Just a Couple of Dentists

👉 If you downloaded the front office checklists…this is the other half! 6 back office checklists Alex used to keep everything running smoothly. Download them Here! https://bo.checklists.startmilo.com/   Most dentists think producing more just means doing more dentistry. That’s not really how it works. In this episode, Eric and Alex bring Spencer Greer back on to talk through what actually makes a practice run well and produce more without everything feeling chaotic. Spencer runs multiple high-producing practices, and what’s interesting is he’s not tracking a million things or micromanaging every detail. He’s focused on a few core levers that actually move the needle. They get into what changed for him as he went from being in the weeds to running offices that don’t need him there all day, the leadership mistakes he made early on, and how he thinks about managing a team now. They also talk through bonuses, team buy-in, hygiene production, and why a lot of dentists are probably focusing on the wrong things. What We Cover • The difference between managing in the office vs from a distance • Why tracking everything usually backfires • The few numbers that actually matter • How Spencer structures bonuses (and what didn’t work at first) • Why bonuses can create tension in an office • The leadership mistakes most owners don’t realize they’re making • How to figure out what actually matters to your team • Simple ways to improve hygiene production • The difference between a “busy” day and a “crazy” day • Hiring people you actually want to work with Sponsors Darkhorse Tech If you’ve ever had tech issues shut your office down for even half a day, you know how frustrating that is. Darkhorse Tech handles IT and cybersecurity specifically for dental practices, so you’re not dealing with that kind of stuff in the middle of your day. They’re offering the first month free for listeners of the podcast. Learn more at: https://www.darkhorsetech.com nadapayments Most practices are paying more than they need to in credit card fees—they just don’t realize it. Nadapayments is built specifically for dental offices and helps bring those costs down without making things more complicated for your team. The offer for listeners: $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees. Check them out here: https://www.nadapayments.com If you enjoy the podcast, the best way to support us is simple: Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another dentist.

👉 Get the 7 checklists Alex used to keep her front office organized and in control Download them HERE! Hiring in dentistry is hard. Training them might be even harder. In this episode, Eric and Alex break down the exact system they used to train new team members inside their own practice. This is the same framework that helped them bring assistants and front office team members up to speed quickly while keeping the entire office running smoothly. They walk through their 3-3-3 training system, what new hires should learn in the first 3 days, first 3 weeks, and first 3 months,  and the systems they used to make sure things actually stuck. They also talk about why most dental offices struggle with training, how to avoid overwhelming new team members, and why tying raises to skill development completely changed how their team learned. If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly starting over every time you hire someone new, this episode lays out a simple playbook that actually works. What We Cover • The 3-3-3 training system used in Eric and Alex’s practice • What every new hire should understand in their first 3 days • The key skills assistants should master by week 3 • How to train assistants to support treatment acceptance • Why most dental practices overcomplicate training • The intraoral camera habit that helps patients say yes to treatment • How tying raises to skills instead of time improves team performance • Why systems make hiring and onboarding dramatically easier Sponsors Darkhorse Tech If you’ve ever dealt with slow IT support, outdated computers, or random tech issues that shut your office down for the day, you know how frustrating dental technology can be. Darkhorse Tech specializes in IT and cybersecurity specifically for dental practices, and they’ve built their entire company around helping dentists avoid the tech disasters that seem to happen at the worst possible time. They’re offering the first month free for listeners of the podcast. Learn more at: https://www.darkhorsetech.com nadapayments Most dental offices are still paying way too much in credit card processing fees. Nadapayments is a payment platform built specifically for dental practices that helps reduce those costs while keeping things simple for your team. The offer for listeners: $25 per month and 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction with no other fees. Check them out here: https://www.nadapayments.com If you enjoy the podcast, the best way to support us is simple: follow the show, leave a review, and share the episode with another dentist. It helps more than you think.

