Leave of Absence

It was 27 years ago today. On December 30, 1989, in Dublin, Ireland, U2 were near the end of their Lovetown tour. As the band began to play “Love Rescue Me”, Bono famously spoke the following words:  We’ve had a lot of fun over the last few months…Anyway, thanks for coming along. It wouldn’t have been the same without you…This is just the end of something for U2…It’s no big deal, it’s just — we have to go away and…and dream it all up again.

People who know me well know that I am a huge U2 fan. So what does this have to do with me and you too?

I will be taking on some great new professional challenges in 2017. The last few years, and the last twelve months or so in particular, have been great fun for me with my consulting business, The Dental Insiders, and this site. And just as Bono said, it wouldn’t have been the same without you.

So, I will be taking a leave of absence from these endeavors to focus my full attention on what lies ahead. It’s no big deal. It’s just – I’m going away for a bit to dream it all up again.

Luckily, I will remain in the dental industry and will be immersed in an exciting technology category. So for here, it is goodbye for now. And until we meet again, as always, thank you for reading.

5 Questions With StellaLife

In addition to working with up and coming companies as clients, I also enjoy just getting to know their leaders and sharing information about them on this site. I’ve recently become acquainted with Gennady Sirota, CEO of StellaLife. His company has recently introduced a number of innovative oral care solutions, and he has a great story to tell. So, I asked him a few questions about the company and its products, and he answered. Here are 5 questions with Gennady Sirota, CEO of StellaLife.

Michael Dunn: Tell us about StellaLife. What product(s) do you offer?

Gennady Sirota: StellaLife is a biotech company on a mission to stop the growing trend of pain medication and opioids abuse. We want to improve people’s lives and reduce, or in some cases completely eliminate, the need for narcotic drugs and other pain medication. VEGA Oral Care medicine is our first line of products for the dental market. It is formulated to temporarily reduce post-surgical dental pain, accelerate healing and promote optimum oral health, naturally.

The VEGA Oral Care portfolio uses homeopathic formulations that do not contain harmful chemicals or toxins and consists of 3 products: Recovery Kit, Gel and Rinse. The VEGA Oral Care Recovery Kit is formulated to reduce pain and accelerate post-surgical oral healing; the VEGA Oral Care Gel is formulated to reduce pain and accelerate healing after all common dental procedures and has been shown to temporarily relieve pain associated with oral ulcers, dry sockets and cold sores; the antibacterial VEGA Oral Care Rinse fights tooth decay, dry mouth, bad breath and optimizes healing in open wounds. When used regularly, the Gel and Rinse will promote exceptional oral health naturally, through a homeopathic approach that is an effective daily alternative to traditional products. The VEGA products have been scientifically proven by Dr. Jason Stoner and Dr. Walter Tatch to reduce pain, bruising and swelling, with a faster healing time.

MD: How did you start StellaLife? What was your “a-ha” moment?

GS: It was my own experience that gave me the purpose and passion to build StellaLife. I faced some serious dental health issues a few years ago when I had to undergo tooth extractions, bone grafting and implants. I wasn’t interested in using steroids and painkillers to manage my swelling and pain. My oral surgeon, Dr. Walter Tatch, wanted to help minimize my pain, so he sent me home with a natural product that he himself spent years developing to help his patients manage pain and heal faster. My mouth quickly healed after the surgery, and it was all without the use of any pain medications. I realized that this product can help so many people, especially those who do not want or cannot take pain medication full of chemicals and toxins. VEGA solutions can help young adults avoid drug intake following wisdom teeth extraction surgery. They can help the elderly to relieve pain and heal faster without having to worry about how painkillers will interact with their other medications. They can help recovering cancer patients with weak immune systems as well as individuals who are recovering from substance abuse. The list of people this solution can help is very long. As a result, I decided to dedicate my professional career to help build a company that could bring this impressive product to the pubic. After working extensively with pharmacists, chemists, medical doctors, a manufacturer and having case studies performed by an oral surgeon, periodontist and dentist on a number of volunteer patients that have proven efficacy, StellaLife’s VEGA Oral Care product line was officially brought into the market in summer 2016.

MD: What makes StellaLife unique compared to similar products?

GS: Better Formulations. Better Ingredients. Proven Efficacy. We are providing patient care and comfort by putting all natural, homeopathic ingredients into their bodies. We don’t create any other extra problems. Chemicals and toxins hurt you, they don’t help you. One of our objectives in bringing this homeopathic solution is to allow people to end, or at least significantly reduce, their intake of narcotic or other pain medications. The efficacy of our products is scientifically proven by dental professionals. They actually work and because they are homeopathic, following HPUS guidelines, they are safe for daily usage and do not interfere with other medications. As one of the clinicians who tested our product has stated, “We have yet to uncover the limitations of this solution,” and I am excited about the prospects of helping so many people.

MD: What trends do you think will have the biggest impact on the dental industry in the next 5 – 10 years?

GS: We want to help reverse the trend of pain medication and opioids abuse. We believe this is important because of an epidemic of abuse of painkillers and feel we can make a difference with this problem. If the current trend continues, there will be more people dying from pain killers than car accidents. Many kids and young adults try narcotics for the first time after wisdom teeth removal to control pain. Some of them get hooked and continue to use it. Our objective is to reverse this disturbing trend and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

We also need to increase awareness of the connectivity between oral health and systemic health. Our mouth is a window into the health, happiness and well-being of the rest of our body. Dental professionals and physicians will collaborate as oral conditions such as periodontal disease and oral cancer are linked to health conditions such as sleep disorders, heart and lung disease and diabetes, among others.

MD: What’s next for you and StellaLife? What can we look forward to?

GS: We will continue to build a successful, independent company that offers innovative solutions to bring health improvements to people now and in the future. We will offer natural, alternative products that will decrease the use of conventional addictive pain medication and instead promote a healthy mouth and optimize oral health care, as well as help ease pain and accelerate healing, all without side effects.

Thank you, Gennady, for participating in my “5 Questions With…” interview series. If you have questions of your own for Gennady and StellaLife, you can contact them via their website at stellalifehealing.com. As always, thank you for reading.

Breathing a Sigh of Belief

It is that hectic time of the dental year between the ADA, GNYDM, and the mad rush towards the end of the year. And with all that activity comes the inevitable pressures on marketing and sales teams to reduce costs, shorten sales cycles, and exceed Q4 and end of year goals. Yes, it’s a stressful (and fun) time!

However, in this mad rush, don’t make the mistake of making promises upon which your product or team cannot exceed. Ask yourself before you make your presentation or demo or whatever this one simple question: Can my prospects and customers breathe a sigh of belief?

We are all selling something, and we are all being sold to. Naturally, defenses are up. Are you genuine in your approach? Does your product or service over deliver on what you say it will do? Does your team over deliver? Does your brand truly embody its promise? Is your talk walking the walk of your organization’s mission and purpose?

If you can answer “yes” to these questions, then it’s a safe bet that what you have to offer and by extension, YOU, are believable. Your prospects and customers can breathe a sigh of belief. You can turn the conversation from one of selling and being sold to into something more meaningful, more challenging, and longer lasting. So, before that next “pitch”, take a moment to ask some questions of yourself. And breathe a sigh of belief.

As always, thank you for reading. I look forward to your feedback and comments on this article and the others on my site.