Dental A Team Podcast

Something many dental practices tend to forget: passing off information with open communication in mind. Tiff and Dana review why handoffs are so critical to building trust and increasing patient acceptance. They touch on diagnosing with the patient in the room, having conversations directly with them, why NDTRs need to be implemented, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Watch DAT Podcasts on YouTube Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Tiffanie (00:02.055) Hello everyone, Dana. Thank you for being here. I am so excited to be here with you today. And before we get super into what we're talking about today, I have a question I haven't pulled out, I feel like in far too long. So for all of my fitness enthusiasts who listened to us specifically for Dana's tips, I apologize. I know you're out there. But Dana, I have a question for you. I am in the market for obviously always leggings and I will be buying new leggings soon. Okay, restart. I will be buying leggings soon. And do you have any new legging brands that you cannot live without that the rest of the world needs to know about? Or favorites in general? Dana (00:50.292) Hmm. That's a good one. I have to be honest. I don't know that I have a new ones. Now I will say I definitely have my solid go tos for different activities. So depending on what you want leggings for, I think I can give so I wear different leggings for running than I do for like doing CrossFit than I do for just like everyday wear, right? Because now I can expand all of the expenses. Tiffanie (01:04.775) Okay. Tiffanie (01:16.871) Mm -hmm. They do everything. I like there's daily wear leggings and I'm like, I get that because I wear my leggings. But okay, so running, let's see running and CrossFit today. Dana (01:30.612) Okay, so for running, I really like the Wonder Unders by Lulu. They're more of their running. A lot of people like the Fast and Freeze. They're actually not my favorite. I like when I'm running things to be more compressive. And then there are several different athletic ones that I like for running too. So I feel like if you haven't tried athletic leggings, I do really like their stuff for running. For CrossFit, I will forever ever go to FLEO. They're just my favorite. They stay in place. They don't move. They are squat proof. So for anybody into leggings, that's an important thing. Tiffanie (01:59.639) Okay. Tiffanie (02:07.015) Yeah, yeah, yeah, I feel like we need to like, get it to where you're getting an affiliate with these things when I ask you. But it is, this is such a side tangent for everyone. But I, my for my birthday, my sister and the kids got me all these gift cards. So I got Lulu, obviously, and Athleta and then GNC, all of these things. And I've been saving it because I'm like, I don't know which ones I want. But Dana (02:13.364) Right. Tiffanie (02:33.415) I really want to try the athletic stuff. I just always shy away because you just never know. You know, you just never know. So I'm going to try athletic. Thank you. And we'll get you an affiliate discount one day. I have. Dana (02:38.324) Mm -hmm. Yeah, you should. But you've been hiking a lot, and I'll say, I can send you the link, but Athleta has actually cross leggings that are partly hiking pant material, part legging material. So the front is hiking material, the back is leggings, and they're amazing. Tiffanie (02:52.231) Perfect. Tiffanie (02:56.839) Awesome, yeah, because we are doing Grand Canyon Rim to Rim, not Rim to Rim to Rim, because I'm not Dana crazy, but Rim to Rim in the fall. So that would be fantastic. Thank you. Yeah, awesome. All right, fitness enthusiasts, now you know. Lulu, obviously, always a bet. Athleta, and then yeah, get me those hiking pants. Thank you. And if anybody would like them, let us know. Hello at thedentalatd .com. We are happy to send them over as well. And that my friends is how you get things done and I think today's conversation is super fun because I love communication. I love face -to -face communication. I love written communication. I love all of the things and I love over Communicating not to the point of you know annoyance but over communicating to the point that we know without a shadow of a doubt our patients fully understand exactly what they need to come back for, what was diagnosed, our team understands what they need to come back for, how they're going to schedule it. Dana, let's break down some of, I'm going to think of like my top three things that clients complain about or need help with, right? Because everyone comes into the dental team and they're like, we need systems. I'm like, my God, that can mean anything, right? So the top three things I feel like we get complaints on are communication in general. My team's not talking to one another. case acceptance is low or patients aren't coming back and the schedule is chaos. Just pu

There's always that one patient… Kiera talks about the professional way to go about communicating with a rude patient, even when it includes dismissing them (listen up for dismissal letter verbiage!). Remember: There's always a lesson to be learned in these situations. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Watch DAT Podcasts on YouTube Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.91) Hello Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera and welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I hope you guys are having the best day of your entire lives. I really do mean that. Today is, there's a really cool quote that I read and I want you guys to have it. It says, no matter how many mistakes you make or how slow your progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying. That's from Tony Robbins. And I just, I read that the other day and I thought, gosh, our podcast family and our clients need to just realize like, We really are doing so much more than we think we are. We're doing so much better than we give ourselves credit for. So I hope you just like give yourself a nice pat on the back. I'll do it for you. Uh, but really you are doing a great job and I think it's so easy to criticize and it's so hard to compliment. And I think we build momentum in either one of those ways. And so look to see which way you're building momentum consistently. So today guys, I am on a quick tactical podcast. Are you guys ready for this? I hope you are. Um, one of these is going to be just really fun. I want you guys to have a quick tactical on how to handle difficult or rude patients. Don't worry, I go from like, it's amazing and we're so happy to like, how do you deal with those rude patients and what do we do with them? So if you're loving our podcast, please do me a favor and help us get into the hands of every dental practice out there by sharing this, by sending it to somebody who could use it, by someone who needs that boost, even if it's not this one, but send our podcast to somebody and leave us those reviews. That's how you guys are going to help us beat the tough dental podcast that is shared with all of the practices, because if we can help them be better, we help more patients, we serve more people, and we're able to all rise together. So with that, how do we handle these rude patients? Number one, I think about, let's define difficult or rude patients. Are they a good patient or do they just like, when we see their name on the schedule, do we all just like, because I have two people, one is the assistant dean from Midwestern. He told me that every year at Christmas time, he gave his team a gift and they were all able to go through and they actually dismissed like the top patients that really just made all of them cringe. And that was the gift he gave his team. And I've thought about that so much because we oftentimes think like we need every patient. No, we don't. We actually need those kind patients and we want the patients who are great patients that we don't look at. With that said though, there are some that will challenge us and I don't want you dismissing people that challenge. Now difficult or rude ones that we just literally like, oh my gosh. Kiera Dent (02:27.406) Give yourself the freedom and the luxury of realizing it's okay to dismiss them. And the way we can do that in a professional manner is you can just write them a letter and just say like, hey, Kie ra, at this point, we don't feel that we are serving and meeting your dental needs the way that we want to. And we're so committed to always being able to serve our patients at the highest level. We never ever, ever want to leave you empty handed or without a plan and a path. So as of now, we are having you removed as a patient within our practice due to the fact we don't feel like we're serving you at the highest level. And we're actually going to be recommending you to, and you list off two or three different dentists that are amazing in the area that could take great care of them. Now check with your legal team, just make sure. But really it's just, we're dismissing them in a professional manner. We don't feel like we're serving them at the highest level. And so we're going to actually dismiss them, but we're going to give them a place to go. And so we actually do have a sample one. It is not legal, and I will put stamps all over it. But it's one that you can say, after careful consideration and thought, we found that it will be in all of our best interests to sever the practice patient relationship here that we have with you. We found that we may not be the best fit for your dental needs and are unable to carry out the services you may require for your specific case. At this time, we're recommending that using dental care through a new dental care provider. And from there, like that was a little more direct. I do like it. I also think though, like, let

