Even with the popularity of digital scans and CEREC systems, dentists have come to realize that they still need a trustworthy dental lab on their side. Whether it is to handle highly aesthetic cases or for complex reconstruction or removable cases, a good lab is the ace in a dentist’s lab coat! I had a
Now that all the hustle and bustle of the holidays have subsided, now is a good time to do a check of your computer needs for the upcoming year. That is why I wanted to bring back a topic I discussed several months ago and that is IT services for your practice. In 2020, Microsoft
For patients, what is the most fearful part of a dental procedure? It’s the fear of getting a “shot.” Countless classes and products have been hawked in search of the painless injection. We’ve all taken courses on how to give painless injections. It is the holy grail of dentistry because if you can offer painless
What do patients usually do when they walk into your office? They go to the front desk, fill out paperwork, and then sit down in the waiting area. They probably will look around, look at what’s on TV and if nothing interests them, whip out their phone and start looking at it intensely until their
Technology in the healthcare field has progressed so much in the past two decades that now, most dental offices are paperless and/or digital. It has allowed for better patient care and greater efficiency for the dental practice. Why not leverage technology to make your practice stand out? Patient communication and engagement is such a critical
“No one has ever become poor by giving.” -Anne Frank Children say the darnedest things and sometimes they say things that are so profound, it makes you shake your head in awe. This is captured hauntingly by this quote from Anne Frank, a teenager whose observations on human nature has reverberated through the decades. The
The holiday season is such a happy time because it is time for us to spend with friends and family. It is also a time for to reflect on our lives and count our blessings. Regardless of how hard we think we have it, there is a family on the street who has it worse.
Dental school gave us the basics in order for us to practice dentistry. We learned just enough to pass our licensing exams and happily put up a sign with our name on an office door. But in reality, we learned so much more about every day dentistry outside of dental school. Whether it was just
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” That wouldn’t be too inaccurate to describe a dentist who practiced just a few decades ago when he/she sees how dental practices are run now. It is truly a different landscape! Dentists have been trained to know how to fix broken teeth, pull teeth, and
How many times have you had a pediatric patient (adults ones too!) groan and fidget when it comes time to polish their teeth? Kids think of creative expressions to show how “gross” the paste is, how they are going to get sick, and then proceed to fidget which then take more time to complete the
With the use of online marketing, social media ads, and SEO optimization, it is important to remember that direct mail marketing still works! It should be part of your overall marketing campaign. Yes, snail mail still has a place in any practice’s marketing program. In fact, studies have shown that direct mail has a higher
So you’ve spent all the money hiring the right staff and getting them trained. You’ve gone to all the marketing courses and are ready to open the doors to hoards of patient. But don’t stop there. You need to complete the entire patient experience with a great final impression. Don’t just hand out a brush
Dental school taught us how to be good dentists but we were not really taught how to be good business owners. A dental practice is a business. We all want to help people achieve and maintain ideal oral health but at the end of the day, it is a business. And like any other business,
Nowadays a lot of focus is being placed on ads, sales funnels, and SEO optimization to try and get new patients. While these are all very important aspects to marketing, it is all for naught if you are unable to convert these leads into patients in the chair. You’ve spent so much time and money
One of my most vivid memories of dental school was the gut wrenching anxiety I had when it came to doing my oral surgery rotations. It seemed as if the Oral Surgery Department was the Mysterious Entity behind the door at the end of a long hallway where mere dental students did not tread. You
One of the goals of Nifty Thrifty Dentists is to help you grow the practice of your dreams so that you can practice dentistry on your terms and still have the time and resources to spend with your family. We have focused on saving money the Nifty Thrifty way, training our staff, and getting the
How well do you know your IT service provider? Do you know who it is? Do you know exactly what services they are providing you? Recently there was a ransomware attack that hit hundreds of dental offices and prevented providers from accessing patient records. It was a practice owner’s worst nightmare! But just imagine how
I recently had the opportunity to appear on Dr. Howard Farran’s podcast. For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Farran is the founder of Dentaltown and a pioneer of utilizing the internet to bring dentists together in a collaborative fashion. We spoke about a myriad of topics ranging from new graduates to practice overhead.
