Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dr. Michele Bishop. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dr. Bishop, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I have been in the dental field for over 30 years, I started as a dental assistant, fell in love with teeth and the difference dentistry makes in peoples lives and went back to school to be a dentist. I have practiced general dentistry for 24 years and have done all the routine procedures from tooth colored fillings to removing teeth and restoring implants. What I found after Covid was what many businesses experienced, increased overhead and difficulty retaining team members but my patients remained my constant. While I love teeth, I love the people they are attached to just as much, the relationships built with them are what keep me going. Especially after Covid, I found many of my patients were frustrated with health care in general and they began asking me questions about their overall health as their medical providers were so overwhelmed with the pandemic. It was then that I decided to take my practice to a wellness centered approach. Instead of looking only at the teeth, I began to really spend time with patients asking more in depth questions about their medical health than the usual medical form most dentists use. We began having discussions about their medical conditions and how their oral health impacts and plays a role in their overall health. The mouth is the gateway to the body after all. Everything we eat, swallow and inhale is transmitted to the body via different portals. I began having conversations with their medical providers and specialists so that we could partner together and provide the patient with the best outcome not only for their mouth and teeth but for their health and longevity. These types of appointments are more in depth, take longer than the “usual 6 month check up” and really establish a partnership with the patient. It has been a remarkable change in my practice. It was certainly a risk as to whether my patients would be open to the change but I have found that so many are so appreciative that someone is listening to their needs and helping them to communicate them to their medical providers. Wellness dentistry has been a game changer for me, it has renewed my passion for dentistry and how impactful it is in peoples lives.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am native Texan, born and raised in Brownsville, TX. Growing up in the seventies there were not many female dentists but there happened to be one in town and I was lucky enough to be a patient in her practice. I was mesmerized by the office and how happy everyone was in it. I enjoyed going to the dentist which was a good thing because I had some major dental problems, not from a cavity/pain perspective but from a growth and development issue. I went on to have braces twice and two major jaw surgeries to correct the problems. The outcome of the surgery changed my life, I went from hiding my smile to smiling bigger in every photo. It was then that I knew I want to be a part of this profession and give people their confidence back through their smile. I think what sets me apart from most dentists is I GET IT – I understand dental pain, I understand and have been embarrassed of my smile – when you have been there it is second nature to understand and have empathy from where people are coming from with their fear and anxiety. I enjoy speaking to patients who are afraid of dental work and letting them know their past experiences are valid but reassuring them there are ways to overcome it. My office core values are lived everyday in helping people through our integrity driven treatment, our happy vibes and our devotion to Smiles.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I had to unlearn in private practice was that dental insurance was the end all, be all for patients. Dental insurance is not like medical insurance it is more like a discount plan. It is frustrating for the patient and for the providers and the insurance companies in general do as much as possible to avoid paying out benefits for the patients who are paying their premiums. I really had to step back and educate our patients on the difference with dental insurance; for instance if you break your arm, your medical insurance will pay for it to be cast, if you break the same arm in 3 months, 6 months, 2 years from now they will pay for it usually regardless of when it was last broken. Dental insurance does not work the same, if you break a tooth or have a cavity, insurance will help you with part of the cost but if it happens to the same tooth again they won’t pay for it based on whatever your employer who provides the benefits determined was a good length of time. Sometimes that time limit can be 2 years! I’m not sure how or why this came to be but it is certainly a deterrent to maintaining good oral health. We help our patients file their insurance and we follow up with the insurance for payment but our treatment recommendations are based solely on what is best for the patients oral health not on what the insurance may or may not cover. We also provide in house membership plans for patients that don’t have insurance so that they may receive the dental care they need.

Any advice for managing a team?

My team is my greatest resource! Our core values include Happy Vibes and they are the ones that bring it on the daily. My dream was always to have a practice that was light and joyful and that people would refer to as a hidden gem. Without a strong team behind you that’s a tall order to deliver. I believe each one of my team members feels invested in the practice, I am transparent about the business side with them, I take time out of our regular business hours to have a scheduled meeting every week for feedback and growth and development and yes, a little fun. It’s hard working in a dental practice in any role. Not many business can say that lots of people come in every day and say they hate being there, it can wear on you emotionally. So to keep morale up we celebrate each other, we celebrate our patients and we find the joy in the little things. If we can find a reason to throw a party it happens, sometimes many times a month. It keeps things light, it doesn’t have to be extravagant – it just has to be meaningful and sincere. If an issue comes up it is quickly addressed at our weekly meetings, we don’t allow things to fester and steal our joy. We spend more time with each than with our own families, so why would you want to dread coming to work?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ingramhillsdental.com
• Instagram: @drmichelebishop @ingramhillsdental
• Facebook: Ingram Hills Dental