Claim OwnershipDental Practice Heroes
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© 2026 Dental Practice Heroes
Description
Where dentists learn how to cut clinical days while increasing profits - without sacrificing patient care, cutting corners, or cranking volume. We teach you how to grow a scalable practice through communication, leadership, and effective management.
Hosted by Dr. Paul Etchison, author of two books on dental practice management, dental coach, and owner of a $6M collections group practice in the south suburbs of Chicago, we provide actionable advice for practice owners who want to intentionally create more time to enjoy their families, wealth, and deep personal fulfillment.
If you want to build a scalable practice framework that no longer stresses, drains, or relies on you for every little thing, we will teach you how and share stories of other dentists who have done it!
649 Episodes
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Ever watch a full day turn into Swiss cheese before 9 a.m.? We’ve been there—and we found a fix that didn’t rely on bigger fees or tougher forms. Our hygiene cancellations fell from 15% to 5% when we stopped leading with penalties and started leading with conversations that make appointments feel scarce, personal, and important. If you’re tired of last‑minute holes and tense phone calls, start with the words your team uses before anyone thinks about canceling. Subscribe, share this with a co...
Startup or acquisition... how do you choose? Between horror stories and conflicting advice, it’s hard to get a straight answer. This episode breaks them down in a way that actually helps you decide (and avoid getting set back years). You'll learn what to look for during the due diligence process, the non-negotiables that determine success, and the number one factor for growth. Topics discussed: The pros and cons of starting a practice from scratchWhy acquisitions can turn into “pseudo startup...
What if the reason you don’t feel wealthy has nothing to do with your income and everything to do with how your practice runs without you? We unpack why so many high-earning dentists still feel one bad month from disaster and lay out a clear path to replace anxiety with real freedom. If you’re ready to swap bigger numbers for better systems and design a practice that supports your life, not the other way around, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague who needs a reset, and lea...
The loan bill hits before your handpiece warms up—and it’s bigger than your first apartment. We sat down with Dr. Alan Mead of the Very Dental Podcast to unpack the sticker shock of modern dental education, the real math behind associate versus owner income, and how to build skills that actually move your take-home. No five-step frameworks, just honest stories, practical tactics, and plenty of laughs to keep it human. We start with the big question: is dentistry still worth it when new grads...
A last-minute cancellation shouldn’t hijack three hours of your day. We dig into a simple shift—pre-collecting before you schedule—that lowers AR, slashes cancellations, and gives your front desk a calmer, cleaner workflow without awkward money talks at checkout. By the end, you’ll have the words, the rules, and the check-ins to make pre-collections stick—and a team that sees it as clarity, not conflict. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs fewer no-shows, and...
Tired of feeling like growth is always easier for someone else? We pull back the curtain on the real pivot point in practice ownership: not a lucky break, better reimbursements, or a unicorn office manager, but a clear decision to lead as CEO. Once that identity shifts, everything changes—how you spend your time, what you tolerate, how your team shows up, and how fast the numbers move. If you’re ready to stop reacting and start designing a team-driven, profitable practice with real freedom,...
Feeling overworked and underpaid even when your schedule is jammed? Paul breaks down the three decisions that turned a frantic, low-margin grind into a calmer, higher-profit practice: force capacity with DPH block scheduling, reclaim CEO time by understanding owner profit, and build a leadership team that truly insulates you from daily fires. If you’re ready to stop sprinting through composites and start running a business that serves your life, this conversation lays out the playbook: inten...
Staring at your AR and seeing chaos instead of clarity? We’ve been there, and we built a simple path out. We walk through a practical, three-part framework that turns one scary number into a clear diagnosis, so you know what to fix first and how to keep cash flowing without drama. If your AR feels like a magic eye poster, this is your focusing lens. Walk away with a short checklist, clear ownership, and a plan to make cash flow predictable. If this approach helps, subscribe, share it with a ...
Running a practice with your spouse can be your biggest advantage… or your biggest stressor. In this episode, husband and wife team Trent and Hope Neisen share how they've made it work through big transitions, burnout, and the day-to-day challenges of running a practice. You'll hear how they handle the hard days, maintain boundaries in the office, and stay aligned as leaders of the practice. Topics discussed: Defining your role of clinical vs. office managerHow they handle disagreements and s...
