The My Practice My Business Dental Podcast: Recent Episodes
Robert Thorup, DDS
Welcome to The My Practice My Business Dental Podcast. I'm Dr. Rob Thorup, Clinical Director at MPMB. In our podcast shows we help dentists profit and thrive with excerpts from The Clinical Business of Dentistry Training here at MPMB.This podcast is dedicated to helping dentists and their teams reclaim forgotten profitability in dentistry, and to learn business skills specifically designed for dental practices. We look forward to your subscription, and we hope you let your colleagues know about our podcast. For more information on our GUARANTEED training, please visit us at www.mypracticemybusiness.com and surf our website pages. Our mission statement is simple: We increase the monthly net revenue of dental practices with our key methods, tools, and training utilizing every day, need-based dentistry, even with PPO plans. And we teach you how to do it ethically, legally, and morally, adhering to contracts and state laws, so you can be paid fairly for the services you provide.
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In this episode, we pull back the curtain on Delta Dental’s latest effort to “train” HR departments on how to talk about their plans. On the surface, it looks like education—but behind the scenes, it’s strategic messaging designed to make employees hear only the positives and none of the truth about coverage limitations, provider restrictions, and patient choice.
We explore how these trainings teach HR professionals to polish the Delta Dental brand while avoiding the real issues—like low reimbursements, restrictive contracts, and the control Delta exerts over provider care. By shaping the message at the HR level, Delta ensures employees stay loyal to their network and blind to what’s really happening behind the smile.
Tune in as we decode Delta Dental’s playbook and show how employers can empower their teams with facts, not spin.
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Tracy takes our listeners into a deep dive on how third-party payers are discouraging their clients to see out-of-network dentists. In this episode, we expose the truth behind Delta Dental’s latest campaign targeting HR departments. Their message? Convince employees that going “out of network” will cost them more. The reality? It costs Delta control. We break down the misleading talking points, reveal what the data actually shows, and explain how this manipulation keeps both employers and employees in the dark—while protecting Delta’s profit margins, not patient care.
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian and resistance figure, once observed:
“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. Stupidity, not evil, is the greater threat. Not because it’s more powerful, but because stupidity is unreachable. You can expose evil, you can argue with it, you can shine a light on it, you can resist it, but stupidity just does not respond. It does not engage. It just is, and it spreads.”
Though written in the context of political oppression, Bonhoeffer’s words resonate profoundly within dentistry today. The challenges our profession faces—insurance restrictions, reimbursement struggles, regulatory burdens—are not merely fueled by malice or greed. More often, they are perpetuated by what Bonhoeffer described: a surrender of independent thought and discernment.
In this article, we will examine how Bonhoeffer’s warning applies to dentistry, dental insurance, dental association leadership, and dental teams. More importantly, we will explore how liberation—not simply instruction—is the only antidote.
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Two wonderful softwares at battle with each other. Unfortunately, Dentrix is flexing their mighty muscle, and it just might lead to dental practices making the switch to other dental practice management software. Vyne is the preferred software when it comes to the submission of dental insurance claims. Hopefully they'll fix their integration issues. Tracy takes on the podcast on this power struggle issue.
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Why Do Dental Specialists Feel Restricted in Charging Referred Patients, or should I say, using up the PPO patient’s benefits?
If you’ve ever wondered why your dental specialist friends seem hesitant to bill additional fees for value-added services, or their full fee, or why your dental specialist family member says they have to “keep their fees within the referring dentist’s range,” you’re about to find out.
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Imagine you offer two options to your patients—one with premium materials, one standard. Sounds good, right? But what happens when those better options come at a cost that insurance won’t cover?
Now ask yourself—when you pass on those costs to higher-paying patients, is that ethical? Or are you just playing Robin Hood with root canals?
Here’s the kicker—many practices do this silently. PPO plans cover less, yet those patients often walk out with the same high-quality restorations that cash-paying or premium-insured patients get. So, who's really paying? Your MEPAT patients… the ones funding your LEPAT patients' dental care.
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Here's the typical scenario: dental offices are not profitable by procedure, so they work the hygienists to death in order to make up for lost revenue. Then there's the lack of support Hygienists need when diagnosing periodontal disease. Need I say more?
It's no wonder why dental hygienists are burned out... But is there something dentists can do to reverse this problem? Enjoy the podcast...
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In Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson uses a simple allegory involving four characters (Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw) who navigate a maze in search of “cheese” — a metaphor for what we want in life, such as a job, relationship, or health. The story centers on how each character reacts when the cheese is moved, reflecting the need to adapt to change.
This narrative is eerily applicable to the current state of dental insurance — particularly how companies like Delta Dental operate. Dentists and patients alike are characters in this real-life maze, constantly trying to locate the “cheese” of quality oral health care. But the challenge is that insurers aren’t just moving the cheese; they’re changing the maze itself. The rules are always shifting: what procedures are covered, reimbursement rates, required pre-authorizations, and even what counts as “necessary” care.
For providers committed to delivering the best, most advanced care, this inconsistency is not just frustrating — it’s professionally and ethically compromising.
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I’ll never forget the first time I sat down with a dental insurance representative, and started asking questions. I began with questions based on all the “false information” that had been thrown at me through the years regarding PPO contracts, such as: “sending in fee-for-service (FFS) fees increases PPO reimbursement rates”, or “you can’t upgrade patients on PPO plans” and many others. Her response to my questions was very interesting and not what I expected.
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Tracy was headed down to Utah County a few months ago, listening to one of our favorite talking heads interview an author, Annie Jacobsen, on a book she wrote titled, “Nuclear War.” She ended up buying the book for me to read, and it was very eye opening. I love reading books and finding what I call “crossovers” to what I see in our profession, and such was the case here.
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When I first started my dental practice, back in 1989, most dentists helped each other out. There existed a sense of community that was evident, even within our state dental association. They actually had a “new dentist” committee that was really helpful. The association leadership would assign someone as a mentor, which was also really helpful.
Back then, it seemed like as long as a dentist was proficient at caring for his or her patients, stayed up-to-date on advancements in the industry, and was active in the community, one could be reasonably assured of making a good living. The problems and issues facing dentists were fewer. It wasn’t uncommon for dental teams to work together for many years. Back then, the pace of change was very slow, comparatively speaking.
Fast forward to today. The pace of change is difficult to keep up with. The problems we are facing in dentistry are larger, though maybe not completely different.
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We identify what the top ten concerns dentists face every day with running their dental practices, and where to find the answers to run their dental businesses profitably.
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My Practice My Business and the UDA help Utah dentists score another big win with legislation. We cover what this bill means to dentists and the patients they serve, and our wish for all states to pass similar legislation.
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It’s no mystery with all who know me that I love what Walt Disney created, especially when it comes to customer service. I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday at 6pm, eating dinner on a TV tray in front of an RCA 26-inch color television. I was so blessed…
I am a Disney University Graduate, and we have incorporated their training in our dental practice, as well as our dental consulting company: My Practice My Business. We teach in our Clinical Business of Dentistry Training the importance of giving our patients, what we call, the Disney experience. No company does customer service better than Disney.
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Listen to what Tracy and I are working on this year, and it's almost complete. Other states are copying what we are accomplishing here in Utah, and it's benefiting their dentist/association members, and the patients they serve. Go through our business trainings here at My Practice My Business and experience applications of state dental laws, and much more, for REAL practice profitability.
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Dear ADA, UDA, and All State Dental Associations,
As many of you know, my wife and business partner, Tracy, and I have been strong advocates for both dentists and patients through our company, My Practice My Business (MPMB). Over the years, we’ve trained dental practices in Utah and across the nation on how to achieve profitability, even when participating in PPOs. Part of our training includes thoroughly understanding dental insurance contracts and state dental laws.
We were the primary drivers of Utah’s HB359 legislation—the Network Leasing, Down-Coding, and Bundling Protections Law—which protects dentists and patients from the overreach of dental insurance companies. I’m happy to report that we are actively working on additional legislation this year to help safeguard dental practices and the patients they serve.
Unfortunately, the dental profession continues to face challenges that highlight a disconnect between the priorities of our professional associations and the concerns of practicing dentists. Membership in associations like the ADA, UDA, and other state dental associations is declining, and it’s not just due to financial pressures. The real issue lies in the misalignment between the needs of dentists and the actions of the associations that claim to represent them.
In this podcast are examples that illustrate this disconnect...
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I just saw an article stating the “Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) is coming for Delta Dental of Washington (DDOW).” The name of the article is called, “Putting patient Care First: Fixing Washington’s Broken Dental Benefits System.” They stated that it’s “the battle over dental benefits.” Well, they got it partially correct.
When I read the article to this point, I started to get a little bit excited. I began to think that they finally got it. They understood that DDOW is coming between the dentist’s ability to deliver quality dentistry to their patients. I began to think that WSDA finally understood what was meant by the term LEPAT (least expensive professionally accepted treatment) and how dentists could offer MEPAT (more expensive professionally accepted treatment) dental services without interference from DDOW. I was disappointed when my eyes passed to the next sentence.
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With the beginning of a new year, I decided to Google what the top three concerns were for dentists in their practices. What resulted was interesting. The top three to five concerns tended to center around the business entity answering the questions on Google, and it’s worth reporting. The top concerns and solutions vary with who is being asked: consultants vs. software companies vs. the ADA all seemed to have different answers. Having said that, I believe I’ve narrowed down the concerns with one simple answer to all of them, and that answer is “procedural profitability.” Here we go.
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I’m beginning to wonder if some dentists who serve in dental associations are just there for new plaque of recognition to hang on the wall. Don’t get me wrong, I know they put in time to serve, but are they effective leaders, or just going through the motions?
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There's an old saying, "those who know the least always yell the loudest." In this episode we dissect a dental networking thread from FaceBook, and and invite the majority of commenters to the 2025 Utah Dental Association Convention on Friday from 11:45am to 1:45pm. In this presentation you will experience a live audience presentation of the My Practice My Business Round Table Series: The Dental Insurance Round Table. This discussion will be placed on the MPMB YouTube channel.
In this presentation you will hear from several of the major dental insurance provider representatives, and their comments on upgrading, rules for offering value-added services, and literally have a "brain shock" on what you thought were the rules of engagement when it comes to insurance contracts. You'll also learn about state laws, and how to apply them for procedural profitability. In other words, all the comments in this podcast from the social media thread will be displaced with fact and truth.
This will be a "don't miss" meeting for dentists and their front office team members.
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We hear the words “goals” and “purpose” used frequently in business classes and corporate leadership training, but do we really know what they mean and how they are the same or different?
One might ask if lacking a goal means the same thing as lacking a purpose. The answer is no. It’s not the same at all.
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If I had a dollar for every time a dentist has told me: “I believe in your training. I’ve talked with other docs who love what you’ve done for them. But, you need to convince my team that MPMB training is a good thing before I can sign up.”
Dentists who do not take charge of their businesses have one thing in common. It simply comes down to a lack of leadership. It’s almost like many dentists want to leave the business side to someone else. Unfortunately, that “someone else” is usually someone who doesn’t hold a business degree, has been misled by dental consultants on many topics, and is overworked and underpaid.
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I love how most of you tend to make business decisions about your dental business. Don’t deny it, you know how you are. You lick your finger, hold it high in the air, see which way the wind is blowing, give it some concentrated thought, and talk yourself right out of those things that could change your life for the better.
I want to address some common bad dental business tactics that you can and should fix yesterday:
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Bundling is defined by the ADA as "The systematic combining of distinct dental procedures by third-party payers that results in a reduced benefit for the patient/beneficiary."
When Tracy and I met with the ADA last June, we pointed out how the ADA needs to quickly define the term “unbundling” because the dental insurance companies have been defining it in ways that benefit them. Tracy wrote out the definition for the ADA to use, and this definition is a big deal for all of us on PPO plans. The ADA executive was surprised the ADA had not defined it, and hopefully they will soon.
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Dentists need to stop being mislead. Challenge the status-quo, and be that leader you know you can be. I'm always asking myself, "am I embracing stupid" when it comes to everything in my life? Mitigating stupidity in life is my constant challenge. We all make mistakes, but limiting the stupid mistakes just makes life easier.
Learning business principles to help us have more fulfilling dental practices is part of that process that will prevent us from embracing stupid.
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At My Practice My Business, we don’t just talk about it, we teach it! We’re the only consulting company teaching it, with the right business protocols to do it. What is it that we teach that not one dental consulting company has picked up on? Procedural profitability!
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The simple business question I have for all of you is this, “why in this world would you do MEPAT dentistry on any patient if the reimbursement is for the LEPAT? What business in this world follows that type of business mentality? I don’t believe there is any business in this world that has the same price point when there is a differential in cost of goods, except for dentistry.
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The ADA is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision from a lower appeals court on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 that limits states’ traditional authority to regulate health care and insurance.
This win would be big for all dentists who take PPO Plans. Go ADA!
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We get asked this question all the time. Well, it's time to remove the obstacles. Say goodbye to providing free dental services, due in part to the confusing and often misleading EOB guidelines and contractual language from dental insurance companies. It’s also time to say goodbye to the dental consultants and other individuals who truly lack the expertise you need to navigate the business of dentistry.
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Has anyone really looked at our wages lately? Does anyone know what the hourly minimums are for our team members to just survive, let alone live a normal life? If we are not financially stable in our dental practices, we certainly can not financially support our team members, let alone ourselves.
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When is the last time you tested for leaks in your nitrous system? What is the danger level with leaks of nitrous when it comes to the child bearing years with our wonderful female employees? Check your system often!
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I was asked to write an article on how to be profitable with PPO Plans, because that is our specialty here at My Practice My Business (MPMB). It’s honestly such a loaded request, as all of you who have been through our training here at MPMB understand, that I simply didn’t know where to start at first. However, I will be so bold in my old age as to state this: those who tell you to dump PPO Plans, or even a part of them, have no business clue what they are talking about. Put in other words, those who go through our training here at MPMB on how to be profitable with PPO Plans, and even experience “real” profitability with their own fee-for-service fees as most are not, would never drop their PPO Plans they take. After our trained dental teams understand the PPO contracts and state laws, they realize that it’s not the dental insurance companies fault they’re not profitable with them, it’s their own darn fault for not understanding the latitudes they have in those contracts, and how state laws protect them from doing “free” dentistry when they should be paid for their dental services they provide to their patients.
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What I want to address is what one doc said to one of our team members at our booth. When our team member asked the doc if he had heard about My Practice My Business, he said, “Oh yes, I’ve heard about MPMB, both good and bad.” Now I understand I might offend some people, truth always does. But my team member wanted to know what “bad” he has heard about our company, because he has only experienced happy clients and non-clients alike with his interactions. The “bad” the doc referred to when asked was that we teach “upselling” and he feels dentistry should not be “upsold.”
I was in hopes that he just didn’t like me. That would have been acceptable in my book. But when one of our colleagues openly admits, whether directly or indirectly, that they make business decisions that are not grounded in business, that really pisses me off. They spread that ignorance to others, and lead people into misinformative thought that costs dentists thousands of dollars in revenue each month.
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After all that Tracy and I have seen, from the good to the ugly, it all comes down to one thing in dentistry: leadership! Here's to a fantastic 2024!
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Before I start, let me be clear with what I do and why it matters to you. My husband and I work with dental insurance companies, insurance commissioners, state legislators, state dental associations, and representatives of the American Dental Association to ensure that both patients and their dental providers are protected against unfair and unethical practices by dental insurance companies. Why do we do this? Because there is no private entity in the US that exists simply to protect the quality of dental care with both the dentists and the patients they serve. There's a definite need, and we're here to fill it. My Practice My Business has been around since 2006, and we intend to remain practice advocates for years to come...
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Titles and profits channel, or front-line advocacy channel? It’s time for the rose-colored glasses to come off, and either hold your state and national associations accountable to reality, or stop wasting your money on annual dues. May I suggest all of us stop taking a back seat, and put some pressure, a lot of pressure, on the ADA and your state dental association executives. Tell them to stop feeding us with platitudes of topics that have little action on what we do as dentists each day, and focus on legislation that protects us from the evil designs of third-party payers, like we did here in Utah.
Tracy and I were doing some research on the ADA, looking for some statistical data, and just happened to find a very interesting article by Dr. Mike Barr, the content of which I have echoed many times, and deserves new coverage and commentary by Tracy and I.
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A few weeks ago, I had a fellow colleague ask us to run an analysis on his practice to see how much revenue he was losing each year. We do this for offices who are interested in our Team Training here at MPMB. After showing him the hundreds of thousands of dollars our training would bring to his practice, he asked the worst question possible.
“Rob, this number is amazing. I’ve talked with other docs who have gone through your training courses, and they are extremely happy. But the question I have is this: how much of that new revenue your MPMB training brings to my practice WILL THE PATIENT HAVE TO PAY?”
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In dentistry, dental team meetings can become unproductive, and ideas may not be conveyed effectively. This podcast aims to explore the reasons why individuals may choose not to speak up in meetings, the implications of this behavior, and possible solutions to overcome it.
In today’s world, meetings have become an essential aspect of organizational communication. Meetings are a platform for employees to express their opinions, ideas, and concerns about a project or task at hand. However, there are times when everyone in the meeting is thinking the same thing, but no one wants to speak out.
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Dentistry is a field that requires not only clinical expertise but also strong managerial skills to run a successful dental practice. While many dentists excel in providing quality oral healthcare, there are so many instances, that Tracy and I have witnessed first-hand, where the Doc does not actively take charge of managing their dental office. I am going to explore some reasons why dentists may not fully embrace the role of leadership and management within their practice. Listen up my friends, its time gain insights in to the challenges we face as dentists and identify potential solutions to empower your practice management endeavors.
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As I was gathering my thoughts on this topic, my mind was racing in many directions as to where I should start with this one. Let me first begin by saying, contrary to what we read from our dental association leadership, it is definitely not your fault doc, by you signing up with PPO plans, that third-party payers have such low reimbursement rates. It actually has everything to do with the dental insurance market, and the perceived ideologies that dental consultants have propagated for years when it comes to how we can bill the PPO patient.
Dental insurance companies use sophisticated software to calculate the needed premiums required to pay us the reimbursement rates they set, while acquiring a 24%-32% corporate profit margin. This software, which Tracy and I have seen, and navigated intimately first hand, has unbelievable information on all of us docs, average billings we send in, and average payouts their clients have in our dental offices. Once again, nowhere in their calculations on contractual reimbursement rates does sending in our fee-for-service fees affect this process in determining what their reimbursement fees are per our contracts. Honestly people, stop lies from so many out there who teach such stupid things.
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Dental leaders play an essential role in the dental industry, as they provide guidance and direction to dentists and other dental professionals. However, in recent years, some dental leaders have been answering questions that no dentist is asking, causing confusion and frustration among dental professionals. This report aims to explore why dental leaders are answering questions that no dentist is asking and the impact of this trend on the dental industry.
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Let me be very clear from the start. Dental Insurance Companies, commonly called “third-party” payers, DO NOT SET THEIR REIMBURSEMENT FEES BASED UPON YOUR FEE-FOR-SERVICE FEES. For the ADA to imply this false statement is factual is unbelievable to me. They should know better. It’s articles like this that drive membership downward, because those of us in PPO driven states know this article to be anything but true. My goodness ADA, they set those reimbursement fees based upon their profit and loss of their company. How much comes in via premiums, and how much is paid out, guarding their set profit margins.
Insurance companies are lowering negotiated fees to LESS than what was agreed to as a financial business strategy that is rarely caught by front office teams. How would you catch this if you billed your FFS fee? We caught TWO insurance companies doing this last year and when we called them out on it, they stated there was a “Bug” in the system, and they would fix it and send us another check to account for the percentage they should have paid. How many offices are unnecessarily writing off or reducing services because they are billing their fee-for-service fees, and not seeing this little insurance tactic? You would almost never catch this little bait-and-switch tactic dental insurance companies do if you were sending in your full fees. Chew on that one little accounting problem if you don’t send in your contracted fees.
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The American Dental Association (ADA) owns and licenses the use of Current Dental Terminology (CDT) codes, which are a standardized set of codes used to describe dental procedures and services provided to patients. The CDT codes are used by dental insurance companies to process claims and reimburse dentists for services provided to patients. If the ADA leases those codes to third-party payers, and the ADA receives a butt load of money from the insurance companies for the use of their codes, is that not a conflict of interest, speaking as a dentist who is a member of the ADA?
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Dentistry is an essential component of healthcare, and the dental industry is a significant contributor to the economy. In recent years, however, the economy has had a profound impact on the dental industry, particularly on the revenue of dental practices. This podcast aims to explore how the economy is affecting dentists in terms of their income, patient volume, and business operations.
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Running a dental practice with critical business thinking vs. “how does this make me feel” strategies is something that Tracy and I deal with constantly. It’s where dentists and front office team members, and sometimes every team member, fail the business test. It’s what separates the average practice from the great practices. Here we go…
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Dentists play a crucial role in ensuring the oral health of individuals. However, many dentists are hesitant to speak out about dental insurance companies and the American Dental Association (ADA) when it comes to policies that negatively affect patient care. This podcast aims to discuss the reasons why dentists may be afraid to speak out about these organizations.
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One of the books that Tracy makes a required read for the Advanced OM/FO Business Training talks about “bottlenecks” in a manufacturing plant. It was an amazing business read, and I quickly understood why she requires it for all our attendees. The similarities to what dental practices experience became strikingly similar.
Just like the bottlenecks in a manufacturing plant that can cause inefficiencies and lost revenues, I want to identify six bottlenecks commonly seen in a dental practice.
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We’ve trained hundreds of practices here at MPMB, both in state and out of state, and I would say roughly forty percent or more of them are not members of the ADA and their state associations. When I ask them why they chose not to be members, the answers have a common ground.
Another problem I believe is contributing to the decrease in ADA and State dental membership is the fragmentation of efforts protecting dentists from state to state. If there is one thing that has become clear to Tracy and I as we have passed legislation and defended dentists against dental insurance company’s unethical policies, it’s the simple fact that the ADA picks their battles, and the state associations don’t know what battles to pick.
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Shouldn't it be licensed dentists who determine generally accepted practice standards? Dental Insurance companies are trying to fill that role and need to be stopped.Tracy and I attempted this one topic for legislation, which reads:
“Generally accepted practice standards for dentistry, are to be determined by the majority of professionally licensed dentists in Utah and managed by the state dental association.”
Our talking point was this: Our proposal would prevent unlicensed dental plan executives from setting dental standards of care. Sounds simple…right? The pushback was unbelievable...
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How often do we hear dental thought leaders tell us to drop dental plans, or at least the worst ones? Inevitably, someone will ask the question, “which ones are the worst ones?” Or better yet, they ask, “please define what is meant by the ‘worst’ ones, aren’t they all bad?”
Then there are the grumblings from all of us on how bad the reimbursement rates are, and how impossible it is to provide quality dentistry on a patient who is covered by a PPO plan you are a provider for.
Last but not least is our front office team members who have to deal with the dental insurance plans, their reps, and the deceptive EOBs, not to mention the patients who love to complain about their insurance coverage, or lack thereof. I sometimes don’t understand why the majority of front office team members are not in group therapy in every state.
I want to talk about the importance of fighting on principle, not on a platitude when protecting dentists and the patients we serve.
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So many thought leaders in our profession despise this very topic. They cringe at the thought someone like me would even suggest to you that your mission is to make money. But it’s called reality. The mission of any business should be to achieve success, and that success is accomplished by being profitable on all, or as many procedures as possible, which leads us to the term “vision.”
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In this discussion, I ask them some very important questions. Please allow me to just jump to their answers for now, I’m sure you can figure out the questions, and here are their answers:
1-We are maintaining infection, not eliminating it. This just doesn’t make sense…
2-I’ve always felt that periodontal disease can be eliminated, but not with our current treatment protocols, and especially not with my office treating it to insurance limitations.
3-I have no idea why we don’t use antibiotics. It doesn’t make sense.
4-All of our patients bleed in almost all the areas of needed SRP at the six-week exam. And all of them continue to have forever periodontal disease if I’m being honest…
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It seems like every week I see an advertisement from a dental consultant advocating the need to drop dental insurance and build a strictly fee-for-service (FFS) practice. Many of these dental consultants teach their clients what I call a very deceptive tactic, one that loses the patient’s trust right from the beginning every time, and we begin our podcast right there.
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Why do so many solo dentists take the stink bait offers of DSOs without investigating what they are really giving up when swallowing hook, line, and sinker to these predators? The main reason dentists give up their autonomy and business opportunities are because they don’t know what they don’t know. We are going to tell you what the corporate predators are not telling you, that you need to know. We begin right here!
There are so many places to begin this topic on that I almost do not know where to start. So, I think I’ll begin with our own experiences here at MPMB.
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I read a statement from a dentist on one of the dental networking groups that caught my eye. The comment, for some reason, made me feel bad for that dentist, and my heart really ached for him. That may sound a bit cheesy, but I care about all of you, and your teams. Tracy and I learned so much about the inner workings of dental insurance companies when we got our Utah Dental Law passed. Some of it good, and some really bad, but grateful for the educational experience we had with the Network Leasing, Down-coding, and Bundling Protections Law. Back to this dentist’s comments, his deductive logic and reasoning to his statement simply lacked intuitive business skills and accurate definitions in regards to state laws, which is something Tracy and I specialize in here at MPMB. This is a very important topic all dentists need to understand, and we begin our podcast right there…
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What happens if the office manager croaks, the hygienist calls in sick, or the dental assistant runs off with prince charming? Does anyone see the need for some cross-training? Missing a team member for even one day can lead to chaos in a dental office. Team members feel overwhelmed, which could ultimately lead to a decline in the quality of patient care. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Let Go Of Your Control....
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The majority of dental teams have been convinced that if dental insurance won’t pay for it, they have to write it off. Heaven forbid you actually charge the patient directly for services the PPO Plan won’t cover.
Dental insurance plans don’t pay for tooth whitening, yet most dental offices charge the patient for it directly. The same applies to electric toothbrushes. In addition, most dental insurance plans don’t pay for dental implants. Yet every office seems to charge for those products and services, right? In those three examples just listed, you wouldn’t think of not charging the patient for those services. Am I wrong? Nope!
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Over the last several months Tracy and I have observed “Leaders” emerge from the ranks of every type of dental team member in the dental offices we have had the opportunity to train. Leadership is critical to the success of any business, and it’s why two of our team training modules focus on leadership skills. And it’s why we take a deep dive into effective leadership skills in our office manager/front office trainings.
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You absolutely can if you allow yourself to paid fairly by holding the patient responsible for their dental care, instead of doing it for free like you’ve done for years. Stop listening to misinformation, and lies, from dental consultants, and others who have never read one damn insurance contract, never spoken and asked the “right” questions with insurance managers, never read the CDT Code Book cover to cover, have no understanding of laws within the state you practice, let alone have never passed a dental law protecting dentists and the patients they care for. With that said, look for opportunities, not obstacles, in your pursuit of obtaining and maintaining a financially healthy dental practice filled with happy satisfied patients you serve, along with happy team members, including you Doc, working smarter…not harder.
Sign up for our Team Training today! It's guaranteed...
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So many times we see dental teams struggle with charging their patients for the services they provide. They often times feel they are nickel and diming their patients. Nothing could be further from the truth. Layering your treatment plans, being transparent with the codes and services you have diagnosed, and being paid fairly for those services is not gouging, nor nickel and diming the patient. This is an actual mental block many dentists suffer from because they are sincerely altruistic. They forget they have to learn skills to run their businesses, and if they are not profitable, they will fail. PPO Plans are constantly nickel and diming dental offices with reimbursements, or the lack thereof. Understanding their contracts, and how to be paid fairly for dental procedures is what we teach here at MPMB.
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How many times do we attend a CE course, a church meeting, or some lecture somewhere, and the presenter says something where our mind says, “oh, they lost me on that statement.” Have you ever thought that maybe you missed what was being said because your mind was off in some delusion of grandeur, or you were on your damn phone not paying attention?
Maybe what you thought you heard wasn't accurate. Our thought leadership needs to be the search of truth, and not our own bias. Opportunity can be lost with just one confirmation bias.
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There are times where I wonder if the ADA really knows what is going on with dentists on the front lines. It’s apparent their actions often times do not reflect it.
Many years ago, Tracy and I began research on bundling of procedures by dental insurance companies. We began to build the case against third-party payers with their constant tactics of preventing us from being paid fairly for the services we provide as dentists and hygienists.
Again, years ago, Tracy came across a statement from the ADA Center for Professional Success which reads, “Claims bundling is the systematic combining of distinct dental procedures by third-party payers that results in a reduced benefit for the patient/beneficiary. The ADA considers bundling of procedures to be potentially fraudulent.”
If that is the case, then why is bundling verbiage found in the CDT Code Book?
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Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you there are dentists that make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what the hell happened. It’s not that simple. But, could there be a fourth doc? Or is the fourth doc just a unicorn...
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The list is long and unfortunately distinguished. Don’t get me wrong, most of the time we don’t like dealing with insurance plans and their reps either. But we are the only major consulting company that teaches dentists, and their teams, to keep them, because we know how to be profitable with them. So, who teaches dentists to drop their PPO Plans? Individuals who don’t know what they don’t know.
Great leaders don’t resist or fear change, they embrace it, or even initiate it. Be that dental leader, and make that call to us here at MPMB. I promise you it will be the best business decision you make in your dental career.
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Insurances, laws, office manager and front office training, Disney Institute and leadership, ending with DSOs and why you don't need them. To date, there is one DSO that is showing some promise with how they function and treat their docs, but the jury is still out. If they come through with their promise, we will sing their praises and point you to them if running your own business just isn't in your DNA. The rest of the DSO culture is something dentists need to be careful of.
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Are we receiving what we are paying for with our dental supplies?
Every time I asked my assistant for an A1 shade of my new composite, I would think she was handing me a “used” compule. The A2 compules were not much better. After several months of this happening, it dawned on me. “Could the company be having issues with the manufacturing process of their composite being placed in each compule?” Or, could it be something worse, like intentional under-loading of the most popular shades to increase their profit margins.
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"The title may sound harsh, but after working with hundreds of dental offices, we’ve discovered that nearly every office does the same things that negatively affect the practice. These actions ultimately decrease revenue, patient retention and employee satisfaction. The worst part, many of the things we will mention have been preached in dentistry for YEARS. So, we can’t really blame you, but we can help “change you” for the better!"
Baylee Gunnell
Marketing Director
My Practice My Business
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Never let the patient circumnavigate the front office team members Doc. You gave them a job, let them do it.
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How many times do we attend dental trainings with the hopes of that expensive training making a difference in the performance of our dental practice? It can when dental teams, and the doc, increase competency with knowledge and skills, become motivated to be paid fairly for the services you provide, and can envision opportunity and not obstacles with the training you embark on. Let the discussion begin...
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A big "thank you" to all of you listeners and clients. Just some thoughts and a big announcement on training...
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What am I getting at you might ask? It’s simple. The majority of dental teams have been brainwashed into thinking that if dental insurance won’t pay for it, heaven forbid you actually charge the patient directly for services the PPO Plan won’t cover.
Dentists and their teams fear telling patients their dental plan won't cover certain procedures. We need to drop those fears and preconceived false business teachings and charge for the services we provide. It really is that simple, and patients are happy to pay for those services when they understand them. So...teach them.
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Hardly a week goes by that we don’t see an article published, or a diatribe written, condemning dental insurance companies. Or, more specifically, the reimbursement rates, delay tactics, and a list of other topics we all deal with on a daily basis when taking patients who are “dental insured.”
When Tracy and I battled the major insurance players against bundling, down-coding, and misleading language on EOBs, we were protecting the rights of dental offices, and the services they provide to their patients. The one thing we were very careful to protect was the freedoms involved with capitalism. The freedoms that every business has a right too, courtesy of our founding fathers.
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I'm always amazed at how dentists and their teams are completely brainwashed when it comes to business decisions that completely lack fundamental judgement of business skills. No business and thought leaders would ever put up with what we dentists do on a daily basis, let alone make business decisions that are not grounded in profitability so that the company can grow, profit, and thrive. It's time for dentistry to wake up and reclaim forgotten profitability again...
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There are five steps in battling dental insurance plans. At MPMB, we have this down to a science, and hope all listening will engage to protect the integrity of dentistry.
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Welcome to the MPMB office manager and front office training on the Kona Coast, Big Island of Hawaii, at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort. Our training for front office personnel at MPMB is second to none. Those are not our words, those are the words of those we train. Listen to the curriculum and experience, and then get signed up for next years event ahead of time. This is a "do not miss" event. Mahalo.
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Enough is enough. We as dentists can no longer do free dentistry on our PPO patients, yet that is precisely what third-party payers want us to do. It needs to stop right now. Look at what we did in Utah. Get involved with your state dental associations, copy Utah's House Bill 359, and show the leaders of your state dental associations why they need to get going on copying this law into your own state. It's the best thing Utah ever did for dentists and the patients they serve. And...we're just getting started to protect our dental values here in Utah.
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CAD/CAM technology simply makes dentists want to do better. And the patient experience is second to none. Cerec is leading this charge. If you're not going to DS World, you are missing out, and should just GO!
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Five components that differentiate effective dental teams versus ineffective dental teams. The first one deals with "trust" issues.
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Today's podcast dives into excerpts from a book called, "The Unspoken Rules" by Gorrick. This is a great read and can be applied to dentistry to help practices do better.
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We had a dental product rep attend one of our introductory courses, and he was blown away with what he learned. Especially when he learned how dental offices can charge for his amazing product, instead of it being a loss leader of freeness to the patient, and just another expense for the dentist. Learning how to charge for technology is a barrier breaker for dental sales reps. Maybe MPMB should be training dental sales reps as well...
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Just because a #dental #insurance company states something doesn't make it true. I know that sounds unrealistic, but we see this crap all the time. We investigate dental insurance #contracts, newsletters they email us, and state #laws that govern those lovely third-party-payers. My dental colleagues, learn to push back, and do it correctly. It will mean thousands of dollars of increased #revenue each month when you do.
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Opening up a solo dental practice isn't as difficult as most are led to believe, and they become quickly profitable with just a little bit of business training with the dentist/owner.
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For years we've been told "what to think" instead of "how to think" when it comes to the clinical business of dentistry. We need to dismiss the "dictators of thought" and allow rational thought, or thought leadership, to govern our decisions in business and life. Do you, Doc, encourage innovation and thought leadership within the ranks of your dental team? Or do you allow third-party payers and dental associations to dictate your business, your life?
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It's simply time to invest in formal and "realistic" training for our front office team members, especially the Office Manager.
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Tracy reads the letter, Dr. Rob comments... Good job to the Dentist who got rid of them as a provider. Wouldn't it be nice if we could all get rid of all PPO Plans and go back to indemnity plans... That alone would improve the oral health of a Nation.
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It's time for dentists to invest in the person that they have great expectations from, yet most have never received formal training. That's right, it's your office manager, and possibly the entire front office team. Let us help them help you! Send them to Hawaii for training this fall, and we will send back an office manager with knowledge and skills to increase your net revenue with the need-based dentistry you do every day. Guaranteed!
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I'm joined with Tracy on this episode, talking about some of the "hot topics" surrounding dentistry today. We all need to keep fighting the fight for our profession.
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Freeloaders of Dentistry who choose to do nothing as others do things that help them need to be called out in a nice way. We need leaders not followers...enough said.
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There is so much all of us can do when it comes to passing laws in each of our states that protect dentists and the patients we serve. I hope that the state dental associations can humbly accept the help from dentists who may not have positions within their organizations, but who have knowledge and skills to get things done when it comes to working with state representatives. Utah H.B. 359 is one of those laws recently passes where our company made it happen...
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My interview with two of my patients on CAD/CAM Technology. The information they give is priceless to dentists everywhere.
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I interviewed one of my patients after he told me about his experience with his previous dentist. He told his former dentist his gums would bleed when he brushed, and especially when he flossed. Yet, no periodontal disease was ever diagnosed, until he visited our office. There are great "take-aways" from this interview that I hope all of us remember.
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I loved reading some posts on the Utah Dental Networking Group that Tracy showed to me just the other day. I hope his podcast is helpful on how to pay your hygienist. When the hygiene department is profitable, everyone does better. It's tough with PPO reimbursements, but it can be done with a little bit of training from us here at MPMB.
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Think about it, dental insurance companies have eliminated certain codes from their payable lists. From anesthetic to PPE, and from acid etch and bonding to build-ups. It's all about frequency. What do I mean? It's simple, they have algorithms that point to procedures we do all the time, and they realize that if they can alter just one thing, if they can eliminate payment on one particular procedure that is done often, that will save them millions of dollars over the course of one year. It's really brilliant business on their part, but it's negatively affecting our dental practices from being profitable. We need to stop it, and that's why Tracy and I are on Utah's Capitol Hill trying to pass bills that will protect both patients and dentists from downcoding, bundling, and preventing us from charging for services we provide to our patients. What are you doing to help out your dental association in preventing what the ADA says are fraudulent acts from third-party payers?
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What happens when the philosophies of dental insurance companies collide with the quality of patient care dentistry can deliver? A continuation of our battle on Utah's Capitol Hill. What has become clear is this: there are a handful of dental insurance companies that are honestly trying to do the right thing for their clients who happen to be our patients, and there are many dental insurance companies who are deceptive, non-transparent, and attempt to blame dentists for their reasons of downcoding, bundling, and forcing us to do free dentistry with terms such as "non-billable" or "non-payable".
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If you have increases of patients who are paying at 60% of your fee-for-service fees (PPO patients), and your overhead is 60-70%, you're simply cost-shifting your FFS patients to cover your PPO patients. How can you be profitable on those PPO patients? That's where MPMB's Clinical Business of Dentistry Training comes into play.
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All of us here at My Practice My Business have been busy working at Utah's Capitol Hill on three legislative bills that will help dentists and their patients in the State of Utah. If these bills are passed, they will be passed on to other states.
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Take your time at the end of the appointment when patients need treatment. It's not a major rush to get them out of the office at this stage of the game. Give your case presentations from the heart, not some script. Patients can tell the difference.
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For years, I have never been a fan of "in-house plans." I have recently (four months ago) signed up for one. More out of curiosity than anything, just to see if they are really worth it. There are many companies out there who are selling "in-house membership plans", or the administration of them, so you can be competitive with #insurance plans. But are they right for you? What are thy, and how do they work? Are they just a #discount plan? In this podcast we are going to discuss some of the advantages and definite disadvantages to engaging in these products. #MPMB #MyPracticeMyBusiness #FrontOfficeTraining #DentalOfficeManagers #Dentist #Dental
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Can and should you use D0140 Limited Exam with D9110 Palliative Treatment? The answer is in this podcast.
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The pro's and con's about what fee you attach to those insurance claims.
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We've all been there, sleepless nights, irritable bowel syndrome, tension at home, all because of that "one employee" who you know is aggravating you and your team, let alone your patients. But you just don't have the courage to tell them "you're fired." Doc, learn to just "let go" and trust it will get better.
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Here in Utah we are working on State Laws that will help dentists in all States when it comes to protecting our patients, and being paid fairly for the services dentists provide. Think about this, if "up-coding" of procedures is a felony, why are dental insurance companies allowed to "down-code" procedures to get gain?
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There's a certain segment of our dental training that doesn't get the attention it deserves, and that is preparing for retirement. 95% of dentists are not prepared! There are many reasons that prevent dentists from preparing, and most of the time it comes down to profit margins on the dentistry they provide. If dentists are busy in their practices, they've made payroll, and there's money left over in the checking account, they believe they are doing just fine. Dentists who are successful at having a retirement account that will maintain their current, or desired, lifestyle have profit margins that are consistent, regardless of being a PPO driven practice, fee-for-service, or a hybrid of both. It's all about profits and profitability, two terms dentists just choose to avoid. Oh where is our business training. That's exactly why our clients are successful here at My Practice My Business. We teach this stuff!
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As if being a dentist isn't stressful enough, we also get to deal with the second highest cause of stress in the workplace, that of blending together the people who work for us. In this episode we discuss reasons for dental office conflict, how job titles often times cause issues, and how to fix issues with team members before it becomes a problem.
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Direct operating costs are to be viewed on an hourly rate. Knowing this number is mission critical in setting your fee-for-service fees, and determining if a particular dental insurance is worth being a provider for. As in any business, profits and profitability are key to maintaining a thriving and successful practice.
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In this podcast you will hear about discussions I've had with colleagues on things they have learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. They discussed with me things they are grateful they did, and things they wished they could have done, and things they have learned from our training that have helped them with their dental practices.
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Stop making up excuses for not offering ridge preservation on every adult extraction. It should be your patient's choice, not yours. Oral Surgeons, of all dental colleagues, should know better... I was shocked with my neighbor's story. She would have been happy to pay for the procedure had she have been given the option. Never judge a patient on whether they can pay for it or not. I made that mistake early in my career, never to do that again.
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It's time to start training your patients, if you haven't already, that dentistry isn't free.
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Not charging for the amazing dental services you provide hurts you Doc, and your dental team.
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Learning new skills, going through new trainings, purchasing new technology all requires change. Maximizing those skills, trainings, and technology requires implementation. In this podcast we go over how to make change happen!
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During this tough time for most dental practices, we wanted to give back. We have gone virtual with our training, and there are no up-front costs. We don't make money unless you make money. Dental Consulting the way it should be! Call us today and get scheduled for the most incredible dental business training you will ever see.
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After reading several publications in the dental industry with regards to increasing production within our dental practices and mastering insurance protocols, it's safe to say the status-quo with what has been taught for years is alive and well. No wonder we had so many bankruptcy's in dentistry last year. They still don't get it. MPMB has the answer. Just ask our wonderful clients.
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It's amazing how we have become, or have limited ourselves, into being "task managers". What makes a "task thinker"? Someone who is usually educated, either with lots of formal education, or on-the-job learning, not training. Task thinkers are able to problem solve, think outside of the box, and more quickly adapt and overcome problems. I believe anyone can be a task manager, but I want task thinkers. I want team members who look for opportunities, not obstacles.
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This is without a doubt one of the toughest times I've seen in our Nation. Lots of shaming and bullying going on with dental networking groups within our state, dentists just trying to hold on as they are still seeing patients that are willing to come in. Misinformation, conflicting information, and decisions trying to be made as to how best to handle what is going on in the world at this time. Our Nation reeling from the economic effects that one little bug has caused. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you as you're attempting to do your best to provide for your families. God bless our healthcare workers battling this bug, and those who suffer from it. We love all of you, and want you to have faith that this too shall pass. It will make us stronger, and hopefully wiser too.
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An office manager on day two of our training said to me, "I went home and told my husband that I knew I wasn't crazy. I knew there had to be a better way to present treatment, and actually get paid fairly for it. Not just with PPO insured plans, but also with our fee-for-service patients too." We contrast the above office manager with one that has done all she can to tell our MPMB rep how wrong we are with offering choice and being paid fairly for better, more expensive technology. How what we do is illegal with PPO contracts, and how we shouldn't give patients choice, and charge for it, when it comes to better products and services that are more expensive. Her doctor makes enough and can afford to give it away to their patients. Wow! I wonder if she would work for her doc one day a week for free to help him pay for his patient's dental care...probably not! Which office manager would you want working for you? As a patient, wouldn't you like the choice of better material and advances in technology, even if it might cost you more out of pocket? And did you know dental insurance plans allow you to charge the patient for their choices? Read you contracts my friends, and stop paying for your patient's dentistry!
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This past week there were several comments about the wages being offered new dental hygienists in the State of Utah. They couldn't believe many docs were offering a starting salary of $25 per hour (sorry docs from other states, it's just supply and demand). In this podcast, I give the history of the wages of dental hygienists in the State of Utah, where they are currently, and why they are at an all-time low. All I can say to our hygienist colleagues is, WELCOME TO OUR LIFE AS DENTISTS! Welcome to the low reimbursement rates granted by dental insurance companies. Welcome to our decreasing wages in the dental profession. But, there is hope! It's all in the profitability of what we do. It's being a team player, and not an entitled professional. You want to discover the secret to higher wages in a hurry? Come to our training! Learn why my hygienists at Thorup Dental would never go back to an hourly rate again, and why their job satisfaction ranks in the top of their profession. It's just simple Business 101...that any office can learn and implement.
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Today we give you seven talking points of what your dental business should look like. Obviously, this isn't a complete list, but it is one that consumers look at. Remember, consumers are patients, and dental patients are consumers. They buy dental care. You sell dental care. It's a business thing. Don't become complacent when it comes to the look and feel of your dental business.
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This past week I was fortunate enough to witness a graduation ceremony with some of our Nation's finest. One of the speakers gave a powerful yet simple talk on teamwork. If only all of dentistry could have heard it. So here it is, and then some, on the principles of team development in the dental office.
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All of you need to know our Clinical Business of Dentistry Introductory Seminar is always being updated. We continue to place new information in our presentations as we go. However, I know the training so well, that I'm not as focused on what I'm teaching as much as I'm focused on the eyes of the audience I'm training. Nothing is more powerful than seeing the eyes of nearly an entire audience come to life with information they nearly can't believe is true. The progression goes like this: wow, this stuff is for real; how much revenue do you think we've lost to date; forget about that, how much profitable revenue do you think we can do each month with just the small amount of information Dr. Rob has taught us; I'm excited to go to work next week... At My Practice My Business we simply make dentistry fun again, and profitable.
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Why are there so many dentists not offering ridge preservation to their patients who need surgical extractions, or any extraction for that matter...baby teeth not included. If only you could see all the x-rays and intra-oral images I have gathered over the years showing the benefits from this procedure, you would put it into practice on all of your extraction patients. It's not only one of the most beneficial dental procedures we do in dentistry, it's also one of the few where you are actually profitable on every time.
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Our thought leadership here at My Practice My Business is in protecting the office manager and all team members, in addition to the dentist owner, when it comes to fraud and embezzlement. Unfortunately, over 70% of all dental practices will experience fraud and embezzlement at least once in their dental career. So how do we prevent it? By working hard to prevent those we care about from being tempted to do something wrong, and implementing protocols that helps keep everyone from succumbing to temptation.
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Dental insurance companies, most of them, simply do not cover direct and indirect pulp capping. They state in their rules and regulations that dentists are to bundle them with the "global" composite filling. Yet the ADA states that bundling of procedures is potentially fraudulent, and I support that statement completely, so should you. In this podcast, I give my thoughts on the history of pulp capping, and why it was done all the time, and where we go in the future. Remember, it's about the patient just as much as it is for you and I to be paid fairly for the services we provide.
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Everyone thinks that whatever the contracted rate with a patients insurance company states is what they can charge. Nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to more expensive products and services. And when dentists and their teams write off collectable revenue, it harms everyone! Why is this done? Because dentists and their team members lack "real" business training. That's where MPMB comes into play. Investigate who we are, because we have truthful answers and real clinical business of dentistry training.
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This is our launch for the New Year Season Two! Thank you to the hundreds of listeners. I hope that all of us can apply Lou Holtz's three statements of life to our dental practices:
1. Do what is right.
2. Do your best.
3. Show people you care.
Here's to an awesome year of profitable dentistry, caring for those we serve.
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Dentists, Office Managers, enough is enough. Stop believing the false narratives propagated by so many people in our dental profession. Isn't it time for you to learn and embrace the truth about reclaiming forgotten profitability in dentistry again? Contact us here at My Practice My Business, we'll show you how it's done, legally, ethically, and easily.
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Over the past year I've had the opportunity to meet some awesome office managers in dentistry. They simply want to do their job, they want to be trusted, and they want to trust the dentist will let them bloom where they are planted. What holds dentists back from letting them do their jobs? Trust... So implement protocols that keeps everyone trustworthy, get training for those awesome people up front, and let them do their jobs
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One business concept I continually see with dentists and team members that is so difficult for them to overcome is the mindset of delivering to the patient exactly what they are willing to pay for. Such a simple business concept that most in dentistry fail to understand.
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It has been one weird week. From my lab tech's conversation, to seeing Glidewell Dental Lab now selling CAD/CAM, to finishing up my Cerec Training with Patterson Dental. Dental Technology has definitely taken a new twist. Digital Dentistry continues to take market share from traditional dental labs, and I don't have an answer as to when it will stop, or more correctly, if it will stop. Traditional crown and bridge labs need to start looking for diversification to stay ahead of what is coming with digital dentistry.
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In this podcast we reflect on MPMB team training, CAD CAM technology, and the men and women who serve, and who have served in our the military, law enforcement, and first responders. November is simply a month of gratitude.
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Our guest today is Tracy Thorup, General Manager at My Practice My Business. You've all heard me talk on the dichotomy of dentistry where nearly everyone within the dental team has formal training, except the office manager. Very few office managers have business degrees, yet we docs place them in positions where our expectations are often times unrealistic commensurate to their actual training and expertise. It's time we start to invest in their training to help them more easily fulfill their jobs, and have greater satisfaction in dentistry.
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So many dental entities talk about how they can increase your case acceptance if you sign up for their programs. They proclaim to be able to generate more income for your practice by simply following their case acceptance protocols. What they fail to realize is the fact that increased case acceptance means nothing if your profit margins are slim or non-existent. Oops. Simply put, increased case acceptance does not translate to increased profitability. At MPMB, we teach dentists and their teams how to increase profitability on dental procedures, and how to be paid fairly for what they do.
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What is happening to soft skills in today's work force? Hard skills are related to specific technical knowledge like the art of performing dental procedures and the training we receive to do so. Soft skills are personality traits such as leadership, communication or time management capabilities.Both types of skills are necessary to successfully perform and advance in most jobs, especially dentistry!
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How Dr. Rob Thorup was trained by the regional dental manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield on increasing profitability with both PPO and UCR patients by simply offering choice where there is a differential in cost of goods, and charging for it!
Thanks for tuning into the My Practice My Business podcast. You can find additional podcasts you may have missed that will help you with your dental practice at apple podcasts, and remember to become a subscriber to our podcast.
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We look forward to seeing you next time.
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My experience at DS World was fantastic. You should go next year! Dentsply Sirona did an excellent job putting together a dental educational event that is second to none.
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Do you know the difference between "up-coding" vs. "up-grading"? One could lead to thousands of dollars of increased revenue to your practice and the other would be detrimental to your career. Know the difference!
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Go beyond categorically average, bloom where you are planted, and become categorically great!
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Stop giving your services away. Patients don't really appreciate it, they expect it. When you do this, it gives dental insurance companies even more fuel to attempt to bundle your procedures, and there goes your profitability even more.
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There are tons of great questions, comments, and advice that happens out there in the world of dentistry. Some of it antiquated, some of it out in left field, but there are many individuals out there who do know what they are talking about. Those individuals have kept up on their business and clinical skills. Unfortunately, there are many who continue to regurgitate misinformation as if it were dental business doctrine, because they heard it from some lecturer who professed to be an expert on their topic. Those wonderful people, the presenters and the receivers, simply don't know what they don't know. But when you do hear truth in dental business protocols, accept it, run with it, implement it in your dental practice.
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Direct Operating Costs per hour are one of the most important business concepts we must master in our dental practices if we want profitable businesses.
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You can have three things in every health care system: Those three things are affordability, universality, and quality. However, every health care system can only guarantee no more than two of the three at a time. Because of the current medical system, and their reimbursement rates, physicians have discovered a way to "upgrade" their services so they can maintain the quality of care they, and their patients, want to have. Dentistry is no different. Only thing is our upgrading comes in the form of products and procedures when done correctly with both insured and uninsured patients.
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Those who control the words that are used in dentistry, control the mind of the dentist, dental team, and unfortunately the patient. The verbiage on estimation of benefits, or EOBs, are often times damaging to the doctor/patient relationship, make the front office look incompetent, and can simply damage the patient trust in a dental office. Words that are used have meaning, even when those words are misleading, or flat out dishonest. Dental teams need to push back, and call-out dental insurance companies when these tactics are used.
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Insurance companies want us to bundle our services, team members think that layering fees will come across as "nickel and diming" our patients. The practice needs to be profitable. Understanding the definition of nickel and diming will help you overcome your unjustifiable feelings of guilt for charging for what you do.
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Learn the 8 areas of being a team leader, not a follower. That includes you Doc!
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We here at My Practice My Business are engaged in having restricting verbiage removed from the ADA CDT Code Books. Anesthesia and Suturing should not be given away as free ticket items to our patients. They come with a cost of goods to our practices just like anything else we do. You should be able to charge for the services you provide.
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Ignorance and Complacency, two terms that hold dental practices back from learning how to achieve greatness.
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Whenever sales reps from dental companies teach us about new technology available for purchase, they always teach us the features of the materials, machines, etc. What we need to hear is does it benefit our patient, and is there a direct return on our investment. Unfortunately, they are only taught the sales bullet points the manufacturers give them. However, at MPMB, we can teach you how to turn that technology into a profit center while providing your patients with the highest quality in oral health care.
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Are we going to run our dental practices as a business or a hobby? We welcome our good friend and strategic partner, Wes Jankowski, to our podcast. Wes is the president and owner of CEO Dentist out of Denver, Colorado. His insights are fantastic, and we hope you enjoy his thought leadership with Dr. Rob.
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All too often patients with periodontal disease are seen for scaling and root planing, and then placed on "forever" periodontal maintenance. Hygienists save lives! Yet, the majority of dental offices simply do not give them the time required to eliminate periodontal disease due to time constraints in the schedule. But the biggest problem is when the patient comes back for their initial treatment exam, they typically have additional need for more scaling and root planing. This never gets treatment planned, and the patient is asked to pay an additional amount of money for additional treatment. This is viewed by the average consumer, your dental patient, as paying for something twice. That's always a fun conversation with the patient, often passed on to the front desk. We need to be treatment planning the periodontally involved patient for the worse case scenario, and collecting up front for it. You can always refund them if treatment turns out better than expected.
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Delta Dental believes we make too much as dentists. More decreases from them, and other dental insurance plans, are on the way!
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Dentists and dental office managers not reading the CDT Code Book cover to cover to operate their dental practice would be equivalent to a pilot not reading the pilot operating handbook of the aircraft they are going to fly. READ THE DANG BOOK! You don't need other peoples adjunct books to understand the ADA's CDT Code Book to run your practice and bill out codes related to services you provide. It's simply common sense.
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I recently saw an exchange of thoughts on a national dental office manager forum where the large majority of OM's felt their docs should take digital images for free on patients where they could not locate their x-rays, pano's, and other such pictures. IT'S NOT FREE TO THE DOC! Digital radiography is expensive, and there is an associated cost of goods that has a direct financial impact on the practice. It's not a courtesy to give them away for free.
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I interviewed Dr. AJ Stosich of Aspire Oral Surgery here in Utah. It's always eye opening to get a specialists perspective on patient care, and AJ was kind enough to share his time with me to give all of us some great advice and jewels of wisdom with caring for our patients. I have been referring to Aspire Oral Surgery on and off for years, and exclusively since the beginning of 2019. The specialists and team members at Aspire Oral Surgery are fantastic, and my patients have had exceptional care with them. That's the "Disney" experience we all hope to continually deliver, and they have proven themselves each and every time. Hence the interview... I hope you enjoy this podcast with one of the top oral surgeons in dentistry.
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I had a grade school teacher who taught me to be a leader, not a follower. I hope that doctors and office managers, and all team members will stop following blindly those who profess to know everything, and study on their own the truths about dental insurance, running their practices, and other things that tend to drag on our bottom line of profitability and patient care.
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A tribute to the men and women who serve our country, and who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms our founding fathers built for us.
With that said, learn the stages of team development taught in our military institutions, and throughout the business world.
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Retention of patients, building and maintaining your dental practice, requires you to look at:
-Thought Leadership
-Office Culture
-Branding, or fulfilling your promises to patients and staff
-Consistency of your brand
-Quality Improvement
-Commensurate Pay
These above topics are directly intertwined with retention of first time patients. The question we all need to ask ourselves is this: how do we measure up to retaining our patients?
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Most would have us believe other dentists are our competition. However, our primary competition in dentistry is actually non-dental businesses that compete for our patient's dollars. In other words, "Corporate America". Learn how to give your dental practice the competitive advantage.
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It amazes me how often I run into dental team members who suffer from the "YNINDI" Syndrome. This syndrome is no respecter of generations, dental team members, and often times includes the dentist. This syndrome can produce the "kiss of death" to any dental practice. Learn how to recognize it, and eradicate it from your practice.
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Nothing is more powerful than hearing how an office manager pushed back with the insurance company, in a nice way, to benefit both the patient and the doctor she works for. Thanks to an "aSTUte, forward thinking Patterson Rep", listen to her unique perspective and experience going through our Clinical Business of Dentistry Team Training, and how she continues to implement what she has learned. Most important, their revenue increase simply by giving the patient their choice in materials and services, and being paid fairly for said services.
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When did it become a "badge of honor" to give your services away to PPO insured patients when you already are discounting your fees to the point of running in the red? This podcast addresses this ridiculous business practice that has been propagated for years in dentistry. Don't do it!
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Learn how your dental practice can benefit from attending Disney Institute. Nobody does customer service like Disney Corporation, and learning key customer concepts from Disney will greatly enhance any dental practice.
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Learn how dental insurance companies are trying to change the business of dentistry.
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Learn the six touch points to dental case acceptance, and why they pattern the business sales cycles.
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Fee surveys are like the blind leading the blind. Set your fees by the methods we teach in this podcast.
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This episode contains powerful statistical information about wages, PPO plans, and information on being profitable in your dental practice regardless of being driven by insurance or fee-for-service patients.
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Front office team members, especially the dental office manger, are often times asked to do the most with the least amount of training in comparison with other dental team members. It's time to invest in them and give those front office team members the tools and training they need to be able to do their jobs more easily, and with greater satisfaction.
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Are we giving our patients a "Disney" experience? Do we battle dental insurance companies on their behalf? We all have real-world experiences. Here is one to learn from. And no, you do not need to bundle procedures like dental insurance companies want you to do. The ADA states: "bundling of procedures to be potentially fraudulent."
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Learn why dentists and some of their team members feel the need to routinely give away dentistry as a courtesy to their patients. Then learn why you shouldn't make this "practice" a part of your practice.
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Learn about how your case presentations need to connect to the "why" in the limbic system of the brain for your patients to choose oral health care over other purchases they may want to make. Explore the patent-pending system My Dental Docs that emotionally connects your patients to their needed oral health care. Learn how to bridge the gap between diagnosis and case acceptance.
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Four reasons your patients should be offered ridge preservation:
1. It maintains the periodontal integrity of the adjacent teeth.
2. It preserves the right for future implant placement.
3. It maintains the ridge integrity for better implant options.
4. It improves the fit for fixed and removable prosthetic options should the patient choose those restorative options.
If you know the benefits, why aren't you offering this with every surgical extraction???
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