What Would Doctor Do? Tiff and Dana educate about how to set up doctor's diagnosis with some pre-gaming strategies. It's as easy as 1-2-3: Calibrate the language and focus Set clear expectations Doctors, empower your team The consultants give examples of how to go about this, plus insight on why this will improve how your practice functions. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Watch DAT Podcasts on YouTube Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Tiffanie (00:01.732) my goodness. Hello, dental A team listeners. We are so excited to be here with you today. I have Dana, my, my fave podcast gal with me today. You guys know that Dana, thank you so much for being here with me. we've got some fun things in this one today. I cherry picked you for sure for this way back in the day when we created these newsletter topics because we're going to talk hygiene. So, Doctors, teams know we're going to talk dental assistance and hygiene. But first of all, Dana, how are you today? How's life? Dana (00:34.165) Doing good. Life is, you know, it's winding into summertime. So things are starting to, like sports are slowing down, school stuff is slowing down. So it's a good space to be in. How about you? Tiffanie (00:41.412) Yah! Tiffanie (00:45.764) I agree. Lacrosse, like banquet was last week and that was our last lacrosse thing until fall. And I was like, my gosh, I don't know how Dana does it. I had one kid, one kid in one sport. And I was like bananas this spring. So you are super mom, you are super consultant, super everything. So thank you from us and from your family for everything you do Dana, cause I think it's wild. Dana (01:11.604) Bye. Tiffanie (01:14.468) When my life gets chaotic, I'm like, I think about you. I don't know what you're doing over there with the kids. And you're just always, always being the best mom ever. So kudos to you. And that honestly, like, I think that's just how you personify yourself in general. You're just constantly like, on the next thing with a smile on your face and like, this is what has to happen. So this is what's going to happen. And you just get it done. And I think I can probably. accurately guess that that was you in hygiene as well. So I think it's kind of cool to pick your brain on these. You guys know that Dana is my go -to systems lady. Like systems are her jam. She does see freaking fantastic at them. And one thing I wanted to look at today were some systems that we could put into place in practices or that we actually do work with a lot of practices on to help doctors get more diagnosis from their dental assistants and hygienists. And I think - I think we do our team a disservice by not allowing them to play a bigger part and a bigger piece in that aspect and really feeling like they are giving more to our patients than we ever realized we could. And I think this is a good area, Dana, where we can take some of those simple systems and implement them so that anyone can use them. But first, how did that go for you? Chair side, when you were a hygienist and you've got a doctor coming in, like how did you do that? And then how do you take that and implement it into your consulting now? Dana (02:40.084) Yeah, sure. I think that as a hygienist for me, the biggest thing was working for a doctor who like, he gave me the open space and actually said like, I honestly I know you're coming from hygiene school where like, you can't diagnose you can't do the things like you're not the doctor and he's like, I want to set the expectation that you have that space. And no matter. what you say, right? I will always have your back when it comes to patients and patient care. And so I think the biggest thing is knowing that he truly wanted me to do that, right? Gave me the confidence to go in and have the conversations with patients. And his biggest push was you spend so much time with them. And then I have so little time with them. And there's so much that you can do to make my little bit of time that I have with them, be more efficient, be more effective. And you know me to I think this is something we share like I don't want to waste one minute. So if I can pre -do all of these things and just kind of be like here it is, right? That's a wing for me. And so I think the first thing is and doctors this is for you. Let your hygienist know that you want them. Tiffanie (03:35.144) Yes. Yes, yes. Tiffanie (03:46.724) Yeah. Dana (03:53.844) to do these things and give them the space to do it and set clear expectations that I want you to take the photos before I come in and I want you to talk about those photos and I want you to take scans before I come in and I want you to talk about them. I want the patient to see them. So I think one is giving the space and the next is truly creating a flow of what do you want your hygienist to do. Tiffanie (04:03.204) Mm -hmm. Dana (04:16.34) before you come into the room so

Kiera gives listeners tips that you can implement right now to start trimming the fat on practice costs and making more money. Suggested actions include reviewing your PnL monthly, buying discounted supplies, utilizing a productive schedule, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Watch DAT Podcasts on YouTube Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.686) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today I'm so excited to be podcasting with you. I hope that you guys are loving it. I hope you're loving your life. I hope you guys are just enjoying this beautiful ride that we get to call life. If you're loving the podcast, I encourage you to please go leave us a review. Those reviews keep us as the top dental podcast out there. And our goal is to have this podcast in the hands of every dental practice out there. So please share it, tag us, leave those reviews, share this with the dentist, post it in a Facebook group. You helping us helps us reach our mission. Um, and my goal is to just really, truly positively impact the world of dentistry. Remind us that this is the greatest profession. And today I wanted to go through some not so obvious ways to cut costs in a practice. Uh, right now I know that there is some trickiness around fees and insurances and inflation guys like, shoot, I'm in it too. Uh, I was talking to my coach the other day and, uh, we just looked back even like four years ago of what we had for job postings for certain positions. And like that's archaic fees now. And I do think things are shifting and settling, but man, I thought let's get on a podcast. Let's do a short, quick tactical for you of some not so obvious ways of cutting costs in a practice. And if you should actually do them, because we've been seeing a lot of threads out there where you guys focus on cutting costs, but there might be another way to do it. So just diving into it, let's think about our two levers when we're looking at our costs. There's lever one, cut costs. lever to make more money, right? I think about our own budgets, our own lifestyles, we can either cut the costs or we can increase our paychecks. Like that's really how we do it. Or we do investments or different things like that. And so when I look at this and it's crazy because when we interview consultants, I actually have a very similar question to this because I feel like most dentists realize if I want to get better production, I just need to cut my costs. But the re or profitability, excuse me, if I want better profitability, I just need to cut my costs. But like, is that really the case? It's kind of like, let me go line item by line item by line item. And I'm sure some of us with the inflation have gone through and we've cut out the unnecessary. So I'm not saying to not look at that PNL. I do think like a few things that I'm gonna give you a tactical is number one, if you're not reviewing your numbers, AKA your PNL, AKA your profit and loss statement every single month and looking line item by line item by line item, that's a great opportunity for you. I actually do mine every single quarter. So I look at my numbers, I look at our profitability, I look at our overhead every month. Kiera Dent (02:23.406) and every single quarter I go through, I kid you not. Here's mine is, right here. I print out every statement and as you can see, there will be pink highlights over there of things to check. Is this our correct budget? Is this allocated correctly? Is this put in the right chart of accounts? Are we still needing to pay for this? This round, I was actually able to find like we're not using some of the pieces that we thought we were using. I cut those subscriptions. There's no reason to continue on. Jason and I in our personal life, we only hold onto one streaming service at a time. So we'll rotate between Netflix and Paramount Plus and Hulu because we feel like if we have all of them, we're not even utilizing all of them. So using one just forces us to use that. Then we shut it off, open up another one, shut that one off, open up another one. And it's crazy and that works for us. My husband's also very, very, very, let's say conservative, cheap, whatever you want to call him. But I actually love that it's a solution I had never thought of. And so in your dental practice, like, is there a way that maybe we don't have to pay for all the things and we could get a little more creative with it. But again, like a streaming service is like $10. And I'm not to say that 10 or 20 or 30, don't worry, I know Netflix is like clear up there on the 30 a month. That doesn't seem like it's going to be a lot, but every penny does count up. So when we're looking at cutting costs, I really do say like, let's not cut unless there's a way that it's actually going to move the needle forward. Like, In our Tesla, we were paying $10 a month for the car karaoke. I was obsesse