You start the year with big intentions, but end up back in autopilot mode. Sound familiar? This episode breaks down why good goals fall apart, especially in growing practices. The DPH coaches share how you can reset, refocus, and make sure this year doesn’t end with you right back where you started. From setting the right goals to building a leadership team you can rely on, you'll learn how to turn big goals into clear, actionable steps that help you create the life and practice you actually ...
Ever set a production goal that felt exciting, then realized the math didn’t support it? We walk through a clear, no-fluff framework that turns revenue wishes into achievable targets by anchoring everything to one number: dollar per clinical hour. From there, we test whether your current systems can carry that load—diagnosis habits, treatment acceptance, and patient volume—and show how small, targeted adjustments create outsized gains without adding chaos to your week. We start by reverse-en...
Most dentists push for a yes right now. We take a different path and show how planting a clear, respectful seed today leads to an easy yes at the next visit—no pressure, no awkward sales pitch, just a plan the patient helped shape. Using four common scenarios—SRP hesitation, x-ray refusal, cracked teeth without symptoms, and adult crowding—we walk through the exact words, visuals, and boundaries that turn doubt into acceptance. Enjoy the strategies? Subscribe, share with a colleague, and l...
Before you spend another dollar on marketing, look at this first: your phones. Most practices assume their staff has it handled because calls are coming in and the team feels busy, but missed calls and poor phone systems could be costing you more new patients than you realize. In this episode, the DPH coaches explain how to audit your phone systems, reduce missed calls, and get more new patients on the schedule. You'll get ideas for simple workflows and automation tools that keep calls from s...
Rising costs don’t have to automatically mean less profit. If your supply spend is sitting around 7–8%, this episode will show you how your practice can get group-level pricing and support without selling or partnering with a DSO. Jeff Cellucci of MB2 Dental introduces Carabelli Club as an option for people who want all the benefits of a group without the commitment. That means group-level pricing, vetted vendors, and a simpler way to order everything your practice needs! Topics discussed: Ho...
Ever feel like your practice is stuck on repeat, fighting the same fires while your stress keeps rising? We get honest about why that happens and how to stop it—by freeing your leaders from task overload, building systems that hold, and protecting the time required to actually lead. When owners and department heads operate in reactive mode, the practice can’t scale. The fix isn’t hustle; it’s structure. If you’re ready to set up a leadership team with clear roles, evaluations, and playbooks,...
Sex questions, angry patients, and a staff meeting joke gone wrong — welcome to dentistry. In this episode, the DPH coaches share the weird, unexpected, and straight up awkward moments that have tested their leadership and their staff. Their stories highlight how you can respectfully handle uncomfortable situations in your practice and continue to lead even when things get messy. Topics discussed: Henry’s awkward break room momentHow to handle explicit questions from patientsThe joke that tau...
Ever feel like no matter what you change in the practice, you’re “wrong”? Push too hard and the team melts down. Stand still and nothing improves. We break the cycle by showing how to make progress without chaos: one focused change at a time, packaged around a clear outcome, supported by micro check-ins, and closed with a real finish line your team can trust. If you’re ready to roll out systems at the right pace and build a team that embraces improvement, subscribe, share this episode with a...
We work hard to build wealth, but are you taking the time to actually protect it? Yes, you have insurance and have established an LLC, but that doesn't mean you're covered. In today’s episode, expert Gary Harker of Legally Mine shares three simple asset protection moves you can make right now to protect your money, lower your risk, and stop bleeding money in taxes. You’ll get ideas for building wealth for your kids and simple ways to get proactive so you can keep more of what you earn! Topics...
Most practices don’t fail for lack of systems—they fail because accountability shows up late, tense, and inconsistent. We unpack a practical way to fix that with the CVI method—curiosity, validation, and invitation—so your team follows through without fear, defensiveness, or drama. You’ll hear why “laminated” SOPs stall, how delayed feedback normalizes noncompliance, and how reframing protocols around patient outcomes and team fairness wins real buy-in. If this resonated, share it with a col...
Struggling to hit production goals despite a packed schedule? In this episode, we get into the root issue of why your production is falling short and the mistakes you probably don't know you're making. Learn which appointments are practice killers, when block scheduling doesn't work, and how to design a schedule that can hit $1,200 per hour! Topics discussed: Why you’re busy but underproducingHow to implement block schedulingWho shouldn’t use block scheduling and what to do insteadThe bottle...
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