My Dental Playbook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/dental-team-training-bonus-planner
📥Download the Master Growth Playbook every dentist should own: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/master-growth-playbook
🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
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Bonus systems can either turn your dental team into a growth engine or quietly drain your money and motivation. In this episode, Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin break down the incentive mistakes Blake has made and the bonus strategy he uses to develop people, improve performance, and build future leaders.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌Use bonuses to reward team members for developing others
📌Build 30-90 day beta bonus plans before making long-term commitments
📌Create measurable incentive tiers using treatment and patient acceptance
📌Turn high performers into mentors without pulling them out of their strongest roles
📌Replace all-or-nothing goals with progressive targets that reward continued practice growth

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction to Bonus Strategies in Dental Practices
03:39 The Philosophy Behind Incentives and Long-Term Growth
05:07 Common Mistakes in Bonus Structures and How to Avoid Them
06:33 Using Bonuses to Develop Leadership and Support Team Growth
10:05 Training and Incentivizing Staff to Improve KPIs
12:08 Adapting Bonus Plans for Different Roles and Departments
14:07 Practical Steps for Fixing Underperforming Departments
15:21 Creating a Culture of Support and Development
18:50 Innovative Incentive Ideas for High Performers
21:15 Structuring Bonuses as Experiments and Iterations
22:07 Long-Term Incentives and Building Future Leaders

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥Download the Master Growth Playbook every dentist should own: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/master-growth-playbook 

🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt
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A great associate can accelerate practice growth, but the wrong hire can create patient-relationship problems, culture issues, and a costly bottleneck.

In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal the five traits that separate strong associate candidates from doctors who simply look good on paper.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌 Identify the 5 traits that signal a growth-minded associate
📌 The characteristics to evaluate during interviews
📌 Ask opportunity-focused questions that uncover patient-volume and growth potential
📌 Use communication principles from treatment acceptance to make better hiring decisions
📌 Build stronger patient relationships with simple “cheat sheets”

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction to hiring associates and episode overview
03:28 The importance of energy and enthusiasm in candidates
06:04 Questions to ask to uncover candidate motivation and growth mindset
09:36 Confidence, honesty, and not needing to prove oneself
12:16 The significance of appearance and professional presentation
14:39 Connecting through relatability and shared interests
17:00 Observant and curious approach to candidate evaluation
18:14 The role of leadership qualities in hiring

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

 ▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M
📥 Free Resource 1: https://mydentalplaybook.com/courses/ce-series/patient-financing/
📥 Free Resource 2:
https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/three-models-one-standard
📥 Free Resource 3:
http://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-reappointment-script-card
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
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Can a hygiene department still be profitable in 2026?

Between rising wages, staffing shortages, PPO reimbursement pressure, and growing overhead, many practice owners believe the hygiene model is broken. But what if the real problem isn't hygiene... It's how your practice is designed?

In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin, Dr. Andrew Vallo, Dr. Collin Myrick, and Gary Bird compare three completely different practice models, including fee-for-service, PPO, multi-location, and rural practices, to reveal the systems they use to build productive hygiene departments that fuel long-term growth.

Whether you're struggling to hire hygienists, wondering how much to pay, trying to improve retention, or debating whether hygiene should even be profitable, this conversation will challenge what you've been told and give you practical strategies you can implement immediately.

🔍In this episode, you'll learn:
📌 Should hygiene be a profit center or a patient acquisition strategy?
📌 The KPI that predicts long-term practice growth better than almost any other metric
📌 Why some practices hire hygienists before they actually need them
📌 How top-performing practices structure hygienist compensation and bonus plans
📌 The biggest mistakes owners make with hygiene scheduling and retention
📌 Why reappointment rate may be more valuable than new patient volume
📌 How three successful practices use completely different business models to grow
📌 The systems that help practices keep hygienists engaged while improving production

If you're frustrated by rising payroll, empty hygiene schedules, or declining profitability, this episode will help you rethink what's possible.