Warmer weather means vacations are on our mind. Kiera talks about how to take those two-week vacations (or more!) and not have it affect your practice's profit and loss. It's about planning, yes, but Kiera gives you the variables to consider as you calculate how much you can vacation based on your practice's output. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Watch DAT Podcasts on YouTube Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.91) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I want to talk about how you can take vacations and not have it hit your production. Anybody up for that? Because I am, because I live to take vacations. So today that's what we're going to dive into on the podcast. And just a quick reminder, our goal of the podcast is to get this podcast into the hands of every dental practice that there is. We want to positively impact. We want to tactically inspire you. We want to give you the motivation to keep going and realizing that dentistry is the greatest profession you could ever be a part of. So please today, Leave us that review, give us those five stars, share this podcast with someone. Remember you are getting this for free. And what I ask in return is that you share this with somebody you post about us in a Facebook group. I am so happy you're here and I have chosen to give you all of our content for free. If you ever want to join us, cause you're like, wow, that's a lot of free content. I need to now implement it. Join us. but all this content is given to you for free. And I just ask that you please share it with other people, that you leave those reviews. And that's all I ask because that way we're able to serve as many patients as we possibly can. That's my mission. That's my goal. If you want to work with me, phenomenal. I would prefer you to work with us if that's what you need and share this with people and just change their lives. So with that, let's talk about how you can take a two week vacation without this hitting your PNL. We've read up that a particular doctor said that they went down 20k in monthly collections when they took two weeks off. And I agree, that's freaky scary. So, you know, let's actually dive into that of how can I take vacations and not have it crush my PNL. So the way you do it is you plan. And what I recommend for my office is, and I know that this is not as fun. I've done it myself as well. It doesn't feel as spontaneous as when we're in our youth. Like, I just want to go on a vacation today. I would love that. You now own a business, you have a child. We've got to be a little bit more productive unless you're okay with having that production hit. But I would prefer to set you up on a successful path where you can have the vacations, you can have the production you want, and we're not tanking our production because you go on vacation because then it doesn't feel fun. It's like, oh, I don't want to go on vacation, I just lost 20K. Like that's terrible. That is crummy. So let's make sure that we give you the tips. So what I recommend for my office is, and this also helps your scheduling team, Kiera Dent (02:15.342) And they're a lot happier because now expectations are just laid out. So my husband and I, usually in like October, whenever you're listening to this podcast, go for it, do it today. Don't wait till October. But typically in October, my husband and I start planning all the vacations that we want for the following year. Sometimes I have to do it a little bit earlier. Dental practices, you do start to book out six months in advance. So just throwing that out there that maybe June, July would be the optimal time for dental practice to start thinking of their vacations that they want to do next year. I understand that's pretty far in advanced, but guess what? The end of the year is going to be here before we know it. So if you can just set that cadence up of like, what vacations do we want? Do we have spring break? Do the kids need to be out? My husband and I, this last year decided that we were going to take two trips just for me and him. So it's no CE, it's no work. It's not tacked onto a work trip. I don't, I love work trips. I don't enjoy having a work trip and then trying to be intentional. with my relationship. It's very, I go from work brain to intent. Like it's, it's hard for me. So we just decided this year we're going to take two trips, just me and him really enhance our relationship. And those are the two. So I put those in, um, and I went a little extra geeky this year and I put in all of my personal trips, all of my CE trips, all of my work trips to see how much time was I actually on the road. I go a lot and I just needed to make sure it was a good balance for me to be able to maintain. And so what my husband and I did, um, and for doctors for you, just figure out. And it doesn't have to be set spaces or places. Like right now, I don't know

Kiera is joined by Dr. Jamin Houser of Castle Valley Dental in Colorado to talk about reaching that dream life! Dr. Houser has achieved a minimal work week while still being able to engage with all the aspects he loves about dentistry. He shares with Kiera what it took to get him to his idyllic day-to-day, how it's benefited his team members, and why he never wants to retire. Episode resources: Learn about Dr. Houser Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.878) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today I am beyond giddy. I have one of the most incredible people on the podcast with me. We have a really fun story. We met a few years ago. I was speaking at a conference. He came up to me. We ended up buying way too much lotion because we both are emotional like buyers and we felt bad and we bought all this lotion. And now here we are two years later. He works with us in Dental A Team. He's a client and he is just one of the most incredible people I have ever met from. Jamin (00:20.175) Sure. Kiera Dent (00:30.222) personal life, to how he leads and guides his team, to leadership. I think you guys are in for a massive treat. Jamin Hauser, welcome to the podcast. How are you? Jamin (00:38.287) I'm doing great, Kiera. Thank you for that kind introduction. The lotion story though, that guy was a great salesman. Like it just happened. I don't even know. I walked away like a hundred dollars pour and I had like six tubs of lotion. So good for him. Yeah. That's so hot. It is. Kiera Dent (00:50.606) This is all I still have it. I mean, it's great lotion. I agree. He was so good. It gives you with a hand massage. Then it's great. And you're like, yep, I want this. And then like, they give you all these deals for buying like huge cases of lotion. So, but to give you guys a little backstory, I was speaking at Rocky Mountain Dental Conference. That was a wild, surreal moment for me. Jamin, I don't know if you actually knew this, but my first practice that I owned was in Colorado. Jamin (01:05.263) Yeah. Kiera Dent (01:18.254) And I had actually attended Rocky Mountain Dental Conference when I was an office manager. So I sat in the audience and then I actually attended all these courses. And so it was actually a full circle moment for me. I was beyond scared because I'm like, Holy cow. Like what have people that I used to work with are in the audience? Like I, I, it took me about six months to be, I was so happy. I got scouted for that conference. Um, we had an amazing experience. And I remember you sat in my operations manual. Of course I spoke three. I had three courses there two years ago. And I remember when you were in the audience, I'm like, this guy and I are going to be friends. Like he's just a good time. He's sitting there and I'm like, why is a doctorate in operations manual course? Like that's usually pulling in office managers and lo and behold, here we are working together. You have seen insane growth in dental a team, which has been so fun, but you've also blessed my life a lot, which is why I wanted you to be on the podcast. Cause I think your story is incredible. Jamin (02:08.879) Well, you've also blessed my life and the life of my teens and my practices. So thank you very much for that. Kiera Dent (02:17.07) Of course. Yeah. So with that, I wanted to talk because Jamin, like I said, Jamin worked with the Dental A Team for two years. Tiffany's been out to his practice. Jaimond is one of our ambassadors within our mastermind group of our doctors. We've done an in -person event. He came to a LumaDent with us last year. But something I've noticed about Jaimond, and so you guys, selfishly, I brought him on the podcast for myself today too, is I feel like Jamin has the wisdom of where I want to be in my life. And so how can we get there? And I feel like so many dentists want to be living the life you're living, Jamin, and, but they don't know how to get there. And you've got your amazing family and you and your wife have such a great relationship. And I mean, I texted you the other day to get on a call and like, Kiera, I'm off going motorcycle riding. Like I'll be back in a few hours. And I'm like, it's a Wednesday Jamin . You're like, I know I'm off for the week. How do you do that and run such successfully high numbers? Jamin (02:44.751) boy. Jamin (03:07.823) on me. Kiera Dent (03:10.766) but also, so you have this very profitable, you've got two locations and yet you were working so many hours and now you've got it down and I feel like you have gone from that five day a week grind per se, but I don't think you even had that to living your ideal life and schedule and still having this profitable practice at serving patients and serving teams. So that's really what I wanna dive into. I'm gonna let you riff to wherever you wanna go and let's kind of talk about how you've been able to do that. Jamin (0

