The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

Many dental practices feel surprised by their numbers at the end of the month, even when they review reports regularly. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Miranda Beeson, leadership coach at ACT Dental, to explain the difference between leading and lagging indicators and why relying too heavily on historical data creates stress, reactivity, and missed opportunities. They break down how leading indicators connect daily behaviors to long-term results, how to spot problems earlier, and how to use data to lead calmly instead of reactively.

If you want to understand which numbers actually help you influence outcomes before it’s too late, listen to Episode 1009 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways

1. Lagging indicators show what has already happened in a practice and cannot be changed once reported.
2. Leading indicators help predict future outcomes and guide daily and weekly behavior.
3. Practices that focus only on lagging indicators often feel blindsided and become reactive under pressure.
4. Tracking leading indicators weekly allows leaders to correct course before the end of the month.
5. Hygiene reappointment, diagnostic percentage, and case acceptance are examples of leading indicators that influence production.
6. Teams engage more effectively when they understand which daily actions influence practice results.

Episode Chapters:

• 00:52 Leading indicators versus lagging indicators and why both matter.
• 02:28 Why lagging indicators create reactive leadership and team stress.
• 03:50 Using hygiene metrics to predict future production.
• 06:11 Planning ahead for known schedule disruptions like holidays.
• 07:38 What it looks like when practices rely only on lagging indicators.
• 09:42 How leadership changes when leading indicators are used correctly.
• 11:39 Tracking diagnostic percentage and case acceptance week over week.
• 14:47 A simple first step to start using leading indicators today.

Guest Bio/Guest Resources

Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dentistry is changing, and with more pressure, comparison, and noise in the profession, it can be easy for dentists to lose sight of what they actually want from their careers. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Dr. Mitch Hopkins, a Kansas City dentist and mentor, about building a practice around your own definition of success. They discuss finding fulfillment in everyday dentistry, creating a schedule that supports your life, building the right team and culture, connecting with the right patients, and developing the skills and confidence needed for a long career.

If you want to create a practice that reflects who you are without getting caught up in what everyone else is doing, listen to Episode 1107 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Dentists need to define the kind of practice, schedule, dentistry, and lifestyle they want instead of allowing outside expectations to define success for them.
• Becoming highly skilled at everyday dentistry can build confidence, increase professional satisfaction, and create a foundation for more complex treatment.
• A practice schedule can be designed around personal priorities when the dentist is willing to establish boundaries and operate efficiently.
• A strong practice culture depends on hiring people who fit the desired environment and developing a team that understands and supports the dentist’s philosophy of care.
• Marketing should communicate the practice’s expertise, personality, patient relationships, and ability to provide meaningful solutions rather than focusing primarily on technology.
• Dentists should continually reevaluate their priorities as their careers and lives change, including how they approach health, stress, time, and professional longevity.
• Younger dentists can benefit from slowing down, improving their clinical skills, learning to communicate effectively with patients, and allowing their careers to develop over time.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Dentistry is changing and writing your own ticket

01:17 Introducing Dr. Mitch Hopkins

02:47 Finding fulfillment and confidence in dentistry

05:47 Defining the practice and lifestyle you actually want

09:01 Building a schedule around your priorities

11:39 Reassessing goals and creating career longevity

14:00 Keeping the team small and protecting practice culture

18:40 Differentiating your practice through better marketing

23:24 Building a new practice space and entering the next chapter

25:35 Advice for frustrated and uncertain younger dentists

28:28 Final thoughts and how to connect with Dr. Hopkins

Guest Bio:

Dr. Mitchell R. Hopkins earned his DDS from the University of Missouri–Kansas City in 2008 after completing his bachelor’s degree in biological science at Kansas State University. He has owned private practices in Colorado and Kansas City and is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

Committed to advanced restorative, esthetic, and implant dentistry, Dr. Hopkins invests extensively in continuing education and collaboration with leading clinicians. He also serves as resident faculty with Clinical Mastery in Dallas, where he teaches and mentors dentists in cosmetic and comprehensive restorative dentistry.

Dr. Hopkins lives in the Kansas City area with his wife, Hillary, and their three children. Outside the office, he enjoys staying active and anything that gets him moving.

