The more engaged your team members are with your practice, the happier everyone (patients included) is. Kiera shares four questions to ask employees in connection to their engagement, then breaks down how to interpret the responses and what to put into place for improvement.

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Reach out to Kiera

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Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:00.75)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm so happy you guys are here. I hope today has just been an incredible day for you. And I hope you guys just remember that we are so lucky and so blessed to work in this incredible industry of dentistry. We are getting ready to roll into Q4 and I hope you guys are just feeling good about it. Like Q4, end of year, here it is. And I hope you guys are just loving it and enjoying it. And you just feel like you are completely and utterly prepared for the greatest time ever.

 

As always, thank you for listening and please, please, please go leave us that five star review. Please share this in other groups, tag this, snag this. You guys are gonna wanna share today's podcast. I know you will, but you guys downloading these episodes, sharing them with other people, that's how you keep us as the top dental podcast. And you know our mission is to get this podcast into every dental practice out there because I believe that if we can positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible, we are gonna make the greatest good.

 

We're gonna be able to help teams. We're gonna be able to help owners. We're gonna be able to help patients have the best lives, the best experiences, the best communities. And that's what I'm here for. So today I wanted to go into a topic about how to get better employee engagement. All right? Anybody here for it? Are you here for employee engagement? Because if you are, I am here for it. I think having employees is some of the like hardest and most rewarding part of owning a business. And so today,

 

I just wanted to give you guys some amazing tips of how can you guys get your employees engaged. So my husband, actually is overseeing several, several, several physicians and people within his hospital. And we were talking about employee engagement and I feel like there's a space of like, we, do we survey our teams? Do we not survey our teams? What do we do with this? And he mentioned that at the location that he's at that they actually hide.

 

four questions within their survey to find out how employees are engaged. And so I will read them to you. Number one is, my work gives me a sense of personal accomplishment. Number two is, and you guys, I'm definitely looking and I'm reading this right now. I would recommend your company as a good place to work. I intend to stay with your company for at least the next 12 months, and I am proud to work at your company.

 

Kiera Dent (02:21.742)

So those four questions, my work gives me a sense of accomplishment. I would recommend this place is a good place to work. I intend to stay here for the next 12 months and I'm proud to work at this dental office. And as we were talking about this engagement, my husband has, with all of his team members, he has several, several team members and he just came in getting tens across the board of his employee engagement. And so I was asking him about it I said, what is it? And he said, these are the four questions that at their hospital that they're the most concerned about knowing.

 

How are they at? And so I asked my husband, said, okay, tell me more. I want to like do some information research outside of dentistry. What are people doing in other healthcare professions? What is that? And he said, I asked him, said, what are the things that really helped for your organization? And he gave me a pretty good list of as a manager, as a leader, what is he doing for his team to make sure that they're taken care of? And one of the things that I thought was crazy interesting is he said, the first one was that they're never alone.

 

that everybody helps each other out, that they feel like that they're a part of a team. He said that all of them actually talk about getting a lunch break and being able to have that time away from patient care and that they are fulfilled by their patient care and that they're like what they're doing is something they're very passionate and fulfilled by. They're compensated well. They have great hours that they're working and we're talking, this is a hospital setting. So it's stressful. It's hard. They have a lot of cases there and patients that they're responsible for. They see patients every 15 to 30 minutes. like

 

Just think about dentistry, we're not seeing them that often, at least we're hopefully, unless we're pediatric or ortho. But just thinking about how can we get our employees more engaged? And I've kind of had this like weird space of, we've always done two times that we would actually, send out surveys to our team and something, I was talking to a friend and they have done a lot of studies on, on surveys and your employees actually will rate themselves higher.

 

than how they actually are because we had some surveys and people were giving us tens across the board and then like a month later they were giving us a notice and I thought, gosh, like how is this even real? And so I'm in this weird, conflicted space of, here's the four questions but how do we actually get that information? Because there have been a lot of studies that have been done that actually show that employees actually want to show up the way they think that their employer wants them to be. So they're going to maybe give higher numbers and higher ratings than how they really feel.

 

Kiera Dent (04:44.396)

because as human beings, always want to be seen better than we actually are. so thinking about that and how do we build that and how do we build this space? But really, how can we get our employees engaged and excited about what we're doing? I think those four questions, if I were to go back and to look at offices that we consult and work with practices and looking at my practices, like I have several practices that have some of the best engagement. And I think about them that their work does give them a sense of fulfillment.

 

that they do plan to stay with that office for the next 12 months. And I think that comes from leadership giving a great vision of where they want to go and really having it be something that these people are passionate about. think them feeling like that they would recommend your office as a great place to work and that they are proud to work at your location. And maybe today your team's not that way. And maybe we need to flush some people out and bring on people that really are aligned with that vision.

 

I know it feels scary because the world has been tricky to hire and the world has been harder to find and retain team members. But I do believe that when we have those four things core and we have our employees bought into it, we have our leadership team in place with that. And we really are working towards that. I do believe that we have stronger engagement. I also think I'm working on really, really speaking the truth and encouraging your team to do so as well.

 

At the end of the day, you should be able to put your vision out and your team should be buying. And if they're the correct team and the best team, and if not, then it's okay to let people go and find a location that they really are satisfied with and you can keep driving it forward. It's always interesting when I consult practices and I see offices that have right people, right seat. And we were actually just on a meeting. I'll pull up some notes for you guys. We were just on a meeting and we're super excited to be working with this guy. And he was talking about.

 

If you guys haven't read the book, it's called the EOS life and I really really really loved the EOS life because there's a great definition where they talk about that people are compensated correctly, that people feel like they are having a sense of fulfillment and excitement and engagement, that they feel like they have time for their other hobbies and their lives and that they're just truly truly fulfilled within what they're doing.

 

Kiera Dent (07:04.844)

and that they have time and the bandwidth to do it. And I thought, how often are we kind of scraping things together, myself included within our companies, because right now it feels like, it's hard to get people hired. It's hard to get people engaged. But if we can think about, all right, these are the four questions that we want for our employees. But in addition to that, we do want people to be really engaged in the work that they're doing. They find it meaningful. We want them to feel like they're compensated very well and that they're giving back and contributing to the growth of the organization and that they have the time.

 

to have passions outside of work and they feel fulfilled by that. And like we have them in the right seat so much that we almost have to tell them to stop working because they have such a love and a passion for what they're doing. And so maybe today you might be looking and thinking, my gosh, there's no way my team's that way. Or you might be looking and thinking, wow, my team really is more engaged than I give them credit for. But what is a small one or 2 % shifts that you can make that would actually make your team more bought in and more engaged to it. And this is what I think I am the most passionate about within consulting.

 

is being able to help offices get their teams aligned to be rowing in the same direction where, like this coach told us, they said, the greatest thing is getting all the human capital rowing in the same direction. That's gonna create the momentum with ease. But if we're not there, we need to figure out is our vision wrong, is where we're headed wrong, are people wrong? Do we not have people engaged? Is this a place where culture is wrong, where leadership's wrong? Like what is the piece that needs to be fixed? Because oftentimes we try to like,

 

throw out so many great things when really it's just one small change that if we were able to make that change, things would actually move forward a lot faster. So really looking at those four questions, really looking to see what is our culture, what is our vision, and do we have all of our human capital rowing together? And if not, it might be time, like myself, where I hired a mediator coach to come in and help us set the vision of our company, to help get our team realigned and reinvigorated on where we wanna go. You guys, I am a consultant and you would think that I would,

 

always know how to do it the best. And that I would like to dispel any falsehoods around that because, yes, I'm an incredible leader and yes, I have it credible. I also can run out of like, where am I going? And was this vision the right vision? And I need some clarity around it. And so knowing when it's time to pull in a coach or a guide or a consultant to help you get aligned because they can hear things and they're not in the weeds.

 

Kiera Dent (09:26.602)

I realized I was in the weeds and I can't see clearly myself. You guys, I do this for a living. I coach other practices. I'm able to get their visions, but when you're in it, you're so close to it that you can't see it. And I realized to get my engagement scores higher, to get our team bought into things higher. I needed to hire somebody outside of our organization who can say the things that maybe I can't say, or who can say the same things that I say, but my team hears it differently because it's coming from someone else. And it's crazy because I believe as leaders.

 

When we can realize that we need that help and that guidance for ourselves and also for our team. That's the greatest thing a leader can do. Our job as leaders is not to know all the answers. Our job is to find the answers. Our job is to guide them on a compelling vision. Our job is to make sure this is a place that's, that's fair. That's incredible that people are proud to work here, but that doesn't mean that we need to enable. That means that we need to empower with accountability and ensure that where we're going, our human capital, AKA our entire team.

 

is bought in and driving. Now we won't have all A players and that's okay. We might have some B players, but the reality is we want everybody passionate driving towards that same goal with vigor and vim and excitement. Otherwise we've got people pulling us back and that's where things get very hard. That's when we start to have a lot of the team turnover, but truly when we can set our goal and our vision and our sights in the same direction, our entire team will be more aligned. So.

 

I would love to help you guys. I'd love our team to be able to help you guys guide you, help your team get that vision and that guidance, help give you doctors that vision and guidance, because oftentimes we're on our own isolated islands thinking we have to figure this out ourselves. But I realized that's our own ego speaking, not what's real. There is so much help out there around you to give the guidance, to bring your team, to get them bought in. and I'm so grateful that Dental A Team.

 

I truly believe is the best consulting company out there to do this for you and for your practice. So let's get your team bought in. Let's get you guys excited. Let's get that energy back. So everybody's rowing in the same direction and we can truly have that incredible definition of an incredible life where we're so fulfilled. We're so passionate. We're compensated well. The business is thriving. We have time for hobbies and family and other things extracurricular. And we do it with so much ease because we love what we do so much and getting people in those right seats, right places with the correct deliverables around it.

 

Kiera Dent (11:45.408)

is really the greatest way. So reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com There's no reason to wrap up this year and have it be hard for you when the easy answer is right in front of you. You just have to reach out. And I promise you that if you're not the right fit, we'll let you know. We'll let you know if you are the right fit. But generally speaking, when you come, we probably have a solution that you haven't thought of. And we always do everything with ease, simplicity, and making sure it's fun for you and for your team. So reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com

 

And as always, thanks for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

 

Tiff and Dana discuss the importance of coding accuracy in dental practices. That includes universal codes everyone can understand, how to stay up-to-date on resources, the best way to know team members are getting paid for all their work, different codes across specialties, and more.

Episode resources:

Reach out to Tiff and Dana

Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast

Become Dental A-Team Platinum!

Review the podcast

Transcript:

The Dental A Team (00:01.11)

Hello Dental A Team listeners, we are back at you today. I have the one and only Miss Dana here with me to podcast. I love pulling Dana in. I love pulling all the consultants in, but I truly love pulling in Dana. think I shouted you out this morning. do. Wednesday core value shout out in our.

 

I know that we've done some podcasts on that. So if you're not already doing a core value shout out every day or every week, please by all means go listen to those podcasts because it's freaking incredible and Dana you truly are the epitome of ease within our company and for your clients and I just think you need to publicly shout it from the rooftops be Just recognized for that aspect of your personality. You truly do make life easier I know a lot of your clients feel the same way you are

 

so good at finding the easiest path for the systems implementation for whatever it is that needs to be done for us as a company. So Dana, welcome today. I'm so excited to have you here with me. Thank you for joining me on this beautiful Wednesday. I don't know what day this is gonna air, but it's a Wednesday today. And it's absolutely gorgeous here in Arizona. How are you, Dana?

 

Dana (01:08.193)

doing good, Tim, doing good. love days like today.

 

The Dental A Team (01:11.629)

I do too, I do too. It's starting to get fallish in Arizona, which means 85 degrees instead of the 105 that we had last week, least up in Phoenix. I know you get a little bit more fall down where you're at, but I'll take the 85 over the 105 for sure. Today, Dina, I wanted to pick your brain.

 

I've got some information today I wanna share with the doctors. It's also for billing departments, for treatment coordinators, for whomever wants to listen to this. But I really wanted us to shout out our doctors for really, really just knowing everything about their businesses. I know that you guys are all here listening. I know you're watching, whatever it might be, to really learn more about the business side and about what the team is doing to help support your practice. So I wanna shout you out for that. And I just think it's a really incredible tool.

 

and resource to have to truly know what it is that's going on, the inner workings behind the scenes of your practice, aside from just the dentistry that you're performing. So shout out to you guys for being here, for listening. Team members, if your doctor's not listening yet, please share it with them. Dana, today I really wanted to pick your brain and go over some coding information. I know it sounds super boring, you guys, but stick with us. We've got some great tips and tricks and some tools, especially for you doctors who are out there to really

 

focus in and pay attention to the things that are being input into the system and sent off to insurance companies, or if you're fee for service, you still need to be insanely accurate within your system and making sure that we're using the right tools. So doctors, again, this one's for you as well. Billing representatives, treatment coordinators, front office representatives, office managers, whoever you might be, whoever might be touching a ledger or an account or a code in general dental assistance, hi, Genes, you guys.

 

This is all gonna be really great information for all of you. Coding with Accuracy happens to be a book, by the way, you can purchase that. But honestly, coding with accuracy is incredibly important and valuable to your system, not only for the billing portion to ensure that we're accurately sending things off to insurance companies, accurately getting paid, but realistically to show super accurately what you've actually done with your patients to your patients. That way, if anything were to ever come about and anyone needed to look into it or

 

The Dental A Team (03:28.327)

your patients had questions and they asked for the account, it makes sense to the next person who's looking at it. And you can say, yes, I did that, that was me. I did that filling, I did that crown, I did that crown seat, I did those pieces. I know a lot of practices, and Dana, I think you've probably seen this too, a lot of practices will overuse, in my opinion, an office visit or a palliative treatment, to certain codes like that and unspecified, because they're just not sure.

 

what to use. And so they throw one of those, especially office visits, and I'm like, what is this office visit? How many, this patient's been in for 20 office visits. They're like, most of those are crown seats or like if a filling needed to be adjusted or like, and I'm like, wow, so we don't have any documentation right here that we ever sat any of these crowns.

 

That's an issue. looking at those pieces and making sure that we're super accurate with what we're calling things is something I really, really want to talk about today, Dana. Have you noticed that as well? I know you see a lot of clients, you do a lot of virtual clients, but you see a lot of ledgers, you get a lot of things sent to you, and you have been traveling a ton this year in office to practices as well. So what are you seeing when you're out there when it comes to coding and just kind of like randomness that you're seeing thrown around?

 

Dana (04:40.983)

Yeah, I agree with you on just like the miscellaneous codes. I delivery. What did we deliver? Because we need to know exactly what we delivered today. And then a lot of just like 999 things and sometimes a 999 code you absolutely

 

The Dental A Team (04:47.133)

Yeah.

 

Dana (04:55.967)

can utilize it, should be utilizing it, but oftentimes too, it's like, no, there's actually a code for that. Like we don't have to send a 999 with documentation and notes, there's a code specific for that. So making sure that offices really are up to date, also to like when things change because they do change occasionally. And so just having somebody who knows those things in and out has resources to spot check and that we are billing what we're doing and coding exactly what we're doing.

 

The Dental A Team (05:25.511)

Yeah, I totally agree. The 999 code, I love that one. It is thrown in there for everything and I am guilty of the 999 code because I'm like, don't know what he's even talking about. 999, that sucker. And I'll explain, I'll say exactly what he just said to me. I have no idea what he said, but I've got this. So I'm surely, surely guilty of that one. I do love the staying up to date and doctors, I really want you to know and understand within dentistry.

 

There's not, like we have a course for billing that will review billing for you and will go over the basics of billing, what it needs to look like, how to send a claim, how to input an EOB and a payment and all of those pieces. But there's really not a good school for billing where it's like, gosh, I'm gonna send them to a billing school and now they've got this accredited school has shown them this kind of like medical billing, right? You can go to medical billing school and now you're a medical biller.

 

to be a dental biller, you just needed someone ahead of you to show you how to do it. So within this world, it's just super important, like Dana said, that we stay on top of it as best we can. So making sure that we're getting ADA emails sent to us and that we're watching for any codes that change, because they will let us know. Whatever your state's dental association is, I know here it's the AZDA, the California Dental Association.

 

Whatever it is, make sure that you're signed up for those auto emails, because that's going to be the best resource. And then as those yearly conventions come around that we all love to go to, that we hate taking boring classes, look for any updates. I wouldn't say you've got to hit the billing courses yourself, or you have to send your billing rep to the billing courses. Sometimes they're a bust. Sometimes they're super insurance prone or driven. I don't love that. But if there's anything that's like coding updates or

 

New laws things like that. It's always a good idea. So I do want to preface it with that Just know always staying up to date just getting those resources sent to you is going to be super super important And now aside from that there are things like coding with confidence coding with accuracy All of those different books that you can get I believe coding with confidence you can order from Amazon or ADA I think both of them have it. I think it probably comes from the ADA when you do it from Amazon, whatever you choose

 

The Dental A Team (07:37.7)

It's a fantastic book and having that resource, there's a companion book that goes with it as well. I always had that resource with me. It was literally in a drawer behind my desk and as soon as I had something pop up for an implant or gosh, when we were doing over dentures and there's just so many parts and pieces and little things that need to be accurately coded.

 

There's no way I'm gonna remember all of these things or intuitively know it. So I would pull those books out constantly and I would go through it with my doctor and I'd say, okay, does this describe, is this what you're saying? Is this describing it? Because even just for regular dentures, there's different codes that can be used. And if you use one that's a maxillary but you're doing a mandibular denture, you're not gonna get paid, right? And even if you put upper denture in the thing and you did a mandibular code, they're still not gonna pay it because it doesn't match.

 

So just making sure that those codes are super accurate. Now from a doctor's standpoint, why is this important? Super important because you need to be paid, right? So my owner doctors, you need to be sure that your practice is being paid, that you're being paid for what you're doing, your hygiene team's being paid for what they're doing, and that if, again, anything were ever to have been and come about, somebody looking at the ledger, looking at the account, looking at the chart, can accurately and confidently see exactly what you performed. So not only do you need to get paid,

 

you need to cover your tail. For my associate doctors and even my hygienist who might be listening, you really, really wanna watch your production and your collections, because typically, especially my associates, you guys are gonna be paid off of that in some form or fashion. So making sure that the coding is correct and that it accurately, actually reflects what you've done is key. Otherwise, you might get paid for a filling when you did an onlay.

 

Right, and the billing representative, has, or he has no idea, they were not chair side with you. So if it's not fixed chair side, or if you, gosh, Dina, how many times have you seen this one, where chair side, you know, we were scheduled for an MO, chair side, doctor's like, this went into the distal, we've gotta update that. So we update it, we tell the patient, we're like, got another service added, get the treatment plan going, lay them back, finish the filling, and then they go up front, and then they get paid on an MO.

