How one simple leadership exercise can uncover opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, and the patient experience. Most pediatric dentists believe their team communicates consistently with patients and parents. But do they? When was the last time you asked each member of your team how they actually explain a procedure, answer a parent’s question, or complete […]
PDTA Leadership Pearls & Articles
Why Good Employees Sometimes Struggle
Good employees don’t want to guess. They want to succeed! So, How Can You Help Good Employees Succeed? Instead of hoping they’ll “pick it up as they go,” create a practice environment where success is intentional. Here are a few ways to start: ✔️ Clearly Define Every Role Every team member should know exactly what is […]
Hiring Without Experience? Here’s What the Most Successful Practices Do Differently
Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with pediatric dentists and their teams in Philadelphia, Myrtle Beach, Orlando, and most recently at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Annual Session in Las Vegas. One of my favorite parts of attending these meetings isn’t presenting. It’s listening. I enjoy meeting new pediatric […]
Your Morning Sets the Tone: The Front Desk SOP That Changes Everything
You don’t have a front desk problem. You have a morning preparation problem. And it shows up every single day. Phones ringing before anyone is ready Patients arriving before charts are prepped Financial conversations happening on the fly Your team reacting… instead of leading You can feel it within the first 10 minutes. The tone […]
How to Build (and Keep) a High-Performance Team
“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team.’ There is a me, though, if you jumble it up.” — Dr. Greg House Let’s be honest for a minute… Most of us didn’t go into dentistry because we wanted to manage people. We went into dentistry because we love what we do. And yet… here we are. Running a practice.Leading […]
Basic Communication Skills in Pediatric Dentistry: Tips, Techniques & Comedy
Last Friday in Philadelphia, I had the privilege of speaking on communication in the pediatric dental office. Not clinical technique.Not materials. Communication. After decades in practice, I have learned that communication skills in pediatric dentistry are often the difference between calm resolution and unnecessary conflict. Most conflicts in a pediatric dental office are preventable. They […]
7 Ways to Grow Your Practice by Taking Better Care of the Patients You Already Have
Internal Marketing in a Pediatric Dental Practice: 7 Ways to Grow from Within In today’s competitive dental landscape, many offices focus heavily on attracting new patients. However, one of the most effective growth strategies is internal marketing in a pediatric dental practice — strengthening relationships with the families you already serve. When patients feel welcomed, […]
5 Keys to Effective Communication
Effective Communication in a Pediatric Dental Practice: Why It Matters Remember the childhood game “telephone”? One simple sentence turns into something completely unrecognizable by the time it reaches the last person. It’s funny in elementary school. It’s far less amusing in a pediatric dental practice. Miscommunication in a dental office can lead to confused parents, […]
🧚♀️ The $35 Tooth Fairy Visit — and Why It Matters for Your Practice
How a simple lost tooth can become a powerful practice-building moment Every once in a while, a patient says something that stays with you. Recently, a little one in my practice told me with absolute delight that the Tooth Fairy had left $35 under their pillow. I raised an eyebrow at the dad, who laughed […]
Running Your Practice Like a Well-Tuned Orchestra
Picture this: It’s Monday morning. You walk into the office and everything is already humming. The ops are set up, your staff is on time, the schedule is full (and booked out for months!), and there’s even a waiting list. The team is reviewing today’s patients, making sure they understand the needs of each child […]