The Best Practices Show

One of the toughest questions that a dentist has to answer is how much will my insurance cover? This is a question that gets asked all day long. every day. Front office rockstar Laura Hatch from the online dental training service Front Office Rocks is here to give specific answers on how to tackle this common dental question and more on this enlightening episode. Laura and I met a few months ago. I kept hearing great things about her, and I started watching the Front Office Rocks videos, and I was super impressed. She sheds light and gives great insight on all of the key questions in a dental practice. I knew I had to get to know her, and I am super happy to chat with her today, and answer all of those tough questions that come up when running a great practice.   You can find Laura Hatch here: Front Office Rocks Front Office Rocks on Facebook Laura Hatch on LinkedIn @dentalrockstars on Twitter Step Away from the Drill   Show Notes [03:19] Laura is a dental office manager wife. They started two practices with no training. They opened two practices from scratch, and Laura realized that there was a market for front office training. [04:12] She started Front Office Rocks as a resource for dental teams. [04:32] She is all about helping the team with the nitty-gritty details. [05:46] Implement is the key. I share best practices that we do in our office. [06:15] Every patient thinks insurance will cover 100%, but it won't. In the office, we have to deal with explaining the difference. [06:41] We really have to understand why the patient asks this insurance question and then understand how to answer it. [07:01] Understanding the why. [07:45] It's a surprise to patients when they find out that insurance isn't going to cover all of their treatment. [08:09] I like it when patients ask questions about insurance, because that means that they are in the buying cycle. [08:32] We need to help the patient through these questions, so that they can get the dentistry that they need done. [09:02] Getting the team super clear. [09:15] Being insurance savvy versus insurance driven. [09:35] Practices need to understand and know insurance. [10:30] What the patient needs the patient needs. We have to change the way that we think about insurance in our practice. [11:10] Put into perspective who you work for. You work for the patient, you work for the doctor.

Dentistry is one of the best professions in the world, and it is up to the dentist to choose what type of practice they are going to have. Whether you are a new dentist just starting out or an established dentist who wants to get a handle on the way your practice is run, this is the episode for you. Dr. Leonard Hess is a restorative dentist in Monroe, North Carolina and a senior faculty member of The Dawson Academy. Dr. Hess has a passion for dentistry and controlling his own destiny as a dentist. We talk about how dental school is a starting point and the importance of continued education, how to make your practice work for you instead of working for your practice, and how to get the most out of this extraordinary career journey.   You can find Leonard here: Dr. Leonard Hess, DDS, PA LennyHess@AOL.com   Show Notes [02:54] Dr. Hess is a restorative dentists in Monroe, North Carolina. [03:18] He is a restorative dentist who has been in practice for 18 years. [03:38] Dr. Hess doesn't feel that there are a lot of professions out there where at the end of the day you get to say that you change people's live, but dentistry is one of those professions. [04:08] When Dr. Hess was in dental school, he lived next door to the ADA and got to see a lot of speakers in dentistry. One thing he noticed was that what these speakers were talking about had nothing to do with dental school. [05:06] He realized that when he graduated, he needed to learn what these speakers were doing. [05:11] Right out of dental school he started taking some expensive and lengthy continuums to try and improve his clinical skills. This is where he met Dr. John Cranham. [05:45] Dr. Hess played Carnegie Hall when he was 17 years old. [06:36] He started lecturing and teaching in 2005. [06:45] Then he became an associate faculty member at the Dawson Academy. In 2011, he became a senior faculty member. [07:07] It's amazing how Peter Dawson is still relevant at 87 years old. It's a real pleasure and privilege to learn from him. [08:13] Letting your practice be the source of your happiness. [08:23] A lot of dentists get into the trap of having a happy mess which is a chaotic out-of-control life. [09:26] How comparison is a thief of joy. [09:59] BRULES: Bullcrap rules that are sometimes imposed on us. These can control and govern our lives and keep us from making the best decisions that we can make. [10:49] There are a lot of BRULES in dentistry that are holding us back. [11:38] Creating assets versus creating liabilities. [12:19] Dental school prepares you at a minimal competency level. You still need continuing education. [12:57] Students are coming out of dental school with stifling debt.