 

The Dental A Team (09:51.99)

because the MOD was never switched out and the appointment went before it was set complete. again, the billing representative, he's not chair side. They have no idea that that billing changed. The dental assistant needed to update and change it. So making sure that that's accurate in there. Now, Dina, I know you have a lot of practices and a lot of associates. You've got a lot of big practices that have a lot of associates. How do you make sure at the end of the day, at the end of the month, at the end of everything, that these guys are knowing exactly what their

 

being paid on? Like how do you make sure that they know with confidence that they're getting paid for everything that they did?

 

Dana (10:28.329)

Yeah, I have them usually daily check their provider production and check their individual provider day sheet just to make sure that everything was accounted for. If there were changes, if something was walked out inaccurately, catching that from the very beginning is super important because honestly, like you pointed out, the difference in some of these codes is hundreds of dollars worth of production. And that can be even within implant parts, even with indentures, like a difference in that

 

that coding can majorly impact production. So making sure that everything is accounted for, everything that they did is on there and everything is walked out and ready to submit. So that whether it's insurance based or we've got to call a patient and say, hey, you know, we under collected that service did change, we had added. whether it is patient portion that we've got to update or insurance portion, just making sure that we're catching that. And I like to do it daily because

 

Claims are submitted daily. We're reaching out to patients and we don't want a patient to go till the end of the month before we're like, hey, by the way, you missed a thing, right? So I like my, especially my associates and hygiene to just look and make sure everything's accounted for each and every day.

 

The Dental A Team (11:34.98)

Yeah. Yes.

 

The Dental A Team (11:47.01)

Yeah, I agree. think that's perfect because pulling that sheet, especially like Dentrix and Eagle Soft and OpenDone, like all of these programs have a super easy sheet to print at the end of the day or even like print screen and then just look at it. So we're not using all the paper all the time. I've definitely had it where a doctor will come back like a week later and be like, we didn't actually do a buildup because we just, you you treat and plan a crown and we should plan a buildup just in case, or you have your doctors who treat and plan only a crown and then add a buildup.

 

if we needed a buildup and so vice versa. A week later, we're like, I didn't build up on that crown. I'm like, well, bro, she gone, she lost. There's no way, it's so uncomfortable to call a patient and be like, by the way, we forgot to charge you for that billing that's underneath the crown that's to build the tooth back up because of the K. And now I'm in this whole conversation of like, why didn't this just get done the first time? So I totally agree. I think that's brilliant. And doctors also, looking ahead at your schedule,

 

Dana (12:21.687)

It was true.

 

The Dental A Team (12:43.172)

Prepping your schedule in conjunction with that is gonna be huge. We get really comfortable. Our dental assistants are incredible. I was a dental assistant near and dear to my heart. It's my favorite position. If I were ever to like quit everything in life and go back to in-office dentistry, it would have to be as a dental assistant. I would not do anything else. It's my favorite space. But you guys, I messed up sometimes. Like it happens. I would get forgetful.

 

Like how many times did I forget to grab the bond? And I'm like, you can't do a filling without a bond. How did you forget that? And then expecting me to change it every single time in the chart or make sure that it was accurate ahead of time. Things flip through the cracks. So we've gotta have checks and balances. We can't just rely on one person to get it right every single time. So your dental assistants prepping the charts, prepping your schedule for the next day is huge, but I really wanna implore that you guys, you doctors,

 

You are looking at your schedules as well. You know what's coming up and you know that it's accurate. I had a dentist that worked in our practice. He's fantastic. He's gone to all of this oral surgery, like extracurricular. He's just, it's insane. I watch his videos on Instagram and I'm like, that's so gross. I always must do him. Like I remember the first time I did a bone flap with you and I was like, what? I can't do this, but he's so good. He did all of these like perio surgeries, oral surgeries. He did so many things in our practice and holy cow.

 

A GP girl over here, learning how to code for all of these extensive procedures that he was doing. He was doing, you know, he's doing the blood draws before it was even a thing. I am like, are we allowed to do that? Like I'm in my practice, like what the heck? This is crazy. And now I'm having to code things that to me are like outlandish.

 

and I'm sitting there Googling things. Like, this doesn't make sense. So I'm pulling out my little code book and like, gosh, it is in here. This is a dental thing. We can do this, but there's no way those added procedures would have been accurately coded if I didn't take those extra steps to ensure it. And if he didn't, bless his heart, come to me every day.

 

The Dental A Team (14:47.322)

with a list of the things that needed to be added to tomorrow that wasn't accurate or things that we missed today. He would double check his treatment plans just because they were so extensive. And honestly, there were times, like he did GP work in our practice as well. So there were times too where he would catch a filling surface was missed or an onlay surface was missed. And I'm like, dang, not only are, you know, did we miss something on your giant surgery over here that I literally cannot assist with, cause I will pass out.

 

But we also miss like a surface on an online, like, goodness gracious, right? But he is my example because he was so diligent about making sure that the charting was accurate. Like, of course he wanted to get paid for the things he was doing, but he's like, I need to make sure that whatever it is that I'm doing, it's all here. It's all accounted for. And when he went to go do all of the accrediting with the oral surgery boards and implant boards and like, he's got all this crazy stuff behind him now. He needed all of those things. He called me from Texas years later.

 

And I was like, remember that patient that we did that thing? And I'm like, my gosh, yeah. So I'm like looking for this patient. He's like, I need all of their notes and I need all of their ledger and I need everything to submit to the implant board. And I was like, my gosh, thank goodness we went through and did all of those things. So you guys, it doesn't matter what you're doing. You don't have to be doing crazy dentistry or crazy oral surgery within your practice. Those minor things need to get caught as well. And Dana, earlier you mentioned like the 999 code.

 

And I know we have to go in or have the auto updates done and make sure that the codes are being updated. But I did notice there are more and more systems that even have as simple as broken appointment code already in there, Crown Seat Code, Denture Seat Code, all of these pieces. So when you're working with practices and you're seeing this, or they ask us, we'll get text messages from office managers that are like, this is what he said, what do I code that as?

 

I don't know, right? But what are you doing? How are you helping them to figure out, this is probably not a pallet over 999 or what an office visit, this is probably X, Y, or Z.

 

Dana (16:52.117)

Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, if a lot of times I am pulling like a coding with confidence, or I'm googling things and, I'm trying to piece it together or I'm asking, you know, okay, well, like, walk with what does that look like? Walk me through like, can you explain the process to me? So maybe I can find it in here or send me a picture of the part that maybe I can look it up. But it's really just doing due diligence and combing through the codes that are available. And then determining

 

The Dental A Team (16:58.797)

Yeah.

 

The Dental A Team (17:10.987)

Yes.

 

Dana (17:20.083)

If there is a specific code for that procedure and if there's not, then yeah, you do a 999 code with lots of documentation, IOPs, all the things, so that once it gets to insurance, they can determine if it's something that they're covering.

 

The Dental A Team (17:35.266)

I agree, yeah, I love that. I do love Google, I have Googled so many times. I've been in office trying to help them come up with cheat sheets, which is the next little topic here, but that I'm like, what is this? Or give me a picture of this so that I can put it on their cheat sheet. And doctors who are doing things like implants or dentures even, crowns, anything you're doing, having those cheat sheets is super helpful.

 

I have a lot of my practices throw those into their operations manual. So with the crown setup or whatever, it'll also have the steps and the codes that would be used. We have to update it when they update, but have all of those available there side by side with it. So it'll be like, crown seed, and it'll be the setup, and then it'll be all of the codes. The ones that get wild are our implants, right? Our All-On-X denture cases. Those ones get wildly insane.

 

dentures, right, start to finish because what happens is in the treatment planning mode, let's use denture, right, as a treatment planner, right, so I'm a dental assistant and the doctor says we need to do a full denture. Cool, maxillary denture. And then I'm like, treatment coordinator, here you go. And they're like, cool. And then they schedule a denture. There's like 16 steps sometimes to a denture.

 

Right, so having that and being able to break it down and break it apart shows that all the steps and processes were done and then having a cheat sheet that goes along with it helps not only your treatment coordinator and your scheduler, but it helps your biller and your dental assistant, even your hygienist. I've had so many hygienists come to me and say, what step are we on? And I'm like, well, I'm not sure, let's look. Like, let's look at our checklist and see where we're at. So even within that denture, having the denture treatment plan for pricing.

 

Dana (18:56.011)

Yes.

 

The Dental A Team (19:24.294)

Obviously, right, any extractions, any bone grafts that need to be done. If you're doing a temporary denture before the final is done, if you're doing, gosh, if you're doing a scan and a final delivery, like they're getting much faster. But before, remember, we had to have a wax rim, we had to have teeth and wax, we had to have the color shade, we had to have a try-in, then we had to have a realign. Like all of these pieces needed to be segregated out in there so that we treatment plan.

 

the one thing, but we have those steps readily available so that it can be scheduled correctly and in order. And then having those cheat sheets with those codes lined up is super helpful. I have a practice in Wisconsin that was just getting so confused on the implant process and an ortho process. And I was like, easy peasy, let's just like section this out. And now every single time they've got it laminated and they just pull it out. They're like, I've got my implant sheet. I've got my ortho sheet or whatever. So I always have them add that as well. So Dana.

 

Wrap it up for us. So we've got coding, checking, all the pieces. What could an office do, a doctor do to ensure maybe even adding it to their operations manual? What's the process they should make sure that is being followed and updated yearly within all of these pieces that we've talked about today?

 

Dana (20:42.627)

Yeah, I think it's added to your yearly calendars that you make sure that you do know the updates you have the codes every year and just like we get Insurance fee schedules and we do all of our insurance updates just add that to that list one So add and make sure we've got do we have the resource for it? And do we know what they are? I think to any time that you are adding a new service just checking and double-checking that you know what the codes are So if you're bringing in a CBC team, make sure that those codes are in there and you've got fees attached to them

 

and all of those pieces. I love your cheat sheet idea as far as especially where there's a there's a lot of nitty-gritty things that need to get built out for specific things like ortho-like implants making sure that you've got cheat sheets and you make it really really easy and then make sure you've got a very clear communication system for when treatment changes so that it gets changed all the way okay and then I think daily having people look at them and just one

 

Final tip I guess in in with your cheat sheets oftentimes we call things things that like are not in the code, right? The description of the code is not that and then we're constantly like, what are they actually? What do they actually call right? A lot of your systems will allow you to add notes to like those procedure codes put in what you call it in the office so that it's easy to find it will still put the actual code definition on your piece going on your claims go out, but if you call something something specific

 

just update it in your system so it's easy for the team to buy.

 

The Dental A Team (22:12.623)

That was brilliant. I know my dentist had like five different terms for a hater bar and I never, was like, I don't know what you're talking about. And the Ribon, he would call the, you know, the Perio procedure by the name of the material he needed. And I was like, so, and he only do this once every, I don't know, 10 years. Like this procedure is never done. He's like, we've got to do a Ribon. Where's the Ribon? I'm like, I don't even remember what this is.

 

I don't know what that says. So yes, I agree. I love that idea, the descriptions and making sure too then I would transfer. We do this in our Google Drive, you guys. Whatever you might call it, also probably put that on your cheat sheet, maybe in parentheses. Like this is what it is. These are the five different terms that any of our doctors may call it so that it is easy to find and easy to figure out. I think that's brilliant. Awesome, thank you for wrapping us, Dana. I think this was insanely beneficial for all of our doctors out there and our team members again.

 

Doctors, if you're here listening, congrats. I think that's so huge. It's really important for you to know and understand these things. Share it with your team, because they can use these pieces too, especially anyone who's doing your billing and your practice. And then team members who are out there whose doctors haven't heard this one yet, share it with them. Make sure that they understand what they're getting into as well, and that they're supporting you in your position as a team member to be super accurate, because you're depending on them.

 

to get things right so that you can do your job. So share it with them. Make sure you guys are all up to date and as always, reach out for any questions you might have. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We are not code masters, but you guys, we are solution masters and we will find the answers or find the way and we can help you with just about anything you can think of. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We can't wait to catch you next time.

 

Did you know? Practices working with the Dental A-Team tend to see a 10 to 30% increase in revenue and at least a 5 to 10% decrease in overhead. In this episode, Kiera talks about key ways hiring a consultant for your practice will boost your success.

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Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:01.038)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera. And today I am so excited because as things are coming to a wrap up at the end of the year, I know a lot of you are possibly talking to your CPAs, financial advisors, looking for all those different areas where you're possibly like, gosh, like maybe your practice is freaking thriving and you're looking for, it's end of year. What can I do? How can I maximize my practice? What are some options? Or maybe you're on the other end where you're like, gosh, 2024 was such a hard year for me. And so just wanted to pop on and let you know.

 

three ways that a consultant can help your practice either thrive or come back from surviving into thriving. Because oftentimes we don't realize that consulting can actually propel our practices forward. It's also a complete tax write-off for most practices, which is great if you're thriving and you need to find ways to spend cash and be able to get through the end of the year. Consulting is actually a great option that a lot of offices do, whether it's a pay-in-full option or whether it's monthly payments or even some offices will pay 50 % end of year.

 

and then 50 % throughout the rest of the year. So a lot of great options, but the reality is that I love about consulting is I like to invest in things that move me forward. So at the end of most years, I'm looking for what's an area or a gap that I have in my business, whether that's in my marketing department or my sales department or my dentist, like what dentists things can we bring to the practice? But every single thing that I'm adding into my practice, I want to make sure.

 

is going to give me an ROI. So an ROI is a return on investment and I don't like to buy things that are just cash. So looking at like, if we were for example, to say buy a car, well, what's the ROI that that's gonna bring and bring money into my practice? Probably nothing. In Dental A Team, our clients tend to see a 10 to 30 % increase in revenue and at least a five to 10 % decrease in overhead. Now it is a two way street. We can give every tool and resource but if clients don't execute,

 

then they're obviously not gonna see the same results. However, clients who do see the, who do implement and do receive the results, they actually see incredible value. So we have offices like this year that have added 10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 250,000, multiple millions to their schedules by working with us. We have other offices that have decreased their overhead. I had one office at the beginning of the year start out at 75 % overhead and they are now down to 53 % overhead with intentionality.

 

Kiera Dent (02:20.43)

leadership put into place where their team is actually looking at the numbers and viewing the practice in a way of as a business, not necessarily just as a practice. And so being able to find something where if we spend, say 20,000, can they give me at least 20,000 back and or more? So 40,000, 50,000, can I get a return on my investment is a really great thing to look.

 

Other examples are like CBCT scans. Like, can you add that in and how many CBCTs could we do and give better patient care with purchasing these items? Maybe looking for an implant course that we could attend. Maybe looking for CE, but really doing something that's for our team and for every person on our practice to elevate. And that's actually something I love about Dental A Team is we aren't just focused on the doctors. I think going to all these events as business owners,

 

I found that the hardest thing for me is when I show up to an event and then I have to come home and bring it back to my team. And it's like, I'm all ramped up and amped up, but the team didn't necessarily get the same excitement that I did. The team wasn't in on all those meetings and different pieces with me. And so therefore I feel like, gosh, like this is sometimes hard to get the buy-in. And so when we built Denali team, I said, hey, what we're actually gonna do is we're gonna build a company where we coach the doctors and we coach the team together.

 

So doctors, we hear your plan of your vision. We help you build that vision. And then team members, help you implement and execute and build leadership teams and train your team on the billing and the tactical and all the systems. But we're helping you build the business, the practice of your dreams to be able to give the patient care and the team experience that you desire. And so thinking of those things, and that's kind of where I just wanted to pop in of like, whether your practice is thriving and you're like, Hey, what it's going to take us to the next level. I might consider consulting as an option.

 

Or if you're like, gosh, you know, could this CE course move us forward? Possibly. But like, I have offices that go to CE courses, like sleep. How do get your team bought into that? How do you like, and how do we know the CE to implement or not implement? Sometimes having a consultant or a coach can help actually get you more revenue, more value, more buy-in because they're helping guide and coach the team. And Denali team truly is experts at this. And so it's something really fun. So I just wanted to kind of give like some areas where

 

Kiera Dent (04:35.488)

If you're looking for that way to get some money off of your books, consider consulting, consider something that's gonna move you forward. Or whether you're looking for like, gosh, this year was really, really hard for me, we need to figure out those gaps. Either end of that spectrum, I do believe that consultants can help. And when you're looking for a consultant, some great things to look for are number one, has that consultant or consulting company been there, done that and done that successfully in your situation? Have they coached and consulted offices like yours? Do they have testimonials of offices like you?

 

Do they know where you want to go and do they have the path that they can show you of where you want to go? So if you're looking for, want to sell to a DSO in the next five years, do they know how to do that and have they helped other clients successfully? If you're like, nope, I want to be in my practice for the next 20 years and I want to have a legacy practice. Have they done that for other people? If you're wanting to expand and buy multi-practices, have they done that? If you're wanting to get your office manager to be doing all the pieces, have they done that? If you're wanting to add in a leadership team so that way everything's not on your shoulders,

 

that consultant done that and done that successfully? Have they been in your shoes? And for me, I like it when they'll like selfishly as a business owner, I'm busy. The last thing I want to do is have to go and like learn from my consultant and then go implement it with my team. I really love to have a consultant who teaches me and my team simultaneously. It feels like it allows me to like multiply and double myself rather than trying to do it myself because I feel like there's so much on owners. And so that's something that I just think is niche.

 

None of my coaches coach by team. And I really wish that they would because it'd be so much easier to have somebody else besides me coach and educate and get them excited rather than it all leaning on my shoulders. So when we built Dental A Team that was something I was adamant about of I want to make these dentists lives easier. want to make the team's lives easier. I want to be that bridge between doctor and team member and helping us all align and be on the same page. So as you're looking at it and just thinking that's how you're going to vet for a really good consultant.

 

Also look to see who is that consultant and do they align with where you want to go? Do they have the same principles, the same values? So for me, ours is we want to positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. And I don't believe that dentistry is what makes you your person. I believe it can be a great portion of your identity, but I believe that your life and your family and your hobbies and who you are as a person is the most important. So ours is the yes model. It's you as a person we focus on and what your life, your dream, your team, who you are as people.

 

Kiera Dent (06:59.874)

Then we focus on E for earnings and profitability and making sure that you're profitable as a company. And then S stands for systems and team development. Do we have the systems to run and we're not dependent upon team members so we teams can go on vacation, they can have fun. And as we grow and expand and, or if we lose team members or we need to hire new team members, we have a system in process where it's system dependent, not team dependent. I say it's system dependent, it's team implemented and adds the sprinkles and the sparkles with the team flair to it.

