T-bone Speaks Dentistry

Haseeb Sajid is the second-generation owner of TBS Dental Instruments, a company that has been providing high-quality dental equipment to practices across the country since 1992. They’re also behind the U.S. patented FRINGS technology, or forceps with spring. FRINGS replaced the need to manually open dental forceps, which allowed practitioners to use the tool with much less stress on the hand. To make dentistry as efficient as possible, Haseeb and his team continue to innovate and create tools that could one day replace what every dental practice is using today. Today, Haseeb joins us to share the meaning of the company name, a short story of how it started, and the changes he and his brother made when they inherited the company. He discusses what sets them apart from other instrument manufacturers, especially when it comes to quality and where their tools are made. We discuss how their company manages to combine aesthetics and function without making their tools too expensive. Haseeb describes how they came

This week I come to you alone with a personal message about "Getting in the Game" vs "staying in the game".To often we get consumed and focused with getting in the game.  Over time this allows our practice to get out of control and no longer look like what we dreamed.  This week I shared with you how I (and you too) am turning my focus to what it takes to stay in the game of dentistry.

There’s always a first time for everything, and it’s no different when it comes to dentistry. It’s not even about how long you’ve been running a practice. Some cases just don’t come to us, but dentists should actively seek out doing any treatment for the first time. More than just getting the experience, the people you meet and work with, the mindset you must possess, and the processes you will learn can be life-changing from both a business and personal perspective.  Today, I share the story of my first hybrid patient and why I decided to take the case. I discuss the steps involved when it comes to hybrids, my experience working with a dental surgeon, and what I learned from them. I explain what type of hybrid cases you should have in your practice and how you can provide the most seamless customer experience. I describe your front-office team's role and why I believe they are the bottleneck of our practice. I discuss how a medical representative can help prepare your team for new procedures and service

Michael DiTolla is the Vice President of Clinical Affairs and Communications at AEGIS Dental Network. He is also a sought-after speaker and routinely conducts seminars to help dentists learn new techniques and ways of providing services. He has presented on stages at  various dental organizations such as the American Dental Association, Yankee Dental Meeting, Alaska Dental Association, and New York County Dental Society. Due to the pandemic of 2020, Michael has since shifted to conducting webinars. However, despite the relatively new approach, he still finds ways to make his presentations as educational and entertaining as ever. Today, Michael joins me to share what dentists are like when we’re not wearing our coats and treating patients. He describes how his speaking career has shifted since the pandemic began and how he’s adjusted to virtual seminars. He discusses how technology should be embraced as a means of getting to a higher level of dentistry. He shares how speaking has changed his perspective o

Zachary “Zak” Allmand is the CEO and Co-Founder of Apex Payment Solutions, a solutions company that aims to make financial transactions easier for business owners and their customers. They offer a set of innovative products and services that optimize payment processing. Their tools accelerate payment transactions and have also helped practices boost their case acceptance and collection rate. Before founding Apex Payment, Zack was a full-time dentist in the Indianapolis, Indiana area for over seven years. Prior to running his dental practice, Zack also served as a general dentist in the United States Air Force. Today, Zak joins me to discuss how you can grow bigger despite your success and how having a payment solutions service can accelerate that growth. He shares why he pursued a dental career, his career as a general dentist in the military, and what inspired the idea for Apex Payment Solutions. He explains how their tool works and what makes them the best payment solutions company for dentists. He discusse

The people you assigned to your Front Office are the ones your patients see first upon entering our practice. Your Front Office team is also in charge of building rapport when a patient engages with them. Naturally, you want your Front Office team to be inviting and always say the correct answers to every patient’s query, whether it’s about a treatment plan or a scheduled appointment. The last thing you want to happen is to lose a case because your Front Office improperly handled a patient’s concerns.  What positions are critical for the Front Office? What’s the best way for them to interact with patients? Today, we answer some of the common questions most dentists have regarding building an effective Front Office team. We discuss the Front Office's critical roles and what to look for when hiring someone for them. We explain why the office manager should be the last person you should hire and the qualities and traits you have to look for in a treatment coordinator. We describe the proper way of discussin

Rohit Garg is the President of Practice By Numbers, a company that offers dental management software that can translate metrics and data into digestible, easy-to-understand numbers your team can use to boost business growth. He experienced what it was like starting a new dental practice and realized the need to have a kind of data-tracking software that can help dental businesses start growing and keep growing. Before founding Practice By Numbers, Rohit was a Development Manager at Philips Healthcare.  Today, Rohit joins us to share how their tool can help business owners determine how fast they’re growing or if they need to address shortcomings in their practice. He explains the types of data you must always keep track of and how they affect growth. He describes what inspired him to make a data management software and customize it for each client. He discusses the common problems he’s seen in many mastermind groups and how their tool can solve them. Rohit also shares why there can be such a thing as too

