The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

You'll hear it again and again on this podcast: core values are critical for practice success! It makes hard decisions easier, the workplace healthier, and everyone happier. If you're struggling with this foundational piece, keep listening! Kirk Behrendt brings back Heather Crockett, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, with a step-by-step for how to create a craveable work culture. It all starts with core values! To hear it for the thousandth time, listen to Episode 690 of The Best Practices Show!Episode Resources: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/actdentalReach out to Gina: gina@actdental.com 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:Download ACT’s How to Bring Your Core Values Alive checklist: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/duu6uvbz22qm13kqu9dui/How-to-Bring-Your-Core-Values-Alive-ACT-Dental-Best-Practices-Checklist.docx?rlkey=em3ca5880qqp5nzb3xujpmiao&dl=0Download ACT’s Identifying Your Practice’s Core Values tool guide: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5n6yikdhm7r7wnjm1eeqv/Identify-Your-Practice-s-Core-Values.pdf?rlkey=b9uz4s9dmbj9a4ujgmk3l8w9a&dl=0Read Hidden Potential by Adam Grant: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/719611/hidden-potential-by-adam-grantRead Traction by Gino Wickman: https://benbellabooks.com/shop/tractionMain Takeaways:Make your core values a big deal.Don't just set-and-forget your core values.Find creative ways to keep your core values alive.Designate a core values champion to keep everyone engaged.Take your time when deciding on your core values. Let them bake.Developing your core values is the most important thing you'll ever do.Quotes:“The beacon to practice success is your core values.” (2:24—2:26) -Heather“[Defining your core values] is the most important thing you will ever, ever, ever, ever, ever do in business. Here's why. When you really find out what they are, you lean into them. You give them a name. You write sentences to support them. You reward, hire, fire around them. Everything gets better. Your results get better. And here's the bottom line. You enjoy going to work. Work is hard — it is. It just is. I don't care what you do. But if you go into a workplace that's healthy, nothing trumps that. Nothing beats that except the absence of health in an organization. When you can look around and go, ‘Man, these are my people,’ it's awesome.” (2:38—3:25) -Kirk“You spend 30% of your lives — your breaths that you take on this planet while you're alive — at a place called work. Why wouldn't you want that to be a fun place to go?” (3:43—3:54) -Kirk“Everyone struggles with alignment with their values. What does that mean? It means that you may have people in your organization that are not aligned with your core values. That's a huge struggle and frustration that so many doctors have. When I have conversations with my clients and they say this person is frustrating them, or they're having a struggle or an issue with a team member, usually it's because there's a misalignment in the values and we have to come back to having that core value conversation. There's really nothing more important because they are a guiding force in your organization.” (4:16—4:46) -Heather“When a team member is not fitting right and something doesn't seem like it molds and it gels, like there's something off about that person, usually, it's a misalignment in values.” (7:52—8:03) -Heather“You should make [core values] a big deal. As soon as you get them created and you present them to your team, they're a big deal. So, you should spend a lot of time talking about them, defining them, and really discussing them with the team and making sure that your team is aware of what they are and what they mean.” (10:35—10:52) -Heather“[Your core values] really need to be embedded. We've said it over and over — they're the most important thing. Your team members need to have them memorized and be able to spit them out — and so should you. If they're not on your website and they're not screaming on your social media, then there's a lot of work that needs to be done.” (11:20—11:37) -Heather“If you're a dentist, or if you own a business, or you do hiring, you only hire people for two reasons for the rest of your career. You hire them because they fit your core values. The second reason you hire anybody is they get results. When you can lean into that and be super clear, ‘Look, I'm looking for people that fit our value system, and I'm looking for somebody that gets results in this seat,’ and you can create something that clearly articulates, ‘How are you doing?’ giving a clear line of sight — you can go back and listen to some previous podcasts about how that all works — you're going to see things get better so fast. You'll do what Pete Dawson said to me years ago that I never really understood. He said, ‘When you get the right people, you could produce twice as much, in half the time, with a quarter of the stress.’ That is absolutely true.” (11:41—12:25) -Kirk“All of you that are listening are thinking about, ‘How is this year going to be better than last year?’ I would encourage you to lean heavier into your values. You don't just set them and forget them. It's like a guardian. You’ve got to nurture them. You’ve got to bring them to life.” (13:18—13:30) -Kirk“I highly encourage everybody to read [Hidden Potential by Adam Grant] or listen to it. This morning, I got hit in the face by one of the things that he said. I love it. He said, ‘Character is a skill. It's not a trait, because character is something you work on every day. Those are decisions. They're day-to-day decisions that you have to make, and they become more values-based than instinctual.’” (13:38—14:02) -Kirk“It does take work. We're going to put these [values] in place, and we're not going to set it and forget it. You absolutely can't. If it's a skill, it's something that has to be nurtured. We have to give it some time and attention and effort in order for it to grow and get better.” (15:29—15:44) -Heather“If you own your own business, your distinct competitive advantage is your people. You have to build a team. Your number-one job is to build an amazing group of people that fit your values, and they get results, and you put them in the right seats. Then, you could sit back and go, ‘This is crazy cool.’ It becomes your favorite thing.” (15:49—16:09) -Kirk“There are downsides to values too, because once you start putting it out there, people are going to call you out on it. Nobody makes more mistakes than the leader. And so, you’ve got to be ready for that. The other downside of values — and it's a really good downside — is that once you get to a point — we have 19 people now. If somebody doesn't fit from a value standpoint, man, it's like the other 18 are ready to eat them alive. They'll come to you and go, ‘What is going on here?’ because they want to hold the standard up to it.” (16:28—17:02) -Kirk“[Core values is a] beacon to practice success because you're faced with challenges and decisions that have to be made on the daily. If you rely on your core values to make those decisions, that's that beacon. That's that lighthouse in the fog on the water. When you're not sure exactly how to proceed, that's where you go, is your core values. They will not lead you astray if you lean on those core values.” (18:21—18:45) -Heather“There are going to be some questions and some decisions that come up that you don't necessarily need to go through your core values. But I would say 95% of them, you can run through your core values and you will find that those decisions are easier to make, and the choices that you make are much more beneficial to you, your team, the practice, your patients moving forward, and for the long-term health of your organization because you filtered them through your core values.” (19:03—19:29) -Heather“[Prospective] team members are doing more homework on you than you're ever doing on them. They know who you are, so you can't run from your reputation.” (19:37—19:47) -Kirk“I do have these conversations with some dentists that haven't done this work. One dentist was like, ‘Nobody wants to work anymore! Nobody wants to work.’ I'm like, ‘Nobody wants to work for you.’ That's the key.” (20:00—20:12) -Kirk“While I was home for Christmas, my [brother-in-law’s wife] . . . had this bag. It was so cool. It said, ‘Be the person your dog thinks you are.’ I thought about that. I'm like, ‘Oh, that's pretty cool. How cool is that?’ I also translate that not only to dogs but to humans. Like, humans, you’ve got to continuously be the person that you want to be, and you can also be vulnerable. You don't have to be perfect, but I think if they can see you screw up consistently but still step into your values, they'll go, ‘He's not the smartest guy, but I think I could handle a few of these mistakes.’ I think it's so important as you build a sustainable, healthy business, long term.” (20:15—21:03) -Kirk“You’ve got to give people a bigger reason to stay with you other than work, other than money, other than the job. Your mission and your vision statement — they're very important. But I can assure you not one team member is sharing any of that with anyone. They will, however, scream at a party at their cul-de-sac about the value-based decision that their leaders make.” (21:03—21:31) -Kirk“Team members never leave a practice. They always leave a person. So, no dental team members ever left the practice. They left a person. They left a leadership team. They left a person who was in charge of that culture.” (21:34—21:49) -Kirk“[Designating a core values champion is] crazy important. We've talked many times about having a Function Accountability Chart. The function here is our core values and keeping them alive and well in the practice or the organization. The accountability piece is that person that has their name tied to that, they're the ones responsible, and they have the ownership to make sure that they are showing up. Well, how does that work? It's unique and different to every practice and organization.” (22:28—22:53) -Heather“If you want to have that craveable culture, if you want your team members to love working for you and look at it as a career and not a job, this is where you start. This is really where that practice success comes into play.” (25:58—26:10) -Heather“Number one, figure out what [your core values] are. Number two, let them bake. Number three, realize that you’ve got to work on them every day and develop that character skill. Lastly, you’ve got to have some type of a core values champion, somebody who holds you and the leadership team, their feet to the fire and making sure that these are alive, they're real, and they're challenged. Like, you even question the font or the wording around it, and through this we coalesce around what it really means, and it gives it more life, more value, more everything.” (27:14—27:49) -KirkSnippets:0:00 Introduction.1:56 Why core values are so important.10:31 Make your core values a big deal.13:10 Don't set it and forget it.16:28 The downsides to core values.17:45 Core values make decision-making easier.20:14 Be the person your dog thinks you are.21:58 Designate a core values champion.26:11 Find creative ways to keep core values alive.27:52 Last thoughts.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. 

689: The Non-Traditional Path to Creating Your Own Practice - Dr. Will Kelly Dr. Will Kelly, a leader in the field of Esthetic Restorative Dentistry and Dental Implants, shares the story of his unconventional path to dentistry. Dr. Kelly discusses the importance of being true to oneself, emphasizes the value of mentorship, the importance of filtering patients and focusing on treatment acceptance. Dr. Kelly also shares his vision for a practice that is like a speakeasy, where patients seek out his services. Dr. Kelly encourages dentists to know themselves, align their values with their practice, and pursue their dreams.Episode Resources: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 TakeawaysYou can chart your own path in dentistry and create a practice that reflects who you are.Mentorship and study clubs can have a significant impact on your career and practice.Filtering patients and focusing on treatment acceptance can lead to a more fulfilling practice.Being true to yourself and your values is essential in creating a unique and successful practice.Practicing in a small town can offer opportunities to make a difference and build strong relationships with patients.Segments00:00 Introduction01:24 Non-traditional path to dentistry06:01 Challenges in dental school07:26 Importance of mentorship10:19 Starting a practice in Gastonia12:44 The impact of study clubs14:39 Being true to yourself in dentistry15:08 Filtering patients and treatment acceptance18:03 Creating a unique practice19:29 Building relationships with patients22:46 The importance of asking for help24:12 The speakeasy of dentistry27:59 The benefits of practicing in a small town35:09 Final thoughtsQuotes:“I think the non-traditional story is we have this story we tell ourselves about dentists, you know, they're super focused people. I say, nah, man, it takes all kinds. And I think a superpower in dentistry sometimes is to be a little bit different.” (04:50 - 05:06)“I had to fill the shoes of somebody that's 10 years in and very experienced and very loved. And I thought people love me too. And you learn real quick, you have to earn people's trust.” (10:48 - 10:57)“You gotta be unique and be yourself. And if you're trying to live in somebody else's shoes, you're never gonna be happy. Right. I always tell people, let's say you like something crazy. Let's say you love listening to ACDC all day long while you're drilling teeth.You know what practice you're going to have 10 years later? AC DC fans.”(13:22 - 13:40)“Everybody hates going to the dentist. But if you could take something so uncomfortable and just earn enough of that person's time for them to get there where they go, gosh, this person cares.”(19:03 - 19:14)“A good mentor has that ability to set you on a path and to solve a riddle for yourself.” (23:23 - 23:31)“That speakeasy idea is, what if you earn a place where people are seeking you enough that your office is a little hidden? that the phone number's a little bit harder to get. That, you know, you don't walk into a four-star restaurant and just grab a seat yourself without being seated. Just being a level deeper. And of course you have to earn that. And I don't know if I'm there yet. I don't know if I just disappeared into a dark alley that I could survive right now. But I think it's a vision or a goal that I have for later on in the practice life.” (24:58 - 25:07)“I think the next dental chapter is this cool place where the fear and burden of running a practice is not on you anymore. And the thing where people are... you know, they're running away from industry or selling their practice to a DSO or whatever. It's the opposite of that. It's like this has become what I call playing by ear instead of breathing the sheet music. Where it allows you to feel comfortable in what you've achieved and then really have crazy places you can explore with what's next.” (32:06 - 32:19)“You gotta know yourself. And you need to find your values. You need to align what you do to your values. You're only gonna do what you value. At the end of the day, the things on your to-do list that you don't follow up on are the things you didn't value enough to take the time to do. So clarify that and chase your dreams. Be yourself and the world will kind of fall in for you. And if it doesn’t, you need to reassess. (34:28 - 34:39)Dr. Will Kelly Bio:Dr. Will Kelly is an experienced leader and trusted provider in the field of Esthetic Restorative Dentistry and Dental Implants. He is passionate about great results and has pursued training and understanding the complexity of advanced, well-designed dentistry throughout his career. This willingness to operate a practice based on a high standard of care requires a dedication to practice dentistry differently, separating himself from the average and traditional dental model. He has developed a practice philosophy that creates a unique experience for patients seeking ideal results.Dr. Kelly is a creative individual whose childhood talent and passion for drawing, painting, and sculpture transitioned into the art of dentistry. After attending the School of Design at North Carolina State University, he pursued the profession of his father, seeing the possibility to apply his passion for creation, imagination, and critical thinking toward dentistry. He is full of curiosity and views dental healthcare as an opportunity to improve the lives of others. He challenges himself to stay in front of this medical discipline which has endless possibilities to provide health and well-being. His dedication to being an innovator in an ever-advancing body of knowledge and technology in modern dentistry is greatly appreciated by those he serves. Join Dr. Kelly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WillKellyDDS Follow Dr. Kelly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly_dentistryDr. Kelly’s website: https://williamkellydentistry.com

688: 2 Key Tools for Accountability Success - Ariel JudayIn this episode, Kirk welcomes dental coach Ariel Juday to talk about two key tools for accountability success in dental practices – the practice scorecard, which helps track important numbers and data to remove emotion from decision-making, and how to determine if team members fit the practice's core values and are in the right roles. This is a useful, don’t miss episode that will help you establish trust and grow your practice the right way.Episode Resources: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 TakeawaysAccountability is important in dental practices and can be achieved through the use of specific tools.The practice scorecard is a customizable tool that tracks important numbers and data to remove emotion from decision-making.The right people, right seat scorecard helps determine if team members fit the practice's core values and are in the right roles.Using scorecards provides clarity, sets expectations, and allows for better decision-making and improvement in dental practices.Segments00:00 Introduction01:14 The Importance of Accountability02:13 The First Tool: Practice Scorecard05:04 The Second Tool: Right People, Right Seat Scorecard26:03 Challenges and Celebrations of Using the Scorecards32:10 Conclusion and ResourcesQuotes:“We all have goals and we want to hit these goals. But how do you know if you're achieving them?” (02:01- 02:16)“The important thing about running a business or doing anything that you're going to improve is you need to be grounded in data because data removes all emotion.” (02:38  - 02:43)“We know that if it's green, we did a good job. If it's red, okay, we have an area of opportunity. And the reason I like that is because it adds meaning to those numbers. A number is just a number unless you say, okay, what does this mean? And if we see red this week, red next week, the third week in a row of hitting red - hold on, everyone needs to hit the pause button. Let's talk about what's going on so that we can make this adjustment before it's too late.” (08:18 - 8:25)“You'll notice a great meeting starts with data because it limits our focus in trying to go in all different directions on how we feel. If you've ever been in a bad meeting, it usually never started with data. It started with how I feel and somebody being angry and or it's a problem and you spend the whole time talking about the problem. The cool thing about having the scorecard is that everybody's been talking about data points. We can coalesce around what needs to be done and it can simplify the conversation.”  (12:42 - 13:14)“If you have a partner dentist or an office manager or anybody else on your leadership team and you're struggling with a team member, don't talk about it. Just run the team member through the scorecard. And now you've got data against how they are performing with their core values and how they're performing in their role. And we have something specific to talk about.” (19:00 - 19:20)“We've seen that teams that really embrace those core values start attracting patients that appreciate those core values.” (27:51 - 28:00)Ariel Juday BioAriel 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

687: Leader’s Rule of 3: Initiating Team Accountability Success – Adriana BoothDo you want your team to be accountable? Then you need to start at the right place — with yourself! To help you understand true accountability and how to instill it as a leader, Kirk Behrendt brings back Adriana Booth, one of ACT’s amazing coaches, with three rules to follow to improve your team’s performance. Accountability won't happen by itself! To learn how to create a culture of team accountability, listen to Episode 687 of The Best Practices Show!Episode Resources:Send Adriana an email: adriana@actdental.com    Join Adriana on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adriana.booth Follow Adriana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adrimarieb Send Gina an email: gina@actdental.com 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:Register for ACT’s To The Top Study Club, Cultivating Confidence in Leadership: Healthy Leaders = Happy Team (July 12, 2024): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/members-only-climb-with-us-register-for-july-12-2024-ttt-study-club-tickets-722281472327?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurlRead The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman and Paul White: https://shop.appreciationatwork.com/products/the-5-languages-of-appreciation-in-the-workplace-1Read Traction by Gino Wickman: https://benbellabooks.com/shop/tractionMain Takeaways:Set clear expectations.Have your expectations and goals in writing.Never assume your team knows what is expected.Consistently reward your team, even for small achievements.Create an easy-to-do system for showing appreciation to your team.Be sure to consistently correct your team if expectations are not being met.Quotes:“All of my clients, at some point in our work together, will say, ‘How do I hold my team more accountable?’ As a coach, even, sometimes you're thinking, ‘I think we tried everything. What do we have to do next?’ Then, the light bulb goes off. Well, accountability is really responsibility, so we don't have to make it so elusive. When we think about, ‘How do I hold my own self accountable and responsible?’ then we can start working on how we can hold others accountable or responsible.” (2:05—2:40) -Adriana“We have to set clear expectations. So, like I said a few moments ago, as the practice owner or the leader, it is up to you. That's the hard part. It's up to you to share the mission, the vision, the values, and the purpose for the practice in a way that you can inspire the team to work towards those.” (6:41—7:06) -Adriana“In all fairness to team members, they don't know what you expect. They have no idea what you're thinking. And so, whether you have dogs, whether you have kids, whether you have team members — if you're involved with any other living thing, I would say even plants — heck, you’ve got to set expectations about what the roles are here.” (7:14—7:38) -Kirk“We like to know what people expect from us. That's how we can feel successful. So, if I am very vague in my expectations, my team is going to take their own path. And if I'm vague in my own expectations with myself, it's up in the air. So, we have to be very clear — and clear is kind — that, ‘Here is what I want. Here is where we're going. This is going to be the result that we're hoping for.” (8:59—9:30) -Adriana“E – R = C. Expectations minus reality equals conflict. I got it from a great business owner many, many years ago. I'm not kidding, I use it probably 15, 20 times a day. What it means is any time you're in conflict with any human being, or any process, or anything — you experience conflict — it's usually a discrepancy between expectations and reality. You thought this was going to happen, and it fell short.” (9:41—10:08) -Kirk“Rule number two: reward consistently . . . All of my clients that I know listen to our podcast are probably laughing and shaking their head and saying, ‘Oh, I hear it all the time.’ But that's what I tell them. Make sure — even if it's not in your nature — to thank people and be specific in that. Appreciation in the Workplace is a great book. It's in alignment with the love languages. If I know that my team really enjoys being verbally thanked, it's so easy. ‘Kirk, great job with Mr. Smith today. You knocked it out of the park. I heard your verbals on that. He left smiling. He had a great day. Thank you so much.’ That really fills the cup of that person hearing that thank-you and getting that reward for the work they did. They're going to do it more and more. We're all built that way.” (12:37—13:46) -Adriana“I work out with a coach, a trainer — we're addicted to coaching here — and he's a former Marine. Sometimes, he’s a little scary. Early this morning, we worked out. He said he had someone that used to walk in every day and say, ‘Morale is high. Everybody is having a great day.’ He was like, ‘Why do you keep saying that?’ He's like, ‘Because if we speak it, we will believe it.’ I was like, ‘Oh, I love that.’ So, you walk in, ‘I'm having a great day. Is everybody having a great day? We're all happy today. We're awesome. We're going to kick butt today.’ It really helps your team.” (16:30—17:10) -Adriana“I've had some of my clients that really struggle with this, that it's not in their nature to pay attention to the little things. I'm like, ‘Okay, great. Let's fill out a sheet. What's their favorite candy? What's their favorite color?’ All these little things that seem insignificant and kind of childish, but when you want to say thank you to someone and you hand them a Kit Kat bar and that's their favorite candy, they're like, ‘Oh my gosh, you remembered!’ They feel seen and heard. That really will help them to be like, ‘I know we've worked really hard, and we still have a really hard rest of the month. But you know what? We can do this. We're all on the same bus. We're going to do this together.’” (18:18—18:54) -Adriana“We don't want this fake happy culture. We have our expectations. When they are met or when good deeds are done, we reward and celebrate. And then, when maybe we do have that hard month that, ‘Augh, we were really under goal. What happened?’ then we have to correct — and we have to correct consistently, just like we reward consistently.” (20:01—20:26) -Adriana“When a team member isn't meeting the expectations that you can say were very clearly established, you have to act fast around that. And it doesn't have to be a punitive conversation. It can be a, ‘Hey, here's what I thought we were aiming for, and here's where we landed. Tell me how you feel about this,’ or, ‘Tell me how you saw this happen.’ That way, it opens a dialogue. And now, what our hope is is that we have mission, vision, core values, and we set expectations. So, we have built trust here along the way, and now we can have this — it feels crunchy — conversation without us walking away both feeling like, ‘Wow, that was awful.’ We can have it, and work through it, and then be like, ‘Okay, we've got to start fresh. We've got to move forward.’” (20:29—21:28) -Adriana“When you look at it as, ‘I really care about this person, as this team member, and I want them to succeed. I know I want my practice to succeed,’ I'm hoping that you can walk into these conversations a little lighter. Sometimes, write it down. Some of my clients, I'll tell them, ‘Write down the key points that you want to make sure you discuss in a tough conversation because we can get thrown off.’ Like, if the other person starts crying, or gets really upset, you panic, ‘Okay, it's fine. It's fine. Never mind.’ We don't want to do that . . . The frustration of where we got off track, don't let it stay off track. That frustration will build over time when you're seeing the expectations being missed. And just like in our friendships and relationships, if you let something build up, it ends up boiling over. We don't want to get to that point. So, let's make sure when we see something that frustrates us, we step back as a leader and say, ‘Okay. Was I clear? Yes, I was clear. Okay, now we need to correct.’ So, let's have another conversation about, ‘Here's what happened. Here's where we went off track. We've got to get back.’” (22:53—24:23) -Adriana“Any unresolved conflict always becomes a crisis. That's why E – R = C is so important because a conflict, unresolved, will fester, grow, and it'll break, ultimately, whether it be a relationship, whether it be an inflammation, whether it be something [else]. So, we've got to be able to point out these things.” (25:09—25:28) -Kirk“If we think the expectations are clear, does the other person? Have they been written? Have they been explained? Are there systems related to these tasks so that there are checklists or directions to follow? I think that's really what it all comes back to, is we really have to start in the beginning. In our coaching process, we do a great job of that, is checking all of these necessary boxes so that accountability and responsibility is a lot easier to foster over time. I sometimes feel like I'm a team member advocate so early on. ‘Oh, this person isn't doing this. They don't do this right.’ ‘Okay. Well, do they know?’ ‘Well, I think they know.’ ‘Well, let's make sure they do.’ So, I always say, ‘I think most of our team members are amazing at what they do already. They just haven't been given the right tools or roadmap to follow for your practice or for what you want as a leader.’ Once we give them that, they'll take off.” (26:20—27:27) -Adriana“I think that most of you listening will know the term micromanaging quite well. As a business owner, I absolutely empathize with the sense of, ‘But this is all mine. This is all my responsibility.’ But that's why we use tools like Traction and right person, right seat. Are we putting the right team members in place that we can delegate things to take off of your plate as a leader so that way we can have other people responsible and that it's not all falling on our shoulders as a leader and feel like we need to micromanage everything that everyone is doing? Because that's going to be super ineffective. You're going to be worn out, burned out, and mentally drained because you still have to do the dentistry. And that is hard in and of itself because now you have people interactions all day with different stressful situations. So, you have to protect your peace, is really down to the nitty gritty of it, is protect your peace and protect your own self and your sanity by delegating to the really sharp people that you've already hired.” (29:10—30:27) -Adriana“We used to talk about this a lot, putting that mirror up and saying personal responsibility is really the only thing that can lead to true accountability. If I cannot maintain that accountability amongst my team, it's probably because I can't maintain it with myself. So, when you have unclear team and individual goals, you're going to see this show up. If I don't know, as a team member, what I'm responsible for, I'm just going to go and follow my own path. And then, we're going to have a sit-down, and you may say to me, ‘Hey, your results are falling below the line.’ ‘Well, what results are you talking about?’ And so, when we think about that, that's where we have to go, ‘Don't be frustrated, be fascinated.’ Because we will get really frustrated as a leader, as a business owner, when our goals aren't being met. So, then we've got to start with, ‘Okay, what individual goals did I set with this team member? What team goals did we set? What practice goals did we set?’ because they're all going to compound when we work together. Once that clarity is given at the top and all the values, the goals, the core values, mission, vision, all the great things are really clear, it's going to be so much easier to have clear, individual goals and team goals.” (31:46—33:20) -Adriana“If it's not written, it doesn't exist. When we want to be clear with our goals and our expectations, don't just tell them to your team. Have it written out. Put it on a scorecard where we can get eyes on it, and we can track progress. It could be a number. It can be an amount. Anything can be tracked. That's the beauty of it. We can have goals in every different form. But if it's not written for your team member to be able to grab and to read and to know, ‘This is what Kirk said he wanted,’ that conversation was two months ago. They're going to forget. Write it down. Clearly describe your goals. Clearly describe what you expect. Make sure you're rewarding consistently, clearly, and specifically, and make sure you're correcting consistently, clearly, and correctly.” (33:44—34:45) -AdrianaSnippets:0:00 Introduction.1:36 Why accountability is important.6:35 Rule 1) Set clear expectations.8:31 Specific is terrific, vague is the plague.9:32 E – R = C.12:19 Rule 2) Reward consistently.16:01 Speak it so you believe it.17:12 Create systems for showing appreciation.19:11 Don't create a fake happy culture.21:29 Rule 3) Correct consistently.26:09 Don't assume team members know what's expected.27:28 Balance accountability with empathy.29:02 Don't shoulder all the responsibility and accountability.31:29 Set clear goals for your team.33:35 If it’s not written, it doesn't exist.35:14 Tips for rewarding team members.35:44 The ARCH method, explained.37:09 More about ACT’s upcoming To The Top Study Club.Adriana Booth, BS, RDH Bio:Adriana Booth is a Lead Practice Coach who partners with dentists and their teams to cultivate leadership skills, build practice growth, and streamline business practices. After spending nearly two decades in the dental industry working with top-notch dental teams, Adriana came to ACT to share her passion for professional growth, high-level training, and systems creation with our clients. As a dental hygienist with a love for continuing education and personal growth, helping a practice become successful is at the heart of her passion for dentistry.Adriana has a B.S. in Dental Hygiene from West Liberty University/O’Hehir University. By being involved in several Columbus, Ohio, study clubs, Adriana maintains strong relationships within her local dental community. She enjoys a variety of fitness activities, family time, good books, and at the top of her list, her fur babies. 

686: Cracking the Hygiene Code: How Many Days Are Right for Your Practice? - Miranda Beeson & Dr. Barrett StraubHave you ever wondered how many days are right for your practice? Should you expand and if so, what are some best practices you can apply to succeed? Kirk welcomes Miranda Beeson and Dr Barrett Straub to answer these questions and more. They discuss the need to make decisions based on core values, the impact of PPOs on profitability, and highlight the importance of maximizing capacity and building effective systems. You’ll get a formula for calculating the number of hygiene hours needed, how to make data-based decisions, and make the best decisions for your practice.Episode Resources: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 TakeawaysMake decisions based on core values and what is best for your practice.Maximize capacity and utilization to improve profitability.Implement effective systems and block scheduling to optimize the hygiene department.Create an ideal schedule and implement a strong re-care system. Create value for the hygiene visit to encourage patient commitment.Pre-appoint the next visit to minimize administrative work and ensure timely appointments.Implement a system for unscheduled patients to fill gaps in the schedule.Personalize contact with patients to build rapport and maintain engagement.Calculate the number of hygiene hours needed to optimize scheduling.Make data-based decisions to improve practice efficiency and productivity.Segments00:00 Introduction and Overview06:25 The Importance of the Dental Hygiene Department10:49 Making Decisions Based on Core Values13:01 Identifying and Focusing on Patients14:26 Determining the Need for Additional Hygiene Hours16:43 Understanding the Impact of PPOs on Profitability21:29 Maximizing Capacity and Utilization26:40 Building and Implementing Effective Systems32:50 Balancing Scheduling and Future Appointments36:07 The Importance of Block Scheduling41:25 Creating an Ideal Schedule44:41 Implementing a Strong Re-care System45:04 Creating Value for the Hygiene Visit46:03 Pre-Appointing for the Next Visit47:29 System for Unscheduled Patients49:23 Personalizing Contact with Patients50:21 Importance of Listening and Learning52:37 Calculating the Number of Hygiene Hours Needed01:00:58 Upcoming Events and Opportunities01:02:22 Closing RemarksQuotes:“A successful dental hygiene department is the backbone of a successful dental practice.” (6:12 - 6:17)“Everybody's telling you to grow, add more ops, get a second location. And that's great. If that's your value system and that's where you want to go, but you have to do what's best for you. I don't like the idea of super sizing. I like the idea of right size.” (9:42 - 9:56)“What you do is so valuable in dentistry. As a dentist or as a hygienist, you have to believe that money spent on dentistry is one of the best investments a human being can make. You should never say to yourself, well, we're just dentists or we're just hygienists. We should probably be cheap. No, that's not why you're listening to this webinar. You're really good at what you do. Charge for it.” (17:30 - 17:50)“I want to make sure that people realize that the numbers really shouldn't be personal. We should take personal accountability for our impact on the systems that affect the numbers, but it's not a personal measure of you individually. It's a reflection of the systems that we have in place in the practice and how well they're working or not working.” (24:36 - 24:57)“When hygiene utilization drops below 92%, you're dipping into profitability yet on average, 12 percent of patients miss their hygiene appointment across the United States. So this is a very dangerous thing. And it goes back to having the right patients. We’ve got to have a system in place and then we've got to be able to train our team on how to keep that schedule full.” (27:53 - 28:19)“You also have to build value in your aligned language. So whatever's being said at the front should be said at the chair should be said by the doctor.” (28:21 - 28:31)“Instead of building a great system, a great structure, when you build an amazing system where everybody's on board, I promise you you'll achieve greater things than you ever imagined. You'll wake up and go, this is crazy because systems reduce effort. They reduce energy and they improve profitability.” (36:26 - 38:22)“A pivotal critical piece of this whole puzzle is making sure that we have an ideal day built out day after day for the hygiene team.” (43:16 - 43:24) “Creating value is kind of what we spoke to earlier when we're making the appointment. We're building value and the importance of that next visit, which is why it's also important to make it easy for them to schedule. But building value is going to help them to be more committed to showing up for that next appointment. We're reserving this time. And what are we going to be doing at that appointment? And what is the benefit to your patient? For that appointment to help them maintain and have value and show up for that visit. It's important to pre-appoint the next visit as often as possible so that we're minimizing the amount of work it's going to put in on the back end when they are due and having someone administratively following up, following up, trying to move them into schedule.And now, heaven forbid, we can't get them in for another six, seven or eight months. And they should be here now. So anytime we can, at the end of a hygiene appointment, reserve their next visit. And if they're coming in every three months or four months, we may be reserving their next three months and their six month.” (45:18 - 46:14)Miranda Beeson, MS, BSDH BioMiranda Beeson, MS, BSDH, 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. Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.comFollow Miranda on ACT’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalDr. Barrett Straub BioDr. 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. Send Dr. Straub an email: barrett@actdental.comJoin Dr. Straub on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barrett.d.straub

685: The Non-Dental Aspects to Succeed as a Dentist - Dr. Andrea Ricci & Dr. Christian CoachmanDo you ever wonder how things are going to get better in your practice or for you as a dentist? In this episode, Kirk welcomes two educators, Dr. Andrea Ricci and Dr. Christian Coachman, to talk about the non -dental aspects that can help you succeed as a dentist. They emphasize the importance of balance in life and the need to excel in multiple roles. Dr. Ricci shares his personal journey of personal growth and how it has positively impacted his dentistry. They discuss the importance of managing emotions, time, objectives, and communication. Dr. Ricci also introduces his Dentists in Evolution course, which focuses on merging technical skills with leadership and communication skills.Episode Resources:Join Dr. Coachman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiancoachman Follow Dr. Coachman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriscoachman Learn more about Digital Smile Design: https://digitalsmiledesign.com Register for DSD Residency 1: https://digitalsmiledesign.com/dsd-residency-1-on-demand 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 TakeawaysBalance in life is crucial for dental success, as it allows for excellence in multiple roles.Personal growth and self-improvement are essential for becoming a better dentist and human being.Managing emotions, time, objectives, charisma, communication, and rapport are key tools for success.Understanding oneself and others is crucial for effective communication and building trust with patients and team members.The Dentists in Evolution course by Dr. Andrea Ricci focuses on merging technical skills with leadership and communication skills.Segments00:00 Introduction03:29 The Importance of Balance in Life10:08 The Pressure to Excel in One Aspect of Life17:51 The Journey of Personal Growth25:17 Asking "How" Instead of "Why"27:14 Preparing for Life's Challenges32:31 Tools for Success: Emotions, Time, Objectives, Charisma, Communication, and Rapport39:20 Impact on Practice and Team42:18 Dentists in Evolution Course45:31 Summary and ClosingQuotes:“In order to have a successful life, there is one keyword for a successful life. And it's not subjective. I think that we can all agree that the only way is to have balance. If you have balance in your life, you can be successful because - for example, let's say that we have three, four roles in our life. We are professionals like a dentist. Then we are a husband or a partner, father, sportsman, entrepreneur. We have different roles. Let's say I am a great father and I don't invest a lot of time and effort in my profession. Do I have balance? I do not have balance. What about the opposite? I'm a great clinician and we all know great lecturers, great clinician, great dentists that are struggling in their personal life because there is no balance. Very common.” (9:40 - 10:39))“We need to go back to basics. We need to find loneliness. We need to find time to read. We need to find time to stay with no electronics around, like walking in a wood or walking in the night with no lights, go to the desert, go to the beach. Whenever you feel alone with no watch, no phones, you focus again on the basics. It is very useful. So we need to dissociate our consciousness from our body.” (14:50 - 14:89)“When I started my courses, the first thing was to find your mission. One of the courses that I attended, at the beginning, was: find out what your mission is. And when you realize what your mission is, you have your North Pole, so you know where you're going.” (17:39 - 18:06)“This is the question that I ask myself every day in front of my patients. How can I help you? How can I better understand you? Help me understand your needs. And I treat my patients asking myself how do I improve their life? How do I understand them better?”  (25:58 - 25:82)“One of the most important thing is not to judge people because we never know what's behind that person, what drives that behavior, what drives that way of communicating with you. Maybe they're aggressive. Maybe they are depressed, maybe they are hungry. You don't know what happened behind that person. So never judge and listen with an open heart. And then if you focus on others, if they say something wrong, it's or that bothers you, it's not affecting you. There is nothing personal. Patients do not have anything personal with you, the dentist.” (31:79 - 32:61)“When I improved my attitude, I was completely different with my team. I stopped evaluating my team. I stopped judging my team and I was a better communicator. I was a better motivator. And this starting with the team became a very successful attitude with the patient. I stopped judging patients and basically I spent more time communicating with the patient.” (38:38 - 39:09)“If you really want to help dentists to improve their practice and find the balance, that is my objective, is to merge technical skills and other skills, whatever you want to call them - leadership skills and time management skills. And instead of having a life path that goes up and down every day, every minute, every hour, have a very high standard balanced life.” (43:87-  45:01)Dr. Andrea Ricci Bio:Dr. Andrea Ricci graduated from the University of Perugia in 1996. After a three-year training program, he achieved the Certificate in Advanced Prosthodontics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Since 1999, he limits his practice to prosthodontics, periodontology, and implant dentistry, with special emphasis to the aesthetic areas. His office is one of the leading dental centers in the world. He is the scientific director of IDEAT (Institute of Dental Education and Therapy), an active member of the European Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (EAED), associate member of the American Academy of Restorative Dentistry (AARD), active member of the Italian Academy of Esthetic Dentistry (IAED), and active member of the Italian College of Prosthodontics (ICP). Co-author of several papers published in international journals, he has lectured extensively in Europe, the United States, China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Join Dr. Ricci on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrea.ricci.7777 Follow Dr. Ricci on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_andrea.ricci.smile_Dr. Christian Coachman Bio:Combining his advanced skills, experience, and technology solutions, Dr. Christian Coachman pioneered the Digital Smile Design methodology and founded Digital Smile Design company (DSD). Since its inception, thousands of dentists worldwide have attended DSD courses and workshops, such as the renowned DSD Residency program. Dr. Coachman is the developer of worldwide, well-known concepts such as the Digital Smile Design, the Pink Hybrid Implant Restoration, the Digital Planning Center, Emotional Dentistry, Interdisciplinary Treatment Simulation, and Digital Smile Donator. He regularly consults for dental industry companies, developing products, implementing concepts, and marketing strategies, such as the Facially Driven Digital Orthodontic Workflow developed in collaboration with Invisalign, Align Technology. He has lectured and published internationally in the fields of esthetic and digital dentistry, dental photography, oral rehabilitation, dental ceramics, implants, and communication strategies and marketing in dentistry. Join Dr. Coachman on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiancoachman Follow Dr. Coachman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriscoachman

Dr. John Kois, founder of The Kois Center, and Dr. Christian Coachman discuss the evolution of dental education. They talk about the importance of continuous growth, leveraging technology for improved decision-making, and the future of education. They also share career advice and highlight the value of finding mentors for personal and professional growth.

683: Eric Hubbard - Does Culture Really Impact Your P&L?Have you ever wondered whether company culture really affects your P&L? In this episode, Kirk welcomes Eric Hubbard from Pain Free Dental Marketing to talk about the importance of culture and how it can differentiate a dental practice from corporate dentistry. They also discuss the role of core values in shaping culture and the negative impact of tolerating a bad culture fit. Eric shares his personal aha moments and offers advice to dentists on building a healthy culture.Episode Resources:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show podcast Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club See ACT’s Live Events Schedule Get The Best Practices Magazine for free! Rate and review the podcast on iTunesFollow Pain-Free Dental Marketing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/painfree_dentalmarketing Learn more about Eric and Pain-Free Dental Marketing: https://www.painfreedentalmarketing.comMain TakeawaysCulture plays a significant role in the success of a dental practice and its impact on the P&L cannot be underestimated.Core values are essential in shaping a positive culture and should be clearly defined and communicated to the team.Leadership plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy culture and should not tolerate a bad culture fit.Learning from mistakes and aha moments is essential for personal and professional growth.A strong culture can lead to increased team engagement, patient referrals, and acceptance of treatment.Segments00:00 Introduction02:06 The Importance of Culture in Dental Marketing07:23 The Impact of Culture on the P&L10:09 The Role of Core Values in Culture12:39 The Role of Leadership in Shaping Culture16:28 The Role of Trust in Culture18:54 The Negative Impact of Tolerating a Bad Culture Fit20:49 Learning from Mistakes and Aha Moments25:13 Addressing Dentists' Concerns about Culture30:02 Culture's Impact on Team Engagement and Growth34:07 ConclusionQuotes:“I think that we're seeing the commoditization of dentistry and with the rise of DSOs and corporate efforts. Corporate dentistry wants the commoditization. They don't want you looking for a specific dentist. They want you looking for a crown. They don't want you to get tied to a hygienist because the turnover is so high.” [5:00 - 5:31]“There’s a wonderful opportunity in the private practice realm of how to differentiate yourself from that and un-commoditize yourself from insurance, who also wants a commodity in corporate industry.” [5:25 - 5:39]“You have to differentiate yourself from corporate dentistry. You have to differentiate yourself from what insurance wants you to be. And you have to do that by telling your story. And the basic way to tell your story is being authentic.” [5:59 - 6:12]“I think to be great, you have to have your core values, talk about them all the time. And I think they, they absolutely have to be, every person in your office is a reflection of that office, and they need to, they need to represent them.” [8:57 - 9:15]“The first P&L implication I'll say is just around training. We have had one employee quit since 2014. Now we've had other people leave and [others have] asked to leave for cultural reasons, but there's one employee that I'm like, man, that one got away. And to me, employee engagement, employee turnover is the first P&L implication.” [12:54 - 13:39]“I think the second way is patient referrals. I think patient referrals climb. Any practice that's not getting 55 to 60% of its new patients via referrals, there's no way around it. You have a culture problem.” [14:48 - 15:04]“I think the third way is that patients are going to accept treatment more consistently.” [15:12 - 15:16]“Nothing kills a great team member than when you tolerate a bad one.” [19:55 - 20:00]Eric Hubbard BioBefore founding Pain-Free Dental Marketing, Eric Hubbard started his career in the corporate world. He built his marketing foundation at Procter and Gamble, where he mastered the art of aiming messages directly at the company’s highest value patients.Years later, Eric’s hometown dentist became interested in marketing strategies to save his dwindling practice. He became Eric’s first client, kicking off his marketing agency where he and his team have been helping practices grow ever since.Follow Pain-Free Dental Marketing on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/painfree_dentalmarketing Learn more about Pain-Free Dental Marketing: https://www.painfreedentalmarketing.com

682: The Data Accountability Prescription: 3 Vital Strategies for Your Practice - Christina ByrneEver wonder how to best use data to improve your practice? This episode is for you! Kirk brings back Christina Bryne, Director of Operations for ACT Dental to talk about the topic of data. The two discuss data accountability and Christina provides three vital data strategies that you can apply to your practice. This insightful episode promises valuable takeaways for practitioners seeking to elevate their dental practices through strategic data utilization.Episode Resources:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show podcast Join ACT’s To The Top Study Club See ACT’s Live Events Schedule Get The Best Practices Magazine for free! Rate and review the podcast on iTunesReading: “Traction” by Gino WickmanMain TakeawaysData is the Prescription for Practice ImprovementThree Vital Strategies for Data Accountability: These strategies provide tangible improvements and a better overall experience for both practitioners and patientsSetting clear and personalized goals for the practice is key. Dentists need to define their own parameters for success, focusing on progress that matters to their specific team and objectives.Leading and Lagging Indicators: Lagging indicators, such as production and collections, provide a retrospective view, while leading indicators are crucial for achieving monthly goals and keeping the practice on track.Simplifying the measurement process is stressed as a best practice. Concentrate on what truly matters, avoiding the trap of measuring everything all the time. Incremental progress is emphasized as the key to sustainable growth.Weekly Team Meetings for Course Correction: Weekly team meetings as a means to efficiently analyze data, identify trends, and course-correct if necessary. This proactive approach allows practitioners to address issues in a timely manner and work on the practice rather than just in it.Involving the Team and Fostering Accountability: The importance of involving the entire dental team in goal-setting and tracking is highlighted. Team members are seen as valuable contributors who can offer suggestions and help hold each other accountable for achieving the established goals.Care and Transparency: Practitioners are encouraged to schedule meetings that focus on meaningful data discussions rather than generic issues. Transparency and vulnerability are seen as essential for building trust and making data an integral part of the conversation.Quotes:“If you don't have the data, you don't know how well you're doing.” [1:52 - 1:56]“It's the accurate number that is real and not just how you feel about a thing.” [2:24 - 2:29]“If you and I don't have any data, we're just talking. What's cool is when you can make the transition to grounding your conversations in data or facts. You'll see how healthy they get and how much faster that becomes.” [3:43 - 3:58]“When you see data that you don't like, you can chart a new course.” [5:21 - 5:28]“When you're talking about leading indicators, these are the things that you can actually do on a day to day basis that are going to help to improve those numbers.” [8:00 - 8:08]“All of your data that you're tracking should relate to a stated outcome and goal.” [9:09 - 9:14]]“The three vital strategies for this prescription - number one, you’ve got to know what to track. Number two is you got to know what it means.” [12:16 - 12:24]“There's so much narrative around growing and scaling, and that's great if that's your thing, but you still have to find a way to keep it simple. And even the best businesses in the world don't measure everything all the time.” [17:48 - 18:00]“If you care about your people, you've got to schedule a meeting to talk about things that matter, not just garbage, not just problems.” [29:06 - 29:12]“The data matters. Make data part of your conversation.” [32:09 - 32:13]Christina 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!

681: Airway Dentistry IS Possible in Your General Practice – Dr. Elizabeth TurnerIf you haven't already, it’s time to add airway to your practice. Not only is it possible, it’s becoming necessary to have in your general practice. To help you get started, Kirk Behrendt brings in Dr. Elizabeth Turner, an up-and-coming airway guru, with advice for approaching the topic with your patients. Airway is here to stay! To learn how you can guide patients to better airway health, listen to Episode 681 of The Best Practices Show!Episode Resources:Send Dr. Turner an email: drliz@foxpointdental.com Follow Dr. Turner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drlizzztLearn more on Dr. Turner’s website: https://foxpointdental.comSubscribe 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 Breath by James Nestor: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/547761/breath-by-james-nestorRegister for Dr. Jeff Rouse’s course: https://campus.speareducation.com/workshops/airway-prosthodontics-prevent-control-resolve/details/syllabusRegister for Dr. Rebecca Bockow and Dr. Michaeal Gunson’s course (2024 dates TBA): https://www.arnettgunson.com/healthy-growth-healthy-faces-seattleLearn more about The Breathe Institute: https://thebreatheinstitute.comMain Takeaways:Listen to your patients’ goals. Don't jump into airway.Build trust with patients before the airway conversation.Start small when talking to patients about airway health.Interdisciplinary care is crucial when implementing airway.Educate your patients to guide them to better airway health.Quotes:“In our country, we look at the medical system as very reactive. We wait for something to get so bad, and then we attempt to fix it. Why are we not listening to our patients? And that comes in a dental setting. Like, what are our patients’ goals? If the patients’ goals are whiter teeth and they don't give anything about airway health, maybe it's not something we dive right into. We have to help them understand what's possible for them, but we can't ignore what's important to them from the get-go. But these families come in, and they're so often under-listened to, and they're so often disheartened with the care they've been provided or the opinions that they've had. I see that throughout my dental practice as well. So, when I look at who we can help and how we can help them, I think listening to our patients and finding out the way that we can help guide their treatment is the best possible thing.” (7:08—8:06)“When I look at the cases that we've converted — so, the practice that I bought had been established 27 years prior to my purchase. We had patients that have been here for 27 years, and they stayed with me because I didn't come in and rock the boat too much. I came in and I said, ‘You know what? I'm so excited to meet you. Let's see what we have here. Let's see how I can help you.’ But then, we would start to plant little seeds. I would look at a patient and say, ‘Oh, goodness. This person clearly can't breathe through their nose.’ So, I'd start to bring things up. I'd say, ‘Hey, how is your sleep quality?’ They'd say, ‘You know, I've always been a terrible sleeper. I've got this deviated septum. I can't breathe very well.’ I'm like, ‘Well, have you ever had it evaluated to see if there's anything you can do to help you breathe better?’ They say, ‘No.’ I'm like, ‘Okay. Well, here's a referral to an ENT down the street.’ Well, they go, and they get their septum repaired. They start doing a little bit better. So, they have a faith in me and a belief in me that I have their best interest in mind because I'm helping them step by step along the way.” (9:05—10:03)“So many of our patients come to us and they have a dental home. I don't want to take that from them because I don't really want to be everybody's dentist. There are dentists out there that are so much better than me because they have an artistic skill set or a passion that lies in that. I'm a really good dentist — I think. But I always think that there's somebody better than me. I'm not going to come out and say I'm the best dentist in the world because I don't feel that way. I feel really competent. I feel really capable. But at the end of the day, a lot of families come to us either for themselves or for their children because they're looking for answers they're unable to obtain within their normal dental setting.” (11:29—12:07)“An airway health center, I think, really helps guide a patient to make the best possible decisions for themselves. Not everybody wants to have MMA, or have a mouthpiece, or have a full-mouth rehab. But is there something that's really low-lying that we could help them get that buy-in from? Maybe it's as simple as an ENT referral, or myofunctional therapy to build some strength in the muscles.” (13:18—13:42)“I went to a lot of courses and training that really were looking at tongue-ties and treatment, but they weren't looking at arch size, space, and tone. I think when we come out of some of these courses, we’re so well-intentioned. I don't think anybody is doing anything wrong, intentionally. But I do think that if we're not addressing the entire picture, at least appreciating the entire picture, we could be doing harm for patients. So, it's really important for us to take a step back after the courses that we go to and say, ‘How can I implement this into my practice?’ but also, ‘Is this the best way to implement this in my practice? Is there something else I need to add on?’ So, you could go buy a laser, and you could learn how to do a very, very beautiful tongue-tie release. But will it be successful? If we don't optimize the function first, for example, we're never going to have a successful tongue-tie release because the tongue isn't going to do what it's supposed to. So, interdisciplinary care is important, making sure that we're doing checks and balances along the way to optimize our success, because we're skirting the line of medical here.” (14:02—15:13)“The medical community can't ignore this forever. I think it's so misunderstood by a lot of medical providers because it's not a part of their education. So, I'd say that the people that surround me are those that are willing to look outside the box and recognize when they don't know enough to ask questions.” (16:56—17:13)“I would say that the success of my dental practice has been 100% because I look a little bit deeper about the way people breathe.” (18:02—18:08)“A lot of it is about patient trust. When they trust you, they'll be willing to do what they need to do to help themselves. I use an iTero for patient education — and so many people are unhappy with their smile. They're just not willing to admit it because they don't want to be vain. They don't want to say, ‘Oh, my smile matters to me,’ but it does. And so, when we're able to take the iTero and show them the way that their alignment is, and I'm able to talk to them about how their bite is changing, the tipping of the teeth inwards, how the crowding of the teeth is actually compromising their function and their breathing — like, we convert patients to Invisalign cases, no problem. I still have orthodontists that I work with consistently for some of these cases that I 100% don't feel comfortable managing. But in a general practice, we can do a lot with aligners. We can then do a lot with rebuilding this dentition that's been damaged. And I think even being cognizant that acid reflux isn't always based on diet and it's damaging the dentition — when we start to look at that, we get a referral going to wherever they need to help with that problem. We then will have the buy-in for patients to start rebuilding the dentition that's been damaged without risk of further damage. So, from a business perspective, like Jeff Rouse always says, just do dentistry. Just do dentistry but go into it with open eyes and look for little details, because that's what interests patients. That's what builds trust, and that's what increases what goes into your pocket.” (18:36—20:06)“There are always going to be critics, and there are always going to be people saying, ‘Oh, no. That’s not a thing,’ or, ‘That's not how you do it.’ But either way, I think the more that we can continue to educate our patients, the more they'll continue asking questions that medical providers can no longer answer — both dentists and medical — and we’ll be forced to look at this layer, just like — I mean, there's still so much misunderstanding within the joint, but we have to pay attention to it. And it's also our duty. Like in 2017, the American Dental Association stated that we need to be screening for airway and airway health. Maybe that's as simple as giving a referral to a CPAP. But I have patients that come in and say, ‘You know what? You saved my life. I went and got a CPAP, and I feel the best I've ever felt.’ Sure, they could go have jaw surgery, and then I could do a full-mouth reconstruction. I don't need to do that because I made that patient happy, and I helped them be better.” (21:13—22:05)“We need to continue to educate ourselves and each other. We can't go into every treatment plan with the same prescription every time. I'm really hopeful that through our generation of practitioners who are starting to ask questions of the medical community, we'll be able to prevent a lot of problems for our children that a lot of us face. And that's even down to worn teeth, or misaligned teeth, or an unattractive smile. If we can help our children be better, then I think we've made a difference.” (22:07—22:41)“There is so much burnout in our profession, right? So, you have to find something that's interesting to you. The whole human has always interested me. I'm a runner. I appreciate what it takes to make me a better athlete. I wish I'd known this when I was actually competitive because I do feel it could have made me a much more successful athlete. And there's so much coming into the general conversation about lip taping, nasal breathing, proper breathing patterns, and Wim Hof. These are things you're going to run into, and your patients are going to ask you questions. But I do think it's so interesting, as you look around at your family and at individuals around you, how you start to think differently about how you could help them.” (28:12—28:54)“I think we can look at dentistry with new, excited eyes when we appreciate the health of the whole human, and I think we can absolutely have better outcomes. They look better, they function better, and they last longer if we appreciate what's going on within that individual person.” (29:11—29:28)Snippets:0:00 Introduction.1:39 Dr. Turner’s background.5:02 Why this is an important topic.8:07 Start small when talking about airway.11:20 Airway health center, defined.13:43 What people get wrong about airway dentistry.15:32 It starts with one patient.18:09 Build trust with patients.20:41 The future of airway.22:42 How to get your team involved.25:39 Courses to get you started.28:01 Final thoughts.31:12 How to get in touch with Dr. Turner.Dr. Elizabeth Turner Bio: Dr. Elizabeth Turner grew up in a small town on the coast of Maine and completed her dental education in Boston at Tufts University. Her love for the mountains and the big Western skies grew after completing post-graduate studies at the University of New Mexico. Since then, she has completed hundreds of hours of continuing education connecting the mouth to the whole body, including everything from nutrition to sleep and breathing! She strives to be on the cutting edge with techniques, technology, and the latest evidence-based research.Dr. Turner’s dedication to airway development and infant lip and tongue-ties began with her son when she was able to watch him blossom and thrive immediately following his own simple tongue-tie procedure. She is a certified Invisalign provider and holds a certificate from the American Board of Laser Surgery for Laser Dentistry. She has additional training in cosmetic dentistry, root canals (endodontics), dental implant placement and restoration, family dentistry, Invisalign, occlusion and TMD, root canal, soft tissue grafting, oral surgery, and dental sleep medicine.