The Savvy Dentist

Social media keeps declaring word of mouth marketing slow and inefficient. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green makes the opposite case, and lays out the four step ESAR framework for patient referrals in your dental practice: the same system behind several multi-seven figure practices he helped grow with zero advertising spend. He also explains how external marketing adds new patients while referral marketing multiplies your patient numbers, and what that does to your cost of acquisition. If you are a dental practice owner who wants to grow without lifting your ad spend, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

01:38 The four step ESAR framework behind every referral

02:03 Why you have to earn the right to ask, and the touchpoints that get you there

03:25 The patient covenant that makes referrals an expectation, not a hope

04:50 The exact words Jesse uses to ask a patient for a referral

07:45 Why behaviour rewarded is behaviour repeated, and the gift mistake to avoid

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

AI tools are arriving faster than the rules that govern them, and most practice owners are switching them on without knowing where their obligations begin and end. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green sits down with Zac Herps, Managing Director of Hillhouse Legal Partners, to work through what AI in dental practice actually exposes you to, from the moment a tool generates its very first clinical note.

You will learn why informed consent belongs in the chair rather than on a sign in the waiting room, and what free AI platforms quietly do with everything you paste into them. Zac also walks through the reverse engineering approach his own firm uses to select tools, so you can put governance in place before something goes wrong. If you are a dental practice owner bringing AI into your clinical, administrative, or marketing workflows, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

01:21 Why the law treats AI as assistive, and why the liability still lands on you

05:37 Why a sign in the waiting room does not count as informed consent

16:08 The problem with free AI tools and what happens to everything you paste in

20:24 Two real cases: the lawyer struck off and the board member removed

23:44 The reverse engineering approach to choosing an AI tool for your practice

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program
• Learn more about Hillhouse Legal Partners
• Read the Hillhouse fact sheet: AI in Healthcare: Managing Privacy, Legal and Compliance Risks

This episode and these show notes provide general information only and should not be relied upon as legal advice. Specific advice should be obtained from a qualified professional based on your individual circumstances.

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

One dental practice worked through four receptionists in a few years and every single time, they blamed the receptionist or blamed the hire. Dr Jesse Green traces the problem back to its real source: the dental practice hiring process. He makes the case that getting it right lifts the calibre of applicants, keeps good team members longer, and protects the productivity that constant turnover quietly erodes. If you are a dental practice owner tired of cycling through team members and ready to build a hiring system that works, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 01:59 The two documents to have in place before you write a word of an ad: the ideal applicant avatar and your employer value proposition
• 03:34 How to write an advertisement that speaks to your ideal applicant's hopes and frustrations
• 05:15 Why advertising is only the first domino in a full recruitment system

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Dr Jesse Green is joined by Clayton Newell from Henry Schein One to unpack how AI can help your dental practice today, not in five years' time. You will hear which low value tasks to hand over first, why freeing your front desk from the calendar and the phone changes the patient experience, and how to tell the difference between technology that earns its keep and technology that just looks impressive.

Clayton also points to the revenue already sitting in your existing database: the lapsed recalls, the unbooked treatments, and the simple follow-up habit that turns those numbers into booked chairs. You will get a clear picture of where the practice of the future differentiates once systems become a commodity, and what that shift means for the work your team does every day. If you are a practice owner deciding how far to take AI and automation without losing the human side of your practice, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 02:32 The parallel between tradies and practice owners, and why hands on craft has a long runway ahead of it
• 12:17 AI clinical notes inside the PMS, and the end of writing up your day at nine o'clock at night
• 17:36 Getting front of house out of the calendar, and why patient experience becomes the point of difference
• 24:29 The money left on the table in your database, and the follow-up call nobody wants to make
• 38:41 Practice owners are vibe coding their own tools: what to build, what to buy, and the compliance trap

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program
• Learn more about Henry Schein One Australia
• Connect with Clayton Newell on LinkedIn

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

There is one delegation habit that quietly caps the growth of a dental practice, and it is not the one you would expect. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green unpacks the difference between delegating a task and delegating an outcome, and why the second one is where the leverage lives. He also explains how answering a question with a question builds a team that problem solves without you.

You will see why the practices that scale are the ones where the owner sits one layer back, and how to make that gear change without panicking and running back to what you know. If you are a dental practice owner who keeps hearing yourself say it is easier if I just do it myself, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 00:51 The checklist culture Jesse learned in the Navy, and why it did not follow him into his first practice
• 02:04 Delegating a task versus delegating an outcome: the line between beginner and advanced
• 02:34 Handing the monkey back: how teams return the job and why you must not take it
• 04:02 Two practice owners, two very different outcomes, and the one who ended up in front
• 05:29 The gear change, the short term dip, and why so many owners never push through it

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Are the 2026 tax changes about to undo years of work in your practice? Dr Jesse Green and Brendan Campbell go through what the changes actually mean for a practice owner, and the answer is calmer than the headlines suggest.

You will find out which assets are grandfathered and need no action at all, how far away the real deadlines sit, where changing the way your practice is owned could get more money into super, and which questions to put to your accountant about your trust and your bucket company before anything shifts. If you are a dental practice owner with a trust, an investment property or a super balance you are working to grow, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 02:39 Division 296 and the $3 million super balance threshold, and why super is still one of the best places to hold money
• 06:21 The 50% CGT discount ends 1 July 2027 and cost base indexation returns, so gains arising before that date keep the discount
• 13:34 Negative gearing limited to new residential builds from 1 July 2027, with properties acquired before budget night exempt until you sell
• 31:02 The 30% minimum tax on discretionary trust income, and what it changes for bucket companies
• 41:11 The restructure that can move money into super, create a deduction on the borrowing, and lift your cost base

Notes on This Episode:

• The capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms discussed in this episode are now law, taking effect from 1 July 2027
• Division 296 applies an extra 15% to super earnings above $3 million, with a further 10% above $10 million. Both thresholds are indexed and may rise over time
• The 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts, the loss carry-back measure, and the instant asset write-off changes were proposed as part of the 2026-27 Budget. Confirm current status with your accountant before acting

Resources and Links:

• Learn more about Prosperity Advisors
• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

This episode was recorded on 21 July 2026. The information and commentary shared is general advice only. It does not take into account any individual's objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not a substitute for advice about a specific practice or structure. Listeners should obtain advice from their own accountant, tax agent or licensed adviser before acting on anything discussed.

