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Sometimes there’s a ton of stuff on our plates. Recently for me, it’s been quite overwhelming. I lost my personal assistant about 2 months ago, and I’m trying to simplify my life to work without that person. This is all while publishing the 7th DSN Manual, collaborating on the next one with Dr. Chris Green, keeping up with podcasts and recordings, preparing for the Dental Success Summit in San Antonio, Texas, in a few weeks, and doing the Hard 75 with a small group of us from DSI. Eating healthy has probably saved me, but my sleep is getting pinched from both directions, averaging between 5 to 6 hours a night.

However, throughout all this, it’s taught me that every waking moment, I need to be focused on the most important tasks for the day. While every person differs, the following strategies can help you stay mentally focused:

Get enough sleep each night—whether that’s 6 hours, or 8 hours, you probably know what’s best for you. If your sleep is of good quality, you might be able to function on less.
Reduce the distractions in your environment—try to identify things that distract you, and eliminate them.
Focus on one task at a time—I like to keep a notecard with my top items for the day, and then cross them off physically.
Try to be more present in the moment—at home, be at home. At work, be there and let the rest of the world fade away.
Practice mindfulness—I struggle with this, but I try to do 10 deep breaths a few times a day.
Give yourself short breaks to clear your mind—sometimes doing a walk around the practice, a few pushups, or box breathing during one of my many bathroom breaks during the day helps. (For those of you doing the Hard 75, drinking a gallon of water is HARD…and leads to many trips to the toilet!)
Limit your social media use—I actually locked Facebook off my phone so that I can’t use it. And, it’s been awesome.

And then finally, find a two-for-one deal on your time. If you’re trying to be productive as well as get a workout in, how about doing both at the same time? Maybe go for a walk with that team member as you discuss ways to improve in the practice. Maybe eat lunch while also holding a meeting with your hygiene department to go over systemized treatment planning. Doing two activities at once to make the most of your time.

Overall, productivity isn’t about always being at work, or working on being productive, it’s about being productive during the times of the day when you need to, so that when you turn it off, whether that’s home with the kids, or home with your spouse, you can be fully present for when you get to focus on the other areas of your life that aren’t considered “working.”

I hope that’s something to think about and helps make you more productive (only when you need to be)!

Be well and do well,
Addison Killeen

P.S. If you’re looking for more ways to streamline your practice and enhance your productivity, consider joining Dental Success Network. We offer tools, resources, and a vibrant community of like-minded professionals dedicated to success in the dental industry. Join us today and start transforming your practice!

Have you ever considered the power of a well-conducted one-on-one meeting within your dental practice? Beyond the day-to-day whirlwind of patient care, administrative duties, and clinical management, the quiet yet impactful one-on-one meeting can be a transformative tool for both practice leaders and their teams.

One-on-one meetings, when executed with intention and focus, offer a unique opportunity for direct feedback, personal development, and mutual understanding. These meetings are the perfect setting to align goals, clarify expectations, and discuss career aspirations. But, their true power lies in listening—actively and empathetically. It’s where leaders can truly understand what motivates their team members, what concerns they might have, and how best to support their growth.

The foundation of these meetings is trust and open communication. By fostering an environment where team members feel valued and heard, you’re not just addressing immediate concerns or objectives; you’re cultivating a culture that prioritizes personal development and job satisfaction. This approach not only enhances team morale but can significantly impact patient care and the overall success of the practice.

So, how can you make the most of these meetings? Preparation is key. Before each meeting, both parties should reflect on discussion points, achievements, and areas for improvement. Setting a clear agenda ensures that time is spent efficiently and that both participants are engaged in the conversation. Remember, the goal is not just to review performance but to inspire, motivate, and understand.

Incorporating effective one-on-one meetings into your practice management strategy can lead to profound changes. Not only do they provide clarity and direction for your team members, but they also offer leaders valuable insights into their practice’s operations and culture. By embracing this simple yet effective tool, you’re investing in the future of your practice and the well-being of your team.

Be well and do well,
Dr. Addison Killeen

P.S. Remember, the strength of our practice lies in the unity and growth of our team. If you’re looking to elevate your dental practice to new heights, consider joining the Dental Success Network. Our community is dedicated to providing the resources, support, and guidance needed to thrive in today’s competitive dental landscape. Join us and let’s achieve success together.

