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The My Practice My Business Dental Podcast
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The My Practice My Business Dental Podcast

Author: Robert Thorup, DDS

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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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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. Support the show
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 driv...
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 be...
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...
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? Support the show

Cite Your Source!

2024-12-0201:18:52

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 presen...

Goals vs. Purpose

2024-11-0418:14

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. Support the show

Who's In Charge?

2024-10-2122:20

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 ...
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: Support the show
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. Th...
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. Support the show
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! Support the show
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. Support the show
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! Support the show

MPMB June 2024 Update

2024-06-2421:55

Some exciting news from MPMB. Support the show
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. Learn the difference from LEPAT (least expensive professionally accepted treatment) to ME...
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. Support the show

Nitrous Oxide Testing

2024-03-2526:07

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! Support the show
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, t...
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 as...

2023 in Review

2024-01-0158:16

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! Support the show
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 qual...
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, an...
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...
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, ther...
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 frien...
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 ...
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. Support the show
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 ...
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, i...
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. Support the show
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… Support the show
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. Support the show
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. Su...
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 T...
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...
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 no...
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.” Support the show
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. Support the show
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 whe...
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 L...
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.... Support the show
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 an...
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. Support the show
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 ...
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. The...
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 b...
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 sta...
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... Support the show
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 de...
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