The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

Welcome to The Best Practices Show, hosted by Kirk Behrendt, founder of ACT Dental (https://www.actdental.com/) and a leader in dental practice coaching. This podcast is your gateway to discovering the hidden gems and tactics used by the most successful dental practices worldwide. At ACT Dental, we have meticulously curated strategies that have consistently proven effective in elevating dental practices. Our podcast, The Best Practices Show, extends our commitment to sharing this wealth of knowledge. Each episode features interviews with renowned dental professionals and industry leaders who have made significant strides in their practices. They share their experiences, insights, and the challenges they've overcome, offering a unique perspective that you won't find anywhere else. Why should you listen to The Best Practices Show? Whether you're a seasoned dentist, a new practice owner, or somewhere in between, this podcast is tailored to inspire and educate. Our goal is not just to provide you with information but to transform the way you think about and run your dental practice. We delve into topics ranging from advanced clinical techniques and practice management to leadership skills and personal growth. Kirk Behrendt, a respected figure in the dental community, brings his vast experience and infectious enthusiasm to each episode, making complex topics both understandable and engaging. As the CEO of ACT Dental, Kirk has helped countless dental practices thrive by focusing on holistic development - professionally, personally, and within their community. Our commitment to authenticity and practical advice sets The Best Practices Show apart. We don't just talk about theories; we dive into real-life applications you can implement immediately in your practice. Our community-centric approach means we're always listening to our audience and constantly evolving our content to meet your needs. In addition to the invaluable insights from our guests, we also provide access to exclusive resources available through ACT Dental. These resources complement the podcast topics and give you a more comprehensive understanding and practical tools to apply in your practice. By subscribing to The Best Practices Show, you're not just gaining access to a podcast; you're joining a community of like-minded professionals committed to excellence in dentistry. So, are you ready to transform your practice and be the best version of yourself? Join us on this journey, and let's grow together. Hit subscribe and never miss an episode of The Best Practices Show – where we uncover the secrets to the success of the world's best dental practices, one episode at a time. Subscribe to The Best Practices Show on Apple Podcasts Join our community and start your journey towards a more innovative, more successful dental practice today!

Latest episodes

Apr 2, 2025 • 53min

869: The Future of Private Practice: Debra’s Top Tips from the APDP Meeting – Debra Engelhardt-Nash

Mar 31, 2025 • 26min

868: Metric Mondays: Understanding Overhead Percentage: The Silent Profit Killer – Dr. Barrett Straub

Mar 28, 2025 • 35min

867: From Artist to Technician: Unlocking the Power of Whole-Brain Dentistry – Dr. Charlie Ward & Joshua Polansky

