The My Practice My Business Dental Podcast

In Who Moved My Cheese?, Dr. Spencer Johnson uses a simple allegory involving four characters (Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw) who navigate a maze in search of “cheese” — a metaphor for what we want in life, such as a job, relationship, or health. The story centers on how each character reacts when the cheese is moved, reflecting the need to adapt to change.This narrative is eerily applicable to the current state of dental insurance — particularly how companies like Delta Dental operate. Dentists and patients alike are characters in this real-life maze, constantly trying to locate the “cheese” of quality oral health care. But the challenge is that insurers aren't just moving the cheese; they're changing the maze itself. The rules are always shifting: what procedures are covered, reimbursement rates, required pre-authorizations, and even what counts as “necessary” care.For providers committed to delivering the best, most advanced care, this inconsistency is not just frustrating — it's professionally and ethically compromising.Support the show

I'll never forget the first time I sat down with a dental insurance representative, and started asking questions. I began with questions based on all the “false information” that had been thrown at me through the years regarding PPO contracts, such as: “sending in fee-for-service (FFS) fees increases PPO reimbursement rates”, or “you can't upgrade patients on PPO plans” and many others. Her response to my questions was very interesting and not what I expected.Support the show

Tracy was headed down to Utah County a few months ago, listening to one of our favorite talking heads interview an author, Annie Jacobsen, on a book she wrote titled, “Nuclear War.” She ended up buying the book for me to read, and it was very eye opening. I love reading books and finding what I call “crossovers” to what I see in our profession, and such was the case here.Support the show

When I first started my dental practice, back in 1989, most dentists helped each other out. There existed a sense of community that was evident, even within our state dental association. They actually had a “new dentist” committee that was really helpful. The association leadership would assign someone as a mentor, which was also really helpful. Back then, it seemed like as long as a dentist was proficient at caring for his or her patients, stayed up-to-date on advancements in the industry, and was active in the community, one could be reasonably assured of making a good living. The problems and issues facing dentists were fewer. It wasn't uncommon for dental teams to work together for many years. Back then, the pace of change was very slow, comparatively speaking.Fast forward to today. The pace of change is difficult to keep up with. The problems we are facing in dentistry are larger, though maybe not completely different. Support the show

We identify what the top ten concerns dentists face every day with running their dental practices, and where to find the answers to run their dental businesses profitably. Support the show

My Practice My Business and the UDA help Utah dentists score another big win with legislation. We cover what this bill means to dentists and the patients they serve, and our wish for all states to pass similar legislation. Support the show

It's no mystery with all who know me that I love what Walt Disney created, especially when it comes to customer service. I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney every Sunday at 6pm, eating dinner on a TV tray in front of an RCA 26-inch color television. I was so blessed…I am a Disney University Graduate, and we have incorporated their training in our dental practice, as well as our dental consulting company: My Practice My Business. We teach in our Clinical Business of Dentistry Training the importance of giving our patients, what we call, the Disney experience. No company does customer service better than Disney. Support the show

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 drivers of Utah's HB359 legislation—the Network Leasing, Down-Coding, and Bundling Protections Law—which protects dentists and patients from the overreach of dental insurance companies. I'm happy to report that we are actively working on additional legislation this year to help safeguard dental practices and the patients they serve.Unfortunately, the dental profession continues to face challenges that highlight a disconnect between the priorities of our professional associations and the concerns of practicing dentists. Membership in associations like the ADA, UDA, and other state dental associations is declining, and it's not just due to financial pressures. The real issue lies in the misalignment between the needs of dentists and the actions of the associations that claim to represent them.In this podcast are examples that illustrate this disconnect...Support the show

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 between the dentist's ability to deliver quality dentistry to their patients. I began to think that WSDA finally understood what was meant by the term LEPAT (least expensive professionally accepted treatment) and how dentists could offer MEPAT (more expensive professionally accepted treatment) dental services without interference from DDOW. I was disappointed when my eyes passed to the next sentence.Support the show

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 one simple answer to all of them, and that answer is “procedural profitability.” Here we go.Support the show

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

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 presentation you will hear from several of the major dental insurance provider representatives, and their comments on upgrading, rules for offering value-added services, and literally have a "brain shock" on what you thought were the rules of engagement when it comes to insurance contracts. You'll also learn about state laws, and how to apply them for procedural profitability. In other words, all the comments in this podcast from the social media thread will be displaced with fact and truth.This will be a "don't miss" meeting for dentists and their front office team members.Support the show

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

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 someone who doesn't hold a business degree, has been misled by dental consultants on many topics, and is overworked and underpaid. Support the show

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. The ADA executive was surprised the ADA had not defined it, and hopefully they will soon. Support the show

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.

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.Support the Show.

