Dental Practice Heroes Newsletter
Dr. Etchison will share tips, strategies, and give a summary of the DPH content and upcoming events for the month.
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
*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto">
The fastest path to growth may have nothing to do with getting busier...
Aug 05, 2026
clinical efficiency
diagnosis
practice growth
production
Helping More Patients Say Yes
Most case acceptance is won or lost before the doctor ever enters the room.
Long before you present treatment, your hygienist has already set the stage. They are building trust, educating the patient, answering questions, and helping the patient understand the problem. By the time you walk in, ma...
Jul 31, 2026
case acceptance
communication
hygiene
team training
Unlocking More Production From the Team You Already Have
Your team can be fully trained for the job they have today and still be completely unprepared for the practice you are trying to build.
That happens when training ends after onboarding. People learn how to do the job, but they never learn how to become better at it. Over time, growth is replaced ...
Jul 29, 2026
leadership
office management
practice growth
team development
Improving Through the Chaos
The perfect time to improve your practice never arrives.
When your practice is short-staffed, it is easy to believe that one more hire will finally create the time to improve your systems, train your team, and address the issues you have been putting off. Waiting can feel like the responsible cho...
Jul 24, 2026
dental practice management
employee retention
practice efficiency
team training
Building One Team
The biggest communication problem is usually a perspective problem.
The front office and the clinical team are working toward the same goal, but they experience the day very differently. One side lives in a world of constant interruptions. The other is focused on keeping patients moving and provi...
Jul 22, 2026
communication
dental leadership
dental practice management
office culture
Creating a Smoother Practice
Every shortcut has a ripple effect.
Most practice problems do not begin with one major failure. They begin with a small responsibility that gets skipped, rushed, or passed along. It may save a few seconds in the moment, but it often creates more work, more frustration, and more confusion for some...
Jul 17, 2026
dental leadership
dental practice management
systems
team accountability
workflow
The Practice People Choose
The best candidates are interviewing your practice too.
It is easy to blame the hiring market when you cannot find the right people. While today's market is certainly more competitive, the strongest practices are not waiting for hiring to get easier. They are becoming the kind of workplace people...
Jul 15, 2026
employee retention
hiring process
practice growth
recruiting
Honest Conversations
Your job is not to convince. It is to be honest.
Many dentists hesitate to talk about treatment because they don't want to sound pushy. So they soften the conversation, leave things out, or wait until the next visit.
The problem is that avoiding the conversation does not protect trust. Honest com...
Jul 10, 2026
patient communication
patient trust
practice growth
treatment acceptance
Removing Friction
Fast is not the same as frantic.
Many dentists worry that becoming more efficient means rushing. In reality, the opposite is usually true. The most efficient doctors are not cutting corners. They are removing friction. They know what comes next, they have a repeatable system, and they do not wast...
Jul 08, 2026
clinical efficiency
dental systems
time management
workflow