The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

When insurance drives patient conversations, treatment decisions can shift away from health needs and toward coverage limits. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Carlie Einarson, dental practice coach, about changing the way teams discuss insurance, treatment, and patient value. You will learn how insurance-first language affects trust and profitability, which metrics reveal the financial impact of PPO participation, and how to lead with relationships and clinical recommendations instead of benefits. To help patients choose your practice for the care you provide rather than your participation on an insurance list, listen to Episode 1072 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Insurance-centered conversations can cause patients to base treatment decisions on coverage rather than their health needs.Repeatedly mentioning insurance trains patients to view it as the primary decision-maker.PPO adjustments create an effort gap between a practice’s full fee and the amount it ultimately collects.Teams should explain the patient’s condition, recommended treatment, and value of care before discussing benefits.Insurance should be positioned as a benefit that may contribute toward treatment rather than determine treatment.Practices need to track their adjustment and write-off percentages before making informed decisions about PPO participation.Relationship-based conversations help patients choose a practice because they trust the team and the care it provides.Snippets:00:00 When insurance drives the conversation, value gets lost.01:19 Introduction to Metric Mondays and Carlie Einarson.02:32 Why insurance-centered conversations affect treatment decisions.03:37 How practices unintentionally create insurance-focused patients.04:15 Signs that insurance is driving conversations in the practice.05:43 How PPO write-offs create an effort gap.07:25 A relationship-based response to insurance questions.09:07 What insurance conversations look like when a practice gets them right.10:44 Track adjustments, write-offs, and the practice’s effort gap.11:16 Why trust and value should guide patient decisions.13:33 Questions teams can ask to evaluate insurance-focused language.15:09 Create value before discussing price or benefits.15:47 Share the episode with the team and discuss a different approach.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Carlie Einarson is a lead practice coach who has a passion for helping others succeed in the dental field. She loves helping to create a stable foundation for practices so both professionals and patients have a great experience every time they walk in the door!Carlie graduated from Utah College of Dental Hygiene. She has ten years of experience in the dental field, including clinical dental hygiene, front office, and leading teams.In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, skiing, playing volleyball, and golfing.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Finger-pointing is often a sign that team members do not have clear ownership of essential practice responsibilities. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Charlene Marques, an ACT Dental coach, about using a function accountability chart to clarify roles, establish measurable accountability, and prevent important tasks from slipping through the cracks. You will learn how consistent reporting, scorecards, and one-on-one feedback can reduce conflict and help team members understand how to succeed in their roles. To create clearer ownership throughout your practice, listen to Episode 1071 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Finger-pointing is usually a symptom of unclear ownership and accountability.A lack of clarity can cause missed follow-ups, aging insurance claims, unsigned treatment plans, ordering mistakes, and scheduling problems.Leaders often respond to unclear accountability by fixing problems themselves, double-checking work, and micromanaging team members.A function accountability chart defines the practice’s major functions, the seats within each function, and the responsibilities assigned to each seat.The responsibilities of each seat should be defined before assigning a person to that seat.Scorecards and key performance indicators help teams identify whether a function is on track or off track.Regular one-on-one conversations provide timely feedback and allow leaders to coach team members throughout the year.Snippets:00:00 Intro02:00 Finger-pointing is a symptom of unclear ownership and accountability.04:17 Common language that reveals an ownership gap.05:00 Operational problems caused by unclear responsibilities.06:10 How practice leaders become fixers and micromanagers.08:21 The purpose of a function accountability chart.09:44 Why the person should be assigned to the seat last.11:00 Creating a consistent rhythm of reporting and feedback.12:00 Using a 90-day scorecard to track functional health.13:47 Tracking insurance aging and outstanding claims.15:24 Why annual performance reviews do not provide enough feedback.16:34 Structuring regular one-on-one check-ins.18:18 How consistent meetings build trust and develop leaders.19:24 Three requirements for reducing finger-pointing.20:21 Function accountability chart and scorecard resources.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:With over 20 years of experience in the administrative side of dentistry, Charlene has become a trusted coach and partner for dental practices looking to reach their full potential. Throughout her career, she has had the privilege of helping many dentists turn their visions into reality, creating streamlined systems and protocols that empower both the practice and its team. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the success of a practice as it grows and thrives through thoughtful planning and execution.Outside of work, Charlene enjoys quality time with her husband and their two rescue pets - Ruby, a sweet cat and Harley, a loyal dog. She also cherishes visits to sunny Florida where she spends time with her sister and niece, making the most of family moments whenever possible.With a passion for helping others achieve their goals, Charlene is dedicated to providing exceptional guidance and support to dental practices, ensuring their success for years to come.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://[email protected] resources: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/

Moving away from insurance can create fear for dentists who worry patients will leave, the team will resist, or production will suffer. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Troy Schmedding, a private practice dentist in Walnut Creek, California, to explain how he transitioned out of insurance participation, rebuilt his practice around quality and communication, and created more control over how he practices. You will learn why team alignment matters, how to communicate insurance changes with patients, and why quality and customer service are essential for an out-of-network model. To learn how one dentist reclaimed control by ditching insurance and prioritizing quality, listen to Episode 1070 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dentists often struggle to leave insurance because of fear and self-limiting beliefs about whether their patients will stay.A practice can become less busy but more productive when it is well-managed and focused on quality care.Going out-of-network requires strong communication with the team and with patients.Patients respond better when the conversation focuses on quality of care rather than complaints about insurance companies.Billing insurance on behalf of patients remains an important customer service step after leaving insurance networks.Patient referrals can become stronger when existing patients value quality, service, and the practice model.A successful out-of-network practice depends on having a team that supports the doctor’s vision and communicates well with patients.Snippets:00:00 Introduction to Dr. Troy Schmedding and the topic of moving away from insurance.01:09 Kirk introduces Dr. Schmedding and the Best Practices Show.04:15 Dr. Schmedding explains how insurance reimbursement cuts influenced his decision-making.06:51 Fear and self-limiting beliefs keep dentists from changing their insurance model.10:49 Team alignment is necessary before making major insurance changes.13:54 Referrals shift when patients understand and value the practice model.15:06 Dr. Schmedding shares his perspective on dentists’ frustration with Delta Dental.17:54 Kirk and Dr. Schmedding discuss the future of out-of-network private practice.21:28 Dr. Schmedding explains what dentists often misunderstand about his practice model.23:00 Dr. Schmedding discusses his upcoming Smile Source Exchange presentation.24:54 Final thoughts & ClosingGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Troy Schmedding is a honors graduate of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. He maintains a private practice in Walnut Creek, Ca. where he focuses on aesthetic and functional dentistry. An Accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, he lectures both nationally and internationally on aesthetics and restorative materials. He has also written and published numerous articles on restorative materials and protocols in numerous dental magazines. Dr Schmedding also serves as a Key Opinion Leader for numerous manufacturers helping develop and bring new products to market.Resources mentioned in this episode:Dr. Troy Schmedding on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troyschmeddingdds/Smile Source Exchange: https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Sharing numbers with the team can feel difficult for dentists who worry that data will seem cold, corporate, or disconnected from patient care. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, dental hygienist and coach, to explain why sharing metrics feels so hard and how to make those conversations productive, consistent, and patient-centered.You will learn how to connect KPIs to patient outcomes, reduce defensiveness around data, and help your team understand how their roles affect the health of the practice and the patients you serve. To learn how to make metrics a healthier part of your leadership, listen to Episode 1069 of The Best Practices Show!Main TakeawaysDentists often struggle more with managing and leading people than with the clinical side of dentistry.Data conversations become difficult when the team only hears about numbers during problems or emergencies.Metrics feel cold when leaders discuss production and collections without connecting them to patient care.Reappointment percentage reflects whether patients are staying on track with preventive care.Treatment acceptance shows whether patients understand the value of recommended care and are moving forward with treatment they want or need.Perio visit percentage helps teams see whether they are proactively addressing periodontal disease.Leaders can make data easier to discuss by explaining what each metric measures, what systems affect it, and how improvement benefits the patient experience.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:13 Meet Miranda Beeson02:27 Miranda explains why many practice owners hesitate to share data.05:27 What happens when practices do not review numbers with the team.06:52 Why KPI reporting can feel like it is only about making more money.10:22 What it looks like when leaders introduce KPIs well.11:10 KPI Examples That Matter14:34 Kirk discusses the compounding effect of stronger perio visit percentages.15:56 Miranda explains why leaders must set the tone around data.16:14 Miranda introduces resources for connecting metrics to patient experience.19:06 Kirk closes by encouraging leaders to share numbers in a way that helps the team and patients.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.Resources mentioned in this episode:To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/ACT Dental resources: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/For more information about the community, contact [email protected] Mastery: https://www.actdental.com/127More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Burnout is not always caused by the amount of work someone is doing. It can also result from spending too much time performing work that creates frustration and drains energy. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Heather Crockett, ACT Dental coach, about applying the Working Genius model to burnout, leadership, team responsibilities, and patient care. You will learn how to recognize frustration-based burnout, delegate work according to energy and natural strengths, and use all six working geniuses to improve the patient experience. To create a healthier team and find more joy at work, listen to Episode 1068 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Burnout can result from the type of work someone performs, not only the amount of work assigned.High performers may burn out faster because they try to complete all six types of work at a consistently high level.Promotions can place capable team members into roles that rely heavily on their areas of frustration.Leaders should consider a team member’s energy and working geniuses instead of delegating solely according to available capacity.Each of the six working geniuses contributes differently to treatment planning, communication, follow-through, and patient trust.Team members become more effective in their geniuses when they receive regular opportunities to use and develop them.A fulfilled and energized dental team communicates more effectively and creates a stronger patient experience.Snippets:00:00 Applying Working Genius to burnout, leadership, and patient care.02:43 A review of the six working geniuses.03:43 How working frustrations drain energy.05:18 Why the type of work can cause burnout.06:35 How promotions can move high performers into frustrating work.08:26 What burnout looks like on dental teams.09:40 Why high performers may burn out faster.11:22 Leadership mistakes related to Working Genius.13:31 Delegating according to energy instead of capacity.16:12 How each working genius supports patient care.18:27 Why fulfilled teams create better patient experiences.20:20 Final lessons about burnout, team roles, and contribution.21:42 Taking the assessment and starting a team conversation.22:48 Working Genius education at the Exchange.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.Resources mentioned on the episode:Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Types-Working-Genius-Understand-Frustrations/dp/1637743297Smile Source Exchange: https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

A clicking jaw joint may not hurt, but pain alone does not reveal whether the joint is healthy, stable, or affecting growth and occlusion. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Dr. Jim McKee, a restorative dentist and educator, about evaluating clicking joints from a structural and orthopedic perspective. You will learn how the articular disc supports condylar position, mandibular and maxillary growth, vertical dimension, bone protection, and load distribution, as well as why patient age, malocclusion, and joint anatomy should guide diagnosis. To understand why dentists need to ask better questions about clicking joints, listen to Episode 1067 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:The articular disc acts like a gasket that positions the condyle three-dimensionally and supports a repeatable bite.A displaced disc can affect mandibular and maxillary growth even when the patient does not report pain.Malocclusion can be an early clinical indicator of structurally altered temporomandibular joints.Changes in vertical dimension at the joint level can contribute to excessive loading and breakdown of terminal posterior teeth.MRI and CBCT provide information about soft-tissue and hard-tissue joint anatomy that cannot be determined from symptoms alone.Appliances can redistribute load and support adaptation, but they cannot guarantee that every structurally altered joint will adapt.An asymptomatic clicking joint in a stable adult should be evaluated differently from an asymptomatic clicking joint in a growing patient with malocclusion.Snippets:00:00 Intro02:28 Why pain may be a late-stage indicator of a joint problem.04:31 What a clicking disc may be unable to do compared with a normal disc.08:12 Why teeth are only one part of the occlusal system.10:27 How the disc supports mandibular growth.15:12 How disc displacement may affect maxillary growth.19:35 Why joint diagnosis matters before orthodontic treatment.22:54 Understanding vertical dimension at the joint level.26:44 How the disc protects bone and distributes load.29:42 Using malocclusion to identify patients who may need joint evaluation.36:05 How patient age and occlusal stability change the clinical significance of clicking.38:19 Educational resources for learning joint diagnosis and restorative treatment planning.44:27 Final Takeaways Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Jim McKee is a restorative dentist and educator focused on occlusion, TMD, and restorative diagnosis. He 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.Resources mentioned in this episode:Stephen Phelan’s online program featuring Dr. Jim McKee’s:https://courses.phelandentalseminars.com/tmd-webinar-wjAdvanced Occlusion Workshop at Spear Education : https://app.speareducation.com/events/workshops/advanced-occlusionEP779: The Restorative Diagnostic Practice:https://www.actdental.com/blog/779-mckeeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