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

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, those who go through our training here at MPMB on how to be profitable with PPO Plans, and even experience “real” profitability with their own fee-for-service fees as most are not, would never drop their PPO Plans they take. After our trained dental teams understand the PPO contracts and state laws, they realize that it's not the dental insurance companies fault they're not profitable with them, it's their own darn fault for not understanding the latitudes they have in those contracts, and how state laws protect them from doing “free” dentistry when they should be paid for their dental services they provide to their patients.Support the show

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 asked was that we teach “upselling” and he feels dentistry should not be “upsold.” I was in hopes that he just didn't like me. That would have been acceptable in my book. But when one of our colleagues openly admits, whether directly or indirectly, that they make business decisions that are not grounded in business, that really pisses me off. They spread that ignorance to others, and lead people into misinformative thought that costs dentists thousands of dollars in revenue each month. Support the show

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 quality of dental care with both the dentists and the patients they serve. There's a definite need, and we're here to fill it. My Practice My Business has been around since 2006, and we intend to remain practice advocates for years to come...Support the show

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, and focus on legislation that protects us from the evil designs of third-party payers, like we did here in Utah. Tracy and I were doing some research on the ADA, looking for some statistical data, and just happened to find a very interesting article by Dr. Mike Barr, the content of which I have echoed many times, and deserves new coverage and commentary by Tracy and I. Support the show

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 have is this: how much of that new revenue your MPMB training brings to my practice WILL THE PATIENT HAVE TO PAY?”Support the show

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, there are times when everyone in the meeting is thinking the same thing, but no one wants to speak out. Support the show

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 friends, its time gain insights in to the challenges we face as dentists and identify potential solutions to empower your practice management endeavors.Support the show

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 when it comes to how we can bill the PPO patient.Dental insurance companies use sophisticated software to calculate the needed premiums required to pay us the reimbursement rates they set, while acquiring a 24%-32% corporate profit margin. This software, which Tracy and I have seen, and navigated intimately first hand, has unbelievable information on all of us docs, average billings we send in, and average payouts their clients have in our dental offices. Once again, nowhere in their calculations on contractual reimbursement rates does sending in our fee-for-service fees affect this process in determining what their reimbursement fees are per our contracts. Honestly people, stop lies from so many out there who teach such stupid things.Support the show

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 loss of their company. How much comes in via premiums, and how much is paid out, guarding their set profit margins. Insurance companies are lowering negotiated fees to LESS than what was agreed to as a financial business strategy that is rarely caught by front office teams.  How would you catch this if you billed your FFS fee?  We caught TWO insurance companies doing this last year and when we called them out on it, they stated there was a “Bug” in the system, and they would fix it and send us another check to account for the percentage they should have paid.  How many offices are unnecessarily writing off or reducing services because they are billing their fee-for-service fees, and not seeing this little insurance tactic? You would almost never catch this little bait-and-switch tactic dental insurance companies do if you were sending in your full fees. Chew on that one little accounting problem if you don't send in your contracted fees. Support the show

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, is that not a conflict of interest, speaking as a dentist who is a member of the ADA?Support the show

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.Support the show

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 Tracy and I as we have passed legislation and defended dentists against dental insurance company's unethical policies, it's the simple fact that the ADA picks their battles, and the state associations don't know what battles to pick. Support the show

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 executives from setting dental standards of care. Sounds simple…right?  The pushback was unbelievable...Support the show

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 not least is our front office team members who have to deal with the dental insurance plans, their reps, and the deceptive EOBs, not to mention the patients who love to complain about their insurance coverage, or lack thereof. I sometimes don't understand why the majority of front office team members are not in group therapy in every state.I want to talk about the importance of fighting on principle, not on a platitude when protecting dentists and the patients we serve.Support the show

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

In this discussion, I ask them some very important questions. Please allow me to just jump to their answers for now, I'm sure you can figure out the questions, and here are their answers:1-We are maintaining infection, not eliminating it. This just doesn't make sense…2-I've always felt that periodontal disease can be eliminated, but not with our current treatment protocols, and especially not with my office treating it to insurance limitations.3-I have no idea why we don't use antibiotics. It doesn't make sense.4-All of our patients bleed in almost all the areas of needed SRP at the six-week exam. And all of them continue to have forever periodontal disease if I'm being honest…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 where to start. So, I think I'll begin with our own experiences here at MPMB.Support the show

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 Leasing, Down-coding, and Bundling Protections Law. Back to this dentist's comments, his deductive logic and reasoning to his statement simply lacked intuitive business skills and accurate definitions in regards to state laws, which is something Tracy and I specialize in here at MPMB. This is a very important topic all dentists need to understand, and we begin our podcast right there…Support the show

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 and services, right? In those three examples just listed, you wouldn't think of not charging the patient for those services. Am I wrong? Nope!Support the show