Jake Kirby and Jarrod Crawford are dentists at Copeland Creek Dental in Texas. They are two rockstar dentists who have decided to get the most out of their time by skipping lunch and working a straight eight hours from 7 to 3. This schedule gives them more time and enables them to even spend time with the kids. In today’s episode, we are going to discuss how they did it. You can find Jake Kirby and Jerrod Crawford here: Copeland Creek Dental Copeland Creek Dental on Facebook   Show Notes [01:33] Anyone who has ever been to one of my lectures knows that I love rethinking the straight eight. By working eight hours these dentists have transformed their hours and their lives. [02:06] Jerrod has to go pick up his kids. [02:35] It's awesome being able to pick my kids up everyday. Everybody that works here gets to be home at 3:00 or 3:30 and that is what life is about. [03:44] Jake is going to stay and do the podcast. [04:04] Expanded hours can grow your practice. You can build your practice on two things price and expanded convenience. [04:36] Jake and Jerrod are brother-in-laws, and they work with their sister-in-law too. They wanted to create a family atmosphere in their practice. [05:31] We want our team to show joy and love to our patients each and every day. [06:05] A 7 - 3 schedule is something that Crawford did before because, he was in the Navy. This fit in our whole model of creating time with our families and being with the ones we love the most. [08:56] They didn't consider the 7 - 3 schedule until fall. Crawford knew it would work, but it is a big shift for patients and team members. [10:10] Every practice that has gone to the straight eight have grown. It's not about money it is because they love their lives. [10:53] The team was shocked. They wanted to do it yesterday. They started January 1st. [12:07] The would huddle at 7:45 and finish at 5:00 or 6:00. [13:43] They have a 6:55 huddle and they work three days a week and 7 to 12 on Fridays. [15:08] They just started calling patients and explaining the new schedule. It worked out fine. [16:24] The advantage is now they have 7 AM appointments and lunch appointments. [19:22] They do have 3 to 5 hours two times a year, but most patients like the new hours. [20:18] They probably couldn't have made this transition until building positive relationships with their patients. [23:05] A dentist could extend themselves all day everyday. Jake also has more energy working 7 to 3 straight. There is just a different energy spending your time more wisely. [24:34] What a gift this is for their kids. Give your best energy to the things that matter most. [29:07] Ev

Dentists go through great lengths to find and retain great patients. They take CE courses, upgrade the look of the office, invest in consultants, and paid advertising. There is one often overlooked area that will keep your current patients happy and impress your potential new patients. That is the image that your office portrays.   Janice Hurley is the dentistry image expert. She has years of experience in the industry, and has helped to overhaul the look and feel of several dental offices and has the before and after pictures to prove it. Today, we discuss how it will benefit the dentist financially to not skimp on providing quality attire or a solid budget for his team to dress appropriately. We talk about how the guidelines need to be written down and enforced, and how verbal skills, body language, and appearance can make or break a first and continued impression. You can find Janice here: Janice Hurley Dentistry’s Image Expert Janice Hurley on LinkedIn Janice Hurley on Facebook   Show Notes   [02:27] Janice is considered dentistry's image expert. Her expertise used to be systems. Everything from efficiency to profitability was important to her. [03:09] She started showing before and after photos of the dentists and teams she worked with, and soon became known as dentistry's image expert. [04:42] Overall trends in dentistry. How most practices don't outline what should be wore in the office. [05:29] You decide by looking at an outside package what you can expect. Not having a team attire affects the experience of the patient. [06:11] Dentists want to attract the type of patient that will be enthusiastic and pay for services that go beyond what insurance covers. [06:34] Corporate dentistry seems to have a better handle on clothing standards because they have it all written down. [06:45] Business owners can dictate with their team wears. [07:32] Put your dress standards in writing. Janice has suggestions on her website. Everyone needs to look well-groomed and as part of the team. [08:14] Back office. There are great scrubs out there. The key is that the scrubs have some shape to them. They need to be fitted in the shoulders and have a waist. The tops and bottoms need to match. [09:13] Decide on what color shoes and the material and pay for it. It is the same outfit. The whole team in the back should look the same. Lab jackets can portray higher quality. [10:10] Be specific on the color and materials, but let people choose their own pants. You can send the pants to the cleaner. There are also body temperature regulating linings. [11:05] Women portray a stronger sense of authority when they have a bit of a shoulder pad in their top. [11:32] Professional attire is crucial at the

