The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

How are you supporting the hygienists who are committed to doing their best work, and does your practice give them the equipment, communication, and environment they need to succeed? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Katrina Sanders, a practicing periodontal hygienist, speaker, and consultant, about the other side of the dental hygiene shortage and why high-performing hygienists sometimes leave practices where they do not feel supported.

You will learn how to create better clinical alignment, establish productive feedback systems, invest in the tools your hygiene team needs, and build an environment where licensed professionals can contribute solutions and do their best work. To learn how dentists and hygienists can work together to improve alignment and patient care, listen to Episode 1098 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Hygienists who are committed to high-level patient care need appropriate instruments, equipment, and support to perform their jobs effectively.
• Practice owners should create regular opportunities for hygienists to communicate what equipment and resources they need.
• Clinical calibration should happen intentionally rather than through disagreements or inconsistent decisions in front of patients.
• Dentists can undermine a hygienist's credibility when they contradict clinical concerns in front of patients without prior alignment.
• Practices should establish clear standards of excellence so dentists and hygienists understand how clinical decisions will be made.
• A 1-3-1 feedback system can help team members present one problem, three possible solutions, and one recommended solution instead of simply making complaints.
• Hygienists who do not feel encouraged to do their best work may choose to leave a practice even when compensation is not the primary issue.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Kirk introduces Katrina Sanders and the question of how practices take care of the people who take care of patients.

01:40 Katrina shares her background as a practicing periodontal hygienist, speaker, consultant, and advocate for committed dental hygienists.

02:42 Katrina explains why highly motivated hygienists may leave practices where they cannot practice to the top of their abilities.

05:37 Katrina discusses her keynote at RDH Under One Roof and the importance of hygienists practicing beyond simply cleaning teeth.

08:02 Katrina describes an instrument exercise that revealed how many hygienists continue using equipment that should be retired.

09:29 Hygienists share challenges with getting support for new equipment and protocols in their practices.

12:25 Kirk and Katrina discuss authentic dialogue, artificial harmony, and fear of workplace conflict.

15:22 Creating safe feedback loops

17:00 Why access to effective instruments matters clinically

20:58 Alignment in hiring and culture

23:37 Katrina discusses how the hygiene shortage gives practices an opportunity to create environments where hygienists can thrive.

25:21 Dentists and hygienists misalignment and how it can damage the hygienist's credibility

26:57 Katrina describes intentional clinical calibration and quality assurance processes used in her practice.

29:03 The importance of maintaining agreed-upon clinical standards and signaling support for the hygiene team.

31:57 The 1-3-1 feedback system for turning problems into solution-based conversations.

33:34 Katrina discusses data showing significant job movement among dental hygienists and why work environment matters.

37:08 How to create a structured, solution-based communication for the hygienist, dentist, practice, and patient.

41:49 Katrina shares an example of worn periodontal probes contributing to poor periodontal diagnosis and treatment numbers.

44:00 Resources & wrap up

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

In the ever-changing world of dental science where research, technology, and techniques for patient care are constantly evolving, dental professionals look to continuing education to provide insight, deliver actionable steps, empower, and create a dramatic impact within their clinical practice.

With wit, charm, and a dash of humor, Katrina Sanders enchants dental professionals with her course deliverables, insightful content, and delightful inspiration. Her message of empowerment rings mighty throughout her lectures and stirs a deep sense of motivation amongst course participants.

Katrina is the Clinical Liaison for AZPerio, the country's largest periodontal practice. She performs clinically, working alongside Diplomates to the American Board of Periodontology in the surgical operatory. Katrina perfected techniques during L.A.N.A.P. surgery, suture placement, IV therapy, and blood draws. She instructs on collaborative professionalism and standard-of-care protocols while delivering education through hygiene boot camps and study clubs.

Resources mentioned:

• Website: www.katrinasanders.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/
• Program: https://katrinasanders.com/speaking/
• https://smilesource.com/exchange
• Build your own kit with PDT!: https://pdtdental.com/pages/personalized-care?_pos=4&_sid=3d5b8ccfe&_ss=r

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 enter the profession expecting strong financial security, only to find that student loans, practice debt, insurance write-offs, and rising overhead can quickly reduce actual take-home income. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Dr. Jim McKee, dentist and educator, about why production numbers can be misleading and how dentists can create a more profitable, sustainable practice model.