In the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry, the line between success and stagnation often rests on our ability to embrace change, tackle challenges head-on, and transform them into opportunities. Drawing on the insights from the wealth of wisdom encapsulated in DSN, this is your roadmap to not just navigate the tumultuous waters of dental practice but to sail through them triumphantly.

Leadership does not come from having all the answers; it emerges from asking the right questions and empowering those around you to find innovative solutions. The true power of leadership lies in inquiry and fostering a culture where every team member feels valued and heard. Leaders don’t have all the answers all the time.

Inspired by Sir Dave Brailsford’s philosophy of the “aggregation of marginal gains,” we are reminded that excellence in our dental practices comes from the relentless pursuit of incremental improvements across all facets of our operations. From enhancing the patient experience to refining our clinical skills and everything in between, the path to unparalleled success is paved with the bricks of small, continuous improvements.

The journey to dental success is not just about financial metrics; it’s about building a practice that resonates with core values and a purpose that goes beyond profitability. Millennials and Gen Z, are not just looking for a job; they’re seeking a mission to contribute to, a purpose that aligns with their own values. By infusing your practice with clear, compelling core values and a purpose that transcends the day-to-day, you attract not only patients but also a team that is committed, motivated, and aligned with your vision.

At the heart of the Dental Success Network’s philosophy is the belief in the power of community and the unending pursuit of knowledge. Whether it’s navigating the challenges of hiring in a tough job market, managing the “whirlwind” of daily operations, or implementing systems to enhance profitability, the shared experiences and collective wisdom of the DSN community serve as a beacon, guiding us towards our goals.

As we reflect on the lessons shared by Dr. Mark Costes and I, we’re reminded that the essence of dental success lies in leadership, continuous improvement, core values, purpose, and community. By embracing these principles, we transform our practices into thriving, purpose-driven enterprises that not only achieve financial success but also make a lasting impact on the lives of our patients and our team.

Remember, the journey to dental success is ongoing, filled with both challenges and opportunities. But with the right mindset, strategies, and support from a community like DSN, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Stay inspired, stay motivated, and let’s continue to elevate the standard of dental excellence, together.

Be well and do well,
Addison Killeen

P.S. Not a member of Dental Success Network yet? Join us today and be a part of a community that’s reshaping the future of dentistry. With access to exclusive resources, continuous education, and a network of supportive professionals, your pathway to dental success is clearer than ever.

Many people believe that they should use their weakest team members to answer the phones, but this could not be farther from the truth. In fact, I believe that you should be leveraging the knowledge of your strongest team member. Active listening, active questioning, and emotional intelligence are paramount in converting those coveted new patient phone calls into patients in your clinic.

There are many coaches and consultants that can help you train your team in more effective phone skills; however, I have found the key to any training in the dental office is to become a Chief Repeating Officer. You must harp on the things that matter forever and always, never stopping to remind. Another way to dramatically increase the rate of implementation is to use Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and then report on those KPIs on a regular basis. The most useful KPIs are lead indicators; in other words, they are actions that can be counted that lead to reaching a goal. For example, if you want to increase fluoride acceptance to reach 100 fluoride varnishes per month, then you can create a lead measure KPI such as “how many times did you educate a patient on how they could personally benefit from fluoride”.

We can also create KPIs and lead measures in phone skills to help us reach a new patient goal. I am going to share my phone call answering scorecard. We will dive into what these things mean and then the secret sauce behind the system.

Most of the items on the call scoring sheet are self-explanatory, and I will unpack the less obvious ones. We always want to give our name, ask for the caller’s name, and then use the caller’s name as much as possible. The next item is less obvious and is a form of active listening. It is apparent that the caller is looking for a new dentist, but we want to ask them, “What is most important to you when choosing a dentist?” By asking this, we are able to assure the caller that our practice, team, doctor is a perfect fit for them. A black belt-level practice would put this in the patient’s chart so that we always meet the listed need for the patient. Secondary compliments help us form opinions, so if we compliment “our gentle hygienist” or “our doctor is great at getting people numb,” then we are not only assuring the patient that they are making a great choice, but they will actually be influenced to believe their experience was as promised. We never want to answer with a “no,” unless it has to do with Medicaid in my practice, and when we answer “yes,” we always want to follow that up with two positives. For instance, “Yes, we do crowns, and we also have a scanner for not awful, but good impressions, and we even make your crowns immediately, and it will all be completed in one hour.”

