Dental Drills Bits

Finding the Right Candidate

Hiring the right person for your dental practice can feel like searching for a unicorn—but it doesn't have to be! In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy Pardue and Dana Salisbury dive deep into how to attract and hire top talent for your dental practice without the frustration.

What you'll learn: ✅ Why a strong job ad is your first (and biggest) hiring tool ✍️ ✅ How to attract working professionals instead of job hoppers 💼 ✅ The balance between experience, attitude, and coachability ⚖️ ✅ Why phone screenings matter—and what to listen for 📞 ✅ The secret to making your practice the workplace of choice 🏆 ✅ A step-by-step plan to streamline your hiring process 🔄

Real Results in Action: Sandy shares how a well-placed blind ad led to 180 applicants in just a few days—and how this approach can help you find the right candidate faster than you think!

Want to master front desk efficiency? Don't miss Front Desk Pro! 📍 Burbank, CA – March 28, 2025 📍 Philadelphia, PA – May 9, 2025

Use promo code "Secret Sauce" for $100 off your registration! 👉 Register now at ClassicPractice.com

✅ Plan Forward – The dental membership plan partner that helps your office thrive. Mention Dental Drill Bits for an exclusive offer! Learn more here.

Don't let hiring challenges slow down your practice growth! Take Sandy's Challenge: ➡️ Review your current job ad—does it attract the right candidates? ➡️ Implement a phone screening process to filter applicants faster ➡️ Make your hiring process an extension of your practice culture

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring you even more game-changing strategies.

In this episode of The Dental Drill Bits Podcast, Sandy and Dana tackle one of the biggest front desk challenges in dental practices—how to maintain consistency and organization when multiple team members rotate through the same position. 🔄

One doctor from the Dental Drill Bits Facebook group asked: How do I streamline communication and documentation when different front desk employees work on different days? Sandy and Dana break it all down, sharing real-world strategies to bring clarity and structure to the front office.

They discuss the importance of detailed checklists, clear procedures, and training that eliminates confusion, ensures predictability, and keeps both doctors and teams stress-free. Plus, they dive into the hidden risks of poor communication—and how to fix them fast.

✔️ Why inconsistency in front desk processes causes frustration for both doctors and employees 😫 ✔️ How standard operating procedures (SOPs) create predictable and stress-free workflows 📋 ✔️ The must-have checklists that keep your front office running smoothly every day ✅ ✔️ How to prevent micromanagement while still ensuring accountability 🔄 ✔️ Why role clarity reduces conflict and improves team morale 🙌 ✔️ A step-by-step action plan to start organizing your front office today 🏁

Sandy also shares how Front Desk Pro attendees are already using these strategies to create smoother, more productive front desks!

Want to master front desk efficiency? Don't miss Front Desk Pro! 📍 Burbank, CA – March 28, 2025 📍 Philadelphia, PA – May 9, 2025

Use promo code "Secret Sauce" for $100 off your registration! 👉 Register now at ClassicPractice.com

✅ Plan Forward – The dental membership plan partner that helps your office thrive. Mention Dental Drill Bits for an exclusive offer! Learn more here.

Don't let front desk chaos slow you down! Take Sandy's challenge: ➡️ Sit down with your front office team and list everything that needs to happen daily ➡️ Create a simple checklist to ensure consistency ➡️ Store your SOPs in a digital folder or binder for easy training and accountability

Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring you even more game-changing strategies.

In this episode of The Dental Drill Bits Podcast, Sandy and Dana tackle one of the most common dilemmas for dental practice owners—Do you really need an office manager? 🤔

Hiring an office manager can seem like the perfect solution to reducing stress and improving operations, but without a clear role definition, it can create more challenges than solutions. In this episode, they break down when an office manager is truly needed, what skills are essential for success, and whether team leaders might be a better alternative.

They also discuss how to structure leadership within a practice to maximize efficiency, build team culture, and create accountability.

✔ Should your practice have an office manager, or is there a better solution? 🤷‍♂️ ✔ The most common mistakes practice owners make when appointing an office manager 🚨 ✔ What to look for in an ideal candidate (hint: it's not just about tenure) 🎯 ✔ The power of team leaders and how they can provide structure without creating bottlenecks 🔄 ✔ Why communication is critical and how to prevent role confusion 🗣️ ✔ How to train and empower leadership within your team for long-term success 🚀

They also highlight upcoming training opportunities that can help practice owners and office managers strengthen their leadership skills and build a thriving, efficient team.

🎧 Tune in to the full episode here: [Insert Podcast Link]

Thinking about leveling up your front office leadership? Don't miss Front Desk Pro! 📍 Burbank, CA – March 28, 2025 📍 Philadelphia, PA – May 9, 2025

Use promo code "Secret Sauce" for $100 off your registration! 👉 Register now at ClassicPractice.com

✅ Plan Forward – The dental membership plan partner that helps your office thrive. Mention Dental Drill Bits for an exclusive offer! Learn more here.

Start evaluating your leadership structure! Do you need an office manager, or would team leaders be a better fit? Outline clear roles, set accountability measures, and ensure every leader knows their purpose.

Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review! Your feedback helps us bring you more valuable content.

Episode Title: Mastering Onboarding for a Thriving Dental Practice

Episode Description:

In this episode of The Dental Drill Bits Podcast, Sandy and Dana dive into the make-or-break process of onboarding new team members in a dental practice. A strong onboarding system not only prevents turnover but also sets the stage for a thriving team culture and long-term success. 🚀

They share real-world experiences, practical strategies, and actionable steps to ensure new hires feel welcomed, supported, and set up for success from day one.

Key Takeaways: ✔ The biggest onboarding mistakes that lead to early resignations 🚨 ✔ How to create a structured onboarding journey that boosts retention 🎯 ✔ Why assigning a buddy system makes integration seamless 👫 ✔ The power of checklists, SOPs, and training milestones 📋 ✔ How to gather feedback to continuously improve your onboarding process 🔄 ✔ What "turnover trauma" is and how to prevent it from costing your practice thousands 💸

They also discuss Sandy's upcoming Front Desk Pro seminar, where dental teams can get hands-on training to improve efficiency, communication, and patient experience.

🎧 Tune in to the full episode here: [Insert Podcast Link]

🎟 SPECIAL OFFER: Sign up for Front Desk Pro and use promo code "Secret Sauce" for $100 off! 👉 Register at ClassicPractice.com

Sponsors:

Don't just look ahead. Plan Forward. Discover the dental membership plan partner that empowers your entire office. Created by a team in your shoes. Find out more here, and be sure to mention Dental Drill Bits for a special offer! https://www.planforward.io/

Take Action Today: Start tracking your open time and production goals now! Print out your schedules, analyze past weeks, and involve your team in finding solutions. Remember, every day is an opportunity to optimize your schedule and serve your patients better.

Subscribe & Leave a Review: Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue to deliver valuable content!

Episode Title: Wasted Time, Open Time, and Maximizing Your Schedule

Episode Description: Welcome to another exciting episode of Dental Drill Bits! This week, Sandy Pardue is joined by a very special guest—Dana Pardue Salisbury, the original co-host and HR business professional. Together, they kick off the new season with a deep dive into one of the most critical topics for dental practices: managing open time in your schedule.

Discover actionable tips to identify, track, and eliminate wasted time in your practice. Whether you're dealing with broken appointments, patient no-shows, or underutilized slots, this episode equips you with practical strategies to improve productivity, enhance patient care, and boost your bottom line.

Plus, hear Dana's unique perspective on the patient experience and why over-communicating about appointment changes can backfire. Stay tuned until the end for a game-changing resource that could revolutionize how you handle in-house membership plans!

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Dana Salisbury's journey back to Dental Drill Bits and her insights on training and development for dental practices.
• The real cost of open time and why tracking it is crucial.
• How to calculate daily, hourly, and per-unit production goals.
• Strategies to reduce cancellations, no-shows, and last-minute reschedules.
• The importance of maintaining a reliable call list and leveraging patient interactions.
• Patient perspective: Why excessive appointment changes can harm patient satisfaction.
• The role of team meetings in addressing missed opportunities.
• An introduction to Plan Forward—a custom dental membership platform offering tools for automated billing, patient communication, and more.

Sponsors:

Don't just look ahead. Plan Forward. Discover the dental membership plan partner that empowers your entire office. Created by a team in your shoes. Find out more here, and be sure to mention Dental Drill Bits for a special offer! https://www.planforward.io/

Take Action Today: Start tracking your open time and production goals now! Print out your schedules, analyze past weeks, and involve your team in finding solutions. Remember, every day is an opportunity to optimize your schedule and serve your patients better.

Subscribe & Leave a Review: Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue to deliver valuable content!

This is a question Sandy Pardue gets quite often in her events, so we decided to cover it here!

Here are a couple things you want to do:

You need a time clock software. (Sandy recommends a software)

Don't give everyone access to change their time clock.

Create a policy, and be super specific in this policy. (Sandy gives us great examples).

What to say if someone still violates the policy? (Sandy provides us with what to do, a script, and how many times should we allow it).

How to present the overtime policy at a team meeting.

Wondering how to ease the burden and stress off yourself as the doctor?

In this week's rerun episode of Dental Drill Bits, Michael and Sandy are exploring the universe of responsibilities that come with the role of an office manager in a dynamic and demanding dental practice. They break down the essential duties that will keep your practice running smoothly without the added headache. What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Understand the scope of day-to-day activities a dental office manager oversees.
• Discover the role an office manager plays in shaping employee and patient relations.
• Uncover how essential marketing, compliance, and staff training duties fall under the office manager's purview.
• Realize the importance of clear and consistent communication between the office manager and the doctor.
• Appreciate effective strategies for cultivating excellent customer service and patient relations skills.
• Gain insights on the significance of consistency and communication in propelling the practice forward.
• Learn useful tips for avoiding burnout and strategies to find the right fit for your office manager role.

Tune in to this episode of Dental Drill Bits and boost your dental practice's effectiveness, efficiency, and overall success with an office manager!

(This episode originally aired on 1/3/2024)

Sponsors: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention this podcast episode for a special deal! https://www.docsites.com/landing-pages/ddb/

In this rerun episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Michael delve headfirst into the crucial role of an office manager in your dental practice. Listen as they unlock the job description of a successful manager and explore how imperative it is for dentists to identify potential talent hidden within their teams while filling this impactful role. Sandy and Michael dissect the cardinal role of duplication skills in a manager's toolbox and how this skill can set apart a thriving practice from a struggling one.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Understanding the crucial role and job description of an office manager in a dental practice
• Identifying and fostering talent within your team for the office manager post
• What are duplication skills and why are they important in office management?
• Strategies and tips for successful office management
• Overcoming common challenges faced by office managers.

Tune in to today's discussion and transform your dental practice with a brilliant office manager!

(This episode originally aired on 12/27/2023)

Sponsors: Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention this podcast episode for a special deal! https://www.docsites.com/landing-pages/ddb/

Are you struggling with patient no-shows that disrupt your dental practice's schedule?

In this rerun episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Michael dive deep into practical strategies to minimize cancellations and improve patient attendance. The conversation kicks off with a focus on the art of clear communication, where they assert the power of personalized phone calls over cold automated messages. These personal touches not only confirm appointments but also strengthen the patient-practice bond, making each patient feel recognized and appreciated.

Moving beyond communication, Sandy and Michael explore the often-overlooked aspect of office efficiency, from managing personnel roles to implementing effective scheduling systems. They provide a candid critique of over-automation, pointing out how it can erode patient relations and lead to an uptick in unattended appointments. By sharing relatable anecdotes and actionable advice, Sandy illustrates the importance of addressing unconfirmed slots quickly and empathizing with patient concerns from the get-go. Wrapping up, the hosts offer a toolkit for handling broken appointments and stress the need for practices to take charge of their scheduling processes to foster efficiency and elevate patient care.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The significance of personalized communication over automated messages.
• The role of clear communication in reducing no-shows and cancellations.
• How to balance automation with personal patient relations.
• Effective appointment confirmation techniques that engage patients.
• Strategies for efficient schedule management, including personnel roles.
• Tips for promptly addressing unconfirmed appointments.
• Handling patient objections to decrease cancellations.
• Insights into maintaining a patient-first approach throughout the scheduling process.

Tune in now to transform your practice's appointment strategies and strengthen patient connections!

(This episode originally aired on Sep 06, 2023)

Sponsors:

Do you need a new website or marketing agency? Check out what DocSites can do for you: DocSites.com/landing-pages/ddb

Communities/Groups:

Dental Gumbo Group

Front Desk Pro

In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, we're exploring the dynamics of a healthy vendor-client relationship as Sandy delves into an inspiring conversation with Megan Lohman from Plan Forward. Together, they unlock the powerful components of successful partnerships, from the nuances of clear communication to fostering mutual respect. The duo emphasizes the importance of setting realistic expectations and maintaining open lines of communication to ensure vendor relationships become long-term, growth-oriented collaborations. Sandy further highlights the benefits of her Front Desk Pro seminars, a series promising transformative engagement for entire dental teams across the U.S., offering practical tools to enhance their practice management skills.

The discussion takes a practical turn as Megan shares valuable tips, rooted in personal experience, on navigating the challenges of vendor implementation while optimizing business efficiency. Sandy rounds off the episode by stressing the importance of a teamwork-driven approach, where practice leaders must transparently relay goals and expectations to their teams, ensuring seamless adoption of new services.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• The key ingredients of a successful vendor-client relationship in dental practices.
• Tips for setting realistic expectations and maintaining fruitful communication with vendors.
• Strategies for viewing vendors as long-term business partners.
• Insights on the value of regular feedback and being open to change.
• Practical steps for improving vendor implementation and business efficiency.
• How effective team communication can enhance the adoption of new tools and services.

Listen in today to take your vendor relationships to new heights!

Sponsors:

Don't just look ahead. Plan Forward. Discover the dental membership plan partner that empowers your entire office. Created by a team in your shoes. Find out more here, and be sure to mention Dental Drill Bits for a special offer! https://www.planforward.io/

Communities/Groups:

Dental Gumbo Group

Dentaltown

Events:

Businesses:

Burbank Dental Lab

Software:

Dentrix

Zoom

Terms:

KPIs - Key Performance Indicators

PMS - Practice Management Software