Episode Resources:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mhopkinsdds

https://www.hopkinsdentalhealth.com/

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Great onboarding does more than teach a new team member how to do a job. It creates clarity, connection, and a path toward long-term success in the practice. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Jenni Poulos, ACT Dental coach, about why retention begins before a team member’s first day and how a structured onboarding process can help new hires become confident, independent contributors. You’ll learn the essential elements of effective onboarding, how to create a support system for new hires, and how to use the 333 framework to guide development through the first three days, three weeks, and three months.

For a practical roadmap to improve onboarding and team retention, listen to Episode 1106 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Retention begins during onboarding, when new team members start deciding whether the practice matches what they were promised during the hiring process.
• New hires need clarity around their responsibilities, measures of success, decision-making authority, and where to go for help.
• Belonging is created through intentional preparation, including having systems, logins, trainers, and team members ready before the new hire arrives.
• Shadowing alone is not a complete training process because new hires need a structured development plan rather than learning only from what happens during the day.
• A small committee of leaders, trainers, and culture-focused team members can provide different types of support and feedback throughout onboarding.
• The 333 framework establishes milestones for a new hire’s first three days, three weeks, and three months, with increasing levels of competency and independence.
• Consistent feedback throughout the first 90 days ensures that expectations are clear and prevents the formal review from being the first time a new team member hears about a concern.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why great onboarding supports long-term retention

02:11 Onboarding should be an intentional experience

04:07 The questions new team members are asking

08:12 Defining roles, responsibilities, and measures of success

12:59 Why shadowing alone is not training

14:03 Creating a committee of success and normalizing feedback

16:00 Introducing the 333 onboarding framework

20:39 What success should look like after three weeks

28:00 Final thoughts and the 333 Onboarding Guide

Guest Bio:

Jenni brings to dental teams a literal lifetime of experience in dentistry. As the daughter and sister of periodontists and a dental hygienist, she has been working in many facets of the dental world since she first held a summer job turning rooms and pouring models at the age of 12. Now, with over 10 years of experience in managing and leading a large periodontal practice, she has a firm grasp on what it takes to run a thriving business. Her passion for organizational health and culture has been a driving force behind her coaching career. She has witnessed firsthand how creating an aligned and engaged team will take a practice to levels of success that they never believed possible!

Episode Resources:

333 Onboarding Guide: https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/3-3-3-onboarding-model

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Are you collecting everything your practice produces, and do you know how much dentistry you are writing off before those dollars ever become collectible? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Carlie Einarson, an ACT Dental coach, about the difference between gross collection rate and net collection rate and what each metric reveals about your practice. You’ll learn how to calculate both rates, identify gaps in your collection systems and business model, accurately track write-offs and adjustments, and use your production and collection reports to establish a clear financial baseline.

To understand which collection metrics matter and what your numbers are telling you, listen to Episode 1105 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Gross collection rate measures collections divided by gross production and reflects how much of total production ultimately becomes cash.
• Net collection rate measures collections divided by net production and shows how effectively the practice collects the dollars it expects to receive after adjustments and write-offs.
• A low net collection rate can point to gaps involving patient balances, insurance accounts receivable, financial arrangements, same-day collections, or inconsistent collection processes.
• A strong net collection rate paired with a low gross collection rate can indicate significant write-offs from PPO adjustments, discounts, redo dentistry, membership plans, or other adjustments.
• Practices should bill their full fees and accurately categorize write-offs and adjustments to understand the financial impact of their business model.
• A practice should aim to collect 100% of its net production because net production represents the collectible dollars owed to the practice.
• Reviewing gross production, net production, and collections over the previous six to 12 months provides a baseline for identifying problems with write-offs, adjustments, collections, and accounts receivable.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Metric Monday intro

02:02 Defining gross and net collection rates.

04:13 What a low net collection rate indicates.

05:17 What a low gross collection rate indicates.

06:00 Using the numbers to understand your practice.

06:54 What strong collection performance looks like.

08:11 Accurate fee schedules and write-off tracking.

10:13 Calculating gross and net collection rates.

12:13 Why practices should collect 100% of net production.

13:25 Final tips and wrap up

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

Carlie Einarson is a lead practice coach who has a passion for helping others succeed in the dental field. She loves helping to create a stable foundation for practices so both professionals and patients have a great experience every time they walk in the door!

