The Best Practices Show with Kirk Behrendt

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

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