There has been a push recently for “niche” marketing. It is a concept that makes sense and once you understand and really buy into it, it can bring dramatic results to your marketing efforts. The idea is for you to market to a certain area or field that you want to focus on. The days
Recent studies predict that the teeth whitening industry will be a $7 billion plus industry by 2024. Now that’s a lot of pearly whites out there but there is a large segment that has not been tapped. Often what I hear from patients is that the whitening that they have tried is either not effective
I had an opportunity to chat with Dr. Scott Leune recently and as always, he brings such great clarity to not just practice management but to life in general. His approach to all aspects of his life is to take action. If you are unhappy with the way your practice is going, don’t just sit
With so many demands on our time, the only thing many dental practice leaders want to do at the end of the day is to get home and rest. I get it. But how can we improve our practices and reduce our stress if we do not change anything? We cannot. That does not mean
I recently had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Felix Liao about teeth grinding and was given some very insightful takeaways from our meeting. Dr. Liao is one of the experts on bruxism and sleep apnea in the country. He has spent over 30 years trying to understand why the body would inflict damage upon
I love getting deals, spending wisely, and making wise investments for my practice. So, when I find something helps me serve patients better, run my practice more efficiently, and lead my team well, I pay attention. One of my favorite tools for doing all three of those things is Dental Intel. One common misconception about
At Nifty Thrifty Dentists, my goal was to create a forum where we can get together and exchange ideas and recommendations on how we can save money in our practices. Part of my job is to bring the group great deals to save us all money and I think this particular deal will help practically
Digital dentistry has come a long way from the 90’s when the CEREC machines were starting to be made readily available. At that time, CEREC machines were more of an expensive novelty than a tool the average dentist could use. There were just too many limitations and the cost was prohibitive. Times have changed and
With the advent of social media and how it has become such integral part of our society, it is no wonder that most potential patients will search online for a dentist. Even if someone was referred by a friend, he/she will almost certainly check online to see what information they can find about a dentist
Following up on my blog last week about the importance of networking and meeting with your dental colleagues, this week I’d like to talk about a great CE event that takes place Aug 2- 3 in Austin, TX. Not only will you learn from industry leaders, you will have a great time meeting your colleagues
When things start going wrong, many people tend to become closed off and feel like they’re the only ones struggling. During those times, it’s hard to remember that everyone experiences some type of difficulty in their lives. Seeing other people’s Facebook feeds full of only their highlights doesn’t help. We can easily assume everyone but
This week I have the pleasure of chatting with Dr. Thomas Doan, current president of the Florida Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In the past few years, there have been questions about organized dentistry and whether it was worth the ever increasing annual dues. Dentists wonder whether or not these organizations help dentists and whether it
Many people see networking as handing out business cards, drinking old coffee, and eating stale muffins, all in the hopes of building referral relationships. On top of that, networking can be intimidating, especially to introverted people. But networking has come a long way as social media has developed. We’re no longer limited to networking in
Navigating insurance complications in a PPO practice can be frustrating. Many dentists are reluctant to invest in a PPO practice because of the additional headaches, even if it comes with the security of guaranteed patient flow. The discounted fees and extra hoops to jump through do not need to rob you of high profits, however.
Do you want more growth for your practice yet are not sure how to do it? Seen ads for those practice marketing firms but wasn’t sure if it was worth the thousands of dollars to hire? It’s hard to pay thousands of dollars when your monthly collections barely cover the practice expenses. Well, wonder no
Are you tired of paying ridiculous prices for handpieces and prophy angles? Feeling that your best option is paying for handpieces labeled with a big-name brand? Well, you’re going to enjoy this week’s chat with Sean Ryan of Medidenta and Prophy Magic. Both of these companies have been in the dental industry for many years
Have you ever called a business only to be frustrated when your call doesn’t go through? What do you do? Go down the list and call the next establishment. That first business just lost out on potential new business. Don’t let that happen to you. First impressions are critical in any practice but what happens
When I got started speaking, one of the best things I did was learn from people who had done it before me. It takes a lot of work to become a dental speaker. You need to establish a message, learn speaking skills, build a profitable business model for your speaking and more. My mentors and
Are you looking for ways to ask patients for reviews yet feel uncomfortable doing so? Often times staff do not know the best way to approach patients for reviews. What happens is that patients leave the practice without giving a positive review. Studies have shown that prospective patientsutilize the internet and online recommendations and reviews