Are you a dentist who is an artist, scientist, or maybe even a therapist? In this episode of Clinical Edge Fridays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Charlie Ward, visiting faculty member from The Pankey Institute, and Joshua Polansky, owner of Niche Dental Studio, to share how success in dentistry requires both hemispheres of your brain. Dentistry isn't just fixing teeth! To learn why both sides matter and how to develop the different skill sets you need, listen to Episode 867 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. Ward & Joshua:Send Dr. Ward an email: charlie@bmoredentalarts.com Follow Dr. Ward on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcwardddsLearn more about Dr. Ward’s practice: https://www.baltimoredentalarts.comWatch Dr. Ward’s webinars: https://restorativenation.comFollow Joshua on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nichedentalstudioLearn more about Joshua’s dental lab: https://nichedentalstudio.comRegister for Dr. Mazzola & Dr. Ward’s Mastering Treatment Planning course (October 2-4, 2025): https://pankey.org/registration/?courseId=17004&tuition=0&lodging=trueRegister for Dr. Ward’s Mastering Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry course (June 17-20, 2026): https://pankey.org/course-category/mardRegister for Dr. Mazzola & Dr. Ward’s Mastering Dental Photography course (July 30, 2026 to August 1, 2026): https://pankey.org/registration/?courseId=17781&tuition=0&lodging=trueLearn More About ACT Dental:ACT’s webinars: https://www.actdental.com/135ACT’s website: https://www.actdental.comACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalACT’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/actdentalACT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actdentalACT’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3137520/admin/feed/posts/ACT’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/actdentalMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways:Don't just tap into the analytical and technical side of your brain.Dentistry also requires a high level of artistry and creativity.Develop the emotional maturity to not strive for perfection.In working with patients, you need emotional intelligence.Look within to identify your strengths and weaknesses.Quotes:“My buddy Mike, years ago, told me — let's call it a midlife crisis that I was having at 39, or whatever it was. I was telling him, ‘I really want to do more aesthetic dentistry. This is where I enjoy my work the most.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, that makes sense. You're an artist and a teacher.’ I was like, ‘That doesn't sound like me. What?’ Then, I thought about it. I was like, ‘I do the aesthetic things so that I can photograph them so I can show other people how to do it. It's exactly what I am.’ I didn't realize that until then. So, am I more of one than the other? I think I was artistic before I was systematic.” (6:18—7:02) -Dr. Ward“I also used to strive for perfection. The only thing that it did for me was lead me to burnout, smoking, and drinking. Perfection is deadly. I would actually say striving for perfection is dangerous.” (13:11—13:31) -Joshua“I'm a very open-minded person. When I see good work, I don't shit on it. I say, ‘Oh my God, that's amazing.’ So, I keep taking in what I think is perfect, and then I keep trying to make subtle changes to try to make it better. But I'm not striving for what I used to deem as perfection because, in all honesty — this isn't like a cliché thing — it does not exist. It does not exist. It just doesn't exist, and you have to be mature enough to understand that it doesn't exist.” (13:50—14:23) -Joshua“I don't want to say this, but for a doctor, I think striving for perfection is a little easier because their prep gets covered by [the dental tech’s] work. Our work is out there for the world. Like, when we look at our work, it's hard. You're naked to the world. If you see something is off, it's off. That's why I see what Charlie sees in this case. I do. But I think it looks good. I just think it looks good. And I think once you start sacrificing “excellent” for “perfection”, that's when you make mistakes. He'll go to [“fix”] it. He'll make it worse. The patient will say, ‘Oh, I used to like how it was.’ Now, you go down a rabbit hole of you have to remake them. Now, I get angry. So, it gets crazy. I think we have to be mature and know where to draw the line. The problem, I think, for young dentists is they haven't understood where that line is yet. That's where that chaos evolves. So, when I say that perfection is dangerous, I would follow that by saying you should probably go through a period of — not torture, but you should feel pain until you understand where your bar is. You should set a bar for yourself.” (14:25—15:41) -Joshua“I always saw Josh as an artist that became a technician through, I'll say necessity, exactly as he described it. I like the way he put it. Like, we see things a certain way. We see things through a certain lens or a certain perspective. So, when I'm taking a photo of something, I think Josh sees things similar to the way I see them. I think just as I became more technical to make my systems better, he had to become more technical to deal with the type of cases that he was doing. It wasn't all single centrals anymore, that he was hand-layering 15 single centrals to get the right one. He was trying to figure out how to deal with a hybrid that was fracturing. We need to know technical information about thicknesses of materials and torques and screw sizes. Like, all of these things are not artistic anymore.” (15:55—16:51) -Dr. Ward“I think that we both have to be technical because we both own businesses. I think that running a business from a creative side only could become very detrimental because our artistics have a lot of feelings. We always feel a certain way. In running a company, I think that that would be a problem. I know a lot of technicians who run their businesses off their feelings. Unfortunately, they don't really work out. So, at some point, the analytical side has to kick over and take over. Charlie and I, as we worked together over the last however many years, we both went into business also at the same time together. Charlie has grown into a bigger practice with more associates. I've grown into a bigger lab with more employees. So, I think that