist really needs a continuum course.
[24:53] How you don't know what you don't know is absolutely true.
[25:45] The importance of updating and learning new techniques.
[27:38] How important it is to meet people and be exposed to people in other cities and other countries.
[28:34] The importance of creating a nonthreatening environment and creating accountability.
[30:15] The Seattle Study Club was founded by Michael Cohen. This is a university without walls that meets every four to six weeks.
[31:08] They sit down and have treatment planning sessions. There are about 270 Seattle Study Clubs around the world.
[31:34] The importance of finding a study club that wants to mentor you.
[34:04] Dr. Shah lectures about current techniques for doing everyday stuff. People have to have a foundation.
[36:30] How you can learn from your mistakes and decide what you can improve if something doesn't look good.
[37:43] He also shows advanced treatment plan cases in his study clubs.
[38:31] Digital workflow and new scanners and software. Dr. Shaw is trying to teach the digital workflow to get from here to there and be efficient about it.
[44:28] How important it is to not make learning experiences sales pitches. Dr. Shaw and a friend are doing a two-day program and will have the products of several different brands represented.
[47:33] Team members also need to be part of the education and the workflow training and creation.
[50:24] Dr. Shah incorporates changes and checklists for a reason. He doesn't change procedure without having a reason and sharing it.
[55:50] Buying a scanner, having a great lab, and getting a model printer is a great way to operate.
[56:32] The key to digital is time. You can pay for your scanner in a year.
[57:56] The value of saving time whether it's 15 minutes a crown or a week a year.
[01:01:53] Interview labs and find a good lab that you can communicate with. Dr. Shah found a great lab in Canada through Instagram.
[01:04:13] Send photos to your lab and keep the lines of communication open. You both need to be accountable with each other.
[01:05:44] In Canada, lab fees are disclosed separate from dental fees.
As always thanks so much for listening! If you like the show we would love for you to review the show on iTunes as well as spread the word! If you have any questions or want to get in touch, shoot me an email at [email protected].
Links and Resources:
The Millennial Dentist Website
@Millennialdentist on Facebook
On Instagram Dr. Sully…@Millennialdentist on InstagramDr. Peyman…@drpeyray on Instagram
Westwood Dental Center on Instagram
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