You’ll learn why actual collections matter more than stated production, how personal overhead affects financial pressure, what it takes to differentiate a practice beyond insurance participation, and why clinical expertise, communication, team training, and community positioning are critical to profitability. If you want greater control over your practice and financial future, listen to Episode 1097 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Actual practice profit is determined by actual collections and actual expenses, not stated production before insurance adjustments.
• Keeping personal overhead low and saving early can reduce financial pressure and give dentists greater flexibility in clinical decisions.
• Large insurance write-offs can significantly reduce profitability even when a practice reports strong production.
• Dentists can differentiate an out-of-network or fee-for-service practice by developing clinical services that patients have difficulty accessing elsewhere.
• Effective verbal skills help patients understand their problems and treatment options without being overwhelmed by dental terminology.
• Consistent team training can improve clinical preparation, communication, efficiency, and production throughout the practice.
• Positioning yourself as a helpful clinical resource for other dentists can create a strong referral network without relying on traditional marketing.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Why dentists may earn less than they expected.

02:00 Financial pressure from student loans and practice debt.

04:34 How limited financial margin creates stress for younger dentists.

06:40 Building financial security and avoiding unnecessary personal overhead.

09:48 How compound interest supports long-term financial independence.

13:01 Why production numbers can misrepresent actual practice income.

15:34 The financial impact of insurance write-offs.

19:23 Why growth does not automatically create profit.

21:03 Giving patients a reason to choose an out-of-network dentist.

24:27 Building a practice around jaw joint and bite diagnosis.

25:59 Developing verbal skills patients can understand.

28:42 How Dr. McKee built a referral-based restorative diagnostic practice.

32:27 The importance of investing in team training.

34:24 How weekly training sessions improved practice performance.

37:01 Using diagnostic records to expand team production.

38:51 Becoming a clinical resource within the dental community.

41:53 Positioning a practice instead of simply marketing it.

43:49 Building a restorative diagnostic practice around clinical interests.

46:08 Creating greater financial control through a fee-for-service model.

48:00 Final thoughts on building the practice you want.

Guest Bio/Guest Resources

Dr. Jim McKee is a restorative dentist and educator focused on occlusion, TMD, and restorative diagnosis. He is a member of the Spear Resident Faculty. He has maintained a private practice since 1984 in Downers Grove, Illinois, where he treats a wide variety of cases with a focus on predictable restorative dentistry. He is a member of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry and former president of the American Equilibration Society. He has lectured both nationally and internationally for over 25 years and directs several study clubs. Dr. McKee graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1980 and earned his dental degree from the University of Illinois College of Dentistry in 1984.

Episode Resources:

• Spear Education: https://www.speareducation.com/
• LD Pankey Institute: https://pankey.org/

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 presenting enough treatment to support your production goals, or are gaps in diagnosis and communication limiting what patients understand about their care? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt speaks with ACT Dental coach Ariel Siegel about treatment-presented metrics and how they can reveal whether your practice is having enough comprehensive clinical conversations.

You’ll learn how to evaluate total and average treatment presented, avoid prejudging patients’ willingness to move forward, involve patients through co-discovery, and reverse engineer treatment-presented goals from your production targets. For a practical way to use this metric to improve accountability and comprehensive care, listen to Episode 1096 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Treatment-presented metrics help determine whether a practice is diagnosing and recommending enough care to support its production or collection goals.
• Practices should review both total treatment presented and average treatment presented to understand consistency and movement toward comprehensive care.
• Transactional, problem-focused exams can limit opportunities to identify and discuss broader patient needs.
• Dentists should avoid prejudging a patient’s ability or willingness to accept treatment before presenting the best clinical recommendation.
• Co-discovery helps patients connect clinical findings with what they are seeing, feeling, and trying to achieve with their dental health.
• Production goals should be reverse engineered using treatment acceptance rates to determine how much treatment must be presented.
• Peer accountability and regular review of treatment presented versus accepted can help dentists identify trends before they affect the schedule.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to treatment-presented metrics.

01:57 Using treatment presented to evaluate clinical conversations and recommendations.

03:50 Reviewing total and average treatment presented.

04:50 How transactional and problem-focused exams limit comprehensive care.

06:58 Using co-discovery to involve patients in the diagnostic process.

09:36 Putting patient goals first and discussing comprehensive care.

