There is a shift in the way we practice when we get involved in CEREC dentistry. I am not talking about the obvious things, like providing single-visit crowns or not taking impressions, but a more subtle shift, which results in an opportunity which many of us miss. What I am referring to is the idea that we need to get patients in and out to be profitable. Suddenly, we are faced with time to mill and time in the oven, which gives us down time that we are just not used to. It is that down time that becomes our opportunity. Of course, there is always something to do to fill that time, like surf cerecdoctors.com, but let me make some suggestions that may take some getting used to. First, I never leave my patient alone in the treatment room during this down time. I offer to get them something that they might need, like their cell phone or see if they need to use the bathroom. If I absolutely must do something else, I keep the assistant who helped with the prep stage in the room. I like this consistency. In front of the patient, the room is tidied up, wiped down and made to look fresh. New instruments are put out and the patient gets a fresh, clean bib. This just shows a level of cleanliness that everyone likes and creates a feeling that we are looking after them in every way. I try to personally stay in the room as much as possible. I like to strike up a conversation about really anything that comes up. Most of the time it's not dental- related, which I actually prefer, as it helps to personalize their visit, allows us to get to know them if they are new to the practice or just chat with veteran patients. Many times the dialogue leads back to dentistry and often we are soon discussing further treatment that they might need. It can be difficult to slow things down enough to do this, but it can be very fulfilling. It makes a dental visit personal, interesting, and creates a great experience for the patient which goes beyond treatment rendered. More than that, it builds patient loyalty, which is an enormous asset to a practice in today's economy.