Are you tired of hiring and training new team members? Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way you could leave the HR management duties to the professionals so you can focus on being a dentist again? Well, now you can with help from StreamHQ! StreamHQ uses their HR and learning management software to help streamline
Ever have that sinking feeling when you deliver a crown for a patient only to find out that it doesn’t fit? Where you run the gamut of reasons in your head of how you are going to tell this patient that he/she will have to return again to seat the crown? You’re frustrated and the
Are you tired of searching high and low for the best prices on dental supplies? Finding great deals takes a lot of time, money and patience. Plus, once you manage to actually find the product you want, you have to negotiate, price match, and scan the internet to search for the best prices. So, where should you order
In 2017, I started a Facebook group to help dental practices reduce overhead costs. Since then, that group has grown into one of the premier places for dental professionals to connect with each other. If you are not yet a member of the Nifty Thrifty Dentists Facebook Group, here are just four of the many
Don’t you hate it when a patient is reluctant to accept treatment because they’re concerned they can’t pay for it? As dentists, we always want to provide the best care possible for our patients. But when money is tight, paying for those big cases can seem almost impossible for many patients. However, that’s where United Medical Credit
Transforming patients into volunteer advocates is the best way to grow your dental practice. But, to give patients the best experience possible, you need to have the right tools in place. To help you guys out, I invited one of the masterminds behind Legwork, Korey Korfiatis, for a chat all about the Legwork Smile Marketing Platform that’s designed to
Want to build a thriving team? Reduce your overhead? Brush up on your digital marketing skills? If you’re nodding yes, you’ve come to the right place. Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to chat with a good friend of mine, Dr. Anissa Holmes. Anissa is the number one trendsetter when it comes to digital marketing and
We all know how important a good phone system is for every dental practice. It’s what fills your schedule and more importantly, what connects you with your patients. My guest, Mike Buckner, goes as far as to call it the “life blood of the practice” as everything stops and starts with the phone. So, wouldn’t
Do you have effective systems in place to ensure your dental practice runs like clockwork? I know it can be intimidating and costly to review your systems, but systems are the foundation of an awesome dental practice. From finance systems to how your team follows up on late treatments – our dental systems underpin everything
Operating a dental practice is hard work, especially when we first start out. We have competition from corporate practices. We have complexities from insurance companies. We have teams to lead, expenses to pay, and so much more. By the end of the money, many dentists are exhausted. Some make barely enough profits to scrape by.
Nothing weighs heavier on a dentist’s shoulders than the dreaded tax burden. You’ve put so much hard work into building a practice you can be proud of, only to find that you’ve got to give a huge chunk of the pie to the tax man. What many of you don’t realize is that you’re probably
One thing I love about searching for Nifty Thrifty deals for the dental community is how many ways there are to improve our practices. If you have been a member of the Nifty Thrifty Dentists Facebook community, you have likely seen deals on a variety of things from software to new equipment, and everything in
Are you jumping around from one marketing company to the next? It’s time to STOP having one night stands with your marketing and START developing a healthy, committed relationship with it instead. But all jokes aside, when you work with a bunch of different marketing companies, it’s almost impossible to come up with a cohesive
Would you like to keep your overhead low and stop it from gobbling up every last penny of your practice’s profits? Now, with my course from the Delivering WOW Platinum Mastermind, you CAN. The Platinum Mastermind is designed to hook you (and your team) up with high-level access to the best and brightest minds in
Do you have a strategy behind your mailers? I’ll admit that I used to send my mailers to whoever and wherever. But, after speaking to Aaron Boone, the Founder of MVP Mailhouse, I realized that traditional direct mail isn’t enough to predictably grow my practice. So, I invited Aaron to hop on a video chat
One of the best ways to run a Nifty Thrifty dental practice is to make sure tasks are performed consistently well no matter who is doing them. Consistency promotes efficiency, which helps you get more done in less time. That is why I love having the best training materials available for my team. Many practices
Would you like to create, organize and automate your own in-house dental savings plan and patient store? Imagine having the ability to allow your patients to buy dental products directly from your own web store? You could even offer customized dental savings plans and drive more engagement than ever! If this sounds like something you’d
If you’ve been a member of the Nifty Thrifty Dentists Community for a while, you’ll know that we’re all about giving back. And, when one of our own is faced with their toughest opponent yet, you can bet that we come together to offer our help and support in any way that we can. Dr.
