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Sleepy Hollow Dentist Wants to Make a Change by Arselia Gales, Assistant Editor, Dentaltown Magazine

As a dentist, you spend most of your time at your practice. It’s understandable that you might not get many opportunities to see what it’s like in another doctor’s office. That’s why we bring you an “office visit” six times a year. It’s a chance for you to meet with your peers, see their practices and hear their stories. This month we caught up with Dr. Tauseel Khan, a New York dentist practicing in a small town with a fun history. While he may not place crowns on the Headless Horseman, Dr. Khan does everything he can to share his talents with the people of Sleepy Hollow and the surrounding communities. Here’s his story.

OFFICE HIGHLIGHTS Name: Dr. Tauseel Khan, DDS Practice Name: Philipse Manor Dental Graduated From: University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine Practice Location: Sleepy Hollow, New York Practice Size: Two operatories Staff: Four dentists, two dental assistants, one front desk receptionist and one office manager

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What was the path you took to becoming a dentist? Dr. Khan: From a young age I wanted to be a doctor. Many of my family members were doctors, but no one in my family was a dentist. I chose dentistry because I wanted to help people in a different way and I found dentistry intriguing. I received my master’s degree in restorative dentistry in 1994 from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. I subsequently completed my fellowship in general dentistry at the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut, where I received in-depth training in hospital dentistry, including the management and treatment of patients with special needs, patients under IV sedation, and veterans at local VA hospitals. I built my practice around the principle of individualized care, and provide comprehensive services from preventive care to high-end esthetic and restorative dental work.

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Regarding your practice, how is it laid out? What’s the workflow like? Dr. Khan: Our office is located in a residential area in Philipse Manor, the heart of historic Sleepy Hollow, New York. Our practice is a remodeled portion of a house and the waiting area has a comfortable, living-room-like feel with a flat screen TV, Wi-Fi, and someone at the front desk always waiting to greet you. We are working toward making our office a “dental home,” with a focus on family dentistry, so there are toys and stuffed animals in the waiting room on days when children have appointments. We are a small office with just two operatories and a staff of eight people. We are working on getting a full-time pediatric dentist. Our workflow is very traditional and we utilize high-end software from DentiMax that makes the workflow more efficient. What is your practice philosophy? Dr. Khan: At Philipse Manor Dental, we genuinely value our patient relationships and believe in individualized care tailored to each patient’s unique needs. We strongly believe in the importance of community, and strive to give back through volunteer work and education in Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and the greater Westchester area of New York. We aim to make care convenient, professional, and affordable—so that we can best serve the needs of a diverse and exceptional community. In short, we want to provide affordable, excellent care. What do you do to help set the practice apart from others? Dr. Khan: We offer individualized service and take the time to explain treatment options and outcomes to our patients. We communicate with our patients and explain what can realistically be delivered in regard to their expectations. We talk to patients and hear what they have to say, which I find rare these days. We set aside time for people to come and talk to us and understand what is going on. We don’t believe in “quick fixes.” To further improve my patient care, I recently upgraded my DentiMax software to include their certified electronic health records (EHR) module. This has really helped me organize the complete medical histories for my patients and improved my

TOP PRODUCTS •

DentiMax Practice Management. I use this for treatment planning, submitting claims, and to communicate with my patients and referring dentists. The software is extremely efficient and easy to use. I just added their ONC Certified Electronic Health Records and am using it to record more comprehensive medical histories for my patients.

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DentiMax Dream Sensor. This is a great digital sensor that produces sharp images—the diagnostic quality is excellent. I’ve noticed that it has a thinner profile than other sensors which provides a higher level of comfort to my patients. I also like the way they integrated their practice management and imaging software. They have made it super easy to view X-rays inside the clinical chart which is nice when it comes time to treatment plan.

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SybronEndo Rotary Endodontics System. We do a significant number of root canals and (the rotary system) basically makes it more efficient and accurate for the provider as well as the patient.

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Luxatemp Automix Plus by DMG. A product I love using for temporary crowns and bridges. Very convenient. Fairly esthetic. And very easy and comfortable for the doctor as well as the patient.

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Enhance Finishing and Polishing System by Dentsply CAULK. It just gives a really brilliant finish and esthetic to the composites that we place.

