A: Roger obviously you have a big and successful practice in Sorell which is called Dentists of Tasmania so why is it successful?
R: Uhm. That is a really good question. I guess I am pretty kind to my patients. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth so I come from humble beginnings.
Nobody even thought of going to university. With patients I try to take that into account. That not everybody is well off. And I work out ways of doing dentistry that they can afford.
Especially in the last ten years with cerec technology I will rebuild their mouth and I will have a plan. Say lets rebuild your mouth how about we do a quadrant at time and I say can you afford $200 out of pocket and they will say yes and I say how about I get you in charge you $200 out of pocket and I’ll do a quadrant over here I’ll do two or three crowns or inlays, onlays that sort of thing.
So sometimes it is beneficial financially and other times I take a big hit but in the greater scheme of things I am looking after my patients. So that is a real practice builder. So that is the first thing that I changed about ten years ago. The other thing we changed is one of our dentists only does orthodontics.
R: She has been placing braces in China for about twenty years and here for about six. She is exceptionally good.
A: How is your relationship with the dentists.
R: Generally, I get on very well with them. It is a very informal practice. There is a lot of joking around. There is a lot of camaraderie between the dentists and also the staff and basically none of us take ourselves too seriously.
A: How many dentists?
R: There is seven all together.
A: And you all work in the one building.
R: All in the one building.
A: Each dentist builds up their own goodwill.
R: But each dentist has their own skill set. Dr K is exceptionally good at root fillings so we give him all the root fillings.
A: He does nothing but root fillings.
R: Well, he loves it. Absolutely loves it.
R: Dr L and myself do a lot of implants.
A: If someone rings up out of the blue and wants to work there what are your thoughts?
R: One you want to make sure they are on the same page that they are not chasing the dollar, that they are not going to be here for a very small time; six months. And someone who is a people person.
A: Yes.
R: And they are more concerned about doing the job properly than chasing the dollar.
A: So, the dentist who work for you, do you have much influence on what they do?
R: They know what I like but if the door is closed, I don’t know anything. It is their own clinical judgment and I don’t try and micro-manage. But sometime you may think doesn’t look right and I may have a word blah blah blah.
A: I get the feeling you dentist all have lunch together. Do you argue about which football team?
R: Sometimes but it’s more amongst the nurses.
R: Cause I’m a Port supporter. And I try to get all my patients to have a Port mouthguard but I can’t talk them into it.
R: There is a lot of camaraderie. Even though the nurses call us Dr in front of patients they are free to joke around with us in tea rooms. There is a lot of banter. It is a very enjoyable environment. Most nurses can’t believe how relaxed it is and how comfortable they feel.
A: Does happy staff lead to success?
R: The patients can see that there is real rapport between the staff and the nurses and they feel very comfortable and our reception staff is very friendly and the patients just…
A: Does success lead to relaxed staff?
R: If you are constantly worrying about money. If you are obsessed by the dollar. Obsessed by cost cutting it puts a lot of pressure on your staff.
A: Your practice is in Sorell. Where do patients come from?
R: I have patients that come from the mainland. And all over Tassie.
A: A patient that comes from a long way away what does that mean?
R: Quite often I tell them you are silly. You do realise there is a good dentist in Burnie. And they say but we trust you, Roger.
R: So, these patients I make sure they only have to make one trip. Do everything.
A: Eventually you are to have to sell or retire.
R: I am turning sixty this year. I want to continue working.
A: If you enjoy it keep on doing it as long as possible. You don’t have to retire.
R: Uhm. That is a really good question. I guess I am pretty kind to my patients. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth so I come from humble beginnings.
Nobody even thought of going to university. With patients I try to take that into account. That not everybody is well off. And I work out ways of doing dentistry that they can afford.
Especially in the last ten years with cerec technology I will rebuild their mouth and I will have a plan. Say lets rebuild your mouth how about we do a quadrant at time and I say can you afford $200 out of pocket and they will say yes and I say how about I get you in charge you $200 out of pocket and I’ll do a quadrant over here I’ll do two or three crowns or inlays, onlays that sort of thing.
So sometimes it is beneficial financially and other times I take a big hit but in the greater scheme of things I am looking after my patients. So that is a real practice builder. So that is the first thing that I changed about ten years ago. The other thing we changed is one of our dentists only does orthodontics.
R: She has been placing braces in China for about twenty years and here for about six. She is exceptionally good.
A: How is your relationship with the dentists.
R: Generally, I get on very well with them. It is a very informal practice. There is a lot of joking around. There is a lot of camaraderie between the dentists and also the staff and basically none of us take ourselves too seriously.
A: How many dentists?
R: There is seven all together.
A: And you all work in the one building.
R: All in the one building.
A: Each dentist builds up their own goodwill.
R: But each dentist has their own skill set. Dr K is exceptionally good at root fillings so we give him all the root fillings.
A: He does nothing but root fillings.
R: Well, he loves it. Absolutely loves it.
R: Dr L and myself do a lot of implants.
A: If someone rings up out of the blue and wants to work there what are your thoughts?
R: One you want to make sure they are on the same page that they are not chasing the dollar, that they are not going to be here for a very small time; six months. And someone who is a people person.
A: Yes.
R: And they are more concerned about doing the job properly than chasing the dollar.
A: So, the dentist who work for you, do you have much influence on what they do?
R: They know what I like but if the door is closed, I don’t know anything. It is their own clinical judgment and I don’t try and micro-manage. But sometime you may think doesn’t look right and I may have a word blah blah blah.
A: I get the feeling you dentist all have lunch together. Do you argue about which football team?
R: Sometimes but it’s more amongst the nurses.
R: Cause I’m a Port supporter. And I try to get all my patients to have a Port mouthguard but I can’t talk them into it.
R: There is a lot of camaraderie. Even though the nurses call us Dr in front of patients they are free to joke around with us in tea rooms. There is a lot of banter. It is a very enjoyable environment. Most nurses can’t believe how relaxed it is and how comfortable they feel.
A: Does happy staff lead to success?
R: The patients can see that there is real rapport between the staff and the nurses and they feel very comfortable and our reception staff is very friendly and the patients just…
A: Does success lead to relaxed staff?
R: If you are constantly worrying about money. If you are obsessed by the dollar. Obsessed by cost cutting it puts a lot of pressure on your staff.
A: Your practice is in Sorell. Where do patients come from?
R: I have patients that come from the mainland. And all over Tassie.
A: A patient that comes from a long way away what does that mean?
R: Quite often I tell them you are silly. You do realise there is a good dentist in Burnie. And they say but we trust you, Roger.
R: So, these patients I make sure they only have to make one trip. Do everything.
A: Eventually you are to have to sell or retire.
R: I am turning sixty this year. I want to continue working.
A: If you enjoy it keep on doing it as long as possible. You don’t have to retire.