Are you struggling with what to do in your practice when it comes to dental hygiene? Wendy Briggs is one of the top authorities on hygiene and dental practice development in the country. Today, we are going to talk about the recipe for greatness in dental hygiene. Wendy Briggs is the president and CEO of Hygiene Diamonds a practice management consulting firm that helps hygienists increase profitability. She is also co-founder of the Team Training Institute which offers virtual coaching. Wendy is a hygienist first and foremost and loves helping other hygienists learn how to contribute to the bottom line of their practices.   You can find Wendy here: The Team Training Institute The Double Your Dental Practice Production Hygiene Diamonds Wendy Briggs on Facebook The Ultimate Guide To Doubling & Tripling Your Dental Practice Production: How To Build An Unstoppable Dentist Practice With The Freedom To Enjoy It! The Business of Dental Hygiene: How To Create a Hygiene Driven Practice Wendy Briggs on LinkedIn   Show Notes [02:34] Wendy is a hygienist first and foremost. She has spent the last 15 years speaking to and training others in the dental field. [03:11] There was a lot of chatter about what the hygienists was supposed to be doing, but not much was said about how they should do these things. [03:40] The why behind what Wendy does is that she wants to help hygienist know how to help make their practices succeed. [04:06] She now has an incredible team of coaches that are making waves when it comes to showing hygienists what to do. [04:34] Dr. John Meis had a brain trust that had Wendy work with their hygiene team. Dr. Meis and Wendy teamed up at The Team Training Institute. [06:18] They already work with successful practices and help them break through to the next level. [06:48] How it's not about money it's about doing the right things. [06:56] Effectiveness to greatness. Production isn't the goal, but it is the product of doing the right thing for the patient. [07:27] Production isn't a dirty word. Hygienists need to understand how they are contributing and how they can have a bigger impact. [08:17] Helping providers know what they can do differently to achieve greatness. [09:35] The trends that Wendy has been seeing. You can increase hygiene revenue through the number of patient encounters or increase the production per encounter. [11:01] Increasing production is the way to go. [13:09] Getting more value per visit

Dr. Sam Low is an educator and a periodontist with a private practice. He creates CE content that is applicable and easily understood. He has been an associate faculty member of the Pankey Institute for 20 years. He was also an associate dean at the University of Florida, College of Dentistry. He has many years of practice and education under his belt, and he shares that with us today. As a periodontist, Dr. Sam Low has a particular interest in the role that the hygeniest plays at his and other practices. He has developed the perfect 60 minute hygiene appointment. He embraces modern technology to get the most efficient and effective treatment practices. He believes in having an assistant for the hygienist, setting roles, expectations, best practices, and time limits. He breaks the entire 60 minutes down into an easy to understand pie chart and shares how to divide the slices on this episode.   You can find Sam here: Dr. Sam Low Sam@DrSamLow.com   Show Notes [02:22] Dr. Sam Low is a speaker consultant, and he left the University of Florida as an associate dean. He still has his own practice. He is also on the board of several prestigious dental associations. He is a man who has credentials. [03:14] How the hygienist is an important restorative partner in every aspect of the office. [03:34] A dental hygienist is such an integral part of the 60 minute appointment their almost like a nurse practitioner or a physician's assistant. [05:06] How practices need to reinforce that the icon of the practices is the dentist. [06:11] Have dentists need to decide what happens in their practice in each of the rooms. [06:38] What you're going to do is create categories of patients, because you are managing all kinds of patients. [07:28] Dividing 60 minutes into a pie.We're going to work on the slices within the pie. [09:01] The 60 minute recare appointment. [09:44] The first thing is to meet and greet and seat the patient. [10:28] We are in a society that doesn't like to wait. [10:51] The 15 minute rule means you can't leave a patient in the reception area for longer than 15 minutes. [14:51] The conversations patients have after leaving your practice is what builds relationships. [15:12] In the first five minutes, be smiling and be on time. [16:40] Retailer is leads for the restorative dentistry that you haven't done. Know your patient before you greet them. [19:16] How it's possible to build a build a practice just from the hygiene operatory. Your leads are your existing patients. [20:35] The importance of loving people and being authentic with them. [21:08] Tell patients what's occurring in a constructive manner. [22:35] Baby boomers are on several prescription drugs. We are in a pharmaceutical ag

