Orthotown July/August 2020 - 8

embrace progress

that not only were all fires put out but also
the practice had moved ahead as well. There
is something to coming back to the office,
looking at the day sheets and seeing that a
number of "pendings" had been contacted
and started while I was away.
What does this have to do with golf?
As I mentioned earlier, I was not a balland-stick kind of an athlete, but when we
moved to Scottsdale, my wife and I decided
to take up the sport because of the weather,
the abundance of local courses and the fact
we finally had the time available. At my
stage in life, trying to start up a new sport
is as challenging as starting a new practice:
Both require getting new skills, teams and
equipment.
Fortunately, I love challenges.

Honing a skill and
always improving
Non-golfers, please bear with me! Just
like orthodontics, golf requires new language,
skills and equipment and management. When
I started, my goal was to not have to use the
same club two times in a row from tee-off
to sinking the putt. Thankfully, I've moved
beyond that rather humble goal-but again,
just like orthodontics, once you understand
more, there is more to consider when striking
your next shot.
I love it when people say they don't like
to watch golf on TV because it's boring.
Just like the general dentist who compares
orthodontics to their lab course in school
where they bent a wire and made a retainer.
Orthodontics and golf get more complicated
the more you play, practice and study.
Diagnosis takes on new meaning after
you learn new skills that ultimately lead to
new advanced treatment techniques. Just
like golf, you're required to look at not only
hitting the ball but also the many other
factors in consideration when embarking
on your plan: distance, wind, elevation and
surrounding landscape. Do you want to err
on the long or short side, go for it or lay up?
I was amazed that as my skill set in

8

golf got more perfected, I realized why the
bunkers, hazards and slopes had been placed
in the areas that they are: Once I became the
"average" golfer, I was playing into exactly
what the architect had in mind. (Namely,
hitting into those hazards.)
Practice in orthodontics is just as complicated and influenced by hazards and
trouble. We learn about high and low angle,
lip position and cuspid width; patient and
parent personalities also play into the game.
As our skill set expands, we incorporate more
diagnostic information into our treatment
plan, including incisor exposure, gingival
contours and buccal corridors. Don't forget
the TMJ, airway and muscle analysis.
You can't step up to a ball and just swing,
and you can't step up to a patient and just
start placing brackets.

More similarities
Just like golf, where often your score
doesn't reflect your quality play or skills
learned during the round, there are many
days in orthodontics where you leave the
office with little production, yet you feel
like you accomplished quite a bit and the
practice was running well. You know that
in time you'll be rewarded for your patience,
skill and judgment. Patients were brushing
their teeth, the new patients who were not
ready to start were placed on recall, and a
couple who faded out or left last month to
get second opinions called back to start. (As
we know, sometimes you wish they hadn't!)
Lastly, there are many who say that you
can tell a lot about people after playing a
round of golf with them. Golfers are required
to keep their own score, use an honor system
and report violations even when not being
witnessed. Much like orthodontics, where
we know the patient many times only wants
the front teeth straightened, it is up to us to
do what is right to create not only a beautiful
"social six" but enhance their lifetime health
with proper occlusion and function.
Keep your eye on the ball! ■

Discover more about
practice management-
and earn continuing
education credits too
Dr. Jamie Reynolds' online CE course,
"4 Pillars of Modern Orthodontic Practice
Management," outlines the title topic, as
well as key data-driven insights into patient
and insurance accounts receivable, and
how to leverage financial flexibility and
maintain practice cash flow. The course is
free to view at orthotown.com/ce and, for
a small fee, readers can also take the exam
to claim 1.5 CE credits.

JULY/AUGUST 2020 // orthotown.com

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Orthotown July/August 2020

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