PODCAST · business
Dental Drills Bits
by Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue
Sandy Pardue of Classic Practice Resources & Dana Salisbury discuss issues facing the dental practice owner of today. This is the podcast where you will want a pen and paper to take notes on every single procedure, system, step by step process, and lessons Sandy shares that she has accumulated in 40 years. Enjoy the fun, laid-back vibe as things get real.Sandy is an energetic lecturer and consultant in the area of dental practice management. She is Director of Consulting with Classic Practice Resources and has over 40 years of "hands-on" experience.
Episodes
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How Much Dental Production Is Sitting in Your Unscheduled Treatment Report?
Could your dental practice be sitting on thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment? As 2026 comes to a close, dental practices are focused on production goals, patient scheduling, and preparing for 2027. But before looking for new patients or cutting expenses, what if some of your biggest...
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Who's More Important in a Dental Practice: Front Office or Clinical Team?
A Dentaltown post started a bigger conversation: A dentist wanted to bring back a former dental assistant, but a current front office employee didn't want her back. Then someone argued that the assistant was more important because she directly contributed to production. So, who is more valuable…
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Will AI & AEO Recommend Your Dental Practice?
AI is changing how patients search for dentists, but simply creating more content isn't enough. As AI-generated content floods the internet, credibility, expertise, and proof may matter more than ever. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue welcome Grace Rizza, founder...
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Should We Pay Employees to Show Up?
What if employees got a bonus simply for showing up? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy tackle a surprisingly controversial question: Should reliable attendance be rewarded, or is showing up on time simply part of the job? Sandy shares an attendance incentive she has used in...
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The Right Patients, the Right Marketing | Grace Rizza
Getting more dental leads isn't always the answer. The real goal is attracting the right patients and giving them a reason to choose your practice. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue welcome Grace Rizza, founder and CEO of Identity Dental Marketing, for a...
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The Employee Costing Your Dental Practice Its Best People
Every dental practice has probably had one. They're great at their job. Patients love them. They've been there forever. Maybe they even make the doctor's life easier. But behind the scenes, they gossip, intimidate coworkers, ignore rules, create drama, or make new employees feel like they'll…
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Part 3 of Systems. Staff. Training. | Your Team Isn't the Problem. Your Training Might Be.
You hired good people. You gave them a job description. Maybe you even told them to "go sit next to Jessica" for a few days. But did you actually train them? In the final episode of our Systems. Staff. Training. series, Dana and Sandy tackle the training gap inside dental practices and why...
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AI, Accountability & the Opportunities Hiding in Your Dental Practice | Cory Pinegar of REACH, Part 2
Technology can help your dental practice do more—but it shouldn't replace the human experience that keeps patients coming back. In Part 2 of our conversation with Cory Pinegar, CEO of REACH, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue continue the discussion about the future of the dental team, beginning with…
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Rethinking Dental Staffing: People, Technology & Creating Capacity | Cory Pinegar of REACH, Part 1
What if your staffing problem isn't simply about finding more people? In Part 1 of this special two-part Dental Drill Bits conversation, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue sit down with Cory Pinegar, CEO of REACH, to explore how dental practices can rethink staffing, training, technology, and the way...
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Part 2B of Systems. Staff. Training. | What Is Your Staffing Problem Really Costing You?
What does your staff really cost your dental practice? The answer goes far beyond payroll. In the Staff portion of our Systems. Staff. Training. series, Sandy and Dana look at staffing as a business investment. Being understaffed can mean missed calls, unfinished follow-up, rushed patient...
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Part 2A of Systems. Staff. Training. | What Is Your Staffing Problem Really Costing You?
What does your staff really cost your dental practice? The answer goes far beyond payroll. In the Staff portion of our Systems. Staff. Training. series, Sandy and Dana look at staffing as a business investment. Being understaffed can mean missed calls, unfinished follow-up, rushed patient...
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Part 1 of Systems. Staff. Training. | The Systems Problem You Didn't Know You Had
Every dental practice has systems—whether they're written down or not. In Part One of our special three-part series honoring Dr. Robert Westerman's 90th birthday, Sandy Pardue explores the first leg of Dr. Westerman's timeless philosophy: systems. Many practice owners believe their biggest...
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Sucktember Starts Long Before September
September has earned a bad reputation in dentistry, but is "Sucktember" really the problem? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Dana Pardue challenge the idea that a slow September is inevitable. Instead, they look at the systems behind treatment acceptance, unscheduled treatment, and...
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How Your Hiring Process Is Costing You Hygienists
Finding a great hygienist is difficult enough in today's market. The last thing your practice needs is a hiring process that unintentionally drives qualified candidates away. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Dana Pardue challenge one of the most common assumptions in dentistry…
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Are You Teaching Your Team Not to Think?
Episode Description Every dental practice wants employees who take ownership, solve problems, and think independently. But what if the biggest obstacle isn't your team—it's the way they're being led? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue explore the leadership habits...
