The Savvy Dentist

Patients rarely say yes to treatment on logic alone. Jesse breaks down why case acceptance language for dentists needs to speak to emotion first, using a "fireside chat" to uncover what is really motivating a patient before the exam even begins. He then introduces the want, need, logic framework, a technique that links a patient's emotional driver to the clinical need you have identified, always closed out with a clear logical reason that prevents buyer's remorse.

Jesse also shows how to scale this skill across a practice by teaching associates conversational frameworks instead of rigid scripts, so team members keep enough structure to guide the conversation while sounding like themselves. If you are looking to boost case acceptance across your practice without feeling pushy or scripted, then don't miss this episode.

In This Episode:

• 01:16 Why people make buying decisions emotionally, then justify them with logic afterward
• 02:38 The fireside chat: uncovering what's really driving your patient before you start the exam
• 03:15 Introducing the want, need, logic framework for presenting treatment
• 07:34 Teaching the framework to associates through conversational structure, not rigid scripts
• 09:45 Overcoming the "salesy" feeling: ethical treatment planning and the 100 reps rule

Resources and Links:

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

What happens when a 46-year-old walks into a company where the average age is 23, and has to earn the respect of every person in the room? In this episode, Jesse sits down with Stephen Scheeler, the former inaugural CEO of Facebook ANZ and now CEO and MD of Omniscient, a company using AI to map the human brain.

Stephen's career has zigged and zagged through startups, Silicon Valley, McKinsey and big tech, and the dental practice leadership lessons he's picked up along the way are gold for any practice owner navigating change, technology and team dynamics.

From the deceptively simple question (“teach me how to do your job”) to the dangers of unchecked power and the realities of adopting AI without losing your mind, this conversation is packed with insights that go well beyond tech. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the pace of change or wondered how to lead a team that knows more than you do in certain areas, this one's for you.

In this Episode:

• 04:12 The unconventional career path that took Stephen from avoiding work in his twenties to running Facebook's Asia Pacific ad business
• 08:00 The one question Stephen asked over 100 Facebook employees, including Mark Zuckerberg, that changed the way he led forever
• 23:30 Three things every practice owner can learn from Facebook's accountability failures and what unchecked power really costs a business
• 28:00 Why Stephen told his team to ignore AI for two years, and the crawl, walk, run framework he's now using to transform his company
• 38:00 How Omniscient is using AI and connectomics to map the human brain, and what precision brain medicine could mean for the future of healthcare

Resources and Links:

• Check out Omniscient Neurotechnology
• • Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
  • Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
  • Visit Savvy Dentist website
  
  

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

What if the patients you're losing every month are costing you more than the ones you're spending thousands trying to attract? In this episode, Jesse flips the script on practice growth, arguing that dental practice patient retention, not marketing, is the real lever most practice owners are ignoring.

Jesse introduces the "leaky bucket" problem: new patients pouring in the front door while existing ones quietly slip out the back. He breaks down exactly where those leaks happen, shares a real case study of a Victorian practice that grew from one and a half chairs to well beyond three without spending another dollar on ads, and answers a listener question about fixing white space in the appointment book. If you've ever wondered whether you have a marketing problem or something else entirely, this one's for you.

• 00:02 Jesse opens a brand new series on the patient journey, starting with where things are quietly going wrong before they ever reach your books
• 00:42 Jesse shares the bucket analogy that exposes the real reason your marketing spend isn't translating into a fuller appointment book
• 01:40 The blunt truth about why most practices don't actually need more new patients, and what they need instead
• 02:16 Inside the Victorian practice that went from one and a half chairs filled to expanding well beyond their original three, without spending another dollar on ads
• 03:13 Jesse explains why Disney holds the gold standard for customer experience, and what dental practices can borrow from the happiest place on Earth
• 04:22 The three sneaky leaks draining your patient base that most practice owners never think to look for
• 04:41 Why unmanaged cancellations and no shows could be costing you more than you realise, and the two-part system Jesse recommends to catch them early
• 05:00 The treatment plans sitting untouched in your software right now, and why reaching out isn't about selling
• 05:37 Jesse breaks down the recall system, arguably the most important retention tool in your practice, and why it's so often mismanaged
• 06:47 A listener question about fixing white space in the books, and Jesse's answer might change the order you tackle your growth plan

Links & Resources:

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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

What if the biggest growth opportunity in your dental practice isn't more new patients - it's the ones who are quietly slipping away? In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, Jesse makes a compelling case that patient retention isn't a marketing strategy, it's a wealth strategy. And the numbers, as Jesse lays them out, are genuinely confronting.