A full schedule can look productive while still falling short of a practice’s financial goals. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Miranda Beeson, Director of Education at ACT Dental, about why busy days underperform and how production-per-day goals, schedule utilization, patient selection, and block scheduling create greater predictability. You will learn how to evaluate schedule quality, protect high-value clinical time, and help your administrative team make more intentional scheduling decisions. To build a full schedule that supports production, profitability, and a better workday, listen to Episode 1066 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:A full schedule can still underperform when appointments are not aligned with the practice’s production goals.Production-per-day goals should be visible in the practice management software and understood by the entire team.Schedule utilization measures how much available clinical time is being used for patient care.Administrative team members should consider procedure value and patient reliability instead of filling every opening with the first available appointment.A and B patients create greater schedule stability because they are more likely to attend appointments and pay their balances.Block scheduling protects prime clinical time for higher-value treatment and creates more predictable daily production.An ideal day schedule should balance the owner’s preferences, patient needs, and the practice’s production goals.Snippets00:00 Intro01:31 Full schedules can still produce underperforming days.02:18 Why filling every opening does not guarantee productivity.03:13 The importance of production per day and schedule utilization.05:03 Working backward from annual goals to a daily production target.06:39 What an underperforming full schedule looks like.08:13 Why practices should replace like with like when appointments change.10:30 How intentional scheduling supports production goals.12:20 Protecting prime clinical time with block scheduling.13:00 Using the production figure in practice management software before scheduling an appointment.15:05 How comprehensive treatment blocks can create peaceful, productive days.17:06 Displaying production-per-day goals in the practice management software.17:46 Building an ideal day schedule for greater consistency.19:03 The ideal day scheduling guide in the ACT Dental community hub.Guest Bio/Guest ResourcesMiranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.Guest Resource:Ideal Day Scheduling Guide in the ACT Dental community hub:https://www.actdental.com/blog/cut-the-chaos-from-your-scheduleMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSchedule a call with Gina: https://www.actdental.com/schedule-with-ginaSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Patients may seem uninterested in their oral health, but the real issue may be that they have not been given a clear reason to participate in their care. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Melissa Obrotka, a dental hygienist and oral-systemic health educator, about helping patients understand what is happening in their mouths and why it matters to their overall health. You will learn how to create patient buy-in, use visual evidence and open-ended questions, calibrate your team, and transition from task-based hygiene to a healthcare-focused approach. To improve communication and help patients take action, listen to Episode 1065 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dental professionals must help patients understand how oral inflammation and bacteria can affect systemic health.Team calibration requires dedicated non-patient time to establish shared clinical standards, protocols, and expectations.Disclosing biofilm gives patients visual evidence that helps them understand disease, inflammation, and areas of risk.Open-ended questions and motivational interviewing can uncover the fear or previous experiences behind patient resistance.Providers can challenge patients directly while acknowledging their choices and asking permission to explain clinical concerns.Hygienists earn healthcare-level compensation by consistently delivering comprehensive healthcare rather than limited task-based services.Dentists and hygienists should learn and implement an oral-systemic approach together so patients receive consistent care.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:00 Why patients may appear not to care about their oral health.02:20 Melissa’s background in dental hygiene and oral-systemic education.03:45 The relationship between oral inflammation, bacteria, and systemic health.06:05 How hygienists inherit task-based systems and schedules.09:05 Why dental hygienists may be the most important healthcare providers patients see all year.10:55 The need to schedule non-patient time for team calibration.12:00 How disclosing biofilm creates patient buy-in.13:45 Connecting periodontal charting, radiographs, bleeding, and visible bacteria.16:00 The expanding research on oral and systemic health.18:35 Using questions and motivational interviewing with resistant patients.22:00 How to care deeply while challenging patients directly.24:20 Melissa’s perspective on dental hygiene as a career.28:45 Melissa’s courses at The Exchange.31:10 Final thoughts on helping patients care and take action.32:00 Why dentists and hygienists should attend training together.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Melissa A Obrotka, BA, RDH, holds over 25 years of experience in the dental field and concentrated clinical experience with the dental implant patient population. Melissa’s core objectives for her patients in specialty perio/prosthodontics are focused on a “whole-listic” approach to dental prevention, disease remission, and therapies that encompass total body health and wellness. Her approach to patient care is focused on biofilm disruption strategies for periodontal and peri-implant health and longevity while providing healthcare advocacy to patients. In addition, Obrotka is a dental hygiene motivator, educator, podcast host, change agent, influencer, and industry thought leader. Obrotka serves as a clinical adjunct professor at her alma mater, Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey, where she elevated clinical education by instructing students on the oral microbiome, biofilm disruption and introduced the Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) methodology. Obrotka was nationally recognized in 2016 as a Master Clinician for her outstanding clinical expertise. In 2017, Obrotka was named one of the “Six Dental Hygienists You Want to Know’’ in the clinincal practice category by Dimensions of Dental Hygiene.Resources mentioned in the episode:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsthebadasshygienist/Website: https://itsthebadasshygienist.comMentioned Programs:No More Ignored Advice &The Biology Led Hygiene Appointment: https://www.itsthebadasshygienist.com/speaking-the-badass-hygienist-melissa-obrotka-rdhOPSM Framework: Oral Prevention is Systemic Medicine: https://www.itsthebadasshygienist.com/opsm-framework-courseMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Why do some team members leave work energized while others feel drained, frustrated, or misunderstood? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with coach Heather Crockett about the Working Genius model and how dental teams can use it to better understand their strengths, frustrations, communication patterns, and roles. You will learn the six types of Working Genius, why every stage of work matters, and how shared language can improve meetings, teamwork, productivity, and joy at work. To understand how your team can work more effectively together, listen to Episode 1064 of The Best Practices Show!Main TakeawaysWorking Genius helps team members understand which types of work give them energy and which types drain them.The six Working Geniuses are wonder, invention, discernment, galvanizing, enablement, and tenacity.Each person has two geniuses, two competencies, and two frustrations.Teams need all six geniuses to move work from identifying a need through implementation and completion.Meetings become less effective when teams move directly from generating ideas to assigning tasks without discernment and galvanizing.A shared understanding of Working Genius can reduce judgment, improve communication, and help leaders assign work more intentionally.A Working Genius indicates the type of work a person enjoys, but it does not automatically mean that person has mastered it.Snippets00:00 Welcome03:17 What Is Working Genius06:55 An introduction to the six types of Working Genius.07:45 How invention generates solutions and new ideas.09:50 How discernment evaluates ideas and galvanizing creates momentum.11:12 How enablement supports implementation and tenacity completes the work.12:09 The difference between geniuses, competencies, and frustrations.13:01 How complementary geniuses helped ACT Dental grow.22:05 How Working Genius can reduce judgment and attribution errors.24:59 How Working Genius affects meetings and workplace culture.29:51 Why leaders should avoid pigeonholing people by their assessment results.32:12 A practical treatment plan for applying Working Genius.34:38 Wrap Up And Part Two Tease35:13 Final Outro And ResourcesGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.Working Genius Assessment: https://www.workinggenius.com/The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni: https://www.amazon.com/Types-Working-Genius-Understand-Frustrations/dp/1637743297Smile Source Exchange: https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Production gaps are often blamed on low case acceptance or insufficient diagnosis, but the real issue may begin with how the schedule is structured, protected, and maintained. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with dental practice coach Ariel Siegel about identifying whether lost production begins in the schedule or the operatory. You will learn how reappointment systems, downtime monitoring, intentional scheduling, and future schedule protection can create more consistent production and smoother clinical days. To understand where production gaps begin and what your team can do about them, listen to Episode 1063 of The Best Practices Show!Main TakeawaysProduction problems may result from scheduling systems even when diagnosis and treatment acceptance remain strong.Constantly filling last-minute openings prevents administrative team members from completing other production-building activities.Filling schedule gaps with unsuitable appointments can disrupt the intended flow and energy of the clinical day.Strong reappointment systems help patients understand why they are returning and reduce future cancellations.Protecting the future schedule allows the team to maintain production goals and minimize bottlenecks.Monitoring doctor and hygiene downtime reveals both large openings and smaller gaps that accumulate throughout the day.Designing the schedule around provider energy and appointment type supports more consistent monthly production and revenue.Snippets:00:00 Metric Mondays Intro01:19 Schedule vs Operatory02:20 Why Gaps Happen03:28 When It Goes Wrong04:26 Scramble Fill Trap06:51 Getting It Right07:57 Protect Future Schedule09:17 Design Around Energy10:07 Action Steps Today11:17 Resources and Wrap Up11:57 Final Thanks and OutroGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process!Guest Resources:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Missed calls, staffing shortages, and phone fatigue can create a front office bottleneck that affects both the patient experience and practice production. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with Richard May of Mango Voice about how modern VoIP systems and AI receptionists can help dental practices answer more calls, streamline scheduling, document patient conversations, and reduce administrative workload without eliminating the human relationships patients need.Learn where AI is most useful, which conversations should remain with team members, and how practices can evaluate these tools responsibly. To improve your phone workflow and reduce pressure on your front office, listen to Episode 1062 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Front office bottlenecks occur when team members must manage ringing phones, arriving patients, scheduling requests, insurance questions, and payments at the same time.Missed calls can represent lost new-patient opportunities and make it difficult for practices to measure the production they are losing.An AI receptionist can answer simultaneous calls, schedule selected appointments, respond to common questions, and filter spam or irrelevant calls.AI tools should be customized with accurate practice information and used as an extension of the team rather than a replacement for every human interaction.Phone integrations with practice management software can identify callers, open patient profiles, create conversation summaries, and reduce manual documentation.Payment disputes, detailed insurance questions, sensitive family concerns, and treatment conversations still require human judgment and empathy.Modern VoIP systems can use mobile applications and cellular data to keep business calls operating during an internet outage.Snippets:00:00 The front office bottleneck in dental practices.01:27 Meet Richard May04:18 How competing front office demands create workflow bottlenecks.06:21 Phone fatigue and the impact of missed calls.08:33 How an AI receptionist handles simultaneous and after-hours calls.10:09 Addressing concerns about AI representing the practice.15:09 Why dentists underestimate the importance of their phone systems.16:39 How patient expectations influence which dental practice they choose.19:10 Using transcripts, keyword searches, and automated patient notes.21:21 The staffing crisis and AI-supported administrative work.23:26 Which tasks should remain human.26:40 How AI can triage after-hours and emergency calls.29:20 How VoIP reliability and mobile applications have improved.31:32 Final considerations for adopting AI in the dental practice.34:24 How to test Margo and schedule a Mango Voice demonstration.Guest Bio/Guest ResourcesRichard has had a fulfilling career in public health, where he spent a decade dedicated to improving community wellness, health education, and preventive care. His work in public health allowed him to make a tangible difference, positively impacting lives and communities, a passion that continues to drive him.Following his public health career, Richard joined Mango, bringing his dedication to health and wellness into a new professional chapter. His role at Mango is a perfect fit, aligning with his values of teamwork, community engagement, and continuous improvement.Mango Voice: https://www.mangovoice.com/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Building, growing, and owning an independent dental practice can feel isolating, especially when decisions, team challenges, and long-term vision fall on the practice owner. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT coach and dental practice leader, to explain why community matters in practice ownership and how the right support system can help dentists and their teams make better decisions, avoid unnecessary mistakes, build confidence, and grow with greater clarity. To learn how to find the right people in your corner, listen to Episode 1061 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Independent practice owners do not have to solve every challenge alone.A strong professional community provides shared learning, support, accountability, and practical perspective.The right community helps dentists shorten the learning curve by learning from others’ real-world experiences.Community should align with the practice owner’s values and avoid judgment, toxicity, or hidden agendas.Team members also need community and role-specific support to grow in confidence and leadership.The Community Hub provides forums, study clubs, clinical education, resources, and vendor connections for dentists and their teams.Community is a strategic advantage because it helps practice owners think better, lead better, and grow faster.Snippets:00:00 Who Is In Your Corner01:19 Meet Miranda Beeson02:15 Why Dentists Feel Alone04:09 Tribe Stories And Patterns07:41 Isolation And Negative Self Talk08:34 What Community Really Means10:59 Avoid Toxic Communities13:31 Real Benefits For Owners15:25 Belief And Accountability18:15 Community For The Whole Team23:20 Inside The Community Hub26:43 Forum Wins And AI Examples32:19 More Questions Solved Fast37:56 Final Takeaways And Invite40:33 How To Get Started42:32 Closing And Call To ActionGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.Resources mentioned in this episode:To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/ ACT Dental resources: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/For more information about the community, contact [email protected] Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Most dentists believe they need more new patients, but the real problem may be how well they are using the patients, providers, and chair time they already have. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Ariel Siegel, ACT Dental coach, to explain why active patient count, pre-appointment percentage, capacity utilization, and annual patient value matter before investing in new patient growth. Learn how to identify whether your practice has a patient problem or a utilization problem, and how to start improving schedule efficiency with the data you already have. To grow more predictably with the patients already in your practice, listen to Episode 1060 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Practices should evaluate utilization of current patients and provider capacity before pursuing more new patients.New patients can add pressure because phone calls, relationship building, and appointments require more time and energy.A healthy active patient count is often around 1,200 to 1,500 patients per provider.Unscheduled active patients and low pre-appointment rates reveal opportunities within the existing patient base.Chair time utilization around 90% to 95% creates productive schedules while leaving some flexibility.Annual patient value helps determine whether a practice needs more patients or better production per patient.Capacity tracking should be reviewed consistently so each provider column has accountability.Snippets:00:00 Metric Mondays Intro01:50 Meet Ariel Siegel02:14 More Patients Myth04:18 Active Patient Benchmarks08:07 When Utilization Fails10:33 Redefining Growth11:56 Capacity Utilization Targets14:36 Action Plan With APV18:06 Vision And Wrap Up18:33 Final GoodbyeGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process!More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Digital workflows are changing how dentists select, plan, monitor, and communicate clear aligner treatment. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Maria Jose Blanco Solis, private practice dentist and clear aligner educator, to discuss how digital workflow innovations are transforming aligner treatment in 2026.You will learn how to evaluate aligner case complexity, monitor tracking and compliance, use auxiliary techniques, manage retention protocols, and think about aligners as part of a broader functional and preventive approach to dentistry. To understand how to make aligner workflows more predictable and practical in your practice, listen to Episode 1059 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Clear aligners have expanded from simple aesthetic cases to more complex Class II, Class III, surgical, and multidisciplinary treatment plans.Case selection should include evaluation of occlusion, arch form, profile, crossbites, growth status, recession, and bone support.CBCT, STL files, and complete diagnostic records give doctors better control and confidence when planning aligner treatment.Monitoring appointments should focus on aligner fit, attachment integrity, tracking gaps, programmed IPR, and occlusal contacts.Patient compliance remains essential because aligners generally require 22 hours of daily wear.Auxiliary techniques such as buttons, elastics, TADs, and bootstrap mechanics can improve movement predictability in moderate and severe cases.Retention protocols should account for occlusal stability and patient compliance, especially when deciding between clear retainers and lingual wires.Snippets:00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro02:11 Meet Dr Mari Jose03:14 Aligners In 202605:24 Case Selection Basics06:55 Monitoring And Tracking10:37 Doctor Coaching Support11:13 Micronutrients And Compliance13:03 Retainers And Stability14:45 Aux Techniques And Elastics16:32 Posterior Open Bite Causes18:24 Retainer Wear Schedule19:52 Future Of Aligner Care22:20 Final Tips And Records23:14 Contact Info And Spark24:28 The Exchange Event Preview25:00 Final thoughts on case selection, auxiliary techniques, and live case alignment.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Maria Jose Blanco Solis is a dentist in private practice in San Jose, Costa Rica. She has worked with clear aligner therapy through Invisalign and Spark and focuses on digital dentistry, aligner workflow, case selection, clinical monitoring, and doctor education.In this episode, she discusses Spark, Vista aligners, TruGen XR material, one-on-one clinical support, and her upcoming presentation at Smile Exchange on case selection, clinical complexity, auxiliary techniques, and live case review.Resources mentioned:[email protected] code for the smile exchange: JOSEBLANCO26https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Hiring and keeping an associate sounds simple until the interview process, compensation questions, and culture-fit issues start to derail everything. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings on Cassie Tallon, an operations expert and founder of The Fractional Match, to explain why most dental practices fail when hiring associates and what to do differently. You’ll learn how to evaluate fit beyond clinical skills, how to set compensation expectations with transparency, why paying on collections matters, and how to prepare your practice so an associate can actually succeed and stay. Listen to Episode 1058 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Decide whether you want an associate purely for production or someone you will develop into a leader and potential legacy successor.Use a recruitment service instead of posting a job yourself without understanding today’s compensation models and contract pitfalls.Evaluate relational and empathetic patient-care philosophy early, not just clinical procedure capability.Confirm the associate is coachable and willing to be led during onboarding, not just eager to produce immediately.Start onboarding with financial clarity—how the P&L works and how pay is calculated—to prevent distrust and turnover.Pay associates on collections to tie compensation to real revenue and reinforce documentation, billing, and follow-through habits.Fix patient mix, services, and marketing before hiring an associate instead of expecting the associate to solve a broken model.Snippets:00:00 Hiring Associates Is Hard01:06 Meet Cassie Tallon03:41 Associate or Partner Choice05:30 Recruiting Landscape Today06:56 Fit Over Clinical Skills10:40 Pay Models That Work12:35 Equity and Autonomy14:31 Fix Patient Mix First19:10 Develop Associates Skills22:00 Retention and Transparency24:02 Work Life Satisfaction27:47 XChange Soft Skills Talk30:01 Final Advice and Wrap UpGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Cassie Tallon is a dental operations leader with 20 years of experience spanning multi-doctor practices and DSOs, including supporting growth and operational efficiency across multiple locations. She is an author focused on dental operations and has dedicated her current work to helping dentists improve efficiency, navigate growth decisions, and strengthen systems without adding unnecessary overhead.Resources mentioned:The Fractional Match: thefractionalmatch.comBook: Permission to DreamBook (upcoming): Permission to ScaleMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Why can your practice feel busier than ever, show higher production, and still not see more money in the bank? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT Dental’s Director of Education, to explain why gross production is often a misleading proxy for profitability and what to measure instead. You’ll learn the difference between gross and net production, how write-offs and overhead quietly erase gains, and the first steps to protect margins so profit can follow production. Listen to Episode 1057 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Gross production can be a “gross misrepresentation” of what a practice can actually collect, while net production reflects what is realistically collectible.Higher production does not automatically create higher profit when write-offs grow and overhead rises at the same time.Practices get it wrong when they celebrate production without tracking what gets adjusted away and what it costs to deliver the care.Large write-offs (insurance, membership plan discounts, elective courtesies, and untracked adjustments) can create an “effort gap” where work is done but revenue is not collectible.Adding hours, days, team members, and equipment to chase production can increase expenses and compound the profitability problem.Practices get it right by tracking adjustments by category (and often by individual insurance carriers) and by regularly reviewing the P&L to confirm expenses are aligned with revenue-producing needs.The first action steps are to clarify write-offs in the practice management system and to understand where overhead dollars are going before pushing for more production.Snippets:00:00 Why production can be up while profit doesn’t follow.02:10 Gross vs. net production and why the distinction matters for doctors and teams.06:10 What it looks like when practices get it wrong and the bank account doesn’t grow.07:05 Write-offs and the “effort gap” between delivered care and collectible revenue.08:35 How chasing more production can quietly drive overhead higher.10:05 Why the real issue is often strategy, not production.14:15 The mindset shift for fee-for-service: being okay with downtime and using it well.17:10 The first thing to do tomorrow: get clarity on write-offs and adjustments.19:05 The next step: review the P&L and understand overhead buckets.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

What do you do when a failure, setback, or “detour” hits your practice or life and you can’t see the point of it yet? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt interviews Dr. Timothy Bizga, private practice dentist and educator, about the mindset shifts behind his book Timeless Tidbits of Wisdom and how to find perspective when dentistry feels heavy.You’ll learn why “life happens for you,” how boundaries prevent burnout, and how community changes your trajectory. Listen to Episode 1056 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dr. Bizga wrote his book to serve readers with practical wisdom drawn from patient stories and his own experiences.Writing a book requires commitment and support systems, not isolation or “doing it alone.”A misgraded writing exam in eighth grade became a long-term gift by sparking Dr. Bizga’s love of writing.The chapter “The Gift Inside the Detour” centers on changing mindset from “this is happening to me” to “this is happening for me.”Perspective often comes later, and progress in hard seasons can mean simply continuing to move forward.“Even Enamel Has Limits” is a reminder that caregivers and clinicians need boundaries to avoid burnout and breakdown.Smile Source Exchange is positioned as a community-driven learning environment where relationships and mentorship accelerate growth.Snippets:00:00 Welcome01:22 Meet Dr Tim Bizga03:04 Why Dr. Bizga wrote Timeless Tidbits of Wisdom and how patient stories shaped it.04:50 “Writing a book is the hardest thing ever” and why Dr. Bizga disagrees.06:09 “My hope is not to impress you, but to serve you” and the goal of 31 short chapters.07:50 The story behind “The Gift Inside the Detour”14:09 Applying detours to dentistry: procedures, team issues, health crises, and mindset.17:42 “Even Enamel Has Limits” and why boundaries matter for dentists and caregivers.21:39 Where to Get the Book22:26 Why Attend The Exchange 202625:09 Final thoughts on dentistry as a profession Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Timothy Bizga is a 2006 DDS graduate of the School of Dentistry! Along with having a successful practice, Dr. Bizga is an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Dentistry at the School of Dentistry and the Director of Education for Smile Source, a network of more than 1,000 independent dentists who benefit from group buying, collective education and peer-sharing programs. Dr. Bizga has lectured nationally for more than 16 years and recently authored Timeless Tidbits of Wisdom.Guest resources mentioned in the episode:Timeless Tidbits of Wisdom: https://a.co/d/0aFvJ3MsThe Exchange 2026: https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Documentation, charting, and insurance narratives are taking time away from patient care, and many teams are already stretched thin. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Rushi Ganmukhi, founder of Bola AI and former MIT AI/NLP researcher, and Cassie Tallon, a dental operations leader and author, to explain how voice-enabled AI can reduce clinical documentation burden, improve note quality, and help practices get paid faster. You’ll learn where voice tech fits best (perio, restorative charting, and clinical notes), what it changes operationally, and how to identify the friction points in your own workflow. Listen to Episode 1055 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Voice technology can reduce the time and disruption of perio charting by allowing hands-free entry during hygiene visits.Faster perio charting supports more comprehensive perio exams, which can improve identification and treatment of periodontal disease.Delayed or incomplete notes can delay insurance submission and cash flow, creating a backlog of unsent claims.Templated, generic notes and late documentation can weaken clinical records for both insurance review and legal defensibility.Insurers are increasingly requiring more documentation, including perio charting for restorative claims, to support medical necessity.Effective adoption of AI tools depends on fast implementation, flexibility in workflows, and customization to an office’s documentation preferences.Practices can start by tracking daily workflow “sticking points” for a week and mapping which issues could be reduced with voice-driven documentation.Snippets:00:00 Voice tech as the “hidden power” of AI for practice efficiency.01:00 The documentation burden: perio charts, restorative docs, and insurance narratives.02:10 Rushi’s background in AI/NLP and MIT research, and why he entered dentistry.04:35 Why voice tech fits clinical environments better than consumer voice assistants.06:00 Bola AI’s early focus on voice perio charting and expansion to notes and restorative charting.07:05 Why integrations with practice management systems matter (Dentrix, Open Dental, Curve, Patterson, Henry Schein).08:00 The time cost of manual charting and its impact on hygiene workflows.10:00 How delays and backdating notes can hold up insurance submission and revenue.11:20 The risks of cut-and-paste templates for insurance and legal documentation.13:00 Insurance requiring more documentation, including perio charting for restorative claims.14:00 Why “decay” alone is not a sufficient clinical reason in a narrative.15:00 How dental-specific logic and terminology improve accuracy over general dictation tools.16:35 What “plug-and-play” adoption should look like in the operatory.18:10 Handling variation across practices (sleep/airway, medical billing, pediatrics, customization).19:00 Current curiosity vs. adoption: workforce shortages and the cash-flow case for AI.22:00 Overview of Bola’s three core products: Voice Perio, Voice Restorative, and AI Scribe.26:00 A practical challenge: measure how long perio charting takes and identify workflow friction points.29:00 Final guidance: start small, solve specific problems, and choose tools proven in clinics.30:10 Where to learn more and request a demo (bola.ai).Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Rushi Ganmukhi is the founder of Bola AI and has a professional background in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, including research experience at MIT focused on helping computers understand human speech and language. He leads Bola AI’s work applying voice technology to dental workflows, including perio charting, restorative charting, and AI-assisted clinical documentation.Cassie Tallon is a dental operations leader with 20 years of experience spanning multi-doctor practices and DSOs, including supporting growth and operational efficiency across multiple locations. She is an author focused on dental operations and has dedicated her current work to helping dentists improve efficiency, navigate growth decisions, and strengthen systems without adding unnecessary overhead.Resources mentioned in the episode:Bola AI (demos and product information): www.bola.aihttps://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Tracking every KPI can feel productive, but it often creates noise and diffuses accountability. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Miranda Beeson, ACT’s co-host and practice coach, to explain why “tracking everything is the fastest way to improve nothing.”You’ll learn how to narrow your focus to a small set of metrics that match your top quarterly priority, how to separate leadership-level monitoring from team-level focus, and what to do when a metric is off-track so it actually improves. Listen to Episode 1054 of The Best Practices Show!Main TakeawaysTrack data because feelings are not reliable indicators of what is happening in the practice.Too many KPIs create overwhelm, dilute accountability, and make it harder to prioritize action.Choose three to seven “main” KPIs each quarter that directly correlate to the practice’s current priority.Leadership can monitor a broader scorecard, but the team should stay focused on the quarter’s priority metrics.Practices that track everything often bounce between problems week to week without making measurable progress.When a focus metric is off-track, the team must issue-discuss-solve instead of only reporting the number.Assign clear ownership for collecting and reporting each KPI so the numbers stay visible and actionable.Snippets:00:00 Metric Mondays Kickoff01:22 Meet Miranda Beeson02:00 Why Tracking Everything Fails03:20 Pick Few KPIs for Traction05:51 Data Rich Direction Poor07:52 What It Looks Like Done Right08:42 Choose Focus Metrics This Quarter10:47 Action Steps and Accountability13:17 Solve Off Track Metrics14:43 Wrap Up and Get HelpGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Cash flow confusion can make a busy, high-producing practice feel like it has no money left at the end of the month. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt explains why production and a “profitable” P&L don’t always translate into cash in the bank, and he brings in coach Robyn Theisen to break down the cash flow gap. You’ll learn the difference between net profit and actual cash available, the three common places cash disappears, and which financial statements you need to see the full story and build a plan for taxes, debt, and owner compensation. Listen to Episode 1053 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Net profit on the P&L is not the same as cash in the bank.The cash flow gap is the difference between what your P&L shows and the cash actually available.Cash commonly disappears in three places that don’t show clearly on the P&L: taxes, debt payments, and owner draws/distributions.Interest expense may appear on the P&L even when the actual loan payments and balances aren’t being tracked.To understand where the money went, you need to review the P&L, cash flow statement, and balance sheet together.Predictable owner compensation, tax reserves, and a debt strategy reduce reactive decisions and stabilize cash flow.Ongoing monthly accountability and review are necessary to keep cash flow clean, especially in multi-owner practices.Snippets:00:00 Net profit versus cash in the bank.06:00 What the cash flow gap is and where it usually shows up.07:00 Why paying down debt doesn’t appear on the P&L.10:00 The three strategies: tax reserves, debt strategy, and owner compensation.11:00 The three financial statements needed to understand cash movement and what’s owed.15:00 Why multi-owner practices add complexity and require consistent monthly review.17:00 The cash flow statement tells the full story, not the P&L.18:00 BPA tools mentioned: reading the three statements, Financial Gaps at a Glance, and the calculator.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.Resources Mentioned:Financial Gaps at a Glance: https://www.actdental.com/gaps-at-a-glanceFinancial Gaps Calculator: https://www.actdental.com/gaps-calculatorMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dentists often keep operating beliefs long after the market, technology, and patient expectations have changed. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with recurring guest Dr. Tom Hedge, practicing dentist and educator, to unpack myths dentists still believe — from selling to DSOs and misunderstanding recap/valuation, to overestimating the cost and complexity of modern technology, imaging, magnification, and hygiene staffing. You’ll learn how to rethink “rules of thumb,” evaluate DSO offers more clearly, adopt practical tech that improves diagnosis and case acceptance, and use education and community to stay adaptable. Listen to Episode 1052 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dentists often assume what worked ten years ago will keep working, even when costs, fees, and alternatives have changed.DSO deals can break down when recapitalization happens and cheap money is no longer cheap, shrinking what DSOs can “skim” between dentist pay and profitability.A “second bite of the apple” payout is not guaranteed, and dentists can lose value if the DSO is not financially strong when the holdback comes due.Technology prices and workflows have changed dramatically, and many tools (cameras, scanners, digital X-rays) now deliver faster diagnosis and better patient understanding.Patient imaging can be created quickly using AI tools, which can help patients visualize outcomes and move forward without high-pressure selling.Magnification and hands-free lighting can simplify clinical work, reduce operatory clutter, and improve the patient experience compared to traditional overhead lights.Investing in continuing education moves dentists from “not knowing what you don’t know” to confident clinical decision-making, but learning never stops.Snippets:00:00 Welcome And Setup02:04 Why Myths Persist02:38 Rethinking Fees03:42 DSO Big Check Myth05:31 Recap And EBITDA08:19 Independent Dentistry Future09:39 Tech Costs Myth12:59 Hands Free Operatory Tech13:50 AI Smile Imaging Fast15:58 Magnification Lighting Simplified17:33 Hygiene Crisis Reframed19:27 Education And Community20:35 SmileSource Exchange Invite22:09 Final Takeaways GoodbyeGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Tom Hedge is widely known as one of the top-notch cosmetic dentists in the United States. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where he majored in biology and chemistry. While studying at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, he conducted research resulting in the publication of seven abstracts and one paper, which received numerous awards at the state and national levels. After graduating from dental school, he completed a general practice residency at Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. This advanced education included training in anesthesia, pediatrics, emergency medicine, geriatrics, TMJ treatment, endodontics, periodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, prosthetics, and implantology.Dr. Hedge is nationally recognized not only for excellence in clinical programs, but for sound business practices that make full use of the newest technologies in dentistry. He is an alumnus of the renowned Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, as well as the Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education. Dr. Hedge is a frequent contributor to dental publications, as well as professional development magazines.Resources mentioned in the episode:Smile Source Exchange: https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Why does hygiene feel “booked out” and still leave you scrambling to fill holes at the last minute? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with ACT coach Ariel Siegel about why an underperforming hygiene schedule is almost always a systems problem—and how to fix it with two foundational levers: a strong reappointment/recare follow-up system and a calibrated periodontal protocol. You’ll learn what breakdowns create reactive scheduling, what “getting it right” looks like in the numbers and in patient communication, and what your team can do today to start rebuilding predictability in hygiene. Listen to Episode 1051 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:A consistently full hygiene schedule depends on two core systems: strong reappointment/recare follow-up and a strong periodontal protocol.When systems are missing, teams become reactive and spend significant time scrambling to fill last-minute openings.Automated reminders are necessary, but they cannot replace a defined recare follow-up process that tracks and re-engages unscheduled patients.“Booked out” hygiene can still indicate a breakdown if the practice is constantly scrambling to fill tomorrow’s holes.A strong hygiene reappointment process requires patients to leave with the next visit scheduled and a clear understanding of why they are returning.A calibrated perio protocol increases consistent diagnosis, patient understanding, and acceptance, which supports both hygiene stability and restorative scheduling.Building systems up front reduces future effort and prevents the ongoing “chasing patients” cycle that patients often resist.Snippets:01:55 The two systems that keep the hygiene schedule predictably full.03:50 What it looks like when hygiene scheduling is broken and the team becomes reactive.04:20 Why reminders can’t be the whole recare system.05:40 “We’re booked out months” but still scrambling—what that signals.07:10 What “getting it right” looks like: reappointment commitment and follow-up tracking.09:00 How calibrating a perio protocol changes perio percentages and 4000 codes.11:30 Stop chasing patients—capture commitment while they’re in the practice.12:10 What your team can do today: find the gaps driving last-minute holes.12:40 The easiest short-term win: improve hygiene reappointment expectations.14:05 Why perio protocol calibration takes alignment, tools, and consistent messaging.16:10 Systems save hours: invest now instead of living in reactive mode.16:55 Where to find BPA resources for hygiene reappointment/recare follow-up and calibrated perio protocol.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process!Resources mentioned:Best Practices Association (BPA) resources: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Many practices keep looking for more new patients when the bigger problem is the gap between what gets diagnosed and what actually gets scheduled, completed, and collected. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Sameer Bhasin of CareCredit about building reliable, measurable systems that make unscheduled dentistry visible, tighten the diagnose-to-schedule pathway, and improve follow-through so patients get the care they need without adding more chaos to the schedule. You’ll learn how to create an actionable dashboard, protect procedure time, clean up revenue cycle habits, and use technology to amplify (not replace) your workflow. Listen to Episode 1050 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Most private practices aren’t short on diagnosing treatment; they’re short on conversion and follow-through.Unscheduled dentistry should be broken down into a dashboard by timeframe, procedure type, value tier, and patient readiness so it becomes actionable.A strong diagnose-to-schedule pathway requires consistent handoffs, clear “why now,” and protecting schedule time for the procedures you want to do.Production on paper isn’t the same as performance because value is often lost in handoffs, case acceptance, scheduling, and collections.Clean revenue cycle discipline includes early benefit verification, collecting patient portions appropriately, and consistent weekly AR and aging-claims follow-up.Technology should amplify an existing workflow (analytics, reminders, online scheduling guardrails) rather than replace human follow-up and accountability.As a benchmark, about 10% of patients should be applying for third-party financing to ensure financial options are part of the process, not an afterthought.Snippets:00:00 Unscheduled dentistry is the opportunity most practices aren’t working.08:23 How to build an unscheduled treatment dashboard by time, procedure, and value tier.11:52 Standardizing the diagnose-to-schedule pathway and creating urgency with the “next best appointment.”15:40 What a “clean revenue cycle” looks like and why write-offs are a major hidden problem.18:05 Technology amplifies a workflow; it doesn’t replace one.20:10 The metrics Samir watches, including the 10% financing application benchmark.23:10 The “Great Wall of China” myth and how misconceptions show up in practice systems.26:55 Approval rate realities and why you can’t get approvals without applications.33:00 What a CareCredit practice review reveals and how it’s used to find opportunities.35:45 A simple action plan: pull the last 90 days of unscheduled dentistry and call the top 20 patients.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Sameer Bhasin, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at CareCredit, is responsible for working with dentistry’s key opinion leaders and educators to gather the latest insights and trends. Previously, Mr. Bhasin held positions as a CareCredit Practice Development Manager and Regional Sales Manager where he acquired more than a decade of front line practice experience. He holds both a Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in Business and an MBA in Healthcare Administration.Email: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/sameer.bhasin/https://www.instagram.com/sam.i.am.329/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Core values sound simple until you try to use them to lead a team consistently, especially when things get busy or uncomfortable. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt explains how to turn core values into daily decision-making tools with Heather Crockett, coach at ACT Dental.You’ll learn how to make values behavioral and observable, build them into your communication rhythms, and use them as a practical filter for hiring, accountability, and tough leadership calls. Listen to Episode 1049 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Core values only work when they drive daily behavior, not when they’re just words on a wall.Values must be actionable and observable so the team can interpret and apply them consistently.“Core values without function” shows up as subjective interpretations, inconsistent culture, and leaders hesitating to hold people accountable.Make each value behavioral by defining what it means, documenting examples of how it shows up, and listing the results when it’s alive and well.Operationalize values by embedding them into hiring, onboarding, daily huddles, weekly team meetings, monthly check-ins, and quarterly planning.Use values as the decision-making filter for real-time issues like scheduling, finances, patient care, and team dynamics to reduce decision fatigue.Hire and evaluate people on two criteria: they get results and they fit your core values, using tools like a Right Person, Right Seat scorecard.Snippets:00:00 How to turn core values into daily decision-making tools.02:10 Why core values matter only if they drive behavior.03:10 Why vague values (like “excellence” or “integrity”) don’t work as daily tools.04:30 What “core values without function” looks like inside a practice.06:10 How to make values behavioral with definitions, examples, and outcomes.08:00 Using “anti-values” and standout team behaviors to clarify what you want.10:10 Putting core values into systems and communication rhythms.12:10 Using huddles and team meetings for value shout-outs and accountability.18:00 Using core values as a daily decision filter to reduce decision fatigue.22:10 Heather’s final takeaways on visibility, systems, and reflection.23:50 BPA tools mentioned: Identifying Core Values, bringing values alive, Right Person Right Seat scorecard.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.Resources mentioned in this episode:Identifying Your Core Values (exercise outline): https://www.actdental.com/hubfs/Identify%20Your%20Practices%20Core%20Values.pdfBPA tool on how to bring core values alive:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/how-to-bring-your-core-values-aliveRight Person, Right Seat scorecard:https://www.actdental.com/blog/2-key-tools-for-accountability-successMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Burnout can feel like a personal failure, but it often shows up because the business isn’t operationally aligned. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back coach Ariel Siegel to explain why burnout is a business signal, what numbers reveal the real problem, and which metrics to track so your schedule, profitability, and energy feel more sustainable. You’ll learn how days worked, write-offs, and margin create (or relieve) pressure — and what to start measuring right now to regain control. Listen to Episode 1048 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Burnout often feels personal, but it is typically a signal that something in the business is not working.Adding more hours, skipping lunch, and squeezing in patients can increase effort without delivering proportional financial relief.Days worked and write-offs have risen significantly post-COVID, creating instability and stress when margin becomes inconsistent.Recovery is a requirement for success, and time away from the practice must be built in, not “earned” later.Dentists must track the true number of clinical days worked because most don’t know the real number from the prior year.Margin matters more than production because it shows what is left after overhead and debt, and it reveals profit leaks.Write-offs must be understood by source so you can see how many days you are effectively working “for free” and build a plan to improve.Snippets:00:00 Metric Monday Intro01:35 Burnout Is A Signal03:36 When It Goes Wrong04:56 Post COVID Metrics Shift06:16 Margin Stress Spiral08:26 Getting It Right09:51 Track Days And Margin13:15 Busy But Not Profitable14:55 Action Step Write Offs16:47 Resources And Wrap UpGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process!Guest resources mentioned in this episode:PPO Freedom Course: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/ppo-roadmap/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

When PPO write-offs climb, adding more patients can increase stress while decreasing profitability. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Miranda Beeson, ACT’s Director of Education, to unpack “the PPO trap” and explain why more patients can mean less money. You’ll learn how to spot the effort gap, gather the right data before making insurance decisions, and shift the insurance mindset and language so your team can confidently support a more profitable model—whether that means going fully fee-for-service or reducing PPO exposure strategically. Listen to Episode 1047of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:More patients can increase production but still reduce profit when write-offs and effort gap widen.Practices should make PPO decisions with data—not emotion—by analyzing write-offs, plan mix, production, and procedure impact.Going fee-for-service must match your business model and requires leadership, team alignment, and consistent communication.If you’re not ready to go fully out-of-network, you can improve profitability by tracking write-offs per plan and participating selectively.Capacity matters: if you have holes in the schedule, it may not be the right time to drop plans aggressively.Teams must shift language from “coverage” to “benefits” and keep clinical recommendations separate from insurance limitations.Front office and team buy-in are critical, because inconsistent messaging and fear-based language will sabotage the transition.Snippets:00:00 More patients doesn’t automatically mean more profit—and why the effort gap matters.04:59 How write-offs have grown after COVID, including practices seeing 30–55%+.10:18 Why going fee-for-service isn’t just an insurance decision—it’s a business model and leadership decision.14:22 The key data to review before dropping a plan (patients, production, write-offs, procedures, attrition tolerance).18:40 How to participate strategically: track write-offs per plan, evaluate plan impact, and consider fee negotiation.22:29 How to identify “poor fit” plans and include admin team friction (appeals, phone time, denials) in the decision.28:05 The mindset shift: insurance as a benefit, not coverage—and why insurance shouldn’t drive diagnosis.31:53 Language that protects the health recommendation and reduces insurance-driven conversations.36:48 How to answer “Do you take my insurance?” without undermining value or confidence.38:10 First steps: confirm you bill full fees, know true write-offs, and clarify your practice model direction.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.Resources mentioned in this episode:PPO Roadmap: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/ppo-roadmap/\Say This Not That: https://www.actdental.com/hubfs/Say%20This%2C%20Not%20That%20-%20Fillable.pdfTo The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

When patients don’t accept treatment, most dentists assume it’s about money — but the real breakdown often happens earlier in the process. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Jim McKee to share the five questions that determine whether a patient will say yes and whether you should take the case. You’ll learn how to diagnose the real problem, frame expectations, evaluate timing and affordability, and build the kind of trust that prevents conflict in complex dentistry. Listen to Episode 1046 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Case acceptance starts when the dentist clearly understands the problem and has a predictable solution.Patients say no when they understand the complaint but don’t understand the real diagnosis or why the proposed solution makes sense.Many declined treatment plans are a timing issue in the patient’s life, not a fee issue.Affordability often comes down to phasing treatment while clearly explaining the risks, changes, and potential added cost over time.Unrealistic expectations — clinical, financial, or both — are a leading cause of difficult cases and post-treatment conflict.Trust is built by accurate diagnosis, transparent expectation-setting, and having the clinical skills to manage complex problems.You should trust your “spider senses” and be willing to lose the case early rather than getting stuck in treatment you can’t deliver predictably.Snippets:00:00 Where the “five keys to case acceptance” came from.00:05 “Checkers vs. chess” patients and why Julie’s case changed the conversation.00:07 Why tooth-based solutions fail when the problem is skeletal or joint-based.00:11 Unrealistic expectations and the hidden mismatch between insurance and “perfect” dentistry.00:17 Why “too expensive” is often a timing issue, not the real reason patients delay.00:19 The money question: phasing complex cases without surprising patients later.00:25 The trust question and why sustaining practices are built on relationships, not volume.00:30 How to think through failure points before you start treatment.00:33 Why it’s better to lose up front than disappoint a patient mid-treatment.00:38 Where to learn more: online training, hands-on workshops, and a Chicago study club.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Jim McKee is a restorative dentist and educator focused on occlusion, TMD, and restorative diagnosis. He 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.Guest Resources Mentioned:Online program through Phelan Dental Seminars: https://courses.phelandentalseminars.com/tmd-pdsAdvanced Occlusion Workshop at Spear Education : https://app.speareducation.com/events/workshops/advanced-occlusionMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

When your schedule is packed, it’s easy to assume your practice is healthy—but “busy” can hide low productivity and weak profitability. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings in ACT Dental coach Robyn Theisen to explain why volume masks inefficiency longer than any other metric, how “busy” becomes a false proxy for performance, and what to measure instead. You’ll learn how to compare number of visits with production per visit and production per hour, what inefficient schedules look like, and how to build a strategic schedule that slows down on purpose while producing more. Listen to Episode 1045 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:A full schedule can look healthy while profitability is not there because volume can hide inefficiency.“Busy” is a false proxy and has zero value unless you connect it to productivity and profitability.Compare number of visits with production per visit (PPV) and production per hour (PPH) to see whether you’re churning through patients or producing efficiently.Low PPV and low PPH often show up as lots of short, low-value appointments and reactive treatment planning that keeps the day running long.Inefficient volume creates physical fatigue and mental fatigue when the activity doesn’t match what ends up in the bank account.A practice that gets it right builds a strategic schedule with the right mix of procedures, not just filled spots, and matches time to clinical complexity and value.Start by planning the year (days worked, vacations, holidays, CE, meetings), set an annual production goal, and break it down into a daily target to build the schedule around.Snippets:00:00 Why a busy schedule doesn’t automatically mean a profitable schedule.03:10 Why “busy” is a false proxy and what “time is the new rich” looks like.04:05 The homework metric: calculate PPV, PPH, and compare them to number of visits.06:00 What inefficient volume looks like in the schedule and treatment planning.08:05 What it looks like when a practice gets it right with a strategic schedule.11:05 The first step: plan your year, set annual goals, and convert them into a daily production target.12:00 Why write-offs matter and how inaccurate assumptions can hide the real numbers.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.Resources mentioned in the episode:Pro Coaching (ACT Dental): https://www.actdental.com/proTo The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dental insurance rules are changing fast, and “dental loss ratio” (DLR) is becoming a key issue dentists can’t ignore. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Shelley DeGroff of PPO Advisors to explain what DLR is, how it works, why states are adopting it, and what it could mean for premiums, access to coverage, and the future of PPO participation. You’ll learn how DLR is measured, what accountability could improve for patients and practices, and where to watch for state-by-state updates as the market shifts. Listen to Episode 1044 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dental loss ratio (DLR) is the percentage of dental insurance premium dollars spent on patient care rather than overhead, administration, or profit.DLR is state-specific legislation, and states can require carriers to meet a target percentage or refund premium dollars back to patients.The current national average DLR discussed is about 64%–67%, which is driving efforts to push DLR targets into the 80% range.As DLR expands, dentists may see operational improvements like fewer denials and faster claims processing, depending on how carriers respond.One downside risk is that some carriers may raise premiums or exit certain markets, making coverage harder to find or more expensive for employers and patients.NCOIL (National Council of Insurance Legislators) has a model DLR framework that states can use as a starting point when drafting legislation.Dentists should track DLR activity through their state dental society and stay engaged in the legislative conversation as changes accelerate.Snippets:00:00 Why dentists need to understand dental loss ratio (DLR).04:00 What DLR is and how premium dollars are measured against patient care.06:00 How state DLR laws can trigger refunds of premium dollars to patients.09:00 The national average DLR discussed (64%–67%) and the push toward the 80s.10:00 Why brokers may feel the squeeze first as carriers adjust to DLR pressure.12:00 How relying on PPO lists can become riskier as networks and rules shift.13:00 A warning sign: treatment planning based on insurance instead of clinical judgment.18:00 What NCOIL is and how it influences state DLR bills.19:00 How DLR could mirror medical loss ratio dynamics, including premium pressure.24:00 Where to start: practice evaluation and understanding how insurance impacts the business.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Shelley DeGroff, founder and CEO of PPO Advisors, knows dentistry. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, she began working as a dental receptionist in a nearby dental office. After completing her certification as a dental assistant, Shelley transitioned to become a successful office manager. It was in that role that Shelley began noticing the need for PPO negotiations for her employing doctor. This experience began the business model for PPO Advisors, which has now become a nationwide industry leader.Resources mentioned in the episode:PPO Advisors website: https://ppoadvisors.com/PPO Advisors blog: https://ppoadvisors.com/ppo-insights/blog/NCOIL (National Council of Insurance Legislators) model dental loss ratio framework:https://ncoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/NCOIL-DLR-Model-Health-Cmte-Adopted-1-26-24.pdfMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “Why am I even doing this?” When dentistry becomes all noise—production goals, staffing issues, and nonstop mental load—it’s easy to lose your purpose and drift into burnout. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back practice coach Miranda Beeson to explain how reconnecting to service—without sacrificing yourself—restores energy, strengthens leadership, and makes the work meaningful again. You’ll learn how service applies to patients, your team, your profession, and your community, plus practical ways to re-anchor your mindset through daily habits and better language around numbers. Listen to Episode 1043 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Dentistry is a helping profession, and burnout grows when purpose gets replaced by task-focus, noise, and transactional thinking.Service is not self-sacrifice; you have to protect boundaries and run a strong business to serve appropriately.When patients become “appointments” or “dollar signs,” fulfillment drops and emotional fatigue increases for both doctors and teams.Serving your team means creating an opportunity for financial stability, fulfillment, and development—not just expecting performance.Leadership is a mindset, not a title, and anyone can lead by showing up with an others-focused approach.Serving the profession and community through mentorship, study clubs, and giving back can restore meaning and re-energize seasoned dentists.Re-anchoring daily to purpose and gratitude helps reset mindset, improves team language around metrics, and supports healthier leadership.Snippets:00:00 Burnout And The Why01:23 Meet Coach Miranda03:02 Dentistry Noise Overload04:22 Service Fuels Purpose06:22 Serve Without Sacrifice09:06 When Service Gets Lost14:10 Serving Patients Deeply16:50 Serving Your Team20:52 Leadership Without Titles22:21 Serve Dentistry Community24:15 Community Service Mindset24:32 Mentorship Stories25:34 Giving Back Fuels Joy27:12 Keep the Fire Lit27:25 Margin and Mindsets29:07 Practical Reset Tips30:16 Purpose in Huddles31:41 Gratitude Over the Gap33:38 Reframing Numbers as Care35:03 Accountability and the Right People37:14 Final Takeaways on Service41:28 Core Purpose and Resources42:41 Podcast FarewellGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaBest Practices Resources:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Letting insurance fee schedules become your “real” fees creates bad data, bad decisions, and an unnecessary production treadmill. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt coaches with Robyn Theisen on why every practice — even PPO-heavy practices — must use a master fee schedule, bill full fees, and track adjustments correctly so you can see the true gap between UCR and contracted rates. You’ll learn how insurance-driven fees distort write-offs, inflate gross production, hide profitability, and anchor patients to allowance instead of clinical value — plus what to do today to start fixing it. Listen to Episode 1042 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:If your practice management system uses insurance fee schedules instead of a master fee schedule, your production, adjustments, and write-offs become inaccurate.Without regularly comparing UCR to contracted fees, you can’t see the true adjustment gap or make good plan-by-plan decisions.When practices bill contracted fees, gross production may look strong while net production tells a very different story.Insurance-driven fees can force doctors to produce more volume to reach the same results, creating scheduling and profitability challenges.Billing full fees and categorizing adjustments by insurance plan allows you to identify where discounts are coming from and how large they are.Getting granular with adjustment categories can reveal hidden issues, like different doctors operating under different insurance fee schedules.Auditing a small sample of EOBs weekly helps you validate whether adjustments and payments match what you think is happening.Snippets:00:01 What “the hidden cost of letting insurance set your fees” actually means.03:00 What it looks like when practices get this wrong: distorted adjustments, write-offs, and inflated gross production.05:40 Why not using a master fee schedule creates “fake news” everywhere in the practice.06:30 What it looks like when practices get it right: billing full fees and tracking adjustments by plan.08:50 How granular write-off categories reveal deeper problems — including huge write-offs and mismatched fee schedules.11:10 What you can do today: check how adjustments are entered and get more specific by insurance company.12:20 Why anchoring patients to allowances instead of clinical value hurts your practice long-term.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