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The Million-Dollar Follow-Up Problem
Every day, patients leave dental practices knowing they need treatment... yet many never schedule. The result? Health problems worsen, patients disappear, and practices unknowingly leave hundreds of thousands—even millions—of dollars in diagnosed treatment sitting unscheduled. In this episode of...
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Navigating No-Shows
Are broken appointments disrupting the flow of your dental practice and impacting your bottom line? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Michael and Sandy dive deep into a chronic challenge faced by many dentists: managing broken appointments. Sandy, drawing from her wealth of expertise, sheds...
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You Don't Have a Staffing Problem
Why do so many dental practices struggle with staffing, accountability, and turnover? According to Sandy Pardue, the issue may not be the team at all — it may be leadership. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy dive into the uncomfortable but necessary conversations around...
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The Hygiene Hiring Crisis
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Promoted… But Not Prepared: The Leadership Gap in Dentistry
Are we expecting people to lead… without ever teaching them how? In dental practices everywhere, strong team members are promoted into management roles—but without clear systems, protocols, or expectations, they're left to figure it out on their own. The result? Confusion, inconsistency, and...
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AI vs. Human: Who Should Answer Your Phones?
AI is changing the way dental practices operate—but should it replace the front desk? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy take a real, balanced look at AI receptionists in dentistry. From answering phones and scheduling appointments to managing patient communication, automation…
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Front Desk Chaos to Clarity
Front Desk Chaos to Clarity Episode Description: In this episode of The Dental Drill Bits Podcast, Sandy and Dana tackle one of the biggest front desk challenges in dental practices—how to maintain consistency and organization when multiple team members rotate through the same position. 🔄 One...
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New Dentist, Now What? Building the Business Side That Actually Works
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:0bb2d385-839d-4751-9f37-01e788c4bec9-3" data-testid= "conversation-turn-8" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> In this episode, we tackle one of the most...
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The Patients You Already Have: Closing the Back Door
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:0abb5bc4-797e-4a67-b715-7c1d8d36dac3-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-4" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> In this episode, we shift the focus from...
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Fairness in Practice: The Standard Your Team Is Watching
In this episode, we break down one of the fastest ways practices lose control—not from lack of systems, but from inconsistent enforcement of them. When policies are applied differently depending on the person, tenure, or situation, they stop being policies and start becoming suggestions. And your...
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The $150K Production Boost: Where the Growth Really Comes From - Part 1
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "request-WEB:19589dbd-236d-4144-b1a5-8ac24b2159e3-2" data-testid= "conversation-turn-6" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> n this episode of Dental Drill...
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The Documentation Gap: Personnel Files, Write Ups, and Protecting Your Practice
In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Dana discuss one of the most overlooked leadership systems in dental practices: documentation. Many practice owners believe conversations alone are enough to manage team performance, only to find themselves in difficult situations when there is no...
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The Raise Reset: Are You Rewarding Tenure or Trajectory?
What happens when a new doctor buys a practice… but the team expects the same automatic raises they've received for the last 20 years? Excitement meets resistance. Vision meets comfort. And compensation conversations get awkward fast. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy unpack…
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The ROI Obsession That's Costing You Growth
Dentists are trained to think in formulas. Spend X. Get Y. Measure it. Optimize it. So when marketing doesn't deliver immediate, perfectly trackable ROI, the reaction is often the same: turn it off. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy are joined by Grace Rizza, CEO of Identity...
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Clarity is Accountability
You introduce a new system. A new expectation. A new metric. And someone struggles. They're not aggressive. Not insubordinate. Not openly defiant. But they're hesitant. Slow. Guarded. Quietly pushing back. So the question becomes: Do we show empathy? Or do we hold accountability? In this episode,...
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When Letting Go Isn't Clear Enough
What happens when a termination feels clear to leadership—but not to the employee? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue Salisbury and Sandy Pardue unpack a surprisingly common scenario: an employee is told they're being let go, only to return to work days later like nothing happened....
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Why Dental Marketing Fails—and What Actually Works [Replay]
What if your marketing isn't the problem—but your expectations are? In this episode, Dana and Sandy welcome Grace Rizza, the powerhouse behind Identity Dental Marketing, to break down why most dental campaigns fall flat—and what actually works. From unethical agencies to underfunded ad budgets,...
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It's Procedural, Not Personal
Episode Description Most managers don't avoid tough conversations because they're hard. They avoid them because they're awkward. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy tackle the real-world issues that show up in nearly every dental practice: sloppy scrubs, chronic tardiness, missed...
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Making Numbers Matter
*]:pointer-events-auto scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" tabindex="-1" data-turn-id= "c2d61f3a-b2c8-4558-8e8c-d5c66bc4a21c" data-testid= "conversation-turn-6" data-scroll-anchor="true" data-turn= "assistant"> Episode Summary Tracking statistics does not...
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Patient Referrals Aren't Just Luck
Episode Summary Most dental practices don't actually have a referral problem — they have a system problem. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Salisbury break down why referrals don't happen by chance, how inconsistent service and communication quietly sabotage growth, and...
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[REPLAY] Annual Planning Power Moves: How to Build a Stronger Practice in 2026
Episode Summary In this strategic and energizing episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of practice stability and growth, your annual planning session. Together, they walk through the questions, metrics, team conversations, and leadership decisions...