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Are you the bottleneck in your dental practice? If every decision in your practice still comes back to you, this episode breaks down exactly why. Dr Jesse Green unpacks the three layers of leadership, primary, secondary and tertiary, and shows how skipping any one of them quietly turns you into the bottleneck for every problem your team faces. You will learn how to set the standard as the practice owner, build clear scorecards and expectations for your team, and develop other leaders who can carry real responsibility without you.

The real breakthrough in this episode is the accountability piece most owners miss. Jesse walks through a real case where a great team with solid training still was not performing until one simple habit changed everything, and explains why what gets measured gets managed. If you are a dental practice owner who is tired of being the answer for every question your team brings you, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 00:00: Why leadership is not just one skill, and the three layers every practice owner needs to master (primary, secondary, tertiary)
• 02:00: Building secondary leadership with clear scorecards, plus the line from Michael Filosi that reframes how you manage your team
• 04:00: Developing tertiary leaders so you can step one layer back from the business
• 05:00: The number one responsibility of the CEO, and why it matters more than most owners realise
• 06:00: A real practice case study showing how one simple accountability habit turned a good team into a high performing one

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this episode, Dr Jesse Green sits down with returning guest Michael Filosi to unpack the seven deadly sins of dental practice ownership: the recurring mistakes that quietly cap growth, enterprise value, and exit outcomes for practice owners. Jesse and Michael cover the fundamentals of high standards and self leadership, the numbers every practice owner should be able to read on the fly, the strategy for engineering yourself out of key person dependency, the discretionary effort required to lift your business IQ, why finding a first follower is more powerful than trying to lead the whole team on your own, the discipline of taking money off the table to build wealth outside the practice, and the shift from convincing team members to seeking their opt in. If you are a dental practice owner who wants to build a business that grows in value independent of your chair time, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 03:00 Why standards are green light or red light, never seven out of ten, and how self leadership sets the ceiling for your team
• 12:34 The numbers that actually move the needle in a dental practice, and why rebooking rate is the keystone metric
• 19:57 How Michael took his revenue contribution from 40 percent to 0.6 percent and walked out with a clean sale
• 42:22 The first follower concept, why it matters more than being the leader, and how to spot the right person
• 49:34 The four financial systems every practice needs, and why the sale should be the cherry on top, not the cake

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

• Website, www.michaelfilosi.com.au
• LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfilosi

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Most practice owners obsess over new patient acquisition while their single most valuable growth asset sits quietly in the patient database. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green unpacks the dental patient reactivation campaign, a low cost, high yield system for winning back inactive patients that consistently returns 15 to 19% of a lapsed database to the chair. We unpack the story of a practice with 1200 active and 4000 inactive patients. Jesse reframes the dormant list as an untapped business asset and explains why treating reactivation as a one-off letter is the biggest reason it fails.

You'll learn how to map a multi-touch sequence across letters, postcards, emails, texts and phone calls, how to triage and batch your inactive list so the easiest wins come first, and what results to measure. If you are a dental practice owner with a quiet appointment book and a dormant database, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 00:30 Why your 4000 inactive patients are a latent asset most practice owners completely ignore
• 02:20 The optometrist who lost the Green family: why one letter is never a reactivation campaign
• 03:00 Mapping the sequence: letters, postcards, emails, texts and calls across multiple touch points
• 04:00 How to triage and batch your inactive list so the easiest patients come back first
• 05:10 The 15 to 19% return rate, and how one practice turned it into 350 new patients

Resources and Links:

• How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers?
• Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• If you’re a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In this episode, Dr Jesse Green sits down with psychologist turned entrepreneur Ali Hill, co-founder of Pragmatic Thinking and host of the Stand Out Life podcast. Ali unpacks the difference between the obligations that come with your position as a business owner and the ones you have simply inherited from social programming or people pleasing, and why untangling the two is the real key to protecting your time. She also shares how she and her husband have engineered their own business around school terms and family priorities, and the honest conversations it takes to hold a boundary once you have set it.

The conversation moves through grit, resilience and the point of diminishing returns, before landing on practical, minimum viable ways to protect wellbeing without adding another task to an already full day. If you are a dental practice owner trying to work out where your practice ends and your life begins, you won't want to miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 01:20 Ali explains the origin of her "head mechanic" analogy and the psychology patterns she sees again and again in business owners
• 16:02 Separating your position from your person: where genuine obligation ends and inherited expectation begins
• 21:03 Why work and home have always bled into each other, and being kind to yourself about that overlap
• 23:56 How Ali and her husband engineer their business around school holidays, and the honest conversations it takes to protect that boundary
• 27:00 Building a culture of wellbeing in your team by role modelling it yourself, and why numbing so easily gets mistaken for rest

Resources and Links:

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn

Ali Hill's:

• Books, Stand Out, Dealing with the Tough Stuff, and Work from Anywhere
• Podcast, Stand Out Life
• Business, Pragmatic Thinking

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory.

Team Training Bundle 2025