Start Your Dental Practice

When chaos strikes in your dental practice, what happens? For most dentists, that means: - flustered assistants and hygienist - stress on you from having to tend to demand instead of working on growing your dental practice - And worse, frustrated patients who may never return

In the dental business you have the good: - Working with great patients - Having a thriving business - Building a team of incredible people

When you open your own practice, there are things you must commit to: - Long hours - Hard work - Sacrifice

Dental school will teach you how everything there is to know about oral hygiene: - Proper care of teeth - Correctly use of dental instruments - How to administer treatments

When I was working in public accounting I used to dream of starting a business.I devoured as much information as I could while honing my skills in the areas of taxation, accounting, and consulting.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 1 - Jayme Amos host of the Dentistry’s Ideal Practices Podcast is demystifying the “how to start a dental practice” problem.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 2 - Dr. Maloely, host of The Relentless Dentist Podcast, tells us how find a dental practice to take over or start a new one all together.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 3 - Our digital dental CPA firm explains how to avoid losing $109,000 in your dental practice with guest David Harris.

What sets your practice apart from others? Your “brand”? Logo? Name? If that’s the case, those things don’t have an impact on what ultimately matters to the patient:

On Tuesday I let you know that I’m launching a new way to help dental practice owners.I’m proud to say that we are now live.We have three episodes that are available right now as an audio podcast, a YouTube interview, and of course available on the DentistMetrics website.

Tooth & Coin Podcast - Learn how real life practicing general dentist and the creator of Dental Maverick Dr. Tuan Pham spend less than 5% of his time managing his business.

Tooth & Coin Podcast - Dr. Phelps owns multiple dental practices and is a marketing genius tells us how he increased the revenue of his practices ten times from 2003 to 2010.

For most dentists, starting out is the hardest phase… You may be an associate, trying to find an associateship opportunity that may lead into a partnership, or trying to create your business plan for starting your own dental practice.

When it comes to creating a website for your practice, it seems like everyone wants to tell you what you need…

I notice some trends when it comes to marketing practices out in the wild. And to be honest, I can immediately tell how well a practice is, or will be doing right when I see how they handle this one thing:

Tooth & Coin Podcast - Trevor Maurer explains how Smile Source gives solo dental practice owners the benefits of a group practice while remaining fiercely independent.

The biggest pain at the front desk of any dental practice is easy to notice, but hard to solve: The phone system. When you think about it, having a reliable method for your customers to call in to is essential – and the difference between having business and being booked solid.

If you have experience beyond starting your own dental practice, and have been in a practice for some time – then you know the struggles…

In our last episode, Dr. Jarett Hulse joined us and went above and beyond to share his experience and road to becoming an owner of a dental practice.

For several years, Dr. Colin Lathrop has honed his skills working as a dentist in the Houston area and built up a loyal clientele who appreciate his friendly chairside manner and outstanding skill in all aspects of dentistry.

In all previous episodes of Start Your Dental Practice, we’ve featured the best and brightest names in the dental industry. Today, I’m it switching up.

Do you know the numbers that matter in your dental practice? Today’s show is a clip from a past interview where I was featured on Howard Speaks with Howard Farran – the founder of Dental Town.

Today’s guest has seen it all. Marilee Sears comes from a “dental household” and watched her father run his dental practice as she grew up…

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 18 - Learn how to to get your first dental office and ALL necessary equipment for $0 down with Dr. Howard Farran, founder of Dental Town.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 19 - Dr. Williams is in a group private practice and earns over $15,000 per day in the office. Learn his secrets!

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 20 - Getting your business finances in order shouldn’t be complicated. Here is what you need to know when hiring a CPA for your dental practice.

Ever heard this? “Intelligence is your ability to adapt to change.” – Stephen Hawking It’s as true in life as it is in your dental practice…

There are many ways to get your website ranking higher in dentistry today. You’ve probably heard plenty of SEO strategies – even some that “break the rules”.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 25 - Jason Patrick Wood partner of the Law Firm of Wood & Delgado warns of way dentists get preyed upon and taken advantage of by others.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 26 - Sandy Pardue senior consultant at Classic Practice Resources discusses how to hire the best talent for your dental practice.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 27 - Find out how to level up your dental practice from six figures to seven with Dr. Mark Costes, founder of the Dental Success Summit.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 28 - Dr. Anissa Homes, founder of Jamaica Cosmetic Dental Services, explains how to build a culture in your dental practice that leads to profit.