Now, the real magic is not in having this phone call scoring sheet but in how to use it. Once your team is trained on the components of the perfect call, you can implement the use of the scoring sheet. I have hired a virtual assistant in the Philippines to listen to all of our calls. She skips all existing patient calls and listens to new patient calls in full. She fills out the score sheet. Each morning, she emails us for our morning huddle our number of new patient calls. This is great info for your marketing team. She also gives us our average call score for the day and then the number of callers that are scheduled. I have regularly scheduled meetings with my marketing team, and some of the metrics that we are most interested in tracking are the number of new patient calls and then the scheduling percentage. All of these metrics are reported month to date and year to date so that you can identify trends related to operations and marketing.

My treatment coordinators review their scorecards daily and know how their previous day’s performance was. If they need further coaching, both of you will know exactly how to help them achieve their highest potential. If you can make sure your treatment coordinators are not only highly trained but also are implementing their knowledge regularly, doing these simple things on a daily basis is guaranteed to increase the number of new patients you are seeing.

If you are interested in learning more about implementable case acceptance strategies and marketing techniques, reach out to admin@peakdentalresources.com for more information on our upcoming courses.

See you around,

Dr. Ben Kacos
Dental Success Blackbelt Coach
Owner Peak Dental Resources

P.S. Want to watch webinars about effective phone skills or ask other real dentists how they handle phone calls? Join Dental Success Network today to access our bank of webinars and join our exclusive DSN Workplace exclusive to dentists to share their experiences and knowledge.

Treatment planning statistics serve as valuable leading indicators—potentially some of the most important ones! To clarify, a leading indicator is a predictive number or trend within the practice that can forecast future revenues or profitability.

I track my treatment planning stats weekly through my BlueIQ insights. I review case acceptance, which includes treatment presented, treatment accepted, and the percentage of those dollars. Additionally, I examine the number of patients presented with treatment and the number of patients who accepted treatment, also known as patient acceptance.

One trend I’ve observed is that as the volume of dentistry increases and the number of patients seen rises, case acceptance and patient acceptance tend to decline. Why does this happen?

Typically, it’s because of feeling rushed, leading to either insufficient explanation of treatment options or inadequate time spent with patients to fully educate them about procedures, resulting in fewer positive responses. So, how can we address this issue?

The first step is to train your team, including hygienists and assistants, to assist in educating patients about procedures both before you enter the room and after you depart. When they act as extensions of you, it enhances patient understanding and increases acceptance rates.

However, sometimes you may encounter a barrier (often observed around 125 exams per month) statistically leading to a significant drop in acceptance rates. This fluctuates between high-production and low-production months in a sine-wave pattern. While the high-production months may seem promising, inadequate treatment planning leads to subsequent low-production months.

During these slower months, there’s ample time for thorough treatment planning and patient connection, leading to an uptick in production the following month.
If you find yourself in this situation, the next consideration is hiring an associate to share the workload. Of course, this decision requires careful consideration, which is why we’ve created the Associate Dentist Manual to guide you through the process.

Today, take a moment to review your treatment planning statistics and compare them from week to week and month to month.

Be well and do well,

Dr. Addison Killeen

P.S. Need a second opinion at your treatment planning strategies? At Dental Success Network (DSN), we have a community with strategies and support you need to transform your practice into a thriving business. Let’s build your legacy together, so start shaping your future with DSN today!

Most importantly, do you own the ability to choose where your day takes you? It’s Monday evening, and I’m doing my nightly journaling reflections from the day. I woke up this beautiful Monday morning around 4 a.m. It is quite normal for me to be up early. Over the last 5 years or so, I have crafted a morning routine that has served me well—a routine that allows me to manage all of my 4 futures before any of my children get up and before the outside world starts to get their claws into me: journal, meditate, work out, time with God. I also spend a few minutes outlining the things I want to accomplish today. For me, the list, which I call my “Daily Big 3,” was focused around owning and operating a dental business:

Meet with my operations person about the dental assisting school we are opening.
Go over financials for February and determine where we can tweak things to maximize profits.
Monthly 1-on-1 with one of my doctors and start the conversation about partnership.