Carlie graduated from Utah College of Dental Hygiene. She has ten years of experience in the dental field, including clinical dental hygiene, front office, and leading teams.

In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, traveling, skiing, playing volleyball, and golfing.

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

As a dentist, you can present the best treatment plan—and still lose case acceptance if your team “translates” it differently after you leave the room. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt sits down with Debra Engelhardt-Nash, educator and founder of the Nash Institute for Dental Learning, to unpack what’s really being said in the operatory when you’re not there.

You’ll learn how belief systems and “wallet biopsies” derail care, how to position assistants as clinical endorsers (not counterpoints), and how to train communication so patients hear one consistent message. Listen to Episode 1028 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Team members can unintentionally undermine treatment when they assume patients can’t afford or won’t value ideal care.
• A simple reset is asking the assistant, “If this were your mouth, what would you rather have?” and aligning the recommendation accordingly.
• The assistant’s role is to create a “perception of quality” even when the doctor is not present.
• Standing physically with (not across from) the doctor signals unity and increases patient confidence in the plan.
• Too many treatment options create confusion, and a confused mind often defaults to “no.”
• Doctors should delegate parts of the explanation intentionally so assistants can reinforce the why, answer questions, and help the patient process fees.
• Communication must be trained and rehearsed; it won’t improve by osmosis after a course, study club, or podcast.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Meet Debra Nash

02:10 Rural Practice Dilemma

04:41 If It Were Your Mouth

06:24 Wallet Biopsies

06:32 Dermatology Delegation Story

10:09 Moment of Truth After Doctor Leaves

10:36 Standing With The Doctor

12:03 Jargon And Too Many Choices

15:53 Training Without Scripts

17:43 Team as Patient Advocates

18:10 Veneers Parade of Shades

18:46 Investing in Staff Smiles

20:08 Retention and Loyalty Boost

20:41 Empathy vs Sympathy

23:57 Stop Apologizing for Care

25:37 Recall Value and Exams

26:23 Quality Without Doctor

27:53 Train Communication Skills

28:55 Programs and Contact Info

30:47 Final Takeaways and Wrap

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

Debra Engelhardt-Nash has been in dentistry since 1985 as a consultant, trainer, author and speaker. She has presented workshops nationally and internationally for numerous associations and study clubs. She is a repeat presenter for organizations including Chicago Dental Society Midwinter Meeting, the Yankee Dental Meeting, The Swedish Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, and the Greater New York Dental Meeting. Debra has also appeared on several podcasts and webinars and authored several articles for dental publications.

Debra served three terms as the President of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants who presented her their Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Charles Kidd Meritorious Service Award. She is the Immediate Past President of the Academy for Private Practice Dentistry. She has been repeatedly recognized as a Leader in Consulting and Education by Dentistry Today and has been listed as top 25 Women in Dentistry. Debra is also the recipient of the Gordon Christensen Lecturer Recognition Award.

Together with her husband, Dr. Ross Nash, Debra is the co-founder of the Nash Institute for Dental Learning – a post graduate training center in cosmetic and esthetic techniques and dental business administration training.

Guest resources mentioned:

• Nash Institute for Dental Learning: https://www.thenashinstitute.com/
• Debra Engelhardt-Nash: https://debraengelhardtnash.com/
• Text Debra: 704-904-3459

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Dentists have more access to health information, supplements, technology, and wellness strategies than ever, but knowing what to do does not guarantee that those habits will become sustainable. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Dr. Uche Odiatu, a dentist with more than 30 years of experience, about why mindset matters more than chasing the latest health hack. You will learn how to build sustainable health habits, rethink recovery and performance, protect cognitive function, create a healthier relationship with exercise and nutrition, and approach the second half of life with a different perspective.