Kiera explores not only why so many people want to slow down in their everyday lives — but also what happens once you're slowed down. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Sign up for DAT's Weekly Webinar Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.22) Hello, Dental A Team team listeners. This is Kiera and I am so excited to be podcasting with you today. I just, I love our podcast family. I love being able to share tactical tips and tricks to make your life easier, to make you less stressed, to make you happier, and to just give you a little positive dose of goodness in your days. So I am just honored to be here with you. I hope wherever you are, you just remember you're doing better than you think you are and that life is truly just magical. So I am excited for today's podcast. If you guys can do me a favor, share this with someone today. Go post it in a forum that you're in. Go share it with someone. This one is actually coming from a bunch of forums. Our marketing team went out. They looked to see what are you guys asking the questions about out in the dental world? We combed a bunch of you guys and here we are producing content for you. So today's podcast is directly from what you guys are asking in forums and I just wanted to build podcasts for you of kind of... What are you guys facing? So please share this, go put it in a group. Our goal is to truly be in the hands of every single dental practice across the globe. So share this, we want to positively impact and just give you tactical tools. As a consulting company, we really do minimize your stress, help your team get on board, and we do that virtually or in person. So if we can help you in any way, please reach out, hello, at thedentalateam .com. You can head on over to our website, thedentalateam .com, click on our link there. a book, a call, or every single Friday, uh, we do it at 8 a .m. Pacific. So 11 Eastern. You can actually come join a free webinar. So it's there, it's on our website. Um, but you can come see an, I shouldn't say webinar. It's kind of like learning what Dental A team is about. So if you ever wondered what is consulting about, what does it look like to work with you guys? Come, it's literally 15 minutes. You don't have to say anything. You can listen. You can ask your questions if you want to. Super easy. We tried to make it so applicable and easy for you to just come pop on super short 10 to 15 minutes. So. If you're ever wondering, come ask. I'd love to see you there every Friday, 8 a .m. I believe, I'll double check that. They just changed the time on us. So I'm 99 % sure that it's every single one I lied to you, it's at 8 .30. So 8 .30 Pacific, 11 .30 Eastern. Don't come at eight, we won't see you there. But it's on our website, come join us. If you ever wanna just shoot me an email, hello at thedentalateam .com. We'll send you the link, easy peasy. I'll also make sure that link is in today. Kiera Dent (02:21.262) notes for you so just click on that if that's ever helpful. We'll start adding that so if you're ever like gosh I just I think I want to work with a consultant but I don't even know what that looks like I don't really want to get on a call come I want you to find out I want it to be easy so just come it'll be a ton of fun and it's really short 10 -15 minutes 830 Pacific every day. So on that note today's content is brought to you by the Facebook forums out across the globe and it is how do we actually slow down? Um, this is a great, great question. And I was so excited when I saw it because reality is one, do you want to slow down and why do you want to slow down? I think back to COVID and I feel like we all got this like little glimpse of what I think life used to feel like it was slower. We hung out, we spent more time with friends and then COVID went away and it just feels like it ratcheted up. At least that's how I feel. And I read a really awesome book called, um, do, uh, do less. and Create More by Kate Norpp. I think it is called Do Less, I believe is the name of the book. And it was just a really interesting thought process of like, is there a way for us to actually create more by doing less and slowing down? So I think there's a couple of ways to take this of like, how do we slow down? One is, I actually watch a lot of practices and they work three days and produce more. And so I think be careful of our limiting beliefs. My husband and I were chatting and I said, well, you know, what do you actually want in our life? What do you want in your life? And he said, you know, Keira, I want more time, more freedom. And I said, do you really? And I said, I'm not trying to like pick a fight. He was on his way to work, right? You know, when you get into those hot conversations, right before people go to work and like, that was the wrong timing. So it almost was the wrong timing. But I said, do you actually really want that

The right handoff can go such a long way. In this episode, Tiff and Dana break down why handoffs are so important for patients, how handoffs can extend from chairside to checkout, and the best way to know if your practice's communication with patients and each other is working effectively. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: The Dental A Team (46:09.582) Hello everyone. We are back with some actual implementable things because I have my systems girl here. You know, I say it all the time. Dana, thank you for being here. Thank you for being such a rock star with everything you do. Honestly and truly you create so much content for this company. You create so much stuff for your clients on the daily. And a lot of what we put out there is from your brain. So thank you for being here. I truly think you're brilliant and you are such an asset to this company. You've been all over the place lately. I feel like I we like cross paths. We were almost in the same place at the same time. A couple weeks ago when you were in Florida, you've been to Florida, you've been to Virginia. I don't even know you've had inclement weather. Where have you even been the last couple of weeks? I feel like it's like we're in the world of Carmen Sandiego. That's my daily. Yeah, I know. Where am I now? Let's see. Yeah, there was one week where I was in five states, all four time zones in a week. So I've been in, let's see, Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina. The Dental A Team (47:19.214) Yeah, I think that's it. Wow. Yeah, that's a lot. That's like dip travel right there. Yeah. That's insane. March gets crazy, right? I don't know why. March gets wild. Every year for me, March is insane. So weird. Yeah. Well, we crossed paths a few times then because I was, I haven't been to North Carolina yet this year. No, I can't even remember. Yeah, I was. I was North Carolina in March. Yeah. like this feels so long ago now. So I was in North Carolina, Alabama. Airlines stuck there. But yeah, we were there. Oh, that's right. Oh my gosh, you were stuck there. I should we should have called it. We should have called Jeff Andrew and just gotten you a night. So North Carolina we crossed that we would have crossed like at some point, Indiana and Alabama and I flew out of Florida when I was in Alabama. Yeah. Insane. So thank you for being such a road warrior. We get such insane results and the feedback from your clients is always just so, so cool to see. And I know you don't go on the road of time because you do a lot of our virtual consulting. We have a ton of virtual clients. So Dana, Dana works one -on -one with most of them. But then we've got our other virtual clients that do kind of that group status that they're loving it. But I know when you are on the road, it's like once a quarter or so, and it's like slam together. So. Huge, huge thank you for everything you do. I know your clients love it. And the dental team definitely, definitely loves it. So thank you. Now, one piece I know I always work on in practice because it's the best space to see it is that handoff, right? And increasing case acceptance with a good handoff. So Dana, you were on the road recently. I know you got to see a lot of things. One, how do you feel like the handoff increases case acceptance? What does that look like? And then two, what are some things that you saw while you were on the road recently? Yeah, well, one, I think it's, I want you to recognize I see a lot of times in offices handoffs are done behind the scenes, okay? And the way that a handoff can help increase case acceptance is the patient actually hearing it. The Dental A Team (49:35.342) So I think we do a great job of, you know, hey, Dr. Smith, this is what's going on with this patient. This is what they said. This is their chief complaint. This is what we talked about, right? And we do it behind the scenes and you can do that. But where it really helps increase case acceptance is when the patient actually hears it. They're part of that conversation. And where I feel like it helps to build that is it's the trust and the relationship. When I say something and then I hand it off to you and then you back that up. Right, that builds trust. There is something to be said for like shock dentistry in that like, I'll play the hygienist, right? I'm familiar with that role. And it is a patient just spent 40 minutes with me. And then the doctor comes in and doctor has five minutes. Well, if the doctor comes in and starts saying, you know, you need this treatment, or I see this area of concern, or I see this, and I haven't said anything, right? Well, it not necessarily is on purpose, right? Or that the patient starts to build distressed. on purpose, but in their mind, right, it's I just spent 40 minutes with in and she didn't say any of that. And so now the doctor comes in and I