that's another reason our left side kind of built out of necessity. That was a survival thing. Like, ‘Sink or swim. If I don't think like this, I will probably go out of business.’” (17:12—18:18) -Joshua“I think I'm more creative because I enjoy creativity. I don't enjoy analytical stuff. I don't enjoy Newton Centimeters. I know it all, but it doesn’t get my juices flowing, whereas creativity still gets me excited. Not just in the dental world, but I love art. I love creativity. I love seeing things differently. So, I think I'm more creative. However, I think I used to be way more creative. I think that the adult may have entered the room with me and kind of keeps me — there's a dialogue, and I think there's an adult that now keeps me on a leash, where he knows I used to be free. I know now that people depend on me. I have a team. I have a lot of people that look at me. They look — not up to me, but I mentor people. I have to take it more seriously. So, although I enjoy being more creative and saying what I want, doing what I want, and acting like I want, I think the left brain kicks in and tells me like, ‘Calm it down a little bit.’” (18:34—19:46) -Joshua“It's interesting why we would become more technical. I think as I'm hearing Josh say that, I'm sure I became more technical the longer I owned my business and the more I wanted that to grow and be successful. I think that from a chairside dentist's perspective, I wanted to be better. I think I realized two things. I wasn't going to do the things to the level that I wanted to do them unless I became more systematic — that I would have the most control if I could be more systematic. That also allowed me to be able to teach it to other people because I can then conceptualize what I was doing.” (19:49—20:46) -Dr. Ward“It's not just a creative and a technical. There's also, I think, a very big emotional component to this on how to actually have this inner dialogue and then extrapolate that to the public that's your patient, that's your team member.” (22:23—22:40) -Joshua“One of the reasons why we became so technical out of necessity is we are not artists by nature. It's what we want to be when we make teeth or when we’re a dentist. But by definition of our job, we are problem solvers. People only come to us with problems. Making teeth is a problem. That patient went to Charlie because it's a problem. And we have to solve these problems. So, when these problems arise, I feel like our right and left have this crazy fight inside, and it's like a nanosecond. But then, our emotional intelligence kicks in on how to explain this to somebody to — not only get what we want, because that sounds very manipulative, but we can explain it in a way to guide it towards what our decision was. Where I think if you're . . . an emotional person, you just yell something out, it might be what is reality, but now we're not on a path to solving the problem because now you scared the patient. Or you yelled at the technician, and now . . . So, you have to have an emotional component that I think is the glue between the right and the left to be able to move with the world in order to solve the problems that you're tasked with every day.” (23:03—24:15) -Joshua“Most of us in dentistry are very technical people. But that emotional component — that you have to work with people — is part of that. The fact that you're dealing with such an emotional part of the body, not just what it shows when you smile, but also that people are very vulnerable, and they have to allow us to work on them. So, if we're not using that right side of our brain that is creative and emotional and we're only using the left side of our brain, at some point, we're going to have issues that are difficult for us to deal with. So, we've got to tap into both.” (28:15—28:57) -Dr. Ward“Look inside of yourself. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I would say look to other people to help define what your strengths and weaknesses are, which is pretty hard because you have to be vulnerable and take some criticism. But you don't really see yourself. Like we were talking about our wives earlier, my wife has definitely pointed out things to me that I can work on. I think that once you hear them, you have to look and say, ‘Okay, creativity is my strength, so I don't need to work on that. But I do have issues with frustrations when it comes to solving problems. So, look into working on that.’ That's how I think I changed, was recognizing where my weaknesses were and being open enough to work on my weaknesses.” (29:09—29:55) -JoshuaSnippets:0:00 Introduction.0:49 Are you a right or left-brained dentist?5:53 Being a technician versus being an artist: Dr. Ward.10:03 Why perfection is dangerous.15:46 Being a technician versus being an artist: Joshua.21:57 Incorporating the emotional component.25:59 Final thoughts.31:06 More about Joshua and Dr. Ward and how to get in touch.Dr. Charlie Ward Bio:After graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004, he went straight into the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. He earned his DDS degree in 2008, and since then he has completed the Essentials courses and many others at the esteemed Pankey Institute, where he now serves as visiting faculty. He is currently a member of the Maryland State Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry.Joshua Polansky Bio:Joshua Polansky earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, Summa Cum Laude, from Rutgers University in 2004. While working part-time at a dental laboratory, he took advantage of an opportunity to apprentice with distinguished master technician, Olivier Tric, of Oral Design Chicago. His eyes were opened to a whole new world of possibilities, and he made the decision to become a master dental technician following the path that Tric had forged.Joshua continued to acquire technical skills by studying in Europe with other mentors and experts in the field, such as Klaus Mutertheis. He earned his master’s degree in dental ceramics at the UCLA Center for Esthetic Dentistry under Dr. Edward Mclaren, and continued his training under Jungo Endo and Hiroaki Okabe at UCLA’s Advanced Prosthodontics and Maxillofacial Program working on faculty and residents cases.Joshua currently resides in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where he is the owner and operator of Niche Dental Studio.

