Dr. John Gordon’s practice is located in Kansas City, Missouri; a general practice with an emphasis in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. He’s an alumni of the LD Pankey Institute Continuum Series and obtained his training for Cosmetic Dentistry with Dr. Jeff Morley and Dr. Jimmy Eubanks Continuum in Chicago, in 2000. He is also a presenter with ACT Dental on the topics of Marketing of the Dental Practice, and the Wow Factor Practice.
John’s favorite quote and why:
“What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – That has stuck with me through the years and has come face to face with me so many times. Like, “Okay, John, if you really believe this, you can achieve it.”
“Things by the inch are a cinch. By the yard, they are hard.” – If you believe in it, and you’re passionate about it, and you’re committed to it, and you stay with it and you are persistent, it may not come the minute, or the moment, the hour, the day that we want it, but it will eventually come.
What he does for the dental profession:
Dr. Gordon has practiced full time comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dentistry for over 25 years in the Kansas City Northland area. In addition, he lectures and gives presentations on cosmetic dental procedures, materials and smile design principles.
He also speaks about the business and financial aspects as related to cosmetic and restorative dentistry, marketing, digital dental photography and laboratory communication.
Dr. Gordon is a member of the International Congress of Osseous Integration, Academy of Osseous Integration, and the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration. He has completed The Pankey Institute’s Continuum, and the Peter Dawson Continuum.
John’s difficult time story:
“When I started in cosmetic dentistry, I wasn’t quite prepared to hear the stories and hear people share intimate things about their life the way they did. We bring people and we sit them in the consult room and I start asking questions. I don’t have an agenda for my cosmetic consults; the agenda is what the patient wants to share with me, and that all of my questions are derived from the comments they gave to me.
Patients come in and they share some incredibly doomsday stories about their life. Sometimes I walk out of the office thinking, “This was not a very good day.” And I’m a little overly tired and frustrated or whatever. What I like to do is reflect on some of those stories people share with me. Life is good compared to what I hear.
The thing that I try to do my cosmetic patients is as we are interviewing them and talking to them is to truly understand what is the bottom line disability – emotional disability. I just question them until I feel like I have the bottom line understanding. What is the ultimate despair the brought them in to see us for cosmetic work.
And I let them almost marinate in that emotion for a few moments because I wanna really, truly understand them. And then the very next thing I ask them, I say, “I know that you have envisioned in your mind smiles that you like and you see out and about.” “And I know you probably have envisioned that smile on your face. Tell me how you feel when those teeth or that smile is yours.” And listening to them flip that emotion in a matter of 10 seconds, they pull themselves out and they are starting to head up the mountain side. And you can see their body posture; you can see things change with them.
And then we just talk briefly again about what their thoughts are, what they’re looking for their smile, what is their objective in changing their teeth and that type of thing. I just sit back, shut up and listen. And then I let them kind of help solve some of their problem. And then we talk about living in the moment with their new smile and what their life would be like.
I had a young lady come in years ago, she said, “John, I want so desperately to be able to smile. I didn’t have any wedding picture taken because I was ashamed of my teeth and my smile.” “My husband and I are unable to have children ourselves, so we’re going to adopt. But what I want to be able to do is I want my adopted children, who will probably come from situations in their life that aren’t very good, and I want them to know that they are coming into a happy house, and a house that has people who’s going to love them.” “And the way that they are going to see that is through my smile and my husband’s smile. I want to be able to smile for my children.”
You know, when a patient shares that kind of story with you, you cannot help but give them 150% of your effort. And make sure that what they end up with is going to be a beautiful smile and is going to last long. So we did the cosmetic work for her, and it truly did transform her life. They have adopted children from Korea. And about two weeks ago, they went over to get their third child. And every time she comes in for her hygiene appointment, she brings in photos and obviously, we do see the children. But she talks about how it’s changed her life and how she knows that her children know that they are loved by their mother because of the way that she can smile…”
What is concerning or exciting him right now in dentistry:
Everybody in concerned right now about national healthcare and it seems to have put a feeling of fear with a lot of people. In my practice, I’ve never let the outside influence my attitude and my approach inside. We’ve always been a fee-for-service practice.
And I think right now, people are starting to understand insurance as we, in the medical profession and dental profession, have understood it for years. I don’t wanna call it ‘fraudulent’, but the people are understanding that it’s really not there for them. It’s not quite the benefit that they have been lead to believe that it is. So we’re seeing more and more people, I think, understand and appreciate the value of fee-for-service practices. So I think fee-for-service has a great opportunity after in the future still.
You talk to a lot of dentist, and they can’t wait to sign up for every instruments, program out there. You look at that and when you sign up for those programs, you have to work 3 times as hard, I think, to make a profit or make ends meet than if you are a fee-for-service. Fee-for-service does provide its challenges, yes. We have to stay very much on top of the ball – ahead of the game. You can’t be mediocre in anything you do; keeping everything really at a level of excellence and the perception of excellence by the patients. What we think as excellent doesn’t make any difference; it’s what the patients think and what they feel.
So I think the future out there offers us a great opportunity for fee-for-service and for growth in our dental professions in the relationship aspect. And I think that offices that are really good at relationships with people, and understand and utilize the relationship for the right reason will really continue to flourish and feel very good about their practice and can be very, very profitable. So I think the future of dentistry is very good. I’m not that concerned about national health care issue coming about. I think dentistry is going to be just fine.
The best advice John has ever received:
“Never, ever, ever, ever, ever give up.” – Winston Churchill
The one habit that contributes to his success:
My continued commitment to getting better every day at what I do — commitment to excellence.
Management or marketing pearl (tip):
Take great digital pictures of people’s teeth, put it on the iPad, put it on their hands, put the picture up and ask this question: “Tell me what you see.” And they will diagnose themselves.
Technology or procedure that is exciting John right now:
Philip and I are getting ready to relocate our practice here in Kansas City; about 5 miles south of our present location.
We’re also purchasing a practice down in Leawood, Kansas. Me being a Kansas boy, I get to go back home and practice dentistry in my home state.
Internet / App resource that John feels is awesome:
HubSpot Inbound Marketing Software gives you all the tools you need to make marketing that patient will actually love – earning quality leads and loyal patients in return.
- Get Found: Help potential patients find you online
- Convert: Nurture your leads and drive patient activations
- Analyze: Measure and improve your marketing
- Integrate: Access the marketplace for apps
John’s book recommendation:
“As a Man Thinketh” – James Allen
- Hardcover edition can be purchased on Amazon here.
- Paperback edition can be purchased on Amazon here.
- Kindle edition can be purchased on Amazon here.
His recommendations for those who are about to start new or restart:
1. Really understand your role as a leader in the leadership of your practice. Really learn what leadership is. It’s talked about a lot, and some people think being a leader is just watching and telling people what to do and how to do it, but leadership is so much more.
2. Find out what is the purpose of your practice. What is the purpose of you doing dentistry and letting your staff and your patients sense that from you, just by the way that you act, talk, and the way that you do your dentistry.
3. I would align myself with a marketing group that really understands a powerful inbound marketing concept. Spend so much less money. And you funnel down, and you get the type of patients you want easier, because they are out there looking for this. You are not forcing your message on them; they are looking for your message. And once they latch on to what you are saying, they come to you versus you going out there and looking for them.
John can be reached at:
- Email: drjohnrgordon@gmail.com
- Phone: 816-505-2222
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