First Impressions 2.0
I am approaching my 8-year northwest Montana anniversary. I vividly recall steering the uHaul north onto the Golden Gate Bridge while tears streamed down my wife's face. We loved our 3 year San Francisco adventure and we were sad to say goodbye. But greater than our sadness was the excitement and accomplishment we felt finally putting our stake in some Montana soil, where our hearts had been all along. While it feels like it was just yesterday, when I look back on all that has transpired I find it hard to believe that it has only been 8 years.
When I arrived and got to work on building my career as a dentist I had a crystal clear vision of what I needed to accomplish. I would have an dental practice that strived to eliminate obstacles that people faced when deciding to receive dental care. It would be EASY to be in my care. My prices would be fair and my hours convenient. I would work with the patient's insurance provider. My office would have an atmosphere of community that reflected my laid-back nature while remaining professional. I would treat my staff as equals and ensure that all of us put the patient's needs first.
Reflecting back on these goals now, eight years later, I feel like I have succeeded. I feel a strong sense of gratitude towards the Flathead community of which we serve and towards my Smile Montana team that I am privileged to work alongside everyday. Thank You!
I named our practice Smile Montana, but it has been revealed to me that out in the community we are simply referred to as "SMILE." This is perfectly fine with us. And since we are on the topic let's talk about smiles for a minute. The word smile can be used as both a noun and a verb. Smiles are powerful. They come in all shapes and sizes and for different reasons.
Society has, as it seems, placed a lot of value on a nice smile. Famed social scientist and one of my favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell, has concluded that our smiles have a definite influence on our social mobility. He explains that bad teeth and obesity are part of "the next wave" of physical discrimination in society. In a nutshell, your smile will greatly influence your personal and professional relationships.
An important component of any relationship, perhaps the most important, is the very first meeting. Also known as The First Impression! Dale Carnegie, who wrote How to Make Friends and Influence People says that smiling is one of the best ways to make a good impression. "Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, 'I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you."
In The Definitive Book of Body Language, the first of six secrets of attractive body language is, "have an animated face and make smiling a part of your regular repertoire. Make sure you flash your teeth."
I conducted my own little experiment for this article and googled: "great first impressions." In 0.34 seconds 46.6 million options were at my fingertips. But, as any googler knows, you're only interested in the first page of organic search results. This first page had 10 results from respected sources such as Forbes, Psychology Today, etc., and all were focused on First Impression instruction. Here is the data from reading all 10 sources: 7 reference having a pleasant smile directly, 2 reference physical appearance without a direct reference to smiling, and one was focused on first impressions over the phone so smiling was not applicable.
My research also taught me that it takes mere seconds for the first impression to be made, and that the first impression is formed entirely off of what are labeled: Non-Verbal Cues. Remaining in the context of first impressions, important non- verbal cues include posture, eye-contact, dress and grooming, your smile, etc. All of these cues have the good and the not- so-good.
It is not lost on me that I'm a dentist and that I have a vested interest in your smiles, but this is one of those "don't hate the messenger" scenarios. We are told to dress for the job you want, and I hope it's not too cheesy to say, "smile for the life you want." Life is full of challenges, make sure your smile is one that opens doors, not one that closes them. Poor oral hygiene, if left unchecked, will reveal itself in your smile. If you are unhappy with your smile please visit a dentist and see what options you have for improving it. It might be easier than you think.
I have been at this for 8 years and I still feel the same amount of excitement for dentistry that I did when I started. Actually no, I feel way more excitement because now I have the confidence that only comes with experience. I love helping people through my talents as a dentist. There is rarely a day that I don't show up early or stay late to help someone in an emergency. I'm a dentist in a small town, that's my responsibility and privilege.
Smile Montana has experienced a lot of growth, and to maintain my vision of making it EASY to be in our care I've added some great Doctors and team members. There are exciting plans in the works for continued expansion throughout the Flathead Valley and beyond that I hope to share with you all soon. Thank your continued support!
Read First Impressions 2.0 by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS in 406 Woman magazine.