For practical ways to turn health knowledge into consistent action, listen to Episode 1103 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Knowledge creates potential, but meaningful change requires consistent implementation.
• Sustainable health depends on building habits that can be maintained rather than following an all-or-nothing approach.
• Spending time outside and supporting the body’s natural light-dark cycle can become part of a dentist’s daily health routine.
• Feeling worthy of good health can influence whether positive changes become lasting behaviors.
• Recovery, including sleep, quiet time, stretching, and intentional rest, is an important part of physical and mental performance.
• Dentists can improve their perspective by thinking about patients in terms of total health and long-term relationships rather than individual procedures.
• A healthier second half of life requires reconsidering how you train, eat, recover, work, and respond to challenges.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why mindset beats health hacks for dentists.

03:09 Lifelong learning and maintaining curiosity.

04:20 Knowledge versus implementation.

05:52 What mindset means for dentists.

10:07 Light exposure, sleep, and nighttime routines.

12:30 Worthiness, health, and lasting behavior change.

15:00 Mirror work and developing a healthier self-perception.

16:00 The problem with presenting a perfect life.

17:40 Why balanced living is more sustainable than an all-or-nothing approach.

18:00 Exercise, overtraining, and long-term physical health.

19:42 Barefoot shoes, foot health, and planning for later life.

22:43 Rethinking patient relationships and lifetime value.

25:00 Cognitive capacity, brain fog, and decision-making.

28:45 Recovery and protecting your peace.

30:05 Red light, stretching, gratitude, and post-workout recovery.

32:44 A practical mindset treatment plan.

37:49 Wrap up and resources

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

Dr. Uche Odiatu has a DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine). He is a professional member of the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine), a Certified Personal Trainer NSCA (National Strength & Conditioning Association), and the Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals (canfitpro). He is the co-author of The Miracle of Health and has lectured in Canada, the USA, the Caribbean, the UK, and Europe. He is an invited guest on over 400 TV and radio shows, from ABC 20/20, Canada CTV AM, Breakfast TV, to Magic Sunday Drum FM in Texas. This high-energy healthcare professional has done over 450 lectures in seven countries over the last 15 years.

Episode Resources:

• Eastern Body, Western Mind: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/197177/eastern-body-western-mind-by-anodea-judith/
• I Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600838/you-can-heal-your-life-by-louise-hay/
• Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life by Wayne Dyer: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/600904/change-your-thoughts---change-your-life-by-dr-wayne-w-dyer/
• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharm: https://a.co/d/05q5heB0
• Biographics on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/biographics
• Dr. Uche Odiatu’s website: https://druche.com

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Many dentists know what their practice produces each month, but fewer understand how much value their existing patient base generates each year. Annual patient value, or APV, can reveal how efficiently a practice operates, how dependent it is on patient volume, and where opportunities exist to improve profitability without simply adding more patients.

In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Christina Byrne, Director of Coaching at ACT Dental, about how to calculate APV, what the number reveals about your business model, and how comprehensive care, service mix, insurance participation, and patient retention can influence it. Learn how to use APV to evaluate the health of your practice and make incremental improvements over time—listen to Episode 1102 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Annual patient value is calculated by dividing collections from the most recent rolling 12 months by the current active patient count.
• APV helps show how efficiently a practice generates collections from its existing patient base.
• A high-volume, low-profit-per-patient model generally requires more patients, appointments, team capacity, and operational infrastructure.
• A lower-volume, higher-profit-per-patient model can allow a practice to spend more time with patients and provide more comprehensive treatment.
• Comprehensive exams, complete treatment planning, periodontal diagnosis, long-term planning, and a broader hygiene service mix can help increase APV.
• Improving APV does not require an immediate jump to a specific benchmark, and practices can set smaller quarter-over-quarter improvement goals.
• APV is an outcome that reflects factors including comprehensive care, case acceptance, service mix, fee strategy, and patient retention.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Metric Mondays and annual patient value.

01:00 Christina Byrne joins Kirk to discuss why APV matters.

02:35 How to calculate annual patient value.

03:20 What APV reveals about an existing patient base.

04:50 Why APV can indicate practice efficiency and comprehensive care.

06:50 Production versus the efficiency of the business model.

07:15 High-volume, low-profit-per-patient practices.

09:15 Low-volume, higher-profit-per-patient practices.

11:00 Insurance adjustments and their impact on the business model.

13:00 How write-offs, overhead, and production interact.

14:35 Working backward from a collection goal using APV.

18:02 Comprehensive care strategies that can raise APV.

22:37 How to calculate APV and set incremental goals.