Should you give associates equity in your dental practice? Some owners think it’s crazy. Others think it’s the only way to scale. In this episode, Eric and Alex sit down with Jason Tanoory, who has built an 8-practice dental group in upstate New York using a model that allows both associate dentists and key non-clinical staff to earn equity in the organization. We break down how the model works, the mistakes Jason made along the way, and when something like this actually makes sense for a practice owner. Topics we cover: • Why Jason chose an equity model instead of traditional partnerships • How associates earn equity without writing a check • The production hurdle system used to allocate shares • Vesting schedules and how ownership grows over time • What happens if an associate leaves the organization • Why equity isn’t always the right incentive for team members • The difference between equity, phantom equity, and bonuses • How this model helped Jason grow to 8 practices and 25 associates If you’ve ever wondered whether giving equity to associates or staff actually works, this episode walks through a real-world example of someone doing it. Subscribe to the Podcast If you enjoy the show, follow Just a Couple of Dentists so you never miss an episode. 🎧 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5mxdS8Bx8zN7XxrKZ6QcZj 🍎 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-a-couple-of-dentists/id1782713047 Sponsors nadapayments Most dentists don’t realize how much they’re overpaying in credit card processing. Nadapayments created a pricing model specifically for dental practices that’s simple and transparent. The offer for JACD listeners is: • $25 per month • 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction • No other fees If you want to see how much your practice could save, check them out here: https://www.nadapayments.com Darkhorse Tech If your IT company only shows up when something breaks, you’re doing it wrong. Darkhorse Tech specializes in dental-specific IT support, cybersecurity, backups, and compliance — all designed for how dental offices actually run. JACD listeners get their first month of service free. Learn more here: https://www.darkhorsetech.com

We randomly saw Brett Kessler like our Facebook page… so naturally Eric slid into his DMs. Turns out he wasn’t just some dentist from Colorado. He was the former President of the ADA. In this episode we talk about: • What it’s actually like running for ADA president (yes, it’s basically a political campaign) • Getting attacked publicly and how he handled it • Testifying in front of Congress about “meth mouth” • The real tension between private equity and dentist autonomy • The hygiene shortage and why it’s not as simple as “just pay more” We also get into Olympic athletes, burnout, startup struggles, and what it really means to lead when everyone has an opinion. Brett’s story goes from addiction recovery… to the White House… to shaping national policy around fluoride and oral health. Big thanks to our sponsors who help keep this thing going: Darkhorse Tech If your IT guy is still “a buddy who’s good with computers,” it’s time. These guys specialize in dental practices and actually understand what we deal with. They’re offering your first month free if you mention Just a Couple of Dentists. 👉 https://www.darkhorsetech.com And nadapayments If you’re still overpaying on merchant fees, at least look at this. They do $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No junk fees. No weird stuff. It’s one of those “why didn’t I switch earlier” things. 👉 https://www.nadapayments.com If you want to support the podcast, check them out.

Jay Glazer from Crazy Dental Prices joins Eric and Alex to pull back the curtain on how dental supplies are priced, why “house brands” can be surprisingly legit, and what “export packaging” and gray market actually mean. We get into why the same product can be wildly different prices depending on where you buy it, how private label products are made, and why dentists get trained to trust certain brands before they ever graduate.  In this episode: Why supply pricing feels random, and why it’s not How house brand and private label products really get made The truth about “export packaging” and gray market supplies Why the “big distributor = safest” assumption isn’t always true When generics make sense Why dentists are picky, and why that’s not always a bad thing The real reason reps and manufacturers hate gray market Simple ways to test cheaper options without blowing up your workflow Sponsors Darkhorse Tech We use Darkhorse in our practices and they’ve been huge for keeping our tech from becoming a dumpster fire. Instead of waiting until something breaks and scrambling, they’re proactive. They help with security, backups, updates, all the stuff you don’t think about until it’s a problem. If your office IT situation is basically “call someone when it explodes,” you should at least talk to them. Listeners get their first month of service free. www.darkhorsetech.com nadapayments We switched to nadapayments because we were tired of feeling like merchant services was this black box that just quietly took more every month. It’s simple: $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other random fees. We’ve saved real money using them, and it’s one of those expenses that adds up way more than people realize. If you haven’t looked at your processing fees in a while, this is probably worth five minutes of your time. www.nadapayments.com

Everyone talks about the multiple. Nobody talks about what happens after the money hits your bank account. In this episode with Deren Flesher, we break down what life actually looks like after you sell to a DSO: • Minority ownership and what that really means • 2–5 year employment agreements • Recap cycles explained • What roles and responsibilities you can expect after selling • When your practice gets too big for a private buyer • How to build a practice that can run without you If you’re thinking about selling at some point, make sure to listen! Sponsors Darkhorse Tech Your dental office is most vulnerable when you’re not there — nights, weekends, holidays. That’s when hackers strike. Darkhorse monitors your practice 24/7 — not just 9–5. Mention Just a Couple of Dentists and get your first month free. 👉 darkhorsetech.com NADA Payments We switched after almost signing with the wrong company and it saved us over $20,000 in credit card fees. Listeners get an exclusive deal: $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other hidden fees. If you’re still paying traditional merchant rates, you’re just lighting money on fire. 👉 nadapayments.com

