A Special Message on Our Mission
From the Desk of Dr. Dave Cutts
"I still have work to do. Heart and Soul work."
I get it.
I’m supposed to be retired by now.
All my classmates are.
All my friends are.*
So what gives?
I’m not done. There is work to do.
Here’s the lowdown. Dentistry is being broken by the same forces that have already turned healthcare into a soulless profit machine.
Big dentistry has arrived. Dental schools are now being opened and run by insurance companies. Wall Street-owned dental corporations control thousands of offices in nationwide chains.
I’ve personally witnessed dental insurance executives sneeringly lecture to an audience of suppressed, frightened dental students…telling them the day of independent doctors is over and they will all be employees and do as they are told…just as it has come to pass for medical doctors. I pity them all really.
This is the message they think they are foisting on me:
“Dr. Cutts, your time has passed.”
And channeling Maverick, I respond, “Maybe, Mr. Drone-Suit…..BUT NOT TODAY!”
So no, I’m not done by a long shot. I have many miles of work to do before I sleep.
You know I have no filter. I write and say pretty much what I think. Some people call it IDGAF.
Ok, if the shoe fits…
(One thing that I discovered long ago is that if my wife says, “You can’t write that Honey.”, then THAT’S probably exactly what I should be writing!)
So, I have work to do, starting with the disruption of the “status quo” that has arrived on the scene - which is to say “Transactional Dentistry”.
And to be crystal clear. This means healthcare that is diagnosed on the basis of your insurance or pocketbook instead of simply having a conversation with the person behind the teeth (and that means mostly listening). That’s You.
I first wrote about this nearly 10 years ago in my infamous rant where I call-out all the BS going on my profession:
“THE PATIENT KNOWS”
(which you can read here)
Many of you know this story well, but there is an ironic and interesting back-story to my dental awakening back there.
I never wanted to be a dentist.
Yup, I admit it.
The truth is, I didn’t know WHAT I wanted to do. But definitely NOT a dentist, “looking in mouths all day!”
The best I could come up with when people asked was, “I want to change the world.” And I really did.
But after being a missionary high school teacher for two years (and not going on one date the whole time!!), I sensed I was not ‘changing’ the world. (Or ever going to find my soulmate!)
(What I realize now is that I was not going be finding ME there.)
So, what’s this got to do with dentistry and more importantly, YOU?
Incredibly it has taken me nearly four decades to figure-out what “changing the world” means for me.
And that is changing myself into exactly who I want to BE, and then DO my life and practice exactly the way I want to. So I have, and I have also gathered teammates around me that have the same mission.
To treat people from the heart before the dollar.
To rise up to the challenge of doing EVERYTHING that we do better every day.
To hug a lot.
To be paid in our souls and let the cards fall where they may.
I tell them nearly every day, “WE’RE ON A MISSION FROM GOD.” (My second movie reference in this rant!) But our mission doesn’t stop there. We are going to spread this mission message in healthcare.
I don’t know if you have noticed, but a lot of very good people are standing up and speaking on the national stage and saying the same thing about our broken healthcare system. Now, we stand with them.
With all this said, I have laid plans for changes to take this even further - here’s just one example.
Many of you know that our Jennifer is widely known as the Very Best Ever at her job as our hygienist. Well, now I have appointed her to a new position: “DIRECTOR OF LESS DRILLING!”
Yes, you read that right. And yes, I know that we already do this to a significant degree. But now we’re making it an organized mission.
MAKE DENTISTRY AFFORDABLE AGAIN!
EXAMPLE:
Recently, we discovered a simple material that actually stops decay cold. We’ve proven it on several cases. This has saved patients thousands of dollars (not to mention sedating a child). Why isn’t this known about and used more?
I’ll let you figure that one out.
“But wait!”, you say. “Isn’t that the OPPOSITE of what dentists should want?” (more drilling equals more income to them)
Well, yes. But THAT’S the “status quo” thinking. Wrong-headed thinking. Doctors tell me I’m crazy to do dentistry the way we do it.
✓ No selling.
✓ Trust the patient.
✓ Take it slow.
✓ Do less drilling.
Get paid in the heart first, and then let things work-out from there. (And they may be right if you just compare accounts!)
But then I look at my staff who are the very best, elite, happiest, and the most fulfilled by all the hugs and love they get from YOU! There is the real answer.
So when am I going to retire?
You know the answer. Oh, I may take a few more days off here and there. But retire from all this?
I have work to do. Heart and soul work.
Training the next generation of young dentists (like Andrew - see photo above) to carry the torch forward. Training the next Jennifers and Dainas and Alejandras to be the leaders for the next generation.
My goal is to change the world by Making Dentistry Great Again! To be the most trusted profession again.
A Golden Age of Dentistry. Of All Healthcare.
And YOU are a key part of this. YOU have helped me find my way to myself.
I thank each of you. It is our honor to be trusted by each one of you.
It really IS all about the love,
Dr. Cutts
*except for the ones whose wive’s need them gone during the day!