11:47 How communication style affects treatment presentation.

14:58 Reverse engineering treatment presented from production goals.

18:08 Creating consistent systems for diagnostic and treatment conversations.

19:37 Using team members for peer-to-peer accountability.

23:13 Closing thoughts and resources for dental practices.

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]
• 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

Do your team meetings keep circling around the same problems without producing clear decisions or lasting change? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt and co-host Miranda Beeson, a dental practice coach, explain the IDS problem-solving framework and how dental teams can use it to identify root issues, discuss them efficiently, assign clear action items, and create accountability.

You’ll learn how to structure an issues list, distinguish symptoms from underlying problems, keep discussions from getting derailed, and use weekly meetings to move problems toward resolution. For a practical framework to stop recycling the same issues in your practice, listen to Episode 1095 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• The IDS framework moves teams through identifying the real issue, discussing it efficiently, and solving it with documented action items.
• Team meetings should spend approximately 20% of their time addressing issues and 80% moving priorities, systems, processes, and alignment forward.
• Issues should be documented before the meeting and prioritized based on urgency and potential impact rather than addressed in the order they were added.
• A stated problem is often a symptom, so teams should identify the underlying root causes before discussing solutions.
• Productive discussion includes relevant information and different perspectives while limiting tangents, repetition, and unrelated issues.
• Every solution should define what happens next, who owns the action, when it will be completed, and how the team will know whether it worked.
• Weekly meetings provide consistent accountability and help prevent issues and unfinished action items from accumulating over several weeks.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to solving recurring dental practice problems.

02:17 The IDS issue-solving framework from Traction.

05:21 How much meeting time should be spent on issues.

08:11IDS overview

13:52 Identify: finding the real issue behind the symptom.

20:00 Discuss: keeping issue conversations efficient and productive.

24:30 Solve: turning discussion into decisions and action.

28:59 Why weekly meetings improve accountability.

34:02 Structuring meetings so issues do not consume the agenda.

36:00 Tools and resources for implementing the process.

39:00 Closing thoughts.

Guest Bio:

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.

Episode Resources:

• Traction by Gino Wickman: https://www.eosworldwide.com/traction-book
• Issues Solving Guide
• Team Meetings Tool
• Visit us at https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/

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

PPO participation can quietly erode profitability when fees, network relationships, and write-offs are not regularly reviewed. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Clinton Johnson, founder of Profitable PPOs, about the hidden PPO mistakes that can cost dental practices seven figures over time. Clinton explains how PPO network structures work, why reimbursement has failed to keep pace with rising practice costs, how to evaluate the true financial impact of each plan, and why dentists should build a PPO strategy around their practice goals rather than making emotional decisions.

Learn how to audit PPO participation, identify low-profit plans, improve reimbursement, and strategically move toward greater profitability and autonomy — listen to Episode 1094 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• PPO reimbursement has not kept pace with inflation and rising practice expenses, forcing many dentists to work harder to maintain previous income levels.
• Dentists can participate in PPOs through direct contracts, network share agreements, or umbrella companies, and those options can produce significantly different reimbursement levels.
• A PPO strategy should be designed around the practice’s priorities, including profitability, broad network coverage, and administrative simplicity.
• PPO write-off percentages can be misleading when a practice’s office fees are not appropriately set for its geographic market.
• Dentists should review EOBs and conduct a comprehensive PPO audit approximately every 18 to 24 months to verify network participation, fee schedules, and opportunities for improvement.
• Practices considering PPO reductions should use financial data and generally begin with smaller plans that have poor reimbursement rather than making large changes based on frustration.
• PPO optimization should include analysis, strategy development, financial modeling, implementation, and verification that insurers are paying the expected fees.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to hidden PPO mistakes that can cost a practice seven figures.

01:11 Kirk introduces Clinton Johnson and the complexity of PPO participation.

03:57 Why dentists are producing more without necessarily becoming more profitable.

05:58 Three ways dentists can participate in PPO networks.

09:51 Why PPO write-off percentages can be misleading.

12:08 Clinton explains the PPO profit ladder.

13:41 The long-term financial and practice-value impact of poor PPO reimbursement.

16:16 Why dentists need to monitor EOBs and identify missed upside opportunities.

21:03 How to evaluate which PPOs are helping or hurting the practice.

24:55 Why traditional PPO fee negotiation is less effective than it once was.