25:00 Business model and KPI analysis resources mentioned in the episode.

25:45 Episode wrap-up

Guest Bio:

Christina Byrne is the Director of Operations at ACT Dental, where she oversees coaching alignment, system development, and operational consistency across practices nationwide. She works closely with dental teams to help them build scalable systems that improve predictability, accountability, and long-term practice performance. In this episode, Christina references ACT Dental resources including the Analyzing Existing Systems document, the master systems checklist, and the systems and checklist support guide available through the Best Practices Association.

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

How can dentists stay clinically sharp, adapt to digital dentistry, and maintain profitable workflows throughout their careers? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Dr. John Cranham, educator, mentor, and longtime student and faculty member of the Dawson philosophy, about the four pillars dentists need to continually develop: foundational principles, efficient and profitable workflows, ongoing education, and mentorship. They also discuss the different challenges facing emerging digital dentists and experienced clinicians transitioning into digital workflows, why technology must remain grounded in sound clinical principles, and how mentorship accelerates growth.

To learn how to combine clinical fundamentals, technology, education, and feedback into a sustainable path toward excellence, listen to Episode 1101 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Strong foundational knowledge in aesthetics, occlusion, biology, and structural integrity guides effective diagnosis and treatment planning.
• Efficient and profitable workflows require repeatable systems that allow the entire dental team to understand how clinical procedures should progress.
• Dentists need ongoing education to stay current with evolving materials, software, technology, and treatment approaches.
• Mentorship provides a trusted feedback loop where dentists can share their work, receive constructive guidance, and continue improving.
• Emerging digital dentists often understand technology quickly but need deeper clinical principles to guide how they use it.
• Experienced dentists often have strong clinical foundations but need support incorporating scanners, software, digital design, printing, and other technologies into their workflows.
• Digital dentistry allows clinicians to move faster, but foundational principles determine whether they are moving in the right direction.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:19 Dr. John Cranham begins a new chapter after putting down the handpiece.

02:07 The four areas dentists need to develop throughout their careers.

08:27 Why mentorship requires transparency, feedback, and setting ego aside.

09:00 Applying knowledge and learning through repetition and experience.

12:03 The emerging digital dentist and the challenges this group faces.

16:35 Why technology must be combined with sound clinical principles.

21:03 The experienced dentist transitioning into digital dentistry.

23:58 Why Dr. Cranham remains committed to teaching and mentoring.

27:24 Why younger dentists need to actively seek mentors.

31:55 The evolution from Cranham Culp Digital Dental to Dental Mastery.

35:59 Goal setting, accountability, and access to mentorship.

36:00 How dentists can learn more about Dental Mastery.

Guest Bio:

Dr. John Cranham graduated from dental school in 1988 and built a general dental practice in Chesapeake, Virginia, with a focus on aesthetic dentistry, implant dentistry, TMD, and complex restorative care. Early in his career, he completed advanced education through the Dawson Academy, the Pankey Institute, and programs associated with Kois and Spear. His Cranham Dental Seminars organization merged with the Dawson Academy in 2004, and he served as clinical director of the Dawson Academy from 2004 to 2020. He later developed Cranham Culp Digital Dental and has continued teaching comprehensive dentists how to translate traditional restorative and occlusal principles into digital workflows. He is also involved with the Pankey Institute and its educational programs.

Episode Resources:

• Dental Mastery: dentalmastery.com
• 1092: The Truth About Practice Ownership, DSOs, and Retirement: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/1092-the-truth-about-practice-ownership-dsos/id1223838218?i=1000786495379

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

AI is changing how prospective patients search for dentists, and traditional SEO tactics alone may no longer be enough to earn visibility or trust. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Eric Hubbard of Pain-Free Dental Marketing about answer engine optimization, or AEO, and what dental practices need to understand as AI platforms become part of the patient search process.