🎙️ Dr. Andrew Vallo's Podcast: Check out Dr. Vallo's podcast for more practice growth strategies. 👉  https://dentalunfilteredpodcast.com/

This is Episode 5 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M

Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service

⬇️GUESTS INFO⬇️
Dr. Andrew Vallo:  CEO/Founder at Starlight Dental Management
Website: https://starlightdentaloffices.com/

Dr. Collin Myrick:  Dentist/Owner of DFS Dental
Website: https://defuniakspringsfamilydental.com/

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction and overview of practice models
04:00 Dr. Blake's perspective on hygiene in 2026
05:05 Andrew Vallo on managing hygiene across multiple practices
07:50 Hygiene as a volume game and loss leader
08:18 Dr. Collin Myrick on his practice size and model
11:15 The importance of patient education and insurance barriers
12:46 The success of different practice models in hygiene management
15:27 Strategies to make hygiene work: compensation and incentives
20:11 Current hygiene strategies and future improvements
22:30 KPIs and team incentives for hygiene success
25:30 Advice for single or small practices on hygiene models
30:23 Final thoughts on hygiene and active patient count
38:37 Leadership and autonomy in dental hygiene teams

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

 ▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist:  Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team
📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-compensation-guide
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Finding and keeping great hygienists is harder than ever, but paying a higher hourly rate isn't the answer. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal the compensation system that helps hygienists earn up to $80–85/hour while improving retention, increasing collections, and supporting long-term practice growth. If you're tired of turnover, rising payroll costs, or struggling to build a productive hygiene department, this episode is for you.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌Discover the performance-based compensation model that aligns incentives for patients, hygienists, and practice owners.
📌Learn the 3.0–3.3× productivity benchmark every hygienist should achieve to support healthy collections.
📌Build flexible schedules that improve hiring and retention.
📌Use bonuses, benefits, 401(k), and health insurance to reduce costly staff turnover.
📌Increase treatment acceptance by helping hygienists educate patients with microscopes, X-rays, and better communication.

This is Episode 4 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here:  Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team
Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental marketing, practice growth, hiring, PPO profitability, fee-for-service dentistry, or building a scalable practice, these playbooks are built for today's practice owner.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction and the Hygiene Crisis
04:33 Compensation Structures for Hygienists
10:38 The Importance of Benefits and Retention
14:05 Bonuses and Performance Metrics
16:01 Enhancing Patient Care through Hygienist Engagement
20:53 Flexible Scheduling for Hygienists
25:15 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc
 

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team
📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-onboarding-playbook
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Your hygienists don't become top performers by chance; they need the right systems, coaching, and accountability. In this episode, Gary Bird, Dr. Blake Hamblin, and lead hygienist Autumn Bretscher reveal the exact onboarding and KPI framework that helps their team consistently deliver better patient care, stronger treatment acceptance, and long-term practice growth.

🔍What you'll learn in this episode:
📌Build a structured onboarding system that prepares new hygienists for long-term success.
📌Track the KPIs that matter most, including 90–95% reappointment rates, fluoride acceptance, and laser treatment goals.
📌Implement the Triangle System to improve communication between the hygienist, doctor, and patient.
📌Coach hygienists through role-playing, scorecards, and real-time feedback instead of guesswork.
📌Create ethical bonus systems that increase collections, improve patient care, and strengthen your fee-for-service practice.

This is Episode 3 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team

Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service

Hosted by Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin, with lead hygienist Autumn Bretscher, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental marketing, hiring, PPO optimization, collections, or practice growth, this episode delivers proven systems you can implement immediately.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Overview of the topics: onboarding, soft skills, KPIs, bonuses
04:35 The onboarding process for new hygienists
05:46 Managing high patient volume with efficient appointment flow
07:50 Handling deep cleaning discussions and patient expectations
08:55 The triangle system for patient handoff and communication
11:53 Role-playing and training for new hygienists
14:00 Soft skills: attitude, coachability, growth mindset, and ethics
19:50 Measuring hard skills: KPIs like reappointment rate and fluoride acceptance
23:28 Presentation of fluoride and vitamin treatments to patients
26:05 Use of lasers and microscopes in hygiene treatments
27:49 Bonus systems based on performance and ethics