Mar 26, 2025 • 53min

866: Hourly vs. Salary: The Legal Do’s and Don’ts Every Dentist Must Know – Alan Twigg

Should you pay your team hourly or salary? Before you decide, there are some important things to know and consider! In this episode of Practical Solutions Day, Kirk Behrendt brings in Alan Twigg, co-owner of Bent Ericksen & Associates, to demystify the key differences and explain the most surprising misconceptions of paying a salary. To find out which one is right for your practice, listen to Episode 866 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Alan:Give Alan a call: (800) 679-2760Send Alan an email: alan@bentericksen.com Join Bent Ericksen on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BentEricksenAssociatesLearn more about Bent Ericksen: https://bentericksen.comMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 866: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosStudy the Department of Labor’s exemption categories: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17a-overtimeMain Takeaways:Think about your intention with salary. Who will benefit?Don't assume that paying a salary will make your life easier.Paying a salary does not mean you can do whatever you want.Understand common salary misconceptions to stay out of trouble.Be aware of the administrative burdens that come with going salary.Know the difference between exempt and non-exempt classifications.Laws and requirements differ by state. Know which ones apply to you.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.2:29 Alan’s background.3:40 The biggest misconceptions about salary.13:20 Do you pay extra for CE, team meetings, and other special events?15:03 Time off with pay, explained.19:23 Does your team have to take vacations when you do?23:22 Utilize a vacation request form.25:43 Daily salary, explained.28:03 Trends and best practices for new associates.30:42 Working interviews, explained.33:58 Skills assessments, explained.37:03 Should everyone be hourly or salary?40:07 Misconceptions about breaks, lunches, huddles, and staying over.45:59 Final thoughts.47:39 About Bent Ericksen and how to get in touch.Alan Twigg Bio:Alan Twigg is the co-owner 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.

Mar 24, 2025 • 16min

862: Metric Mondays: What You Don't Know About Net Collections Percentage – Dr. Barrett Straub

Collecting 95% sounds great. But there's a big problem: you're leaving 5% on the table! In this episode of Metric Mondays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Barrett Straub, ACT’s CEO, to break down net collections percentage. You'll learn why 95% isn't as great as it sounds, how it’s killing your practice, and what you can do to raise this KPI. To learn what you need to know about net collections, listen to Episode 862 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. Straub:Send Dr. Straub an email: barrett@actdental.com Join Dr. Straub on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrett.d.straubSend Gina an email: gina@actdental.com More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 862: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRegister for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (April 11, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-april-11-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1012966789937Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club (July 25, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-july-25-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1205497959849Main Takeaways:Your goal is to collect 100% or more.If you're not collecting 100%, understand why.Make sure your team is aligned with your expectations.97% is great on a chemistry exam. It’s not great for net collections.Pre-collect from patients. When you owe dentistry, you have less stress.Whoever collects money needs to be confident in the value of your dentistry.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.0:38 Net collections, explained.2:07 Why net collections is so important.2:33 The problem with 95%.4:49 Pre-collect from patients.6:16 What it means when you’re collecting less than 100%.7:21 The mindset of the person collecting money.8:42 The importance of right person, right seat.10:45 Action items you can start today.12:59 Last thoughts.Dr. Barrett Straub Bio:Dr. Barrett Straub practices general and sedation dentistry in Port Washington, Wisconsin. He has worked hard to develop his practice into a top-performing, fee-for-service practice that focuses on improving the lives of patients through dentistry.A graduate of Marquette Dental School, Dr. Straub’s advanced training and CE includes work at the Spear Institute, LVI, DOCS, and as a member of the Milwaukee Study Club. He is a past member of the Wisconsin Dental Association Board of Trustees and was awarded the Marquette Dental School 2017 Young Alumnus of the Year. As a former ACT coaching client that experienced first-hand the transformation that coaching can provide, he is passionate about helping other dentists create the practice they’ve always wanted.Dr. Straub loves to hunt, golf, and spend winter on the ice, curling. He is married to Katie, with two daughters, Abby and Elizabeth.

