Beyond Bitewings

Finishing Dental School is only the beginning of a dentist’s journey. Not only do they need to understand their trade, but it’s equally as important to understand how to navigate their way through the world of business once they’re ready to start putting all that they’ve learned to work.

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, the Edwards & Associates team is joined by Joe McGregor, Attorney and host of the Jaw Law Podcast. Joe's focus is to help dentists become more aware of potential business issues and to help them understand how others have been able to deal with them.

Today, Joe discusses five things that every dental entrepreneur should know, and why these five things are so important to the success of your practice. You’ll learn about the questions you should be asking, when to ask them, and why it’s crucial to put the right advisors in place for your practice.

If you’d like to learn more about Joe and his Firm, visit http://www.mcgregorfirm.com/ or email him directly at [email protected] And don't forget to catch his podcast Jaw Law http://jawlawpodcast.com/ 

If you'd like to have your question answered on a future Beyond Bitewings podcast, contact Edwards & Associates at [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation at www.ADCPA.org

Many dental practices look at credentialing with insurance companies as a way to attract patients, but there are other ways that dental practices can attract and keep their patients. One of those is through membership programs. On today’s episode of Beyond Bitewings, the team welcomes Katie Franklin, Program Director for Smile Advantage.

Smile Advantage helps dental practices implement and run membership programs, and Katie is discussing why every dental practice should consider adding one as a resource for their patients. Not only are membership programs attractive to those who may not have insurance, but Katie has also found that even those with insurance many times take advantage of the program.

Katie and the Edwards & Associates team also discuss what type of typical benefits are offered with a membership program, what goes into implementing a membership program and the costs involved, how to get the whole team on board, and why membership programs don’t make sense in some cases.

If you’ve been considering implementing a membership program for your office and would like to talk to Katie, reach out to her at (314) 885-4640, or email her at [email protected] Or learn more by visiting: mysmileadvantage.com

If you'd like to have your question answered on a future podcast, contact Edwards & Associates at [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any one of the excellent ADCPA affiliates across the nation at www.ADCPA.org

You’ve finally accomplished your goal of graduating from dental school. However, just when you thought you'd reached the end, you find yourself at the beginning and there are a lot of different options ahead of you in terms of starting your career.

Should you jump in and start your own practice? Should you work as an employee for one company for a while and learn the ropes? Or should you work as a contractor for several different companies to learn the techniques from several different dentists?

These are questions going through so many graduates’ minds, and ones the team at Edwards and Associates gets asked frequently.

In this episode, they’re covering the different options that new dental school graduates have, and what is important to understand before striking out on your own or being an associate.

Questions answered in this episode:

• What kind of agreement should you have in place if you’re going to work for another dentist?
• What outlets are available to find opportunities?
• If you’re starting out on your own is a business plan the first thing you’ll need to put together?
• What skills should you focus on building and learning while you’re working for another dentist?
• Is buying into a practice a viable option?
• How can you line up financing if you’re just getting started?
• Plus so much more

If you'd like to have your question answered on a future podcast, contact Edwards & Associates at [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at www.ADCPA.org 

In a dental practice, the hygiene department is one of the most important teams in your practice, and dentists must understand how to utilize this team in the best way possible.

Karen Davis, Owner of Cutting Edge Concepts, joins the Edwards and Associations team in this episode of Beyond Bitewings to discuss what dentists should know about hiring, managing, leading, and utilizing their dental hygienists.

In this episode, they discuss why the dental hygienist team is often underutilized, and why dental practices are often missing the mark on one of the largest problems regarding our health, periodontal disease. Teams must understand the dental practice’s approach to the diagnosis of periodontal disease treatment. Plus they all need to be on the same page when working with patients.

Other topics that are discussed are when to know the right time to bring in a hygienist and a hygiene coordinator, and where are some of the best places to find the right talent. They also discuss why leadership is one of the most important skills for the dentist in a dental practice, yet it’s something many aren’t working hard to build.

For more information on Karen’s company, you can visit: https://karendavis.net/

If you would love to see your question answered on a future podcast, contact Edwards & Associates at [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at www.ADCPA.org 

The Edwards and Associates team is back answering some of your most pressing questions. They’re kicking this episode off with one of the biggest questions they get about car buying and some of the biggest misconceptions when using your car as a tax deduction. 

Also discussed in this episode is why putting your kids on your payroll could be beneficial and what you need to do to avoid raising any red flags.

Plus they cover what dentists should understand about buying multiple practices, like what you should know when proceeding with starting the second practice, why utilizing the same bank for all of your locations could be a very wise move, and why dreaming of someday owning 10 practices might not be what you really want (even though you think it is). They offer some great advice based on what they’ve seen their clients struggle with when taking on this pretty difficult goal. 

Another topic covered is business personal property tax, these aren't just random letters that come in the mail, they're for real! The team breaks down what this tax is all about and what you need to know. 

And of course, last but not least, they talk about implementing a 401k in your practice. 

If you would love to see your question answered on our next FAQ podcast, contact Edwards & Associates at [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.

Should you start a dental practice from scratch or buy one with existing patients, and more importantly, existing cash flow? It’s the main question that new dentists ask, and one that should be considered heavily before jumping in.

There are many things to consider when it comes to dental practice transitions, and the team from Edwards & Associates is discussing some of the important things you need to look for when considering either buying a dental practice or starting a dental practice from scratch.

The good news is that the failure rate for dental offices is very low, so either decision can be a good one, and lenders usually look favorably upon someone needing money for a dental practice.

In this podcast, the team weighs the pros and cons of each, and what the important factors are when deciding to purchase vs. startup. They discuss what you should consider when building a practice from scratch. Plus they talk about what you should be considering when purchasing a practice, and why patient count isn’t the most important number.

Before you start down the road of purchasing or buying, this is a must-listen!

Blog Mentioned In This Podcast - What Went Wrong Wednesdays:  https://www.adapracticetransitions.com/blog/what-went-wrong-wednesdays-3-contract-issues-that-got-expensive

Have a question? Contact Edwards & Associates to get your question answered and possibly featured in a future podcast, [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.

When is a good time to start adding providers to your dental practice? Trying to time when to add a hygienist or an associate doctor can be overwhelming--hoping you have enough patients but not waiting until it’s too late. 

This is one of the biggest questions the team at Edwards & Associates are asked by their clients, and one they’re answering in today’s podcast.

As companies are looking ahead to a post-pandemic world, they’re trying to figure out the best time to bring new providers on board. But there are many questions to answer when hiring a hygienist, an associate doctor, or any other staff. 

In this episode, Edwards & Associates discusses: How to know when it’s time to bring in an associate or hygienist. With hygienists in short supply, is there a day of the week that’s better if you can only hire one part-time? How much can you expect a hygienist to help you produce? Should you hire your new team member as an employee or contractor? And, what happens if your staff requires a Visa? 

Have a question? Contact Edwards & Associates to get your question answered and possibly featured in a future podcast, [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.

CARES Act, PPP Loans, Employee Retention Credit, understanding the rules between these relief programs and offerings can be an overwhelming task. Making things more difficult are the constantly changing rules.

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, the Edwards & Associates team brings some clarity to the Employee Retention Credit changes. They discuss what the changes mean for those who may have missed out on the original application and what you may be able to qualify for because of the new updates.

They dive deep into understanding what type of companies may want to re-visit applying for the Employee Retention Credit and also break down some of the specific qualifications.

Most business owners will find analyzing their situation and applying too overwhelming to do on their own, so make sure you consult with your CPA to help navigate these changes and determine what’s best for your situation.

Have a question? Contact Edwards & Associates to get your question answered and possibly featured in a future podcast, [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.

Buying a dental practice does not automatically make you a great leader. Many dental practice owners find themselves in a predicament where not only do they need to learn how to build a practice, but more importantly, they need to learn how to lead their team to see that practice thrive.

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, the Edwards & Associates team welcomes Dr. Sharon Tiger, a nationally known practice management consultant and business coach to dentists. 

Dr. Tiger discusses what dentists need to learn to become great leaders, important factors to understanding leadership in dentistry, and why you shouldn’t be worried if you’re not a natural-born leader.

She also discusses why creating great job descriptions can help you build a more effective team, how you can create a culture within your dental team, why setting goals is so important to any practice, plus how you can learn to communicate better with your team, simply by practicing and making it a habit. 

If you would like to get in contact with Dr. Tiger, please email her at [email protected]

Have a question? Contact Edwards & Associates to get your question answered and possibly featured in a future podcast, [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.

We would probably all prefer to forget about 2020! But as hard as it was, it taught us that you can never be too prepared for the unexpected.

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, the Edwards & Associates team discusses what dental practice owners can do to prepare themselves for the next catastrophe. The next significant event may not be a pandemic. It could be something much more local, like a flood. No matter how large or small, it’s important that you have the resources and capabilities to handle it.

How much cash should you have on hand? Are there opportunities to cut costs, and how aggressive should you be with those cuts? What are other areas you should analyze when trying to plan for a significant event? These are just some of the questions answered in this podcast.

Have a question? Contact Edwards & Associates to get your question answered and possibly featured in a future podcast, [email protected] or 972-267-9191. Or contact any excellent ADCPA affiliate across the nation at ADCPA.org.