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Host Sara Beth Herman argues that going out of network isn’t a strategy if a dental team doesn’t understand the revenue cycle and can’t consistently verify and explain benefits, collect patient portions, document limitations, track and appeal claims, and communicate clearly. She reframes insurance verification as revenue protection, patient communication, treatment acceptance, and trust, warning that “active” coverage isn’t the same as “covered” or “payable.” Herman cautions that software and AI tools can help but don’t replace human judgment, and that overwhelmed, under-trained, burnt-out front offices create costly patterns—missed waiting periods, frequency limits, annual max usage, downgrades, attachment errors, and incorrect posting—that add up to write-offs, delays, and upset patients. She urges practices to audit upstream processes, improve training or support (including outsourcing), manage tone and clarity with patients, and make data-driven decisions amid increased denials, payer scrutiny, and 2026 CDT code changes.

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The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Sarah Beth Herman hosts a podcast swap episode featuring her interview with Dr. Howard Farran focused on dental insurance, billing, and practice operations. Farran raises concerns about young dentists facing debt, DSOs, stagnant insurance fees, and staffing shortages; Herman argues dentistry has been overcomplicated and urges removing “noise” with simple standards: work every outstanding claim every 10 days, use portals and EFTs, and collect what you produce in the same month. They discuss credentialing, being in- vs out-of-network, assignment of benefits, and payment slowdowns near quarter/year ends, plus a VA example where approvals and payments can be 3–10 days despite office misconceptions. Herman explains Dentistry Support’s virtual front office model, daily/monthly reporting, and recommends hiring non-dental sales talent for the front desk, incentivizing 98–101% collections through pre-collecting and payment options like Klarna and Affirm.

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DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Host Sarah Beth Herman explains that angry dental patients are usually the result of earlier breakdowns—especially assumptions and gaps in communication—rather than isolated incidents like a bill or negative review. She argues communication should be measured by patient understanding, not information delivered or signatures obtained, and notes dissatisfaction in healthcare is often driven by communication issues. Herman describes common dental office personality types (rockstar, approval seeker, controller, relationship builder, quiet observer) and how each can unintentionally contribute to confusion, emphasizing that acknowledgement matters before explanations and that “clear is kind.” She identifies five non-clinical hotspots where frustration is created—phone, scheduling, treatment presentation, insurance, and billing—and offers a response framework: slow down, listen, understand, clarify, solve. She also highlights Dentistry Support Academy’s training programs and shares the show’s 2026 Best of the Valley podcast award from Phoenix Magazine.

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Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Host Sara Beth Herman of No Silver Spoons shares that she was named one of Phoenix Magazine’s 2026 Healthcare Heroes, explaining she paused to fully acknowledge the milestone and emphasizing that the recognition reflects operational impact in healthcare rather than transactional visibility. She discusses continuing to build amid uncertainty, including taking a major private risk with her husband, and warns that others’ advice often reflects their own fears, requiring discernment. Drawing from her work at Dentistry Support, she frames leadership as stewardship—quiet, consequential operational work that creates healthier teams and patient outcomes—and contrasts durable cultivation with performative success. She notes she went ten years in business before her first publication and credits “invisible preparation” for readiness. In her “That’s Good” moment, she encourages listeners not to mistake slow seasons for failure, shares completing an MBA and pursuing a second master’s, and credits her team for collective excellence, redefining success as integrity, peace, sustainability, and relationships.

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SOCIALS:
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Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Host Sarah Beth Herman challenges the popular phrase “not my circus, not my monkeys,” arguing that while boundaries matter, emotional disengagement is increasingly being confused with wisdom, quietly eroding workplace and relational culture through breakdowns in communication, trust, and shared responsibility. Drawing on her leadership experiences—being denied a hard-earned promotion, having offices reassigned after building strong teams, and being dismissed when requesting travel compensation—she explains how feeling unsupported drives self-protection and avoidance, reinforced by neuroscience and the brain’s desire to escape discomfort. She contrasts grounded leaders who regulate and stay present with reactive people who escape, critiques social-media performative leadership, and shares Sidney Weinberg’s rise at Goldman Sachs as a lesson in serving before leading. She emphasizes that real leadership is steady ownership and emotional resilience, and she thanks sponsor Dentistry Support while previewing an upcoming Phoenix Magazine feature.

