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In dentistry—as in life—leadership is not a title, but a responsibility. Too often, we imagine leadership as a rank to be achieved, a position to be claimed, or an office to be won. But genuine leadership is not defined by where you sit at the table; it’s defined by what you do when you’re at the table—and more importantly, what you do when you’re not.

At its core, leadership is action. It’s the daily choice to step forward, to shoulder responsibility, and to serve others even when no one is watching. For state and national dental association leaders, this means moving beyond advocacy for oneself to a broader commitment: fighting for the profession, for patients, and for the future of oral health.

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In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Delta Dental’s latest effort to “train” HR departments on how to talk about their plans. On the surface, it looks like education—but behind the scenes, it’s strategic messaging designed to make employees hear only the positives and none of the truth about coverage limitations, provider restrictions, and patient choice.

We explore how these trainings teach HR professionals to polish the Delta Dental brand while avoiding the real issues—like low reimbursements, restrictive contracts, and the control Delta exerts over provider care. By shaping the message at the HR level, Delta ensures employees stay loyal to their network and blind to what’s really happening behind the smile.

Tune in as we decode Delta Dental’s playbook and show how employers can empower their teams with facts, not spin.

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Tracy takes our listeners into a deep dive on how third-party payers are discouraging their clients to see out-of-network dentists. In this episode, we expose the truth behind Delta Dental’s latest campaign targeting HR departments. Their message? Convince employees that going “out of network” will cost them more. The reality? It costs Delta control. We break down the misleading talking points, reveal what the data actually shows, and explain how this manipulation keeps both employers and employees in the dark—while protecting Delta’s profit margins, not patient care.

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and resistance figure, once observed:
 “Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. Stupidity, not evil, is the greater threat. Not because it’s more powerful, but because stupidity is unreachable. You can expose evil, you can argue with it, you can shine a light on it, you can resist it, but stupidity just does not respond. It does not engage. It just is, and it spreads.”

Though written in the context of political oppression, Bonhoeffer’s words resonate profoundly within dentistry today. The challenges our profession faces—insurance restrictions, reimbursement struggles, regulatory burdens—are not merely fueled by malice or greed. More often, they are perpetuated by what Bonhoeffer described: a surrender of independent thought and discernment.

In this article, we will examine how Bonhoeffer’s warning applies to dentistry, dental insurance, dental association leadership, and dental teams. More importantly, we will explore how liberation—not simply instruction—is the only antidote.

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Two wonderful softwares at battle with each other. Unfortunately, Dentrix is flexing their mighty muscle, and it just might lead to dental practices making the switch to other dental practice management software. Vyne is the preferred software when it comes to the submission of dental insurance claims. Hopefully they'll fix their integration issues. Tracy takes on the podcast on this power struggle issue.

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Why Do Dental Specialists Feel Restricted in Charging Referred Patients, or should I say, using up the PPO patient’s benefits?

If you’ve ever wondered why your dental specialist friends seem hesitant to bill additional fees for value-added services, or their full fee, or why your dental specialist family member says they have to “keep their fees within the referring dentist’s range,” you’re about to find out.

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Imagine you offer two options to your patients—one with premium materials, one standard. Sounds good, right? But what happens when those better options come at a cost that insurance won’t cover?

Now ask yourself—when you pass on those costs to higher-paying patients, is that ethical? Or are you just playing Robin Hood with root canals?

Here’s the kicker—many practices do this silently. PPO plans cover less, yet those patients often walk out with the same high-quality restorations that cash-paying or premium-insured patients get. So, who's really paying? Your MEPAT patients… the ones funding your LEPAT patients' dental care.

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Here's the typical scenario: dental offices are not profitable by procedure, so they work the hygienists to death in order to make up for lost revenue. Then there's the lack of support Hygienists need when diagnosing periodontal disease. Need I say more?

It's no wonder why dental hygienists are burned out... But is there something dentists can do to reverse this problem? Enjoy the podcast...

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In Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson uses a simple allegory involving four characters (Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw) who navigate a maze in search of “cheese” — a metaphor for what we want in life, such as a job, relationship, or health. The story centers on how each character reacts when the cheese is moved, reflecting the need to adapt to change.

This narrative is eerily applicable to the current state of dental insurance — particularly how companies like Delta Dental operate. Dentists and patients alike are characters in this real-life maze, constantly trying to locate the “cheese” of quality oral health care. But the challenge is that insurers aren’t just moving the cheese; they’re changing the maze itself. The rules are always shifting: what procedures are covered, reimbursement rates, required pre-authorizations, and even what counts as “necessary” care.

For providers committed to delivering the best, most advanced care, this inconsistency is not just frustrating — it’s professionally and ethically compromising.

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I’ll never forget the first time I sat down with a dental insurance representative, and started asking questions. I began with questions based on all the “false information” that had been thrown at me through the years regarding PPO contracts, such as: “sending in fee-for-service (FFS) fees increases PPO reimbursement rates”, or “you can’t upgrade patients on PPO plans” and many others. Her response to my questions was very interesting and not what I expected.

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