It was going to be a “productive day.”

Then, as I was coming into the kitchen around 6 a.m., fresh off my morning workout, my 17-year-old son Jack, a senior in high school, was sitting at the counter staring off into space. Something was not right, as this knucklehead usually needs to be dragged out of bed by me around 8 a.m., 15 minutes before his first class.
“Dad, I’m not sure about the commitment I made to St. John Fisher College. I felt good about it last week, and I know I told the coach that I would play football there, but over the last week or so, I’m having second thoughts.”

At that moment, my day changed. The “Big 3” would wait, and my day would now be focused on Jack, and my responsibilities of being the dad that he needs in that moment.

“Jack, let’s figure this out, brother. Can you get away from school today? I can get away from work. Let’s get a workout in, go to breakfast, and then drive out to the St. John Fisher campus and try to get a sense of if the school is for you or not. What do you think?”

He didn’t have to say a word; the look on his face said everything I needed to know his response.

What a day we had. Intimate. Present. Full of love. It was a day I will not forget anytime soon.

5 years ago, being able to make a quick, spur-of-the-moment decision like this would have been impossible. Never before having the freedom the morning of a busy workday that I wasn’t going to show up for work. What about Mrs. Jones’ root canal? What about making payroll? What about the team losing hours? What about all the people depending on me?

5 years ago, I owned a great paying job, but I didn’t own a business. I was shackled to a building, to a treatment room, to a clinical schedule. I didn’t own the freedom to not be present. I didn’t have leaders and providers in place that could manage things in my absence.

5 years ago, I came to this realization, and I started the process to remedy the problem. The solutions took time to implement. There were some obstacles to overcome. I put a vision and plan in place that I would own a business that was independent of me, that could support me and the spouse and parent I wanted to become. Financially, emotionally, purposefully.

Spending the day today with Jack was a beautiful gift. A gift that came from setting a plan in place and executing on it. In the pouring rain, we walked for 2 hours all over that campus. Talking, laughing, figuring shit out. Jack is now 100% confident in his decision to play football and attend St. John Fisher College in the fall.

You may feel like something like this is very out of reach for you. You cannot even imagine, or fathom, a successful dental practice that supports you financially yet is not nearly as dependent on you as it is now. Perhaps the thought is unimaginable. Perhaps that’s the problem.

Start to imagine it, like I did 5 years ago. Start to wonder. What’s possible? Visualize what it looks like, what it feels like. Set the course and get to work. It’s never too late. Start today.

You know what they say about when the best time to plant a tree is, right? Let’s start planting this vision for you today.

Create a great day,

Dr. Jason Tanoory
Dental Success Blackbelt Coach
Owner Finger Lakes Dental Care

P.S. Imagine having a day where the choice between attending to your business or being there for your family isn’t a choice you have to make—it’s a freedom you’ve earned. At Dental Success Network (DSN), we don’t just dream about such possibilities; we create them. DSN equips you with the strategies, support, and community you need to transform your practice into a thriving business that supports your lifestyle, not dictates it. Let’s build your legacy together. Start shaping your future with DSN today.

As I sit and reflect on my career, I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that not every slow day is a bad day. It used to stress me out immensely when I didn’t hit my production goals for the day, week, or month. Instead of opting for same-day fillings or crowns, what I wish I had considered was planning out the strategic implementation of specialty procedures into my practice, defining the goals for each specialty, and then building the team needed around each one. I wish I had taken a clinical day or one and a half day off and used that time to train my leadership team, so they could carry the torch and grow the practice while I ate breakfast with my kids and took them to school. I justified my consistent hustle as a winner’s “work ethic” and the excessive hours spent in the operatory as what it takes to be successful. I skipped breakfast and lunch and called it intermittent fasting. I tried to say yes to every same-day procedure when time did not exist in the schedule. One of my biggest regrets is that I have had several all-star team members burn out and leave because of the constant change and forced implementation of my “new ideas.” It kills me that they believed so deeply in me and the vision we were creating for our team, our patients, and our community, and this is absolutely one of the biggest prices that I had to pay along the way.