Mar 14, 2025 • 1h 14min

861: Dental Lab Secrets Exposed: What You Really Should Know About the Best Dentist & Lab Tech Relationships – Dr. Christopher Mazzola, Dr. Charlie Ward, & Joshua Polansky

Do you ever wonder what your dental techs really think about you? In this episode of Clinical Edge Fridays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Dr. Christopher Mazzola and Dr. Charlie Ward to pick the brain of Joshua Polansky, owner of Niche Dental Studio, to answer your burning questions and to reveal the secret to a great relationship and partnership with your dental techs. To hear one dental tech’s advice for becoming a better dentist, listen to Episode 861 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. Mazzola, Dr. Ward, & Joshua:Join Dr. Mazzola on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.d.mazzolaFollow Dr. Mazzola on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherdmazzoladdsSend Dr. Ward an email: charlie@bmoredentalarts.com Follow Dr. Ward on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drcwardddsFollow Joshua on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nichedentalstudioRegister for Dr. Mazzola & Dr. Ward’s Mastering Treatment Planning course (October 2-4, 2025): https://pankey.org/registration/?courseId=17004&tuition=0&lodging=trueRegister for Dr. Ward’s Mastering Aesthetic Restorative Dentistry course (June 17-20, 2026): https://pankey.org/course-category/mardRegister for Dr. Mazzola & Dr. Ward’s Mastering Dental Photography course (July 30, 2026 to August 1, 2026): https://pankey.org/registration/?courseId=17781&tuition=0&lodging=trueLearn More About ACT Dental:ACT’s webinars: https://www.actdental.com/134ACT’s website: https://www.actdental.comACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalACT’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/actdentalACT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actdentalACT’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3137520/admin/feed/posts/ACT’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/actdentalMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways:Don't be an asshole or an “ask hole”.Stop making the job harder for dental techs.Communication is key. Be open and receptive to feedback.Manage your expectations. A great lab doesn't mean perfection.Every dentist needs to go through the pain of developing their own style.Set realistic expectations for yourself, your dental techs, and your patients.For the best possible outcome, dentists and dental techs need to work together.Social media is a highlight reel. Don't compare yourself to something that isn't real.Quotes:“When we think about planning complex cases and interdisciplinary treatment planning, the ceramist gets left out of that. The technician gets left out of that. I don't do any complicated cases or treatment planning without talking to Josh. I have to know, in order to finalize the plan — we had this conversation yesterday. We had two conversations. We had the implant conversation on something, that the design was off, and then we had a conversation about a complex plan that I'm presenting on Monday that, ‘Hey, what's this going to look like? We have to open vertical. I need to do ortho. I need to do these things. What sequence would make sense for you guys to make sure I get the design back that I want to?’ So that, to me, is a piece that's missing. We teach it at Pankey in the aesthetics class, which Josh teaches with me, that you need to find a ceramist that can deliver the type of work that you want and that you can have a relationship with to have these conversations, because they're going to have to deliver that case at the end for you. So, just like you're going to talk to perio and you're going to talk to ortho in these complex cases, the ceramist is 100% a part of your specialty team.” (7:21—8:37) -Dr. Ward“People treatment plan in a silo. So, they're by themselves. One thing that we see quite a bit of is a lot of people have this knowledge. They can rattle off the facts to you. But when it comes to treatment planning and then setting up a plan and executing it, the confidence disappears. I think it's because, a lot of times, they don't know how good they are — and it's because they don't have working relationships with specialists like dental technicians. I know I've worked with Josh and I've spitballed some things. It's never like, ‘Hey, man. That's a terrible idea.’ It's like, ‘Okay, I see how that would work. I've also seen it fail this way, this way, and this way,’ because for every one case I do in my career, he's got 50 that have come across his desk — at the minimum. So, I think building that rapport with someone, whether it's another dentist, or your ceramist, or whomever, to be able to find that conversation is what's important. Josh knows we know what we're doing. But I know that he really appreciates it when we pick up the phone and he can put his input in to say like, ‘That's a great idea. But turn this way just a hair, and it's going to be so much smoother for me, you, and the patient.’” (8:53—10:22) -Dr. Mazzola“A dental technician wants nothing more than to have dentists that “know what they're doing”. But I think, as a technician, what I appreciate the most is that I know these guys know that I know what I'm talking about. Meaning, I think dental technicians have a really big fear to voice their opinion because, on the totem pole, we're down here. We're at the bottom. I've definitely, I guess through hard work, punched my way up to the top to get their respect. But once I've gotten here, I appreciate the fact that I have dentists — and man, if you had access to my email, you would really see, I don't want to say how insecure, but the questions I get are very basic. But at the same time, I think from a maturity standpoint, I can step back and look at them with no judgment, that maybe I am their only resource because they're embarrassed to ask their colleagues or they're embarrassed to ask specialists. So, you'd be surprised at what I'm asked on a daily basis from dentists. I don't judge them because, at the end, they should grow and evolve and get better. But I think that I've appreciated, as a technician, that I am reached out to a lot. Before, it used to be a lot of pride. Now, I think it's better for the patient and better for the outcome because, in the end, the treatment plans are usually a combination of something the doctor wanted to do and something I wanted to do kind of melded together.” (10:30—12:00) -Joshua“We work in an incredibly stressful environment. Technicians do behind the scenes, so you guys don't see our stress. So, you automatically think what we do is so easy — I just open a drawer, take teeth out, and close it. It's not that easy. But at the same time, I have to respect that you guys work in an incredibly intimate environment where it's very stressful. So, both of us have our own stresses. And I'm not going to work with somebody that — you know that whole thing of the abusive husband who comes home and kicks the dog? I'm not going to be the dog because I'm only here to help. If you make my job harder, you're an asshole, and I don't want to work with you. And here's the issue, and a whole other rant. That is the problem with dentistry, is because there are tons of labs that will work with the assholes, so they never change to become better, which in turn doesn't allow better dentistry to be done because that's just the way they do it.” (13:08—14:07) -Joshua“I can't work with people that really make our job harder because, at the end, it doesn't give a good result from us. When we pick up a case at the lab, we want to feel good. When I pick up a case for Chris or Charlie, I want me and my team — not to smile, because I don't want to get cliché. But I can tell you my team likes Charlie Ward. He comes to the lab, and he sends us cookies and stuff. They like him. Never going to name names on a podcast, but there is definitely a group that when they see their case pan on the bench for the day, they're like, ‘Pfft. I hate this guy.’ I think you don't want to be that. For the young dentist listening to this podcast, you don't want to be that to the laboratory that is, in turn, the person who wants to make you look good.” (14:07—15:00) -Joshua“My closing remarks on what an asshole is is that one of my old lab buddies owned a pretty successful lab in Georgia. Terry Fohey, he's a good guy. He's retired now, but I always went to him for business advice. He's from the South. He told me, ‘You want to work “foxhole dentistry”.’ He says when we're at war, and we're in the foxhole, and people are shooting at us, you want somebody that's going to look at you — and I don't want to say that, but there are situations in dentistry where the shit has hit the fan. You understand? Like, the hybrid cracked, and the patient is in the chair. It's not “war”. Let's not get crazy. But we're in the shit together. I need somebody that's going to look at me when the shit is going down and say, ‘Hey, man. Let's regroup. How do we get out of this?’ I don't need somebody yelling at me. Because if I was in the foxhole, and I was in that situation, and I had some guy yelling at me, I would take the gun, shoot him real quick, and then go back to war. That's hypothetically what I’d do with some of the doctors, is boom, boom, boom, and then we keep going.” (15:01—16:08) -Joshua“What Chris did, we take that for granted. It is very complex, what he just said, transferring all that data from Michigan to a bench in New Jersey, and then back, and have it all fit, and using digital. I'm amazed all this stuff even works, sometimes. It is extremely complex. So, when working in such a complex situation, we've got to be on the same team, to emphasize what I was just saying. We have to be friendly. We must, or else we're working against each other, not with each other.” (17:23—17:56) -Joshua“The expectation seems to be that if I work with a great lab, I'm going to get something back and never have to adjust it. It's impossible. It's a miracle any of this stuff fits to the degree that it fits. I don't even understand how it happens. But we get it back, and you can't take it from the digital world or the analog world on an articulator and then expect to put it in a mouth with soft tissue and muscle and bone and expect it to fit exactly how it did on the articulator or in the digital design. It's not going to happen. You have to do some work in the mouth.” . . . It's an unrealistic expectation that we have, as a profession, that things are going to come back, and they're going to drop into place.” (18:00—18:52) -Dr. Ward“What you guys do is extremely hard. Dentists have very high expectations. And again, that puts those expectations on us. But we have to really determine, what are realistic expectations? I think sometimes we forget that we're making human body parts that have to function. A lot of people refer to lab technicians and ceramists as artists. I am not an artist. What we do is very technical. There are real things involved. It has to work. Art has no rules. Like, this behind me is art. There are no rules to this. If you want to take a picture of a heavy metal guy with no shirt on — it's art. The teeth I make have to work. They must function. Especially working with the caliber of dentists, either Kois, Pankey, or Spear, these people are on a different caliber, and they're checking things a lot differently than like a Medicaid office. They're really checking our work, so it has to work.” (19:06—20:09) -Joshua“As an owner of a lab, I would say almost 100% of new clients, it's always the same. ‘I'm totally open. If you see anything wrong, call me. Please tell me if I could do anything better.’ It's always the same. I've become so numb to it because we do reach out, and a lot of them are saying, ‘No, it's fine. No, it's good.’ And you're going like, ‘What?’ So, that's not an asshole. That's what we would call an “ask hole”. They ask us questions. And then, when we answer them, they ignore everything. That's also difficult to work with.” (21:04—21:43) -Joshua“There's been a doctor that we work with, and we're doing a lot of single central matches. We explained, ‘This is how we can get you the best match. Please don't use the filters on your camera because the filters are more for like “after” glamorous pictures. It's not good for us to read color. And they say, ‘Everything is okay. No problem, no problem. Everything is all good.’ We get the central. What is the picture? It has the [filter]. That's where it gets a little frustrating because, long term, I don't see this working. We're not even giving you criticism. We're just giving you general like, ‘Hey, this is going to make it better.’ When that's ignored, that's no good. So, I think that a lot of clients say they're open. The advice I would give is, really be open. Just listen. And you have the right to disagree. That's fine. But you should be receptive to . . . Like, I'm not going to tell the tailor how to make my clothes. Could you imagine if when I was getting my car fixed, I was like, ‘I don't like those screws. You should use those screws.’” (21:44—22:48) -Joshua“Most lab owners have very thick skin because — I'm very fortunate. When we do a great job, they call me. When we do a poor job, they call me. They communicate all that. But I would say the majority of lab owners are only getting the problem calls. So, they develop thick skin over time. The issue is, it’s not that we don't care, but we hang up the phone and we move on to the next problem. But for you, as a dentist, that's still a problem. And you're beating yourself up. I see a lot of dentists wind up beating themselves up, and that's where the burnout comes from. That's where the depression comes from. It comes from them thinking it's their fault, they stink, they fail. And I think it's because they're not open. They're not receptive. That's my opinion. I don't know if I'm right or wrong, but that's what I see, from an outsider's perspective.” (24:36—25:21) -Joshua“There are expectations that we need to set with the patient, and there are expectations that we need to set with the lab. We were talking a little bit about shade matches and colors, especially for doing single anterior teeth. That's difficult. I mean, it's my job as a dentist to prepare the patient for the fact that, ‘Hey, we're going to try this in next time. There's no guarantee this is going in. This is one of the most difficult things that we do.’ So, if I don't do that properly and the patient is not prepared, then nobody is happy when we try it and have to send it back to the lab. Josh is expecting to get that back. It's so hard to do it on the first try that it's probably going to need to be adjusted if you want it to match the way that we're trying to do the dentistry. So, there's an expectation that he would set with me that, ‘Hey, we're going to try this in. We've done everything. You sent me everything that I need. I've set the patient up for that so that they know, ‘Hey, we're going to try this in. I want it to be as perfect as possible.’ So, there are expectations on both ends that need to be discussed and then followed through with. Then, afterwards, we figure out, ‘Hey, was there something different either one of us could have done to make this better?’ That's why Josh gets a call, whether it went great or whether it went poorly. ‘Hey, why did it go so great?’ Let's have that conversation.” (25:22—26:43) -Dr. Ward“[Social media] sets unreasonable expectations, in my opinion. They're unreasonable. And what I mean is this — I can tell you this firsthand. I work with a ton of dentists, and I work with very talented dentists who have young associates. Those young associates are in very good places. They can learn so much there. They get the right patients, fee-for-service, all that. Those guys and girls follow my Instagram and see the stuff we're doing because I'm pretty active being out there, lecturing and whatnot. And for some reason, I think it always comes to the grass is always greener, where they pull me aside and they're like, ‘Hey, man. We don't do that here. It kind of stinks here. What are you doing? Why are you doing that?’ And I just want to kind of [slap some sense into them]. Like, ‘You're doing that here. You just have to focus on here. You're looking outside too much. Everything I'm showing is what I do, actually, with your bosses. It's here. You're just not looking here.’ So, I think it affects...