Kiera reviews May's DAT Book Club selection, High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove and why her takeaways are complicated. A few of her favorite ideas from the book: delegation is not abdication; allow time to connect; and why less is more when it comes to performance reviews. Find the full book club rundown here! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.974) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and welcome to May's book club. I hope you guys are excited. Book club was something I didn't know if you guys would enjoy and so many doctors when I was about to cancel it, message in and said, we love this. We love this for our team. You've given us such a easy resource to work through and to be able to do this and then read it and then hear your synopsis on it. So welcome to book club. This month is high output management by Andrew S Grove. And I'm just curious of how many of you read the book? how did you feel about the book? This one I think puzzled my mind a little bit more. And as I was going through it, I'm like, Kiera, why was this one a puzzling book for you? Why was this one maybe a little bit harder for me to digest? And I think a piece I had was one, I might have thought that the information was dated. And in that, I felt like, Kiera, you might be thinking small because just because things are quote unquote dated or we're doing things differently today. does not mean the founding principles of what made this organization, the CEO legendary, I can't apply to today. And I think I was thinking so literal as opposed to conceptual. And the other side of it, I thought, I don't know if I'm really set up to do, be a manager. And so I'm super curious, how did you guys enjoy the book? I hope you're ready for it. If you guys are enjoying our podcast in any way, shape or form, please also before we kick it off, Go leave us that review. You guys, I was looking at those reviews the other day and I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for making us one of the top dental podcasts out there and truly just resonating with the world. And our goal is to get this podcast into the hands of every dental office out there. So please help me out on our mission and share this with somebody today. Leave a review, tag us while you're listening in the car. It means the world to me. So let's kick off High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove and some of the key points that I just noticed in the book club were number one, Um, like this is a granddaddy, like they're the CEO of Intel's legendary CEO during the transformative years. And I just think about that of, gosh, like they had so many different pieces in there. And so just as kind of a high level, there's the managerial leverage, there's training is the boss's job, motivations, meetings and decisions, one -on -one meetings, delegation and tax relevant, KPIs, performance reviews, interviews, and then promotions and recycling. And so, uh, Kiera Dent (02:21.134) Really, I felt like there were so many good tips and I'll just dive right in pretend we're hanging out in my podcast. There is a chair right over here. So pretend you're just hanging out with me sitting here and we're just having a conversation in my podcast studio in my living room, if you will. We're just sitting back having a comfy cozy conversation because I'm really curious. This one was written in 1982. Uh, that's quite, quite a substantial amount of time since this was written. And like I said, I think I was a little more closed off upon reading it. I think I felt like this doesn't apply. I like the one -on -ones. Oh my gosh. I texted Brittany and I said, this book is recommending we have way longer one -on -ones. And so I feel again, I wasn't looking at the conceptual ideas and more of the logical black and white. Like this is a workbook I'm going in, I'm implementing versus looking at what things can I be looking at? to really optimize the output of it. And so one of the big things that I really love, like let's take it, is a manager output is the output of their organization and their neighboring organizations under their influence. And so thinking about a manager, and again, I don't know if I'm cut out to be a manager, but that said, just because I don't enjoy managing, I truly don't. I looked at the other day, I was doing a time exercise and I'm like, gosh, like I just feel sluggish. And I was writing it down and I thought like I have block scheduled and I've maximized my time and I batched my tasks a lot of times and what do I need to do to get out of this bunk? And what I noticed, my funk is due to the fact that I'm in so many meetings. It is death by a thousand meetings and I'm just not enjoying it. And I thought, I don't enjoy this. Britt is our operations manager. I need to get out of these meetings more. With that said though, I don't think just because we don't en

Kiera is joined by Dr. Brian Harris, the founder of Smile Virtual, to talk about cosmetic dentistry and virtual consulting. They touch on cosmetic needs in the current economy and how social media changed the game, as well as implementing virtual consulting and the way to get patients to want to do it. Dr. Harris also teases out how to get case acceptance virtually. Episode resources: Learn about Smile Virtual Connect with Dr. Brian Harris: [email protected] or @drbrianharris on Instagram Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.942) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I am so jazzed. The guest I have today is someone that I feel like we have circled in the same circle without actually doing a podcast together ever until today. So I'm so jazzed. I have recommended this man so many times. I'm so excited to hear where he's at in his life, all the different things, cosmetic dentistry, you name it. Brian Harris, welcome to the show today. How are you? Dr. Brian Harris (00:24.122) I am doing amazing. Thank you for having me. And I feel the same way about you. I feel like I've seen you all over. I hear people talk about you and your team and the amazing things that you do within dentistry. And so I think this is cool that we're actually doing this together. And I'm excited to see where the conversation takes us. Kiera Dent (00:43.406) You and me both. So Brian, funny fact, my husband and I actually got set up on a blind date. I was disengaged is what I called it. I make the joke, my last name's Dent, it was three fiancees. So my husband, I was set up with a guy that I worked with at a law firm, Geology, he was a lawyer, and his name is actually Brian Harris as well. So it makes me always like happy when I see your name, cause you've got like a good affiliation that way. Brian Harris set me and my husband up and you are not the same Brian Harris, but like it's just a good affiliation. But Brian, for those of us who don't know you, people that have never heard about you, can you kind of talk about your, um, the founder of smile virtual and kind of just your story. You are one of the like Godfathers and just genius people around cosmetic dentistry. So kind of just give people an intro of who you are, what you do. And then we're going to like rift on cosmetic dentistry, case acceptance, all those pieces. Dr. Brian Harris (01:39.514) Yeah, for sure. Thank you for the nice words. That means a lot. And yeah, I think my story is a little... It doesn't start off very interesting, you know, kind of the typical, you know, my dad was a dentist. My two brothers are dentists. One of my brothers owns a dental lab. My father -in -law is a dentist. So, like, I mean, it's just it's always been part of my life. I started practice in 2005. I kind of had an early look into this world of cosmetic dentistry because my dad was one of the kind of the original pioneers of cosmetic dentistry back in the early 90s. And so I feel like I always had a kind of a different view of what dentistry could be like. And so graduated, bought into the practice, you know, fast forward 2016 ish. We have five Harris Dental locations. we were just rocking it. I mean, it was going great on the surface, like on the outside looking in, everything was great, but just totally burned out and not really doing the stuff that I love to do. And right about that time is when social media started becoming a thing where people started posting pictures of teeth on social media. It was very weird back in the day. It's normal now. And... Kiera Dent (03:01.486) Yep. Dr. Brian Harris (03:03.322) And yeah, my wife was like, you just need to like start posting more of what you do and doing more of the stuff you love and not feeling so burnt out. And I did that. And one thing led to another. And before I knew it, we were booked out eight months in advance and only doing small design cases. And that's kind of all I do today. For the last probably six years now, I just do porcelain veneers. That's it in my practice. And... We're still booked out quite a ways and I love it. And part of that process, I would say a big part of the success though was the creation of Small Virtual, really the most well -known video console platform in dentistry as it relates to really driving leads and closing big cases. So that's my story. Kiera Dent (03:55.118) I love it. Well, and I just have a question. I mean, Brian, welcome to the podcast with me. I will always ask all the questions I want to know. Like, we'll get into the nitty gritties. You find out about I was disengaged and then engaged, you know, three times. Like, tell me how happy are you from where you were? You had you had like, I feel the quote unquote, the dream life, right? You've got all these practices. It's booming. And you told me you're just getting to burn out. Can you tell me the difference of

Tiff and Dana are back with more tips to perfect your patient experience and office systems. This episode focuses on maximizing appointment efficiency from both the doctor side and hygiene side. The consultants walk through four critical steps: Taking an inventory of your appointment process Consider timing with a fine-toothed comb Implement block scheduling the right way Schedule the next appointment for what the patient actually needs Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:10.414) Hi everyone, I'm so excited to be here. I've got my girl Dana here with me today. It's a beautiful Friday afternoon here in Phoenix while we're recording. Dana, you are what, two hours below me, two hours away from me. How is it down there where you're at? Beautiful, sunny, awesome day. Oh, I love it. This is my favorite time of year. I think it's just the most beautiful time to be in the desert and here in a couple months. maybe even a couple weeks, I might be saying something different. But I truly do love the dry heat. So I'm so happy to be here. Dana, you impress me constantly. You just got off the road and you have been on the road like crazy the last few weeks. How are you doing? How are you feeling? You've been in offices literally all over the country. You had your toes in sand on the Virginia beach the other day. Today you're in a sunny... desert, how are you doing with all of it? You've been traveling more than normal. Yeah, more than normal. But doing really good. I think I love in office pieces getting to connect with teens getting in there getting to see how they do interact with patients. It just brings like a fuel to the fire, even though sometimes traveling can be a little bit daunting. Yeah, yeah, for sure. I love that. I do always feel like I get like a like a runner's high. after being in offices and like reinvigorated and just ready to like take over the world, it feels like. What are, there's some things I wanna chat about today. One of them is appointment efficiency tips. That's what this is gonna be wrapped around. So it's gonna be a lot of really actionable information for everybody. But what were you seeing while you were in offices? Is there anything that kept, I mean, you've been in quite a few practices recently, like I said, all over the country. So is there anything that you saw that was like routinely coming up? that trends that a few practices were dealing with while you were out there? Yeah, I think I've seen a lot of like patient flow, time management, maximizing like the 60 minutes that we have with patients. So it actually is kind of great that we're talking about appointment efficiency because I do feel like in a lot of practices, we do see some struggles in there, some hiccups, right? And sometimes it just takes a little tweak and things run a whole lot more smoothly. Totally agree, totally agree. The Dental A Team (02:28.142) And I think we are running into that space of like coming up on summertime. And so it is like, what are, what can we do? And we've got so many people that have vacations. So we've got, you know, a lot of cancellations in the schedule, a lot of people calling out, but then on the flip side of that, we have a lot of patients that are like, Hey, I have vacation time. Let me use it. Or we're going to be gone. Let me get this done before we leave kind of situation. So I totally agree. I think being on the road, I was on the road last week and we definitely worked on a lot of like flow and efficiency pieces. I think that's something that dental hygiene does really well. with our clients and with our listeners is to really always look for that efficiency piece. How can we make the most out of the time that we have? And caveat for my team members listening, that doesn't always mean that we're adding things to your appointment, right? We're asking you to quote unquote do more. It just means how can we be super effective with the time that we have and give the patients the best experience that they possibly can have with the time that we've got while they're in our practice. So, Following in line with that appointment efficiency tips, I think that's something that every practice thrives with and comes to dental 18 -4 systems, right? And this is a huge undertaking. How do we ensure that our appointments are going as efficiently and as effectively as possible? And Dana, I know you are a hygienist. I think this is super, super key for you to speak on hygiene behalf. And then I was a dental assistant by trade. And so, I kind of have an idea for how the doctors movements are, where our doctors are at, how those doctor side appointments can go, but then also like shuffling him or her over to hygiene too, to get that worked in and all of those pieces streamlining. Now I have to tell you a story. I have an office near and de

