By: Eric Recker You get that call. Again. Lately, it feels like it’s every week. Your hygienist isn’t coming in because of a migraine, a sick kid, another illness, a family emergency, a last-minute appointment they forgot to tell you about, or some other vague reason....
By: Eric Recker I froze. Where were those thoughts coming from and why were they in MY head? It was the end of yet another chaotic day in my practice. A day of all alone at the top as my team of eighteen left the office to go about their normal lives outside of the...
By: Dr. Eric Recker Christmas is over. New Year’s is over. We have officially settled into the longest stretch we have without a scheduled break. It’s a long time until Memorial Day, and if you live in a place like Iowa—where it is ridiculously cold and often cloudy...
By: Dr. Eric Recker This past weekend, I got sick. I will spare you the details, but let’s just say that sometimes you go to sleep at night with a high level of confidence that your stomach contents will be leaving before morning. That was my Saturday night. Sunday...
By: Dr. Eric Recker Check out this scenario. You have had a day. Again. They seem to be happening more frequently, and it is getting harder to keep them to yourself. You are starting to realize you are at least a little bit fried, and you aren’t quite sure what to do...
By: Dr. Eric Recker I remember so vividly being in the throes of burnout. My life had gone gray. Nothing excited me. I was under immense pressure running a practice with a team of 18. I was exhausted. I was dying inside. I questioned whether it would matter if I...
By: Dr. Eric Recker Your front desk sends a message to you in your treatment room. They need to have a word. You try to finish up your procedure, but you know this likely isn’t going to be good news. You walk to the front desk and prepare (brace) yourself. They...
By: Dr. Eric Recker It’s a normal Tuesday, or as normal as they get in our world. You got some dentistry done, maybe a couple of crown preps, some restorative, a load of hygiene checks, a new patient exam or two. You are almost to lunch and feeling reasonably good...
By: Dr. Eric Recker Don’t take me back too far! I need that neck pillow. That’s too far. I can’t breathe. Are you going to dump me back off the chair? All said as the patient is reclined to 65 degrees. This is going to be a heck of a procedure. I am going to need some...