Most practice owners are so focused on filling the front door that they haven't noticed the back door is wide open. Jesse breaks down exactly what that's costing you in real dollar terms, shares the story of a practice that turned a leaky bucket into a wealth machine, and gives you the systems and thinking you need to get your retention rate where it belongs. If you're serious about dental leadership and building a practice that sustains you financially for the long haul, this one is essential listening.

In This Episode:

• 00:38 The story of a Brisbane practice and the staggering number of patients it lost over seven years
• 02:00 Jesse runs the numbers on a typical practice and reveals just how much revenue is quietly walking out the door each year
• 02:35 The invisible ways practices lose patients that most owners never even notice
• 03:26 The fix isn't complicated, but it does require something most practices are missing
• 04:55 The story of a practice that was spending $5,000 a month on ads - and still going backwards
• 05:35 What an audit of the recall system revealed, and the gaps that were quietly draining the practice dry
• 06:10 What happened when the systems were tightened up
• 07:09 Why your patient base is your most powerful financial asset, and what's really standing in the way of it being managed properly
• 08:42 Jesse invokes a famous business thinker to settle the debate on whether retention actually matters.

Links & Resources:

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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

What happens to your dental practice when life throws you a curveball? Not a minor inconvenience - a genuine crisis. Health problems, family emergencies, the kind of stuff that stops you in your tracks. For most practice owners, that's the moment they discover whether their business is a life raft or a dead weight. And the difference, as Jesse shares in this episode, comes down to what you built before the storm hit.

Dental practice financial resilience isn't just about having a rainy day fund. It's about systems - the ones that keep running when you can't. In this episode, Jesse unpacks a real story from a friend who nearly lost it all, breaks down the gaps that almost sank them, and shares practical strategies for price-shopping calls, economic downturns, and reclaiming your agency as a practice owner.

In This Episode:

• 00:44 Why one practice owner's personal crisis became the ultimate stress test for their business
• 01:16 The four financial systems that kept the wheels turning when the owner couldn't show up
• 01:53 The slow leaks hiding in your practice right now that aren't screaming for attention
• 02:44 Why price-shopping phone calls are actually buying signals, and how your reception team might be misreading them
• 03:06 The difference between a script and a framework
• 04:06 How to handle the "how much is a crown?" call in a way that books appointments instead of losing them
• 06:38 What practising through recessions, the GFC, and COVID has taught Jesse about financial resilience
• 07:29 The danger of dental Facebook groups during tough economic times
• 08:25 Why your business results are more within your control than you think — and the skills you need to start building now.

Links & Resources:

Episode 548 — The Four Financial Systems for Dental Practices

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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 dental practice owners are exceptional clinicians. They've invested years and significant money mastering their craft, but when it comes to the business side of the practice? That can be a very different story. In this episode of the Savvy Dentist Podcast, Jesse Green makes the case that running a successful practice isn't about finding the easy button - it's about doing the hard work to master the systems that actually build dental practice wealth.

Jesse unpacks why so many practice owners stay stuck, and what it really takes to move from financially reactive to financially bulletproof. If you've ever wondered whether your money is working as hard as you are, this one's for you.

In this episode:

• 00:44 Why most practice owners have mastered their clinical skills but are leaving serious money on the table when it comes to business
• 01:07 The tennis vs pickleball analogy
• 02:49 The first of four essential financial systems Jesse says every practice owner must have
• 04:09 Why one popular book changed the way practice owners think about money management - and how to apply it in a dental context
• 05:20 What a practice dashboard actually needs to show you
• 07:00 The fourth financial system that ties everything together
• 08:54 A cautionary tale about smart people who lost $100,000 looking for a shortcut
• 11:05 Rachel's Q&A: Jesse walks through a step-by-step framework for working out exactly how much wealth you need to build — and how to reverse engineer it into your practice financials.

• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
• • Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
  • Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
  • Visit Savvy Dentist website
  
  

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, I chat with Verne Harnish. Verne is the founder of the world-renowned Entrepreneurs' Organisation (EO), with over 11,000 members worldwide. He is also the founder and CEO of Gazelles, a global executive education and coaching company with over 180 partners on six continents. Verne has spent the past three decades helping companies scale up.

In today’s episode, we chat about:

• The 4 key elements that determine why some businesses make it and others fail
• Why you should never make a decision alone
• Ways dentists can compete and scale in a competitive market
• Expert customer service tips
• Finding ways to scale when you love your own craft
• Why you need a daily huddle.

Links & Resources

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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

You could be doing everything right - attracting new patients, retaining your existing ones, investing in your team - and still be quietly bleeding your practice dry. How? By failing to manage capacity. In this episode, Jesse Green unpacks one of the most overlooked principles in dental practice growth: use it or lose it.

It sounds simple, but the implications for dental leadership are significant. If your practice can't adequately serve the patients you've worked so hard to attract, those patients won't make a scene - they'll just drift away. Silently. And by the time you realise what's happened, you won't have the patient base you thought you had to support your next stage of growth.

• 00:01 Jesse shares the neighbour's story who sparked today's lesson
• 00:29 The surprising way patient numbers naturally self-regulate when a practice runs out of capacity
• 01:50 Why adding chairs, clinicians, and equipment has to happen before you think you need it
• 02:30 The quiet churn problem
• 02:52 What a scalable unit actually looks like in a dental practice
• 03:42 How to time your capacity decisions so you're growing into space, not scrambling to fill it
• 04:20 The 80% rule
• 04:44 When there's no room to expand physically, what smart practice owners do instead
• 05:00 What happens when capacity planning comes too late
• 05:38 The core lesson Jesse wants every practice owner to walk away with today.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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

What's lurking just beneath the surface of your dental practice right now? You might not be able to see it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there - just waiting for the moment you step on it. Jesse Green calls these your practice landmines, and every practice owner has them, whether they know it or not.

In this episode, Jesse unpacks a practical, three-step dental leadership framework for getting serious about risk - not to make you paranoid, but to make you powerful. Because understanding where your hidden vulnerabilities lie is one of the most valuable things you can do for your practice, both for your day-to-day sanity and for the long-term value of everything you've worked so hard to build.

In This Episode:

1. 00:00 Jesse kicks off with an unforgettable dog walking story, and why it's the perfect metaphor for what's hiding in your practice right now
2. 01:25 Why covering up a problem doesn't make it go away
3. 02:24 The surprising range of landmines that could be lurking in your practice
4. 03:19 Jesse's three-part risk framework, and why this is the one time he'll actually ask you to think like a pessimist
5. 04:32 The risk matrix explained - and how to use it to rank your vulnerabilities before they rank you
6. 05:42 The surprising link between managing risk and increasing the value of your practice - this will change how you think about risk forever
7. 06:36 Q&A: a question from Sarah in Perth who's exhausted and wondering if practice ownership is really worth it - Jesse's honest answer might be exactly what you need to hear.

Links & Resources:

1. Episode 544 - The Recovery Paradox
2. Episode 534 - The Anatomy of a Successful Exit with Michael Filosi

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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

What if the worst moment in your practice could become your most powerful marketing tool? Most dentists pour energy into attracting new patients, but Jesse Green makes a compelling case that the real loyalty-building gold is already sitting inside your four walls - and it shows up every time something goes wrong.

In this episode, Jesse unpacks the Recovery Paradox: the counterintuitive truth that how you handle a problem can actually generate more patient loyalty than if no problem had ever occurred. Through a candid story from his own practice and a real patient named Colin, Jesse shows what dental leadership looks like when it matters most - and why mastering complaint handling could be the single biggest growth lever in your business.

In This Episode:

1. 00:01 Jesse reframes everything you think you know about patient loyalty
2. 00:18 The surprising science behind the Recovery Paradox and why a well-handled problem can outperform a perfect experience
3. 00:40 Why the best marketing in your practice might have nothing to do with your ad spend or social media strategy
4. 00:55 The hotel story that perfectly illustrates what going above and beyond actually looks like in practice
5. 01:28 The real-life patient complaint that put Jesse's own dental leadership to the test - and what he said in the heat of the moment
6. 02:24 The exact words Jesse used with an angry patient that changed everything, and why he didn't try to defend the indefensible
7. 03:14 What happened when Colin called back - and the Friday afternoon that turned a lost patient into a loyal advocate
8. 05:13 Tom from Sydney asks how to grow his patient base and Jesse breaks down the three R's of marketing that every practice owner needs to hear.

Links & Resources

1. Episode 543 - The Necessary Conversation

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

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