Just because dentistry is one of your talents doesn't mean it's not a worthwhile service. When it comes to friends and family asking for discounts or free treatment, it can get sticky if you're not prepared. In this episode, Kiera gives three pointers to addressing when someone inevitably drops your name in hopes of a discount: Recognize your worth as a dental professional Put a dollar amount to the discounts you've given Create a friends and family fee schedule, then use it Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00.83) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and oh, I am excited. Our team has actually been going and doing a little research for you guys to find out what are the topics the dentists and teams have been asking in the industry across the globe. And I am so excited because this month, I'm going to start shaking it up a little bit on you guys. So I am so excited for you. There's going to be different topics, very tactical, practical. I hope you guys are having a great time. As always, thanks for listening to our podcast. Thanks for making us one of the top elite dental podcasts across all podcast platforms. You guys listening, sharing, subscribing, downloading, those are all how we're able to help and serve and really truly positively impact the world of dentistry with the tactical and practical. So thank you for being a part of this. Thank you for being here with me. I am so honored that you are here with me tonight or today or in the morning or whatever time you're doing this. I'm excited. So today let's talk about what do we do? for friends and acquaintances who feel like they should get treatment at no cost. I hope you guys are ready for this. This is a common problem. As you guys know in the Dental A Team, we consult practices to make your life easier, more fun, have your teams have less stress, and be able to do it all with ease to get that more profitable practice, but honestly to have the most dreamy life that you could ever imagine. So that's what we're about. And you guys know that this is a fun topic because really it comes down to a full team effect of. How do we really handle those friends and acquaintances? And honestly, dentists, I mean, I remember as a, when I was in a practice, our dentists would go and I could always tell when they'd been out with their neighbors or their friends because like, oh, hey, they're going to give a call and they're going to come in. And then doctor feels awkward and we don't know what to do because we feel like we should give them it to no cost. And the reality is you actually don't need to. And I'm here to help hopefully break that limiting belief, give you some awesome verbiage and some tips. for you and your team. So number one, high five, you're here. I'm so happy you're here. Number two, let's talk about it. I'm gonna ask you, do you think that you were the best dentist? Do you feel that you give incredible dentistry? And do you feel like if you had someone that could do the quality of dentistry on your mouth that you would be more than happy to pay them? I hope you're able to answer yes. And if not, let's get some CE to where you can answer yes to that. But the reality is you're probably a pretty fantastic dentist, especially if you're listening to this podcast. Kiera Dent (02:21.646) So we have to realize that just because it comes natural for you and just because it's a skill for you does not mean that it should be done for free. Now, if it brings you joy, phenomenal, but if it doesn't, I want you to think about you are providing a service that people pay because they can't do it. And they're so happy that you're giving them the confidence, you're giving them the certainty, you're giving them the ability to eat the foods they want to. Like you have to think about how much our mouths do for us, the ability to talk, to smile, to communicate with other people. all these things, you're actually giving your patients the ability to do. And so I just want you, I wanna remind you that like that's what you're giving them. You're giving them this incredible thing and you just feel like, oh my gosh, but I'm already doing this and it's so easy for me and they're my friend. Well, yeah, but you might have a friend who works at the grocery store or at a restaurant. That doesn't mean you expect them to give it to you for free. So I just wanna break it from you of like you are doing incredible things. Don't forget that you're doing incredible things. But I feel like sometimes because we're talented at it, we just feel like, well, it's so easy for me. Therefore, why am I charging for it? That's false. Like just because it's a talent, just because it comes natural for you does not mean that it's not a service worthwhile. And also remember people want to pay you. We want to pay people. Like I am so grateful for my coaches. I'

Dana and Tiff dive into the topic of creating exceptional first impressions in dental offices. They explore practical strategies for creating a welcoming atmosphere that instills confidence and trust in patients from the moment they arrive. From personalized greetings to thorough attention to cleanliness and organization, they emphasize the importance of every detail in shaping a positive patient experience. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast TRANSCRIPT: The Dental A Team (01:04:00.494) Hello, everybody. We're so excited to be here. Dana and I just brainstormed just a second on what we were going to chat about today. We've always got our topics, but we kind of have to brainstorm. And sometimes they feel like, gosh, Dana, I was like, I don't know, I feel like we just did this one. But I think we can dive deeper. And I think you've got me spinning in a different direction that I hadn't even thought of. That is the power of teamwork. So Dana, thank you for being here. Thank you for spinning my brain always and seeing that other side you actually. You just come and clutch with that a lot during team meetings, during consulting, during podcasting. Like you really truly are able to see a different side that I don't always see. So thank you. Thank you for being here. How are you doing today? Good. Thanks for having me. You know, these are always so fun. I know. I love it. I love how we get to see each other now. When we started these, we couldn't see each other and we could just be wearing, you know, pajamas or whatever we wanted, but it's okay. But I do love that we get to see each other. I remember like the first couple ones we had all three of us, we had Niki and Brit on there. And it was like so weird. And we were like, is this so weird? And now it would be really weird not to see you. Weird how, it's funny how like quickly that switches. So if you're listening, know that there's a video out there on the interweb somewhere. If you could see our blonde hair and beautiful faces anytime you want. I think it's on, I think we started putting them on YouTube every time and they're always on Instagram. probably TikTok, I would assume that it's on TikTok. I should know these things. But anyways, today we are talking about first impressions. So if you haven't listened to it yet, we did a deep dive on the phone call and how that value of the first phone call can turn into a scheduled appointment. So that was kind of our first impressions phone call. This time we're gonna deep dive a little bit further into the patient actually coming to the practice. So they've already had the phone call, they've already been scheduled, they've already gotten the confirmation emails and texts, and you've gotten the paperwork, all of those pieces, and now they're coming into the office. So Dana, this was your brainchild. You were like, no, we're going to do an office. I think it's brilliant. Duh. Duh, Tiff. How do you want that to look for your practices? If you were to walk into one of the practices that you've consulted, how do you expect that first impression to go? The Dental A Team (01:06:18.254) I want it to be so warm and welcoming and that the instant the patient walks in, this is a place that they want to be. They feel comfortable being dental, right? We know it can be an anxiety space for a lot of patients. And I think more patients, right? Than not. They anticipate maybe pain, some discomfort, some maybe even embarrassment because they don't love what their teeth look like or, you know, they're just, generally in pain from coming in, right? They're coming in to deal with pain. And so that can be an anxiety space for a lot of people. And the more warm and welcoming they feel from the second that they walk in, again, it's just that safe space, right? That trust that we always try to build in every experience across the board for our patients. So when they feel that when they walk in, when you introduce for yourself, when you say you're so excited, oh my gosh, I've been talking to you. I'm so excited to meet you. And then you can direct them on what to do. You can show them areas of the practice. It just sets up the tone from the very beginning that you want them to feel throughout the appointment. Absolutely. It's just that relationship build, right? I feel much more at ease. And honestly, I feel like if something if I feel comfortable, confident, I feel like I trust you just from the get go from that interaction. And if I feel like, gosh, I could like I feel comfortable talking to you. if something were to happen that is less than ideal, I'm like, ah, whatever, right? So I agree. I think that first impression walking through the door should be warm and inviting, welcoming. That person should be smiling. I love, I contact you guys and like as soon as that door opens, you're looking up. I know we're in the comput