What I have figured out over the past 10 years of doing Full Arch procedures, as well as other specialties, is that the implementation of specialty procedures into a GP practice cannot be done after a weekend course. It needs intentional time set aside to think and plan, then dedicated time in the operatory to work, and the stomach lining to deal with the complications when things are not ideal, and then the courage to speak to the patients candidly, and to fix or improve things for free even years later when you are more skilled and have a deeper understanding. I firmly believe that everyone needs a coach whom they can text or call when something doesn’t make sense because there is no substitute for qualified experience and sage wisdom. I know that I would not have experienced as much brain damage or sleepless nights if I had had someone to guide me. I know that some of the people I lost along the way would still be with me today if I had had a clearer path laid out for myself and my team.

I now have the privilege of narrowing down my 2 clinical work days to IV sedations, sleep apnea, orthodontics, and full arch procedures. Some days I produce nothing and I go from room to room to teach and connect with my team. Some days I produce over 50k in the morning. I have a team of doctors and leaders that handle all the prosthetics, general practice work, HR, management, etc. I am more of a sounding board for the leadership team than a decision-maker, and I can’t tell you how liberating that feeling is. I come into the office non-clinically from 10 AM to 2 PM on Mondays. I work clinically on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 AM to 5 PM, and I finish up the week on Thursday and Friday with a 10 AM to 2 PM schedule from home. Once you have a solid team and systems in place, specialty procedures will allow you to eclipse a week’s worth of production in one or two days.

I tell this story, intended to come across with humility, because I do many weekly coaching calls for CSI (Colorado Surgical Institute) and talk to doctors every week about what they want to create for themselves and what is currently holding them back, and I have found that there are so many parallels in everyone’s journey. Even though our journeys are absolutely unique, there is a shared experience among those who are trying to achieve similar things, and I am thankful for the DSN community for providing a place for us to help one another.

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Attached are the X-rays from earlier on in my journey. Some of these cases I have revised over the years and some cases are still doing just fine all these years later. Just remember, that not every case you do will be perfect, but the only way to get proficient is to get started.

“More Implants is not always better.”

“Plan a better AP spread, remove extra implants, and don’t forget to reduce the posterior bone evenly.”

“Take PAs when you work.”

All the best,

Dr. Taher Dhoon
Dental Success Blackbelt Coach
Owner Colorado Surgical Institute

Reflecting on my journey, I’ve realized the invaluable support a community like DSN provides. It’s a place where sharing experiences, challenges, and successes transforms our professional and personal lives. If my story speaks to you, DSN might be the next step in your growth. Join us for a journey of collaboration and success!

I’ve noticed an increasing number of posts recently about master cone radiographs that ultimately result in a lengthy final obturation after the gutta-percha (GP) has been sealed. Taking master cone (MC) radiographs is a commendable practice, yet it is not comprehensive without the correct preliminary step. Wondering what the “proper preliminary step” is? I’m glad you asked.

Here’s the issue: at a certain point during the instrumentation process, we need to establish the working length (WL). This can be achieved with an apex locator (the most accurate method) or a WL radiograph (the older method taught in most dental schools). This then typically serves as our reference as we instrument the canals, known as the “working length.”

So far, so good. However, during the instrumentation phase, the filing process actively straightens the canal, mostly due to the reduced canal curvature from filing.

At this juncture, to accurately determine the final canal length, we need to remeasure before obturation.

Again, there are two options: We can remeasure with an apex locator (still the most accurate method) or we can take a MC radiograph (the time-honored method).
There you go, problem nearly solved. We’re down to the final steps, but we can’t relax yet. We need a way to ensure that the GP will be sealed at our WL and not extend beyond the end of the root. The simplest, most convenient, and most efficient way to do this is to crimp the GP point at the level of our measurement mark on the tooth.

Now, as long as the crimp in the GP and our measurement mark align, there should be no surprises in the final radiograph. Without this “proper” preliminary step, we cannot be certain where the GP will ultimately land. We might hope for the best, but without this verification step, there’s a fair amount of guesswork involved. Aligning the crimp with the measurement mark eliminates this guesswork.

So, if you rely heavily on the final radiograph and feel anxious until you see that final image on the screen, try crimping the gutta-percha to ensure it aligns with your measurement point, resulting in a beautiful final obturation. Now, you can leave the Tums at home.