Every day I talk to consultants and dentists who are very good at what they do. And every day I realize more and more that there are many out there, like yourself, who can get tremendous value out of these ideas.

Having a successful dental practice comes down to one thing: Keeping your dental chair filled.

Dental equipment is constantly evolving, and your phone constantly rings with salespeople trying to get you to buy the latest technology. You don’t need all the latest bells and whistles to run a profitable business.

Most people will tell you that if you want to grow your dental practice, you need to get more patients. This might make sense at first. But while getting more patients is part of it, it shouldn’t be the priority.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 34 - Multiple dental practice owner, Dr. Hunter Smith, shares how he went from owning zero to five dental practices in just two years.

As a dental practice owner, there are so many things you can be doing to grow your business…yet so little time. One of the beautiful things about technology is that you can put it to use even when you’re not working (or working on something else).

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep.37 - Our digital dental CPA firm explores the best accounting software for a dental practice.

I felt inspired to do this episode after a trip to Disney World with my family. It was the end of tax season, and probably the most appropriate time for us to disconnect from the business and have fun as a family.

Owning a dental practice means you wear many hats (especially when you’re first getting started). As the owner, these are just some of the roles you play:

When patients visit the dentist, they are typically there to address dental hygiene. Nonetheless, studies show that a person’s oral health may have a direct correlation with other potential health issues.

There are many reasons people get into dentistry. Without a doubt, one of those reasons is the opportunity to make lots of money. But in order to make lots of money, there’s a cost to pay:

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 42 - Dr. Anissa Holmes, founder of Delivering Wow, takes you though creating a Facebook marketing strategy for your dental practice that works.

Owning a dental practice gives you the opportunity to make lots of money. But just as dental school doesn’t teach you the business side of dentistry, it also leaves out the financial literacy aspect.

Imagine for a moment that you’re standing in front of a future patient. But you’re not the only one there. You are joined by two other dentists who want the business just as much as you do.

The right team can determine a practice’s success or failure. Having the right people to operate a business is key in ensuring that you are moving in the right direction.

I’m excited to share with you my findings from an analysis of the financials of 25 separate dental practices. The main purpose of this study was to see if I could find any commonalities between practices that were profitable and successful at what they were doing.

Running a dental practice is hard. Every day you have thousands of things that are vying for your intention. And sometimes, in our desire to make things happen we neglect the the basics.

Today’s show features a pioneer in dentistry and to dental podcasters. Dr. Alan Mead is the master behind Mead Family Dentistry and the widely known Dental Hacks Podcast.

The one thing that separates the just OK dental practice from the top performing dental practice — is a great front desk. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to get this right. New employees come and go. Front desk training is often neglected. There are a million of other things needing your immediate attention.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 50 - Dr. Richard Low, founder of SharedPractices, a roadmap from graduation to a success practice.

It’s no secret that virtually every potential patient for your practice spends hours online searching for the “perfect dentist” before picking up the phone. Taking your website seriously can truly be the difference between struggling month to month or having your phones ring nonstop.

Whenever I talk with a practice who is struggling to get where they want to be… The first thing we look at is how they answer their phones. It’s deceptively simple, but can often make all the difference in the world. Listening to your phone calls isn’t “sexy” but it can often give you tremendous insight on areas to improve.

A few weeks ago, I shared some of the best strategies, tips, and lessons I’ve learned from talking to hundreds of practice owners in various stages of their practice. It was without a doubt one of the most popular episodes on the Start Your Dental Practice Podcast.

Is stress controlling your life? Chances are if you’re listening to this, you’re more than familiar with the stresses of everyday life. Student loans. Family obligations. Personal issues. Overcoming barriers with your practice. The list goes on and on.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 55 - Rohit Garg, founder of Practice by Numbers, translates how to make your dental practice numbers into actionable insight you can actually understand.

We all have different reasons for wanting to start a dental practice. Maybe you’ve always had a passion for the dental industry. Or maybe you love making a difference in your patients lives. Or perhaps, you just love the challenge of building a thriving dental business.

