Have you ever had a BHAG? You know, a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal”? Something that motivated you to dream big, try new things, and jump off of a few cliffs in hopes of landing somewhere great? I’ve been talking recently about E-School, my online endo continuing ed program for general dentists. And you know what? E-School was developed because of my BHAG: to decrease global healthcare costs.
Reducing Costs Across the Globe
Yes, I understand that this goal is audacious. But when you break down this BHAG into smaller segments, you can start to see how something as simple as an online endo continuing ed program can have global impact. (Read on for an exciting announcement about how I’m going international!)
Have you ever stopped to consider what a root canal retreatment means and what it equates to, financially speaking? One of the main objectives in creating my online endo continuing ed program was to reduce the number of retreatments worldwide.
The Cost of Tooth Pain
It all starts with pain, which usually results in a patient spending money on pain medication.
Then, they may take time off of work to go to the ER or a dentist. At that point, they have to cough up the money to pay for the root canal.
As time passes, that root canal may get infected, and then the patient is paying yet again for pain meds. When those don’t work, they head back to the ER or the dentist. From there, it’s often on to a specialist to have their root canal redone or extracted and replaced with an implant. And remember, this is all while having to take time off of work (yet again).
Is it Worth It?
When you do the math, you will see that this tooth pain (just for one tooth, mind you) could end up costing the patient around $5,000- $10,000, along with being miserable because of the pain.
For the price of a root canal retreatment, that same patient could check a vacation to Bora Bora off their bucket list (complete with an overwater bungalow), and it would be much more enjoyable. (If you know me or follow me on the ‘gram, you know just how much I value vacation and time with my family. I want the same thing for dental patients everywhere!)
What if this situation happened a lot less in the world? Well, that is why I am so passionate about providing online endo continuing ed, something that allows dentists to improve their root canal skills and avoid the need for retreatments. That is one of the driving forces behind E-School.
E-School Expansion into Japan
With my desire to reduce healthcare costs globally by providing an online endo continuing ed option, I am excited to announce that E-School is indeed going international! It has always been my dream to share this endodontic training with dental professionals in countries where they may not have the same access to education as I’ve had.
I am thrilled to be partnering with Dr. Yasuhiko Kamura, a Japanese endodontist who shares my passion for saving teeth and improving patient care by educating dentists. With the entire program translated into Japanese, dentists all over Japan can now join in our mission to save patients from pain, retreatments, and unnecessary expense.
In my practice, my motto is to treat the “problem tooth” completely so that the patient never has to think about that tooth ever again. My hope is that, after completing E-School, you can make my motto your own (and with some serious confidence!).
Investing in India & Canada
If you’ve connected with me on social, you know that we recently announced a scholarship opportunity for two general dentists to attend E-School Independent free of charge. (E-School Independent is the online endo continuing ed option, to complete at your own pace. Occasionally, I also offer E-School with Coaching. For more info on E-School and the different programs available, visit the E-School link on my website.)
I am excited to announce our two scholarship winners, and interestingly enough, both hail from countries other than my own! We will be offering free E-School to Dr. Sameer Gundavaram, in India, and Dr. Nav Brar, in Canada.
While these two winners earned the scholarships based on their stories, I thought that it was fitting that, just as we are starting to go international with E-School, our two scholarship recipients happen to be practicing in countries outside of the United States. My dream of helping patients in other countries avoid retreatments is coming true by helping the dentists who treat them.
If you’d like to know more about Dr. Gundavaram and Dr. Nav Brar, make sure you’re following me on Linked In, Facebook, or Instagram. (We’re posting pics and stories there.)
To Infinity and Beyond
We are slowly branching out with E-School International as our vision keeps on growing. While we are 100% committed to offering online endo continuing ed, our next goal is to provide live, hands-on education in local communities.
If you are a US-trained endodontist and you speak a language other than English, let us know here. We are looking for future partners as we take E-School to the next level and are accepting applications for additional coaches in a variety of locations.
Looking forward to what lies ahead!
-Sonia