27:09 When dentists should stay in a PPO or consider leaving.

30:00 Risks of leaving a PPO without a structured plan.

31:41 How PPO strategy can support independent dentistry.

34:21 Which practices are and are not a good fit for PPO optimization.

37:28 Clinton explains the Profitable PPOs analysis and strategy process.

41:30 How to contact Profitable PPOs.

42:00 Closing thoughts on profitability, independence, and practice ownership.

Guest Bio:

Possessing over twenty years of experience working with dental offices, Clint Johnson is passionate about helping practice owners optimize their PPO plan participation and profits. As the founder of Phoenix-based Profitable PPOs, Clint has focused that passion by helping ensure dentists participate with the right PPOs, in the right way, and for maximum reimbursement. Hundreds of dental practices every year, across the United States, big and small, look to Profitable PPO to provide the insurance participation management needed to make the most of their profitability–both in the present and in years to come.

For Clint, dentistry has always been a family matter, with his father, grandfather and great-grandfather all dentists. The experience of seeing both the benefits, and the challenges, in dentistry inspired him to help doctors optimize their practices. Clint knew there had to be a way to help those in the dental field deal with the challenges and costs associated with insurance participation… And that challenge was the impetus behind the creation of Profitable PPOs.

In addition to his work with Profitable PPOs, Clint is also an author and a frequent presenter at dental conferences. In his free time, he enjoys reading, skiing, scuba diving, and traveling with his wife and three children.

Episode Resources:

• Profitable PPOs: https://profitableppos.com/
• Phone: 855-PPO-GAIN

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

A full schedule does not always mean a productive schedule. Without a clear average daily production goal, teams can stay busy, miss production targets, and spend their days reacting instead of intentionally building the schedule. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Robyn Theisen, ACT Dental coach, about using average daily production goals and ideal day scheduling to create a more predictable and productive practice.

You will learn how to set daily targets, structure high-production procedures, monitor the schedule in advance, and help your team consistently work toward the same goal. To learn how to build your schedule to win the day, listen to Episode 1093 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• An average daily production goal should be used as an intentional scheduling target rather than an end-of-day report card.
• A schedule can be completely full while still failing to produce enough revenue to meet the practice’s goals.
• Every provider and team member should understand the daily production targets and how the schedule is designed to achieve them.
• Production should be monitored days and weeks in advance so the team can proactively address openings and protect high-value treatment.
• High-production procedures should be strategically placed throughout the day instead of being scheduled wherever space happens to be available.
• Daily production goals should be calculated from the practice’s annual production goal and the number of days worked each year.
• An ideal day schedule gives the team a framework for placing procedures, protecting capacity, and working toward production goals consistently.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Metric Mondays Intro

02:19 Why ideal day scheduling is an important practice management tool.

03:46 Using production goals as intentional targets instead of report cards.

05:01 What happens when a practice’s schedule is busy but not productive.

06:17 What a practice looks like when production goals and scheduling are aligned.

08:08 Using full fees, write-offs, and adjustments correctly within the scheduling process.

09:47 How to calculate daily goals and begin building an ideal day schedule.

11:11 Wrap Up And Resources

Guest Bio:

Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.

Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.

Episode Resources:

Ideal Day Scheduling and Block Scheduling Resource Guide: https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/color-coding-block-scheduling-and-ideal-day-scheduling

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

What should dentists understand about practice ownership, selling to a DSO, planning for retirement, and building a career that stays aligned with their values? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Dr. John Cranham, restorative dentist, educator, and former clinical director of the Dawson Academy, about the decisions and transitions that shaped his career as he prepares to step away from clinical practice.

You will learn what dentists should consider before selling a practice, why giving up control can be difficult, how practice models affect the way dentists deliver care, why retirement requires something meaningful to transition toward, and what Dr. Cranham believes the future holds for comprehensive and fee-for-service dentistry. To hear his perspective from nearly four decades in dentistry, listen to Episode 1092 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Dentists should think about their eventual transition and end game early in their careers.
• Selling a practice to another dentist or a DSO involves tradeoffs, and every transition model carries potential risks.
• Dentists considering a DSO should carefully evaluate control, compensation, scheduling, practice philosophy, and the organization’s long-term stability.
• Practice environments become difficult when the dentist’s preferred style of care conflicts with the organization’s priorities or values.
• Dentists who want to provide relationship-based, comprehensive care need an environment that supports the time, training, and systems required to deliver it.
• Retirement is easier when dentists are transitioning toward meaningful work, relationships, service, or other activities rather than simply leaving clinical practice.
• Dr. Cranham believes fee-for-service dentistry remains viable for dentists who combine strong relationships, comprehensive treatment planning, technical excellence, and appropriate use of technology.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Dr. John Cranham’s retirement and practice transition.