Cash. Is. Oxygen. In order to run a successful practice, not only do you have to provide exceptional service to your patients, you also have to master the art of collecting money. Here at Dentist Metrics, we talk all about marketing, branding, and getting the most from your staff… But at the end of the day, collecting on your accounts receivable is what keeps your doors open.

Time and time again, we talk about how important it is to execute if you want to run or grow a successful dental practice.Hard, smart work matters. But contrary to popular belief, you don’t have work 100 hour weeks to make things happen. In fact, in our experience, that will only lead you to burn out.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I know, I’m still recovering from all the delicious food I had. In addition to spending time with family and friends, I hope you were able to pause for just a few moments and celebrate everything you have to be grateful for.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 60 - Here is 3 step process to finding the perfect location for your practice from public speaker and ‘Dental Demographer’ Scott McDonald.

One of my favorite quotes by Benjamin Franklin is when he says “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” And yet.. Time and time again, when I talk with owners who are struggling to grow their practice, it almost always comes back to a lack of a proper plan.

A few weeks back, my wife and I were craving sushi and decided to turn to the all knowing Google for answers. I pulled out my iPhone and typed, “ Best sushi in Little Rock Arkansas.”

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 63 - Michael Arias founder of The Dental Marketer Site share his short “How Many Patients Should My Practice Be Attracting” quiz.

Note: This is an encore of SYDP episode 48 with Dr. Alan Mead updated with time sensitive information about the Voices of Dentistry event you won’t want to miss! If you want a weekend full of learning and connecting with the best of the best Voices of Dentistry is for you. We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday 1/16/2017 !

A strong marketing strategy is essential to get more patients in the door.You know that. But… unfortunately, with so many options out there, it’s so easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck. Maybe you can relate.

Budgets. If we’re being honest, they don’t always have the reputation as the most “fun” topics in the world of dentistry. But a solid budget can make all the difference in keeping the lights on at the end of the day.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 67 - Hunter Smith, owner of the Southern Dental Group, tells us how to navigate the turbulent waters of practice acquisition and build a thriving practice.

As you may know, a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the Voices of Dentistry event. It was easily one of the best events I’ve attended in recent memory, and I was fortunate to connect with some of the best in the business.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 69 - Dr. Anissa Holmes from Delivering Wow explains what “delivering wow” means to her, and how you can apply it to your own practice.

The tools and software you use to run your practice can either help enable you get more done.. Or make life needlessly complicated. For dentists, it’s often the latter.

Dental. Supplies. No, I’m not trying to intentionally give you a headache or make your blood pressure immediately rise by mentioning those dreaded words.

Everyone has their own reason for wanting to build a successful dental practice, and ultimately that reason is what keeps you pushing through, even when times get tough. Somedays you’ll be on top of the world, and others you’ll think about throwing in the towel.

As I’ve mentioned, on a few previous episodes of SYDP, I had the pleasure of speaking at and attending the Voices of Dentistry Podcast Event. It’s not often that I go to conferences that absolutely blow me away, but I can honestly say this was one of those times.

You don’t need a dental CPA who runs a podcast to tell you that the world of dentistry is changing. And changing fast.New ways to market, constantly changing best practices, and an increasingly competitive landscape. And for the millennials who are just getting out of school, things can get a little overwhelming.

As we say time and time again here at Start Your Dental Practice, building a successful practice is many years of hard work. And while there’s no shortage of tips and strategies to help take your practice to the next level.. There’s something that isn’t often talked about in the dental space.

One of the hardest parts about running a dental practice is keeping a consistent revenue stream coming in month after month.Some months you might do great.. And the next month.. Not so much.

As a dental practice owner trying to grow your business, you’re always on the lookout for new ways to get patients in the door. But let’s be honest, with so many options, it can be just a little bit overwhelming. I’ve even experienced this myself, with my business DentistMetrics.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 79 - Successful dental practice owner Justin Short shares his tips on how to maximize productivity and break free from the never ending grind.

It turns out, many dental practice owners need help getting their retirement plans in order, based on the incredible response we received from SYDP episode 75 with Tom Zgainer from America’s Best 401k. I received dozens of personal emails from SYDP listeners saying how informative the episode was and how it really helped them to start thinking about their future.

Since we launched the Start Your Dental Practice show just a few short years ago, the SYDP podcast has become way more than just a podcast… it has become a community of aspiring and experienced dental practice owners from all over the world. And I couldn’t be more grateful for all the connections that have been made over the years.

Anyone can grow a successful practice with the right strategy, attitude, and a little bit of luck. I truly believe that. But being a dentist is about more than just padding your pockets. It’s about service. It’s about community. It’s about making a difference, while also building a life of financial freedom.

We all know, getting on the front page of Google or Bing can have a huge impact on your business, especially when it comes to getting more patients in the chair. But how exactly can you improve your practices SEO? That’s not quite as clear.

There are many things that go into building a successful dental practice. Good marketing helps get patients in the door. A high-quality team makes sure things run smoothly.

One of the best parts about running the Start Your Dental Practice podcast is all the interesting opportunities that it has created for me, both personally and professionally. I get emails and phone calls from listeners all the time sharing their successes, failures, and all the big things they want to accomplish. It’s such a great feeling and an incredible honor.

As technology continues to transform the dental industry, the world of insurance and credentialing has become increasingly complex. As a result, dentists are spending more and more of their valuable time trying to figure things out.And if we’re being honest, most dentists don’t exactly get excited about dealing with insurance and properly codifying their services.

According to recent statistics, 55% of American’s don’t have dental insurance. And if your practice is only serving the 45% of patients that do, you’re leaving a ton of money (and profit) on the table. One way to serve those without insurance is to offer an in-house membership plan, but when done improperly, it can often be more of a headache than a plus.

Chances are if you’re listening to this podcast, you have some dental student loan debt. Having worked exclusively with dentists for most of my professional career, it’s not common for me to see aspiring practice owners coming out of school with 400-500k in student loan debt, and that’s only for a dental license!

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 88 - Norman Gelfand is an expert in commercial real estate discusses the 3 things he looks for in every dental practice lease.

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 89 -This self-hosted episode discusses everything you need to know about how to acquire a dental practice.

One of my favorite ways to stay “up to date” with the dental industry is to be active in a few high-value Facebook groups. And though “social media” often gets a bad rap for being a waste of time, I often find the discussions and comments highly valuable.When done correctly, Facebook groups help you stay on top of the latest trends and build meaningful connections with other dentists and professionals.

Just tuning in? Be sure to check out Part 1 SYDP 89 How To Buy A Dental Practice Today I’m really excited to be sharing part two of my self-hosted episode on how to acquire a dental practice. There’s a lot that goes into buying a practice successfully, and in today’s episode, I’ll expand on what it takes to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. If you enjoy these self-hosted episodes, be sure to let me know what you would like me to cover in the future and I will do my best to do so!

Tooth & Coin Podcast Ep. 92 - Dental consultation Kiera Dent tells us how to choose the right dental consultation for your practice that will help your practice grow, not hold you back.

Whether you’re just about to start your dental practice or looking to take your current practice to the next level, it all starts with building a good team. In dental school, you learned how to fill a cavity and spent thousands of hours studying dentistry… but I’m guessing you didn’t have to take a course on how to build a great team. Which is why I’m so excited to introduce today’s guest Alex Nottingham, CEO of All-Star Dental Academy.

Ever run into this problem? A patient comes into your office with a major tooth ache. Within minutes you know they need a procedure done. Problem is… the procedure is a bit on the expensive side.

Hey Ambitious Dentists, I have a really exciting interview for you today, with the one and only Weston Lunsford, CEO of Dental Intel…Dental Intel is one of the most popular tools used by dentists to help track the metrics and numbers that matter, so you can focus on dentistry.

As a dental practice owner, your time is your most valuable asset. And like me, I’m sure you have an endless list of books and podcasts you want to consume at any given time.And while there are tons of AMAZING resources out there, sometimes finding the right resource for what you need now can be a little tricky.

Hey ambitious dentists, I hope you had a relaxing Labor Day weekend and were able to put your extra day off to good use. I know I really enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Today I wanted to share a self-hosted episode where I talk about the differences between a general CPA and a dental CPA, and how to choose which one is right for you.