Is your practice in need of another Dental Sensor? Those things can run really high, right? So, I got in touch with a friend of mine from the company behind Apteryx Imaging to have a chat and see if he could do any special Nifty Deals for us…and of course, he was more than happy
Have you ever dreamed of having a CBCT for your office? Maybe the retail price of a new one has held you back. I get that, but if you’re placing dental implants or want to start placing them, you NEED a high-quality CBCT in your office. And, a hefty price tag shouldn’t be the reason
Are you looking for some more options when it comes to sourcing new products for your dental practice? If you are, I’m happy to tell you that I’ve got a very special guest on the show that’s bringing an AMAZING Nifty Thrifty Deal to you guys and that’s none other than Jeff Guidie from 4G
Do you want to learn how to increase complex case acceptance? The first thing you need to do is turn your case presentation into a case conversation! This is something that my guest, Dr. Paul Homoly, talks about in our latest chat where he reveals the power of communicating with patients. Dr. Paul Homoly is
Dentists work way too hard to be leaving profits on the table for no good reason. Yet many dentists hesitate to raise fees out of fear they will lose patients. Of course, if your fees are too high, you could overprice your community and struggle to find patients. However, when fees are too low, you
Why Join a Mastermind Group? Joining a mastermind group is an incredible experience because you get to become a key part of a community of people that are just as passionate about the purpose of the group as you are. Most mastermind groups offer a range of resources and tools to help members achieve specific
Are you a dental practitioner who wants to jumpstart implant dentistry in your practice? Maybe you’ve never placed an implant before and want to get started, or, perhaps you’ve done hundreds of implants and just want to brush up on your skills? Whatever stage you’re at, my interview with the CEO of ImplantXP, Tae Kim
If there is one thing I love more than making nifty profits in my practice, it is having fun while making nifty profits in my practice. I am all about working smart and hard, having fun, and keeping thrifty. So any day I get to do all three of those things in my practice is
Dealing with dental insurance tasks isn’t for everyone, and I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes, it can be pretty frustrating and time-consuming. So, you can imagine my relief when I discovered PPO Profits, a company that specializes in Insurance Verification for dental offices. I was interested in finding out more about PPO Profits,
You may think that your website is optimized. But, if you want to climb to the top of search engine result pages, you’ve got to do more than build links and throwing a few keywords into your text-based content. Video SEO is changing the way we optimize our websites. SEO is not the same ballgame
Nifty Thrifty Dentists is about giving back to the Dental Community. We negotiate discounts to help dental professionals save money and organize events such as the Spirit of Giving. The Spirit of Giving is an event that I’m super excited and passionate about because I’ve always believed in giving back. When I was just five
Wouldn’t it be nice to actually feel like you owned your dental practice instead of the other way around? Wouldn’t it be nice to take a vacation without worrying about your practice the whole time? As stressful as things may seem in a busy practice, I’ve discovered that most practices are not very far away
Every PPO practice faces a common struggle. A patient comes in for an exam, and you immediately notice a few things they need to get their mouth to full health. You explain the issues to them and all the benefits of moving forward with treatment. Yet because of all the insurance company complications, the patient
So, I came across this app when I purchased a Smartphone mount and wanted to share it with you guys. After the purchase, I get a personalized video sent to my e-mail from a rep of the company thanking me for my purchase. I thought it was really cool and have been sending video messages
The Very Best Dental Analogies from our Facebook Group Perio – once I’ve shown them the rough calculus all over their teeth “it impossible for you to keep these teeth clean at home. It’s like trying to clean an old cast iron skillet vs a new teflon coated one” SRP “it’s like trying to get
So let’s talk about Phone Scripts.. So one of the biggest lessons I learned early on in my practice, is that you can not assume that your staff knows what to say on the phone. Sure, our office had a few general scripts that dealt with how to greet a patient and how to book
In-office communication among team members is a very important component in an efficient office. There are many systems out there which range from simply screaming down the hall or more sophisticated systems like Intra-Office Communication software. In today’s blog, I’ll discuss my Nifty and Thrifty option for In-office communication using two-way radios and an earpiece.
When you’re thinking about going Nifty Thrifty in your Dental practice, you have to look to Ebay for some of your supply needs. Now with any shopping site, there are deals and there are “nifty thrifty” deals. Luckily for you, I have a few
If you own your own Dental practice, chances are you have dabbled in graphic design. Whether its creating a Facebook post or marketing flyer for your practice, we have all tried to create something that engages our patients. We generally have two choices here. Outsource our work to a graphic design firm and pay an
Screencast-O-Matic is a great tool for recording screenshots and sharing them with your team members. For a Dental practice, the main purpose would be the creation of tutorial videos. In our practice, I have tutorial videos for our practice management and imaging software. Just imagine if you had tutorial videos available for new and existing
One of the more popular products in the Dentistry are the mobile treatment carts. The use of mobile carts allows for the quick set up of supplies and equipment used in endodontics, oral surgery and implant placement. I have seen some practices that employ these carts in every operatory. In my practice, I have a