Ready to talk technology with your new partner or practice owner?

Illinois orthodontist offers tips for opening lines of communication

As a new employee dentist or partner in an established practice, you may be looking for the right time and right way to advocate for incorporating new technologies into the office.

Nicholas Riccio, D.M.D., an orthodontist at Hinsdale Ortho in Hinsdale, Illinois, said a discussion with an established partner can be productive and fruitful if the new dentist focuses on listening and understanding the older dentist’s point of view.

“The key is listening well, especially when working with a boss or partner who probably has more experience than you and certainly a viewpoint of their own on each matter,” Dr. Riccio said. “In situations where you are trying to incorporate new technologies into the practice, you actually might know a lot about it compared to the senior partner. But it is still important to seek first to understand, before being understood. And as you listen, be thinking of ways your progressive ideas can be of service to them, not in service of your own agenda.”

Dr. Riccio and his wife, Susan Blair, D.D.S., a specialist in pediatric dentistry and orthodontics, joined an established practice in Hinsdale and purchased it from the original owner. He said the owner’s dedication to helping his patients make the transition, together with the couple’s mission to continue to provide the high level of care and customer experience patients expected, led to a fairly seamless transition.

“Dentists are usually natural-born leaders and practice owners even more so,” Dr. Riccio said. “If you approach the senior dentist in a respectful way, it’s a win-win. You will have no problem advocating for the new tech you are confident in but doing so in a way that best appeals to your partner’s interests. After all, when you productively communicate with your partner, not just the two of you potentially win, the patient is the real winner, benefiting from more than one great mind working their hardest to deliver the best care to them.”

Dr. Riccio said Hinsdale Ortho’s iTero scanners and cone-beam computed tomography units are his and his wife’s favorite technologies.

“They certainly make procedures faster and more comfortable for the patient, compared with alginate impressions and multiple 2D X-rays,” he said. “But their utility as a visualization tool for proper diagnosis and effective treatment planning and presentation are unparalleled; I wouldn’t go back to practicing without them.”