Orthodontics is a dental specialization that puts extra emphasis on the positioning of your teeth and jaw, not just for aesthetics but also for preventing any related long-term dental complications. However, what goes in-between each treatment is different with each patient. It takes more than just a simple consultation to convince a patient that your team can provide the best service over other practices.  How do you explain to a patient why they should use your orthodontic services? How do you guarantee top-of-mind awareness to first-time patients? To help us get answers is our very own Michele Benz.  Today, Michele joins us to share the benefits of adding orthodontics to your practice and what business owners should expect regarding various tools and treatments. She describes how her patients learn about the treatment plan they have for them, especially when it comes to justifying the cost. She explains why orthodontics is emotional dentistry. She discusses how marketing works in this field and w

Ashley Latter is recognized as The Selling Coach of the dental industry. He has over 26,000 hours of business coaching experience, all towards dentists all over the world. He teaches dentists how to get more of their patients to say yes to their treatment plans, overcoming the price hurdle. Through Ashley’s coaching, dentists have created more opportunities within their practices, improved treatment plan uptake, and confidently handle patient objections. Ashley is also the author of three sales books on dentistry: Don’t Wait for the Tooth Fairy – How to Communicate Effectively & Create the Perfect Patient Journey in your Dental Practice, The Dental Practice “Jugglers”, and You Are Worth It: Feel Comfortable Communicating your Fees & Achieve the Income your Services Deserve. Today, Ashley joins us to share how dentists can be more professional about how they sell their services and how to handle patient objections. He explains why he became a sales coach for dentists, where it all began, and the people

I was recently interviewed by Joshua Scott, the host behind the GO LIVE podcast and The 8E8 Show. Joshua is the CEO of Studio 8E8 (pronounced “88”), a creative dental marketing firm specializing in brand creation, website development, and digital solutions. He is also a marketing speaker and consultant specializing in boosting a dental practice’s marketing efforts and social media presence. The GO LIVE podcast is a show that is hosted live every week on Facebook that features top dental influencers and thought leaders. Joshua has over 20 years of public speaking experience, with 15 of those years providing for the dental industry. Today, Joshua interviews me on how I got started in dentistry and my passion as an educator. I share my thoughts on how technology allowed new dentists to reach their peaks years faster than our predecessors and describe why I don’t want dentists to walk the same path of those in medicine. I explain how I came up with the name “3d Dentists,” my entrepreneurial drive, and why I want

Erin Elliot is a dentist with a particular interest in Dental Sleep Medicine. She is a recognized expert in the field and has been hired to speak and lecture extensively on this topic. Her business is all about helping dentists incorporate sleep services to treat sleep apnea and snoring into their practices. Erin is also a member of her local American Dental Association in Idaho, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. Today, Erin joins us to discuss some of the most important things to consider when you want to include dental sleep medicine in your practice. We share the common questions our audience asks about sleep apnea, especially regarding how to get started. Erin explains the top conditions dentists should know and how to make services not covered by medical insurance more affordable. She describes why merely writing a letter can be a great way to market your services to a physician. We discuss the right time for a dentist to ask for referrals and why

Lane Barker is the owner of Magnolia Dental Spa, a dental practice that provides high-quality services and makes each patient feel like they’re being pampered by having a luxury spa atmosphere. He has over 20 years of experience in general and cosmetic dentistry and has completed advanced training in other services, including Botox and dermal fillers. Lane launched Magnolia Dental Spa in 2019 to provide nothing but the ultimate level of service through current technology and new treatments.  Today, Lane joins us to discuss what it’s been like since their practice started offering dental implants. He shares the initial fears about dental implants and extractions and how he eventually felt comfortable and even looked forward to providing these services. He describes his experience with the 3D Dentist program and his takeaways from the training. He explains why he was doubtful about running a practice by himself and what changed his mindset. Lane also shares the payment options he set up so his patients can

It may seem odd to hear this, but one of the best ways to learn how to run a dental practice is by reading books that aren’t about dentistry. A dental practice is, at its core, a business with a few or a lot of moving parts. When you look at your practice this way, your references are no longer limited to dentistry books and will expand to also include some of the best business and investment books on the market. This is why for the first-ever Book Club episode, our team will be analyzing and applying what we learned from reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. Today, we discuss the reasons why we decided to start a book club series, why we chose to review and analyze Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and how we relate it to our practice. We share why the book was a game-changer for its time as well as some of our favorite passages. We explain the difference between being rich and being wealthy and why we, as a team, are just rich. We describe how the book has impacted our careers, our financial mindset, and how we

Tejas Patel is a Cosmetic Dentist who owns Austin Cosmetic Dentistry by Tejas Patel. His practice offers cosmetic, preventative, implant, and restorative dentistry. He has over 17 years of experience providing advanced dental solutions for patients who not only want healthy teeth, but also a confident smile. Tejas previously ran and owned another clinic in Lakeway, Texas before exclusively offering his services in his current practice in Austin. On top of having a DDS Degree from University of Texas Dental Branch, Tejas also majored in Spanish and Biology from the University of Houston.   Today, Tejas joins us to discuss how he became one of the most recognizable faces in dental social media. He shares why his team allocates close to 80% of their marketing budget to social media ads, including TikTok videos. He explains how he runs his practice and why he chooses not to offer every service in his clinic. Tejas also describes what it’s like to be a virtual dentist and how he treats out-of-town patients, e

Kris Aadland is the owner of Aadland Dental, a dental practice in the Vancouver, Washington area. She is also a faculty member of Implant Pathway, a group that offers continued education that helps dentists learn everything they need to know about surgical placement of dental implants. Kris completed her undergraduate work at Oregon State University and went to Oregon Health Sciences University for dental school. She has always dreamed of running her own practice, and with hard work and focus, Kris realized this dream in 2009 - a year when many practices were closing shop and filing for bankruptcy. Today, Kris joins us to share what she’s been up to since we last had her on the show. She describes the transition she’s made when it came to reducing her working days and how she convinced herself that doing more isn’t the only way to grow. She explains the services her practice currently offers and why she’s still a bit anxious when it comes to tooth extractions. Kris also discusses how the pandemic allowed her

You can say a treatment coordinator is a lot like being a sales person, but instead of closing deals, they close dental procedures for patients as they are scheduled by dentists. Their role is to make sure the schedule is followed and every patient has a complete treatment plan. More than planning, they are also critical when it comes to bridging the communication gap between dentist and patient. Because of her innate skill set and time management skills, it wasn’t difficult to see how Crystal Pion would not only take charge of this role, but revel in it.Today, Crystal joins us to share what it’s like being a treatment coordinator for my practice. She describes what her role entails, the responsibilities assigned to her, and what she’s learned from it. She discusses what her daily routine looks like and how the pandemic has affected the practice as a whole. She explains the importance of communication, especially now that everyone is going virtual. Crystal also shares what her job was like before joining my t

Monitoring business KPIs is critical not just for making sure the practice turns a profit, but to see any potential room for growth as well as to address any weak points. KPIs can also tell you the effects of any changes in your practice and will help determine whether or not these changes should be kept or revisited. The problem is there are just too many things to monitor and take note of in a business. What are the important KPIs every business owner should track?Today, I discuss the three important KPIs your practice should track to grow in 2021. I share what to track for general dentistry services like hygiene. I explain why many appointments don’t go on schedule and what you can do to make sure your KPIs aren’t fluctuating due to no-shows. I also describe why I’m not fond of upfront payments for my patients and the benefits of in-office payment plans. "If you make your goal for the first 3-5 months of 2021 to focus on these three key indicators, you will see your practice move in a better direction."- T

Unlike previous years, everyone will be walking into 2021 as cautiously as possible because of the way 2020 has been, and how it forced a lot of people and businesses outside their comfort zones. However, the world has slowly adjusted to this “new normal,” and many businesses are now setting their goals for 2021. How would a business set their goals in a world that’s still waking up to a pandemic? How do we apply the lessons we learned in 2020 going to the new year? Today, I share how my team and I are setting our goals and plans for 2021 - not just in spite of the pandemic, but also around it. I discuss my thoughts on the past year and when I think things will go back to normal. I describe our practice’s SMART system for goal setting and explain the key differences between goals and statements. I also share what it means to schedule intentionally, why I don’t like big waiting rooms, and how keeping score on your team members’ day-to-day can improve business efficiency."Just because the calendar turns 2021 do

This week I speak candidly about refocusing and re-energizing ourselves back to the Winning Mindset for 2021. I am afraid that we did such a great job In survival mode In 2020, that we are limiting ourselves from growth and flexibility for the future. . What are we trying to achieve? What Is you goal?This week on T-Bone Speaks Dentistry Podcast:- My Nine Step Process will take you out of survival mode and into the Winning Mindset. I break down how to focus on your mindset, your practice and yourself. - You need multiple dentists within a single location to drive down costs and Increase profitability. - Have a business that runs If you are out of town or In the office.- Pick and chose the procedures you want to do. Your time Is sacred so use It mindfully!- Encourage and empower your team members to OWN their store front- Be the champion of the single practice dentist. - How to deal with corporatization of dentistry, which affects us directly.- How to be good at what you do. Embrace your role and run with it!-

Running a growing business requires plenty of resources, arguably much more than starting one. The only difference is, you already know what you’re doing once you’re in the growth phase, and the problem now has shifted to resource management. Just like any business, dental practices also have a scarcity issue when it comes to four key resources: Time, mental bandwidth, physical strength, and economics.  How should a business owner manage these four key resources?  Today, I discuss my thoughts on the four scarce resources in any business and what many business owners should focus on to manage them. I share what I think most practitioners get wrong when it comes to business efficiency and explain why the ultimate goal of a business owner shouldn’t be to get more patients. I describe what ‘survival mode’ is in business and why it’s not advisable to be hyper focused on survival. I also share the reason why the economics of a business should be the last priority."There's a lot of focus on efficiencies in