837: Are You Playing Checkers or Chess With Patients? – Dr. Jim McKee

If dentistry were a game, it’s checkers and chess. But how do you know when a case is one or the other? To help you win no matter which game you're playing, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Jim McKee, founder of Chicago Study Club, to share how to distinguish simple from complex cases so you can increase treatment success. Stop playing chess with the rules of checkers! To learn how to master the game you're playing, listen to Episode 837 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. McKee:Send Dr. McKee an email: [email protected] Join Dr. McKee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.mckee.104Register for Dr. McKee’s Occlusion in Everyday Practice seminar (April 11-12, 2025): https://campus.speareducation.com/in-person-seminars/occlusion-in-everyday-practice/details/syllabusRegister for Dr. McKee’s Advanced Occlusion workshop: https://campus.speareducation.com/workshops/advanced-occlusion/details/syllabusRegister for Dr. McKee’s occlusion seminar: https://campus.speareducation.com/seminars/demystifying-occlusion-1/details/syllabusRegister for Dr. McKee’s TMD Online course: https://courses.phelandentalseminars.com/tmd-pdsLearn about Chicago Study Club: https://chicagostudyclub.comMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 837: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosMain Takeaways:Know whether your cases are like checkers or chess. Is it simple or more complex?Learn how to give patients realistic expectations when discussing treatment.Become a physician of the masticatory system, not just a tooth carpenter.Develop your occlusion and TMD skill sets to boost practice growth.No one wants to do TMD and occlusion. So, be the one to do it!Occlusion and TMD are in more demand than you realize.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.0:55 Playing chess versus playing checkers.5:51 Frame your patients’ expectations.10:00 Learn about occlusion and TMD.16:44 Don't play chess with the rules of checkers.23:26 Change how you talk to patients.29:03 The fastest way to boost your practice.32:04 Occlusion and TMD isn't as difficult as you think.36:43 Final thoughts.39:30 Dr. McKee’s future courses and Chicago Study Club.Dr. Jim McKee Bio:Dr. Jim McKee is a member of the Spear Resident Faculty. He has maintained a private practice since 1984 in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he treats a wide variety of cases with a focus on predictable restorative dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and former president of the American Equilibration Society. He has lectured both nationally and internationally for over 25 years and directs several study clubs. Dr. McKee graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 and earned his dental degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1984. (Audio) (Need to update timestamps)836: 3 Reasons to Stop Adding Chairs – Christina ByrneGrowth can be exciting. But bigger isn't always better! To explain why you should think twice before adding more chairs, Kirk Behrendt brings back Christina Byrne, ACT’s director of operations, with advice for maximizing the chairs, patients, and time that you already have. Get better, not bigger! To learn the right questions to ask yourself before trying to expand, listen to Episode 836 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Christina:Send Christina an email: [email protected] Send Gina an email: [email protected] Email the ACT Team for their free resources: [email protected] More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 836: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosDownload ACT’s GAPs At a Glace resource: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/47%20The%20Financial%20GAPs%20at%20a%20Glance%20-%2005.pdfDownload ACT’s PPO Roadmap resource: https://23476641.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/23476641/ACT%20Dental%20PPO%20Roadmap.pdfMain Takeaways:Bigger isn't necessarily better for your practice.Understand and correct your practice’s inefficiencies.Start by maximizing the use of chairs you already have.Stick to your blocked schedule to keep your hours profitable.Reactivating existing patients is easier than attracting new ones.Put a system in place to increase your date-of-service collections.Be clear about why you want to expand. What are your motivations?Avoid unnecessary overhead expenses. What is the cost of expansion?Snippets:0:00 Introduction.0:41 Why this is an important topic.7:38 Maximize the utilization of chairs you have.10:07 Honor your blocked scheduling.10:43 Figure out how to reactivate patients.11:35 Have everyone be accountable to their schedules.13:35 Track hygiene reappointment percentage.14:58 Know exactly what you're writing off.17:13 Collect at least 99% of net production.19:32 Give people grace when changing your systems.20:24 Avoid unnecessary overhead expenses.22:32 Expand for the right reasons.22:56 Think about the tangible and intangible costs of expansion.26:34 Final takeaways.Christina Byrne Bio:Christina Byrne has been involved in dentistry since 1985. Over the years,...