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quality assurance (QA). From recording patient medical histories, to scheduling post op’s, to tracking patients that I refer out, and recording comprehensive exam information—the EHR software has helped me improve the care I provide. In addition to the comprehensive patient services we offer, Philipse Manor Dental is proud to work with local schools and organizations to provide workshops and presentations to Westchester kids and teens. Philipse Manor Dental is a participant in Donated Dental Services (DDS), a national program through which dentists see patients for comprehensive dental care who otherwise would not be able to afford it. We also plan to sponsor contests and scholarship programs designed to help kids learn about healthy teeth and gums—while offering them the opportunity to win tablets and further their educational goals. What are your favorite marketing techniques? How do you get the word out about your practice? Dr. Khan: Word of mouth and trust are the most important things when it comes to marketing our practice. We are slowly incorporating technology and Internet in our marketing campaigns, and growing our Web presence. We advertise in local journals and are involved with large and small businesses. We also are implementing a referral program with nonprofit organizations. What do you think is the biggest problem dentists face today? Dr. Khan: [It’s] the disconnect between the patient and the insurance provider and/or the office created by the lack of understanding their insurance plans. The office has to work so much harder to explain to patients what they should expect from insurance. The subscriber should be educated. I also think that outside agencies defining the patient-and-dentist relationship is very troubling. Continued on p. 66

Dr. Tauseel Khan and Dr. Andrea Pucci

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Continued from p. 64

“Dental offices need to be more progressive and they should be more creative in their marketing and come across as more approachable to patients.”

What is your technique philosophy? Dr. Khan: It is imperative to be equipped and educated in the latest technology. I’m a member of ADA, the 9th District Dental Society and NYSDA, and I always want to raise the bar for myself. I take many more continuing-education courses than the state requires. This helps me learn about new materials and techniques that are routinely incorporated in the practice to raise the bar and improve the oral health of our patients. What is the greatest advancement of change you have seen during your tenure as a dentist? Dr. Khan: Internet and technology (from digital imaging to practice management). Different manufacturers have developed technology to provide amazing materials that help in the delivery of excellent dentistry. The Internet brings a more educated consumer to the office who understands different aspects of comprehensive and esthetic dentistry. The Internet also is an amazing marketing tool. With technology, the aspect of digital imaging and practice management brings the office experience to another level. What would you like to see dentistry do in terms of the way it operates as a profession in the next five to 10 years? Dr. Khan: Dental offices need to be more progressive and they should be more creative in their marketing and come across as more approachable to patients. I would like to see more dental education workshops teach patients about dental health and insurance benefits, thus helping patients maximize their benefits. What is your favorite procedure? Dr. Khan: My favorite procedures are within restorative dental work—including restoring implants and all aspects of esthetic dentistry. I like giving someone a healthy, functional and beautiful smile.

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Describe your most successful or rewarding experience in your professional life. Dr. Khan: I would have to say that doing dentistry free of charge—changing someone’s smile and improving his or her oral health—is the most rewarding. We’re developing a program with local nonprofit organizations where a certain percentage of the revenue from their referrals can go to that organization. I enjoy working with Donated Dental Services and with the Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry, New York. I want to do a lot for my community and believe everyone should somehow have access to excellent dental treatment.

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How did you learn about Dentaltown? What do you like the most about Dentaltown? Dr. Khan: My friend told me about Dentaltown a couple of years ago. I enjoy the online community. Dentaltown is extremely informative in terms of the latest that is happening in the world of dentistry, from marketing to trends and everything in between. It covers a lot and I think at one point every dentist has heard of it. n

OTHER PRODUCTS Bonding Agents • DENTSPLY CAULK Prime & Bond NT • Kerr Burs • NeoDiamond • Brasseler Cements • Nexus – Kerr • Ketac – 3M ESPE Impression Materials • PVS (polyvinyl siloxane) • PerfectIM system – J. Morita • Aquasil by DENTSPLY Patient Financing • CareCredit Restoratives • All-ceramic crowns • Full zirconia crowns • 3M Filtek (composites) Technology • DentiMax Practice Management • DentiMax Digital Sensors Other • 3M ESPE retraction capsule • Caries Detector Kuraray

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