Eric explains why reviews, consistent practice information, useful content, and a clear digital presence matter when AI systems assemble recommendations. You will learn where to focus your marketing efforts, which outdated tactics to reconsider, and how to create content that helps patients and AI platforms understand who you are, so listen to Episode 1100 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• AI platforms are increasingly appearing in patient conversations and are changing how prospective patients discover dental practices.
• Dentists are now competing for trusted AI recommendations rather than only competing for clicks in traditional search results.
• Reviews, consistent practice information, and clear demonstrations of clinical work are foundational investments that can remain valuable as AI models change.
• Dental websites should communicate who the dentist and practice are instead of relying on generic location-based language such as “dentist in [city].”
• Content should answer real patient questions and provide context about cases, patient concerns, treatment experiences, and the dentist’s approach.
• Dentists should avoid promises about hacking AI platforms because the underlying models are changing rapidly.
• A practice’s homepage, first-visit page, and about page should clearly reflect its values, personality, and ideal patients rather than using interchangeable copy.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 What AEO means for dentists.

01:19 Meet Eric Hubbard

03:34 The misinformation and uncertainty surrounding AI in dental marketing.

04:30 How patients are beginning to use AI platforms for search.

07:01 Why traditional “dentist in [city]” website language is becoming less useful.

08:00 Website appearance does not guarantee strong technical performance.

09:35 Why dentists should be cautious about promises to hack AI search results.

14:24 How dentists can generate ideas for useful patient-focused content.

16:12 Why execution matters more than marketing ideas that never get implemented.

17:00 Pain-Free Dental Marketing’s focus on controllable, long-term investments.

19:16 Eric’s first action step for reviewing a dental practice’s digital presence.

20:00 The Bite-Sized Dental Marketing podcast and current marketing changes.

22:00 How dentists can learn more about Pain-Free Dental Marketing.

Guest Bio:

Eric Hubbard is a dental marketing professional with Pain-Free Dental Marketing. His marketing background includes experience with Procter & Gamble and GameStop, where he developed an approach centered on clearly identifying and communicating with an ideal customer. Today, he applies that discipline to dental practices, helping them improve their digital presence, attract the right prospective patients, and focus on sustainable practice growth.

Episode Resources:

• Bite-Sized Dental Marketing podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bite-sized-dental-marketing/id1688425885
• Pain-Free Dental Marketing: https://www.painfreedentalmarketing.com/

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com

Are your marketing dollars bringing in more new patients, or the right new patients? Without tracking referral sources, treatment presented, and treatment accepted, it is difficult to know which marketing efforts are actually producing value for your practice. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Ariel Siegel, an ACT Dental coach, about how to evaluate new patient source value and connect marketing activity to treatment opportunities and acceptance.

You will learn which metrics to track, how to identify your strongest referral sources, and how a better new patient experience and consistent follow-through can improve the return on your marketing investment. To make smarter decisions about where to invest your time, energy, and marketing dollars, listen to Episode 1099 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Track new patients by referral source so you know which marketing efforts are bringing patients into your practice.
• Measure the dollar amount of treatment presented specifically to new patients rather than combining it with existing patient treatment.
• Track treatment accepted by new patients to determine whether a referral source is attracting patients who are a good fit for the practice.
• A high new patient count with low treatment presented may indicate that marketing is attracting patients whose needs do not align with the services the practice wants to provide.
• A lower new patient count with high treatment acceptance can indicate a valuable referral source even when patient volume is smaller.
• A strong new patient experience should begin with the first interaction and include questions, co-discovery, and a comprehensive exam tailored to the individual patient.
• Consistent follow-through helps practices continue treatment conversations with patients who are not ready to accept treatment on the day it is presented.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why marketing ROI matters.

01:00 Introduction to Metric Mondays and new patient metrics.

02:20 Determine where new patients are coming from.

03:10 Track treatment presented and accepted by new patients.

03:45 Why the right new patients matter more than volume alone.

05:05 Know the return on every marketing dollar.

05:35 Common problems with referral source tracking.

06:45 Use revenue attribution to identify valuable sources.

07:35 High new patient count with low treatment presented.

08:25 Low new patient count with high treatment accepted.

09:15 The ideal combination of volume and treatment acceptance.

10:40 What effective referral source tracking looks like.

12:05 Create a strong new patient experience.

13:25 Improve treatment follow-through.

15:10 Use data trends to guide marketing decisions.

16:25 Steps practices can take today.

17:50 Invest more in marketing that supports the practice vision.

Guest Bio:

Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process!

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: [email protected]

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• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
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