Mar 12, 2025 • 1h 8min

860: Proven Retention Strategies for Dental Teams – Miranda Beeson

You want great people in your practice. But it’s a challenge to find them, and an even bigger challenge to keep them! In this episode of Practical Solutions Day, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT’s director of education, to share their proven strategies to keep great team members engaged and wanting to stay. To learn how to build and retain a strong and dedicated team, listen to Episode 860 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Miranda:Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.com Follow Miranda on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalSend Gina an email for your Golden Ticket: gina@actdental.com More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT’s BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT’s BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 860: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRead The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman: https://5lovelanguages.com/store/the-5-love-languagesRead The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Dr. Gary Chapman: https://5lovelanguages.com/store/the-5-languages-of-appreciation-in-the-workplaceMain Takeaways:Engaged employees stay.Build your team around your core values.Establish a consistent rhythm of communication.Provide feedback consistently using the Right People Scorecard.Understand different appreciation styles and consistently demonstrate it.Empower and elevate your team by understanding what drives and excites them.Your small but consistent efforts is what will lead to big, lasting impact in your practice.Retention isn't about keeping people — it’s about knowing how to keep the right people.You don't need to implement all five retention strategies at once. Lean into one at a time.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.1:33 ACT’s TTT, BPA/BPA app, and Pro Coaching.6:25 Why this is an important topic.13:57 Strategy 1) Build a team around core values.19:57 Strategy 2) Establish a consistent rhythm of communication.27:48 Strategy 3) Provide feedback consistently.32:06 Hire people who GWC (Get it, Want it, and have the Capacity for it).41:46 Strategy 4) Demonstrate workplace appreciation.54:40 Strategy 5) Empower and elevate your team.1:00:31 Final takeaways.Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH 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.

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