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SOCIALS:
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The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
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Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Host Sara Beth Herman explains recent Google Business Profile and Google Maps review disruptions affecting dental offices and other local businesses, including disappearing reviews, paused review activity, profile flags, and ranking fluctuations. She cites Google’s April 16, 2026 announcement of stronger AI and Gemini-powered detection of suspicious review behavior, which can trigger review removals, temporary review pauses, owner alerts, and warning banners, and notes Google’s 2025 enforcement numbers (292M policy-violating reviews removed/blocked, 79M suspicious edits blocked, 13M fake profiles removed). She also highlights the FTC’s fake review rule effective Oct. 21, 2024, making deceptive practices a legal and ethics issue. Herman urges practices to stop relying solely on reviews, avoid QR-code/third-party redirects and on-site geotagged reviews, request honest feedback ethically, and diversify growth through websites, modern SEO, educational content, advertising, referrals, and stronger internal systems.

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SOCIALS:
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Dentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
Sarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | Links
Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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The host of No Silver Spoons shares a rare personal episode documenting her trip from Colorado to Michigan for Grace Christian University graduation weekend, where she received her MBA and delivered the commencement speech she previously announced in episode 121. She describes university-hosted events, a banquet where she was unexpectedly given the Delta Epsilon Chi Award (noting only 7% of graduates receive it), a cold-weather campus photo shoot, and a memorable moment when her daughter cheered during her MBA hooding. She explains the ceremony is edited to 28 minutes and available visually on YouTube. In her commencement address, Sarah Beth Herman reflects on hardship, reconciliation during 17 hospice days with her estranged mother, faith, entrepreneurship with her husband, becoming a mother to her daughter, and lessons on renewing the mind, rejecting fear, stepping forward like Esther, and leaving people better than you found them.

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SOCIALS:
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Dentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
Sarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | Links
Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Sarah Beth Herman explains that major “arrival” moments are not what create momentum; they are evidence of long-term faithfulness shown through keeping promises, leading with integrity, consistency without feedback, and making values-aligned decisions even when costly. She emphasizes that leadership and sustainable business are built on normal days, repeated choices, and trust rather than chasing visibility. She shares a recent unexpected example: Grace Christian University’s President Kemper called to ask her to be the commencement speaker for the 2026 graduating class, despite her having finished her MBA in December 2025 and not planning to attend graduation. The invitation made her reflect on years of late nights and persistence, reinforcing her message to stay faithful, lead well in the mundane, and be ready for unforeseen opportunities.

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SOCIALS:
No Silver Spoons®: Instagram
Dentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
Sarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | Links
Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Sarah Beth, CEO of Dentistry Support, responds to reactions to episode 119 about her family being pressured and told they couldn’t leave a dental office without paying $1,460, arguing the root issue isn’t insurance or a signed treatment plan but breakdowns in communication about money. She explains that teams often hide behind signatures and “that’s how we do it” because they’re uncomfortable discussing finances, and emphasizes the missing step is confirming understanding by having patients repeat expected costs and options. She outlines warning patterns (patients saying “I didn’t know,” staff saying “we told them,” rushing, same-day add-ons, blaming insurance) and a remedy: slow down, remove pressure, take ownership, clarify, explore options, and protect patient dignity. She provides sample dialogues for potential balances, denied estimates, appeals, and non-ideal outcomes, and promotes free trainings and mentorship through Dentistry Support.

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SOCIALS:
No Silver Spoons®: Instagram
Dentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
Sarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | Links
Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.

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Sarah Beth, CEO of Dentistry Support, shares a personal story about referring her financially struggling family to a trusted dental office with a state aid plan, after clearly instructing the front office to pre-authorize care and call her for any out-of-pocket costs. After an initially excellent experience, her stepmom agreed to same-day additional treatment during a crown adjustment without understanding it carried a $1,460 balance the office said had been denied since February; the family was told they couldn’t leave until it was paid, leading to a chaotic, shouting phone call and distress for her parents. Sarah Beth paid but emphasizes the issue was mishandled communication, leadership, and accountability. She outlines lessons: honor financial-responsibility notes, signatures aren’t understanding, collect balances upfront, pursue appeals and alternatives, de-escalate to protect patients, and recognize one bad moment can erase many good ones.

Support the show

SOCIALS:
No Silver Spoons®: Instagram
Dentistry Support: Instagram | Facebook | Linkedin
The Dental Collaborative: Facebook
Sarah Beth Herman: LinkedIn | Personal Bio | Links
Free Training for Dental Offices

DISCLAIMER:
The content provided in this podcast, including by Sarah Beth Herman and any affiliated guests, is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice, including but not limited to medical, legal, or business consulting services. Listeners engage with the content at their own risk and are responsible for any actions taken based on the information presented. No guarantees are made regarding the accuracy or completeness of the content. For any questions, clarifications, or crediting of sources, please contact us directly, and we will make necessary adjustments.