Australasian Dentist Magazine March April 2021

Category 92 Australasian Dentist The Salihs shared a common vision to create the bespoke practice building centred on the “dental spa” concept, which at the time was just beginning to take off in the States. After conducting extensive research – including visits to dental spas in the US – the couple successfully introduced the novel concept to Sydenham, then regarded as one of Melbourne’s projected growth corridors. “From the customised building design through the relaxing environment, the welcoming ambience to the unique business offering, we wanted to create a point of difference from the get go,” says Erdem. Despite having two established competitors within a 500-metre proximity, MSD’s new concept and building perfectly dovetailed Dr Salih’s patient-focused ways, and continued to generate healthy word-of-mouth. MSD’s growth was also ascribed to a stable and efficient back-end support. By the time MSD moved into the new building, the practice had for a couple of years been using the services of a dental management consultancy firm, which at this critical juncture proved essential in guiding the transition. Throughout the five years working with the consultancy firm, the MSD team benefited immensely from their professional guidance and training in several key support functions, including: Managing the appointment books and optimising them for profit; financial reporting; reception KPIs; patient recall system, etc. “Although their consultancy services weren’t cheap – in fact, their fees use to take up a chunk of our profits in the early days – looking back, we can safely say it was money well spent,” says Erdem. Smooth handover My Smile Dental’s efficient workflow and optimised back-end support were integral to its attractiveness as a long-term investment for Ekera. They even helped to smooth out the handover process. “I think the folks at Ekera were pleasantly surprised by how easy the handover was. All the systems were already working optimally so it was really a case of, “Okay, here you go,” and that was it,” Dr Salih beams. The changing of the guard was made even more pleasant by the Ekera team, who made an effort to immediately introduce themselves to MSD’s dentists and staff members following the sale. All of the dentists and staff chose to stay. “That was a really important and reassuring gesture to let the MSD team know that they remain in good hands,” says Dr Salih. “I didn’twant theMSDteam, including the dentists and employees of the practice, to be short-changed in any way because of the sale. I was really happy to inform them that nothing would change, apart from the name on their paychecks,” she quips. Perhaps the biggest assurance from Ekera, and one of the primary reasons that motivated the sale for the Salihs, lies in the absence of any post-acquisition disruptions. While other corporates are eager to put their stamp on a newly acquired practice, Dr Salih says Ekera’s model of “staying at an arm’s length” assures that the business continues to thrive on its uniquely forged path of efficiency and profitability. The changeover will be even less noticeable to MSD’s customers, with whom Dr Salih has built a trusted dentist-patient relationship. Although the Melburnian dentist started taking a backseat following her neck surgery, she still made it a point to greet patients and strike up conversations with both new and familiar faces. “We’ve come to a point where we’ve seen three generations of the same family come to us for dental care, and it’s only a 20-year old practice,” she adds. These long-standing connections, Dr Salih says, are what she treasures – and would miss – the most. Future is bright Broadly viewed as a period for reflection and rejuvenation, 2021 began as a season of significant change for Dr Salih. She is looking forward to spending more time with her grandchildren and hopes to travel when the pandemic situation abates. Having gotten used to a 24/7 working habit, the dentist finds herself still adjusting to her newfound freedom. Compared with dentists who sell their practice to corporates and stay on as principals until retirement, Dr Salih’s transition from the clinic is not as gradual. “Ekera is quite happy for me to go back to the surgery to say hello to the patients from time to time, but I’ll still be missing out on the day-to-day connections.” The relational dentist is nonetheless relieved that Ekera is taking over the business, confident in the new management’s ability to preserve the patient goodwill that she has painstakingly cultivated over the years. “The surgery that I’ve sold to Ekera is one that I’m proud to have built from scratch and placed in their good hands,” she says. “I walk away with my head held high knowing it would continue to do well in the future.” u acquisitions a O PEN W IDE ® D ISPOSABLE & R EUSABLE M OUTH P ROPS The Open Wide ® Mouth Props facilitate oral care in variety of patients; Reusable Mouth Prop with saliva ejector has a con‐ venient ‘ wrap around’ handle to maintain control. 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