01:23 Dr. Cranham prepares to step away from clinical dentistry.

04:23 His path from dental school to comprehensive dentistry and education.

06:04 Building a general practice focused on aesthetic, implant, and complex care.

07:04 Why Dr. Cranham sold his practice to Heartland Dental.

09:55 Comparing transitions to another dentist, group practice, or DSO.

13:27 The challenge of giving up control after selling a practice.

17:21 His daughter’s decision to reconsider her future within the DSO model.

20:35 Benefits and limitations of high-volume DSO practice.

22:40 Financial promises, compensation, and risks when evaluating DSOs.

25:39 Finding a practice model that aligns with your values.

28:40 What Dr. Cranham would tell himself on his first day of practice.

29:52 Why behavioral skills, relationships, delegation, and financial planning matter.

31:58 Why retirement should be a transition to something meaningful.

33:56 How Dr. Cranham became involved with the Pankey Institute.

38:39 Dr. Cranham’s view of the future of dentistry.

41:01 Why fee-for-service dentistry is not dead.

42:21 The next chapter for Dr. Cranham and Dental Mastery.

44:22 Final thoughts on challenges, changing direction, and asking for help.

47:00 Time boundaries lesson

48:25 Closing Encouragement

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.

Resources:

Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996

Dental Mastery: https://dentalmastery.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

What should you do when a longtime team member can no longer meet the demands of their role? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Alan Twigg, president of Bent Eriksen & Associates and an HR professional with more than 20 years of experience, about how dental practice owners can address declining performance without making assumptions about age or medical conditions.

You will learn how to establish objective job standards, document performance concerns, approach fitness-for-duty situations, involve an employee’s treating physician when appropriate, and navigate accommodations or transitions while reducing legal risk. For practical guidance on handling one of dentistry’s most difficult HR conversations, listen to Episode 1091 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Employers should address an employee’s job performance rather than attempt to diagnose or manage the employee’s medical condition.
• Current job descriptions, HR policies, and standard operating procedures provide objective benchmarks for evaluating whether an employee is meeting role expectations.
• Regular check-ins can uncover performance concerns and give employees an opportunity to explain challenges before problems escalate.
• Leaders should separate observable facts from assumptions about why an employee’s performance has changed.
• A fitness-for-duty process can involve the employee’s treating physician in determining whether the employee can perform essential job duties and what restrictions may be necessary.
• Employers may have legal obligations to engage in an accommodation or interactive process when an employee discloses a protected medical condition.
• Documentation of performance expectations, conversations, restrictions, and accommodations is important when a practice may ultimately need to end employment.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:11 Alan Twigg’s background and Bent Eriksen & Associates.

04:23 Medical, cognitive, physical, and medication-related factors that can affect job performance.

06:52 Why employers should not act as an employee’s treating physician.

08:03 Using policies, job descriptions, and standards to establish performance expectations.

11:56 Keeping job descriptions current as technology and practice needs change.

15:28 Reviewing changing expectations as a dental practice grows.

18:22 Understanding the fitness-for-duty process.

21:21 Focusing performance conversations on standards, patients, and the team.

22:45 Managing longtime employees who resist changes or plan to retire soon.

28:35 Protected medical conditions and employer responsibilities.

32:43 Why dental practices benefit from qualified HR guidance.

35:00 How Bent Eriksen & Associates supports dental practices with HR issues.

Guest Bio:

Alan Twigg is the president of Bent Ericksen & Associates. For over 10 years, he has guided thousands of clients and consultants through the ever-changing world of HR and employment compliance. He is a speaker, consultant, and author who is passionate about bringing education and peace of mind to such a confusing topic.

As a strong proponent of symbiotic employer-employee relations, Alan is passionate about teamwork and positive work cultures, with an emphasis on long-term personnel retention and employment compliance, where his solutions-oriented outlook excels.