⬇️GUEST INFO⬇️
Autumn Bretscher: Lead Hygienist at Hamblin Family Dentistry
Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team 
📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygienist-recruiting-ad-template
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If you're struggling to hire hygienists, offering a higher hourly wage probably isn't the solution. In this episode, Gary Bird sits down with recruiting and operations leader Paige Mosquella to reveal why the best dental practices attract great hygienists without relying on expensive recruiting or bidding wars. Learn the mindset shift that can transform your hiring strategy and support long-term practice growth.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌 Discover the PPP Hiring Framework (Pain, Paradise, Process) that makes job ads stand out.
📌 Build a continuous pipeline of hygienists using free recruiting platforms like Indeed and Facebook Groups.
📌 Create flexible scheduling systems that improve hiring and retention without sacrificing standards.
📌 Refresh recruiting ads consistently to attract new candidates instead of relying on one-time postings.
📌 Strengthen your employer brand through culture, Google reviews, and a modern practice experience to win top talent.

This is Episode 2 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team

Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service

Hosted by Gary Bird, a dental marketing expert, and featuring recruiting leader Paige Mosquella, this episode shares proven hiring strategies used by successful dental practices. Backed by insights from more than 1,195 dental offices, you'll learn practical systems that support hiring, practice growth, collections, fee-for-service success, and long-term scalability.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What we discuss:
00:00 Introduction and guest background
03:21 The importance of continuous posting and ad refreshment
05:02 The significance of refreshing creative content
05:31 Using free tools like Indeed and Facebook groups
07:45 The PPP framework: Pain, Paradise, Process
09:21 Addressing hygienists' need for flexibility
11:00 Flexible scheduling and work-life balance
13:00 The power of culture, reviews, and modern facilities
13:45 Process: Focusing on Standards and Training
15:18 Leading with benefits, not just pay

⬇️GUEST INFO⬇️
Paige Mosquella: Hygienist/Recruiter & Operations Leader at Hamblin Family Dentistry
Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

 ▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team
📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-crisis-readiness-checklist
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The hygiene crisis is not coming, it is already here, and most dental practices are completely unprepared for what happens next. If you are paying a hygienist $80 an hour while insurance reimburses $12 for a cleaning, the math is not broken, it was never going to work. Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird break down exactly why the shortfall is getting worse, and the full system to stop getting held hostage by your own hygiene department.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌Discover why in-network hygiene math is destroying practice profitability and what to do instead
📌Learn how Dr. Blake scaled from 2 to 6 hygienists using a redundancy strategy that eliminated bad hiring decisions
📌Build a flexible shift schedule that attracts top hygiene talent without competing on hourly rate alone
📌Implement the KPI scoreboard system that tells your team whether they are winning or losing without you having to say a word
📌Increase hygiene revenue by moving active patients from 2 visits per year to 3 using a co-diagnosis framework

This is Episode 1 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here:  The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team
Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction to the Hygiene Market Breakdown
03:46 Amazing opportunity: Looking for 4 Dentists
06:10 The Shortfall of Hygienists and Its Impact
08:58 The Role of Hygienists in Patient Retention
11:30 The Challenges of Using Temporary Hygienists
17:48 Leadership and Culture in Dental Practices
24:34 Navigating Insurance: Out of Network vs. PPO
27:48 Always Be Hiring: Onboarding and Retention Strategies

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: 
https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-career-growth-assessment
🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt
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Finding the right practice can shape your career just as much as your clinical skills. Dr. Blake Hamblin's practice is on track to reach 300 new patients per month, creating enough demand to hire four more dentists and expand into new locations. Whether you're an associate looking for mentorship or a practice owner building your team, this episode reveals what high-growth practices look for and why the right environment can change the trajectory of your career.