 

So we have tried and true systems that we're gonna then be able to go in. What are you looking for? Are you looking for someone who comes in and they are A to Z cookbook and they give you the systems that way? Or are you looking for someone who's going to be more collaborative with you and hear what you want and then be able to add in different pieces for it? What are you looking for and what are the results? And then do their results speak for themselves? Can they tell you consistently they hit this?

 

Do you want a doctor community? Do you want a team community? Do you want to go in person and go to events and masterminds? Or do you want to have it virtual? How do you want this to work out? And so really looking at those options are going to be pieces to look for. In Dental A Team we heard, we heard what you guys were saying where you said, we want in-person masterminds. We want to network with these other doctors. We want to learn. so come 2025.

 

Welcome, we are going to be meeting you all in person with an elite leadership retreat where it's doctors and leaders coming together. So doctors in their office manager, doctors in their associate partners, coming together and really masterminding on your life, on your practice and on your business. Having a great time where we actually like hot seat on your business and we work on your life and you workshop for a day and a half and meet incredible people. We also are working with your team simultaneously. So what you're learning.

 

In person, we're gonna be able to help take back to your team. So we still lift that training your team members for you, putting places, pieces into play. And we also have for newer practices that might need just like the foundations and building blocks of a business where we do it in a group setting where every single month there's a new system that you can implement while also having access to the consultants every single week. So different ways and different pieces and what that looks like for you as consulting.

 

Kiera Dent (09:02.422)

And then let's just think of like, what are some different ways that a practice like truly a consultant should and could help you go to thriving rather than just surviving. And some of the things is like, I think one of the greatest things we do is find the small little areas to make your life exponentially more efficient, whether that's from handoffs, collections, the way we set up our statements, the way we do our confirmations, the way we build our schedules, the way we do our handoffs, like those very small little pieces. People ask me all the time, Kiera, how are you able to like...

 

add 30,000 to a schedule in one day. And I'm like, honestly, it's from handoffs, morning huddles and collecting at the end of the day. Like that's all it is. It's nothing hard. It's nothing crazy. But when we get a whole team bought into this process and this system, then the system flows and moves. So it's very simple. So things that I think are super important is can we look and maximize your schedule for increased production? I love to do less work and get more gain. And so how can we work less and make more?

 

Like how can we do that and give better VIP patient care? And so I love helping people build out block schedules. Like I was talking to an office earlier and they said, Kiera, should we expand our practice? And I said, well, like, let's look at where you're at and are you maximizing all of what we already have or should we go and like spend more money on it? And so many people don't realize like what we already have, we could like wring it out, squeeze it out a little bit more and there's no extra cost to the practice, but there's actually little efficiencies that we can put into place.

 

One of my favorite examples is I walked into an office and they're like, Kiera, we know we need more space. We have no more space for patients in this practice. And we know we need to have a bigger building. Like we're already like, we've got land. We're already building the other building. Like that's our biggest problem. Within about 15 minutes of working with this office, I was able to find where they could add another operatory. They added another operatory and we were exponentially able to increase their practice, but they were so closed because they thought that there's no possible way for us to add.

 

anything else into this practice. And yet sometimes just having another set of eyes outside is able to help you see what truly is possible. And so that's something that I'm obsessed with that I love. We're able to add hundreds of thousands to this practice and serve more patients while their other building was being built. It made it a smoother transition as they moved into the next location. And really we ramped up their handoffs, their doctor exams, little small things, tracking our treatment so doctors know what they're diagnosing, tracking our case acceptance, looking to see are there little ways we can do it.

 

Kiera Dent (11:28.12)

have an office that we've added multi-millions to in the course of working with them. And everyone's like, how have you done it? And they said, we hired this coach. And this coach coaches all of our treatment coordinators. And our treatment coordinators then learn little ways to say things, different ways to present things. They're an incredible office at implementing and executing, but it's in these small, little verbiage tips that are able to help them. And so how can we maximize your practice for exponential growth, but do it in the easiest way? Let's not come in and change everything.

 

Let's look for the tiny little things. So number one that I feel like a consultant really can do of the three ways they can maximize and optimize your practice from thriving to thriving or surviving to thriving is one, maximizing your practice for optimal. Like I said, looking for those little spots where if we just do one or two little changes, a little verbiage change here, a little collection here, a little change in our scheduling and block scheduling, we really truly can actually make your practice so much more profitable. And something I'm very big on, one of our core values is ease.

 

How can we make this so easy for our practices that the team's excited to implement it, the office is excited, and it gets us the great result of helping more patients? So that would be number one of ways that I think a consultant truly can help you thrive in 2025. Number two, consultants are really able to take the numbers of a business and translate them into action to help your practice grow. So, so many dentists come to us and so many office managers come to us and they have no idea how to read a PNL.

 

They don't understand what KPI should be. They don't understand how to use the metrics, the numbers of the business as levers in the business of, okay, if we increase this, we can decrease this and we can actually get more of what we're looking for. They have no idea how to do it. And the honest reality is that's okay. You didn't go to dental school to learn business, but a consultant and a really educated consultant can actually help you translate those numbers into action. And so what I'm obsessed with doing is teaching our offices and our leadership teams.

 

Let's look at the numbers. Let's figure this out. What should our payroll be? What should our supplies be? What should our labs be? How can we make one or two changes? Do we need to increase our production? Do we need to increase our collections? Do we need to decrease our costs? What is it going to be? And then teaching the team, like the leadership team and our doctors to look at the numbers and say, I love numbers and numbers love me. Because when we can look at the numbers and get so obsessed and excited about these numbers of what's our overhead, what's our profitability.

 

Kiera Dent (13:47.456)

What are our metrics and how can we translate this into helping more patients? Teams then start to look at it and put the puzzle pieces together. For me, numbers are just puzzle pieces and like, how can we put the puzzle pieces together to make this incredible practice grow and thrive and be able to serve and help more patients? So it's something I am obsessed about because if we can get this dialed in for them, guess what? They're going to be able to freaking thrive.

 

They're gonna be able to look at the numbers, but not just looking at the numbers, but taking it into action. So if our overhead's high, what do we need to do? A lot of consultants come in and they want to cut. My goal is to not cut unless we're like overspending on supplies and then all we need to do is put a supply tracker into place and bada bing, bada boom, it's all fixed. People now know how much we can budget. You empower them, you teach them, they fill it in. Our supplies are instantly fixed. Same thing with our lab supplies. They can get fixed very quickly.

 

So when we look at it and we can just give them the empowerment, give them a simple spreadsheet, give them a simple worksheet, give them the tools and the levers, teams now get excited about it. And I have teams and it was so fun. I was on a call and one of the teams is like, well, we are thinking about this and we're not sure that we want to do this. Cause when we're looking at the numbers, we realize this. And I wanted to cry because when the team is looking at the numbers like a business owner and they're seeing, Hey, do we really need to hire this other employee?

 

Or is that gonna impact our overhead and could we band together and do we wanna do this? Or is this something that's a nice to have, but not a must have? Or is it, no, this is a must have and if we hire this other person, this is how many more patients we should be able to serve and it should translate into these kinds of goals. And so many people are like, Kiera, there's no freaking way that you could ever get my team to be that way. And I say, try me. Like truly, I'm very confident in what we do because as a team member myself, I didn't understand numbers. As an owner, like.

 

The most liberating day of my life was when I realized that numbers are a superpower and not something to beat myself with. Like when I realized the numbers are truly the treasure map. Like if I'm looking for the clues to success, look at your numbers, look at where you are. You will literally see what you need to do to be able to move forward. And that's something that I think is so empowering, so inviting. And when we can teach doctors and owners and teams to look at their numbers and turn it into actionable help for your practice.

 

Kiera Dent (16:03.584)

you're able to truly thrive. And now success is not something that just is happenstance. Success is something that's very predictable that you can do. So using your numbers would be number two that I think great consultants can do for you and your team. And then number three that I think a consultant really can help you do. So number one, like we said, was optimizing the efficiencies within your practice, finding those pieces. Number two is translating your numbers into actionable ways to help your practice and getting your whole team to be able to see these numbers of

 

the yardstick of success of how many patients we're able to help and serve. Number three would be setting and achieving goals. I think setting goals is always tricky. think figuring out projections, I think it's hard when you look at the schedule and you're like, I don't even know what I should set my goals and I wanna take vacations, but I can't take vacations and I'm stuck here and I'm not able to have the family life I want. And I say, again, it's back to the puzzle pieces of numbers and schedules and being able to set realistic goals for your practice. So I tell our offices, I tell my doctors,

 

I don't care what schedule you want to have. don't care if you want to be off at three o'clock. I don't care if you want to work three days a week. I don't care if you want to take six weeks of vacation, like whatever you want. Let's like just tell me and then let's plug it in and let's figure out how we're able to, to use our practice and use our schedule and use our team in a way that's going to fulfill all the needs and the wants of the practice. It's so doable. And I think that that's what's so fun for me is to set these goals and help practices and teams reach higher potential than they ever imagined that they could have.

 

I remember getting a text from one of my doctors that we coached and he said, Kiera, when you came into our practice and you set a goal of X amount, this practice, they were producing about 200,000 and we looked at it, we figured out the schedule, we did the block scheduling, we optimized the schedule. Again, going back to the number one, optimizing little areas of efficiency for maximum impact. The doctor said, you came in and you said we should be able to produce 300,000 a month. And the doctor said, I did not believe you for one second.

 

And he said, and what's crazy is we did 300,000 our first month. did 305 our next month. We did three 10 our third month. And to see them going from 200,000 to 300,000 felt like something that they had never done before. And so helping offices turn dreams into a reality is what lights my freaking soul on fire. Because when I can help you see that like the numbers are there and the schedule is there and all we need to do is bring the pieces together and you're able to have the dream life that you want to have the family time that you want to have the practice that you want.

 

Kiera Dent (18:21.902)

Yes, there areas where we're maybe going to need to make a sacrifice or we realize, can you want to do this? Let's maybe hire an associate or we think outside the box. But really, I believe like my passion is life and my platform is dentistry. And so helping dentists have the life that they want, having teams have the life that they want is where my life, like my life goal and passion is as a consultant because helping so many people achieve this. Like I have doctors and when I met them, we were producing 150 and now we're producing 500,000 a month. And

 

The reality is that practice did not believe that this would even be possible. And now they're hitting goals and objectives that they never believed were possible. And they're stretching the envelope and they're figuring it out and they're serving more patients and they're helping more patients and they're truly being the dentist that the community chooses. When I see offices having that and the dentist is having their dream life and they're having more free space for admin time in their world and their team, their leadership team is taking it on. That's what I feel like we've made it. We've made it for that office.

 

When I have another office and they tell me, Kiera, every year you do the projections with us, we take it to our CPA and they laugh at us. I'm like, you've got to be crazy. There's no way you're going to hit those numbers. And every year we hit them and we hit them with success. And they're like, Kiera, it's magic because those are numbers that we never believed we'd be able to do. But you break it down so simply. You help us set these realistic goals. You look at our schedule, you look at our providers, you look at the time, we look at what our team can do. We make sure we put our life forward and what we want to be doing so that way we're living our best selves.

 

and you help us set and achieve these goals that we never believed were possible. And to me, that setting and achieving the life that you never believed was possible, you always hoped it would be, but we help you achieve that. And so those are three areas that I really feel that consultants can help you either thrive even more or go from surviving to thriving. And like I said, I am so passionate that we built different models for different practices. So if you're a newer practice and you're like, we're just starting out and our budget's not as much, phenomenal, we literally built a program.

 

that takes you through the systems that you need, that gives you weekly access to consulting where you can literally come on and ask your questions and send your team because I'm so adamant that we're gonna coach your team and we're gonna coach the doctors and we're gonna teach you to take care of you, to have a profitable practice and have systems that are dependable so you have predictable success rather than hoping and wishing for success. So if you're brand new, there's an option for you and there's a great space and our community is so incredible and people just love it.

 

Kiera Dent (20:44.398)

If you're a practices like, we're a little bit beyond the fundamentals. We're not this newer practice. We want to have more one-on-one help within our practice. Phenomenal. We coach your team. do coaching calls with you and we bring you in person to work on your practice and on your life to make sure that you're getting what you need. If you're like, Hey, we want some help in our practice. We want you to come to our office. Amazing. We have options for that because I believe that consulting isn't a one size fits all. I believe that a practice is not a one size fits all. I believe that a life is not one size fits all.

 

I believe that you know where you want to go. And I believe that with the great coach and a great consultant beside you who's been there, done that and done that successfully over and over and over again, you truly can have whatever you want. And so I just wanted to pop on and give you guys some resources that you're looking at the end of the year, whether it's your best year or whether it was your one of your hardest years, there's solutions. And I truly believe that the greatest people of all time, they have a coach and they have a mentor next to them. They have someone that's going to push them. They have someone who's going to grow them. They have someone who's going to work with them.

 

someone who's not gonna give up on them when the hard times are there, someone who's gonna guide them, someone who's gonna help their team grow and thrive. And if that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend looking into consulting and seeing, is this an option for you? At Dental A Team, I wanna give you so much value. And so whenever people schedule a call with us, we look at your practice and we give you value. So even if you're not a perfect fit, you're gonna leave with great resources and we're gonna direct you to someone who can help you. If you're a great fit for us and you're someone who's growth minded,

 

You're someone who's committed to success. You're someone who wants to grow your team and wants to grow you. You're a great fit for Dental A Team. And if you're like, gosh, I just don't even know what consulting is like, I encourage you to just make the call. It's not gonna hurt to get on a call. It's not gonna hurt to figure it out. It's not going to hurt. The pricing can be anywhere from as low as like $12,000 a year, all the way up to 50,000 a year. There's variable pricing throughout, but I promise you every single one of those dollars that you put in is going to come back to you in ROI of systems.

 

of decreased overhead, of increased profitability of your practice, of better case acceptance, of reduced errors on billing, of higher collections. So it's this crazy thing that it's one of those best investments that's going to give you a guaranteed ROI on your investment. And for me, when I'm looking at investments and I'm looking to see where I should invest my money, investing in my team, investing in myself and investing in a way that's going to give me a guaranteed ROI is where I bank.

 

Kiera Dent (23:05.548)

And so I would invite each of you, if you're thinking about it, if there's consultants that are there that jive with you, check, I gave you guys a way to interview a consultant, to look for them. Do you vibe with them? Have they been there? Have they done that successfully? Have they done it successfully in your shoes? Do they understand your practice? Do they understand your team dynamics? We work all across the nation. We work in rural towns. work in...

 

the heart of DC, we've got consultants from all over the board, we've got doctors on our our ambassador team that help us with doctor issues, we've got an incredible thriving doctor community that works and helps each other, we have brilliant people that have MBAs and different pieces in business, we have hygienists, we've got dental assistants, we've got regional managers, so the plethora of knowledge within our consulting is insane and so being able to be a part of that community where your questions get answered on a 24-7 basis.

 

We have direct access to consultants who know how to grow you and your practice. We're able to truly grow and grow with everybody that's around you and you're around like-minded people because I believe that proximity is power. And when you're around people that are thriving and you're around people that are succeeding and you're able to pick their brains and be able to learn from them, that's how we elevate. I purposely joined Tony Robbins highest level of consulting because I wanted to be around those people. And what's crazy is every time I'm around them, I grow and evolve to the next level because they share tips with me.

 

They inspire me. I ask them how they're doing things and they share. And that's what we've created for dentists. So if you want to be a part of it, I'd love to have you reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Go on our website, TheDentalATeam.com, book a call, whatever it is. But whatever you choose to do this year, invest in you. Invest and commit that 2025 is not going to be happenstance success. It's going to be guaranteed success. Let's find a way to get you that guaranteed success. And whether it's us, another consulting company, another ROI,

 

I don't care what you choose, but make sure you do something different to ensure success for 2025 rather than hope for it. These are three ways that a consultant can help you go from thriving to even higher or from surviving to thriving, whatever end of the spectrum you're on, whatever it is, there's a solution for you. I think check our egos. It's hard. It's hard to ask for help, but it's one of the greatest things. And once you enter the world, you realize no one's there to judge, especially in Dental A Team. My rules are no judgment. Come as you are, show up, add more value.

 

Kiera Dent (25:20.566)

and make sure that you're committed to getting success and that we don't give excuses. If that's who you are, come, come and be a part of it. I'd love to have you. And if I can help in any way, always reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. This is your life. This is your practice. Your team needs you. You need you. Your patients need you and you deserve the best of the best. So go for it. Let's make 2025 the best it can be. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team 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

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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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

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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

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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

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Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Listen to episode 133, What Drives You: Cost, Longevity, Function, or Cosmetic

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Listen to episode 400, The Best Way to Follow Up With Patients

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Tiff and Britt discuss what the end of 2024 should ideally look like as far as fee schedule analyses and negotiations. They touch on comparisons within your area, the right percentile to aim for, when to send out negotiation letters and requests, and more.

Episode resources:

Reach out to Tiff and Britt

Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar

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Transcript:

The Dental A Team (00:01.871)

Hello, Dental A Team We are back at you again. I have Britt back with me today. We have some fun stuff to talk about and I'm excited for it. Britt think you are fantastic. You're a fantastic brain and I love picking your brain. So thank you for allowing me to do that. And we talked a lot of clinical recently and now I'm like switching your brain because I want to talk business side.

 

Britt (00:02.536)

you

 

The Dental A Team (00:29.684)

great at everything, but those two are like your powerhouse specialties. Always hygiene because you're hygienist by trade and by heart. But the business piece comes still naturally to you too. So I'm excited for today's topic. But what is something I'm totally making this up you guys so it's nervous now.

 

Britt (00:48.887)

I'll say one while you think about it. I'm like, Tiff is very generous. Tiff has a brain too. That's why we're nerdy consultants guys. Like these are the things we talk about with each other all the time.

 

The Dental A Team (00:59.801)

That's so true. That's so true. Thank you. That was very true. We're like, guess what happened? Did you know? What is something that you're excited for, for yourself or Dental A Team, like in the professional world we'll say, for this quarter? What's something you're excited for?

 

Britt (01:03.189)

you

 

huh.

 

Britt (01:24.503)

excited. I'll tell you what, I love our group that we have going.

 

One, we've got quite a few people that are hitting their best months ever. So that's super fun. And I'm just excited for that group over there and all the things they're going to accomplish over this next quarter. Because it's just fun. It's a fun, like I get to interact with them every single week. And it's just such a good time for me that I'm excited for them to end their year super strong over there.

 

The Dental A Team (01:54.958)

I agree. I agree. I think the doctor community in general that we've been able to create this year and the momentum that they've got going on over there has been so incredible. We've got the two different communities. For those of you who are with our, I'm going to say practice with our company on the group coaching level with Britt that you guys are thinking that you're speaking of now, it's freaking exploding over there. And those doctors are seeing some massive improvements and it's just so cool to see them.

 

talking to because I think that's something just in nature that we need naturally as human beings is we need that like family space and they say it takes a village, right? They tell you it takes a village to raise a kid. It takes a village to do anything. We are meant to be in groups and not siloed. And in dentistry, it's so easy to silo ourselves. And I agree. I agree. I think that is a space of excitement this year.

 

I love it. I wanted to see what you would say. I'm excited for that as well. And I'm excited to see what's on the horizon for 2025 for the Dental A Team and excited to see who's going to come on that journey with us. And hopefully all of you guys are coming on that podcasting journey with us. You can anticipate that this podcast will forevermore be here as far as we can see. We love delivering this content to you guys. We love being able to reach you in this way.

 

And we hope that you have found benefits in it, that you share it, that you tell your friends, because we know, again, it takes a village. we love hearing stories of sharing. We love hearing stories of this podcast. Help me so much. I sent it to my friend. And just to remember you guys, like our mission is to get as much information out into the dental world as we possibly can and reach as many of you as we can. And it takes you to help us with that. So share these as they become.

 

your favorites and so helpful in your lives and then share with us too anything that you feel like we could do more of anything any topics or things that you want more of we do pre -schedule these and that is on my to -do list so if you've got ideas I'm here for them.

 

Britt (04:04.267)

you know who to tell you say, Tiff, we want more of this. And she will, with consultants, help us pick out some awesome topics.

 

The Dental A Team (04:07.649)

Yes.

 

The Dental A Team (04:11.694)

Yes, yes, it's one of my favorite things to do. So I'm super excited. Today, I really want to talk about rounding out the end of the year and what that could look like as far as fee analysis, fee schedule analysis, negotiations, all of those pieces, we're getting asked to kind of those questions right now. And I think it's a really great topic to just spread the information on. And if you're waiting longer than like October, November timeframe to get started on this, kudos to you hats off, it's going to be

 

going to be a busy road. But October, November timeframe is really when I start pushing clients to start looking at these pieces so that next year we can set you up for a win when it comes to your fees, when it comes to your goals, when it comes to what we're able to accomplish, making sure that we're super set up right away to get into a good group. So these schedule analysis and negotiation.

 

Britt, I know you do a ton of this and you work with practices all across the nation that are doing this and in your group calls right now, a lot of this is coming up. So what do you feel like is the number one space to start with when it comes to fee schedule analysis and negotiation? Now, I think a lot of practices arbitrarily are like, I want to negotiate fees and like, how do I do that? And like, there's so many parts and pieces you could start anywhere, but where do you have your practices start?

 

from the get go to get on the path of getting this done.

 

Britt (05:36.395)

Yeah, this is a question that actually like it just came up this. Because we have a new client that just like finally closed on a practice and so they're getting into the practice. And so it's like, all right, well, we need to look at things and it's a little older practice. They're going to be transitioning a lot of stuff to upgrade and update it. And fees will be one of those things that they need to look at. And I think the first thing is knowing how your fees compare to like fees in the area.

 

So kind of where do we land? Are we low? Are we like in the higher? Are we right in the middle and starting to see where we're at right now compared to our area? Cause everywhere is going to be a little bit different. so that's the first thing that I would start with, cause that's going to help you to know how much do we need? Like, are we behind? Do we need to start increasing and maybe a little bit more, you know, a higher of a percentage than someone else who's already in like the 90, 90 plus percentile?

 

So that would be my first step for you.

 

The Dental A Team (06:36.475)

I totally agree. Now you mentioned percentile. On the majority, what do you recommend that they should be at? Because I know it kind of differs. It's kind of all over the place. But if you were to give like a flat rate percentage for majority of the procedures, what should that percentile look like?

 

Britt (06:52.663)

Yeah, and I want practices to be up at like, I want us to be practices that are providing right really high quality, which all our clients do right. And so I really do want them to be in that like, top 25 % is usually my marker somewhere in that top 25, if not 80 % or higher. And just so that we're staying on top of it. And we know entrance always lags. And so I'm like,

 

Let's not be crazy high, but let's be at the top and let's keep pushing things forward as far as insurance reimbursements go as well. Because that's another thing, if we don't ever look at our fees and our fees stay low, guess what? Insurance companies go off of that and they say, hey, out of all our doctors, we're paying pretty well if we never increase our fees. So we want to make sure that we stay competitive and that we keep driving things in the right direction while still being fair to our patients.

 

The Dental A Team (07:44.308)

Yeah, I love that. I agree. think something that we forget in dentistry is that we are not the only dental practice. Number one, not that we forget that because there's one on every corner, but the fact that what you're putting out there, what you're sending to the insurance company is impacting dentistry as a whole. So as people don't increase their fees and they don't change them and they stay okay with a $600 reimbursement or a $600 fee for a crown with a

 

$250 reimbursement as they stay okay with that over the years, it makes it more difficult for anyone to get the increases. And then all of a sudden this doctor that's been getting $600 for a crown is like, what the heck? Why am I upside down? And why do they pay so little? And I'm like, well, you said it's okay. You didn't change your fees. You've universally said this is what I'm worth for my crown. So I think that's a great reminder.

 

And on that just making sure too that in the back of the system, there's always a little button that says your UCR fees go to your insurance companies. I don't need to go on the ledger always because that's a write off and it's like extra work and that's human error availability. So while I'm not saying to put it always on the ledger that way, you can ensure that your UCR fees are going to insurances just so that it's in their system. They're constantly seeing it. They're constantly seeing that $400 write off.

 

for the crown or whatever that might be. So I do love that. So getting a fee analysis, well, looking at your fees, number one, then you said, be in that percentile, get those comparisons. Now that comparison needs to be done yearly. And I know a couple of practices that are like, I did it like two years ago, three years ago, I'm fine. If you're not doing it every year, you have that space to fall backwards. And I don't know about you, but I have never seen a space where

 

inflation falls backwards or doesn't happen. So if we're not looking at our fees, inflation is still happening. So two, three years, you've had two, three years of inflation stacking on you that you haven't looked at your fees and changed them, increase them or negotiated. getting that fee schedule comparison of your local area practices near you is going to be really, really important. You can hire companies that do it for you.

 

The Dental A Team (10:04.31)

But I also know a lot of Patterson and Henry Schein reps, those people that are, you know, you're ordering your supplies from, they can usually grab one of those pretty quickly and pretty easily for you. So check with those reps as well. And I would surely get your this year's analysis in preparation for 2025. So once you have that analysis, you see where you're at, you're like, gosh, okay, my UCR, my usual and customary rates can increase here, here and here, we kind of

 

I don't know, I go through them. And when I was an office manager, I'd sit down with my doctor and we'd go through them almost procedure by procedure to look for it. You're looking for like reds, right? I'm looking for like, this is really out of line. Sometimes I'm changing my wings by $2 or an exam by $3. Sometimes it's only a dollar to get in line, but doing it procedure by procedure really is helpful. So you've got that fee schedule analysis, you're updating it, you're going through it. And then what? What's

 

what's next? You're like, cool, I know what I need to do. Now how do I get other people to believe me that this is what I'm worth and get these insurance companies paying more?

 

Britt (11:10.261)

Yeah, and I want to make one quick plug. You mentioned on making sure we're clicking the little button that our fees are going out to insurance companies. Guys, that's like a strong recommendation. It's almost like I have to because what happens if we're not is fees can change and insurance might be paying more. But if you're not submitting your office fee and you're submitting what you thought their fee was, they're going to keep paying the lower fee.

 

The Dental A Team (11:23.029)

Cheers.

 

Britt (11:37.471)

And also a plug for just like evaluating. I know I've seen some practices where I know that that insurance actually pays a higher fee for the service than you're charging as your office fee. And it's a like generally insurance covered procedure. So you're missing out on so much because you're keeping that fee so low. So just a couple of plugs for like the reason why you do it. Those are some of the reasons as it's completely fair. And I know some doctors, right, get afraid of, you know,

 

Well, I don't want to increase it. Or some that have a lot of cash paying patients, which is totally understandable. And that can be a factor in deciding how quickly you start to increase things. But when you start to get it on a track of consistently evaluating where your fees are and every year making some sort of increase, and even if it's on your financial policies that you have a line in there that's like, know, fees are like,

 

may change over time and if you're doing a big increase, I don't like to cause alarm where alarm is not due. So it can be, hey, you know, on all our treatment plans, make sure we've got a disclaimer if it's good for 30 days, whatever it may be for fees. So when we update them, we honor whatever it is we plan to honor. And then we have a line in there that also says that fees can change, you know, or fees may change. So it's only guaranteed for a certain amount of time.

 

The Dental A Team (12:43.104)

Thank you.

 

Britt (13:03.147)

And that guarantee is not what insurance is gonna pay. That guarantee is just what our fees are that we're charging out. So as long as we have some of those things in place ahead of time, then when we go and increase them, guess what? You go and increase them. And when patients have questions, then you can let them know just like everybody else out there in every other business, right? Our fees will increase over time. We all know, we've all lived in the past.

 

couple of years and seeing what's happened with inflation so it shouldn't be a surprise that just like every other industry out there that the dental practice is going to increase their fees over time as well.

 

The Dental A Team (13:41.662)

I completely agree. I completely agree. think you said something really important there of like, making sure that you're honoring what you said and making sure that you're saying everything you need to. And I know, even when I was treatment coordinating and treatment planning patients at the end of the year, that was part of my spiel. Like that was part of what I would say is, I don't know what your insurance is going to decide to do next year. And they may decide not to cover this at all. They may increase the rate so it increases your out of pocket.

 

And even if you're out of out of benefits now, like it's never going to be less than it is today. The rates are never going to go down. So at the end of the year, it's definitely something that we can utilize in conversation, but always having those, those caveats of this is good for 30 days or 60 days or 45, whatever it is that your practice has decided. And then honoring those as you move forward, as those changes happen. I know that's a scarcity mindset for a lot of people.

 

not just doctors, but even the billing coordinators or the office managers who have to make those changes of like, what are my patients gonna say? What are my patients gonna think? And when we really add it up on a re -care appointment, it typically is less than $10 increase when you go through everything line item by line item. And to me, that's a Starbucks drink. And so it's like, can you allocate a Starbucks drink for me every six months?

 

to make sure that you're getting the services that you deserve in the amount of time you deserve. Because what happens if we don't increase our fees, we don't change how we're doing things and how we're being reimbursed, we have to do more in less time. So if we don't ever increase our fees, now we're like, shoot, it's not paying for itself. My hygienist now has to do 40 minute appointments or 50 minute appointments instead of 60 so that we can add another patient every day.

 

to get the reimbursement that we need. Or we stay up with the times we figure out what our fees should be. We ask for the increases from insurance companies and we get paid what we should, you guys. That is, I am so strong on that. That is like not even a soft suggestion. That is a strong must. Get paid what you deserve to be paid. And your fees will reflect that. It'll reflect where you're at. If you feel like a $600 crown is what you deserve,

 

The Dental A Team (16:07.226)

then do a $600 crown. I don't I have no qualms about what you decide. Your crown is valued out or whatever procedure it is. I'm just begging you to ensure that you're always staying up to date because the things you want to do with your practice, the things you want to do for your team depend on the money that's coming in that depends on your revenue. And your happiness and your life depends on the revenue of the

 

practice and these are easy ways to ensure that you're constantly growing and creating a space that you actually want to live in. So I will always advocate for that and I will always be the push potentially that you guys need and I think Brit is in alignment with that. So once you have those fees, once you've come to terms with it and you guys, if you need help with verbiage by the way, and this one little podcast didn't do it for you, reach out to us. Hello @ The Dental A Team .com.

 

Instagram, we're on Instagram all the time. We have our Facebook, we have our Facebook groups, we've got our doctor communities, like reach out to us wherever level you need to and we will help you with all of that. We love that stuff. Burbage is my jam. Communication is my jam. Once you've got those fees in alignment, you need to send out negotiation letters. You need to send out the request to the insurance companies. It's gonna be a very rare occasion. I've personally never seen it. An insurance company is like, hey, guess what? Merry Christmas.

 

I'm upping your fees next year, congratulations. Sometimes you might get, I would get EOBs that I'm like, we got paid a dollar extra on this exam. Apparently our fee changed. Sometimes they will just gift it to you, but it's never going to be anything extravagant and it's never going to be anything that's going to get you to the percentile that you're actually looking for if you're not asking for it. So those negotiation letters and those requests, Britt, when do you suggest they start sending those and what's that process look like that?

 

that you've worked with clients and kind of worked through that with them.

 

Britt (18:03.509)

Yeah, so with that...

 

like starting to evaluate your fees now, right? And start sending those things. like end of year, third, fourth quarter is a good time to go ahead and do it. So then you can start implementing those things in January, right? So that would be the nice thing. It's nice when you have a set time that you usually do it. Because also when you increase those fees, right? Treatment plans, if we have a 30, 60 day guarantee, whatever it may be, then, you know, those patients come back, even if it's already signed, we, it's

 

It's very easy for us to know when we need to update treatment plans just systematically for the team. And then it comes down to sending a letter. So usually it's a letter, but you can always contact your insurance company and say, hey, right?

 

What do I need to do in order to go ahead and submit for an increase in fees and they can inform you of what that process is. There's also companies out there that help to do it for you if you want to go that route as well. So it depends on, you know, either on your own, find out what the process is with the insurance company, the correct apartment to contact.

 

what form it needs to go in and then also reach out to a company if you kind of want to see what their process is and what that would look like. I'll have some tips and tricks. I'll just caution. Sometimes they'll talk about going in an umbrella plan to get some better fees. There's pros and cons to it. That might be a thing for another time, but just know there's pros and cons and understand what that would mean for the office because it's a little bit more administrative effort being under an umbrella plan and making sure

 

Britt (19:34.463)

plans and network with us than just being directly contracted with an insurance company.

 

The Dental A Team (19:39.515)

Totally. That was a really good caveat to mention. I think of fee negotiations the same as I think of signing up with insurances, Like credentialing with insurances, decredentialing, negotiating fees. It's all a very similar process. And in that process, it takes a lot of follow -up. So making sure

 

Whenever you start, usually say just like Britt said, fourth quarter, like October, November timeframe, I really want to be through the thick of that by the time next year comes so that I get that renewal right away. And it's not lingering into February, March or April, but now I'm making changes on things. I really like it to be clean at the beginning of the year. So October, November timeframe and those follow ups are, are crucial. That's where I think these companies come in really handy.

 

Especially at the end of the year, we're really busy. So we don't have a dedicated someone that can add that to their schedule. That's where I would lean on that or I don't know, virtual assistants, things like that too, that can do that kind of follow up for you to ensure that these letters are being received. They're being put into action just the same as a claim you guys. It's all the same insurance is the same no matter what you're sending them, whatever the piece of paper is that you're sending them electronically or on paper, it's all processing about the same. So it's gonna get

 

received and they're like, that's cool. And then they're to be like, let's see if they really care. Do they really want this thing to happen? Do they really want this provider credential? Do they really want to get paid more? And they're going to like let it sit there. So a lot of follow up that goes into that, but make sure you get it done. Timeline is now. If you need help with that, if you need ideas, if you're looking for a company that might help.

 

Reach out. We've got a couple of different people that we recommend and that we work very closely with that we've loved over the years. Hello @ The Dental A Team .com. Or if you need a quick like checklist, we've also got all of those always available. So just let us know. Now, action items because we never leave without action items, whether it's a coaching call, an event, or a podcast, you will always have some sort of action items coming to you. So Britt, help me round this out. We need fee schedule comparison.

 

Britt (21:38.828)

you

 

Britt (21:50.091)

Yep, so make sure you do analysis with your area, right? So evaluate your fees. Yep.

 

The Dental A Team (21:50.167)

I'm from a company in Europe.

 

The Dental A Team (21:55.166)

Yep. Then we're gonna percentile it, we're gonna get in that higher percentile. So I think for me, I would say get the fee schedule analysis, evaluate, do your UCR, and do your negotiations kind of simultaneously. I give a deadline, Britt, do you do you agree with my deadline of having your fees, your UCR, usual and customary rates updated by January 15, no matter what next year, have somebody dedicated to it. So somebody is pulling and asking for fee schedule analysis now.

 

You're comparing that fee schedule analysis to your current fees. You're sending out negotiation letters to your insurances you're contracted with and you're getting your rates increased by January 15th, no matter what, do or die. Yeah.

 

Britt (22:38.389)

Yep, and I want to add to this just in case you've got some people where you haven't done this before, increasing your fees is not dependent on your insurance fee negotiations. like implement though, that can move forward. Like that piece, whatever you decide on your increases, that can go into play for your office fees. While even if it's not by January 15th, we're still working on getting those negotiations done.

 

The Dental A Team (23:02.467)

Good call. Good call. Thanks for seeing through that. All right, you guys, you've got your actions, you've got your tips, your tricks, if you need more, if you need clarifications, whatever it may be, I'm telling you, I say this every time we are honestly here for you. So reach out. Hello @ The Dental A Team .com drop us a review down low five stars are always appreciated. And we like to know that this was very helpful for you. Give us a share.

 

Britt (23:05.601)

You

 

The Dental A Team (23:24.049)

and give us a download, whatever that looks like so that you can make sure that your other friends in the dental community know to get this done as well. So we're here for you. We love you all. Thank you, Britt, for being here with me today and for helping me through that analysis situation. You're fantastic. All right, everyone. Of course, I will always have you. All right, everyone. Have a great rest of your day. I hope you go listen to other podcasts on here. We do have other ones that...

 

Britt (23:39.339)

Thanks for having

 

The Dental A Team (23:49.468)

relate back to this and back to some of the stories I talked about today. So enjoy your day. We will catch you next time.

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).

1. Do your job as a leader

2. Know the vitals of your practice

3. Be a culture master

4. Empower your team

5. 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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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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: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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Tiff and Dana talk about how to know if the best personalities are being utilized in the right ways in your practice. Amid growth beyond gateway positions and desperate hiring, it’s important to consider the larger picture when bringing on new (or moving around current) employees. Tiff and Dana discuss building positions around the needs of your practice, and how to have hard conversations when someone just isn’t working out anymore.

Episode resources:

Reach out to Tiff and Dana: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Learn about Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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The Dental A-Team is expanding its services! In this episode, Kiera and Tiff share the newest DAT opportunity: Practice Momentum Group Consulting. This opportunity is for those interested in joining a community of fellow dentistry experts to explore the trends, triumphs, and trials in the field — all with consultant experts on hand. 

Learn more about this exciting opportunity, a great step for those not quite ready for one-on-one coaching: www.thedentalateam.com/dental-consulting/practice-momentum. 

Episode resources:

Reach out to Kiera and Tiff: hello@thedentalateam.com 

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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Become Dental A-Team Platinum!

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Kiera is joined by Dr. Kyle Stanley, a dentist working to improve mental health in the industry with his Light Side Academy. They discuss why mental health is so negative in dentistry, warning signs for wellness, how to shift identities for the better, and a ton more.

About Dr. Stanley: Dr. Kyle Stanley, named "The Next Generation of Cosmetic Dentistry" by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, “The Top 10 Young Educators in Dentistry” by the Seattle Study Club, and "World's Top 100 Doctors in Dentistry" graduated from USC and then went on to complete a dental implant residency and dental implant specialty in Brazil. He is a researcher who has published in some top dental journals about esthetics, implants, and plastic surgery topics. One of the few dental AI experts in the world, he co-founded Pearl, a company that is changing how patients are treated through artificial intelligence. He is an advisor for some of the most forward-thinking dental tech companies. Dr. Stanley is the most prominent advocate of mental health in dentistry and through his Light Side Academy has helped countless dentists reduce burnout for a sustainable career in dentistry. He maintains a private practice in Beverly Hills, focusing on implant surgery and prosthetics.

Episode resources:

Learn about Dr. Stanley

Be part of Light Side

Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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Kiera and Britt are joined by Dr. Renae Sweeney, a dentist in South Florida who put in a lot of work to make her practices stand out. The three discuss how she was able to effectively find her client base, the importance of staying confident in your goals, and more.

Episode resources:

Follow Dr. Sweeney on Instagram!

Reach out to Tiff, Britt, and Dana

Tune Into DAT’s Monthly Webinar

Practice Momentum Group Consulting

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Transcript:

Kiera Dent (00:00.862)

Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today is just a super fun day. I have two people on here today. I have Dr. Renae Sweeney. You may have seen her on social media. You may know Rafiki. You may know her birds. You may just see her as one of the funniest people on Instagram. And we have the one and only No BS, Stone coming on today. I'll start with Britt. How are you doing today, Britt? Welcome.

 

Britt (00:24.645)

I mean, I'm great. I'm excited to be here. I love when you share my nicknames now with clients since Dr. Sweeney is one of my clients that I get to work with. So you're welcome, Dr. Sweeney. Now you know what my nickname is.

 

Kiera Dent (00:31.874)

Ha ha.

 

Kiera Dent (00:35.244)

you

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (00:36.044)

Yes, I love it. love it. No, super excited to be here with you guys. Thank you. Thank you.

 

Kiera Dent (00:39.221)

And dr. Sweeney welcome. Yeah, we're so excited Like I love you. I don't know as much about you because Britt has worked with you guys for so many years you and Soon to be hubby, right soon to be

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (00:49.033)

Yes, yes.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (00:54.355)

No, he's so is that it's actually a little bit confusing. So we've actually been married for three years, but we are finally doing our wedding this year. So I know it's like a little bit confusing because yes, we're we're having our wedding actually in six weeks. Funny enough. But yes, we've been married for three years already, which is crazy.

 

Kiera Dent (01:02.249)

Okay

 

Kiera Dent (01:09.398)

That's amazing. Okay, so married we've been like Britt has worked with you and your husband we can now say husband but like wedding that's exciting. That's gonna be so fun. So I thought it'd just be fun to like bring both of you on. I want to know all about your bird like everybody I think I want to know some about your social media. But I thought it'd be really fun for you and Britt to kind of go on like a little walk of like how you guys were how you guys met Britt told me that she loves working with you and

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (01:17.706)

Yes.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (01:30.73)

Mm -hmm.

 

Kiera Dent (01:35.82)

Dr. Molina because you guys are truly like a dynamite couple. You're willing to try everything. You guys have grown so much. You've gone from one practice to two practices looking for a third. So Britt, I'm going to kind of let you like jump in and guide and navigate on some ways too. But really, I think it's just going to be fun of like, let's go on like a walk down memory lane of what are some of the things you guys have done to get to this level. And Renae, you're so fun. Like you're so happy and so vibrant and yet you guys have a lot going on. So I will kind of turn it to Britt.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (01:36.64)

Yes.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (01:43.478)

Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (01:58.923)

Thank

 

Kiera Dent (02:02.348)

Have fun, let's do a little walk down memory lane and of course I'm gonna interject because I'm gonna have a ton of questions.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (02:06.879)

Yeah.

 

Britt (02:07.97)

Well, the fun thing of the walk down memory lane, I think is that I worked with Dr. Molina first, right? And one location and Dr. Sweeney, you were still, think, working somewhere else, right?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (02:14.547)

Yes.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (02:20.489)

Yeah, so when we when we bought the first practice, I was still working actually like at a corporate office. So I've kind of been in my background, worked for a nonprofit, worked for private practice, worked for corporate offices all before I like we bought a second location, which is the location that I'm mainly at. So yes, you did start with kind of like him on the side. So I was like in that but kind of indirectly in it. But yes, so which is crazy, because I think it's been like over three years now, which is wild.

 

Kiera Dent (02:49.068)

I just remember calling Dr. Molina one day. Like we were just having a conversation. He's like, what on earth? Amazon just threw a package in our pool. Like that was literally like the conversation I had with him and it feels so telling of his personality. You guys are in Florida. You're in a very saturated area, which I love because you found success in a saturated area, but you've been behind the scenes. You bought a practice that was mostly Spanish speaking and I'm sure your Spanish was like not quite there yet. So.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (03:00.545)

Yes.

 

Yes.

 

It was.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (03:11.73)

Yes. yeah.

 

Kiera Dent (03:15.33)

That's a fun, like, hey, let's treat these patients and not even be able to sell to them. Cool. So anyway, Britt, keep going. I'm excited. It's like fun things about both of you. Very entertaining couple for sure.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (03:19.282)

Yes, yes.

 

Britt (03:26.565)

They are 100%. I love them. And I love that now I get to work with both of them. Because once we had practice number one, when practice number two came into play, that's when Dr. Sweeney and I got to connect a little bit more to where I got to start working with both practices and her one -on -one. Sometimes I get to see both of them when we like hop on calls together and they're in the same place. But it's been fun having second location. know they've got big dreams and aspirations, which I think Dr. Sweeney can tell us a little bit more about. But I do.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (03:33.563)

Okay.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (03:41.799)

Mm -hmm.

 

Britt (03:55.525)

love working with them because I think you both were pretty clear on where you want to go from the beginning, right? Like, you know where you want to go practice wise. Dr. Molina has been big on making sure we get all the systems into play. So like, know we're going to be doing this more. So let's make sure we've got things in play. And then it's been fun because now you've got another practice that you're working on. You've transitioned, stabilizing, agreed with Kiera. It's like you're in an area where, you know, you know that there's competition and you guys are creative and get out there. And Kiera, I'll add.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (04:00.391)

Thanks.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (04:06.812)

Mm -hmm. Right.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (04:22.362)

Mm

 

Britt (04:24.975)

I know that Dr. Sweeney is working on her Spanish, so like, who's getting there?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (04:27.336)

Yes, it's funny because now I'm like, have patients now who like have stayed with the practice, know, since prior to me purchasing or acquiring the office till now. And I just had a patient the other day who was like, my gosh, you're like, you're doing so well. Like you sound like you're fluent in Spanish now, which I am by no means like actually fluent. But yeah, it's I always tell people I'm like, careful what you wish for. Because I always used to say like years ago,

 

Kiera Dent (04:28.608)

Hola!

 

Kiera Dent (04:48.589)

you

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (04:53.841)

before I ever really knew like where I would end up or how things would be. I was said that I wanted to learn Spanish more and I was like, be careful what you wish for. Cause I got exactly what I wish for unknowingly with it. But yeah, so it's, it's been a work in progress, but it's awesome. I love it. And it's, as you said, it's a very unique area that we're in South Florida and like Miami, like as a whole is just very, very different. And I think the unique part about learning Spanish here, I was so impatient. This is that it's not just one type of Spanish because you have people who are from Venezuela,

 

Kiera Dent (05:02.056)

Hahaha

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (05:23.736)

Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, like you have so many different dialects of it. So for me, I have to like learn a word like six different ways in Spanish, but my patients are awesome about it. My staff is bilingual and awesome about it. So like they've helped me so much. And it's something that like, it's just another like challenge that I get to take on, but it was definitely like a big challenge having to overcome as a new dentist coming out, buying a practice and finding out like.

 

Kiera Dent (05:32.778)

you

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (05:49.358)

in the process of it that it was such a heavily Spanish speaking practice as someone who is not fluent in Spanish and really at the time didn't really speak Spanish at all. But I think it just goes to show that if you're willing to put in the effort and the time, how much you really can, what you can do and the challenges you can overcome and really, it's just so much, so many things are possible if you're just willing to take the time and learn and dedicate towards it.

 

Kiera Dent (06:14.744)

So like dive into that a little more for me, Dr. Sweeney. I am dying to know like, what do you guys do differently from your perspective? Obviously like with Britt's help and with different things you guys have done, like what do you feel has been like some key pieces to your success or how do you get that grit? Cause I think a lot of people would have been like, I'm not signing on the dotted line on this practice or I'm going to give up on this. Like it's a saturated market. It feels like you don't allow yourself excuses. So kind of walk me through like, what are some of the things that you feel have really set you guys up to be as successful as you've been?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (06:21.391)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (06:35.907)

Right.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (06:43.906)

Right. So in the process of ours, it was definitely unique. Like you don't know what you don't know. Right. So, I mean, even in the process of getting that office, there were so many things that we were still learning. Because yes, we already had one practice on our belt. But again, every practice acquisition, every practices, it's just different. You're dealing with different owners, sellers, brokers. Like there's just so many different key parts that are.

 

It's different in every single deal and even that we're seeing as we're looking for a third practice now. So we really didn't know up until right before closing, basically, most of our documents and things were kind of said and done that we found out that it was portrayed to us that it was, there was obviously Spanish speaking patients, which is just a very normal thing in South Florida across the board. Most places that you work at, they want you to be bilingual. that was, I figured that was, we were gonna have that, but it wasn't until really closing that we found out.

 

out that it was such a high majority of the office was Spanish speaking, which

 

I remember after we met with the owner that day, because it was different in this deal that we didn't really meet the owner until at the very end. So more or less, unfortunately, the broker kind of misled us a little bit. again, this is, you know, just comes with I'm sure you guys have seen a lot with just different practices, you deal with different people. Right. So I remember we went home after that meeting and we kind of looked at each other and we're like, what do we do? You know, and I remember I was very panicked because I'm like, I don't I'm not fluent in Spanish. Like, should we do this? Should we not? You know, and then we kind of ultimately made the decision that we're like, you know, it's

 

a good opportunity. You I'm willing to learn the Spanish, like all of the staff is bilingual. And for anybody who's from South Florida, they will know that like Miami versus where we are in Broward County, it's about 30 minutes like north.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (08:25.076)

Yes, you have patients who speak Spanish, but it's slightly different. There are patients who know more English. It's just a little bit different environment. So was like, I think we can navigate it. think we can do this. And I had said, I always wanted to learn Spanish more. I was already kind in the process of trying. So was like, you know what? This is going to be my push that it's sink or swim. Like really, it truly is. And that's how it is with owning your own business, having your own company, your own office. Is that way anyway, that it really is like sink or swim. Like you have to just learn how to figure it out. And I was like, okay, this is just another challenge. We're going to take it on. So definitely, I think we made it a little bit

 

harder for myself in the process, but long term I'm super grateful for it because like I said, it's just a very unique environment that we get to be in. I get to be a part of a community that...

 

is different from what I grew up with, is different from what I, you know, was a part of before. And it was something that I wanted to be a part of and wanted to understand more about. And I just love it. My patients have been super great in the process of like, I've never had anyone be upset with me of getting something wrong. If anything, I think they like try to help me more with learning. And they're like super proud when they come back and they're like, my gosh, you're doing so well with your Spanish. You're able to do this. And for me, I always tell people like, sure, could I get away with not speaking Spanish and relying on my staff? Absolutely. But like for me,

 

Kiera Dent (09:30.05)

I

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (09:37.854)

personally that was a big thing because i'm like then i now lose a different level of connection with my patients and again i know people who do that i came from an office where the per se owner didn't speak spanish and we were in a very predominantly spanish speaking area so you can definitely get away with that but for me i was like you know i don't want to lose that aspect of it and i know that it's something that like i can do again it's just

 

have to dedicate the time and effort will i ever be at that point where i'm fully fluent probably not at this point hopeful that like we can get close but you know i think it's just one of those things that like when you really are willing to set your mind to it and have a vision for what you want and how you want things to be like you'll just do what it takes to get there no matter how long it takes because more than anything i'm like now we're i'm

 

little bit more than two years into this office. And I'm like, time is going to go by no matter what. like, if I keep taking steps forward and keep dedicating the time and effort, whether that's to learning Spanish, whether that's to our systems or, or to, you know, the vision that we have for these offices, like you're going to get there eventually. And before, know, like, it might not be as fast as I want it to be, but it's

 

when you look back in time, like you get there and then for other people, they're like, my gosh, this happened so fast, you know, so we oftentimes, I think things feel with progression. I'm sure you guys can even feel that way, you know, with your own businesses is that progression sometimes feels a lot slower to us as we're in it and we're doing it day to day. But you know,

 

in the long run when we look at other people, it's easy to think that success happens so fast for them. So very long -winded response of all of that. But all that is to just say is that's how I think we try to look at everything with our practices, is that just taking steps forward and towards our dedicated goal every single day, you're gonna get there eventually, and you just have to stick with it, knowing that things are gonna be up and down with stuff, but just stick towards it, and you will get there.

 

Kiera Dent (11:03.776)

Mm -hmm. I like it.

 

Kiera Dent (11:16.842)

Mm

 

Kiera Dent (11:22.594)

Totally. Yeah, no, think kudos to you. I think that shows like your guys' entrepreneurial spirit, the grit. And I just had a conference and Tony Robbins said, people overestimate what they're going to be able to accomplish in a year and underestimate what they're going to be able to accomplish in a decade. And I really think that that's lovely because I think so many people, it's hard. Like you can think like, I'll be fluent in Spanish in a year, but like maybe in a decade, you're actually going to be super fluent within this.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (11:28.537)

Mm

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (11:38.555)

Yes.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (11:45.357)

Mm -hmm. Yeah

 

Kiera Dent (11:50.402)

And like, look how far you've come in two years and this patient base, but also like looking at your, which I didn't really give into your bio of like you were a previous bar fit, hit fitness instructor. You taught classes throughout dental school. Then you taught it while you were in your first practice. You also are a former D1 dance team. You have your degree. You have like three Instagram accounts. So it's not just one, but three. And I'm sure with every other child and animal or whatever you choose to add to your life.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (11:52.475)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (12:04.827)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (12:18.247)

Mwahahahaha

 

Kiera Dent (12:19.778)

They'll probably have their own page too. But I think also like some people might look at that and be like, my gosh, she's her. But I'm like, no, what I love about you and the reason I wanted you on the podcast is because I feel like you have this grit and determination, but I feel it's because you have this guiding star of where you want to go. How did you get so clear on your vision of where you wanted to go? Like, was it just innate? Did you say like, this is the goal we're going for? Did you unravel, be like, all right, this is what our life's going to be? How did you get so confident on your goals of where you're headed?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (12:31.587)

Mm -hmm.

 

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (12:46.544)

Yeah, I that's a great question and side note, I'm like the quote that you said with Tony Robbins is super funny because I actually just put up a post I think like a day or two days ago and I used that in the caption as well. Like the first time, like when I heard that I was like, this is so good. And I actually didn't even realize it was from Tony Robbins, but side note, so that was really funny. Yes, but it's so true, so true. No, it's such a good question. So I think on a lot of different fronts, like if someone had asked me years ago, like I...

 

Kiera Dent (12:55.681)

Hahaha

 

Yes.

 

There you go. Now you know. He said it literally at the conference. So there you have it.

 

Kiera Dent (13:12.12)

you

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (13:12.963)

never thought I would move to Florida, let alone have a monkey, a golden conure, like have multiple practices. So like, I cannot say this is like from a young age, like where I thought I would be, but I think, but a couple of different things, I think for sure, you know, Dr. Molina, give him so like, Raul, I give him so much credit for a lot of things because he truly is.

 

like such an entrepreneur through and through. And him and I always talk about it. I truly believe that that was like a God given gift for him. So for us, like at the end of the day, our faith is like super, super ingrained into every single thing that we do. So he has a very good vision that we have, you know, has been implanted in him and that we have worked on together and kind of always are continually talking about revisiting.

 

Where we want things to be where we like see our practices where we see our life where we see different things heading and at the At the base of it. We always say that you know, we have these goals. We have these things in mind But we always come back to like God where do you want us to be? do you want us to land? What is this supposed to look like for us and we very much like follow in accordance to that so like it's truly been a blessing that we've been able to do all that we have and like where we're at in life and we're super super grateful and thankful for it and we always just say that you know, like

 

whenever we think we want to head towards, like we start aiming and heading towards that. And if it doesn't work, like we know we're going to get turned around and we're going to head back to like the other direction that we're supposed to be in. But yeah, it's something that I think we always keep revisiting that at the core of it. We always say like our mission and our vision for just our offices is that we really want to change the way that people think about going to the dentist and give them an excellent experience across the board. And what that can look like can be super different. I came from a background where

 

from a young age, it was always very instilled in me of really having a servant's heart of being a part of mission trips, and which, know, throughout high school, college, dental school, and even now, I've been a part of a lot of nonprofit organizations, mission work locally and internationally, and really just at end of the day, it's because we enjoy helping people, and I think a lot of dentists and doctors go into the field for that reason.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (15:21.078)

And that's always stayed kind of at like the root of it is that for us, like truly helping people and in dentistry, know, yes, we're treating teeth, we're treating oral health issues, but at end of the day, like you're treating humans. And I think if we can keep that at the, for us, if we can always keep that at the core of what we're doing, like we're always going to strive to create like this great experience for people, no matter what that looks like, because, you know, we're treating a person, we're finding out their story, we're creating that connection. And I think that's what's super important and allows us to

 

Kiera Dent (15:43.0)

Sure.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (15:51.272)

no matter how much things might change as we're going throughout time that always keeps us rooted in where we want to be and in what that looks like is because we're always coming back to that and what our true mission and vision is. And that being said, through that, whether it's two practices that we have or a dozen practices or what locations we're in, all of that are, I think, to...

 

Kiera Dent (15:59.936)

Mm -hmm. Totally.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (16:19.457)

to our vision in all of that. that's something that like, yes, we always just come back to and we try to keep at the core of it. But, you we do monthly meetings, we do weekly meetings with our staff to always continue to check in to see like, okay, this is where we want to be. Like, are we heading towards that? Are we taking steps towards it? Because it's very easy to say like, this is my dream. This is what I want to accomplish. But if you don't have natural check -ins and things that, you know, we're constantly revisiting or even, you know, meetings with Brittany where we're...

 

Kiera Dent (16:34.52)

Sure.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (16:44.949)

you know, on a monthly basis, always checking in, like, how are things going? Like, is this where we want to be? What do we need to do to get there? Because if you're not, it's very easy to completely veer the other way. And then you get over here and wonder, how did I get over here when really I wanted to be over here? Right. But it's like, you have to constantly take steps and do those check -ins to evaluate, like, am I actually taking steps closer or farther away from where we're trying to end up?

 

Kiera Dent (17:07.41)

Exactly. No, and I'm so glad you said that. And I actually, I want to actually pivot to Britt because I think so many people have visions and they're lofty and they're like excited and gone home. What I love about you is it does feel core. It feels like this is your core. You want to serve people. You want to help people. You guys have such entrepreneurial spirit, but I think like entrepreneurial spirit without systems and check -ins is pure chaos. So I'm super curious to Britt as a consultant who's watched this incredible dynamic couple grow.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (17:22.346)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (17:29.546)

Mm -hmm. Great.

 

Kiera Dent (17:36.738)

What are some of the things you've seen that maybe they've done very successfully from a bird's -eye view, right? Dr. Renae, let's just have her be the amazing report card of how great you guys have been. But what has been some of the things you've seen that have set them up for success that maybe other practices aren't doing that's controlled that entrepreneurial spirit into predictable systems and consistency? Because I really do believe they've got the core and the heart. I know they've got systems backing it as well.

 

Britt (18:02.787)

Yeah. And I think that's one piece that Raul and Renae, I think we're super solid on, even when just Raul and I were working from practice number one, that we were, the two of us were super light. And he's like, I want systems in this first practice. Great. We want to get that. And he's like, we want to get this dialed in because then we knew from the get go that they were going to take those and go duplicate at other practices that that was their ultimate goal. So we wanted to get practice number one running really well, getting things to work great. We know our

 

How are we scheduling appointments? Are we collecting deposits? How are we talking to patients about it? What's our verbiage? Scheduling, he's really good at comprehensive treatment planning. So making sure that we've got that down and making sure all the pieces were in plain functioning in that practice number one, before they went to more practices, which I'm like is super smart for those wanting to go into multiples. Because often people will like, well, great, let's just like start going and buying more practices and start kind of.

 

getting out there and going where we want to go and make it happen fast. And that's one way to do it. But it can start to become too much chaos when, well, this practice isn't doing well. Well, how are we doing things across the board? So I think just with, you know, Renae's vision and where they wanted to go and being so intentional about where they're going, they were also intentional in how they got practice number one set. So then they could go and keep doing it in other practices. And Renae can

 

probably speak to, right? Then being the doctor that comes into practice number two, having those systems to be able to support it. And she's done a great job of transitioning things over there, working with her team, growing as a leader to where like now when they're ready for that next practice or the next practice after that, they've got the two of them and they're awesome supports of each other. see them cheer each other on all the time to then, you know, keep going and keep building and keep spreading all the great things that they're doing for their patients.

 

Kiera Dent (19:58.754)

That's love hearing that because, and Renae, I'm coming to you next on this, that is so hard as an entrepreneur. Like I give our story of we bought our first practice and nine months later we bought our second. That was pure freaking pandemonium and we were psychotic. And I tell everybody, that's why I built a consulting company is to have you not learn like the hard way like we did. How have you guys been able to like curb that? Like you have been in this practice for, I think you were saying two, maybe almost three years before you're about to buy a third.

 

Britt (20:03.845)

Okay.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (20:19.184)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (20:24.889)

Okay.

 

Kiera Dent (20:27.618)

But like that's dedication and discipline that I think a lot of entrepreneurs don't have. So how have you guys been able to like, is it like you guys keep each other in checks and balance? How do you do that? Is it that you've got Brittany who like keeps you like on the straight and narrow? Like what is it to help you guys really be dedicated and disciplined rather than chaotic and out of control chasing a vision?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (20:30.245)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (20:47.621)

Yeah, I mean, I think it's all of it, you know, it's because I think it's very easy to get just completely out of control, get overwhelmed. Because at the end of the day, like there is with having your own business, whatever field that isn't or no matter how many dental offices you have, like there's just always things to be done, right? There's always more that can be done. There's always like it's just always endless, right? But you have to like learn how to keep it in check. You have to learn when to shut it off, have boundaries with things. So, yeah, I mean, even just between him and I, like we

 

Kiera Dent (20:51.32)

Thank

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (21:16.896)

as you said, like we always share each other on we're always like talking about, you know, how we can better things and just even with our staff to like, that's why we do these monthly meetings. That's why we have these different things in place. So that way, you know, they see things from a different view than we do. And I think that's a super important thing as an owner in any capacity is like, your staff is a vital part to your growth, you know, like, sure, I can sit there at the end of the day and say, this is my practice, you know, I'm in charge of things and you know, whatever, which yes, that's true. But

 

Also, like if I can rely on my team and continue to build them up because at end of the day, you can continue to build so that you're building up people to be to a higher level, like through and through, and like you're building up leaders, you're automatically gonna thrive and grow because you're just gonna continue to grow and expand as people are able to step into higher positions, take on more responsibility to be able to delegate things more. So I think us always just being able to

 

really like with the meetings with Brittany, on our own time, like having these points where we're always looking at like, okay, how can we get better? Like, what did we do well? What can we improve upon? How do we keep pushing this forward and always keeping those visions in mind of what we're trying to achieve and through the way, like along the way realizing like...

 

we would love to get it all done at once. And I think as dentists, we're like, or dental professionals, like we're very type A, most of us that we want like everything done perfect and everything done, you know, as quick as possible, but like, that's just not always the reality, right? So you have to have like kind of your highest priorities, like how this needs to happen and then work from, from there. Otherwise, I it can get super chaotic because I, I know even for us, even having the systems we have in place, it's very easy that to look at something and be like, my gosh, I need

 

all of this stuff done, I need it all done right now and it all needs to be perfect and you just like can't like you're going to overwhelm yourself and it's going to be like mass chaos with things versus if you can like tailor back in you know the things that are the most important that we really need to focus on and get those like systems running and in place knowing that like we always talk about it roland that like running business i think it's like kind of like juggling like you're always throwing one ball up in the air and other ones are coming down and like we're talking back up and i'm sure britney if i have talked about this many times as well that it's like

 

Kiera Dent (23:03.82)

Yes.

 

Kiera Dent (23:25.527)

Mm

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (23:30.125)

know people like including ourselves we we progress and we regress right and like that's always going to happen and i think knowing and understanding that it makes you better able and better equipped to deal with everything that comes along but yeah so for us with having so we bought the first office in 2021 bought this one in 2022 so it was about like a year and a half between when we got that one when we got this one and now we're looking at a third office so it has been a couple years now if you ask us like

 

Kiera Dent (23:50.584)

Thank

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (23:57.996)

Sure, we would have loved to have a third office sooner, things to move more quickly. But at the end of the day, I truly believe that things happen for a reason in accordance with a plan that if it did happen faster, we would get the downside of now you're dealing with so much more before we're totally ready for it. And sure, are you ever going to feel 100 % ready? No, because that's just not how it works. But it has been a blessing on that side that the bright side is we've had more time to put more systems in place to

 

Kiera Dent (24:16.054)

you

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (24:26.685)

get some of our staff that's been with us more established, more comfortable with things. So that way, when we get a third office, we have more key players in place that it's much, much easier to take those systems, push it over to the other practice and have some of our staff over and help them to be able to be more acclimated to how we do things within our brand and within our offices and bring them into the culture that we're already building. So I think the beauty in having more time between that is that you're able to better establish your systems and your culture.

 

Kiera Dent (24:26.996)

Mm

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (24:56.267)

Which is really hard because I think Brittany and I have talked about it before that it's like that can really make or break your office right if you don't have a good culture and a good system in place sure you can be the best doctor in the entire world, but like That's that's gonna. It's kind of come to a head right you're gonna be the bottleneck in all of that So it's super super important more than anything like that. Yes, you want to be a great doctor You want to have those services, but like you want to be such a good leader that you're continuing to bring up other people You know into these positions their understanding system so that way you can basically like

 

pick up and plug anybody into those positions, build them up to be leaders as well and have a type of culture where it's like people are comfortable and excited about what's being built within it because they feel really a part of something.

 

Kiera Dent (25:37.89)

Totally. I love what you said. And I love that you guys, you're so driven on goals and where you want to go, but you're also very realistic with life. And you're realistic of not trying to force a plan, but to live in the plan. And then refining and seeing the blessings and the joy within all of it. And I think that that's a beautiful perspective that not a lot of people have.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (25:45.257)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (25:51.956)

Mm -hmm.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (25:58.15)

and

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (26:04.788)

Yeah.

 

Kiera Dent (26:04.952)

I know you guys are so busy. And so I'm to bring you back on Dr. Renae because I'm dying to know about how you became the influencer you became starting social media in 2023 because so many people are like, if you didn't catch the wave in 2020, then you might as well kiss it goodbye. And I think you are walking proof of that. But today I just appreciate you and Britt coming on and talking about your practices, talking about your vision, talking about your entrepreneurial spirit. You bring so much love.

 

And I love how much you love your team. love how much you love the path. I love that you love grit and determination and like we have in our saying, Britt knows we have a core value called grit and it says like challenges fire me up and I live for breakthroughs. And I feel like you embody that. Like challenges do fire you up and all these like you don't see them as big stumbling blocks. Like, yeah, I'm going to climb this freaking mountain. I'm going to learn Spanish. I'm going to take this on. We're going to do this. And I think to hear a doctor

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (26:44.477)

Good

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (26:50.675)

Mm

 

Kiera Dent (27:01.782)

just like other doctors be able to do that is beyond amazing. So I'm so appreciative of your time. I know you are such a busy doctor. So we're gonna bring you back, because I need to know all about your parrot and your monkey and your social media, because I'm dying to know all about that. But are there any last things as we wrap up today that you wanna add to anything that's been said today?

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (27:13.363)

Yeah.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (27:21.252)

say and I think this leads into like what we can talk about next time is I think more than anything it's just like your consistency with things no matter what you're doing whether it's social media or your office or any of that is like I always tell people I'm not the most creative person there is nothing special about me and like what I have done or what you know we're trying to accomplish it's just the ability to be consistent and all that because I think through and through your hard work and your consistency is what's going to carry you through you can be you know they always talk about it with sports like you can be the most talented person but at end of the day someone who works harder and is more consistent is going to surpass

 

that person at some point in time and I think it's so true with anything so whatever you know whatever you're trying to do or whatever you know your goals are you know with your offices or or in your personal professional life just knowing that like if you really stick with it and dedicate the time and effort and knowing that like being consistent is not just a couple weeks or a couple months it's like

 

months and months and months or years and years worth of dedicating discipline and continuing to come back to that, like that you really will get and I think not just get to where you want to be but surpass where you want to be through that because at the end of the day, I think your discipline and your consistency matter just like so much to it and your dedication to the process of what you're trying to build and be a part of.

 

Kiera Dent (28:12.855)

Yeah.

 

Kiera Dent (28:31.48)

Brill, like I'm writing that up on here. Brilliant. I love it. Thank you so much. Britt, we'll just wrap up quickly with you. Any last thoughts you've got about Dr. Renae, Dr. Raul, things you've seen, anything you want to add to this as we wrap up today.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (28:33.562)

Yeah.

 

Britt (28:45.379)

Yeah, I think the only last thing I'll add, I love them. They're amazing. I think they also do a lot to feed themselves, which I think can be tough for entrepreneurs too. I love hearing about trips they take, places they go. They still do a lot of things with friends, right? And do things outside and go take trips. And so I think that's another piece of like, she is, they are amazing people and they have the dedication, they have the consistency. Like they have that drive of being an entrepreneur, but

 

They are very dynamic humans. There's a lot of other things that they do as well, which I think is part of what makes them so successful is because they have all of those pieces, family close by, family farm, all the things that make life fun and exciting along with being an entrepreneur.

 

Kiera Dent (29:27.264)

Amazing. I love being someone who doesn't know you as well as Britt does, but to just see also the relationship you two have together of how much Britt knows about you and how much you guys have used each other and just the beauty that you guys have. And honestly, Renae, you guys are the couple that I'm like always rooting for. I want successful people like you to win. I want you guys to be the most successful and the most flourished because I know you're just doing good in this world. So thank you for being on the podcast today. Thank you for your time.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (29:37.764)

you can take.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (29:45.431)

Thank you.

 

Dr. Renae Sweeney (29:53.181)

Thank you. I appreciate you having me. Thank you. Thank you

 

Kiera Dent (29:56.812)

Of course and don't worry everybody I will have her back to like learn all about the socials so everybody this is Dr. Renae and Britt and all of you listening I hope you guys take notes from them learn from them follow her go like watch her and then stay tuned because we'll have her back and as always thanks for listening and we'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.

 

Why does success feel so unattainable? Because we don’t realize it’s relative. In this episode, Kiera talks about how a rich, successful life can mean something different to everyone, how success has evolving definitions, and gives listeners an exercise.

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Kiera and Spiffy Tiffy shine a light on listening to understand—as a leader, team member, human being. This is an opportunity to stretch your intuitive muscles and learn how to observe situations for improved understanding of how those in your life function.

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Tiff and Denae sketch out what it takes to sketch out an organizational chart for your practice. These charts are a tangible outline of how your business operates, and can answer such questions like Who do I report to?, Who do I look to for certain information? and If I need something outside of my department, where do I go?

An effective org chart for your practice empowers people in their positions to really perform in their seat. Tiff and Denae give advice on how to go about creating one the DAT-approved way.

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Reach out to Tiff and Denae: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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Kiera breaks down overhead versus cash flow by walking listeners through an actual overhead calculator piece by piece. She also provides insight on how to reduce your practice’s overhead, pay your doctor(s) 20%-30%, and maintain profitability — all at the same time.

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Tiff and Denae are back with another episode on hiring people the right way. This episode is about the last hurdle: the offer. The two run through the following:

• How to know if you’re paying the candidate the right amount

• What to do if that perfect unicorn is asking for way more than you've offered

• How quickly you should give them PTO

• When it’s finally (finally) time to make that offer and how to do it

• And more!

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Reach out to Tiff and Denae: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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Kiera is joined by Mike Buckner of Pearl to continue their conversation about artificial intelligence in dentistry in a way that enhances treatment plans, patient care, and overall practice. Together, they discuss:

• Benefits of a clinician using A.I.

• Positive effects of A.I. on the patient and case acceptance

• A.I. as a second opinion to ensure standard of care

• How insurance companies are utilizing A.I.

• And more

Episode resources:

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DAT listeners, connect with Mike: mike@hellopearl.com 

Listen to episode 712, The Immersion of A.I. in Dentistry

Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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DAT consultants Tiff and Denae break down the best way to hire new team members. They focus on the right mindset to approach interviews with, questions to ask to help the interviewee open up, prepping for a team interview, and a ton more.

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After last year’s popular book club, Kiera’s back with round two. Bookmark the list below and read the books with your team for improved work ethic, culture, teamwork, and more.

January: The Go-Giver: A Little Story about a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg (Kiera reviews this book in this episode!)

February: Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes are High by by Joseph Grenny, Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Emily Gregory

March: The Noticer: Sometimes, All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective by Andy Andrews

April: Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell

May: High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove

June: Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work by Nick Sonnenberg

July: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

August: Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy by Patrick Bet-David

September: Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life by Bill Perkins

November: The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price

Dec: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

Episode resources:

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Dr. Dave Moghadam returns, this time to chat with Tiff! In this episode, Dr. Moghadam reflects on how he’s addressed being overwhelmed as a doctor/practice owner over the past year, including:

• Learning to delegate

• Utilizing your team to make the right systems and processes

• Scheduling meetings and personal time

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Kiera was recently asked what the most worthwhile investment she made to get where she is now. In this episode, she talks about her answers, as well as what she’s heard from other people. 

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Tiff, Britt, and Dana are on the podcast to celebrate those guiding dental practices around the country, including Dental A-Team’s own, Kiera Dent. Let’s give it up to the bosses who we know constantly have their teams’ well-being top of mind.

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Transcript:

The Dental A Team (00:01.719)

Hello everyone. Welcome back to the podcast today is a really fun adventure of a podcast for us today. I snagged both Brittany and Dana for today's podcast and this is super special to us. This is like so close to our hearts and we're so excited to be here. I don't think that we've done a threesome here in a while and that makes me excited. I hope it makes everyone excited. But today is.

 

bosses day you guys this is national bosses day and this is a day to recognize our teams as well as most importantly today our bosses and we really just want to have some discussions around that so I snagged Britt and Dana today for this incredibly special and hit home hit our hearts podcast today ladies Britt so we don't all speak at the same time how are you today how is how is Britt's world

 

Britt (00:56.812)

mean, Britt's World is good. Whenever I get to spend time with you guys all together, I don't know that all our listeners understand how much we actually enjoy hanging out with each other. And so getting to spend some time together on the podcast, thanks for doing it, Tiff.

 

The Dental A Team (01:04.62)

That's true.

 

The Dental A Team (01:10.856)

Of course, of course it was Shelbi's brilliant brain came up with this idea and she's like, this is coming. I was like, thank goodness. I always miss these dang things. I'm like the, the, you know, thought that counts person. So I was just so happy she thought of it and Dana, Danie over there. How are you?

 

Dana (01:29.574)

I don't know if I'm gonna live that one down. I'm doing good. Again, just like Britt said, excited to be here, excited to just get a couple extra moments with you two.

 

The Dental A Team (01:31.68)

You're not.

 

The Dental A Team (01:39.131)

Awesome. I agree. I agree. And today you guys, I love having the two of you on here. It's so fun. And I'm just so excited to really pour our hearts and our souls into today's podcast for the listeners and for the world to hear but specifically right now in this moment from this care that to hear she is our boss, our leader, our you know, star finder and growth.

 

grower, like she's our pusher, she's our everything that this company requires in order to keep going. She is the push that's behind us and the love and the heart and the soul that's behind us as well. And I think every one of us on the team could come up with 500 different reasons why she is the incredible leader that she is. But luckily for us, we're the podcasters. So we get to do we get to do the fun part today and love on Miss Kiera Dent and

 

I think each of us will kind of chime in here and go. We're not gonna take two hours of your time diving into all of these pieces, but Ms. Kiera Dent, she's likely listening to this. At some point, she listens to all of them. And I really want to, from the bottom of my soul, recognize today just the incredible leadership skills that she has honed in over the years. Kiera and I, we've known each other for...

 

seven, a little over seven years now. Gosh, I think we're like coming up on seven and a half years actually, which is a long time in the world that we live in. And I have had the incredible experience and the incredible opportunity of watching Kiera grow as a human, a real life person and as a leader. And within this company, I have seen her grow through so many stages. And I can't say all, because I know there's still more to come, but she has just become this incredible, invaluable.

 

piece of all of our lives whether it's in the business and in the company or outside of the company and I hope that she Realizes that and I know she doesn't so I know As often as we can saying it out loud to her in a public platform or wherever it can possibly be She needs to hear those things and the culture that she has she has created and the culture that she has realized that we needed and that she realizes realized that she wanted to emanate to

 

The Dental A Team (03:54.642)

her team and to the world to massively impact the dental industry on such a high scale like we can is really, really, really key aspect of who she is for us. And ladies, I don't want to steal all the show. know I talk the most. It's just my God given talent here. But I want you guys to chime in too and just let's love on Kiera. And then you guys, we're going to dive into some stories and it's going to be going to be boss day story time. Don't worry, Kiera.

 

personal stories, it's going to be a boss day story time for all of our clients too. So ladies, welcome to the show. Thank you for being here again. I'm so excited to hear from you.

 

Britt (04:31.934)

Yeah, you bet. I think Tiff, you said a lot of amazing things, but I think one of the things that I truly appreciate about Kiera and her as a boss is all the ideas that she brings to us, right? Dental A Team, all the things we do, all the random things we come up with, a lot of them come from her brain. And she comes up with way more than what our listeners out there even get to hear experience.

 

The Dental A Team (04:54.246)

That's so true, yes.

 

Britt (04:56.546)

Which coming from me like that is a weakness for myself and so I appreciate that so much in her and coming up with ideas and I think when anything needs to be done she can figure out a way, something to figure out a solution to it. And so I think that's one of the things that I value in her the most is just her creative brain, that visionary brain to come up with a million different ideas and I also appreciate that she and I get to go back and forth on some of those ideas and I'm like we'll workshop that one, we'll come back to that one, let's talk about it.

 

And it's great and it's fun to be able to kind of go back and forth with her. So I truly appreciate that about

 

The Dental A Team (05:32.326)

Totally agree, totally.

 

Britt (05:34.42)

Thank

 

Dana (05:35.238)

But I'll piggyback off that just from the opposite perspective of that. I love that she does bring all the ideas, but she also gives us the space to bring our own ideas and understands that like the team can come up with things and can, I just love that she allows us to be a part of that creative space because it doesn't happen everywhere. And so I do truly.

 

admire that in her as a leader. And I think that too, like having her as a leader in our company also allows

 

me to be a better coach, right? Because I see the things I see the grind that she puts into the culture pieces. I see the consistency that she does all the time. And then it makes it easy to say in my coaching, like, I know it works. I've seen it, I have a vision of it. And I have somebody who lives, breathes and is it that just helps make me

 

coach in those areas so much easier because I see how it works, I see the consistency, I see all the pieces and so those are probably the two things that I truly truly just love and admire is like she lives what she says.

 

The Dental A Team (06:45.146)

Yeah, I totally agree. And I think it's really cool that we were able to come together today to do this for sure. And like I said, listeners, we're going to get into a couple of other discussions and conversations. But I think it's really cool because the three of us actually have, and listeners for you to know, very different relationships with Kiera in and out of the company. So within the company, we are all consultants, right? That's our first born name here is consultant.

 

but we each have a different space of life that we live in within the company. And then obviously, know, friendships outside, you know, I've been here for seven and a half years. So like, things are different, you ladies three years, like that's a long time. So things are different in and out of the company, but I just think it's really cool to be able to hear these things from you guys too, and see how different the perspectives are, right? The different pieces that land like, Britt, you're...

 

you're talking to her constantly. you guys just FYI, Britt is kind of a boss to us too. So Britt, love you, two pieces. Thank you for everything that you do. It's really cool that I get to do this with you on here. But Britt's in that space of like that in between where she's, she's kind of, she is still a consultant. She does still have a handful of clients and she does a lot of our group coaching models, but.

 

she is that in between space for a lot of things with us. So she gets a perspective of Kiera where she kind of gets hit with the ideas first, and then they get down to the rest of us. you know, and Dana's ton of virtual clients, holy cow, she works so well with so many pieces. And so she gets a lot of the the creative side from Kiera where you guys are creating so much content and just creating this incredibly magical

 

space of information for so many people and so many so many clients and non clients and a lot of the stuff that you guys see from us comes from, you know, the brainchild of Kiera, but the brainchild of Dana to her Dana, I love that you you spoke on the innovation piece because you really do you have so much innovation in our company and so many ideas and Carol give like a tidbit, you know, after it goes through Britt a tidbit of an idea. But then Dana, like you just run with it and you create this and

 

The Dental A Team (09:00.097)

incredible product every single time we know we can count on it. We know you're going to get it done and that it's going to be magic like no matter what. So it's just really cool, I think to see those different perspectives based on the positions within the company. And I think it's cool because we all share the same feelings, right? We have different pieces that we'll pick out. But the overarching theme really is that

 

she's been able to build a company that we can be proud of working with and for. And she's been able to build a company that we can reach so many people and change lives on this massive scale. And we're constantly innovating to ensure that we can reach even more people without detracting from the results or the, you know, the relationships and really just adding value every time. And that comes from Kiera's push and, and her kind of,

 

almost training us in that way, right? Like her leadership and Dana, like you said, what we get to see, we get to become. And so it builds this space and breeds this mentality where we're like, yes, I can step into that. So as she's stepping out and into a new space, like we're almost right behind her stepping into the space she just showed us and trained us on in all of our different spaces. And it makes me think too of

 

of the practices that we work with and all of the bosses who are out there, managers, office managers, regional managers, dentists, the doctors, the practice owners, all of you bosses who are out there who are running a similar situation or learning how to do that. And maybe you're at the baby step stages and I want you to know we've all been there and know, Kiera I told you seven and a half years ago did not look like this. were just babies like trying to figure it out and

 

what it's been able to grow into and the human that Kiera has been able to grow into, even if you're at your baby stages, I want you to know, like you've got examples all around you and you've got mentorship and we're here to say, it's not always easy, but it can be fun. And you can find that path, but with all of those leadership spaces and those quote unquote bosses of the practices,

 

The Dental A Team (11:13.01)

Dana, you were just talking about a client that you spoke with, I think you said yesterday, and I want to hear, I want you to kind of talk about that. Like I want to hear that side and I want doctors to know and leaders to know that you're all in a very similar space most of the time. There's always someone that you can relate to. So don't ever feel like you're alone and teams. We really want to take you through just some of the

 

pieces that we see on the other side, that it looks like to be a boss so that we can really talk about how we can always appreciate it, whether it's National Bosses Day or not. And Dana, really talk me through that conversation. think it was spot on and I have a lot of doctors that I talk to, they're in the same space as your client and tell us about it.

 

Dana (11:59.129)

Yeah, sure. I think it does not open my eyes because I see it all the time. Doctors come to us and it's like part of why they bring coaches on is for their team, right? I want my team to feel like they have a really great resource. I want to figure out how to lower the stress of my team. I want to figure out how they can be more efficient so that like they feel better at the end of the day. And so it's just in recognizing bosses today, I wanted to recognize like the doctors and the owners who really

 

do stress about their team and not about like my team stresses me out but about how my team is doing are they feeling stressed are they feeling fulfilled are they feeling motivated and the doctor I talked to yesterday was like how do I how do I stretch and expand to able to give my team members raises before I even take home a paycheck

 

And I just think it's so important to recognize those owners and recognize those bosses and team members to hear that like these owners stress about you and your livelihoods and how they're going to make your life better, whether it's at work or whether it's outside of work.

 

through a raise or through bonuses or through those are things that doctors ask us about all the time because yes, the practice is right there but the team is right there too. And I think sometimes like that gets missed or unheard or I don't always think to doctors or owners know how to translate that to the team.

 

The Dental A Team (13:28.39)

I totally agree. totally agree. I think that's something that's a hard conversation to have. think already like finances and financial conversations are difficult, regardless. And for bosses for owners, it's even more difficult. Because when you do collect that money, you know, you know where it's going. And I think a lot of team members are like, okay, I know where this is going. But so it's difficult for doctors to even say, Hey, guys, guess what, like,

 

I'm living off my savings right now or I'm living off of the loans that I took out to have this practice so that I can make sure you guys get to have a paycheck. And like that's part of practice ownership for sure. And I'm not discrediting that that's not just a factor of practice ownership. So I don't want team members to feel like, gosh, let's go praise our doctors for that. But I want you to understand those spaces. And like Dana said,

 

And I have a client too that recently said a similar thing where she's still doing a lot of her hygiene on her own and like trying to build her practice, but her TC is like needing a raise and wants a raise and she's like, she deserves a raise and I have to find the money and I'm going to take it out of, know, this space and this doctor is still not taking home a paycheck either. So I love that conversation and that understanding and Britt, I know you've got clients too. And I know you work with our

 

our group coaching space and actually like our group coaching space you guys is full of these doctors that are you know, it's all the spectrums you guys but I feel like we have such a good group a handful of doctors who are living in that space right now that are trying to figure out their overhead so that they can pay their team so that they can build lifelong relationships with their team members to stay forever and they're thinking of themselves last and Britt I know you have a lot of those conversations too and

 

And I think, Britt, like, how do you suggest or train or, you work with teams as well. think more than any of us, works with the most teams, Britt, I know you do too. So how do you make sure that the teams without the doctors having to say something like this really can recognize on any day? It doesn't have to be national bosses day, but really just like saying hello and seeing our bosses instead of just us always expecting it on the flip side.

 

Britt (15:42.08)

Yeah, I think in life, right, it's really important to try to look at something from the other person's perspective, right? And I think it's easy as team members. I mean, I do it too sometimes, right? Like just to think about, like what's the impact to me? What's going on with me? Or even if it's just like me and my team members and not thinking about, all right, what is it like to be an owner? And being an entrepreneur, being a small business owner is not always the easiest path, right? It takes a heart and soul from you.

 

from these owners to go and do that. And I think that's what I see in our clients. And I love seeing in our clients is that they care so much about what they're doing. And being leaders, being owners, being bosses, sometimes it means making hard decisions. It's like they care so much about team members. And sometimes we've got to have hard conversations to help them see how whatever's going on is impacting the group because they're looking out for the business as a whole.

 

the group, the whole team as a whole, and they care about you as individuals. So like it is a fine balance. So helping team members just kind of like put yourself in their shoes, right? And I, some team members out there, if you're a lead, then you start to understand it a little bit more of those people that you're in charge of. If you haven't been a lead, like think about if you were a lead of your department, right? Like what would be the things that you're...

 

watching out for, looking for, that you would be responsible for. And then just like take that to the next level as the in charge of everything. Like the buck stops there and our doctors take that on, right? That's part of being an owner that you take that on, but everybody wants to be appreciated, right? Just like, and being a leader, they give and give and give a lot, right? And they're pulled in lot of different directions and just taking a minute to just recognize it and say, you know what?

 

that's pretty cool that they're creating this place for us. Or you know what, that's pretty awesome that they bought us lunch today. You're pretty awesome that we went out and did something as a team, or they take such great care of our patients. And like, that's something that I'm just so proud to be a part of because that's not always everywhere. And so there's a lot of great things and great doctors going, you know, that we work with and all around and just take a second to kind of see it from the other side and recognize all that you do have where you're.

 

The Dental A Team (18:00.949)

I agree. I totally agree. And I think in this moment and this day and on this podcast, like we're here with our hearts and our souls for Miss Kiera Dent 100%. But ladies, I think we're here too to celebrate all of the bosses, all of the managers, all of the leaders and all of the people who are out there making an incredible difference in other people's lives. Even if you just want to take the, you know, small handful of people in your team that you're positively impacting, not to mention the community around you and

 

anyone that you come into communication with and you touch their hearts and their souls. And I want you guys to walk away today understanding and knowing that we see you, we hear you, we value you. And I know the people that are around you do as well, but we're here to speak on their behalf in case they're not speaking enough and you're not feeling it. You are seen, you are heard, you are valuable and your team would not be where they are.

 

today, whatever that life looks like, if it weren't for you and your company and your and your practice and your leadership, again, no matter which spectrum that is, if it's exactly how you want it to be, if you're on your way to where you want it to be, or if you're in the space, that's like, gosh, I really, it needs to be totally different. It doesn't matter your team is here with and for you. And the right team is here with and for you and you are loved. And I hope that you have

 

the most incredible day today, most incredible day tomorrow, and that you just feel that love from all of us and teams, National Bosses Day. So if you didn't know that, go grab a coffee or a flower or chocolate, or just a big hug when you get into the practice and a high five and just say thank you so much for all that you do today and every day.

 

Ladies, thank you so much for being here with me today. This was a fun podcast to be able to put out into the world. Ms. Kiera Dent, thank you for all that you have provided us with and for providing us with this space. Cause I don't know if y 'all know out there, this podcast is Kiera Dent's brainchild and we would not be here today without her. We would not be able to celebrate her today on this platform if it weren't for the hard work she put in.

 

The Dental A Team (20:19.289)

over five years ago to make this a reality for all of us. So thank you guys so much. Dana, Britt, thank you for being here. Go love on your bosses and have the best day ever everyone.

 

Hiring a fantastic team member starts with writing the perfect ad. Tiff and Dana share tips on how to approach writing and distributing ads to hire. They touch on creating job descriptions, including core values, teasing culture style, and more.

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January is a tactical month, and the Dental A-Team is lending a helping hand. On January 26, attend Master Momentum 2024, a free webinar for dentists. Attendees will learn to build a master plan for maximum momentum, set goals, and get your team on board to increase practice profitability. Sign up here to attend the webinar from 8 to 10 a.m.

In this episode, Kiera and Tiff tease out what will be touched on at Master Momentum 2024, and give tactical tips for viewers to be aware of heading into it, including how to master your time, what to do when a goal isn’t tracking, and a ton more.

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Kiera breaks down the difference between these two positions that are game-changing in the best way. She talks about tips to hiring, what to consider for assigning tasks, and more.

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Tiff and Dana discuss practices learning to fine-tune their hiring methods from the get-go. Specifically, hiring team members with your practice’s core values in mind. In this episode, they review the biggest hurdle to get over in creating core values (and using them), and the biggest successes in using core values to hire.

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At the start of a new year, it’s easy to get lost in all the to-do lists. In this episode, Kiera encourages listeners to remember to give themselves grace. When you’re overwhelmed, it’s important to remember to take a breath and consider three approaches:

1. Prioritize one thing

2. Utilize your team effectively

3. Be intentional with your time

Kiera breaks down each of these steps and reminds everyone to take a well-deserved breath.

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DAT consultants Tiff and Dana walk listeners through the steps of coming up with the ideal avatar for your next team member. With hiring happening fast right now, it’s important to have a clear plan and expectations in place before you even extend an offer. Tiff and Dana review the following:

1. Consider what gaps exist in the practice

2. Have the job description(s) ready

3. Consider the personalities of interviewees and how they might align with the position

4. And more!

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It’s one thing reaching excellence, but sustaining it? In this episode, Kiera talks about steps practices can take to maintain excellence in their dentistry.

1. Know you’re capable

2. Keep things simple

3. Be intentional with your numbers

4. Love what you do

 

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2024 is here, and so is Kiera to help listeners have success in the new year. She talks about three ways to start things off right:

1. Choose a word to live by

2. Set personal and professional goals

3. Plan in a way that’s actionable

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Consultants Tiff and Denae address a top concern of many dental practices: supply budget and tracking. They break down their advice into four main points:

1. Counting your actual supplies

2. Figuring out a system

3. Ordering calendar

4. Avoiding overspending

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Kiera is joined by Victoria Hughes, CFP and financial advisor with Dentist Advisors, to talk about women in dentistry. They talk about challenges/trends in the field; financial health as women’s number one stressor; imposter syndrome; and perfectionism. They both share their own challenges and how they’ve overcome (and are still overcoming) them today.

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Get in touch with Victoria directly: victoria@dentsitadvisors.com 

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Is there a service in the dentistry field you’re interested in learning more about — perhaps enough to add it to your practice? Tiff and Britt dive deep into how to go about expanding services. They give examples, how to tap into your creative side, hurdles that might come up and how to pivot, and more.

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Transcript:

The Dental A Team (00:01.134)

Hello Dental A Team listeners, we're back today. You've got Tiff and Britt and I'm using your Britt nickname today. Always, I said Brittany Stone last time and like you mentioned, like it's always a little weird. It's so weird to me when people say, this is Tiffanie. And I'm like, it's Tiff. Tiffanie is like so formal. It makes me sound, it either makes me feel like a child or old. Like there's no in -between. It's not my age right now. Whatever, whatever this in -between stages is Tiff. So Britt.

 

Welcome back. I'm excited to be here with you today. I think we have a fun topic that is right up your alley. You love the clinical stuff and this one's diving into clinical. How are you this beautiful afternoon? Yeah.

 

Britt (00:44.197)

different crowds. don't know about you, Brittany or like Brett or if you're Tiffanie or Tiff for me, like it just it depends on what crowds and like kind of like what phase of life did I go by my full name or my short name. So but I'm doing great today. I'm excited to be here. Agreed. I love chatting a variety of things, right? So it's always fun. We love it with clients because you never know what they're gonna throw at us, which just makes our life super fun, which I think we love about it. And I think we've got a fun one for everybody today.

 

The Dental A Team (00:54.293)

Yes! I agree!

 

The Dental A Team (01:07.628)

So true.

 

The Dental A Team (01:13.036)

I agree. I agree. I do love I like have a love hate for it. I should say, right? Like I love being thrown curveballs. But then sometimes I'm like, Whoa, my brain. Like this is a big one or dang, I had 15 curveballs but five with five clients this just today like and sometimes it's exhausting but I do love it. I had a client yesterday. We were talking about

 

Britt (01:22.03)

That's nice.

 

The Dental A Team (01:38.528)

something I can't even I told the last podcast I told you I can't remember all that far. But we're talking about something and I was like, gosh, this is actually it was it's a different type of marketing. And it was two days ago. That's why I can't remember. But they're in a space they're in a they're in Texas. And they're in a community in Texas that is it's just oil fields like they're just it's the oil field industry. And

 

Initially, they're like, how do we stop cancellations? I'm like, fantastic. Like, here's some pieces, here's some things. And then we're like digging through and we're realizing, I'm like, listen, guys, like, let's put these pieces into play for sure. But sometimes you're just in a place that's like, you're going to experience cancellations. These people are getting sent out at midnight for three months to go work in a different oil field. Like they don't have the flexibility. And so it was really cool. And the conversation, the point I say this is like,

 

I had to really think outside the box and I said, you guys, your marketing, your systems, while I have systems that are tied and true and I know that they work, this is why doing it here is different. I may say this is why Dental A Team is different, because calling further in advance on your confirmations or telling them you're going to charge them or coming up with all of these solutions that work for many practices, let's implement those for sure, but you've got a different

 

type of community. I think changing your marketing to we're here when you need us, because that's what you're hearing. And more of that like same day, let's get patients in, hey, call us, switching the marketing efforts is going to work in your area. And the reason that was so cool was because it was so drastically different than majority of other clients. And it was really fun to

 

get that outside the box thinking and like, gosh, okay, let's put our hats on and we brainstorm together and the hygienist in that call was just like, she stood up at the end and she was like, I am so excited for this because at the end of every visit, when I walk them up and I do my NDTR, I tell them, if you need anything else between your appointments, we're here for you, please call. She's like, so this is expanding on that and I was like, you've already been priming your patients for it.

 

The Dental A Team (03:48.199)

This is exactly what we need to do. But it was so cool, Britt, because that just highlights like the differences and really getting thrown those curve balls and having fun with it and really diving in and figuring out where are you and how can we expand on that. And that's something I think clinically that we want to talk about today even is really how to expand your range of services. And Britt, I know I didn't prep for this piece and I do this to you guys all the time.

 

I realized that but my brain just is like ping, ping, ping, ping, and I just go for it. So before we even get into like the super doctor clinical stuff, I know that you as a practicing hygienist before you were all into the state you guys, if I need any information on what the dental industry is doing and what's progressing, I know Britt's my girl. So she I know that you have always been so invested in that and I would love to pick your brain right now on.

 

Britt (04:34.747)

Thank

 

The Dental A Team (04:44.87)

Before we talk about doctor clinical, hygiene clinical, and how did you as a clinician or as being over the clinicians as a manager, how did you help hygiene to expand their services?

 

Britt (04:59.291)

Yeah, so I mean, it's always fun. Doctor can do a lot more than the rest of the team, right? So when we get there, there's a lot more options. And for hygienist and even assistants, right? It's gonna be a little bit of like, what can you do within your state, right? That you're under your license, under your scope of practice that you can do. I'd say number one, be aware of that. And even if you want to be able to do more in your state, even I would say encourage you to like.

 

be involved if you want to, you know, you can give anesthesia now and that's something that hygienists want, you want to be able to do one day, be involved with your local associations and things and help move those things forward. Cause it'll help to expand and just make you a, like a more advanced clinician in the end of it. So that's my like one plug is like, cause I know every state's going to be a little bit different and then know what you can or can't do and explore it. And at the end of the day, hygienists and doctors, right? Whatever

 

and assistance, whatever we see that's gonna be a benefit to our patients, kind of like to what you were talking about, custom fit it, but what are the advancements? What are the new things? What can we do that would be beneficial to our patients and in line with our standard of care or something we might wanna evaluate and adding to our standard of care? What is there number one and just get familiar with it.

 

and then see if it's something that you want to be able to add to your practice. know I'm a big laser fan from like back in the beginning when I first got out of school, because it's something we could do in Arizona. I'm a big believer in it for those who can do it. If you're not doing it, it might be something worth considering and starting to look into to see if it'll benefit your patients. I love it. I know these days a lot of hygienists like Airway, Myofunctional are big things that are coming out now that can be super beneficial. And a lot of people are learning that.

 

Even things like for assistance, right? Being able to learn to do things that like maybe your doctor is doing now, but you could do. Those are also things that are expanding. Maybe it's not a new procedure for our practice, but you, it's expanding you and what procedures you can do, which is gonna help the practice overall. So I think just look, be aware of what's out there. Read your articles, be a part of groups, go to your CEs and just be aware of what.

 

Britt (07:14.477)

exists so then you can determine what might be good. And I think for doctors, doctors are they've got a lot on their shoulders and they're they learn a lot and they're exposed to a lot. But team members bring stuff up to doctors all the time that they haven't heard about or they didn't know their team would be interested in doing and you can help to kind of have the practice progress and expand things.

 

The Dental A Team (07:36.275)

I totally agree. I love all of that. I may you're gonna say laser, I think laser is huge. I think it's a giant benefit. And I think that got really hyped when it you know, first started and then people are like, I don't know. And I think it's something that kind of has fallen off. So I, I surely encourage hygienists to go do that. But something else that you mentioned was the like my functional space, the airway, the sleep apnea, those spaces, and I actually worked with a client over the summer.

 

who had a really fantastic, thriving sleep department. And she did it, it's taken years to get there and she's done it. They've got the systems and processes, everything's written down, write it down. But the interesting piece to me about it was that the doctor barely touched that department. She had a hygienist that loved it, that just saw the need. She, from a personal level, she connected with it.

 

Britt (08:09.317)

Thank

 

Britt (08:26.171)

Thank you.

 

The Dental A Team (08:34.826)

She loved it, she wanted it to do well, and the doctor handed it over to her. So she had a hygienist that went and learned all of this stuff down to the medical billing. Like she's processing the claims for that department. So one of her top hygienists in her practice actually is now running her sleep department. And so expanding her range of services, and I'm not saying go pull a hygienist to start a sleep department. I'm saying look for the things that interest you guys and see how can you expand on that, even if it's something

 

you're already doing, how can you do more of that? I think is what Britt's saying, but watching them thrive in that personally, like she was so happy and she loves hygiene. She still does like a day or two of hygiene a month because she loves hygiene, but she was genuinely lit up talking to me about the sleep department. And so it expanded the services of the practice, but it expanded the services for her and the impact she can potentially make.

 

personally on on the community. So I love that you said that. That highlights a piece that I want to make sure we talked about was what interests you. So hygienists, RDAs, FDs, dental assistants, doctors, associates, all of you guys. What interests you? Like what do you look at and you're like, gosh, that would be cool. But maybe you're afraid to step your foot into and dip that toe in and kind of test the waters or you're like, gosh, it just seems so hard or whatever.

 

reason why aren't you doing it? What interests you? I've had a lot of practices this year that I that were like, gosh, I need to expand services. One PPL reimbursements suck you guys we know that and when you can expand services, you can do higher value things like obviously it makes the production the collections easier. So I had a lot of practices this year that were like, I can't and don't want to drop insurances, but how do I make more? So one space I had them evaluate

 

was to because most people don't put it in their system. I hope you are track, truly track what you're referring out and how many of those things you're referring out. So root canals, perio procedures, implants, oral surgery procedures. I love all of my specialists. I love you. But really if there's something in there for my dentists and FDs and RDAs and all of you guys, like, is there something

 

The Dental A Team (11:00.851)

that you enjoy and you want to learn more about, look at what you're referring out. Kavya, I had an office Brit, she was like, I refer out a ton of root canals. I wanna do root canals in office. And I said, okay, we can do that. We can pull root canals back in office. There's courses all over the place that you can go get refreshers on. There's an hour -end course I know of that's fantastic. You can do this. She's like, okay.

 

I said, let's sit on this. Like, let's think about the work it's going to take and let's evaluate how many root canals you're going to do. I talked to her on our next two week call two weeks later. She was like, Tiff, I hate root canals. I was like, yeah, I didn't think you liked them, but I needed to go. We needed to go with it for a second. She's like, I don't want to do root canals. I send them out because I hate them. Cool. Then let's not do root canals. Let's look at the other pieces. So caveat is don't pull things in just to expand services, just to offer more, just to make more money. If you hate doing something, don't do it.

 

Do more of what you love. So we're evaluating here to look at what interests you and how can we do more of it? Are there things, Britt, you mentioned, you mentioned, right, you talked about, right, getting the things that the hygienist can do and within your state it's different, especially when it comes to FDAS, RDAs, dental assistants. It's all over the place, you guys. In Arizona, like, we don't get any special acknowledgement, we just.

 

do everything and you either know or you don't know and you learn it. So, Wild Wild West out here, California, Colorado, like they're Colorado's placing fillings, right? Like that's cool, Tennessee, they're placing fillings, they're like a provider. Here, I actually don't know anymore what that is. I mean, I know what is fine.

 

Britt (12:44.057)

It depends. There's some places where it's rural and even hygienists can place fillings if they get certification for it. So sometimes there's some if it's an area in need. that's where it's like, know what's going on in your state.

 

The Dental A Team (12:50.182)

Yeah.

 

The Dental A Team (13:00.246)

Exactly, exactly. And to speak to that point, like once you do know, Britt, like you said, for those spaces, hygienists, for sure. But then you guys, my RDAs, my FDs, my dental assistants that are listening, I know what it's like to feel like such a big important piece of that appointment and feel like, gosh, I really helped this patient or I really helped my doctor. Go figure out what you can do. And where can you expand so that your

 

expanding your range of services because that adds value in. Britt, I'm sure you've seen it too. You've got practices too, or have worked with practices too, who have these expanded functions that they're able to do in hygiene and or assisting side. And what has that done when they take on those pieces and the support team will call them, right? The support team is like, no, like I can do this. Let me do it. What does that do for the doctors? What have you seen for the doctors? Like what are they available to do them?

 

Britt (13:57.371)

Yeah, I want to say first, even for my assistant, I'm a big believer in anyone within a dental office. This is your profession. Like you are a professional. So by expanding your skills, you are just expanding yourself as a professional and what you can do. like, I want to throw that in. Number one is like, I hope you all view yourselves that way. That's how I view all of you because it's true. You have amazing skills. You do amazing things every day. And by working to like the highest level of your ability,

 

taking on those things, learning them from your doctor, getting the trust from your doctor where you're able to go and do it on your own, frees the doctor up to be able to do more of the things that only they can do. I always say doctors are our ultimate limiting factor, right? How many doctors do we have in the practice? How many of the rest of the team do we have? It's usually at least two to one, if not three to one when it comes to doctrine, we're pulling them in a million different directions. So the more we can do,

 

I'll tell you for hygiene, I'm like great when my assistants can do a lot, that means my exams are going to be more on time. So it helps a lot. We can fit in more patients for treatment because we can utilize our assistants and be able to take care of more patients throughout the day. And you guys know, like doctors do a great job of knowing our patients and building that relationship.

 

The Dental A Team (14:59.439)

Yes.

 

Britt (15:13.603)

hygiene assistant front desk, like you guys know those patients. So you also help to give them a great experience that you're there with them through most of that appointment. You're taking care of a good part of that appointment. Doctor gets to come in and do the part that they need to do. And then you take care of the rest of it. And I have seen for assistance, right? It's performing to the extent that you can on a lot of those things I talked about.

 

But I also have assistants who are helping to like manage team, manage supplies, find, you know, better prices for things. They're learning to design crowns or learning to mill crowns. is so much that you can learn to do. But like I said, just builds you up as a professional and makes it so we can take care of more patients within our office.

 

The Dental A Team (15:59.5)

I love that. I love all of that. think one thing I didn't even think about that you mentioned was like learning how to do the crowns or learning how to do the 3D machines or the impressions or the scans that you need to send things out. Like that's, that's a space I didn't even think of. And I love that you said that.

 

Britt (16:10.055)

Thank

 

Britt (16:17.5)

3D printers, right? Some of them, like, they're printing out, you know?

 

The Dental A Team (16:18.982)

Yes.

 

Britt (16:22.511)

retainers, or they're printing out dentures and all that stuff. And there's some cool, there's a lot of cool stuff that are advances if your office has it that like, if they do, or if you're looking into it, those are the things that the team helps drive the doctor so much because the doctor can't do everything right again, they're one person, even if we've got multiple doctors compared to how many team members we have. But if a doctor has a team member that's like, I'm here with you, I'm here to learn it with you, let's do it.

 

doctor is going to be a lot more confident to say all right let's do it and it helps everybody.

 

The Dental A Team (16:58.052)

I totally agree. I did a podcast not long ago with the dentist on here. Dave Mogadam you guys can search for it somewhere and they might put them in notes, whatever. But he spoke on that about some advanced courses that he's taken this year, that he actually took some of his dental assisting team with him so that they could learn that stuff because he doesn't. He loves it. He gosh, this man is creative. Like he would sit all day. he has a 3d printer at home.

 

that he plays with that he makes toys with. He brought me a toy like the next day at the office, he brought me a little toy and made me this little octopus thing. But I was like, my gosh, he loves the creative side. But he sees the value in allowing his team to have a part to play in that and allowing his team to learn it. And I don't think you always have to go to the courses. A lot of those places will send somebody out to your practice too. But the value in that is huge. And now he's been able actually, I just talked to him today and he

 

Britt (17:25.435)

Yeah.

 

The Dental A Team (17:53.894)

had his first sedation day. And so he's been able to like implement other bigger, broader things into his practice to add value to expanding his range of services because his dental assisting team has been able to take things on like that. So I love that you said that. Now within the doctor space, I think it's super important, you guys, I'm gonna go back to the beginning on what interests you. What are you sending out that maybe you could keep in house if it interests you?

 

And why aren't you doing it? That's my biggest question. If it interests you, why aren't you doing it? Overcome that fear, overcome that hurdle, and go for it. I think right now is the perfect time, maybe even a little bit late, to choose your CE for 2025. Like, choose your CE whatever year you're listening to this in. Make sure next year your CE is already chosen by...

 

October. Know what you want next year to look like. And if you don't know, that's okay, like it'll it'll come. That's fine. But plan that out. Because one of the biggest hurdles that I hear from doctors, and the reason they're not expanding services, or they're not doing the thing they truly want to do is time, time, and money. And I have a doctor, we're working on next for next year, reducing the number of days it should take to hit his minimum goal, because he wants to do so much CE and his issue is time.

 

and being able to provide financially for his team. So taking off time at the office and seeing the impact that that has on his team, we've got to like, finagle some workarounds and some goals so that we can still pay the team, whatever, right? But that hurdle, we're working through it. So if you know what your hurdles are, what's holding you back from doing the thing that you truly want to do, now you can plan a workaround. Okay, great. If that's the hurdle,

 

How do we get you more time? And you get into this space, think, Britt, I know I get in this space and you help pull me out where it's just like, I can't see outside of the problem because I'm so in the problem. it is just like, sometimes I'm just like, no, it just sucks. And you're like, okay, it sucks today. We'll come back tomorrow. It's fine. And you navigate that really well with me. So kudos and thank you.

 

The Dental A Team (20:08.871)

But sometimes that's the space I think that we get into with expanding services too. Like, gosh, yeah, that would be cool Tiff, but like, how am I supposed to do that? Brett, I have no time. And so, Brett, think something that we do really well is taking our doctors from that space. Like, where is it that you want to go? And this is, want to go, I want to do the service. And then we work backwards and say, cool, this is the path that's going to get you there. What are the hurdles that are going to come up that we can anticipate?

 

not all of them are anticipated, right? But what can we anticipate within this path? What hurdles may come that we can have a pivot ready for so we can work around it. And if it's the time or the money, fan -freaking -tastic, it's October and we're planning for next year. Guess what, guys? We can do anything with your goals. We just add it into your goals and we make the magic happen. that's the easy space of it. But what interests you? Why aren't you doing it? What are you sending out?

 

What are things that your support team can help with and do they want to? And then choose your CE for next year. Those are my biggest points. And Brit, for someone that's just like on the edge of their seat, gosh, this Brit and Tiff, are freaking amazing. And you've got me pumped up and ready to go. But they're like, ha. And then two weeks later, they forgot about this. What do you suggest for them? Like, how do they stay motivated in this space of potential busy and chaos? And I'm not ready to look at that. What would you say to your client?

 

today to keep that motivation.

 

Britt (21:39.163)

Yeah, I think that right thoughts not written down or put into motion get lost, right? And so we've got to do something to where either

 

It's maybe going on a whiteboard in your office. So you see it there regularly and you know that that's something you want to work towards. Maybe it's like looking up the course and when's the next date and putting that up somewhere so that you know that that's what you're working towards or having some sort of accountability buddy. I think if you're normal, we all get to those spots where it's like, I can't see past my nose right now and I need someone to help me see past my nose and we've got to step away or get someone from an outside perspective to pull us out of it.

 

thing with treatment and so it's like make it something that's gonna put into motion. Don't make it just a thought, write it down somewhere, schedule the event, pick what you want to go to, something to move forward and you know what doctors? Go into a course about it.

 

It still doesn't tie you to anything right now. Like, so if you're like, hey, I'm interested in it, but like, my gosh, it seems like such a big thing to tackle. Start with one thing. Start with one thing and see if you're as interested as you are. And I say the same thing to...

 

I'll just add one last thing to sometimes it's the market we're in that's also going to drive you right. I've got some docs who are in areas where we may not have a lot of specialty around. And so they're like, my gosh, I feel for my patients. I want to be able to do more for them, but I don't know.

 

Britt (23:09.231)

This is where Tiff and I are coaching you. Take the push, go take a course on it and just start to explore it and you get exposed to people who have done it. You can do whatever you want. Like at the end of the day, if you really want to do it, you can. And sometimes it's just explore it first, take the first step and that's all you need to do right now. And then take the next step.

 

The Dental A Team (23:28.787)

Yeah, one step at a time. I love that. I love the whiteboard idea. Alright guys, I hope you feel motivated. I hope you feel powerful. I hope you feel excited to go find something. It doesn't have to be grandiose. It doesn't have to be something big. But go find something that excites you that you can learn or you can add and you can expand what you're offering in the next year. Go do it.

 

Drop us a review below five stars are always appreciated. Let us know what you decide I want to know what you guys are doing too because Britt I don't know about you but that's where a lot of our Knowledge base comes from is picking the brains of the people we work with so share that breadth of knowledge Leave us a review Reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com we want to hear from you guys And if you need help working that backwards like if you're like gosh, I just can't see through it you guys We have coaches too. I have a coach that helps me

 

work through things in my life that helps me work through my health and fitness and mindful journey like all of those pieces. We all have coaches and we are here for you for those types of things. That's what we love. That's where our passion lies. And I want you guys to understand if you need it or if you just need a little smidgen of direction, reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. are here to help you guys. And I hope you have a fantastic rest of your day.

 

It’s the final book club selection of 2023! Kiera shares her thoughts on The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday and how we can turn adversity into success. She talks about common obstacles in the practices the DAT is visiting, like operations manuals, and how each practice can overcome these challenges.

Don’t let the boulder in your path stay there.

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Check out the full list of DAT’s 2023 book club here.

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Kiera takes a moment to encourage a re-centering in your personal and professional life.

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Derick Van Ness of Big Life Financial is spilling more tax-related secrets, and just in time for the end of the year. He talks with Kiera about tax strategies you have and haven’t heard about, including tax-smart investments, when tax planning should start, and how to make dollars productive instead of consumptive.

Episode resources:

Learn more about Big Life Financial

Download for free: Tax Strategies Your CPA Isn’t Telling You

Get in touch with Derick directly: derick@biglifefinancial.com 

Listen to episode 693, Strategically Prepare for Economic Downfall

Listen to episode 511, Tax Time: Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck

Listen to episode 462, Get Tax Savvy

Reach out to Kiera: hello@thedentalateam.com 

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