AI is showing up everywhere in dentistry, but how far should you go with it in HR—and where does it create risk? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Alan Twigg, HR professional and leader at Bent Ericksen, to unpack practical, low-risk ways to use AI in a private dental practice, where it can backfire, and why compliance and culture still require trained human judgment. You’ll learn what AI does well today, what it gets wrong, how employees may use it against you, and how to protect your practice while staying efficient. Listen to Episode 1041 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:AI can summarize information confidently even when it is wrong, so you should not use it as a source of HR compliance guidance.Employees and patients can use AI tools to research employment and practice issues faster, increasing the need for accurate HR compliance.Using AI to write or review policies can miss common real-world scenarios and still requires significant human time to verify and maintain.AI’s default “agreeable” responses can be risky in HR decisions like termination because it may not challenge high-risk choices.Useful AI applications in HR are generally administrative or creative support, not legal interpretation or employee-relations decision-making.Culture and trust remain key differentiators for private practices, especially as larger organizations pursue efficiency through automation.The real value of technology should be freeing time for human connection, not compressing more tasks into the day.Snippets:00:00 AI is everywhere—would you use it for HR?01:00 Alan explains what he does and why HR support matters in dentistry.04:00 Kirk on “this will change everything” predictions and why trust still runs dentistry.08:00 The five Cs that differentiate humans from AI: communication, compassion, curiosity, creativity, courage.11:00 Why AI can be dangerous for HR compliance information, with real examples of errors.14:00 The Workday lawsuit and what it could mean for AI-driven hiring tools.17:00 What happens when a practice tries to use AI to build policies and procedures.22:00 How AI’s “agreeable” nature can increase risk in terminations and employee conflict.25:00 Safer, practical uses of AI: UEP drafting, appreciation ideas, and reducing admin drudgery.28:00 Five years out: efficiency vs. work intensification, and the hope for more human connection.32:00 Final cautions: don’t let AI change your vision, and don’t use it for compliance decisions.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Alan Twigg is the president of Bent Ericksen & Associates. For over 10 years, he has guided thousands of clients and consultants through the ever-changing world of HR and employment compliance. He is a speaker, consultant, and author who is passionate about bringing education and peace of mind to such a confusing topic.As a strong proponent of symbiotic employer-employee relations, Alan is passionate about teamwork and positive work cultures, with an emphasis on long-term personnel retention and employment compliance, where his solutions-oriented outlook excels.Resources mentioned:https://bentericksen.com/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Turnover is expensive, disruptive, and often blamed on “the staffing market”—but what if the real issue is your internal culture and leadership systems? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with coach Heather Crockett to explain why turnover isn’t a staffing problem—it’s a culture problem—and to walk you through the practical framework that attracts the right people, keeps them, and helps them thrive. You’ll learn what truly drives turnover, the leadership behaviors that reduce it, and the culture systems that create clarity, consistency, and accountability. Listen to Episode 1040 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Turnover is often a lagging indicator of deeper issues like unclear leadership, inconsistent expectations, weak onboarding, and uneven accountability.Strong cultures still attract and retain top talent, even in tight labor markets, because people choose workplaces for leadership and experience—not just pay.Clear roles, defined success, and documented expectations reduce guessing and frustration, and help the right people perform in the right seats.Consistency in leadership—supported by regular meeting rhythms—eliminates “rule changes” that make accountability feel unfair.Systems create predictable, repeatable behaviors and improve training so you don’t rely on memory, mood, or “training by people.”Avoiding conflict quietly erodes culture; productive conflict builds trust when leaders use clear frameworks and address issues early.Team members stay when they feel clear, valued, and connected to meaningful purpose—not because of perks alone.Snippets:00:00 Turnover isn’t a staffing problem—it’s a culture problem.02:00 Why hiring is hard, and why culture is the real retention advantage.05:30 Turnover as a lagging indicator of internal leadership and systems issues.07:00 Why onboarding drives retention and the “3-3-3” framework.10:00 “Team members come first” and what it changes operationally.11:00 Clarity: defining roles, success, and expectations for behavior and performance.13:30 Consistency and the meeting rhythms that remove unfair accountability.17:00 Systems as the “this is the way” to reduce errors and speed up training.19:00 Purpose: moving from transactional dentistry to meaningful, relational work.22:00 Avoiding conflict erodes culture and drives high performers away.24:00 Clear is kind: why clarity prevents conflict from becoming a crisis.26:30 Tactical leadership behaviors you can start immediately to reduce turnover.29:00 Two questions to ask your team to uncover what’s hurting culture.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Are you producing at a high level but still feeling tight on cash? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Carlie Einarson, ACT Dental coach, to explain why strong production doesn’t automatically mean strong cash flow. You’ll learn the two metrics that reveal what’s really happening—collections percentage and AR days—plus the practical steps to tighten your financial systems so the money you’ve earned actually makes it to the bank. Listen to Episode 1039 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Strong production does not guarantee strong cash flow because production does not automatically convert to money in the bank.Collections percentage and AR days are two key metrics that reveal why a practice can feel tight on cash even when schedules are full.If you are not collecting 100% of net production, profitability is being impacted and the practice is leaving money on the table.Over-the-counter collections must be consistent, with confident same-day payment conversations at time of service.AR days reflect how long it takes to collect what you’re owed, and the goal is roughly 30 days or less.A clear financial policy and an AR management system reduce delays from patient balances and insurance claims.Improving collections systems can create a cascading effect, including healthier financial behavior, better compliance, and more consistent processes.Snippets:00:00 Producing a lot but still tight on cash—why this happens.02:20 The two metrics that reveal the story: collections percentage and AR days.04:40 What “getting it wrong” looks like when cash doesn’t match production.05:35 Why AR days creep up and how delays compound.07:40 What “getting it right” looks like inside a healthy practice.08:35 Why 95% collections is not acceptable in dental practice management.11:05 Targeting 30 AR days and tightening follow-up systems.12:00 Moving to deposits and collecting in a more consistent process.13:10 Action plan: financial policy alignment and AR management systems.15:00 Where to find BPA resources for financial policies and AR systems.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Carlie Einarson is a lead practice coach who has a passion for helping others succeed in the dental field. She loves helping to create a stable foundation for practices so both professionals and patients have a great experience every time they walk in the door!Carlie graduated from Utah College of Dental Hygiene. She has ten years of experience in the dental field, including clinical dental hygiene, front office, and leading teams.In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, skiing, playing volleyball, and golfing.Resources mentioned in this episode:Best Practices Association (BPA) resources and guides:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Building an amazing dental team is hard when everyone is “busy” but daily friction, miscommunication, and inconsistent expectations keep getting in the way. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with coach Jenni Poulos to explain how written team agreements create alignment, reduce conflict, and make accountability easier. You’ll learn why individual, unwritten expectations create expensive operational friction, how agreements support core values with specific behaviors, and how to build a living document your team actually uses. Listen to Episode 1038 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Alignment reduces daily friction by creating clear, shared expectations for how the team works together.Misalignment is expensive because it shows up in tone, handoffs, duplicated work, and ultimately impacts patient experience and profitability.The root of conflict is the gap between expectations and reality, summed up as E minus R equals C.Team agreements support core values by defining what those values look like in specific, observable behaviors during the workday.People resist surprise accountability more than accountability itself, and written agreements reduce that surprise.Agreements must be written, modeled by leadership, and used for coaching so accountability feels less personal and more objective.Team agreements should be created with the full team and revisited regularly so they stay “living,” not just “laminated.”Snippets:00:00 Welcome and Big Question01:17 Meet Jenny and Why Alignment Matters03:08 Core Values and Misalignment Costs05:18 Unwritten Rules Create Friction07:22 E Minus R Equals Conflict09:28 Team Agreements Create Clarity11:22 Written Agreements and Accountability15:48 Modeling Agreements and Coaching18:11 How to Build Agreements Together23:24 Final Takeaways and Next Steps25:38 Wrap Up and FarewellGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Jenni brings to dental teams a literal lifetime of experience in dentistry. As the daughter and sister of periodontists and a dental hygienist, she has been working in many facets of the dental world since she first held a summer job turning rooms and pouring models at the age of 12. Now, with over 10 years of experience in managing and leading a large periodontal practice, she has a firm grasp on what it takes to run a thriving business. Her passion for organizational health and culture has been a driving force behind her coaching career. She has witnessed firsthand how creating an aligned and engaged team will take a practice to levels of success that they never believed possible! Guest resources mentioned:Best Practices Association: Team Agreements Coaching Guide.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

AI is moving fast, but most dentists still don’t know what to use, what to ignore, or how to avoid wasting time on tools that don’t help the practice. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Travis Wentworth, an AI and cybersecurity expert (with a doctorate in chemical engineering and a background in data modeling), to explain how AI has evolved beyond chatbots into practical “coworker” tools and agent-based workflows that can save time in a dental office. You’ll learn how to think about AI use cases, how to structure prompts for better outputs, where the real risks are (including hallucinations and overreliance), and how to pick one measurable project to implement without getting overwhelmed—listen to Episode 1037 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:AI has quickly moved beyond basic chatbot use into tools that can work directly with files, folders, and workflows on your computer.Agent-based AI can connect services (like calendars and email) to automate multi-step tasks that would normally take manual follow-up.Better AI outputs depend on structured, specific inputs, including context like practice values, tone, and desired formats.A major risk is trusting AI outputs without reviewing them, especially when the model can hallucinate details or references.Another risk is getting distracted by too many possibilities instead of completing one scoped, practical project.AI can be used for simple, high-value office tasks like drafting consistent SOP templates and maintenance logs.Tools that record and summarize conversations can help improve consistency and completeness of clinical notes when used responsibly.Snippets:00:00 AI in Dentistry Intro01:08 Meet Travis Wentworth03:18 How Fast AI Is Moving04:43 Beyond Chatbots to Cowork06:41 Agents That Automate Work08:26 Dental Use Cases and Reviews11:57 Prompting and Better Inputs16:14 Dental AI Tools and Notes20:38 Pitfalls and Staying Focused24:31 Adoption Curves and Urgency27:51 Final Advice and Resources30:28 Wrap Up and Next StepsGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Travis Wentworth has been training students in engineering, networking, and cybersecurity for over a decade. He received his PhD in engineering from the University of Kansas in 2015 and completed a Postdoctoral Research fellowship at the University of Chalmers in Gothenburg, Sweden. While there, he was part of the world-renowned research group led by Dr. Louise Olsson and had the privilege to work with the European Union, Swedish Research Council, Volvo, and Chalmers University.As a researcher, instructor, and consultant, Travis has presented his technical content to far-reaching corners of the globe including China, Germany, and Sweden, to name a few. Returning to the United States in 2017, he narrowed his emphasis to cybersecurity and networking training.Travis has a diverse background with a proclivity in the acquisition and analysis of public and proprietary data. He is a published author in numerous peer-reviewed journals for computer modeling and catalysis and is well-versed in programming, networking, data acquisition, and cybersecurity.Resource mentioned:https://www.plaud.ai/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

When patients don’t say yes to treatment, it’s easy to assume the problem is fees, timing, or motivation—but the first place to look is your data. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with ACT coach Carlie Einarson to break down two key performance indicators that reveal where case acceptance is actually breaking down: diagnostic percentage and case acceptance percentage. You’ll learn how to define and track these metrics, what “low” numbers typically indicate inside your systems, and the first practical steps to improve diagnosis, presentation, and scheduling outcomes. Listen to Episode 1036 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Key performance indicators are “indicators” because they point to which systems are working and which are not.Diagnostic percentage measures what percentage of patients are diagnosed with new treatment.Case acceptance percentage measures what percentage of patients with treatment presented schedule something before leaving that day.A low diagnostic percentage can indicate missed or inconsistent diagnosis, unclear philosophy, or “watching” treatment instead of recommending it.A low case acceptance percentage often reflects rushed conversations and unclear explanations rather than patients simply refusing because of cost or time.Improving both metrics starts with writing down and aligning the practice’s standard of care and treatment philosophy across the entire team.Pulling two to four weeks of diagnostic and case acceptance data helps identify whether the breakdown is happening in diagnosis or in communication and scheduling.Snippets:00:00 What to look at first when patients aren’t saying yes.02:06 Why KPIs are called “indicators” and what they reveal.03:06 Diagnostic percentage defined with a simple example.03:42 Case acceptance percentage defined as scheduling before leaving.04:10 What low diagnostic and case acceptance numbers usually mean.06:07 What it looks like when diagnosis and case acceptance are strong.07:25 Why diagnosis is a priority and why “winging it” fails.09:18 The first steps: write down your standard of care and pull recent data.10:12 What to review with your team to strengthen diagnosis systems.11:20 What to fix when diagnosis is strong but case acceptance is low.12:05 Raising the standard of care and bringing the team with you.12:41 The value of periodic comprehensive sit-downs for patients.13:12 Holding doctors accountable with daily tracking.15:18 The two metrics to start with when patients aren’t saying yes.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Carlie Einarson is a lead practice coach who has a passion for helping others succeed in the dental field. She loves helping to create a stable foundation for practices so both professionals and patients have a great experience every time they walk in the door!Carlie graduated from Utah College of Dental Hygiene. She has ten years of experience in the dental field, including clinical dental hygiene, front office, and leading teams.In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, skiing, playing volleyball, and golfing.Resources mentioned in this episode:Best Practices Association (BPA) resources and guides:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dentistry is full of big-ticket purchases, but many clinicians overlook the most expensive and valuable “equipment” they own: their body. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Dr. Uche Odiatu to reframe the equipment conversation around physical health, and to lay out practical, sustainable habits that protect performance over a long career. You’ll learn why sleep and light exposure are foundational, how consistency beats extremes, and which nutrition “bottlenecks” can quietly undermine energy, cognition, and longevity—so you can keep practicing (and living) well for decades. listen to Episode 1035 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:The most valuable and expensive piece of equipment in a dental practice is the dentist’s physical body, and it requires intentional investment.By midlife, poor sleep and food habits stop being sustainable and begin to show up as chronic pain, fatigue, and reduced capacity to perform.Sleep is the bedrock habit because it impacts hormones, recovery, cognition, and long-term health outcomes.Getting outside shortly after waking (even briefly) supports circadian rhythm, daytime energy, and deeper sleep later that night.Consistency with simple habits beats “all-or-nothing” health plans that are hard to sustain long term.Nutrition basics matter more than supplements, and common nutrient shortfalls can impact decision-making and overall health.Clinicians can model wellness-based leadership by taking care of themselves and guiding patients with a broader view of health.Snippets:00:00 The “most valuable and expensive equipment” in dentistry.02:00 Why dentists invest in tech but not their physical health.04:10 The health cost of delaying self-care until “later.”05:30 Why the conversation should focus on solutions, not just problems.06:10 Sleep as the foundation habit.07:10 The “six doctors”: exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, light, and hormesis.08:20 Morning light exposure and why going outside matters.11:00 Kirk’s daily weighted-vest walking routine.14:20 Why consistency beats extreme routines.17:10 Nutrition bottlenecks: choline, omega-3s, vitamin D, and fiber.21:40 Practical fiber sources and simplifying food choices.23:10 A simple daily baseline: sleep, light, eggs, and avocado.26:00 What dentists can notice about health by observing faces and mouths.27:10 Kirk’s “Nordstrom suit” moment and making a change.28:10 Dr. Uche’s “gray face” moment and rethinking work habits.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Dr. Uche Odiatu has a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). He is a professional member of the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), a Certified Personal Trainer NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), and the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals (canfitpro). He is the co-author of The Miracle of Health and has lectured in Canada, the USA, the Caribbean, the UK, and Europe. He is an invited guest on over 400 TV and radio shows, from ABC 20/20, Canada CTV AM, Breakfast TV, to Magic Sunday Drum FM in Texas. This high-energy healthcare professional has done over 450 lectures in seven countries over the last 15 years.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitspeakers/Website: https://www.druche.com/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Hiring in dentistry is harder than ever, especially when you hire for skill and end up firing for attitude. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with coach Heather Crockett about how to hire for culture fit using a structured system, including four essential types of interview questions that reveal credentials, technical ability, experience, and behaviors tied to your core values. You’ll learn how to define the role, reduce bias, avoid “least-worst” hiring decisions, and build a repeatable process that strengthens your team over time—listen to Episode 1034 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:One bad hire can erode culture, frustrate strong performers, and create turnover and management problems.Hiring for software knowledge or skill alone misses the behavioral alignment required for long-term success.A structured hiring system prevents reactive, rushed decisions and makes interviews consistent across candidates.Define the role clearly so candidates understand the expectations and you can evaluate fit accurately.Use credential questions to confirm education, licenses, and certifications relevant to the position.Use technical and experience questions to assess minimum performance standards and past responsibilities.Use behavior-based questions tied to core values to evaluate how candidates respond to feedback, stress, and leadership opportunities.Snippets:00:00 Hiring Is Harder Now01:19 Why Culture Fit Wins05:26 Core Values Over Skills07:42 Build A Hiring System10:45 Define Roles And Ads12:04 Four Interview Question Types12:50 Credentials And Technical Skills14:52 Experience And Behavior Questions20:50 Templates Video Screens And Takeaways24:55 AI Proof Your Hiring ProcessGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Metrics don’t create pressure—unclear expectations do. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Robyn Theisen, coach at ACT Dental, about how role-specific KPIs reduce stress by creating clarity, ownership, and accountability. You’ll learn why teams feel pressured when success isn’t defined, how to use metrics as a “scoreboard” for standard of care and performance, and how to build meeting rhythms that keep everyone aligned and improving. Listen to Episode 1033 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Metrics reduce emotion in leadership conversations by replacing opinions with observable data.Pressure rises when leaders don’t define success and KPIs only get discussed when something goes wrong.Teams feel less stress when each role has two to five measurable outcomes that define responsibility.A “scoreboard” creates alignment by showing progress, opportunities, and wins in real time.Reviewing expectations and KPIs in regular meeting rhythms helps teams adjust before issues become crises.Role-specific metrics make performance conversations less subjective and more constructive.When team members help define and track outcomes, they feel led and accountable rather than micromanaged.Snippets:00:00 Metric Monday Kickoff01:26 Metrics vs Pressure03:08 Why Data Matters04:09 When Expectations Fail05:25 Scoreboards and Alignment08:01 Getting KPIs Right09:00 Leading Indicator Examples11:09 Coaching and Next Steps13:29 Wrap Up and CommunityGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Most practices spend thousands each month on supplies but still don’t have a documented ordering system—so spending becomes reactive, inconsistent, and hard to control. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with co-host Miranda Beeson, Director of Education at ACT Dental, about what a GPO (group purchasing organization) is, where it fits in your ordering system, and how to combine budgets, accountability, and a repeatable process to stabilize supply costs and improve profitability over time—Listen to Episode 1032 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:A GPO (group purchasing organization) leverages collective buying power to secure better pricing than a single practice can typically negotiate alone.Most offices don’t have a documented ordering system, which leads to reactive ordering habits and fluctuating supply percentages month to month.A defined ordering system should clearly outline what it is, why it exists, who is accountable, who participates, when it happens, where it happens, and exactly how it’s done.Supply ordering should be driven by a budget tied to collections (commonly targeting around 5%) so teams can measure performance and correct course.Accountability requires accounting, meaning practices need clear reporting and a way to review whether spending stayed on budget and why.Setting minimum/maximum inventory levels and approval guardrails reduces overstock, emergency purchases, and delays when the primary ordering person is unavailable.A centralized procurement platform can reduce decision fatigue, save time, and help teams compare options, track spend, and capture savings and rebates more consistently.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:00 Why the GPO conversation matters and where it fits in your ordering system.03:00 Why ordering must be system-driven, not habit-driven.06:00 Common “systems” that aren’t systems (the whiteboard and the rep-driven order).09:00 The real dollar impact of small percentage swings in supply spend.12:00 What a complete ordering system should include (what, why, who, when, where, how).15:00 Why supply ordering must start with a collections-based budget.19:00 What a GPO is and how group buying power works.24:00 How a procurement platform can include supplies, labs, savings, and rebates.26:00 Why saving time matters as much as saving money in ordering.30:00 Final recap: intentionality, consistency, visibility, and long-term profitability.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Exchange 2026: https://smilesource.com/exchangeThe Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Do you ever feel like your team is technically doing their jobs—but they’re not pulling in the same direction, and performance still falls short? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Miranda Beeson, ACT’s co-host and practice coach, about how to shift a practice from “working with each other” to “working for each other.”You’ll learn how a “me” mindset creates invisible walls, why vulnerability-based trust changes accountability and communication, and how leaders build clarity, consistency, and connection to create a true “we” culture. Listen to Episode 1031 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:A team can have high individual performers and still underachieve if people are playing for themselves instead of for each other.A “me” mindset shows up as guarded communication, weak collaboration, reduced trust, and decreased accountability.Shifting to a “we” mindset starts by replacing “that’s not my job” thinking with “how can I help the team succeed today?”Vulnerability-based trust creates psychological safety where people admit mistakes, ask for help, and assume positive intent.Leaders must model the behavior first by owning mistakes, asking for help, and consistently reinforcing expectations.Team building matters because time together outside the daily pressure helps people connect as humans and lowers defenses.Culture is shaped intentionally through clarity, consistency, and connection—and unintentionally through defensiveness, favoritism, avoidance, and hierarchy.Snippets:00:00 Intro02:25 The volleyball story that sparked the “with each other vs. for each other” framework.04:00 How “I did my job” thinking limits team performance.10:00 A practical example of “me mindset” vs. “team player mindset” during a handoff and ringing phone.13:00 Predictive trust vs. vulnerability-based trust in a dental practice.16:45 Why team building and bonding help teams lower their guard.23:00 Using purpose and process mapping to show how every role impacts the patient experience.27:00 Clarity, consistency, and connection as leadership habits that shape culture.34:00 A simple next step to start building “for each other” behavior in your next team meeting.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Exchange 2026: https://smilesource.com/exchangeThe Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Do you feel busy all day, yet your production doesn’t reflect it? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings in Robyn Theisen, practice coach and co-host, to break down why “busy” is a false proxy—and how to replace it with intentional productivity. You’ll learn how to use two key metrics, production per day (PPD) and production per visit (PPV), to spot schedule problems, reduce day-to-day production swings, and build more stable, higher-value days without the frantic pace. Listen to Episode 1030 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Busyness and productivity are not the same thing, and a busy schedule can still produce inconsistent results.PPD and PPV reveal whether your schedule is intentionally designed for value or simply filled to stay busy.When PPD is off, production fluctuates sharply, large cases are “hoped for,” and one cancellation can derail the day.When PPV is off, the schedule is packed with small appointments, relies on same-day treatment or emergencies, and creates wasted time.Getting PPD right means working backward from annual goals to daily targets and intentionally placing larger cases to stabilize the day.Getting PPV right means fewer visits at higher value, with appointment lengths matched to procedure value and complexity.Reviewing past schedules and rating day “busyness” helps identify bottlenecks and what needs to change.Snippets:00:00 Metric Monday Kickoff01:33 Meet Coach Robin02:21 Busy Versus Productive03:38 Key Metrics PPD PPV03:53 When Metrics Go Wrong06:35 When You Get It Right08:29 Less Busy More Productive09:43 Action Steps Today11:02 Final Takeaways12:00 Wrap Up And ResourcesGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Is your schedule “full” but still feels chaotic, stressful, and unproductive? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with ACT Dental coach Robyn Theisen about the real reason your schedule feels like chaos—and how to fix it by designing your day with intention, predictability, and clear scheduling agreements. You’ll learn how to work backwards from annual goals to daily targets, use block scheduling without losing flexibility, protect emergency time, and stop letting patients dictate your day. Listen to Episode 1029 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Chaos in the schedule is a design problem, not a people problem.Predictability in the schedule reduces stress for the doctor, the team, and the patient experience.A proactive schedule shifts the practice from being busy to being productive and consistently hitting goals.Build the schedule by working backwards from annual production goals to determine daily production targets.Use block scheduling across the entire week and protect block integrity by shifting blocks instead of overriding them.Reserve true emergency time and use separate urgency time for patients who need to get in but can’t come immediately.Assign a single owner of the schedule and reinforce their decisions so the system stays consistent.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:45 Why a reactive schedule increases stress for the team and patients.03:05 Predictability as a major driver of dentist and team happiness.04:45 Why schedule chaos is a design problem, not a people problem.05:50 What a schedule without intention looks like.08:05 How to work backwards from annual goals to daily production targets.10:35 Using the production-per-day feature in practice management software.12:10 Build the schedule for the doctor’s wants first, then patient needs.17:10 How blocks protect flow, profit, and patient access.18:55 Why you need block scheduling across the whole week.20:05 New patient and hygiene/perio scheduling must be intentional.21:40 Emergency time vs. urgency time and how each should be used.24:05 Confirming key appointments earlier and setting scheduling agreements.25:05 One person must own the schedule and the dentist must support that role.26:05 “Show me your schedule and I can tell you how you’ll feel at day’s end.”27:10 Rating the day to identify what made it a 10 or a 5.29:05 BPA resource mentioned: Ideal Day Scheduling Guide.Guest Bio/Guest Resources:Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

