Managing Dental Drama

After leaving you on a cliffhanger, Dr. Kuba and Bethany wrap up the series on De-Escalation. In this episode, they provide one final example of an angry patient who erupted at Dr. Kuba’s office. Together, they identify mistakes that were made as well as improvements that could have prevented the explosion. Listeners are encouraged on a few remaining points of de-escalation and are encouraged to spend time training their team in the art of seeing the first signs of smoke and then putting out raging fires. Take notes and block time off to train your team on the critical art and skill of de-escalation! 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Disgruntled Patients 

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 Isn’t it helpful to hear real examples of a patient escalating? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany role-play a real-life scenario that Bethany witnessed in one of her client’s offices. The patient grew increasingly upset at the check-out desk as he insisted that he had only received a “regular cleaning” rather than a periodontal maintenance cleaning. The patient simply seemed miffed at first but then escalated as the receptionist struggled to answer his questions. Finally, the hygienist had to be tagged in to attempt to de-escalate the angry patient. After presenting the role play, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discussed all the things that went wrong and what could have been done differently. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting: 

Insurance MAD World Part One
Insurance MAD World Part Two

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Do you know the signs of an angry patient? Can you spot those signs long before it is a full eruption of anger? More importantly, can your team identify the early signs of an upset patient? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss some of the early signs of an angry patient and some of the usual causes of those upset patients. Agitated patients are in an emotional state that can be dangerous to staff members. These patients can become irrational and violent. Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the different smoke signals, distinguishing between angry and agitated patients. They also discuss the unique strategies for de-escalating each type. While this episode merely scratches the surface of de-escalation, it is an important first step in identifying the early signs of an upset patient. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
How to Respond to Angry and Unhappy Patients

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Angry patients are certainly more common these days. It seems to take so little for them to escalate and either verbally express their feelings or potentially worse – take to the web to leave a negative review. These angry patients often leave team members and practice owners baffled, confused, and demoralized. In this series of episodes, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss a variety of ways that teams can prevent angry patient explosions. In the first episode of this series, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of consistent and deliberate observation in a practice. Incorporating regular evaluation is critical to ensure that all team members receive consistent observation and feedback on their interactions with patients.

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Managing employees tend to remain one of the hardest aspects of leading a dental practice. Over the last few years, it has been difficult to retain employees and keep them enthusiastically engaged in the practice. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of spotting burnout, fatigue, or disengagement in an employee before they fizzle completely out. They discuss various ways to keep a pulse on employees, and they also discuss the importance of preparing for the loss of an employee. Finally, they encourage all listeners to be attentive and to prepare for all scenarios. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
The Nuts and Bolts of Performance Reviews
Thoughts on Employee Retention – April 2022

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Bethany interviews a new guest on the show today – her sister-in-law who is an office manager in a dental office. So often, dentists ponder on the motivations, struggles, and heart of the office manager. What drives them crazy? What makes their day go well? What frustrates them? In this episode, Amanda shares how she left her career as a paralegal to pursue a career in the dental field. She started as a treatment coordinator and eventually worked her way into a management position. She shares what she loves about the dental field and what keeps her going on a daily basis. She also shares the difficulties of her role and how she tackles some of those struggles. Be sure to have your pen and paper ready! Throughout the episode, she shares various tips for dentists and practice owners in developing a secure and positive relationship with their office manager.

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Interested in the Leadership Summit? 
Friday, September 18, 2026 from 8:30 – 4:30 
Inquire or register TODAY:  https://www.hellobethany.com/about-3

Dr. Jones and Bethany are ringing in the New Year with some 2022 reflections as well as some hopes for 2023. In this episode, Dr. Jones shares how he approaches the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. He admits that there is always a bit of sorrow at the closing of a year, so he takes the time to slow down and celebrate the wins of the closing year. Depending upon how the year went, he can often feel anxiety as a new year begins. With his self-imposed pressure to make the next year better than the former, thinking of goals and achievements he desires to accomplish can feel overwhelming. So, he turns to the power of his mind and thoughts. Tune in to hear Dr. Jones process through his thoughts on successfully closing out one year and turning his attention to the next one.

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Surface Pressure” is Killing Me, Now What?
Tool Kit: Office Policy Manual and Performance Reviews 

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The spotlight is on Dr. Kuba as she focuses on her top ten suggestions, tips, and reminders for the loyal listeners of Managing Dental Drama. She reminds practice owners to put time, energy, and attention into plans and preparation for 2023. In order for 2023 to feel successful and relatively calm, practice owners should take time to build out a well-thought-out practice calendar. Attending to 2022 trends is important so that practice owners can build in time for emergency training, continuing education, practice closures, and many other things. In addition, the end of the year is an important time to re-evaluate important HR topics like the office policy manual and employee pay. Get ready for 20 minutes of practical tips!

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Top Ten for Year End 

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 Do you ever wonder if your experience is the same as those practice owners around you? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss current practice trends from the past few months. Bethany speculates on why practices might be experiencing similar downturns. Then, they revisit the current employment market and what the new or existing trends in employee pay and expectations are. They also discuss what caused the employee market to change so dramatically over the last few years. 

Previous Episodes Worth Revisiting:
Insurance MAD World Part One
Featuring YOUR Voices 

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You asked for some real brand examples, so Bethany roped two of her clients into sharing their brand. Dr. Luse describes how she struggled initially to come up with who/what she wanted her practice to be. So, she worked her way backwards and started with who she did not want to be. Ultimately, her process led her to a short memorable brand packed with power statements. Dr. Valadez has lived and breathed his brand for years. He talks about how he incorporated his team into the creation process, and together they came up with a mission statement that they refer to and use on a daily basis. Both Dr. Luse and Dr. Valadez share some inspirational resources that they continue to use to remind them of the importance of brand. 

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