🔍What you'll learn in this episode:
📌Discover why Dr. Blake is hiring 4 dentists as his practice approaches 300 new patients per month
📌 Learn the qualities that matter more than clinical experience when hiring associates and future partners
📌 See how mentorship, continuing education, and patient volume accelerate clinical and professional growth
📌 Understand the career paths available, from high-producing associate to leadership and partnership
📌 Explore how building the right team supports long-term practice growth, stronger hiring, and future expansion

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin, who grew from $200K to nearly $700K in monthly collections in less than two years, and Gary Bird, Founder of SMC National, sharing real strategies from real practices backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Blake's Opportunities in Houston
02:36 What Kind of Dentist Is Dr. Blake Looking For?
03:17 Clinical Skills and Opportunities for Growth
04:38 Bread and Butter Dentistry and Learning New Skills
05:43 Partnering and Expanding to New Locations
07:07 Paths to Partnership and Success Models
09:25 Living and Working in Houston, Texas
11:40 Open Door Policy and Mentorship Opportunities

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: 
https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-success-playbook
🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
🚀The mastermind fills fast - apply now and start scaling with confidence: https://shorturl.at/AenIt
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If your practice can't grow without you, you've built yourself a job, not a scalable business. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal why the biggest obstacle to practice growth isn't finding better associates, it's learning how to build trust, develop leaders, and step out of the clinical bottleneck. Discover the systems behind a practice seeing 220 new patients per month without relying on one doctor to do it all.

🔍 What you'll learn in this episode:
📌Learn how to transfer patient trust from the owner doctor to a new associate with simple handoff strategies.
📌Discover why reducing your clinical menu helps associates grow faster while increasing practice production.
📌Build associate confidence with a mentorship framework that develops better clinicians without risking patient experience.
📌Identify hiring red flags before making an expensive associate mistake that limits practice growth.
📌Create leadership systems that allow your practice to continue growing beyond $2M while giving you more freedom outside the chair.

This is Part 3 of our series on hiring and integrating an associate into your dental practice. See the complete series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXjamqd_tmQ

Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental practice growth, hiring associates, increasing collections, improving case acceptance, transitioning toward fee-for-service, or building a practice that scales beyond the owner, this episode delivers practical strategies you can implement immediately.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love.

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction to Hiring Dental Associates
03:36 Transferring Trust to New Associates
06:29 Building Confidence in New Dentists
09:03 Mentoring Strategies for New Dentists
09:30 Reducing Your Procedure Menu for Growth
12:30 Encouraging Doctors to Take on New Procedures
14:10 Creating Room to Fail and Grow
16:20 Red Flags in Associate Hiring
17:38 Why Minimums Can Be a Red Flag
19:20 Assessing Human Factors and Fit
22:49 Spotting Weaknesses and Building Strengths
24:00 Specializing and Matching Practice Needs

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-agreement-template
🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0
🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb
🚀Spots are limited - secure your seat in the mastermind that’s changing how dentists grow: https://shorturl.at/AenIt
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The difference between 28% and 32% may look huge on paper, but the better opportunity is not always the practice offering the highest percentage. Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird break down what associates and owners should evaluate beyond compensation - from patient flow and mentorship to collections, culture, and long-term practice growth.

🔍What you’ll learn in this episode:
📌Compare 25%, 28%, 30%, and 32% compensation offers without ignoring patient opportunity
📌Evaluate why a practice seeing approximately 200 new patients per month may create greater earning potential
📌Understand adjusted production versus collections and how each model affects associate compensation
📌Build a three-way win for the practice owner, associate, and patients
📌Avoid the confusion created when some providers are in-network and others are out-of-network

This is Part 2 of our series on hiring and integrating an associate into your dental practice. See the complete series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXjamqd_tmQ

Hosted by Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices.

Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love

What We Discuss:
00:00 Introduction and episode overview
03:27 The importance of philosophy in compensation
05:00 The role of culture and relationships in hiring
07:30 Creating effective associate agreements
08:57 Adjusted production versus collections debate
15:21 Frequency of getting paid and its implications
17:55 Network versus out-of-network considerations
23:50 Leadership and vision in practice growth

🎧 Listen on:
Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g
Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc

🎯Support the Channel:
→ Follow + hit the bell 🔔
→ Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped

🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D

🙌 About the Show:
My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team.

⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️
🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry
🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin

🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner
🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/
👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird

#DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook