The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

In this episode, Kirk shares a recent webinar with ACT Director of Coaching, Christina Byrne, on case acceptance. They share a ton of secrets on how to improve case acceptance, like the importance of mindset, the role of the clinical team and the need for preclinical interviews to involve the patient, and the importance of customized care to differentiate a dental practice. They also discuss the need to address patient questions and concerns, handle objections effectively, and measure success using key performance indicators (KPIs). And as always on the Best Practices Show, Kirk and Christina provide a call action for dental professionals to implement the discussed strategies in their practice.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/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event/Get the Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine/Please leave us a review on the podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways: Believe in the value of dentistry as a valuable investment in oral healthUtilize resources like the To The Top Study Club and the Best Practice AcademyInvolve the entire clinical team in case acceptanceUse open-ended questions and change talk to understand the patient's desired outcomeSnippets:00:00 Introduction and Background03:24 The Importance of Mindset05:12 Introduction to To The Top Study Club08:28 Introduction to BPA (Best Practice Academy)09:53 The Cornerstone of a Thriving Dental Practice11:20 The Role of the Clinical Team in Case Acceptance15:30 Preclinical Interviews and Involving the Patient28:05 Understanding the Patient's Desired Outcome37:29 Differentiating with Customized Care43:14 Addressing Patient Questions and Concerns45:02 Handling Patient Objections51:07 Measuring Success with KPIs58:06 Follow-up and Unscheduled Treatment Plan01:03:06 Improving Verbal Skills01:08:04 Final Takeaways and Call to ActionChristina Byrne BioChristina Byrne has been involved in dentistry since 1985. Over the years she has held many positions on the dental team including dental assistant, business office, and dental hygienist. Christina’s extensive knowledge of the front office and clinical procedures is a great asset and she loves to impart her knowledge to guide dental teams do the best they can to achieve a Better Practice Better Life!

Do you dream of having a high-performing team? You can make it happen with a few changes in your thinking. Kirk Behrendt brings back Heather Crockett, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, to share the three essentials for creating a great team and practice. A great team starts with great leadership! To learn the secrets of every high-performing team, listen to Episode 699 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Heather:Send Heather an email: heather@actdental.com Join Heather on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heather.r.crockettFollow Heather on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalSend Gina an email: gina@actdental.com Learn More About ACT Dental:Watch the entire webinar here: https://www.actdental.com/109ACT’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/bpaJoin 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:Get the right people in the right seats.Have well-documented systems in place.Set clear goals, roles, and responsibilities.Clearly define and document your core values.Communicate consistently and frequently to be aligned.Snippets:0:00 Introduction.1:49 Why this is an important topic.3:39 Secret #1) Get aligned.9:22 Secret #2) Be smart.15:09 Secret #3) Be healthy.16:16 The Function Accountability Chart, explained.25:54 Final takeaways.Heather Crockett Bio:Heather Crockett is a Lead Practice Coach who finds joy in not only improving practices but improving the lives of those she coaches as well. With over 20 years of combined experience in assisting, office management, and clinical dental hygiene, her awareness supports many aspects of the practice setting.Heather received her dental hygiene degree from the Utah College of Dental Hygiene in 2008. Networking in the dental community comes easy to her, and she loves to connect with like-minded colleagues on social media. Heather enjoys both attending and presenting continuing education to expand her knowledge and learn from her friends and colleagues.She enjoys hanging out with her husband, three sons, and their dog, Moki, scrolling through social media, watching football, and traveling. 

Have you ever wondered about PPOs or struggled to understand them? Kirk welcomes Shelley DeGroff to shed some light on this complex relationship between dental practices and insurance. Shelley is the founder and CEO of PPO Advisors, a firm that helps dental practices turn their PPOs into profit. She talks about the trends of 2024, emphasizing the importance of understanding the percentage of write-offs and the need to evaluate fee schedules. The conversation concludes by encouraging dentists to play the insurance game with confidence and seek expert help when navigating the complexities of PPOs.Learn More About Shelley and PPO Advisors Follow PPO Advisors on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPOAdvisorsLLC Learn more about PPO Advisors: https://ppoadvisors.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/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event/Get the Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine/Please leave us a review on the podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways: Evaluate fee schedules and understand write-off percentages to ensure proper reimbursement.Regularly audit EOBs to identify discrepancies in fee schedules and reimbursement.Proper credentialing and negotiating contracts are crucial for setting favorable rates.Be aware of network shares and changes and regularly assess your PPO mix.Snippets:01:14 Introduction to Shelly DeGroff and PPO Advisors06:20 Write-off Percentages08:13 PPOs and Fiscal Years09:41 Fee Increases and Negotiations10:41 Evaluating Fee Increases11:39 Master Fee Schedule13:01 Credentialing and Setting Rates16:23 Understanding Umbrellas and TPAs20:43 The Importance of Credentialing22:01 Negotiating Contracts23:01 2024 Trends Continued25:21 Network Shares and Changes28:09 Switching PPO Mix30:32 Making Changes and Seeking Help32:58 Conclusion and Contact InformationShelley DeGroff Bio:Shelley DeGroff, founder and CEO of PPO Advisors, knows dentistry. After graduating from the University of Nebraska, she began working as a dental receptionist in a nearby dental office. After completing her certification as a dental assistant, Shelley transitioned to become a successful office manager. It was in that role that Shelley began noticing the need for PPO negotiations for her employing doctor. This experience began the business model for PPO Advisors, which has now become a nationwide industry leader. 

697: My Journey Into Wellness Dentistry - Dr. Katie To and Dr. Christian CoachmanHave you ever wondered how you can incorporate wellness into your practice? On today’s episode, Kirk and Dr. Christian Coachman welcome Dr. Katie To, a pioneer in wellness dentistry. Dr. To shares her personal journey and explains the concept of wellness dentistry, which goes beyond traditional dentistry to treat the whole body. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration with other healthcare professionals and the impact of wellness dentistry on patient outcomes. They discuss the benefits of implementing wellness dentistry in a dental practice, including attracting better patients and creating a happier and more fulfilled team. And Dr. To offers advice for young dentists interested in pursuing wellness dentistry, highlighting the importance of personalized treatment and patient education.Learn More About Dr. Katie To:Follow Dr. Katie To on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkatietoJoin Dr. Katie To on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatieToCenterLearn more about Wellness Dentist Institute: https://www.wellnessdentistinstitute.comListen to Dr. Katie’s To's podcast The Wellness DentistLearn More About Dr. Christian Coachman:Follow Dr. Christian Coachman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiancoachmanFollow Dr. Christian Coachman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriscoachmanLearn more about Digital Smile Design: https://digitalsmiledesign.comRegister for DSD Residency 1: https://digitalsmiledesign.com/dsd-residency-1-on-demandMore 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/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event/Get the Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine/Please leave us a review on the podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways: Wellness dentistry goes beyond traditional dentistry to treat the whole body and collaborate with other healthcare professionals.Implementing wellness dentistry in a dental practice can attract better patients and create a happier and more fulfilled team.Personalized treatment and patient education are key components of wellness dentistry.Young dentists can start their journey in wellness dentistry by learning and implementing small changes in their practice.Quotes: “For me, the wellness dentistry, my definition in my practice, we have it on the wall, we have it on a website. It is a confident smile for a healthy life. You cannot smile when you are sick. and don't want to get out of bed, or you have chronic fatigue and autoimmune issues and all these chronic inflammation conditions. But also if you're healthy, but you don't have a healthy smile or a confident smile, you're not hiding your smile and your selfie, not showing your smile or true self to the world. So for us in our practice as a dentist, what we find in wellness dentistry is a confident smile for a healthy life”. (03:47 - 04:00)“If [the patient] is a negative person or they have a lot of anxiety or anger issues, the body itself becomes acidic. You cannot give them enough things in the mouth, toothpaste, rinse or  M .I. paste, anything to reverse that when the saliva is acidic 24/7. So have that understanding, really put the ownership of their health on the patient and they are the hero of the journey.” (7:46 - 7:48)“When I learned going through that journey, I learned about meditation, about journaling, about getting better. It's not just all about physical. And when I came back to my practice, I transformed the practice into biological wellness, holistic dentistry. And since my team saw my suffering throughout that year, they got on board because they know if that's happened to Dr. Katie, it could happen to me. It could happen to the patient. So therefore we walk the talk.” (11:39 - 11:41)“When we started our journey, the patient that we had to talk to was our existing patient. Today in 2024, our patients are coming from medical referral and our medical professional doesn't look at us as if you're just a dentist. They actually ask that before we move on to gut health and hormone health, can you please make sure the patient or cavity are clear? We actually require medical clearance before a patient can move on with oncology treatment and even major surgery, because doctors understand the importance of oral health.” (17:26 - 17:53)“You can do it today because of the wellness dentistry exam, as I share with Dr. Coachman, is starting with you get to know the patient and not just go through the motion of checking their teeth, their bite, right, their gum, but really knowing if you see something, ask questions, ask question why this happened, get to know them, curious about them. You have to be an identifier, then evaluator, then stabilizer and healer. You don't have to be the healer today. You still have a lot to learn. You can learn to be an identifier and evaluator and just listen to the podcasts like this or join study clubs or get some coaching to get started. You can do it yourself or can you get some hand holding, but don't just sustain the wish - you have to put in the work. You’ve got to implement it.” (25:23 - 25:53)When I go to work, I ask who can I help today? What story would I discover today? Just right before Christmas, we have a patient call and say, I saw you two years ago. You told me about this infection and I didn't do anything. And my vision kept getting worse. And when she said, I would like to get this infection taken care of, we remove the tooth, do PRF, laser, ozone, and all the biomodulations and all that. She's coming back with her optometrist. The first week that we opened after New Year, she came in for her post -op visit with her optometrist. And I'm like, oh, oh, hi. I have not met the optometrist before. And she said, my optometrist has been taking care of me for three years. When I saw you two years ago, my vision did get worse, but the last two years got significantly worse. But after I'd got my infections out, I came back in because my vision cleared up. My optometrist wants to know who I am seeing as a dentist? I can tell you this story that we hear, I still get goosebumps. And for me, that's the biggest currency - more than money, more than fame, more than Google reviews, is about changing someone's life.” (32:22 - 33:45)“Dentistry is a very tough profession. We know that. And finding a deeper purpose is the best way to transform a stressful profession into the best profession ever.” (37:51 - 38:04)Snippets:03:05 What is Wellness Dentistry? 07:20 Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals11:11 Katie's Personal Journey14:07 Success and Growth of Wellness Dentistry25:23 Advice for Young Dentists28:19 Differentiating a Wellness Dentist35:30 Final Thoughts38:20 Katie's Courses and ResourcesDr. Katie To Bio:Dr. Katie To is a biological and cosmetic dentist and the owner of The Center for Integrated Wellness and Cosmetic Dentistry in Katy, Texas. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science in biology. Her pursuit of dentistry began at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) where she received distinction in research and awards in cosmetic dentistry. She is an Academy of General Dentistry Fellow (FAGD), the youngest Master of Biological Dentistry within the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM), and the first female to hold the professional title of Master of Smile Design in the DSD network. With a passion to share this expertise, her coaching sessions at KT Dental Seminars guides industry professionals through training, certifications, and online master classes.Dr. To is married to Dr. Bar Nguyen, a board-certified orthodontist who recently joined her practice team. After a difficult journey to parenthood, they now have a wonderful son, Bailey, and a lovely daughter, Apple. They both bring joy to their lives, and she is passionate about teaching them how to experience health and happiness through wellness. She also enjoys traveling, dental photography, Peloton rides, and spending time with family. Her most recent wellness aspiration includes training toward certification as a yoga instructor. 

696: Planning for the Unexpected – Dr. Wayne KerrYou plan for work, and you plan your vacations. But do you plan for the unexpected? Anything can happen at any time, and you need to be prepared! To help you think and plan for those unforeseen events, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Wayne Kerr to share a framework that will protect you in future disruptions. Don't ever be caught off guard! To learn how to protect your practice, your loved ones, and your team, listen to Episode 696 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Dr. Kerr:Learn more on Dr. Kerr’s website: https://kerrspeak.comLearn More About ACT Dental:Watch the entire webinar here: https://www.actdental.com/109ACT’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/bpaJoin 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:Try LastPass: https://www.lastpass.comMain Takeaways:Practice fiscal sanity.Write a contingency plan.Identify your cash reserves.Build team loyalty year-round.Have your personal affairs in order.Understand your business and cash flow.Be insured — and make sure you have enough.Evaluate your work-life balance and overall wellness.Quotes:“It's been said that wisdom comes from experience, and we gained invaluable experience through a horrid situation that no one saw coming. I think as practices overcame challenges, they were innovative — dentists are. Entrepreneurs are. They develop solutions to overcome those problems. And I think that we think, ‘Okay. Well, that's done. That's gone. That's in the rearview mirror.’ But what about tomorrow? How can we do something today that better positions our practice in the event of some future disruption? How can we better weather the next storm, whether it be a weather catastrophe, a tornado, a flood, a fire, whatever? I think it's important to learn from the lessons of the past and put together a contingency plan to protect our practices from any future disruption.” (4:16—5:16) -Dr. Kerr“Any small business must practice fiscal sanity. If any business or dental practice is burdened by heavy debt or has marginal cash flow, or the cash flow is sporadic and uncertain and isn't tracked and planned for, that practice is in trouble and it's less likely to survive a future disruption than a practice would with a more sound financial platform.” (5:37—6:07) -Dr. Kerr“It's important that we live within our means. When we spend more than we make, we put the safety and security of our families at risk, and we don't want to do that.” (6:08—6:19) -Dr. Kerr“We have to stop chasing those shiny objects that we always want, never need, and most of the time we can't afford. Take a struggling practice, for example. If your practice is in a marginal cash flow, that's not the time that you invest in a 3D cone beam. You do that when you have the cash flow that enables you to do that. You have to exercise fiscal sanity.” (6:35—6:57) -Dr. Kerr“Tomorrow is not promised, right? So, we need to protect our loved ones by having our personal affairs in order, have our living will and power of attorney current and updated, and make sure that our family knows important things about the practice and our personal lives — the family finances, personal financial statement, where the bank is, where the safety deposit box is, who is able to get into it, where is the key — things like that. You want to protect your loved ones by always having your personal affairs in order.” (7:09—7:46) -Dr. Kerr“Very simply, a will tells basically who gets your stuff and who raises your children — if you have children under the age of maturity. You want to protect your loved ones by having those documents in place. The last thing any single parent wants is for the state to raise their children in foster care because they didn't name someone to do that in their absence.” (10:06—10:26) -Dr. Kerr“If you look at the classic stages of business, survival is all about cash flow. You hope to make enough money today to be open tomorrow. You hope to make enough money this week to be open next week. You hope to make enough money this month to be open next month. Trust me, I've been there. Every early starting business goes through survival, and that is when you really have to understand your cash flow. But when you get into growth — which is, to me, the most exciting stage of business — now, as your business is growing, you're having to add capacity to the point where you finally reach your vision. And when you add capacity to increase the volume of your business, you're taking some financial risks. Now, at this point in your business career, you've got a positive cash flow and you're banking some of it. So, now you've got the cash flow. That means you can take on a bank loan and add that $75,000 operatory, or whatever it might be. But again, fiscal sanity.” (10:36—11:39) -Dr. Kerr“The one metric that I think everyone has to know is your break-even point. You have to know at the end of every day when you look at your end of the day sheet, ‘Did I make enough money today and put it in the bank that I'll be open again tomorrow and I can feed my thing?’ At the end of every day, you have to know you met your financial goals. If you don't know that, you're working blind and you're open to absolute catastrophe.” (12:38—13:06) Dr. Kerr“One out of three practitioners are currently looking for a chairside assistant, a hygienist, or both because we lost a lot of wonderful teammates as a result of the pandemic. And I think my point about positioning your practice to better withstand a future disruption includes building team loyalty, establishing the kind of practice culture where your employees never want to leave you for some other opportunity. I think that's so important that you continue to invest in your employees year-round, that you provide them with continuing education for personal and professional growth — which obviously benefits the practice — and invest in their future by contributing to their retirement plan. Give them reasons to stay.” (16:18—17:07) -Dr. Kerr“Lead and work with integrity, for heaven's sakes. Treat your employees with courtesy and respect. Value their contributions. Recognize them for their contributions. It's been said that once you meet the financial and security needs of an employee, what they most crave is recognition. So, appreciate and recognize them for what they're doing. Embrace open communication and delegate appropriately. But the bottom line is, value your employees on a daily basis. Never take them for granted and build that kind of practice where in spite of what disruption might come, they're loyal to that practice and to you.” (17:15—17:55) -Dr. Kerr“[Writing a contingency plan] is a great team meeting event, and it's not something that you do in an hour. You do this over a period of time. But again, look at the issues that you faced, the challenges brought on by the uncertainty of the day-to-day business in the early pandemic. How did you overcome those problems? What did you put in place? What solutions worked for you? And then, build on that. How can you better prepare your practice to withstand a future disruption? And I think, number one, clearly, you have to recover your data. Fortunately, that's so easy to do today. It wasn't so much in my early days. I mean, I backed up my data on a floppy disk for a while. Some listeners don't even know what that is. Today, we've got the remote servers we call the cloud. But without being able to recover your data following a flood or a fire or some other disruption, your practice is gone. So, that's number one.” (19:41—20:37) -Dr. Kerr“Three of my very close friends died suddenly. Their spouses were professionals in their own right. None of them had any knowledge of their husbands’ practices, and they were left in a very, very bad place. As we mentioned earlier, it's hard enough to lose your loved one, your spouse. But while you're going through that horrible process of planning a funeral, you're suddenly faced with transitioning a dental practice you know nothing about. So, I think every spouse or significant other needs a working knowledge of the practice. They need to have software training, know how to download key reports, have user access and passwords. They need to know the names of the employees and the people that work there and what they do — things like that. The spouse has to have some basic knowledge. By the way, the spouse absolutely has to have access to the practice checkbook. That is so important that the account be joint.” (20:39—21:41) -Dr. Kerr“It's important that all of us, post pandemic, regardless of whether we're the head bottle washer or a brand-new employee, pause from time to time and evaluate the quality of our lives and our contentment with our work-life balance. I'm very concerned that some dentists who are short-staffed right now that are working too hard and longer hours might burn out, and I don't want that to happen to them. So, taking time to evaluate your quality of life and your overall wellness is so important.” (25:10—25:49) -Dr. Kerr“As our amazing inspirational speaker Zig Ziglar once said — and I believe in this wholeheartedly — it's important that we learn from the past without living there, that we live and grow in the present, and more than ever, we look to the future with hope and optimism.” (26:56—27:17) -Dr. KerrSnippets:0:00 Introduction.1:38 Dr. Kerr’s background.4:01 Why it’s important to plan for the unexpected.5:26 Practice fiscal sanity.6:59 Have your personal affairs in order.10:30 Understand your business and your cash flow.12:24 Know your break-even point.14:04 Be insured enough.16:11 Build team loyalty year-round.19:32 Write a contingency plan.24:54 Evaluate your work-life balance and wellness.27:45 More about Dr. Kerr and how to get in touch.Dr. Wayne Kerr Bio:Now retired from a highly successful thirty-five-year career, Dr. Wayne Kerr has been recognized by state and local organizations as Dentist, Citizen, Professional, and Small-Business Person of the Year. Additionally, he earned Mastership in the Academy of General Dentistry and was honored in 2011 with its presentation of the Life-Long Learning and Service Recognition Award. He is a member of the Hinman Dental Society and an Honored Fellow of the Georgia Dental Association.A highly regarded speaker on the international stage, Dr. Kerr is also the author of Ten Tips to the Top: A Primer for the Successful Dental Practice, and multiple books of inspiration, including When Life Needs a Sticky Note! and Wear it on a Tuesday….

695: Treatment of the Edentulous Patient - Dr Marco BrindisKirk welcomes prosthodontist Dr. Marco Brindis to discuss the treatment of the edentulous patient. They talk about the need for individualized treatment plans and the balance between saving teeth and providing optimal health and function. Dr. Brindis also highlights the importance of collaboration with other dental professionals, the importance of patient communication, treatment options for the edentulous patient, and material selection for restorations. Tune in and learn about the specialty that is treating edentulous patients. Learn More About Dr. BrindisJoin Dr. Brindis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marco.brindis.3Follow Dr. Brindis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmarcobrindisLearn more about Dr. Brindis on YouTubeContact Dr. Brindis: marco [at] smilesbymarco.comLearn More About ACT Dental:Watch the entire webinar here: https://www.actdental.com/109ACT’s website: https://www.actdental.com/ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdental/ACT’s YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/actdentalACT’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/actdental/ACT’s Linked In: 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/bpaJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/See the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event/Get the Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine/Please leave us a review on the podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Main Takeaways: Consider the patient's health and function when treating the edentulous patientIndividualize treatment plans based on the patient's specific needsCollaborate with other dental professionals to provide comprehensive careBalance aesthetics and health in treatment planningQuotes: “There was one article from the Mayo Clinic in 2013 and they had the projection with the baby boomers to have 40 million edentulous people in the United States - 40 million. And actually we reached a little bit over 40 million by the year 2020. So there's a big need. And just to put into perspective, missing your teeth is just like missing any other limb in your body. It's like missing a leg.” (07:30 - 07:38)“My main goal as a prosthodontist is not actually to save teeth, is to give you health, is to provide you with a function that you need. And sometimes that is by saving teeth. Hopefully, I always hope that the solution will be by saving teeth. But that’s not always the case. And sometimes I have to make the radical decision.”(9:07 - 9:28)“Understand that as a dentist, as a good dentist, you cannot be a cookie cutter. You cannot just feed every patient that comes to your practice to that protocol. Every patient has completely different needs, completely different problems, and we have to adapt and follow whatever the patient needs.” (11:03 - 11:21)“I constantly say, you know, when you have a dentist, it's like having a contractor in your house - fix the room, fix the door, fix the windows, fix the roof. You know, when the patients come to me, they're looking for an architect. How can we build back the house and get it in function? Because it's already too much damage. And sometimes I have to demolish that house and build from the bottom up. And sometimes I have a chance to have good bones. The house had good bones. Now I can go ahead and renovate it and have a good quality for the long term and save that house. But sometimes I don't have that luxury and I have to start from scratch.” (15:58 - 16:35)“If we only do what the patient wants, what are we here for? What did we study for? Even if the patient is going to tell us what to do. No, no, no. It's to listen and then you have to propose the best course of action for the patient with the dentist's knowledge.” (25:44 - 25:58)“Treat the patients like your own family. Treat the patient like the way you want your, your most precious love in your life to be treated, you know? And when you keep that in mind, make the decisions that you have to make and you're going to be fine. And, and don't hesitate to make radical decisions when those radical decisions are going to change the patient's life, when those decisions can reach the patient's heart.”  (32:05 - 32:21)Snippets:02:10 Dr. Marco Brindis' Background07:37 The Importance of Treating the Edentulous Patient10:23 Controversy and Decision-Making in Treatment14:07 Different Scenarios and Treatment Options17:30 Collaboration with Other Dental Professionals22:47 Financial Considerations in Treatment Planning29:08 Balancing Aesthetics and Health32:12 Final Thoughts and Contact InformationDr. Marco Brindis Bio:Dr. Marco Brindis is the chairman of the Prosthodontics Department of Louisiana State University, where he also maintains an intramural restorative practice devoted to esthetics and implants with an interdisciplinary approach. He earned his DDS from the Universidad Intercontinental in Mexico City in 1998, completed a Preceptorship in Dental Implants at the Universidad Intercontinental in 1999, a Preceptorship in Dental Implants at the Dental School at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio in 2002, and a Surgical Implant Fellowship at the Biotechnology Institute in Vitoria, Spain, in 2003. He earned his Certificate in Prosthodontics at LSU School of Dentistry in the Department of Prosthodontics in 2007, then completed the Esthetic and Occlusion courses at the Pankey Institute in 2007.Dr. Brindis is very passionate in the field of interdisciplinary dentistry for full-mouth reconstruction, esthetics, and implant dentistry. He is involved in the development of new implant protocols to treat edentulous patients. He has lectured in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Spain. He is a member of several organizations, including the Academy of Osseointegration, American Dental Association, American College of Prosthodontists, and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He is a well-established national and international speaker, having spoken at symposiums such as the AAOMS Dental Implant Conference, International Symposium on Oral Implantology in Spain, Academy of Osseointegration, AAOMS Annual Meeting, and the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry.

694: Are Composite Resins for this Day and Age in Digital Dentistry? - Dr. Newton Fahl In this episode, Kirk welcomes a leading thinker, educator, and practicing dentist Dr. Newton Fahl to discuss the importance of composite resigns in an age of digital dentistry. Dr. Fahl sheds light on the ethical and financial aspects of using composite resins and highlights the artistry involved in creating natural-looking restorations. They discuss the advancements in composite resin materials and Dr. Fahl explains his process of restorations and how he charges for the work. His upcoming course, 'Mastering Interior Composites,' covers the fundamental concepts and techniques of composite resin restorations. To learn more about composite resins in the age of digital dentistry, don’t miss this episode!Learn More About Dr. Newton Fahl:Register for his Mastering Anterior Composites Course - A Hands-On Experience with Dr. Newton Fahl:  https://fahl.com.br/en/cursos/mastering-anterior-composites/ Join Dr. Fahl on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newtonfahl  Follow Dr. Fahl on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newtonfahl Learn more on Dr.Fahl’s website: https://www.cosmedent.com/faculty/dr-newton-fahl/More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & A Better Life:Subscribe to the Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen   Join the Best Practices Association:  https://www.actdental.com/bpa Join the To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/ See the ACT Dental / BPA Live Event Schedule:  https://www.actdental.com/event/ Get the Best Practices Magazine For Free:  https://www.actdental.com/magazine/ Please Leave Us a Review On the Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218 Episode Resources: Mastering Anterior Composites courseMain Takeaways: Composite resins play a crucial role in digital dentistry and are becoming increasingly important in modern dental practices.The ethical aspect of composite resins involves providing effective, predictable, and revenue-generating procedures that justify the time and effort spent on them.Composite resins require a combination of art and science to achieve productive, artistic, and ethical results.Advancements in composite resin materials have focused on improving shrinkage, strength, and polishability.Dr. Newton Fahl offers a comprehensive course, 'Mastering Interior Composites,' where participants can learn the artistry and techniques of composite resin restorations.Quotes: “If you start with prevention, if you have had a patient with not a single restoration in their mouth. And you open that, it may be in proper occlusion or malocclusion, it doesn't matter. You're talking about virgin, untouched teeth. How much better can you get? You can't get better than that. So when you evolve from that stage of prevention into the preservation stage where you say, okay, now we have a pathology, a broken tooth is pathology. That's one thing. And then what you can do is instead of doing a crown like Bob Marge's didn't do for you, rightfully so, you can just add to it. And the science is there. Papers are there. The research is there to support that you are actually making that remnant stronger than if you were to prep a crown for several reasons, because you're weakening by taking away sound dental structure. On the other hand, you have the augmentation part of it, which is adding to watch what is actually good. And then you're talking about cosmetic issues. You're talking about closing diastemas. You're talking about class fours. You're talking about smile design.” (8:23 - 10:01)“The stories that we all hear, we all hear these stories day in and day out. A patient comes in, they wouldn't smile. So we did this and they came out smiling. We changed their lives. We don't change patients' lives. We change their smile and it has an impact on people's lives.” (12:32 - 12:46)“The thing that we know in dentistry is the higher the fee, the higher the expectations to assume we're going to be able to nail a patient's expectations every time. That's a hard thing. And so I think with this, with that, I mean, he was able to change directions and smooth a piece out and lengthen a piece just while I was in the chair, you know? So it's kind of cool, don't you think that we have, we have the ability to do this. And again, you can charge a full fee for this. Let me add one more thing, Newton. I want you to comment. My previous dentist, Craig Harry, I'll shout out to you. He's in the later stage of his career, but he's told me this. He's like, Kirk, I don't want to do a crown ever again if I don't have to. Like I do composites all the time and I charged, I'll tell you, he charges $1 an hour. There's no lab fee. I take my time. I do it. It's so much fun working on people that want this work. I don't feel like we're bound by anything. I can reverse things. I can change things. And it's just easy.” (16:42 - 17:06)“When people come to you, they have a problem and they're paying for the outcome. They're not paying for how much tooth structure you remove or how, you know, and I think ultimately you knew what you're saying is absolutely true. Everybody's got to come up with their formula. And most of the people that I see in the mature stages, they just know what their time is worth and they know if I'm going to work six hours today, this is about what I would charge. And you're charging for your expertise.” (23:25 - 23:49)“I think composites are more than ever for this day and age because we have the technology. We have the technology. It's totally there. We have the artistry. There are over 70 types of composite restorative systems available commercially worldwide. So you can pick and choose. And adhesion is there. We have adhesives that will allow us to bond to teeth and have long lasting adhesive interfaces that will last a long, long time. And we have tutors, educators, and I'm talking not only about myself, we have true educators that can convey principles for anyone. who wants to endeavor in that route and learn compositor artistry so that they can be conscious about doing something that is ethical, non -invasive, aesthetic, and money -making. I mean, it's all there. It's all there. There is no excuse for anybody who will say, I don't do composites because I don't have the technology. I don't... I don't think I can make enough money with it. I don't think my patients will like it. I don't think they're gonna last long enough. This is all a lie. It's all there. All it takes is for anyone to really dive deep into it and learn how to do it.” (33:22 - 35:01)Snippets:01:10 Introduction to Dr. Newton Fahl02:39 Importance of Composite Resins in Digital Dentistry06:07 The Ethical Aspect of Composite Resins08:02 The Financial Aspect of Composite Resins10:27 The Artistry of Composite Resins14:21 The Advancements in Composite Resins33:47 Summary and Course PromotionDr. Newton Fahl Bio:Dr. Newton Fahl Jr. received his DDS degree from Londrina State University, Brazil, in 1987. In 1989, he received the Certificate in Operative Dentistry and Master of Science degree from the University of Iowa. He is a fellow member of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (AAED), an MCG-Hinman Foundation fellow, and an adjunct professor at UNC. He is the recipient of the prestigious American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (AAED) 2008 President’s Award for Best Teacher, and the 2011 American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) Excellence in Cosmetic Dentistry Education Award.In addition to being on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Fahl has published extensively on direct and indirect bonding techniques. He is proud to be the author of the book, Composite Veneers – the Direct-Indirect Technique. His composite layering approach, The Polychromatic Technique (1995), has helped thousands of dentists globally achieve the highest levels of restorative excellence.Dr. Fahl lives in Curitiba, Brazil, where he maintains a private practice emphasizing esthetic dentistry at the Fahl Center and conducts hands-on courses on direct and indirect adhesive restorations. 

693: New Year – Old You, With Some Tweaks! – Dr. Uche OdiatuDo you want a better year, but don't know where to start? With a few small tweaks, you can make it happen — and you don't have to change who you are! To help you achieve the year of your dreams, Kirk Behrendt returns with Dr. Uche Odiatu, one of ACT’s favorite health and wellness gurus, with tips to improve every dimension of your well-being. Small changes lead to big results! To start your journey to a better year, listen to Episode 693 of The Best Practices Show!Learn About Dr. Odiatu:Join Dr. Odiatu on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UcheOdiatu Follow Dr. Odiatu on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitspeakers Learn more on Dr. Odiatu’s website: http://www.druche.comEpisode Resources:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show podcast: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin ACT’s To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee ACT’s Live Events Schedule: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/act-dental-live-workshops-306239Get The Best Practices Magazine for free! https://www.actdental.com/magazineWrite a review on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show/id1223838218Links Mentioned in This Episode:Read Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger: https://bookshop.org/p/books/be-useful-seven-tools-for-life-arnold-schwartzenegger/19976031?ean=9780593655955Read Outlive by Dr. Peter Attia: https://bookshop.org/p/books/outlive-the-science-and-art-of-longevity-peter-attia/18517223?ean=9780593236598Main Takeaways:Take care of your body to take care of your brain.Invest in your body like you do in your practice.Make your health span equal your life span.Be intentional with your “I am” statements.Have an abundance mindset about time.To be fit, spend time with fit people.There is no shortcut to fitness.Quotes:“Oftentimes, people have four things they want to do. ‘This year, I want to be kinder to my team. I want to lose 10 pounds. I want to do CrossFit. I'd like to learn yoga. I'm going to become certified in oral systemic health.’ Oh, really? By the seventh [day], you're falling off the wagon, angry at yourself. So, why not focus on one thing, realizing that falling off the wagon is completely normal, and enjoy the journey?” (2:57—3:18) -Dr. Odiatu“In life, being time-bound creates a sense of always running out of time. ‘It's 11:00. It's 11:30.’ I have this one friend of mine — I've got a few people now that say, ‘Oh, there are never enough hours in the day. Never enough hours in the day.’ And guess what? They've actually shown, physiologically, their blood pressure is higher, and their pulse is higher because they're always worrying about the time thing. Obama has 24 hours. Trump has 24 hours. Biden has 24 hours. Jack LaLanne had 24 hours. You name it, we all have 24 hours. Ariana Grande has got 24 hours. So, to talk about not enough time — who are you, this self-absorbed dentist or hygienist, to talk about not enough time? There is enough time for anything you find important. If you say it's important, you'll make time for it.” (4:46—5:28) -Dr. Odiatu“Look at all the money you invested in your team, your equipment, your training — Kois, Pankey, Dawson, LVI, or whatever it is. How much did you spend on your body? Most dentists will be shocked how little they spent. And if you don't spend a little, guess what? You're getting back nothing. Sciatica hasn't gone away. Reflux is still there. Blood pressure that's unrelenting. So, that financial investment in your body has to be there. It doesn't happen by happenstance.” (7:11—7:39) -Dr. Odiatu“Michelangelo, who carved David out of a huge block of stone, said in his mind he saw David. So, in the dentist's mind, they have to see their vision of how they want to look and feel. Then, you’ve got to cut away or chip away anything that doesn't serve that purpose. So, that half bottle of wine at night doesn't serve that purpose. Hanging out with your friends from high school who still like to binge-drink on that small island — guess what? You've got to carve that away. You'll get to that idealized version of your David if you cut away anything that doesn't serve you. And it doesn't have to be all-or-nothing either. It could literally be if it doesn't serve you, if it sabotages your end goal, cut it away. Let it go. I think you do have to let go of some things — and maybe let go of some people.” (8:37—9:20) -Dr. Odiatu“So many of us put all our eggs in one basket. ‘I got this new iTero. It's going to happen,’ or, ‘I just learned this new technique. It has to happen.’ It's nice to have something now, but the brain loves to have something on the back burner. It likes to have something coming up. So, I might be on a cool trip now. But I'm also doing a talk in a month in another really cool Caribbean vacation spot. That's in the back of my mind, so I'm not counting down the days. But I would count down the days, though, if I hadn't been on vacation in 15 years because I have 17 offices and I'm micromanaging because I haven't hired Kirk as a consultant.” (11:30—12:00) -Dr. Odiatu“I don't have 17 apps to get healthy. An app might help you. But I think the mindset, and as you said, getting around people that support you and having good systems in place, is the way to go.” (13:20—13:31) -Dr. Odiatu“Instead of waiting for the results, celebrate that decision to do it. Like, a lot of people don't get the dopamine spike or enjoy working out. I enjoy thinking about the gym. I enjoy putting the sneakers on. I enjoy walking towards the gym. You'd be surprised how many times you can actually celebrate going, and being there, and the afterglow. You could literally have a hundred associations with the gym. Most people associate one, ‘Getting rid of my flat butt,’ or, ‘I want a flat stomach.’ But get more associations with making it happen, and now you can have a hundred ways to enjoy it other than the results or looking at the scale.” (14:04—14:43) -Dr. Odiatu“If you lose weight without strength training, you're literally losing lean body mass, which means by the time you're 40 falling off the wagon again, you might weigh the same, but now fat has taken up more of it than muscle. That's why it's that slow progression of that little old man, little old lady syndrome where you get weaker and weaker. They're like, ‘It's funny, I'm the same weight I was in college.’ Well, you've lost muscle — one percent every year. At age 70, that's 40%. When most dentists are retiring and want to enjoy their dream home and their lake home and their cottage home, they're too weak to take care of it. They downsize out of a two-bedroom, two-story dream home and now they slide into a one-story — one more slide right into the coffin, I say. You've got to build some inconvenience into your life. I know I got a little morbid, and I get a little graphic to give people some visuals. But sliding right into that six-foot-under happens if you make your life too convenient. So, having some inconvenience is a great way to get in shape.” (14:54—15:48) -Dr. Odiatu“There's something about taking care of your physical body that allows your brain to work better.” (17:51—17:54) -Dr. Odiatu“The science says if you're physically fit, the brain gets more oxygenated blood. If you're physically fit, you have more of this neurotransmitter called BDNF, brain drive neurotrophic factor, which allows better communication between all 85 billion neurons. The 100,000 synapses that are at the end of every axon communicate better with each other. You have more neuroplasticity when you're healthy. So, it becomes a no-brainer, really — no pun intended. If you're not exercising, your brain is at the slow, downhill slide into that reflux, chronic inflammatory condition. So, what's good for the body is good for the brain. Do not think the body work is just good for the high school reunion, or the college reunion, or because you're on your fifth marriage. No. That workout keeps that brain going so you can enjoy yourself right to the end.” (18:03—18:54) -Dr. Odiatu“Every time I go into an audience, I'll say, ‘Who here wants to live to 100?’ A few people put up their hand in an audience of 800 people. And I say, ‘Okay, let me qualify that. Who wants to live to 100 with a good brain, good hips, good heart, good mind, and good joints?’ All of a sudden, 50% of people now put up their hand. People always assume the last 10 to 20 years is decrepit and disability — and it is for anyone who is not taking care of themselves. So, you want your health span to be as big as your life span.” (19:34—20:00) -Dr. Odiatu“We're going to leave the planet some way. But in order to make your health span as big as your life span, this is where physical activity has to come in. And it's so badly done. I think they've shown that 80% of North Americans have no physical activity in their lives at all. The other 20%, it's not even a complete program. They're doing yoga, maybe. They're running, maybe. No one is doing all three components: strength, cardio, and flexibility. Only three percent of the population does all three. If you're not doing all three, you will suffer from lack of range of motion. If you're just running, you will have core problems. If you just do weights, you will maybe fall over because you don't have good balance or stability on those joints. So, doing all three puts those dentists — I want to appeal to their egos — into the top three percent.” (20:01—20:45) -Dr. Odiatu“You’ve got to work on your body as much as you do on your skills. You’ve got to work on your body to take care of your mind. If you want to be a good dentist, it's not just about learning the clinical skills and putting in implants and doing bone grafting and sinus clips. You’ve got to take care of the body.” (21:46—21:59) -Dr. Odiatu“Taking care of your body and investing it as heavily as you do your office, it can become your best friend again. And when it becomes your best friend, it becomes predictable, solid, fun, engaging, and fulfilling.” (22:15—22:26) -Dr. Odiatu“There's no guarantee I won't leave the planet early. However, I'm stacking that damn deck in favor of my health span equaling my life span. No guarantees in this life — but stacking the deck in favor of my health span equaling my life span.” (22:43—22:59) -Dr. Odiatu“They've now found prescription drugs that you can buy that makes you less likely to enjoy eating, so people are losing weight. So, right now, a lot of people who've never lost weight before lost weight. And no one ever brags about what they're on. Everyone is saying, ’Oh, I cut down.’ No, they're taking a prescription drug, most likely, if they've gone on yo-yo diets and they've never kept it off, and now they’ve kept it off. The challenge, though, by doing it this way is you don't get the benefit of losing weight with exercise and nutrition. It's like winning the lottery. Sure, you have $500 million. But you didn't earn it. And if you didn't earn it, that's why people, within 24 months, lose it. If you get fit and you look great by something that got you there in 90 days, 120 days, you got none of the benefits in going there — none of the dopamine, none of the neurotransmitter balancing, none of the discipline.” (25:03—25:55) -Dr. Odiatu“Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist out of California, says a part of your cortex — it's called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex — gets bigger in people who do hard things. It gets bigger in people who have discipline. It gets bigger for people who work through lunch on that emergency. It gets bigger with dentists who take difficult CE courses. It gets bigger in people who do tough things. So, if you take a drug and lose weight, that anterior cortex stays tiny because your mind didn't get bigger to take care of that new weight. So, you don't get any of the benefits, except on paper it looks like, ‘Oh, I lost 30 pounds.’” (25:55—26:33) -Dr. Odiatu“There's just as much discipline in an overweight person or an obese person as someone who is lean. But society has this belief that someone who is...

Have you ever wondered about whether you should invest in Continuing Education? In this episode, Kirk welcomes practicing dentist and coach Dr. Andrew Turchin to talk about how to get the biggest ROI from continuing education. The two discuss how to decide on the right courses and Dr. Turchin shares strategies for bridging the gap between CE courses and implementing new skills and knowledge. He also highlights the importance of taking time to reflect on learnings from CE courses and scheduling team meetings to discuss and plan for implementation.Episode Resources:Learn More About Dr. Andrew Turchin:His Course - Cosmetic Confidence Coaching:  https://www.cosmeticcoaching.com/  Website: https://andrewturchin.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/andrewturchin.dmd/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/AndrewTurchinDMD Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/andrewturchindmd/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dentist81611/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/smilefit More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & A Better Life:Subscribe to the Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listen   Join the Best Practices Association:  https://www.actdental.com/bpa Join the To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/ See the ACT Dental / BPA Live Event Schedule:  https://www.actdental.com/event/ Get the Best Practices Magazine For Free:  https://www.actdental.com/magazine/ Please Leave Us a Review On the Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218 Main TakeawaysFocus on implementing one idea at a time and take the time to distill ideas down to their simplest form.Design learning courses that are efficient and incorporate accelerated learning techniques.Simplify complex ideas to make them easier to understand and communicate to others.Utilize multiple learning methods, such as lectures, hands-on activities, and over-the-shoulder demonstrations, to enhance learning retention.Consider the financial benefits of investing in education and find enjoyment in helping others.Segments06:33 Maximizing ROI in Continuing Education11:13 The Importance of Leadership in Dentistry17:40 Creating Promotions to Differentiate Your Practice22:43 Bridging the Gap Between CE Courses32:55 Moving Away from PPOs41:30 Final Thoughts on Maximizing ROI in CE43:57 Implementing Ideas and Distilling Knowledge44:25 Designing an Efficient Learning Course45:18 Simplifying Complex Ideas46:17 Multiple Learning Methods46:44 Financial Benefits and Enjoying the Work47:39 Contact Information and Closing RemarksQuotes:“That's what's so cool about this incredible profession. It's very noble. The choices you can make, you can practice wherever you want. You can charge whatever you want. You can work whatever hours you want. You can do what style you want.” (4:00 - 4:13)“I think it's important for dentists to know that their general practices have a lot of really cool cases sitting there. And I've never marketed a day in my life, really. Just learning how to have the right conversations with the patients, is what I've learned over the years. And the number one thing I tell these young dentists is just because they come in and say, I just want a cleaning, doesn't mean you can't have conversations. You have to know how to have them in a non -pushy way, in a non -threatening way.” (5:07 - 05:12)“We are always encouraging dentists to try to become a better leader and create other leaders. You know, if somebody young is listening to this, how important is the leadership investment that you made?” (8:56 - 9:07)“My clarity of vision has helped my team be better teammates to me, the coach. And I think we have to look at ourselves as a coach and them as part of the team and not their boss.” (13:39 - 13:51)“If you want maximum ROI, you have to give yourself a little pep talk. Stay away from your phone as much as possible during [the] lecture.” (25:28 - 25:35)“The best advice I could have for anybody as a thinker and a learner is never get the wifi on the plane. It's the only place we have left in life. I get on a plane sometimes, I'm looking forward to it. For me to truly, in my life, I don't know about anybody else, that's the only place I truly have quiet to read and to write.” (30:15 - 30:34)“I'll tell you this, the very wealthy expect to know their dentist. They expect to know their professionals on a very personal level and to be friends with them and have them available. And that might not be for everybody, but I don't mind it.” (38:13 - 38:26)“ I would say pick a great topic, pay a lot of attention in the course. Ask questions. I