Dental Entrepreneurs and the Growth Journey with Perrin DesPortes: Next Level Executive

In this special roundtable episode of Simplified Dentistry, Dr. Murtuza Shah-Khan, Dr. Mustafa Shah-Khan and Dr. Richard Offutt are joined by dental industry veteran Perrin DesPortes (Co-Founder of Polaris Healthcare Partners) for a live Q&A-style discussion on leadership, group practice growth, mentorship, and the financial realities of scaling as a dental entrepreneur. Whether you're solo and curious about expansion, or navigating the transition from hands-on clinician to strategic CEO, this candid conversation delivers practical wisdom with humor and heart. Episode Navigation 01:35 – Defining leadership in solo vs. multi-site practices 04:30 – Communication as a leadership skill 06:50 – The clinical risk of inconsistent philosophy across associates 08:20 – Should I grow? Buy? Hire an associate? 11:00 – The income dip that comes with growth 14:00 – Coaching leadership & the value of credibility 16:45 – Hiring partners or assistants: when is it worth it? 20:30 – Mentorship as the core of transition 25:30 – Avoiding burnout in expansion 27:30 – Adding associates without adding ops: is it viable? 30:00 – Aligners, implants & specialty care to increase scope 33:00 – Is the wave of dental growth over? 35:00 – De novo strategy: build right, not fast 40:00 – Cannibalization as a de novo growth tactic 43:00 – Vetting consultants & calculating ROI Key Takeaways Leadership in Dentistry Leadership = creating greater results through others Communication systems (like regular huddles & team check-ins) are critical Trust is earned through consistency, clarity, and presence Dentists must move from "outworking" problems to developing others Growth Isn't Always Profitable—At First Adding an associate costs money before it makes money Mentorship is essential: teaching new doctors how to earn, not just practice Hiring team members (even assistants) can free up your time to lead Know your numbers before expanding—revenue, margins, capacity De Novo vs. Acquisition De novo can work—if you understand patient value, break-even points, and have a strategy Many group practices fail due to rushed build-outs and unrealistic expectations Cannibalizing part of your current practice to feed a new one can accelerate growth Aligner, sleep, and implant services can improve per-op revenue Meet Our Guest Perrin DesPortes Co-Founder of Polaris Healthcare Partners, executive coach, former dental industry executive, and trusted advisor to growth-minded dental entrepreneurs. Perrin specializes in helping practice owners transition into CEOs with clarity, confidence, and strategy. Featured Discussion Topics Clinician-to-CEO transitions Dental leadership development Associate onboarding & profitability Strategic expansion & de novo practices Avoiding burnout in multi-site ownership Evaluating consultants & coaching ROI Private equity trends & independent growth Connect With Simplify Dentistry 🌐 Website: simplifydds.com 👥 Facebook Group: Simplify Dentistry Community Topics: dental leadership, clinician to CEO, multi-site dentistry, dental expansion, mentorship, de novo practices, associate integration, practice management, dental consulting, financial strategy