The Practitioner’s Credo: Ten Keys to a Successful Professional Practice

JOHN B. MATTINGLY, DMD, MS

130 pages. $25. 2009.

Morgan James Publishing, LLC
1225 Franklin Ave., Suite 325
Garden City, NY 11530.
(800) 485-4943
www.morganjamespublishing.com

Dr. John B. Mattingly, retired after 34 years of orthodontic practice in Louisville, Kentucky, has put into written form a "compendium of suggestions" that provide practical insights into starting and conducting a practice. As he states, "It concerned me that, at a time when practitioners entering the profession are experiencing the monumental costs associated with opening a practice and massive student loan debt, they will make decisions in the short term that may define their practices aslong as those practices exist."

Dr. Mattingly describes 10 points, or "keys", as he calls them, to building and maintaining a successful orthodontic practice. These basic principles would apply to any business that requires contact with the public, although their execution by a "natural-born salesman" would differ from that of an introvert. The "keys" cover topics such as leadership, staffing, ethics, practice excellence, practice image, technology, essential and non-essential expenses, marketing, and, finally, "Ego: Don't Get the Big Head". Appendices include actual personnel and sexual-harassment policies from the office manual used in Dr. Mattingly's former practice, along with an exit-survey prototype.

My recommendation is that after the "10 keys" have been assimilated by the practice leader, he or she practice presenting them to other members of the team, so that everyone is on the same page. Once the integration of these principles has become smooth and seamless, they can be brought into the everyday routine. In the author's words, the purpose of this book is "to provide students and practitioners with a rationale for conducting a practice based on integrity, teamwork, and two-way respect". It would be a good resource for both new and experienced practitioners to keep on hand.

MELVIN MAYERSON, DDS, MSD