think that's, you know, don't just stay quiet, go to a course, whether it be a big room or a small room, whatever it is, where you feel comfortable and get comfortable asking the hard questions. So you could truly understand it and know that's your goal to leave understanding it.” (42:57 - 43:01)Dr. Andrew Turchin BioDr. Andrew Turchin graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in 1999. His quest for more knowledge landed him at Columbia University where he was a Fellow in their Advanced Education in General Dentistry program. After finishing at Columbia, he began private practice as an associate at a prominent Fifth Avenue practice renowned for their reconstructive work. In 2002, he opened his own practice on Fifth Avenue, practicing both preventive and reconstructive dentistry. Six months after September 11th, he was asked to join World Trade Center Dental to help rebuild their great practice, which he was honored to do part-time while maintaining his own office. In 2008, he expanded his practice to a much larger space on Madison Avenue where he designed the practice of his dreams — one which comforted his patients in a non-clinical environment while under the surface being equipped with the best that dental technology had to offer.In 2012, after 13 years of practicing at the top of Manhattan Dentistry, Dr. Turchin sold his practice to follow his dream of living and practicing in Aspen, Colorado. It was hard for him to say goodbye to such an amazing practice with so many wonderful patients and a great team. He now enjoys bringing the very best preventive, general, and reconstructive dentistry that he is known for in New York to Aspen, while appreciating the wonders of nature. He took the helm at a practice that was started by the great late Dr. Bill Comcowich, then carried on by Dr. Lloyd Herman. He is honored to continue the legacy of quality dentistry that the practice has always been known for, and to further Aspen’s reputation as a leader in quality dentistry.Outside of practice and lecturing, Dr. Turchin is an avid lover of the outdoors and especially enjoys skiing. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Gina, and their two daughters, five-year-old Ava, and one-year-old Lia. His appreciation of great food and wine has prompted him to become an amateur cook, and he has even appeared on the cooking show, Taste of New York. Join Dr. Turchin on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewturchindmd Follow Dr. Turchin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewturchin.dmd

691: Unlock Your Full-Fee Potential: Elevate Patient Perception and Charge What You're Worth! - Ariel JudayIn this episode, Kirk welcomes back coach Ariel Juday to discuss how dentists can unlock their full fee potential and effectively communicate value to patients. Ariel emphasizes the importance of billing the full fee for services, the negative impact of write-offs and the need for a clear financial policy. By creating specific adjustment types and understanding the financial aspects of their practice, dentists can improve profitability and ensure alignment within their team.Episode Resources:Watch the Video Webinar of this Podcast: https://www.actdental.com/107Subscribe to the Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin the Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa Join the To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/See the ACT Dental / BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/event/Get the Best Practices Magazine For Free: https://www.actdental.com/magazine/Please Leave Us a Review On the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218 Main TakeawaysBilling the full fee for services is essential to communicate the value of dental care.Accurate coding and understanding write-offs can help dentists avoid working for free.Creating a clear financial policy and training team members on it is crucial for effective communication with patients.Investing in admin team members and providing them with the necessary training can improve the financial aspects of the practice. Create a comprehensive financial policy that covers all aspects of patient billing and payment terms.Start billing the full fee on insurance claims to accurately reflect the value of your dentistry.Regularly analyze adjustments and monthly reports to identify areas for improvement and reduce write-offs.Ensure your team members understand and can effectively communicate the financial policy to patients.Seek education and training opportunities for your admin team members to enhance their skills and knowledge.Segments00:00 Unlocking Your Full Fee Potential04:11 Introduction to Ariel Juday08:29 Billing Your Full Fee09:25 Coding for What You Do10:20 Understanding Write-Offs and Working for Free17:45 Creating Specific Adjustment Types19:36 Understanding Write-Offs and Working for Free (Continued)27:43 Creating a Clear Financial Policy41:56 Creating Two Different Financial Policies48:04 Investing in Admin Team Members49:00 Considering Other Aspects of the Financial Policy49:29 Creating a Financial Policy52:21 Billing the Full Fee53:49 Adjustments and Monthly Reports55:37 Team Education and Alignment59:30 Minimizing In-Network Write-OffsQuotes“As dentists and dental team members, we are worth everything, the value that we provide, and it's more than just the dentistry.” (9:03 - 9:12)“What does it mean, billing full fee? That is your practice master fee schedule. So as Kirk had alluded to, right, as some of us put in our PPO fees and our fee schedules, when we do that, we're really undervaluing our services. So we're telling patients, we're telling ourselves this is what it's worth. So we're letting the insurance company tell us what our services are value, right? And that's not true. So we know, and we won't even get into the world of insurance today, but we know that they don't get to decide our value. So start putting out there, what is your master fee schedule so that you can see it, your patients can see it, your team members can see it. What is the full value?” (12:18 - 11:52)“You can't make an informed decision based off of participation or other discounts or anything that you may do if you don't know the difference between what is, what are you billing and what are your contracted rates with insurance? So you have to know that adjustment and that write -off that you're doing, or you're not going to be able to make a true decision.” (20:35 - 20:58 )“When we say write off, right? There is a connotation to it. I'm like, oh, it's a write off, right? But no, it's just money. walking out the door and you're just saying goodbye to that money because you're never going to see it. So right. What is it? It's an adjustment or it's a discount and you need to know what that number is.” (35:33 - 35:41)“I always tell my doctors, sit down and do this, work on this. I know this is not the fun part of doing dentistry. But if you want team members coming back every single day asking you, hey, Miss Jones wants an adjustment. Can I give Mr. Smith a write off? Can I go ahead and discount this? That's what you're going to have all day every day if you don't have a clear financial policy.” (42:00 - 42:27)“Don't underestimate the power of teaching a great team member great practices and training. Actually developing them, not so much training them, but developing people so that they're experts.” (47:28 - 47:38)“Just get it started. It could be simple, it could be ugly, it could be lousy, doesn't matter. Just get it started and get it to 80%. And then once it's working, improve it another 80%. And then a month later, improve it another 80%. So you're just, you don't want to make it perfect. Just improve it by 80%. Three tries through, you're now at 96 % if you always are improving processes by 80%. And that's where great development comes in.” (50:30 - 50:59)Ariel Juday Bio:Ariel has a master’s in healthcare administration and several years of dental experience in all aspects of the administrative roles within the dental office. Her passion is to work with dental teams to empower team members to realize their full potential in order to better serve patients, improve office systems to ensure a well-functioning team/office, and to help everyone have fun in the process! Send Ariel an email: ariel@actdental.comFollow Ariel on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdental