Dental Practice Heroes Newsletter
Dr. Etchison will share tips, strategies, and give a summary of the DPH content and upcoming events for the month.
Build a Team That Speaks Up
If no one on your team is bringing up problems, that is the problem.
It can feel like everything is running well. No complaints, no mistakes, no issues to deal with. But there is another possibility: people are not paying attention, they do not care enough to speak up, or they do not feel safe do...
Sep 11, 2026
dental practice culture
dental team development
psychological safety
team accountability
Solve the Right Problem First
The biggest problem in your practice may be the one you're not working on.
Most owners do not have unlimited time to work on their business. So when your finally get a few hours, it's easy to spend them on whatever feels most urgent: payroll, supplies, a team issue, or another problem demanding ...
Sep 09, 2026
business prioritization
dental practice management
practice efficiency
practice growth
Stop Negotiating Against Your Own Diagnosis
Case acceptance can fall apart the moment you stop sounding confident in your own recommendation.
When a patient pushes back, it's easy to start backing what you believe is best so you do not sound pushy. But hesitation can make a compromised option sound just as reasonable as the treatment you a...
Sep 04, 2026
dental case acceptance
patient communication
patient objections
Turning Hesitation Into Better Case Acceptance
A patient objection is not a no. It's usually a sign that something is still unclear.
When a patient asks about cost, says they need to think about it, or wants to talk to their spouse, it is easy to back off and assume they are not interested. But often they just need more information before the...
Sep 02, 2026
dental case acceptance
dental production
patient experience
treatment presentation
Build a Stronger Admin Structure
Hiring more people will not fix a poorly designed admin team.
When the front is constantly juggling phones, patients, insurance, and schedule problems, it is easy to think you need another person. But if everyone is expected to do everything, another hire may just give you one more overwhelmed em...
Aug 28, 2026
admin team
dental office systems
dental practice growth
practice efficiency
Making Change Actually Stick
If you keep saying, “We already talked about this,” your team may not need another reminder.
We solve problems in meetings all the time. Everyone agrees on what needs to change, we leave feeling like we made progress, and then a few weeks later the old behavior is back. It is easy to assume the t...
Aug 26, 2026
dental leadership
dental practice management
dental practice systems
team accountability
Getting More From the Assistant You Already Have
The dental assistant you wish you could hire may already be working in your practice.
We all want that assistant who knows what we need before we ask, keeps the day moving, connects with patients, and makes dentistry feel easier. But those assistants usually are not just found. They are developed...
Aug 21, 2026
dental assistant training
dental culture and leadership
team development
The Work That Actually Moves the Practice
You can be busy all day and still do nothing to move your practice forward.
As practice owners, we are really good at responding to what feels urgent. A team member needs something, a patient has an issue, or there is another problem to solve, and suddenly the time we set aside to work on the bus...
Aug 19, 2026
delegating in a dental office
dental leadership
practice efficiency
Creating a Team That Truly Cares
Most of us spend a ton of time thinking about the patient experience. But we probably do not spend nearly enough time thinking about the experience we are creating for our team.
We want great people who care about the patients, care about the practice, and take ownership. But that kind of engagem...
Aug 14, 2026
dental leadership
dental team training
employee experience
Choosing the Right Next Step
Just because your practice can grow does not mean it should.
It is easy to look around and feel like the next step is always more. More chairs, another associate, a bigger office, maybe even another location. But before you make the practice bigger, you need to ask yourself whether bigger actuall...
Aug 12, 2026
dental practice growth
practice ownership
scaling a dental practice
The Right Accountability Conversation
One mistake is easy to coach. A pattern requires a different conversation.
When something happens once, the conversation is usually simple. Maybe someone forgot a checklist, showed up late, or missed a step in a system. You address what happened, clarify the expectation, and move on. The challeng...
Aug 07, 2026
accountability
communication
leadership
Turning Missed Opportunities Into Practice Growth
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The fastest path to growth may have nothing to do with getting busier...
Aug 05, 2026
clinical efficiency
diagnosis
practice growth
production