DOCS Interview with National Geographic’s, Hazen Audel: How Primal Survival Skills Translate to Dentistry

In a recent interview with Dr. Silverman, television presenter and adventurer Hazen Audel discusses how running a successful dental practice requires perseverance, resourcefulness, and an understanding of your environment – much like surviving in the wilderness.

By Genni Burkhart

In a recent interview with Dr. Silverman, Hazen Audel discussed his work as a biologist, educator, adventurer, wilderness guide, and host of the National Geographic television series Primal Survivor, as well as other adventure series found on Disney +, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and the National Geographic channel.

Audel is a Kootenai and Salish Native American who documents his adventures in remote locations and how to survive remote indigenous life. In addition to traveling worldwide for over two decades, Audel has spear-fished in the Western Pacific Coral Islands and herded reindeer in Norway. Born and raised in Spokane, WA, Audel taught biology and art for 11 years at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane. An enthusiastic biologist and natural history guide, he also founded The Wild Classroom, an online non-profit web series that offers teachers and students access to natural history educational videos.

In this home study course that qualifies DOCS Members for 1.5 CE hours, Audel compares the harsh environment of the wilderness with the demands of running a successful dental practice with DOCS Education president and founder Dr. Michael Silverman.

Much like surviving in the wilderness, running a successful dental practice requires perseverance, resourcefulness, and an understanding of your environment.

Fire Compared to Your Reputation as a Dentist

Dr. Silverman and Audel first dive into how you need fire to survive in the wilderness, the same symbolic fire your business needs for a stellar reputation. The reputation of your dental practice is essential, and stoking the fire of your practice requires perseverance.

To strengthen your reputation:

  • Answer questions for potential clients in the local newspaper.
  • Ask happy clients to leave Google reviews so that you start to build up your name.
  • Consider working with influencers and providing them with services to get referrals.
  • Get the word out through professional interactions with colleagues.
  • Be active in the community.

Drinkable Water Compared to Staffing Your Dental Practice

Thriving with loyal and capable team members is similar to the vital importance of water. Building a great team is critical to a well-run dental practice. When you have an employee that is a 'bad egg,' it can drag down your entire team. While removing bad eggs is important, giving your employees a chance to get into the team spirit is also essential. Criticize in private and praise in public to help keep good morale. In addition, you need to provide your employees with the following:

  • Recognition
  • Challenges
  • Room for Growth
  • Rewards

Understand your staff and what "speaks" best to them. For example, when finding water, Audel highlights they sometimes work in very remote and dry places. Therefore, everyone has to be incredibly hard-working, capable, and passionate. As Dr. Silverman notes, it's the same for a dental practice; working under pressure in sometimes stressful situations requires passion and knowledge from everyone on staff for success.

Foraging for Food Compared to Foraging for Clients

Much like foraging for food, finding new business and discovering the "low-hanging fruit" requires skills and resources to forage for new patients. An example of "low-hanging fruit" in your business is patients who haven't been active in 18 months or more, leading to a reactivation campaign.

That's why your website is your No. 1 tool. Pay attention to the metrics, feedback, and data your website provides. It should tell your story and set you apart. In addition, dental practices need to use website retargeting as it is the least expensive, most effective way to target your marketing. This feature reminds patients of their interest in your dental services.

The most successful dental practices spend 4-10% of gross income on marketing. Invest a percentage of your income in advertising and marketing. Treat marketing like the vital resource it is. Make sure to work your referral list. Ask your best clients for referrals, as these are the ones you want on your schedule.

For some dentists, "food," or patients, can be hard to find. Dentists must have the confidence and the drive to do the hard work themselves and be their most prominent spokespersons. You have to put your feelers out everywhere.

Learning to Tie a Knot: New Skills Make You a Better Dentist

Like tying knots for wilderness survival, learning new techniques in dentistry makes you more efficient and adaptable.

You are skilled when you know your knots and can tie them with your eyes closed. Keep your dental practice from getting stuck on a plateau. Stay current and keep growing with your clients.

Consider adding the following:

  • Implant Dentistry
  • A growing dental technology
  • Treating sleep apnea
  • Adding sedation dentistry to your practice
  • Adhesion and ceramic dentistry

With the analogy of tying knots, you might know specific applications and don't need to know every single knot, but you're always learning and looking to stay current.

You can't expect one knot to apply to all conditions and clients. Inspire yourself to try new things and become proficient in the latest applications. Don't get stuck in always being comfortable. Become a lifelong learner!

"Weapons" are an Arsenal for Your Practice

Weapons are a prime defense in nature and business, such as making a "weapon" to ward off competition by creating your particular dental practice niche.

To create a niche "weapon," you don't need to create a new website if your site is already converting clients well and has a solid traffic stream. However, a secondary website in the following niches is an excellent way to build your business.

  • Geriatrics (growing area)
  • Implant dentistry (lucrative, popular)
  • Pediatric (lucrative)
  • Sleep apnea (growing area)
  • IV sedation (pinnacle, can be done very safely)
  • Cosmetic dentures (productive niche market)
  • Dentures (growing market)
  • Special needs (adults and children, high demand)
  • Robotic dentistry (investment, fascinating future)

Building a Shelter

When it comes to survival, the biggest killer is exposure. That's why it's critical to build a "shelter" for your staff and patients to find a welcoming, safe, clean, and inviting environment.

Much like using all available resources in the wild, the effort and time you invest in your practice (shelter) will protect you for years. In comparison to your dental practice, it's how your office becomes a safe place for staff and clients. Pay attention to clutter, smells, and how you communicate with patients. Most importantly, pay attention to the details because your patients certainly will.

What makes clients comfortable:

  • A clean space
  • Dental instruments out of view 
  • Nice break area
  • Clean, fresh, and odor-free air

Learn Equipment Before Needed

This comparison is easy to transfer into your dental practice. Getting familiar with new instruments makes appointments go better. Know how to use all your equipment in advance so that you (and all of your staff) are well-informed and experienced in times of emergency.

Also, prepare by making your entire office ready for emergencies. Contact local EMS to conduct drills in your office. It's also essential to learn (and practice) the 10-minute codes.

Keep an updated emergency drug log to know medications aren't expired. Log all emergency drugs and keep your oxygen tanks full. Check your oxygen supplies on a regular monthly basis and have readily available tanks full in the operatory.

The Snake

Audel uses a video that shows him discovering a giant python on their path while in the remote wilderness. Your competitors are similar to the threat a predator snake poses in the wild and what happens when you cross paths.

Competition isn't bad in dentistry, but it deserves respect. In survival, you have to respect predators. Understand that some things are dangerous, but the competition is not.

You must understand how to remove the danger for your group and keep your team safe. Safety training for emergencies is part of preparing the dental practice, such as ACLS and PALS training.

Bees and Honey for Your Practice

Have you ever had an extraction that goes way over the expected timeframe? Audel advises going for the most "honey," even in the most precarious situations. Foraging for honey is similar to daily problem-solving.

Audel shares a clip where he gathers honey in a cave on a ledge and compares it to challenges dentists might face in their practice. Every successful dental practice has challenges they have to overcome. How you handle these helps define your practice. The chances you take will determine how much "honey" you'll get.

Discover Your Tribe

Lastly, Audel and Dr. Silverman discuss tribal survival and how your dental practice is just that, your tribe. Specifically, your tribe members are essential to your success and need support to thrive. Furthermore, they require your effort and energy to sustain a healthy tribe.

Leaders must understand their tribe, nurture the ones who need help, provide a safe environment, and find common goals. Find colleagues and mentors with whom you can bounce ideas and experiences to help you continue growing.

A good tribe has positive energy and shared goals and can easily make accommodations in emergencies. A good tribe leader maximizes talent and nurtures those needing help. Your dental practice should be a safe space for everyone, patients and staff alike.

In Conclusion

As Dr. Silverman wraps up this interview, Hazen Audel is off to dig out (and sleep in) a snow cave on a Northern Wisconsin Indian Reservation, where he's teaching youth wilderness survival and environmentalism. While you might not be ready for that level of wilderness survival, you can easily view this entire session as part of DOCS Education's Elite Learning Series on how wilderness survival translates into a healthy, thriving, and successful dental practice.

If you want to watch the full interview with Dr. Michael Silverman and Hazen Audel, this online course qualifies for 1.5 CE hours. Members and Trial members get free access for the first 60 days here.

Purchase of this course grants access for one year. It requires an internet connection, a computer with video and audio capabilities, and in some cases, Adobe Reader to view handouts and articles.

You can download this course and watch it anywhere using the DOCS APP. Get it on Google Play or the Apple Store.

If you're not yet subscribed to receive the Incisor newsletter, filled with cutting-edge dental news sent directly to your inbox twice a month, you can do so here.

Author: With over 13 years as a published journalist, editor, and writer Genni Burkhart's career has spanned politics, healthcare, law, business finance, technology, and news. She resides on the western shores of the idyllic Puget Sound, where she works as the Editor in Chief for the Incisor at DOCS Education out of Seattle, WA.

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