Until next time,

Dr. Aaron Nicholas
Dental Success Blackbelt Coach
Founder Monday Morning Dentistry

P.S. Want to learn more about clinical efficiency tips? Join DSN and chat with me, Dr. Aaron Nicholas, and all of our incredible faculty members on Workplace where we share our knowledge to improve not only our practices but the lives of our patients.

Let’s get real about inventory control. Think about it like your kitchen pantry. You wouldn’t want to buy so much pasta that it expires before you can use it, right? Same goes for our dental supplies. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where we have just what we need without overstocking and watching precious dollars go down the drain.

Carve out some time each week just to peek at what you’ve got and what you need. It’s like making a grocery list before hitting the store. And, don’t forget the power of a good deal: keeping an eye out for the best prices can make a big difference in our budgets.

Try making your team part of the process. When everyone knows what’s going on with inventory, it’s easier to keep things tight and right. Plus, using clear bins and a simple whiteboard can work wonders for keeping everyone on the same page.

Let’s not get tempted by those bulk deals too often. Buying more doesn’t always mean saving more, especially if we end up not using it. Lean and mean is the way to go, focusing on what you truly need to keep our practices running smoothly and patients smiling brightly.

If you want more inventory control tips, check out a snippet from “Lady Leaders: Inventory Control” on Dental Success Network:

The concept of inventory control might seem daunting. But, this is your moment to redefine what’s possible, not just for your business, but for your growth as a visionary leader.

To your success,
The Dental Success Network Team

Want to view the entire “Lady Leaders: Inventory Control” webinar? Join DSN today to gain access to this and more courses as well as DSN’s exclusive Workplace where you can talk with other dentists to learn how they control their inventory.

If you’re looking for a place to start working on your inventory control, then look no further than The Dental Supply Ordering and Fee Analysis Manual! You can order this manual on its own or together with The Ultimate Bundle which includes all the manuals and 2 free months of DSN and Front Office Academy.

I recently participated in a book study for “Build the Life You Want” by Arthur Brooks on the Daily Dental Podcast. We delved into common misconceptions about happiness, uncovered the “secret sauce” of happiness, and explored ways to enhance our everyday happiness.

A key element is gratitude, but before diving into its science, let’s discuss caffeine. As the world’s most commonly used drug, (in fact, I’m drinking it right now,) caffeine intriguingly affects our brain. When adenosine builds up, it induces sleepiness. However, caffeine competes with adenosine for neuroreceptors, displacing it and creating a sensation of alertness. This illustrates how we can replace tiredness with excitement.

This concept extends beyond caffeine; we don’t have to settle for our initial emotional reactions. We can choose our emotions, and choice is crucial. If we’re selecting an emotion for a quick boost, I’d argue for “gratefulness.” The world is so full of terrible and negative information and sometimes that leads us to take it all in. Despite our natural tendency towards negativity bias, gratitude stands out as a powerful counterforce.

Research underscores this. In a 2018 study, psychologists divided participants into groups tasked with recalling either a grateful memory or something neutral. The group focusing on gratitude reported experiencing five times more positive emotions than the control group, highlighting gratitude’s profound impact.

From a scientific perspective, gratitude activates the medial prefrontal cortex, a key part of the brain’s reward pathway. So, if you’re seeking a reward, start with gratitude. It’s a bit like the chicken or the egg dilemma, isn’t it?

How can we cultivate more gratitude? A practical method is journaling. I personally use the 4 Futures Journal, which aids in focusing on what’s important and stimulates a sense of gratitude.

I hope this insight into gratitude helps you find greater happiness in your life.

P.S. If you’re looking to join a community that fosters gratitude, consider the Dental Success Network. It’s a great place for dentists to connect with like-minded individuals and grow together.

Are You Balancing Everything?

Are You Having the Best One-on-Ones?

Are You Turning Challenges into Opportunities?

Who is Answering Your Phone?

Do You Know Your Treatment Statistics?

What Do You Own: A Thriving Business or a Well Paying Job?

Should GPs Implement Speciality Procedures Into Their Practices?

Did I Do That?!

Optimize Inventory, Maximize Profit

Looking for Happiness? Try Gratitude First!

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