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[REPLAY] The Pulse of the Practice: Balancing Team Energy and Measurable Success
In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy discuss the importance of measuring team energy and performance metrics in dental practices. They emphasize that while patient care is paramount, tracking statistics can enhance care quality and team morale. The conversation explores the…
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[REPLAY] Job Descriptions Might Be Costing You Great Hires
Episode Summary: In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Salisbury explore the often-overlooked power of a well-crafted job description. They explain why generic or outdated descriptions can set your practice up for failure—creating confusion, legal risk, and missed hiring...
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[REPLAY] Marketing Your Practice to Top Talent
Episode Summary: In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue tackle one of the most underestimated tools in the hiring process—your job ad. They explain why hiring should be treated like a marketing campaign and how your job postings either attract or repel the very people...
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[REPLAY] Marketing Can't Save You From a Bad Phone Call
You can have the best marketing strategy in the world, but if your phone skills are lacking, patients will walk. In this episode, Dana and Sandy get real about what happens when dental teams unknowingly drive callers away with poor phone habits, disconnection, or defaulting to "no." They walk...
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[Replay] Wasted Time, Open Time, and Maximizing Your Schedule
Episode Title: Wasted Time, Open Time, and Maximizing Your Schedule Episode Description: Welcome to another exciting episode of Dental Drill Bits! This week, Sandy Pardue is joined by a very special guest—Dana Pardue, the original co-host and HR business professional. Together, they kick off the...
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Dental Christmas Parties of Christmas Past
In this festive episode, Dana and Sandy unwrap the unforgettable world of dental office Christmas parties — the good, the chaotic, and the "HR-will-hear-about-this" kind of moments. From table fires to haunted hotels, over-served team members, questionable Ubers, party buses, shopping sprees, and...
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Annual Planning Power Moves: How to Build a Stronger Practice in 2026
Episode Summary In this strategic and energizing episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of practice stability and growth, your annual planning session. Together, they walk through the questions, metrics, team conversations, and leadership decisions...
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Why Some Dentists Love Dentistry (and Others Can't Wait to Leave)
In this eye-opening episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy Pardue tackle a topic few talk about openly — why some dentists genuinely love their profession while others can't wait to get out. Drawing from Sandy's experience consulting with over 600 dental practices, they reveal the defining...
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Breaking Down Walls: Communicating Without Conflict
In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy dive into one of the most challenging scenarios in any dental practice—when a team member refuses a task that's part of their role. Inspired by a real Dentaltown post, Sandy breaks down what's really behind these moments, from unclear...
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The Pulse of the Practice: Balancing Team Energy and Measurable Success
In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy discuss the importance of measuring team energy and performance metrics in dental practices. They emphasize that while patient care is paramount, tracking statistics can enhance care quality and team morale. The conversation explores the…
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When Negativity Spreads: How Complaining About Patients Hurts Your Practice Culture
💡 Episode Summary: In this week's episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue tackle a topic every dental team faces but rarely talks about — complaining about patients. What starts as harmless venting can quietly poison your team's morale and even drive productivity down. Dana…
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Navigating the Complexities of Hiring Associate Dentists
Episode Summary: In this episode, Dana Pardue Salisbury and Sandy Pardue unpack one of the most complex topics in dentistry: hiring an associate dentist. From knowing when your practice is truly ready to bring on another provider, to understanding why most associateships only last one to two…
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Rants, Reflections, and Real Customer Service Lessons
Episode Summary This week on Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy open up about real-world customer service experiences that prove just how important it is to put yourself in the patient's shoes. Dana kicks things off with her eye doctor visit, from tiny-font registration forms to confusing waiting...
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Hiring Series: The Job Offer Playbook
In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Salisbury continue their step-by-step Hiring Series with one of the most sensitive and risky steps: the job offer. Too many dental practices skip this or handle it haphazardly, leaving themselves open to misunderstandings, legal trouble,...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Sandy Pardue of Classic Practice Resources & Dana Salisbury discuss issues facing the dental practice owner of today. This is the podcast where you will want a pen and paper to take notes on every single procedure, system, step by step process, and lessons Sandy shares that she has accumulated in 40 years. Enjoy the fun, laid-back vibe as things get real.Sandy is an energetic lecturer and consultant in the area of dental practice management. She is Director of Consulting with Classic Practice Resources and has over 40 years of "hands-on" experience.
HOSTED BY
Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Dental Drills Bits have?
Dental Drills Bits currently has 292 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Dental Drills Bits about?
Sandy Pardue of Classic Practice Resources & Dana Salisbury discuss issues facing the dental practice owner of today. This is the podcast where you will want a pen and paper to take notes on every single procedure, system, step by step process, and lessons Sandy shares that she has accumulated in...
How often does Dental Drills Bits release new episodes?
Dental Drills Bits publishes regularly with 292 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Dental Drills Bits?
You can listen to Dental Drills Bits on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Dental Drills Bits?
Dental Drills Bits is created and hosted by Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue.
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