As a dentist, you can present the best treatment plan—and still lose case acceptance if your team “translates” it differently after you leave the room. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Debra Engelhardt-Nash, educator and founder of the Nash Institute for Dental Learning, to unpack what’s really being said in the operatory when you’re not there. You’ll learn how belief systems and “wallet biopsies” derail care, how to position assistants as clinical endorsers (not counterpoints), and how to train communication so patients hear one consistent message. Listen to Episode 1028 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Team members can unintentionally undermine treatment when they assume patients can’t afford or won’t value ideal care.A simple reset is asking the assistant, “If this were your mouth, what would you rather have?” and aligning the recommendation accordingly.The assistant’s role is to create a “perception of quality” even when the doctor is not present.Standing physically with (not across from) the doctor signals unity and increases patient confidence in the plan.Too many treatment options create confusion, and a confused mind often defaults to “no.”Doctors should delegate parts of the explanation intentionally so assistants can reinforce the why, answer questions, and help the patient process fees.Communication must be trained and rehearsed; it won’t improve by osmosis after a course, study club, or podcast.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:11 Meet Debra Nash02:10 Rural Practice Dilemma04:41 If It Were Your Mouth06:24 Wallet Biopsies06:32 Dermatology Delegation Story10:09 Moment of Truth After Doctor Leaves10:36 Standing With The Doctor12:03 Jargon And Too Many Choices15:53 Training Without Scripts17:43 Team as Patient Advocates18:10 Veneers Parade of Shades18:46 Investing in Staff Smiles20:08 Retention and Loyalty Boost20:41 Empathy vs Sympathy23:57 Stop Apologizing for Care25:37 Recall Value and Exams26:23 Quality Without Doctor27:53 Train Communication Skills28:55 Programs and Contact Info30:47 Final Takeaways and WrapGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Debra Engelhardt-Nash has been in dentistry since 1985 as a consultant, trainer, author and speaker. She has presented workshops nationally and internationally for numerous associations and study clubs. She is a repeat presenter for organizations including Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, the Yankee Dental Meeting, The Swedish Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Greater New York Dental Meeting. Debra has also appeared on several podcasts and webinars and authored several articles for dental publications.Debra served three terms as the President of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants who presented her their Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Charles Kidd Meritorious Service Award. She is the Immediate Past President of the Academy for Private Practice Dentistry. She has been repeatedly recognized as a Leader in Consulting and Education by Dentistry Today and has been listed as top 25 Women in Dentistry. Debra is also the recipient of the Gordon Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award.Together with her husband, Dr. Ross Nash, Debra is the co-founder of the Nash Institute for Dental Learning – a post graduate training center in cosmetic and esthetic techniques and dental business administration training.Guest resources mentioned:Nash Institute for Dental Learning: https://www.thenashinstitute.com/Debra Engelhardt-Nash: https://debraengelhardtnash.com/Text Debra: 704-904-3459More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Case acceptance slows down when patients don’t fully trust the diagnosis or understand the outcomes they’re buying—not just the treatment they’re paying for. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Miranda Beason, ACT’s Director of Education, about why low case acceptance is often a trust problem and how to fix it with better value communication, co-discovery, and consistent team language. You’ll learn what it looks like when practices get case acceptance wrong, what “right” looks like in real conversations, and the specific behaviors and tools that move patients from “let me think about it” to scheduling before they leave. Listen to Episode 1027 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Low case acceptance is rarely about price alone and is often rooted in missing trust and value creation.Patient acceptance percentage can look strong even when dollar amount acceptance shows weak commitment to comprehensive care.When practices miss trust-building, patients leave without scheduling, say “let me think about it,” and large plans sit in unscheduled treatment reports.Inconsistent case acceptance between providers often reflects differences in how clearly outcomes, value, and trust are communicated.When teams build trust well, patients ask curious questions, prioritize recommended care, and accept comprehensive plans at higher rates.Co-discovery and co-diagnosis help patients participate in understanding their condition and choosing solutions, which increases trust and commitment.Visuals like intraoral photos and properly oriented radiographs help patients see what you see and reduce confusion during treatment discussions.Snippets:00:00 Metric Monday Kickoff01:55 Why Trust Drives Acceptance04:19 Signs Youre Getting It Wrong05:48 Patient vs Dollar Acceptance07:39 Accountability and Assistants10:05 What It Looks Like Right13:13 How to Improve Today15:01 Tools Visuals and Language16:37 Resources and Wrap UpGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

One of the hardest parts of running a dental practice is producing dentistry consistently while cash flow stays unpredictable because you’re not collecting what you’re actually owed. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings in Ashley Bond, founder of Wisdom Dental Billing, to explain where revenue leaks happen inside the billing and collections process and how to tighten up your systems so production turns into real collections. You’ll learn how to calculate your collection percentage, what numbers to watch every month, where missing money usually hides, and which daily workflows keep claims moving and prevent write-offs that shouldn’t happen. Listen to Episode 1026 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Track your collection percentage monthly by dividing total collections by net production (after adjustments) and multiplying by 100, aiming for 98% or higher.When collection percentage is below 98%, the missing money is typically found in adjustments, patient accounts receivable, or insurance accounts receivable.Relying on one “hero” biller is risky; practices need repeatable systems that don’t collapse when turnover happens.Most denied claims are tied to office administrative errors, often due to missing or incomplete documentation and attachments.Posting insurance payments accurately is critical because incorrect write-offs and misposted EOBs can trigger audits and slow payment timelines.Rejected claims can sit unseen in the clearinghouse and never reach insurance unless someone works rejections daily.Claims should be followed up every 14 days with complete claim notes (date, rep, outcome, action taken, reference number, initials) until paid.Snippets:00:00 Welcome and Revenue Leak01:17 Meet Ashley Bond02:26 Ashley Origin Story03:59 Why She Built Wisdom05:26 Insurance Keeps Changing06:42 Production vs Collections Reality08:17 Calculate Collection Percentage09:37 Find the Missing Money15:45 Systems Not a Hero17:13 Insurance Verification Time Sink18:42 Insurance Breakdown Reality19:18 What Outsourced Billing Means20:24 Why Teams Lose Money22:16 Core Systems And Cadence26:18 Clean Claims And Notes28:08 How Long To Get Paid30:52 EOB Audits And Risk34:07 Final Metrics To Track35:00 Wisdom Services And Contact36:40 Wrap Up And Next StepsGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Ashley Bond, Co-Founder & Chief Dental Billing Officer at Wisdom, leads our billing team, focusing on innovative solutions and training for enhanced service quality and efficiency. Previously, Ashley founded Bond Dental Billing, where she developed a nationwide billing service from her initial experience in her father's dental practice. Ashley is a proud member of the ASCA, SCN, demonstrating her commitment to professional development and excellence in the dental billing community. Ashley is passionate about continuing education in the dental community, and contributes in both editorial, and speaking capacities.Guest Resources: https://www.withwisdom.com/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dental teams are feeling the hygienist shortage, and many practices are reacting with shortcuts instead of fixing what’s actually driving clinicians away. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Katrina Sanders, a dental hygienist, educator, and clinician with AZ Perio, to unpack what’s behind the shortage, why “oral preventive assistant” roles miss the point, and what leaders can change right now to attract (and keep) high-performing hygienists. You’ll learn what the data says, what “respect from leadership” really looks like in day-to-day practice, and how core values and humility shape the culture that determines who you can hire. Listen to Episode 1025 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:The hygienist shortage is tied to training pipeline shifts: dental school graduations rising while hygiene graduations decline, creating a sustainability gap for practices staffed with multiple hygienists per doctor.Many hygienists cite leaving for reasons that practices can influence directly: limited growth opportunities, toxic work environments, inflexible scheduling, and lack of respect from leadership.Creating “oral preventive assistant” roles can further devalue hygienists and distract from fixing the actual causes of turnover.Leaders who feel threatened by clinical pushback often create cultures that repel proactive hygienists and attract clinicians who won’t challenge outdated protocols.A sustainable hygiene model requires clarity on expectations and systems that support diagnosis support, perio protocols, utilization, and production—not just filling chairs.Practices that retain top talent invest in development, collaboration, and shared learning rather than relying on ego or “this is the way we’ve always done it.”The future of independent dentistry requires intentional choices about culture, values, and team development rather than letting external forces dictate direction.Snippets:00:00 Podcast cold open01:20 Meet Katrina Sanders03:25 Panel story setup05:48 Hygienist shortage data10:19 OPA debate and applause12:02 Would you hire her16:36 Ego and leadership respect24:47 Silver tsunami and workforce trends28:04 Building growth and flexibility30:17 Ego Versus Growth31:03 Core Values Alignment32:53 Prophy Princess Problem33:51 Hygiene Metrics Math37:38 You Attract Your Team39:11 Building Values Nucleus40:09 Why She Stays42:40 Pick Your Direction45:08 Max Bet Contrarian48:49 Curiosity Over Ego50:55 Would You Hire Her51:27 Hire Thought Leaders53:42 Where To Find Katrina54:11 Exchange Perio Workshop56:26 Team Learning Together59:45 Final SendoffGuest Bio/Guest Resources:In the ever-changing world of dental science where research, technology, and techniques for patient care are constantly evolving, dental professionals look to continuing education to provide insight, deliver actionable steps, empower, and create a dramatic impact within their clinical practice.With wit, charm, and a dash of humor, Katrina Sanders enchants dental professionals with her course deliverables, insightful content, and delightful inspiration. Her message of empowerment rings mighty throughout her lectures and stirs a deep sense of motivation amongst course participants.Katrina is the Clinical Liaison for AZPerio, the country's largest periodontal practice. She performs clinically, working alongside Diplomates to the American Board of Periodontology in the surgical operatory. Katrina perfected techniques during L.A.N.A.P. surgery, suture placement, IV therapy, and blood draws. She instructs on collaborative professionalism and standard-of-care protocols while delivering education through hygiene boot camps and study clubs.Resources mentioned:Website: www.katrinasanders.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/Program: https://katrinasanders.com/speaking/https://smilesource.com/exchangeMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Overhead feels too high, and many dentists try to fix it by cutting costs in the wrong places. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with co-host Miranda Beeson about how to evaluate overhead through two lenses—spending and collections—so you can reduce overhead without compromising the practice. You’ll learn what “high overhead” actually looks like, where practices typically leak revenue, what to review inside your overhead buckets, and the specific actions you can implement today to strengthen collections and control supply and lab spend.Listen to Episode 1024 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:Overhead should be evaluated through two lenses: spending and collections.Cutting costs reactively can create team frustration and does not fix the root cause of high overhead.If collections are below 100%, the practice is chasing money, accounts receivable grows, and overhead percentage rises.High overhead is often tied to inconsistent expense review and emotional purchasing decisions instead of systematic ones.Strong overhead performance includes consistent review of overhead buckets and budgeting supplies and lab as a percent of collections.Same-day financial closure and clearer ownership of accounts receivable improve collection performance.Assigning an ordering and inventory “champion” with a defined budget helps prevent overspending and product waste.Snippets:00:00 Metric Mondays Intro01:30 Overhead Problem Framing02:33 Two Lenses Overview04:37 Common Overhead Mistakes07:59 What Good Looks Like10:57 Fix Collections Today12:51 Control Spending Systems14:20 Supply Budget Benchmarks16:15 Labs And Invoice Checks17:26 Wrap Up And Next StepsGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.Resources mentioned in this episode:Smile Source Marketplace: https://smilesource.com/Smile Source Transform membership: https://smilesource.com/membership-benefits-for-private-dental-practice-growth-and-successMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Weekly team meetings often get skipped, squeezed into lunch, or treated as optional — and that creates misalignment, unresolved issues, and reactive decision-making. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back ACT Dental coach Carlie Einarson to explain why a structured weekly team meeting is the key rhythm for “practice care” (not patient care). You’ll learn when to schedule it, what to cover, how to use KPIs to course-correct quickly, and how consistent meetings build an aligned, smarter, healthier team over time — listen to Episode 1023 of The Best Practices Show!Main Takeaways:The daily morning huddle is for patient care, and the weekly team meeting is for practice care.Weekly meetings prevent misalignment by giving the team a consistent space to communicate, prioritize, and solve problems together.“As-needed” meetings don’t work because issues pile up, side conversations grow, and small problems become big ones.The best weekly meeting time is typically Tuesday or Wednesday morning, not Monday, not Thursday, and not over lunch.Reviewing KPIs weekly turns data into decisions and allows faster course corrections when systems aren’t working.A healthy culture isn’t conflict-free; weekly meetings create structured time for healthy conflict, recognition, and connection.Progress comes from consistency over time, especially by breaking annual goals into quarterly priorities and working them weekly.Snippets:00:00 Intro01:24 Meet Carlie Einarson02:45 Why Weekly Meetings05:45 Team First Mindset06:36 Weekly Beats Monthly09:04 Best Time To Meet12:31 Alignment Through Vision15:57 KPIs Make Teams Smarter20:08 Healthy Culture And Conflict24:51 Airplane Maintenance Wrap27:02 Resources And Next Steps28:35 Final Thanks And SignoffGuest Bio/Guest Resources:Carlie Einarson is a lead practice coach who has a passion for helping others succeed in the dental field. She loves helping to create a stable foundation for practices so both professionals and patients have a great experience every time they walk in the door!Carlie graduated from Utah College of Dental Hygiene. She has ten years of experience in the dental field, including clinical dental hygiene, front office, and leading teams.In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, skiing, playing volleyball, and golfing.Resources mentioned in this episode:Best Practices Association (BPA) resources and guides:https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaUpcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.comSubscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com