Episode Resources:

https://bentericksen.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 financial systems helping you collect what patients owe when care happens—or are unexpected balances creating extra work for your team later? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Robyn Theisen, ACT Dental coach, about same-day collection percentage and why clear financial arrangements matter for both cash flow and the patient experience.

You’ll learn what this metric measures, what low same-day collections can reveal about your systems, how stronger financial conversations reduce accounts receivable, and what your team can do to improve financial clarity before treatment begins. For practical ways to strengthen your financial systems and create more predictable collections, listen to Episode 1090 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Same-day collection percentage measures how much of the patient portion owed for treatment is collected before the patient leaves the practice.
• Lower same-day collections often point to weaknesses in financial arrangements rather than a collections problem alone.
• Reviewing and signing treatment plans before appointments helps patients understand their financial responsibility in advance.
• Clear financial expectations reduce unexpected balances, collection calls, statements, and administrative follow-up.
• High-performing practices use consistent systems, payment options, and role-playing to help team members present financial arrangements confidently.
• A healthy same-day collection percentage can vary based on the practice model, including differences between fee-for-service and PPO-heavy practices.
• Teams can audit financial readiness during chart preparation by confirming that patients have signed financial arrangements and clear payment expectations.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to same-day collection percentage.

01:38 Why same-day collections matter as a practice metric.

05:08 Common signs that same-day collection systems are not working.

07:17 How prepared teams approach financial conversations.

10:17 Why collection benchmarks depend on the practice model.

12:39 Auditing financial expectations during daily chart preparation.

13:00 Final thoughts on improving financial systems.

Guest Bio:

Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.

Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.

Episode Resources:

• Creating a Clear Financial Policy resource: https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/creating-a-clear-financial-policy-55-questions
• ACT Dental Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub

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

You may be tracking KPIs in your dental practice, but do you know what those numbers are actually telling you? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with Adriana Booth, an ACT Dental coach, about how key performance indicators reveal the health of your systems, team, patient care, and business.

You’ll learn how to interpret KPIs as diagnostic tools, identify the systems influencing your numbers, focus your team on meaningful improvements, and make steady progress without chasing perfection. To understand what your practice data is really telling you, listen to Episode 1089 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Every KPI is influenced by multiple systems and should not be interpreted as having only one cause.
• KPIs can help measure both the health of the practice and the quality of patient care.
• Teams should ask which system produced a result instead of assigning blame to an individual.
• New patient growth can be affected by referrals, phone conversion, the first-visit experience, treatment presentation, and follow-up systems.
• High numbers of unscheduled active patients can indicate weaknesses in reappointment, recare, or other patient-retention systems.
• Tracking KPI trends over time provides more useful information than relying on assumptions or memory.
• Practices can create meaningful improvement by selecting a few important KPIs and improving the systems that influence them quarter over quarter.

Episode Chapters:

00:00 What KPIs can reveal about a dental practice.

03:01 Using KPIs as feedback instead of judgment.

05:40 Why every KPI is influenced by multiple systems.

06:38 Systems that can affect new patient growth.

08:30 What unscheduled active patients can reveal about a practice.

09:32 KPIs as measures of practice health and patient health.

11:12 How periodontal percentages can reflect patient-care outcomes.

12:45 Stop asking who is responsible and start examining the system.

14:38 Using collection percentage to identify system improvements.

17:38 What a high broken appointment percentage can indicate.

22:44 Focusing on progress rather than perfection.

24:48 Choosing a few KPIs to improve each quarter.

26:34 Using the KPI analysis activity to better understand practice metrics.

28:50 Resources for KPI improvement and coaching support.

Guest Bio:

Adriana Booth is a Lead Practice Coach who partners with dentists and their teams to cultivate leadership skills, drive practice growth, and streamline business practices. With nearly three decades of experience in the dental industry, Adriana brings a deep passion for professional development, high-level training, and systems creation to her coaching.

As a dental hygienist committed to continuing education and personal growth, she thrives on helping practices achieve their full potential. Adriana holds a BS in Dental Hygiene from West Liberty University/O'Hehir University and remains actively engaged in the dental community through study clubs and professional networks.

Now based in Teays Valley, WV, Adriana enjoys fitness, reading, quality time with family, and exploring the outdoors with her Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Beau Duke.

Episode Resources:

KPI Analysis Activity: https://join.actdental.com/c/resources/kpi-analysis-activity

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