Dr. John Cranham is the clinical director of The Dawson Academy which provides dental continuing education by teaching the foundations of dentistry. He is an amazing teacher and a sought after speaker. He also has a practice in Chesapeake, VA focusing on complete family and cosmetic dentistry. Creating a high quality restorative practice is not easy. John is an experienced clinician and teacher who we can learn a lot from. His journey wasn’t always easy. He even slept in his car when attending his first Dawson Seminar. Today, we are going to talk about occlusion, TMJ, and why challenging patients can be the key to a dentists success. You can find John here: The Dawson Academy John C. Cranham DDS, PC Show Notes [03:30] John bought a practice right out of dental school. John had restored his mother's mouth in dental school, and he was given Dr. Dawson's book. [04:47] He was completely broke from buying the new practice. His practice had a dental lab attached to it, and the technician offered to pay for him to go to one of Dr. Dawson's seminars. [05:28] John took all of Pete Dawson's classes. He noticed that occlusion and cosmetic dentistry were sometimes at odds and wanted to fix that. He had a lecture called The Cosmetic Connection. [07:05] In 2003, he was speaking in Tampa and Pete Dawson walked in. They ended up having dinner, and John became part of Seminar 2. He became clinical director in 2006 and a partner in 2008. [08:17] Dr. Dawson's core value principles. [09:23] The importance of mastering smile design while also making occlusion stable and having the right protocols and workflows to get that done. [10:02] A general patient is a patient that doesn't have anything systemically wrong with their mouth. These are the bread-and-butter nuts and bolts patients. [11:29] These are the patients that we were taught to deal with in dental school. We were taught to build the bite back into what the patient had when they walked into the office. [11:47] Specialty patients that challenge us a little bit don't have a bite that is working for them. They have evidence that their bite isn't stable like their teeth are wearing or shifting or loose. [12:29] How it takes advanced training to solve specialty patients issues, because of their challenging problems. [12:47] We teach principles to come up with an occlusal design as well as a smile design. [13:14] Dr. Dawson's principles work well with the principles of smile design. [13:43] There are three workflows the general patient, the specialty patient with problems with muscles or teeth, and the specialty patient that have issues with their joints. [14:03] John tries to screen patients for proper treatment planning. [14:39] Predictability, efficiency, and profitability. These all go together. Workflow is a series of procedures that will take us through a series of events and the out

Everybody wants to be more productive. Dr. Uche Odiatu is here to share the four keys to greater productivity which will help you be more productive with less effort. Dr. Uche Odiatu is a Doctor of Dental Medicine, a member of the American College of Sports  Medicine, an author, keynote speaker, and wellness expert. He not only shares his productivity tips with us today. He also talks about something that is on the forefront of every busy dentists success, and that is staying healthy. When it comes to getting things done and staying fit, Dr. Uche Odiatu is the main guy to turn to. Today, he shares his wit, wisdom, and knowledge with us.   You can find Uche here: Dr. Uche Dr. Uche Contact Page Uche Odiatu on Facebook The Miracle Of Health: Simple Solutions, Extraordinary Results Fit for the Love of It! @Fitspeakers on Twitter   Show Notes [02:27] Dr. Uche is passionate and enthusiastic. He has been exercising his whole life. He was born in London, and his mom was ahead of her time teaching them (Uche and his siblings) healthy living and how to enrich their minds. [03:44] Dr. Uche takes fish oil every day and has been exercising his entire life. Exercise even helped him get through dental school. [04:03] After becoming a dentist and making more money, Uche saw a picture of himself next to Tony Robbins and realized that he was putting on a little bit of weight. [04:53] His energy and fitness helped attract his future wife who he married in 1999. She was trying to become a professional women's fitness athlete. They trained and traveled together until it was time to start a family. [06:07]  Uche discovered that he loved speaking, entertaining, and helping people through knowledge and fitness. [06:52] Health and dentistry go hand-in-hand. Being inactive and sedentary costs you money and productivity. [07:33] How patients are starving for healthcare providers that look at the whole person. [08:30] How wellness is looking at the whole patient and asking about things like sleep, stress, and movement. [09:59] How exuding health and energy is attractive. Patients notice the health of their dentist and practitioners. [10:35] Exercise and being physically active is the biggest predictor of how long you will live. [11:36] The importance of how your body handles oxygen. [12:50] The first master key is getting fit and active. [15:19] You can't just find time for exercise, you have to make time for exercise. Get fit enough to do everything you do better and then enjoy life. [16:43] You can use interval tr

Dental embezzlement is a controversial and touchy subject. Yet, two out of three dentists experience some form of embezzlement at some point in their careers. David Harris is dentistry’s embezzlement expert. He is the CEO of Prosperident a company that employs specially trained fraud examiners to review information off-site to determine if you or your practice has been a victim of embezzlement. David founded Prosperident in 1989. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a licensed private investigator. He is a CPA, and he belongs to several organizations for dental consultants and speakers. He’s also been interviewed by almost every leading publication about dental embezzlement. David has agreed to do this interview, but he can’t talk about specific methodology. Nevertheless, he opens our eyes about this often not talked about topic.   You can find David here: Prosperident (888)398-2327   Show Notes [03:06] David shares his origin story of how he got involved investigating dental embezzlement. It all started with a high school friend in 1989. [04:10] He helped his friend discover an employee who was stealing from him. This woman subsequently was fired. Two weeks later David went to his own dental office for an appointment and there she was working the front desk. [04:23] It may have been fate, but he told his new dentist what was happening. His new dentist hired him and that is how he began investigating dental embezzlement. [08:11] In 2007, the ADA asked embezzlement victims what let them know they had a problem? Two thirds of embezzlement cases were discovered by behavioral factors. [12:54] Some people steal because they are needy and need to pay the mortgage or have other family financial problems. Greedy people are a little bit different. They steal to address an emotional problem. [15:45] How the first theft often happens by accident. They also use different methods, so they won't get caught or won't be as obvious. [17:51] Embezzlers tend to be territorial about their work space and their computer. They are also reluctant to go on vacation. They don't want other people touching their stuff. [19:08] Embezzlers panic when they see a consultant walk in the door. [20:09] Embezzlers also resist upgrades to the practice management software. They are also risk takers. They do things that are high risk behavior. [22:15] The vast majority of David's investigative work is done covertly. A lot of the work is done through the cloud. [23:55] The overwhelming majority of team members are honest people. [24:25] David's advice is to retain them covertly. [25:38] Honest people don't have to repeatedly tell you how honest they are. [26:49] The pressures for somebody to steal are pretty complex. They don't usually stop unless they are caught. [27:27] There are serial embezzlers who work in one office get fired and then get a job in another office.

Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson is here today to talk about one of the most controversial topics in all of dentistry. It’s the great awakening in restorative dentistry. It’s also a great opportunity and dentistry. We affectionately call Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson Witt. Him him he had the pleasure of meeting Peter Dawson before he attended dental school. He then attended Dr. Dawson seminars and read his book before dental school. After becoming a dentist, Witt joined Dr. Dawson’s practice in 1982. Witt is an experienced clinician and teacher. He takes the fundamentals laid out by Peter Dawson and takes them one step further. A lot of dentists today, are focusing on taking patients who have sleep apnea and getting them off of the CPAP machine and onto using a dental appliance. What we are calling the great awakening is realizing that sleep apnea is only a small part of oxygen utilization. You can find Witt here: DuPont & Wilkerson Dentistry Show Notes [01:40] DeWitt thanks Kirk for the great speech he recently gave. He spent his entire Sunday trying to implement Kirks suggestions. [02:46] At the age of 24, Kirk's whole life was changed after listening to Peter Dawson speak. [03:29] Witt was friends growing up with Peter Dawson. Peter Dawson gave Witt his textbook and invited him to three of his seminars. Witt read the book and attended the seminars before going to dental school. [05:13] He has seen it all from classical occlusion to TMJ disorders. [05:28] What I want to talk about today is all of the concepts that we've learned and that Pete has helped us master and expand on that. [05:37] When we talk about the great awakening in most restorative dentistry, what I'm thinking about is oxygen. Sleep apnea is only a small part of this bigger fundamental. [06:33] Breathing, airway, sleep apnea, and craniofacial development are huge. Airways are critical to health. [07:20] Airway function directly relates to occlusion, craniofacial development, TMJ and sleep apnea. [07:27] How the airway is important even before birth. After birth it is huge. [09:48] From birth to nine years old is a key time of development with breathing and breathing problems. [10:19] Young fit females were diagnosed with upper airway resistance syndrome. This means that they couldn't breathe through their nose easily. Their symptoms were things like waking up with a headache and having daily fatigue. [13:15] The third category is the fat old man category. If someone looks like they have sleep apnea it could be an airway problem. [14:54] Archway retraction can lead to airway problems. [15:54] Dental malocclusions are a more recent phenomena. [18:04] Breathing through the mouth creates a more narrow arch form. [18:35] Epigenetics is the environmental changes on genetics. [20:14] Everything in our body has a purpose, and breathing through our nose filters air and releases nitric oxide.

Greg Tice is the managing director of the Seattle Study Club. Today, we discuss the missing ingredient that you are not going to want to skip over to become a complete clinician. A lot of you spend a lot of time trying to get better. A lot of you take a lot of CE classes, but these classes are missing the secret ingredient to becoming a complete clinician. We talk about how people who attend the Seattle Study Club are there to improve themselves and to up their game. We also talk about how the Seattle Study Club is different from other study clubs. For one thing, most of their classes force you to engage with other people. The outcome of a group treatment planning session can be surprising and informative. Greg shares knowledge about expectations, changing habits, and more.   You can find Greg here: Greg Tice Seattle Study Club Greg Tice on LinkedIn Greg Tice on Facebook   Show Notes [01:38] The Seattle Study Club is one of the most brilliant business models ever created. The Founder Dr. Cohen created a system where the world's best educators come to you in your town no matter where you live. [02:34] Getting into the Seattle Study Club is a privilege and an honor. [03:11] Greg is the managing director of the Seattle Study Club. He has been with the Seattle Study Club for 22 years now. Prior to that he was a concert promoter. [03:34] He has grown up with the organization over the last 22 years. He is really struck with the quality of individual that is attracted to the local Seattle Study Club. [03:53] January 5th 1995 is the year Greg started in Seattle Study Club with Michael Cohen. [04:18] The doctors were so open with each other talking about real-world things. [05:13] You walk away going wow these were really amazing people. They are so willing to give and share. [06:11] The first secret ingredient is expectation. You can't just go to a CE class and sit there and listen. Our brains work by by being engaged. When we listen to information we don't retain things that we don't already agree with. Engaging with others is how we change the information we already know and agree with. [08:20] Think of your CE classes more like an education or hands on class not just listening to a lecture. [09:40] With this approach, we actually change the way we are listening. [10:34] How we are hardwired to act on autopilot 80% of the time. The real key to change a behavior is changing habits. [12:23] The Seattle Study Club curriculum is designed to move people from point A to point B at any given time. We have 9 to 10 programs a year with one program per month. Two or three of these are full-day lecture programs. The other programs are designed around interaction and that is where the real learning takes place. Two or three of t