There are certain posts that blow up in dental Facebook groups. Lots of likes. Lots of agreement. And a lot of people quietly thinking… ehh, not sure about that. In this episode, we talk about the stuff most dentists won’t comment publicly but definitely talk about offline. We bounce around a few topics, including: The hygiene pay debate and why it feels broken Non-competes and why people freak out about them Why so many dentists keep looking for a way “out” Why celebrating staff birthdays doesn't REALLY improve culture Thanks to our sponsors Darkhorse Tech IT and security built for dental offices. First month is free for listeners. https://darkhorsetech.com Nadapayments Payment processing that helps practices cut credit card fees. Listener offer: $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction https://nadapayments.com

Merchant fees are one of the most ignored line items in a dental practice. In this episode, Eric and Alex bring on Roman and Steven from nadapayments to break down how credit card surcharging actually works, what’s legal, what’s sketchy, and how practices can eliminate most processing fees without upsetting patients or risking compliance issues. They walk through real numbers, common fears dentists have, and the exact front-desk scripting that makes this a non-issue in real life. No matter if you're doing $500k a year or $5 million, this is one of the simplest changes you can make to improve cash flow in your practice. Sponsor shoutout This episode is sponsored by nadapayments, the merchant services provider Eric and Alex actually use in their own practices. Listener offer: $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction, no other fees. Learn more or request a demo: https://nadapayments.com Also sponsored by Darkhorse Tech — the dental IT team that helps protect practices from hacks, downtime, and security headaches. Listener offer: First month of service free. Learn more: https://darkhorsetech.com

Dentists get pitched a lot of “can’t-miss” investment opportunities. Real estate. Private funds. Side deals. “Exclusive” opportunities that somehow always land in your inbox. In this episode, we sit down with Jason Covert, an attorney who previously prosecuted fraud cases, to break down how bad deals actually work and what to look for before you wire money. We talk through: Why dentists are prime targets for alternative investments The biggest red flags hidden inside private placement memorandums (PPMs) Why the use of funds section really matters How salespeople (not owners) often pitch investments What questions you should always ask a sponsor When it makes sense to hire a lawyer and when it probably doesn’t How influencers and promoters end up getting sued The difference between being named in a lawsuit and actually being liable A Special Thank You to Our Sponsors Darkhorse Tech Darkhorse Tech handles your IT — the stuff that has to work every day but usually doesn’t get attention until something breaks. They help practices with: IT support Network setup Security (without scare tactics) Making sure your systems actually work the way they’re supposed to And they explain things in plain English, not IT jargon. 👉 First month of service is free 🔗 https://darkhorsetech.com NADA Payments NADA Payments helps practices pass the credit card processing fee to the patient the right way, without sketchy contracts or surprise fees. The practice pays: $25/month 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction No other fees That’s it. If your merchant statement looks like it was designed to confuse you, this is worth a look. 🔗 https://nadapayments.com

In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, we sit down with Dr. Chris Green to break down one of the biggest silent killers in dental practices right now: hygiene no-shows. A lot of offices brag about high reappointment rates but that doesn’t matter if patients don’t actually show up. Chris walks through the exact system his practice uses to consistently run a 90%+ hygiene show rate, even in a world where patients cancel last minute, ignore calls, and treat appointments like optional calendar holds. We get into: The difference between reappointment rate vs. show rate (and why most practices track the wrong thing) Why unconfirmed appointments should come off the schedule The 48-hour cancellation policy that actually works The confirmation cadence that prevents last-minute no-shows Why a simple “see you in 2 hours” text makes a real difference How assigning ONE owner to a system changes execution What to do when patients cancel anyway and how to try to save the appointment How to fill hygiene holes when cancellations happen A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors Darkhorse Tech If your IT only gets attention when something breaks, that’s a problem. Darkhorse actually owns your tech — cybersecurity, backups, compliance, and support — so it doesn’t fall through the cracks. 👉 First month of service is free for our listeners. 🔗 https://darkhorsetech.com NADA Payments Credit card fees are one of the quietest leaks in a dental practice. NADA flips the model so patients cover the credit card fee instead of the practice — without sketchy contracts or junk fees. Our listener offer: $25/month 1.5% + $0.25 on debit only No other fees 🔗 https://nadapayments.com