RICHARD DRAKE, DDS
YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE WHAT A
PHYSICIAN JUST SAID TO ME!
M
onday mornings sure
are hectic. On top of the usual
hiccups in the schedule, I
see that there is a “breakfast
and learn” at 9:00 A.M. with
a local physician. I hop in my
car and head down the road
a few miles. When I open his
office door, I see that there
are already five patients in the
waiting room. This has gotta be
the wrong day. Certainly, they
would have scheduled time
just for me. Will I have to cool
my heels in the waiting room
again? “Been there, done that”.
However, today I am promptly
and politely escorted back
to the break room, all 10 x 12
square feet of it. I clear a spot
on the two-foot long counter
top to place bagels, yogurt,
fruit and juice Oh, I forgot to
mention that the insurance
biller whose name is Minnie,
and the referral coordinator
also occupy this room. If I say
it is “cozy” you’ll know what I
mean.
A minute later, the M.D. walks
into the room, looks me in
the eye, and shakes my hand.
Starting to get better. He says,
“So, doctor, please tell me who
you are, what you do and how
we might be able to help our
patients.”
I’ve done this talk six or seven
hundred times now. He asks
me a couple of really good
questions which I answer with
confidence. The exchange went
on for a good seven or eight
minutes. He says, “Wow, this is
great stuff! I know that a lot of
my patients won’t wear CPAP.
I honestly didn’t know how to
help them without it, and here
you show up. It’s really sad
that as colleagues we just don’t
take the time to educate each
other so that we can provide
better patient care. Thanks for
taking the time to come over to
educate me.”
That is 100 MD’s who will
know your name and what
you do. Multiply that by 5,000
or so dentists. In a couple of
years and that adds up to a
million MDs who are better
educated and are more likely
to refer to a Sleep Dentist.
Together, we can change
the world. But, YOU gotta
get out there!
JOIN ME AT THE
NADSM SYMPOSIUM!
REGISTER NOW
That was Monday.
By Wednesday
afternoon, we
already had a
referral for a patient
who couldn’t
tolerate CPAP.
Believe me, personal contact
works; but YOU gotta work it!
YOU gotta be smart! YOU gotta
be efficient! YOU gotta use
your brain! YOU gotta know
what YOU’re talking about!
Buy a few sandwiches and
chips twice a week, fifty weeks
out of the year.
RICHARD DRAKE, DDS
Dr. Richard Drake has been
exclusively treating snoring
and apnea for 20 years. He
Co-Founded Dental Sleep
Solutions and DS3 and has a
state of the art sleep practice
in San Antonio, TX.