Get ready for a deep dive on DSOs. Kiera is joined by Brannon Moncrief, principal and CEO of McLerran + Associates, an industry leader in dental practice sales and sell-side advisory for DSOs. Basically, if you want insight about selling to a DSO, this episode is for you. Kiera and Brannon discuss: Pros and cons to selling to a DSO What common mistakes are and how you can avoid them Different deal structure examples The DSO landscape over the next 20 to 50 years And so much more! Episode resources: Learn about McLerran + Associates Connect with Brannon: [email protected] or 512-660-8505 Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast TRANSCRIPT: Kiera Dent (00:00.878) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I am so jazzed. I have been dying for this man to get on our podcast. I think DSOs are hot right now and it's what do I do? Is the DSO world good? Is the DSO world bad? Should I sell to a DSO? Should I not sell to a DSO? What are the mistakes? I think there's so much confusion and lack of clarity around it. And I have actually found someone referred to me from a client that I think toes the line really well of private practice and DSO to really be educational. Brandon. I don't even know how to say your last name, Brandon. I'm not going to lie to you. So tell me how I say your last name. I was going to say Moncrief. Is that right? Brandon Moncrief. Coming in today, he has over 20 years of experience as a banker, broker, and sales side advisor, and has facilitated the sale of over a thousand dental practices. That's impressive. Kudos. His firm, McLaren and Associates, provides sales side advisory to large practice owners who are interested in pursuing a DSO affiliation or private equity partner. Brannon Moncrief (00:36.297) Moncreme. You got it. Yeah. Kiera Dent (00:57.614) He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and two daughters and spends his free time traveling, cooking, and being outdoors. So we're definitely going to geek on travel. Austin, keep it weird. Brandon McCreary. I think I got it. Welcome to the show. How are you? Brannon Moncrief (01:09.545) I'm doing good, good to see you. Thanks for having me. Kiera Dent (01:11.79) Yeah, Brandon and I are actually like swimming in the same pool. We're going to be at the same events together. He's going to be speaking with our private Dr. Mastermind pretty soon. But one of our mutual, I have a client that I've consulted for years, sent me your thoughts about his practice. And that's how I actually got introduced to you. And I just am super jazzed. Let's talk. I obviously gave your intro, but kind of tell a little bit about who you guys are. how you even got into the DSO space. I mean, bank or broker, you already have red flags on you from most people's perspectives. So kind of like win us over. I think you're great. So they already will like you, but kind of give us some feedback. Brannon Moncrief (01:47.273) Awesome, thanks. I have spent my adult life in dentistry. The first nine years of my career was focused on lending money to dentists all across the country to buy, start, expand practices. So in that role, I worked. Kiera Dent (02:00.43) How did you even get there? Like, were you just like, cool, I'm on Dennis? Or did it kind of fall into your lap? Brannon Moncrief (02:04.841) It was very random. I mean, finance degree straight out of college. I was recruited by a finance company that focused on lending money to dentists out of the Houston area. Thought it was cool that I could actually use my degree. You know, new dentistry was a good industry to be in. And yeah, took a took a leap, started off as a loan underwriter and then worked my way up to the director of business development. By the time I left that company to buy McLaren. But as my role as a banker, I worked with all the brokers in the country and a lot of the CPAs, attorneys that we do business with today that are still in the industry. And I recognize very quickly like broker is a four letter word in a lot of markets. The bar, what's that? Kiera Dent (02:44.782) It is. I was like, Banker broker, you really want me to say that? I'm like, you really have that in your bio. Okay, I'll say it. Brannon Moncrief (02:53.545) Yeah, it's kind of a four letter word and I understand why. And being a banker, I was constantly frustrated with the work product and the lack of professionalism that I saw among the brokerage community. And I was like, hey, I can do this better. So that's why I decided to step out of the role as a banker and step into the role as a broker. And I bought McLaren and Associates, which was a small mom and pop practice brokerage shop, like you see a lot of them out there today. I purchased the company 13 years ago at the time. The legacy business really focused on doing doctor to doctor, traditional practice sales in Texas, where the company was based and built the

When it comes to a prospective patient's first phone call to your practice, there is magic that should be happening to convert the call into a visit. Tiff and Dana talk through that process, including the right energy to give, what to say, the information to request, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

This episode is all about celebrating your team and practice. Kiera gives ideas for adding more fun to the work day while still keeping things professional. Remember, applying flavor is a culture builder, marketing tool, energy booster, and more. Episode resources: Wish Tiff and Kiera a happy birthday! Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera touches on the best-of from this year's Dental A-Team Summit, including: your relationship between your work life and personal life; increasing production or improving efficiency; facing the pain of change; building long-term wealth; and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera is joined by Pedro Becker of Axle to talk about how to effectively use a centralized dental platform that utilizes artificial intelligence while staying human. Points of conversation include learning curves with automation, how this software is transforming dentistry, what's easy for the patient and the practice, and more. Episode resources: Learn about Axle Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Join Kiera as she uncovers the power of SOPs and Operations Manuals for dental practices. Learn how these tools can save time, ensure consistency, and streamline your operations. Discover practical tips for creating your own manual, from dividing tasks among team members to keeping protocols user-friendly and accessible. Tune in for expert advice on storage and maintenance, and revolutionize the efficiency of your practice. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera goes through different positions in the practice and gives advice on how to streamline. Examples include how office assistants can maximize their time; when doctors and office managers should schedule their week; the power of clustering and cadence; and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera and Britt are discussing the April book club selection, Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell. They share their top takeaways about treating time valuably, how to best go about starting to delegate, where an assistant can fit in, and more. Find the full book club rundown here! Episode resources: Reach out to Britt and Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

As an employer, it can definitely feel like all you do is give, and working with those team members who always want more can be a major hurdle. Kiera talks about the right way to approach giving, what to consider from the team member's perspective, budget confines, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

If you're looking to up your review game, it's important that you're in the right arena(s). In this episode, Kiera talks about why practices should showcase their best selves on social media. Specifically, she touches on the ideal number of reviews your practice should have, and why considering your social media presentation is so critical. Bonus: Ideas for social media content and a prime review resource! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera takes a close look at scheduling, and what to do when things are too full — a hot topic in offices right now. She urges listeners to change how insurance is being presented; avoid double-booking; and consider an expansion of hours. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

It's time for a dive into brand awareness on social media. In this episode, Tiff and Dana talk about the realities of social media marketing for practices: the what, where, why, and how, including why it's so critical, who you're updating for, content ideas, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Sometimes, when it comes to hiring, you just get lucky. In this episode, Kiera talks about the art of hiring: the good, the bad, and the lessons that come from both. You'll hear advice on… How long you should wait to know if you've hired the right person Why it's important to be practical when hiring, not emotional What hiring someone complementary to your style means And more Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

In marketing, every dollar counts. In this episode, Tiff and Dana talk about how to know if your marketing dollars are yielding the right results. They touch on why you need to know how much you're spending on marketing; whether the ideal patient is being converted; and why your active patient count is so important. Want a spreadsheet to start tracking the important stuff? Email [email protected]. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

