In 1996, our practice was moving right along. Our dental lab of choice at that time was Kelley Dental Lab in New Albany Indiana. They were sponsoring a hands-on dental course at the University of Kentucky. The course was an anterior esthetic course. Bring your own patient and redo their smile. It sounded so exciting to us but .... the cost was $8000.00, plus the lab bill, plus expenses. It was a two weekend course; one weekend was the prep and a month later the seat. Dr. Hedge’s assistant had four veneers on her incisors done by another doctor that she was very unhappy with, so she was to be his patient. Dr. Hedge also opted to have his smile done, knowing you cannot recommend beautiful smiles to people if your own leaves a lot to be desired. You have to walk the talk. At that time $8000 was a tremendous expense to our practice, but we decided to grow and be the best we could be. We bit the bullet and went for the brass ring. Dr. Dickerson was the course directory of that great experience for us. "You don’t know what you don’t know" - That was the first time I heard that phrase. WOW, was that true. We came back to our practice so changed. We stopped doing mercury restorations, raised our fees, and single tooth dentistry became quadrant dentistry. It was the “kick in the pants” we needed to fire up our passion for dentistry again. Not since my first Howard Farran lecture, had I had this feeling. We have never looked back since then.

The next five years Dr. Hedge spent on his continuing journey to be the best he could be, by attending Pankey Institute. At that time, there was no LVI and there were no courses beyond the Anterior course. The experience and the knowledge he gained there, were, of course, valuable. But I can tell you from the point of view of a staff member, he never returned from there really excited about what we were doing. Did we change and grow - sure, but not with the excitement we had experience after our hands on course with Dr. Dickerson. We did continue to grow as Dr. Hedge attended courses by Spear and Dawson. Staff was included in his continuing education path as often as the courses permitted. But some how, for me the excitement had once again dwindled. Maybe I had been in dentistry too long.

Then along came a new meeting for us, genR8Tnext. I regained my momentum there. We started on our journey to no longer accepting assignment of insurance benefits. Dr. Dickerson spoke at that meeting, and there was that brief glimpse of fire started again.

The next fall we attended The Richard’s Report Meeting in Las Vegas. It was a great opportunity for Dr.Hedge and I to see LVI. Dr. Hedge emailed LVI and asked if we could arrange to see LVI while in Vegas. Dr. Dickerson’s response was let me know when you will be here and I will personally show you around. WOW, does not even due justice to how impressed this staff member was. "The" Dr. Dickerson, taking his time to give us a tour, it was so great. But greater than that was the excitement you could feel in the air as we toured LVI. I so wanted to be part of that excitement. To learn what it was these doctors were learning and regaining that excitement for dentistry. While there the subject of my bite came up and some suggestions were made as to possible solutions. One thing led to another, Dr. Hedge’s interest in NM dentistry was sparked again and we were on our way. And what a way it has been.

As dentists you have a great opportunity at your hands. LVI says they change peoples lives daily, I say they change practices daily. I wonder if those involved with LVI, realize the excitement they exude. It is so wonderful. It is contagious. Every time Dr. Hedge returns from LVI, he is so fired up about dentistry, his energy is wonderful. LVI has become the catalyst that is enabling us to take our practice to the next level. The knowledge that all of you share with each other is a powerful force in allowing all your practices to become what you want them to be. You have a wealth of energy to draw from. The momentum that LVI can help create in a practice is unbelievable.

LVI not only develops great doctors but if you let LVI it will help you cultivate great staffs. You can not develop your dream practice on your own, well I guess you could but it would be lonely journey, share the LVI experience with your staff. Let them feel the excitement that LVI exudes. Let them become your biggest fans and sing the praises of your dentistry.

As a staff member, I can not tell you how wonderful it is to present a treatment plan, whether it is a $3000 or $30,000 and know that it will be accepted, the patient will schedule and we will be paid before a handpiece even touches a tooth. How does that happen for me?? It happens for me because I love the dentistry we do in our practice. We change people’s lives, by giving them the smiles they want and getting them out of pain. There is not a staff member out there, who not want to be part of that excitement. LVI develops GREAT staff, I consider myself one of the lucky ones.