An office reached out to the Dental A-Team with the following question: How can an office manager earn respect from a team that's not listening? Kiera shares tips on the proper approach to being an effective office manager (or anyone, really) in the dental practice. She explains why OMs should: Understand your motive in the position Consider the best interests of the business Avoid empty threats And more Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Dental A Team's Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Can you say for certain that all of your practice's ducks are in a row? Kiera's here with an urgent suggestion to use momentum now to smooth out all the systems and teams in your office now to be ready for the inevitable unexpected moments. Dental A-Team's Practice Momentum walks practices through monthly tasks to make sure everything is planned out for peace of mind. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Dental A Team's Virtual Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

A common thread among Dental A-Team offices right now is a decrease in communication. In this episode, Kiera and Tiff talk about why this is happening so often, and how to bring that openness and trust back into your practice. They give insight on how often different positions should be meeting, the right way to approach difficult conversations, why we should look at our work relationships like the other relationships in our lives, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera and Tiff Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Marketing is a hot-ticket item in dental practices, and Tiff and Dana are here to discuss how to sell your dentistry to not only new patients — but the ones you already have. They give ideas on retention and referral, the power of organic conversations, and keeping your established patients just as happy as your new ones. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Are you the master of your circumstances or the creator of your life? This question guides the episode as Kiera talks about how to stay strong and positive in a challenging economy. She talks about managing emotions, communicating with patients, and intelligently considering what to keep and what to shed for your practice's long-term benefits. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

The hiring climate has changed dramatically in recent years, and Kiera's here to encourage listeners to embrace the challenge of finding the right people for your practice. She talks about three things to consider when approaching hiring: Establish a culture that doesn't have turnover Assess the patterns of those who are leaving React to those trends Consider your role as you hire: are you a hunter or a fisher? Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

It's time for another book club episode! This month's review is on The Noticer: Sometimes, All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective by Andy Andrews. Kiera reflects on how everyone can notice the positives in each other, personally, professionally, etc. — and how this can improve the culture in your practice. Find the full book club rundown here! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Tiff and Dana focus on the front office — specifically, how offices can make sure they have exactly what they need in place to make everyone happy (patients, team members, doctor(s), etc.). They give tips on fine-tuning insurance, account balances, auditing codes, schedule-building, billing, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera shares two office autopsies, each who considered practice expansion and went about it in different ways. When considering whether to sell to a DSO or move to a bigger building or simply stay where you are, make sure you're not doing so for the wrong reasons. Kiera explains what the right reasons and wrong reasons would be, and how the two offices ultimately made their decisions. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Tiff and Dana are back with more leveling-up tips for your practices! They focus on the billing department, specifically the key ingredient to keep everything moving smoothly: calendars. Setting up a calendar to keep things on track will keep your cadence consistent — a must-do when it comes to staying on top of all that work. Tiff and Dana walk through what to include on that calendar, the importance of cheat sheets, how to train your support team ahead of time, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Ryan Isaac is once again on the podcast! In this episode, he and Kiera discuss how impactful burnout can be, what the signs are, and how to overcome it. Also, both the Dental A-Team and Ryan's Dentist Advisors have summits coming up! Get the details: DAT Virtual Summit — The Prosperous Dentist: Strategies For Wealth and Wellness, Friday, April 26, 2024 Dentist Money Summit: Learn how to live your rich life, June 21-22, 2024, code DAT25 for discount Episode resources: Tune in to The Dentist Money Show Reach out to Kiera Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Roadmaps for all the different aspects of businesses are really difficult to create. There's a lot of room for error along the way. It'd sure be nice to have a ready-made business success cycle, plus the experts to help you over any hurdles that appear. Kiera talks in this episode about Dental A-Team's Practice Momentum, and how signing up will get you on the right path forward to make your practice the best it can be. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Did you know: presenting treatment plans is 80% psychology and 20% skill? In this episode, Kiera talks through the Dental A-Team tried and true method of treatment plans, both the psychology and skill aspects. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Listen to episode 133, What Drives You: Cost, Longevity, Function, or Cosmetic Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Tiff and Dana continue on the leveling up of positions around the practice. In this episode, the focus is on office managers (or business managers or whoever functions as your go-to for team members). The consultants chat about what's often seen as the more challenging side of this position, aka people-ing (guiding accountability, training, communicating, etc.). The give insight on: What continuing education can look like What to do if you're burnt out with growth How to streamline HR aspects And more! Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera walks listeners through system success cycles for leadership and team members in a practice, and what the most critical systems are to have in place for start-up practices. Remember, the most important factor for system implementation is simplicity—Kiera explains how to keep things simple so they stick in team members' heads. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Welcome to the treatment coordinator realm! Consultants Tiff and Dana closely analyze what a treatment tracker is and how you can use one most effectively for your practice. They touch on: What a tracker can look like (they can be different for each person) How to identify trends through the tracker—and what trends to look for Why establishing the 2-2-2 method for follow-up is critical And more! Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana: [email protected] Listen to episode 400, The Best Way to Follow Up With Patients Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

In celebration of this podcast turning five years old, Kiera shares five things she wishes she'd known before becoming CEO (or any type of leader). Do your job as a leader Know the vitals of your practice Be a culture master Empower your team Keep your passion alive Thanks to everyone who's helped make this become one of the top dental podcasts out there! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

The popular office autopsy is back! In this episode, Kiera talks about a practice that worked with DAT to implement PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) into its toolbox. Not only did the therapy service massively increase this office's production, but the team stayed consistent and focused for a majority of 2023 to make sure the information and procedure was the best it could be for patients. Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

It's another book club episode! Kiera reviews Crucial Conversations: Told for Talking When Stakes are High, which gives guidance on how to speak effectively with others — personally, professionally, whatever. She also touches on how to host the ideal book club for your office. Find the full book club rundown here! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

AT consultants Tiff and Denae discuss key performance indicators (KPIs). When utilized correctly, KPIs can help you understand if the individual pieces are moving in the right direction for the practice as a whole. They touch on finding the right metrics for positions, examples of what to track, how often to track KPIs, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Denae: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Kiera is joined by Bob Burg, co-author of The Go-Giver! In this conversational episode, Kiera and Bob discuss how people can have effective sales conversations with others — even if they don't feel like a sales-driven person. Bob touches on how The Go-Giver came to be, how to utilize sales with patients, how to really believe in what you're selling, and more. About Bob Burg: For 30 years Bob has helped companies, sales leaders, and their teams to more effectively communicate their value, sell at higher prices with less resistance, and grow their businesses based on Endless Referrals. Bob has regularly addressed audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000 — sharing the platform with notables including today's top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States president. Although for years he was best known for his book Endless Referrals, it's his business parable, The Go-Giver (coauthored with John David Mann) that captured the imagination of his readers. The Go-Giver, a Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek Bestseller, has sold over a million copies. Since its release it has consistently stayed in the Top 25 on Porchlight's (formerly 800-CEO-READ) Business Book Bestsellers List. The book has been translated into 30 languages. It was rated #10 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Most Motivational Books Ever Written, and was on HubSpot's 20 Most Highly Rated Sales Books of All Time. Bob is the author of a number of books on sales, marketing and influence, with total book sales approaching two million copies. The American Management Association named Bob one of the 30 Most Influential Leaders and he was named one of the Top 200 Most Influential Authors in the World by Richtopia. Bob is an advocate, supporter and defender of the Free Enterprise system, believing that the amount of money one makes is directly proportional to how many people they serve. He is also an unapologetic animal fanatic and served on the board of directors of Furry Friends Adoption and Clinic in his town of Jupiter, Florida. Episode resources: Read The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

Job descriptions are one of the most underutilized tools in dental practices — especially when it comes to additional duties and how those can fit in. DAT consultants Tiff and Dana discuss using job descriptions for more than just onboarding. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast

The Dental A-Team has heard from a number of offices who waded through a difficult December financially. Kiera gives tangible tips about how to get out in front of everything to make sure 2024's year-end will go from bad to good. She touches on: Going through your P&L Reaching out to patients regarding end of benefits Planning strategically for those bonuses Establishing discipline And more! Episode resources: Reach out to Kiera: [email protected] Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast