Podcasts about perio

Tiff and Dana discuss how to achieve full team alignment on periodontal policies and protocols, even when it's the last thing you feel like doing. Their tips include which habits to build upon, which templates for conversation with the patient are most educational, maintaining team alignment, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello Dental A Team listeners. We are back with you with us today I have Ms. Dana and I'm so excited to do these podcasts. I have podcasts all day I have podcasts with you Dana. I podcast with Britt today I never get Britt on these suckers anymore and then I think I'm Kristy later, too So it is a whirlwind of podcasting day. Thank you for letting me, you know Just bust it out and get all of you guys here today I'm really excited. I'm really excited for the one we just did. We record these just kind of like back to back to back just so you guys know in case you were wondering how this actually happens. We're not live right now. I wish we were. That'd be super cool. But it'd be really time consuming at the same time. But we just did a really fun one. I'm excited for them to hear about it. Dana though, I haven't asked you lately just how's life. had, it sounds like a full weekend of kiddos sports. Dana (00:54) Mm-hmm. The Dental A Team (00:54) ⁓ But you personally, you guys, talked about consistency in this last one. And you personally, you have some of the best consistency that I've ever seen anyone maintain. So number one, I think my big question that might be on everyone's mind is why? How do you maintain that consistency? You show up for everyone, but you still show up for yourself. You still do your workouts. You still make sure that your path for your own health is one of the most important aspects of your life. So Dana, how do you maintain that? Dana (01:29) Yeah, I think that just I learned early on in life, right? Like, especially with my health, like I had a point in my life where my health cup was pretty much empty and I had nothing to pour from. And so I just promised myself when I made it through that, that like, I would always prioritize keeping that like as a priority. And ⁓ it's just something that like, I've shown up for for myself. ⁓ And to like, because I've shown up, it just, I don't know, like it just keeps me saying it makes me a better mom, it makes me a better friend, it makes me a better partner, it makes me like, just better in so many ways, because I do take that space. And I don't always like, there's guilt, for sure that I do it and that I take the time and that you know, like I put other things aside to do it. But I think what it like, reaps and benefits and rewards for me outweigh those things. And so I'm truly on to the point now where I have kept it so consistent that when I fall off I feel terrible. The Dental A Team (02:43) Yeah, yeah, that's the real deal now. Yeah, I love that. I think that the things you pointed out there just your why is big enough. And I think a massive reminder to everyone that typically for a human being to make a change in life, it has to be hard enough. Like, we don't change things that don't feel like they're not working, right? That haven't like sprung up as a quote unquote, like broken piece of life yet, right? Like however you want to word it. If it's not hurting, we don't typically think, we're not thinking about it. If it's not hurting, we're just not thinking about it. So why are we addressing things we're not thinking about? So when it finally does get bad enough, I think I had a similar story, not the degree of health, but a similar instance where it was just like I hit the spot where it's like I actually don't have a choice. I either take care of myself or my health continues to deteriorate. So was honestly, it was easy at that point. So it's interesting because it's so easy, I think for us from the outside, especially for you and I for fitness and health, like I think you and I have, I can imagine you're the same like my whole life. It's been in my, it's been in my being for as long as I can remember. So it was very easy to see that in myself and to see that in my life and to see where. the consistencies or the inconsistencies are, but it's interesting to take a step back and see how relatable it is to just so many aspects of life. And if we applied those same steps and processes, the same thought to other aspects of life, how different things could look. And we narrow that focus because I think fitness and health just like, I don't know, I feel like it's like a box to check instead of like, away and for you and I like it's a way especially for you and so it's just gives you the template for other areas which I think for us makes a lot of times consulting fun. I think it's more fun and it's a little bit easier for us to sometimes see the structure of what needs to happen because it's literally mimicking the results that we've seen in other areas of our life and first So happy you're here, Dana, because had you not taken that initiative, things could look very different today. And I'm very happy that you did and that you dedicated to yourself and that you continue to. Second, you were teaching your kids the most important valuable lessons of their entire life. And it's so cool to watch you do that and to watch you show up for yourself, but for them too. I've always taken that stand with it. They're like, Brody's going to know that exercise is for health. It's not for the other. ideas in there. So I never wanted him to, you know, have whatever complications with health and fitness in his life. So I made it a priority for me pretty early on in his life because of that. And then really had to about six years ago. So I applaud you for those pieces. And I just think it's really, really cool. And I think it kind of stems and spurs into a more fun version of today's podcast. Because I really do think that that consistency and again that template that you have for like no I'm just going to do it and some days, you know I'm sure you wake up like I do or I'm like today's not the day and then it's like no just go just go it's 30 minutes It's an hour of my life. Like just go and you will always feel better afterwards So sometimes life comes in and this task or this duty comes in and it's like this feels like it's gonna be really hard I don't really want to talk to this person about this thing I'll do it next time. And the I'll do it next time only slides us backwards. And we see that with the health and fitness very easily. If we don't go to the gym today, like we're sliding backwards to tomorrow. But in these conversations that we're talking about today with the perio, everyone's favorite word, perio, and being in alignment on the periodontal care kind of makes me think of those areas where we really do slide backwards because we're like. I don't really want to have that hard conversation or, that kind of borderline or I don't know what we would classify this as. I'm just going to probe you today. Maybe they'll see somebody else next time. Like you're my, you're one of my favorites, Brits, my other favorite, ⁓ perio brain to pick when it comes to stuff like this, because really getting alignment on that can look like so many different things and consistency on the alignment I think is one of the key pieces. And Dana, there's so much to pick apart in there. I'm obviously alluding to have the hard conversations with the patients when they need deep cleaning, even if they've been coming to your practice forever. I don't care, just do it. But how are the doctors important in your opinion and from a hygiene standpoint in gaining the alignment within the periodontal care, within the periodontal policies and protocols? Because we can tell a hygiene team to go do it, but I feel like without the doctor, we're like 90 % there. Dana (07:22) Mm-hmm. ⁓ Yeah, and and I really and truly feel like the doctor is so crucial in to me. It's like, ⁓ we have to do in this situation is build a plan and then create habits stacking for our hygienists like to do it right. And I think that the doctor is so crucial in setting up the standard of care for perio like what are the expectations for the hygiene team for each specific perio service within the practice? What are our parameters? What are our guidelines? That way, when a patient walks in, no matter which hygienist they see, the same thing is recommended. Also too, it gives a very clear roadmap for the doctor to back you up. You've built it together. So you know that if you follow the protocol, the doctor can confidently back you up. You know that you'll get that every time that they walk in the room. And then lastly, importantly, just as important, it allows you to ⁓ confidently have the discussions that maybe you haven't. And I've seen an office as to where we built the protocol and there are moments of maybe we disagree, right? Maybe we see something different on an x-ray or maybe we see, you know, we probe slightly different or our angles are a little bit different or I've got a doctor versus a hygienist that one presses a little bit harder when they probe, right? But it allows us to definitively be able to make a decision and say, we default to the protocol. This is what the protocol The Dental A Team (09:08) Yeah. Dana (09:16) says when we have this many millimeters in probing depth, this many, and this is how often we do those things. This is the cadence in which we bring them back. These are the results that we expect to get it. And so when you have that outline, whether you are so far from it when you start or whether you're like pretty close to it when you start, it's okay. It's just build your roadmap of what you want your The Dental A Team (09:23) Yeah. Dana (09:41) period to look like in your practice first. And doctors play such a key role in developing standards of care with hygienists. The Dental A Team (09:50) Yeah. my gosh, that was beautiful. something you said at the beginning was the habit stacking and then something in pieces, ⁓ kind of pulling those together, the habit stacking, mentioned, basically you mentioned templates, right? Templates of how to get there. So I think the first template that a doctor in that habit stacking, which is 101 of anything, accomplishing anything in life, it just generally gets put on the health and like fitness industry. ⁓ side of it, but anything is habit stacking to create any kind of habit you're going to have it stack. So what you're saying there and what it makes me think of is like realistically the initial template, like what do I do with my patient? So you mentioned probing. So I think that habit stacking is like probing how often that's your, that's your first habit. Like how do we implement the x-rays and the probing at a certain interval to get the result that we want. And if we want to be able to diagnose periodontal disease, we've gotta have the x-rays and the perio charting. So then it's like, okay, our first habit is getting these things into the appointment. Our second habit is diagnosing accurately and having those three to four periodontal classifications, that's the word I want there, that we can choose from and making sure that we're in alignment on those. There's so many, you guys, you can get recommendations. You can get 15 recommendations on anything anymore. So just be careful what you're looking at. That's a true space of alignment. What is a one to three periaprobe? One to three millimeters, what does that mean? What is three to five? What is five plus? And then what is, we're referring this out. So I think when you're talking habit stacking from an outsider's perspective, I am not a hygienist, I would imagine if I were to sit in your seat, these are the things I would need. to get this started and the consistency on time, like how often are we periaprobing? How often are we taking these x-rays? Dana, I think those come from the doctor and I know I might've just made so many hygienists so angry because I know that I have this conversation so many times. You are a provider but at the end of the day, like it is the doctor's practice and the doctor's license and those types of recommendations have to come from Dana (12:11) you The Dental A Team (12:15) him or her where they're saying, I want bite wings once a year. I want bite wings every six months. I want perioprobes once a year. Dana, is that the kind of habit stacking and templates that you're looking for too? Dana (12:27) Yep, You're spot on in there. How do we gather the information that we need to make our period diagnosis or to make our cleaning recommendation with our patients and outlining and defining how often we do that, when we do that. What it means to do that, like what are we doing ⁓ is your first and foremost foundation. And then it is like bridging into what we do end up diagnosing, right? So what treatments do we choose and when do we choose them? So that's your perioprotocol, right? That is when do we do localized SRP? When do we do generalized SRP? What is scaling in the presence of gingivitis in this office, right? Because that's a term that's very broad. So how many bleeding points? do we have to have? it have to be in all four quadrants? Does it have to be 20 bleeding spots? What does that look like in your office? ⁓ What is a perio maintenance? What do we do? mean, even farther as far as, when do we refer out? If we... aren't, that's one time that I see that hygienists maybe sometimes disagree because it's hygiene comfort. Then I always say default to who you recommend to. If you have a periodontist that you love in your area, call them and say, hey, at what point would you really like to see them in your office? And we start to kind of go back and forth with this patient. So that way it's a very, very cut and dry of what we follow. Right? And then, you know, then it becomes then it's templates for the conversation. Right? So how do we get to the conversation to educate the patient? What do we say if this has been a long term patient? What do we do if a patient refuses? Right? If they just want the cleaning that insurance covers, what do we do once they've had each of these? Right? Is it are we a yes please, perio for life, right? Like once perio, always perio. Do we have wiggle room in there, right? Like what is our, like what's our protocol for all of that? The Dental A Team (14:27) Mm-hmm. Dana (14:28) And I do feel like a lot ⁓ of doctors take the place that like, hey, my hygienists are my perio experts. And I think that like, that is a great stance to have, but I think doctors, need to be a part of building the standard in your practice. And then yes, trusting your hygienists to follow that standard for sure, and make the recommendations on the things that they see. Absolutely. But I do think it's crucial that the doctors are part of the standard setting within their own practice. The Dental A Team (14:54) Yeah. Oh, you nailed it. I couldn't agree more. And that's coming from a non hygiene standpoint. And you just heard a hygienist word straight from her mouth. And I think even the most, I'm gonna say it stubborn and hard headed hygienist who are like, no, this is my world. It is your world. But I think even the most stubborn, hard headed or strong willed is probably a better word to use. Hygienist will agree that structure. helps progress. And if there is a structure to be had, there's input to be had, I think anyone would prefer that input upfront and honestly than on the back end saying like something went wrong, right? I didn't do something correctly. Well, we've all said it like, well, you didn't tell me that I didn't know, right? Or I didn't know you wanted it that way. This is the space to get all of that stuff out on the table first. And doctors, for you to be like, my standard of care is X, Y, Z. And a hygienist to be like, well, tell me more about that because I think this. You know, I think ABC. And a doctor's like, cool, this is why I think X, Y, Z. Why do you think ABC? This is a space to have conversation. it's not, Dana, what you're saying is everything you said was a conversation. So it's more about Everyone being able to bring to the table their own knowledge, what you guys have learned, we've all gone, everyone likely has gone to a different school, right? Hygienists go to a different school, typically university, than the doctors do or trade school or wherever it's from. Doctors in most practices, it's rare that you have even associates that have gone to, everybody's gone to the same school. So there's different schools of thought depending on where your training was. And there's different opinions. I walk into some practices that floss is floss. I walk into other practices that there's like, do not use glide, or do not use whatever on the wall, and it's coconut floss. And then there's other practices that are like, don't eat coconut. You just pick and choose. It's all just the best that you guys can come to terms with. And so I think that it's more of a sharing of ideas coming with the standards and protocols. Now, there are things that will be like, There are things that will be a discussion and I think everything is a discussion. ⁓ There are things that will be flexible, there's things that won't be super flexible. Like x-rays are probably not a super flexible spot. How often are you periaproping? Because these are based off of standards, literally standards of care for their licenses, but it's still a discussion. And I know I've had hygienists that are like two years bite wings, but doctors are firm on one. Like, cool, just take the bite wings. That's the standard of care. and come to an agreement. And Dana, think that based off what you're saying, like that alignment is not just a, this is the box you stay in, but it's a conversation. And what you said earlier kind of resonated with me too, because I do see sometimes, oftentimes where doctors are like, yeah, we'll do a perio alignment meeting and meeting Mondays, we'll do meeting Mondays and we'll do perio alignment meeting. And they've got a patient, they're doing a crown while hygienists are meeting. And then hygienists come out. They're like, this is what we decided. And doctors are like, OK, I'll review it. I was like, come on, just be at the meeting. Right, Dana, do you think? Dana (18:16) yeah. Yeah, I see that a lot. And then, you know, then it sits on a doctor's desk or, or a doctor does review it and has notes, but like the notes don't get to the team or then it doesn't get even fully rolled out because we're still kind of waiting to see like, did we agree? Do we agree? Like, where is this? Where is this thing? And and I think the doctors being part of the meeting and part of the The Dental A Team (18:33) Mm-hmm. Dana (18:42) conversation, I just feel like you leave with alignment and you leave with buy-in. When a doctor is just is a part of that because I feel like, As a hygienist, I never wanted to feel as if like I was doing something that was outside of what the doctor wanted as far as care for their patients. And so I think when they're part of the discussion, they're part of the building the standards, they're part of mapping out those habits stacking and the pieces that they want to see. I think then it makes sure that no matter what patient is in the chair, no matter who they see, right, everybody is aligned and everybody is doing like what is desired for that specific office. The Dental A Team (19:29) Totally, I agree. think this was so cool. And I think we spun this in some fun directions today that were a little bit different than ⁓ areas we've spoken before where it was much more structured. This one is a little, slightly less structured. There's still structure to it, but it's more giving you guys the knowledge base to understand that you get to build the structure as a team together too. Our structure, our recommendations, your action items today. Schedule a perio. alignment meeting. A lot of times these get put in the schedule as a hygiene team meeting or a hygiene department meeting and they're going to talk about perioprotocols and doctors don't think they have to attend or it's not on their schedule at all. But doctors who are listening, hygienists who are listening, office managers who are listening, schedule a full team alignment even if you're like, hey, we don't have issues, we diagnosed just fine. I just come together once, at least once a year, probably once every six months or so. Just make sure we're all on the same page, you guys. And I think Dana, Something I've seen happen the most frequently is any kind of addition to the team, even Steril Tech, who's helping turnover rooms, any kind of addition to the team, those are the pieces that get lost first. That consistency becomes inconsistent and we lose the template. So first and foremost, make sure you guys have alignment meetings and then make sure you have some sort of a structure or a checklist on what are the things that these alignment meetings... One, what are we trying to gain? Like what is the goal of the alignment meeting? And what are we going to cover? So templates A to Z, our x-rays, our perioprobing, our exams, how often do you have to have a doctor in the room for an exam? All of these pieces that might to some of you guys listening now be like, that's crazy that practices deal with this. But if you don't have it, there will come a day, there will be someone that it gets lost on. So just make sure it's there. So Dana. Let me know if you have any more action items. My first one, schedule that alignment meeting. Second, make sure there's templates. Make sure you guys know what you're working towards and why. And then implement. And I think, Dana, when we're building out Perio protocols, I think it would be safe to say you should be able to implement those within a quarter. So if you've got the alignment meeting scheduled, you hashed out on the meetings, you should be, if you do it quarter one, you should quarter two, be able to roll out those Perio protocols. Do you agree, Dana? Dana (21:51) Yeah, I do. I agree with that for sure. And then I think the last action is if you already have a perio protocol in place, make sure that every hygienist on your team knows it and make sure it is updated. Right. I think that, you know, there are some things that in the perio world have changed and will continue to change. And so I always say when you build these protocols or you build these templates and you have alignment, it's not just like set it and kind of forget it. Make sure it gets added to onboarding packets for new hygienists. Make sure that we, you know, continue to kind of check in and see what we're doing. Make sure that we've got tracking in place and make sure that we update those things as Perio changes because, you know, grading and staging is now here and pieces that if you've had a long term Perio protocol, we may need to add or consider updating. The Dental A Team (22:40) Totally, beautiful, thank you. I am leaving it at that. Everybody, if you were listening in the car, go listen again, write these things down. If you were listening, I don't know, anywhere else, I hope that you were taking some awesome notes. If not, listen again. The recordings are here for just that. So, share this with a friend, you guys. Everyone needs to know these Prairie Protocols. This is massive. It is a huge space that is underdeveloped in a lot of practices, I would say most practices. the perio space is underdeveloped. So these are some really quick, easy tools to get that ball rolling without having to take extra courses and laser certifications and all of these things. Those would be like step two or three. These are your first steps. So go do the things you guys drop us a review. We always like to see those five stars and know what you loved and any ideas that you have to add to what we talked about. And then Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. That was a hard one to say today. ⁓ is where you'll reach us. If you have any questions or you want any templates or ideas, just shoot us an email, you guys. do, Dana and I do get a lot of those requests straight to us from our Hello team. So just let us know how we can best help you and we'll catch you guys next time. Thank you.

In this episode, Dr. Ben Young reflects on how his podcast helps him stay connected with patients beyond the office, offering insights into both his professional philosophy and personal life. He shares his belief in gentle, consistent home care and regular checkups as the foundation of oral health, while encouraging patients to face dental fears with courage. Personally, he discusses his involvement in Al-Anon, his love of Airstream travel, and his commitment to reading, faith, and service. Professionally, he highlights his dedication to improving periodontal care through the LANAP laser procedure and making it accessible to more patients. Ultimately, his goal is to promote lifelong gum health and build trust through open communication and education.

Vancouver Consumer - October 18, 2025 - Dr. Ron Zokol with BC Perio

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!A candid look at why AR rises even when production is strong and how access, clarity, and team alignment restore cash flow. We share the biggest blockers we see inside practices—password chaos, clearinghouse issues, unread billing emails—and the simple systems that fix them.• password and portal access as revenue gatekeeper• EFT lockouts creating delays and aged AR• Dentrix–Vine fallout and claim tracing discipline• daily email reviews and statement ownership• patient AR rising from unclear benefits and silence• stronger benefit scripts to prevent “surprise” balances• third-party alignment as team extension, not threat• kickoff meetings for roles, tools, and expectations• billers as end-of-cycle auditors spotting root causes• repeatable rhythms for faster posting and fewer denialsIf any of this resonated with you friends, feel free to leave a review, feel free to leave a comment, share this episode with someone who you feel would relate. And if you're interested in a billing consultation and seeing how fortune billing solutions can help you, go to the show notes. There's a link down below, and you can set up a time to meet with me. Schedule a demo with MaxAssist to unlock scheduleing potential here: https://maxassist.com/book-a-demo-fortune-billing/ Join The Biller Acceleration Mentorship Wait List Here: (Only 5 Spots Left in 2025!!)https://linktr.ee/dental_billing_coachWould you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Delta Dental Locum Tenens Form: https://www1.deltadentalins.com/content/dam/ddins/en/pdf/dentists/locum-tenens-form.pdf

In this episode, I sit down with Marvelyn Navarro, RDH, founder of Perio Precise, to talk all about the Perio Endoscope.With over 15 years in clinical and administrative dental hygiene, Marvelyn shares how endoscopy has transformed her approach to patient care making perio therapy more precise, predictable, and impactful. From the science behind subgingival visualization to how you can bring this technology into your own operatory, this episode will leave you inspired and curious about the future of non-surgical periodontal therapy.Whether you're a student hygienist learning the foundations, a new grad building confidence in perio care, or a seasoned clinician ready to level up your toolkit, this episode will help you see perio in a whole new way.What You'll Learn in This Episode:-What the Perio Endoscope is and how it elevates patient outcomes-How Marvelyn integrates advanced technology into daily hygiene practice-Advice for hygienists interested in endoscopic training and career growth-The importance of staying inspired and continued learning in a fast-evolving professionAbout Marvelyn Navarro, RDH:Marvelyn Navarro, RDH, is a dedicated dental hygienist with over 15 years of clinical and administrative experience. Her passion lies in preventive care, periodontal therapy, and addressing airway-related and oral-systemic health concerns to improve overall health outcomes.She is the founder of Perio Precise, where she provides advanced subgingival therapy using the Perio Endoscope and offers clinical training to hygienists nationwide. As a Key Opinion Leader, national speaker, and content creator, Marvelyn is known for her engaging and relatable approach to education and clinical excellence.Currently serving as the President-Elect of the Nevada Dental Hygienists' Association, Marvelyn is an advocate for the profession and finds great joy in mentoring and inspiring dental hygiene students. Outside of dentistry, she's a proud wife and mom of two, and together her family has traveled to over 20 countries, with many more on the list!Her mission is simple: to raise the standard of care, support her colleagues, and make periodontal therapy more precise, predictable, and impactful.Contact: Email: Marvelyn.rdh@gmail.comInstagram: @marvelynrdh | @periopreciseConnect with Brush with BrittEmail: brushwithbritt@gmail.comSocial channels: @brushwithbrittDisclaimer: The Brush with Britt podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of dentistry, medicine, or other health-care services. No provider–patient relationship is formed, and the content is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Listeners should always seek the guidance of their licensed health-care providers for any questions or concerns. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Brittany Glauz, (Brush with Britt).

Maybe it's uncomfortable, or maybe you're short on time — but are you ignoring the perio conversation with your patients? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT's director of education, to break down perio visit percentage, the impact it has on your practice, and what to do to improve your numbers. Are you underdiagnosing or defaulting to prophy? To find out if you are and to learn how to fix it, listen to Episode 949 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Miranda:Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.com Follow Miranda on ACT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalSend Courtney an email to learn more about ACT: courtney@actdental.com More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT's BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT's BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT's To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 949: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRegister for ACT's To The Top Study Club (October 17, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-october-17-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1218436780209?aff=odcleoeventsincollectionRegister for ACT's To The Top Study Club (October 24, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-october-24-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1218452908449?aff=odcleoeventsincollectionRead Beat the Heart Attack Gene by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen: https://baledoneen.com/bdm-booksMain Takeaways:This metric directly impacts hygiene profitability,

Vancouver Consumer - September 27, 2025 - Dr. Ron Zokol with BC Perio

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!What if your dental practice's schedule management system worked like your most brilliant team member instead of just another piece of software? That's the game-changing perspective Lori Streeter brings to this episode as she unpacks how modern technology can transform dental scheduling from a headache into a powerful production driver.From her beginnings as a 20-year-old dental employee to her current role as VP of US Expansion at Max Assist, Lori shares insights gained through decades of experience across multiple facets of dentistry. She illustrates the dramatic evolution from pegboard appointment books and manual recall cards to today's sophisticated AI-powered scheduling systems, highlighting how many practices still operate with inefficient processes that leave significant revenue opportunities untapped.The conversation reveals a startling reality: while practices obsess over attracting new patients, they often overlook the approximately $500,000 in diagnosed but unscheduled treatment sitting in their existing patient records. With the right tools, this treatment can be efficiently scheduled, dramatically increasing production without requiring additional marketing efforts. Even practices that appear fully booked can benefit from optimized scheduling that ensures the most appropriate procedures fill each available time slot.What distinguishes Max Assist from traditional patient communication software is its comprehensive approach to schedule management. Rather than simply sending appointment reminders, it integrates directly with practice management systems to provide actionable intelligence, identifies opportunities for filling appointments, tracks team performance for accountability, and functions as a virtual team member rather than just another tool. As Lori eloquently states, "Your tech should be part of your team."Ready to transform your approach to schedule management? Listen now to discover how modern technology can help your practice maximize productivity while strengthening patient connections. Your schedule might be full—but is it optimized? Schedule a demo with MaxAssist to unlock scheduleing potential here: https://maxassist.com/book-a-demo-fortune-billing/ Join The Biller Acceleration Mentorship Wait List Here: (Only 5 Spots Left in 2025!!)https://linktr.ee/dental_billing_coachWould you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Delta Dental Locum Tenens Form: https://www1.deltadentalins.com/content/dam/ddins/en/pdf/dentists/locum-tenens-form.pdf

How do you know if you're serving your patients well? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, ACT's director of education, to share two metrics that will help both your patients and your practice get healthy. To learn more about perio diagnostic percentage, perio acceptance percentage, and how to improve these numbers, listen to Episode 946 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Miranda:Send Miranda an email: miranda@actdental.com Follow Miranda on ACT's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/actdentalSend Courtney an email to learn more about ACT: courtney@actdental.com Send Gina an email to learn more about ACT: gina@actdental.com More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT's BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT's BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT's To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 946: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRegister for ACT's To The Top Study Club (October 17, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-october-17-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1218436780209?aff=odcleoeventsincollectionRegister for ACT's To The Top Study Club (October 24, 2025): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climb-with-us-register-for-october-24-2025-ttt-study-club-tickets-1218452908449?aff=odcleoeventsincollectionMain Takeaways:Align your team on what healthy looks like.Clearly define your optimal standards of care.Calibrate on what to do when patients aren't healthy.Be aligned on how...

Re-releasing a DAT listener favorite! Kiera is all about key performance indicators in this episode, and why they're important. When framing KPIs as the vitals of your practice, it makes a lot more sense! Some of Kiera's favorite KPIs are … Production (net, not gross) Collection (at least 98%) How many new patients you're getting Average diagnosis Acceptance rate Overhead There are a lot more indicators she talks about in this episode, so whether you're a beginner with KPIs or elite status, there's something you can learn. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:05) Hey everyone, welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's face it, dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, pillar, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you.   Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A-Teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast.   Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera. And you guys, how's your day today? You guys loving it? Are you crushing it? I hope you are, wherever you are. I am actually sitting in my bedroom. I ⁓ rarely ever podcast here, because usually my husband's home. But tonight, I have some friends over there in the front room, and I definitely needed to get some podcasts done. Sissy was asking me, I just love having team members that are great at what they do. And I hope you guys take time to acknowledge the team members that make you great. The team members that are   just awesome at what they do. guys, Sissy keeps me so on the ball and I love her for it. Shelby does, Tiffany does, Brittany, Dana, Kylie, they are just an incredible bunch of people. And guys, if you ever get the opportunity to meet any of them, you are one lucky person. So I hope you're having a great day. I hope you're loving it. So podcasting today from the bedroom. I hope the audio is great. I hope you're loving it. Sun's just going down and today I just wanted to dive into a topic that I think is really awesome and it's KPIs.   So what the heck is a KPI? A KPI is Key Performance Indicator. I'll be completely honest. You guys, know I'm like authentic Kiera Dent. People when they call me and they chat with us, like interested in working with us, the number one thing I get told is, Kiera, you sound just like you do on the podcast. And I'm like, this is really great because it is me.   I don't shake it up, I don't change it. The only thing I do differently is I talk in a microphone so my voice sounds a little bit like smoother, if you will, on the podcast than in real life. But beyond that, same cadence, same tones. This is Kiera real life. So you guys know I am always, I try really hard to just be authentic Kiera. So if you ever come meet me in person, you peel back the Wizard of Oz current, I would be the exact same person as I am on the podcast as I am in real life. So when I first started as an office manager,   I did not know what a KPI was. I did not know why they were important. I didn't know that I should be tracking these things. I literally had no idea. So guys, if you're in my boat, hey, welcome, welcome to the CureDent No KPI Boat. If you know what they are, welcome, welcome to the Elite Boat. And if you are using them, welcome to the Rockstar Amazing Boat. Let's make you even better. So KPIs, I call them, the way I describe a KPI is they are the vitals of your practice.   So just like when you go to the doctor and they take your blood pressure, your temperature, they listen to your heart rate, all those things, those are the vitals. They take your weight. ⁓ I just went to the doctor the other day and it's super cool, like, right? You sit on the chair and they say they'll take your weight. And it was funny, the gal asked me, she said, do you wanna know your weight today? I was like, wow, thank you. Like, thank you for not making me have a bad day if I don't want to or thank you for giving me the opportunity. It just made me giggle.   But bottom line is the vitals, we go to the doctor and they take those vitals first because if any of those are out of alignment, that's the first sign that we have trouble. So that's what I think of with KPIs in a practice. These are the core pieces that are going to show you, is your practice healthy or is it not healthy? So yes, it's tracking and there's lots of different KPIs you can track. That's why it's called a key performance indicator. I am a firm believer that you should be able to change these up.   I think there are certain things that you should be tracking consistently. But I also think as human beings, we get stagnant and bored. So give yourself a decent amount of time to track and then shake it up. That way you're growing constantly and we don't get bored with KPIs. So for me, some of my favorite KPIs, this is a question every consultant who comes to Dental A team to work with us, we ask them, what is your favorite KPI to measure? One, I'm checking to see if they know what a KPI is. Guys, I probably would have flunked the consulting test if I would have come on.   We're a more elite company, guys. I have to keep these consultants on their top notch. They can't be lower than us now. So I ask what your favorite KPI is to track and why. Most of the time I get production and collection. Production is a great KPI to track. It's something, and again, be careful on production. Make sure you're tracking it on net, not gross. A lot of people wanna tell me that they have.   These huge successful practices, but guess what guys, if you can't collect it, don't even tell me that number. I don't care. It does not impress me because guess what? That high gross number feeds your ego. Your net number feeds your family. So I don't care about it. So report that number in net. Next up is your collection percentage. I want to know how you're collecting. So if you're a $1 million practice and you're only collecting 700,000, that's stressful. That means you're at a 70 % collection rate. I am aiming for a 98 % collection rate. Now,   There are lots of other KPIs and I will say there are some great softwares out there. Practice by numbers, dental intel, divergent. Those are my top three favorites. I'd probably put them in the order of dental intel, divergent, practice by numbers. I think all three of them are great. I love them all for different reasons. The reason I'm pro-ing for dental intel is because they just merged with Medento and guess what? They are kicking it. So I love that. I love what they do and I love Medento as a company. So any company with Medento, that's going to be my favorite company right now. But bottom line is a lot of these track KPIs.   What I found that gets tricky and what a lot of offices do is we often track too many things that we don't actually move the needle on anything. I'm guilty of this. So in our company, was having Cissy track how many Instagram followers we were getting every single week. At first, I thought it was a great marketing metric. I thought it was great to see how our marketing was doing. Guess what? It was actually just feeding my ego. So guys, if you want to feed my ego, please just go follow us on Instagram. I would love it. Get your friends, get your family, get your siblings, get your kids. I don't care who.   You can boost that number just to feed my ego. At the end of the day, do the Instagram followers actually matter? No, they don't. They don't move our company forward. What matters, just like you guys, how many new patients we're getting. So don't actually care about social media followers. Yes, it's a fun number to track, but what I care is how many new patients are we getting? Then after that, I actually care about if I'm going to the elite boat or to our rock star boat on how many new patients you're getting. Do you know how much each patient's value is?   Do you also know what our average diagnosis is on each patient? And do we know what our acceptance rate is on each patient? If you don't know that and you're already tracking some of these numbers, that might be a fun zone for you to go to, to be 2.0 or 3.0 of KPI tracking. If you're just starting out, don't go there. Let's just get you tracking new patients and where they're coming from. Bottom line is these are the vitals. So first steps first, I want you with your KPIs to make sure that you have the vitals of your practice. Production, collection, new patients.   case acceptance, reappointment percentages. Those are like your main shebangs that are really gonna tell you where you're going. If you wanna add in your overhead, I also love that because that's gonna pull in the business side of it to make sure that we're actually profitable as a business and we're not just running around trying to serve, but not even being profitable as a practice. We need our practice to be profitable. Otherwise we can't serve more in our community. Those are my main things I love to focus on. So if you're just starting out, start tracking those.   I prefer you track them at a minimum every week at best. I actually like these ones to be tracked on your morning huddle. It's great. Everybody has it, have it on a whiteboard. Everybody can see it. That is the vital heartbeat of your practice. I would love you to do it. Just like on my Apple watch, I'm watching the rings on my Apple watch. That's honestly the only thing on my watch face guys, because it'd be really fun. But I decided I don't want to get distracted by other things. I need to master these items before I move on.   So that's why I love it to be front and center. Get these KPIs front and center. Get a whiteboard, guys, they're real cheap. Put it up, track these items. Production, we talked about it. Net, not gross. Collections, we wanna make sure we're collecting at least 98 % if not higher. And then I want you to know how many new patients you're getting out of goal, what your case acceptance is. A healthy practice, if we're talking dollar for dollar, I'd like you to be anywhere from 35 to 65%. Now there's a wide range on that because I actually, if you don't...   diagnose a lot of ortho and you're not diagnosing a lot of implants in larger cases, your dollar for dollar should be way up higher. If you're diagnosing these huge treatment plans constantly, you actually should be hanging out lower because we're presenting so much treatment that I'm okay with a lower case acceptance. If we're one for one, meaning one thing accepted off of our treatment plan, no matter how large it is, I want you actually to be sitting at at least a 90 % case acceptance. If you're not, we got to talk.   That's right, you and me, we're going to have a date, we're going to chat. We need to get that case acceptance up because what we're doing is we're dis-serving our patients. We're not helping them find a way to get this treatment done. You as a treatment coordinator, your job is to be a solution creator with the patient. So do your job, find the solution, get those patients accepted. That way we can help them have healthy mouths and a better life, right? That's what it's all about. Hey, Dental A Team listeners, how was your 2021? Have you reflected back? Where did you really win?   Where did you really not win? If 2021 was a year of years, congratulations. I am celebrating with you and I would love to invite you to take it to the next level. If 2021 wasn't quite your year, hey, it's all right. I'm there for you. And I would love to invite you to make 2022 the year for you. That's right, guys. If you're ready to take massive action, if you're ready to take your practice and your team to the next level, increase your profitability. Yeah, guys, through an easy way.   Get your entire team aligned and you're ready to just have your life be different. That's right. Team development, top to bottom system development, top to bottom, changing and shifting your culture, improving your team morale. If that sounds like what you're interested in guys, I'd love to invite you to join us in our Dental A Team platinum group. It's the exclusive group where we physically fly to your practice. We give you insider tips. We share with you. have a quarterly newsletter that goes to that shares all the updates we're coming up with and we share it with our platinum group.   We'd love to have you and I would like to invite you because guys remember you're always one decision away from a completely different life. So reach out guys. I'd love to chat with you. I'd love to see if you're a great platinum client or what works best for you. Email me Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and I can't wait to welcome you as our newest platinum client. Take massive action. This is your year. Let's make sure 2022 is your year. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Can't wait to welcome you. So those are my main KPIs that I love to track.   Once you get those dialed in and you're consistent on those and you know, then we're going to start diving into even more data. I want to know how well our hygiene department's doing. They should be producing at least three times their pay. So if I'm a hygienist making $10 an hour, wouldn't that be a dream guys? Welcome to 2022. Hygienist $10 an hour. Yeah, right. You guys are like a hundred and a billion dollars an hour. Like it's crazy how much hygienists are at right now, but let's say for the sake of this podcast, it's $10 an hour. Okay. I should be producing at least   $30 per hour as a healthy hygienist. That's on a PPO. If I'm fee for service, I like you producing at least four times your pay. So if I'm in a fee for service practice, I'm producing $40 an hour, okay? So that would be another great KPI to track. You can also break it down per department. So we might have our doctors. Great KPI to track on our doctors is what are they producing per hour? Most doctors should be producing at least $500 per hour at a minimum, okay?   So if we're working in an eight hour day, that's a $4,000 day per doctor, again on net, not gross. So that's a great metric to put in there. What are our doctors producing per hour? What's our doctor case acceptance? What's our doctor diagnosis? Great KPIs for you to start tracking. If we move on to our hygiene department, you can track fluoride, you can track perio. Perio is a great set to track. We can track ⁓ how many night guards they're doing. We can track how many orthostarts they're doing.   Great KPIs to track, again, if you're in the elite rockstar status. ⁓ Dental assistants, I like to track how many same day conversions you get. Also, how many times you leave the room is a great KPI to track. Also, how many Google reviews do dental assistants get? Those are all really, really great ones that you can do. For front office, scheduling. How often are we scheduling our hygiene and doctors to goal?   So I usually like between 80 and 90 % that they're scheduled to go. Schedulers can be how many openings they have in hygiene. It can also be how many new patients you're scheduling. For our treatment coordinators, case acceptance, right? We want to make sure that we're getting those cases up there. For office managers, what's our collection percentage that can also go to our billers? Billers, I love you to be tracking your AR. Also outstanding claims. ⁓ How long it's taking us to get our claims paid. It's a fan-freaking-tastic KPI to be tracking.   because we want to be paid quicker. Guess what? If I'm tracking that, I can see, are we not sending our claims clean and are we having errors? Could we fix that? Could we enter data better so we don't have these issues happening? Could also track how long our patients are waiting in the waiting room. If we're working on VIP new patient experience. As I just listed, there are a myriad of KPIs you could do. What happens is we often try to track too many things that were actually focused on nothing. So I suggest you usually have at least one primary KPI per   person in the practice. It's their primary. That's the one that no matter what, they're going to hit that. And we make sure it moves our needle forward. So what's going to move our doctors forward? What's going to move our hygienist forward? It's going to move our dental assistants, our scheduler, our biller, our office manager. What is the one thing if we could only focus on one thing, what's going to move each of those people forward the most and move our practice forward the most? Focus on that. Master that. Set a goal of what you should be hitting and report either weekly or daily.   on those. I'll be honest, if you report it daily, just like working out daily, you will probably see greater results than if you do it weekly or just monthly. So I also have with KPIs that you should really, really, really, really be ramping those up and making sure you're reporting consistently and that people know the goals. If we miss it, let's find out why. What's going on? Let's diagnose the problem. Let's find out what can we do to improve that. Again, I want you to think of these as vitals. KPIs are vitals of a practice.   If you don't track these, if you don't check them, you will die. Okay? If you think about it that way, well, instantly I'm like, maybe I don't need to track that. Maybe I don't need to focus on that. If you're already tracking it and you're breathing imperfect, guess what? What happened to the doctor? They start checking other things. They run blood tests on us and they check a thousand different things in that. Okay? So there are lots of KPIs you can do, but I would say keep it simple. Do the kiss method. Keep your KPIs simple. Then add to it. Maybe each quarter we add something.   Maybe each month we add something. It's also fun if you have your team help create these KPIs with you. What do they think is going to the practice board? What did they get excited about? Maybe they want to make social media posts. Maybe they care about how many followers we actually have. Maybe you guys want to do that. Maybe they do it on how many new patients they can get. I just had an office, super fun. The team decided that they were going to try and get more family members scheduled. So on average, this practice was averaging about 35 new patients. Guess what?   Guess what? Just by focusing on asking for referrals from patients and getting more family members scheduled, they use the phrase, what other family members can we get scheduled for you today? They have increased their new patients with no marketing to 50 new patients a month. Is that not rad? That's because they focus on a vital that the practice needed to do. They focus on where they were weak and they're able to move their practice forward. So guys, I would encourage each of you.   Look at these KPIs, get them set. If you don't have a regular KPI tracking, let's start there. If you do, I want to bump it up. Are those KPIs being reported weekly by all team members? And does the doctor and office manager review this? I will tell you at our company, Shelby, she's a rock star. Our whole team reports on a Google drive. We call our leadership scorecard. Those are where our KPIs hang out. Every person has a number that they're tracking. We review these, we make sure that they're the vitals of our company and they're moving us forward.   Every person reports on this every single Friday. We have a reminder that goes out, so everybody fills it in. Shelby then makes sure it comes over to me. I then with Shelby review this leadership scorecard. Then on our leadership team, we look at this every single month and make sure that those are vitals. And then we look to see where are we weak? What do we need to move forward? This is how you start to track. Also, if you want to stamp out and do more practices and you want to have more growth, having a leadership scorecard where you track these KPIs consistently.   allows you to then be able to manage and oversee multiple locations because everybody's tracking. And at a second, you can glance at this and you'll be able to know where your practice is weak and where it's strong and where you need to dive in and give it massive help. So guys, I strongly encourage you, if you're not doing it, do it. If you're doing it already, where can you ramp it up? If you're already ramping it up, get your team members involved and ask them where they want to take it to the next level. KPIs are magic. They're vitals. Also, if you're in that top, top tier,   Maybe I challenge you and say, where could you simplify? Are you overtracking? Sometimes when I look at dental intel, I'm like, holy guac. That's a lot of items you're tracking. How do they know where to focus? I think about the book, Essentialism. If you haven't read it, I would strongly encourage you to do it. If we're focused on too many things, we actually don't make a lot of progress anywhere. We make minimal progress. If we're focused on one thing, we kill it. We knock it out of the park. We dominate it. So I challenge each of you, look at those KPIs. Could you simplify them if you're already doing them?   What are the main drivers of the practice? Keep it to three per department is my recommendation. Make sure that what we're truly focused on is actually going to move you guys forward. If you need help getting those KPIs set up, if that's something you want to start doing, we make sure our practices are all tracking. Our offices have vitals. We look at them. We actually call it their vital scorecard. Truth. That's really what we call it. So if you guys want to help with this, if you'd love somebody to help hold you accountable, email me. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I'd love to help you out.   nothing else guys, go get these KPIs in place and know that you guys are in control of this. You can see your practice at a glance. You can know if you're healthy or not just at a glance, just like the doctor does when we go in for our medical doctors. So guys, try it out. I'd love to hear it. I'd love to hear your successes. Post your KPI scorecards and tag us. We'd love to see it. Share. If you guys want to, you can start to get on our Facebook group, Donuts with Dana. She's literally going around and she's pulling these ideas and she's sharing and she's answering questions.   So join her, she's on Facebook Live every Friday, Donuts with Dana. So hop on over there if you have questions getting this set up, she's there, she'll help answer questions. And as always guys, just take action, do it. Don't be afraid of KPIs, they're very easy. And if we can help you, email us, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. I'd love to share it with you guys. If you need a sample, email us, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on The Dental A Team Podcast. And that wraps it up for another episode of The Dental A Team Podcast.   Thank you so much for listening and we'll talk to you next time.  

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Have you ever wondered what dentists truly value in their front office teams? This spontaneous episode reveals the surprising answer, and it hasn't changed in over a decade.When a scheduled interview fails to materialize, I take the opportunity to share key insights from my journey developing a six-month dental administration school back in 2011. Frustrated by the lack of formal training programs for front office personnel and tired of dealing with qualified candidates who brought attitude problems or rigid ideas about practice management, I set out to create a solution that would shorten the learning curve and reduce turnover.My research journey involved surveying more than 300 dental practices nationwide, asking dentists a deceptively simple question: "If your front office could be expert at one thing, what would it be?" The results were startlingly consistent—billing expertise and skillful handling of new patient calls dominated their responses. What's fascinating is that when I recently conducted a similar survey with 100 practices, the results remained virtually unchanged after all these years. Nine out of ten dental practice executives still prioritize billing knowledge, paired with strong communication skills for patient interaction.Drawing from my unique experience as a dental industry professional since 1995—including roles as a consultant, practice partner, and acting owner for multiple locations—I've gained uncommon insights into what makes dental practices successful. Now I'm reaching out to you: what training would best serve your practice needs? Share your thoughts, and let me help you build the front office team your practice deserves. Join The Biller Acceleration Mentorship Wait List Here: (Only 5 Spots Left in 2025!!)https://linktr.ee/dental_billing_coachWould you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Delta Dental Locum Tenens Form: https://www1.deltadentalins.com/content/dam/ddins/en/pdf/dentists/locum-tenens-form.pdf

How do you determine if someone truly has bacterial-induced bone loss? When a patient presents with bone loss, periodontal disease is one of the most common causes, but not always. What else could it be? In this episode, we discuss various factors contributing to bone loss and recession, with malocclusion being a significant one.   We discuss:  How a slight vertical defect can lead to deterioration of bone. What is traumatic occlusion, and how is it identified? How old restorations contribute to occlusal issues What to look for before jumping straight to perio as the cause Our friends at Designs for Vision brought this episode to you.  Designs for Vision is providing a 45-day trial of their loupes to our listeners! No strings attached.  If you don't love the loupes, simply send them back for a refund.  To learn more, visit  https://www.designsforvision.com/DentHtml/D-InfinityGA.htm  

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Credentialing versus contracting - these terms are often used interchangeably in dental offices, but as Ericka Aguilar explains in this essential episode, they represent entirely different processes with significant implications for your practice's compliance and financial health.Credentialing is the verification process where insurance companies confirm a provider's qualifications, while contracting is the business agreement that follows, officially making a provider "in-network." Understanding this distinction is just the beginning of navigating the complex landscape of dental insurance billing.The episode delivers a stark warning about one of the most dangerous practices happening in dental offices today: billing under another provider's NPI when that provider didn't perform the treatment. This typically occurs when practices are waiting for a new associate to complete the credentialing process. What many don't realize is that this practice constitutes insurance fraud, violating state and federal regulations. With insurance companies now employing AI and aggressive auditing techniques, the risks of massive recoupments, civil penalties, and even criminal charges have never been higher.Erica also demystifies Locum Tenens arrangements, which provide a legitimate pathway for practices to maintain continuity of care when a provider is temporarily unavailable due to specific circumstances like maternity leave, disability, or death. However, these arrangements come with strict limitations that must be carefully followed to avoid compliance issues.Through real-world examples and practical advice, this episode equips dental professionals with the knowledge to protect their practices while maintaining ethical standards. Whether you're a practice owner, office manager, or dental biller, the insights shared will help you navigate the credentialing process correctly, understand when Locum Tenens is appropriate, and implement documentation practices that keep your practice on the right side of compliance. Visit dentalbillingdoneright.com to learn more about setting up proper credentialing SOPs and claim auditing for your practice. Join The Biller Acceleration Mentorship Wait List Here: (Only 5 Spots Left in 2025!!)https://linktr.ee/dental_billing_coachWould you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Delta Dental Locum Tenens Form: https://www1.deltadentalins.com/content/dam/ddins/en/pdf/dentists/locum-tenens-form.pdf

Top 5 Topics:- Doctors vs. Dentists: The Surprising Lifestyle Trade-Offs- Oral Surgeons vs. Periodontists: Inside the Hidden Rivalry- The Insurance Scam: Why Your Dentist Isn't Paid Fairly- Who Really Runs Dentistry? Private Equity, DSOs, and the Decline of Autonomy- From Wine Tasting to Surgery: How Passions Outside Medicine Make Better DoctorsQuotes & Wisdom:“You know you're doing well when the nurses trust you with their care. That's the ultimate compliment.” (00:00)“Dental school does a terrible job of exposing students to what perio really is—we're not just doing cleanings, we're doing real surgery.” (02:33)“Having a strong relationship between oral surgeons and periodontists is so crucial. That's how you best serve patients.” (03:53)“Hospitals don't pay surgeons to take call anymore. Why should young doctors work for free? This is where the system is failing.” (05:25)“Insurance companies are still paying based on 1970s rates. Everything else has inflated, but our work is being devalued.” (12:54)“Most DSOs are owned by investors, not dentists. They know money—but they never took an oath for patient ethics.” (14:42)“Interviews aren't multiple-choice exams, they're conversations. Find common ground and show who you really are.” (33:37)“Anything you can do with your hands—fashion, textiles, sewing—will make you a better surgeon.” (32:07)“Just because a wine is expensive doesn't mean it tastes good. Everyone has a different palette.” (34:59)“Four years in, life looks so different—you finally feel more stable, and that's when the real world begins.” (41:37)Questions:00:05 – Did you notice doctors steering their kids from medicine toward dentistry?01:11 – What did you mean when you mentioned “beef” between oral surgery and perio? 02:10 – Do you feel dental schools do a poor job of showing what periodontics really is?04:39 – Why don't more oral surgeons want to take trauma call in hospitals?08:32 – What are your thoughts on dental schools “boxing” specialties into insurance-driven niches?27:32 – How did you first get into running your wine Instagram pages?Now available on:- Dr. Gallagher's Podcast & YouTube Channel- Dose of Dental Podcast #169- 8.2025#podcast #dentalpodcast #doctorgallagherpodcast #doctorgallagherspodcast #doctor #dentist #dentistry #oralsurgery #dental #dentalschool #dentalstudent #doctorlife #dentistlife #oralsurgeon #doctorgallagher

This week on Brush with Britt, I'm joined by the one and only Shelby RDH — yes, that Shelby from TikTok who has been serving up relatable RDH content and making perio cool again.

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!What happens when you try to end something, only to discover it's just beginning? After announcing what I thought would be the final episode of the Dental Billing Podcast, something extraordinary happened—hundreds of messages flooded in from listeners who weren't ready to say goodbye. From tearful voicemails to heartfelt emails, the message was clear: this podcast had become more than just a billing resource. It had become a lifeline.These messages revealed something powerful about our community. Ashley from Dallas shared that after 17 years in dental billing, this was the first time she felt truly seen. Teresa from Arizona mentioned her therapist made an exception to allow her to listen to this work-related podcast because "it supports your mental health." Nina from Chicago explained how the podcast helped her recover from burnout when "billing was breaking me." What started as technical guidance had evolved into something deeply personal and necessary.Moving forward, the Dental Billing Podcast will continue with an expanded vision. We'll maintain our commitment to sharp, accurate billing information—fighting back unreasonable denials, clarifying coding confusion, and exposing insurance company tactics. But we're also embracing what our community clearly needs: conversations about mental health, burnout prevention, and practical tools for thriving in a chaotic industry. We'll bring in licensed therapists, wellness coaches, and trauma-informed practitioners alongside powerhouse billers and respected consultants to address both the technical and emotional aspects of dental administration.This evolution reflects a simple truth: you're not just a biller or office manager—you're a human being trying to make a difference in a broken system. Whether you're looking for denial management strategies, nervous system regulation techniques, or simply the comfort of knowing you're not alone, this podcast remains a safe space for your questions, your growth, and your hope. Email me your topics, leave a review to help others find us, and know that we're in this together—not ending, but expanding. Join The Biller Acceleration Mentorship Wait List Here: (Only 5 Spots Left in 2025!!)https://linktr.ee/dental_billing_coachWould you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

Vancouver Consumer - August 2, 2025 - Dr. Ron Zokol with BC Perio

Struggling to read dental x-rays with confidence? https://ivdi.org/rad Unlock the secrets of radiographic interpretation in our FREE training – perfect for techs and vets alike!   Want to stand out in veterinary dentistry? https://ivdi.org/inv Take your skills to the next level with the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program — our most comprehensive training yet.   -----------------------------   Host: Dr. Brett Beckman, Board Certified Veterinary Dentist   In this episode of The Vet Dental Show, Dr. Brett Beckman guides you through the essential techniques for successful veterinary dental extractions. You'll master periodontal pocket management, learn the importance of proper patient positioning, and discover the benefits of hyaluronic acid application for enhanced dental procedures.   What You'll Learn: ✅ How to identify periodontal pockets using a periodontal probe. ✅ The technique for curettage to remove granulation tissue from periodontal pockets. ✅ The application of hyaluronic acid for pocket management. ✅ Why hyaluronic acid is a superior alternative to Doxyrobe. ✅ Proper patient positioning for various dental extractions (mandibular canine, first molar, maxillary first molar). ✅ How technicians should assist in patient positioning for optimal exposure. ✅ Incision techniques for canine extractions.   Key Takeaways: ✅ Bleeding on probing indicates the presence of granulation tissue in periodontal pockets. ✅ Curettage is essential for removing diseased tissue and promoting healing. ✅ Hyaluronic acid is easy to apply and promotes tissue regeneration. ✅ Correct patient positioning is crucial for successful extractions and suturing. ✅ Proper technician assistance ensures optimal visibility and efficiency during procedures.   -----------------------------   What are your biggest challenges with managing periodontal pockets or performing extractions? Share your questions and experiences in the comments below!   -----------------------------   Keyword Tags: Veterinary Dentistry, Surgical Extractions, Radiographic Interpretation, Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program, Periodontal Disease, Dental Radiography, Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Brett Beckman, IVDI, Hyaluronic Acid, Curettage, Patient Positioning, Veterinary Dental Care, General Practice, Doxyrobe, Veterinary Dental Extractions

Periodontal re-evaluation timing is essential for all therapeutic hygiene procedures... but when should this be done? We have heard a range of recommendations but listen in as Katrina breaks it down based on the case type! Resources: More Fast Facts: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/ Katrina Sanders Website: https://www.katrinasanders.com  Katrina Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/ 

Periodontal re-evaluation timing is essential for all therapeutic hygiene procedures... but when should this be done? We have heard a range of recommendations but listen in as Katrina breaks it down based on the case type! Resources: More Fast Facts: https://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/fast-facts/ Katrina Sanders Website: https://www.katrinasanders.com  Katrina Sanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedentalwinegenist/ 

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Pivotal moments often arrive unexpectedly. After years of helping dental practices decode insurance denials and maximize reimbursements, I've made a significant discovery that's reshaping our journey together. What began as technical discussions about coding and claims consistently opened doors to far deeper conversations about practice culture, team alignment, and leadership challenges.The highest-performing billing departments I've encountered share one critical element that transcends technical knowledge—they operate within practices where leadership is strong, vision is shared, and team members pull in the same direction. When I stepped into offices to address billing issues, I frequently uncovered symptoms of deeper organizational challenges: fear-based decision-making, reactive management, artificial harmony, and teams trapped in survival mode. These cultural issues were directly impacting financial performance.That's why this finale of the Dental Billing Podcast marks not an ending but an evolution. While billing expertise remains my foundation and passion, our new "Practice and Purpose" podcast will embrace the whole picture of practice success. We'll explore leadership development, navigating difficult conversations, building high-performing teams, and aligning your practice with your deeper purpose—all while continuing to sprinkle in the billing wisdom you've come to expect.To my loyal listeners who've shared stories of successfully challenging insurance companies, securing deserved raises, and transforming billing departments: thank you for making this platform sacred. This shift honors the truth of what you've been teaching me all along—that our conversations were always about more than just billing. They were about becoming the leader your practice needs and creating a culture where your team and your purpose can thrive. Join me next week as we begin this expanded journey together, right here in your podcast feed. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Dental insurance companies often deny necessary treatment claims not because they should, but because they can—and we explore how to fight back effectively through appeals and regulatory complaints.• 59% of denied claims are upheld simply because no appeal is ever filed• Unreasonable denials occur when patients have benefits but claims are still denied• State insurance commissioners can investigate denials and prompt payment violations• Understanding the difference between fully-insured and self-funded (ERISA) plans• For self-funded plans, complaints must go to the Department of Labor (866-444-3272)• Gather evidence including denials, submission reports, and clinical notes• Position your complaint as patient advocacy rather than financial recovery• Insurance companies cannot dictate treatment or force doctors to work for freeRemember: You're not just a biller—you are the patient advocate and the system of checks and balances they didn't see coming.Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!The entrepreneurial journey can be isolating even when surrounded by loved ones who don't fully understand what we're building. Success looks different for entrepreneurs than those in traditional jobs, and the lack of understanding can create a divide between our business reality and personal relationships.• We often downplay our professional wins because they don't translate well to those outside our industry• Traditional security (401k, benefits) looks different for entrepreneurs but is equally valid• True entrepreneurial success is about freedom and peace, not just financial metrics• Building a community of like-minded people is essential to combat the isolation• Office managers experience similar isolation carrying the emotional weight of practices• Finding your "biz bestie" or mastermind group provides crucial support and understanding• It's okay to build your business slowly and intentionally• Even when you question yourself or face setbacks, you're still moving forwardIf this episode spoke to you, please share it with someone who needs to hear they matter. Let your office manager, business friends, or team know they are appreciated and seen.Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

If you're dealing with gum disease and worried about painful procedures or expensive surgeries, a new home-based therapy can help you fight back without going under the knife. Visit https://www.denverdentistry.com/ Denver Dentistry City: Littleton Address: 5920 S Estes St #200 Website: https://www.denverdentistry.com/

What is your referral protocol for perio speciality? What kinds of procedures are you referring and do you feel like you refer often enough? Give a listen to this short episode as Laura Bettencourt and Danielle Avila give their experiences! Resources:@diamondgirlscoaching on insta ldiamantecoaching.com

What is your referral protocol for perio speciality? What kinds of procedures are you referring and do you feel like you refer often enough? Give a listen to this short episode as Laura Bettencourt and Danielle Avila give their experiences! Resources:@diamondgirlscoaching on insta ldiamantecoaching.com

In this episode of Op Talk, Irene and Vic discuss Scaling and Root Planning (SRPs) and how to effectively monitor periodontal disease progression in patients. This complex condition can be challenging to manage, but having a clear clinical protocol helps simplify treatment planning and patient education. We explore key questions, such as: When is periodontitis considered stable or in remission? What clinical and behavioural factors should be evaluated before adjusting a patient's treatment plan? How frequently should you reassess and potentially change a patient's scaling interval from 3 months to 6 months or longer? How crucial is it to obtain a patient's full periodontal probing history? Plus, stick around until the end of the episode to discover an often-overlooked resource for patients who may require more treatment than their insurance plan can support. To submit questions and access helpful tools, head over to @toothlife.irene on Instagram and check out the top three pinned posts. Resources are located at the center of each post, and you can ask questions directly in the comments. Also, don't forget to visit toothlife.ca to explore an extensive library of resources tailored for dental professionals navigating periodontal care and maintenance protocols.If you made it all the way down here, hit a like and share a comment. Until next time, Peace out peeps! ✌️ _______________________________________

Learn how an innovative at-home treatment could give you healthier gums and potentially save you from heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's, and other chronic, systemic conditions. In this episode of Your Mouth Matters, Dr. Rebecca Taylor, founder of Green City Dental in Edmonds, WA, and her hygienist Vonna Castiglione reveal why nearly half of adults over 30 have some degree of gum disease and how this silent infection can affect your whole body.They also share how the standard “deep cleanings” often fail to address the real culprit behind gum disease - an unhealthy oral microbiome. PerioProtect is different, delivering hydrogen peroxide gel under the gumline, targeting harmful bacteria and supporting helpful microbes. You'll learn more about who can benefit from PerioProtect, how it works, and why it might even save you time and money in the long run, while giving you the added benefits of whiter teeth and fresher breath. If you've been told you need a deep cleaning or have struggled with persistent gum issues, this is the episode for you!

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Are you leaving money on the table while your patients remain undertreated? After analyzing over 300 dental practices across the country, I discovered a shocking truth: the average dental practice with a full-time hygienist treats only 17% of the periodontal disease they diagnose. That means 83% of diagnosed disease goes completely untreated—a staggering gap between diagnosis and care.This episode dives deep into the "hidden opportunity" within your hygiene department by exploring D4346: scaling in the presence of generalized moderate to severe gingival inflammation. This often-misunderstood code bridges the critical gap between a standard prophy (D1110) and scaling and root planing (D4341/D4342). For patients showing clear signs of gingivitis without bone loss—bleeding on probing, inflamed tissue, pseudopockets, and plaque that doesn't respond to routine cleaning—continuing to perform prophies isn't prevention; it's undertreatment.I walk you through a comprehensive, step-by-step process for properly implementing D4346 in your practice, from accurate diagnosis and bulletproof documentation to effective patient education and ethical billing. We cover common challenges including insurance downgrades, particularly when carriers like Delta may pay less for D4346 than for a prophy, and how to handle these situations without compromising ethics or revenue. The key message: this code is based on diagnosis, not difficulty or time spent, and represents therapeutic care designed to heal tissue, not maintain it.Whether you're a dental biller, office manager, hygienist, or dentist, this episode provides practical guidance for transforming your approach to gingivitis treatment. The benefits extend beyond proper coding—you'll deliver better care, improve patient outcomes, and optimize practice revenue. Pull a few charts this week and see how many of your "prophy patients" actually qualify for D4346. The results might surprise you. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

Special Guest Dental Disruptor: Alan Timmerman, Oral Health Therapist & Specialist Periodontal Practice Owner In this groundbreaking episode, Tabitha sits down with Alan Timmerman, an Australian Oral Health Therapist who has shattered traditional career expectations by purchasing and running his own specialist periodontal practice. This conversation explores Alan's unconventional journey from clinical practice to business ownership and provides valuable insights for OHTs looking to expand beyond conventional roles. Key Topics Covered

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Dental insurance verification is stuck in the 1990s, but insurance companies have dramatically changed how they operate—leaving dentists with surprise balances, frustrated patients, and a mess of accounts receivable. In this eye-opening episode, I reveal how insurance carriers are secretly leasing networks behind the scenes and potentially pulling your practice into networks you never directly signed with.Drawing from a recent consultation where a practice saw their AR spike by $70,000 due to inadequate verification, I walk through exactly why checking just the basics—deductibles, maximums, and coverage percentages—is no longer enough. The game has fundamentally changed. Through leased networks and umbrella plans like Connection Dental and DentaMax, carriers can apply completely different fee schedules than you expect, even when you think you're out of network.Most importantly, I share the specific questions you must ask during insurance verification to protect your practice: Are we in-network or out-of-network with this specific plan? Are we directly contracted or leased through another network? Which fee schedule applies to our office for this plan? Does this patient's plan fall under a specific PPO tier, group or level? These questions will transform how you set up patient accounts and present treatment plans.Ready to stop the bleeding and take control of your insurance verification process? Download my free verification checklist in the show notes and start mapping your complete network participation status today. Your billing department—and your bank account—will thank you. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Insurance companies are using AI to evaluate dental x-rays, denying claims when specific landmarks aren't visible in the images. This shift means approximately 70% of claims are now processed through artificial intelligence systems that disqualify submissions based on technical deficiencies rather than subjective human review.• Poor quality x-rays with cone cuts or missing apexes give insurance companies legitimate reasons to deny payment• Clinical teams need training to understand what qualifying x-rays look like for different procedures• Billing starts with proper clinical documentation and supporting attachments, not in the billing department• Digital x-rays allow immediate quality assessment - retake poor images immediately• Even the best billers can't overcome insufficient evidence when appealing denials• Creating a list of procedures requiring x-rays and examples of qualifying images can help train staff• When benefits are available and evidence is sufficient, insurance companies should pay claims• Proper documentation creates leverage when fighting unreasonable claim denialsIf you need help training your clinical teams on how to improve x-ray quality for insurance submissions, I have a step-by-step process available. Send me a message to discuss what's happening in your office.Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? She would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110)

In this episode of Dental Unfiltered, hosts Matt Brown and Dr. Andrew Vallo tackle the challenges of managing new periodontal patients. They stress the importance of clear communication and education while being flexible in treatment approaches to improve patient experience and acceptance. The discussion also focuses on distinguishing periodontal therapy from regular cleanings, addressing patient anxiety, and demonstrating the value of treatments to achieve better outcomes for both patients and dental practices.

keywords:   periodontics, dental practice, AI in dentistry, corporate dentistry, private practice, dental technology, marketing strategies, pandemic impact, dental education, career journey, dentistry, AI, technology, dental practice, efficiency, personal stories, career, education, tools, future, Yvette Carrillo, Perio Princess, Serv Wahan, Dr. Wahan, Dental Influencer, Dental podcast, San Diego, New Mexico, CBCT,      summary:   In this engaging conversation, Yvette Carrillo, a periodontist, shares her journey from dental school to establishing her practice in San Diego. She discusses the challenges of starting a practice during the pandemic, the importance of technology and AI in dentistry, and the evolving landscape of corporate versus private practice. Yvette also reflects on her experiences in dental school, her near-death car accident, and the significance of networking and community in her professional life. In this engaging conversation, the speakers explore the integration of AI in dental practices, personal experiences in education, and reflections on life and career. They discuss the evolution of technology in dentistry, the importance of teamwork, and the future of AI as a tool to enhance efficiency and patient care. The dialogue also touches on personal anecdotes, including experiences in college and residency, and light-hearted rapid-fire questions about preferences and lifestyle.     takeaways: Yvette is the first periodontist on the show. She initially moved back to New Mexico after dental school but returned to California. Starting a practice from scratch is challenging, especially in a saturated market. Opening during COVID provided unique challenges and opportunities. Technology and AI play a crucial role in modern dentistry. Networking with other professionals is essential for success. The landscape of corporate dentistry is changing rapidly. Yvette emphasizes the importance of comprehensive patient assessments. She has a strong bond with her sorority sisters from dental school. Understanding business aspects is vital for running a successful practice. AI is becoming an essential tool in dental practices. Team collaboration enhances the use of technology in the workplace. Personal experiences in education shape professional growth. Finding the right AI tools can streamline workflows. AI can help manage mental load in busy practices. The future of dentistry is intertwined with technological advancements. Maintaining a work-life balance is crucial for success. Personal anecdotes can enrich professional conversations. Exploring new technologies can reignite passion for work. Sleep hygiene and personal health are important for productivity.   titles: From Dental School to Periodontics: Yvette's Journey Navigating the Challenges of Starting a Dental Practice The Role of Technology in Modern Dentistry AI and Its Impact on Periodontics   Sound Bites: "I love Perio so much." "What's the worst that can happen?" "I was a good patient." "I love my Surge sisters." "I highly recommend it." "I have a really good core team." "I can't take notes anymore." "I gave up caffeine." "I have the best sleep hygiene."   Chapters:   00:00 Introduction to Yvette Carrillo 01:01 Journey to Periodontics 03:30 Starting a Practice from Scratch 07:54 Navigating the Pandemic and Marketing Strategies 10:33 Technology in Dentistry 16:08 AI in Periodontics 19:33 Corporate vs. Private Practice 22:21 Business Training and Networking 24:31 Fraternity Life and Connections 26:00 The Role of AI in Dentistry 29:59 AI Tools for Efficiency 33:52 Integrating AI in Dental Practices 34:48 The Future of AI in Dentistry 37:01 Personal Reflections and Rapid Fire Questions

Dal Perio is a Senior Manager of Sensory & Product Insights at Starbucks, with 30 years of experience in Sensory Science, Consumer Research, and Marketing Research across seven Fortune 500 companies including Johnson & Johnson, Diageo, and Unilever.   His expertise spans Product Innovation, Consumer Research, Quality Assurance, and Product Testing. At Starbucks, he focuses on Sensory & Product Insights for various channels, ensuring optimal research solutions. He's actively involved in numerous professional sensory organizations and was mentored by Rose Marie Pangborn.   To be put in touch with Dal, please contact Aigora. To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

In this episode, Dayna Johnson discusses the critical aspects of perio charting in dental hygiene, emphasizing its importance for diagnosing periodontal disease. She shares practical tips for enhancing efficiency, including the use of keyboard shortcuts and custom scripts in Dentrix software. The episode also covers how to document exam information effectively and the benefits of copying this information into clinical notes for better patient care and insurance documentation. ➡Perio charting is essential for diagnosing periodontal disease. ➡Hygienists must prioritize time for perio charting. ➡Custom scripts can enhance efficiency in perio charting. ➡Keyboard shortcuts streamline the perio charting process. ➡The bleeding all button simplifies documentation of bleeding. ➡Exam information can be crucial for insurance claims. ➡Documenting clinical observations is important for patient records. ➡Stage and grade of periodontal disease should be included in charts. ➡Copying exam information to clinical notes saves time. ➡Continuous learning about software features is vital for hygienists. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Perio Charting 10:09 Utilizing Keyboard Shortcuts 16:28 Copying Exam Information to Clinical Notes Please rate, review and share this episode with your colleagues. Book a call with Dayna: https://calendly.com/dayna-johnson/discovery-call

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!After rebranding my company and going solo without a business partner, I discovered I needed to get intentional about how I showed up, leading to 10x growth for Fortune Billing Solutions in just one year.• Tracked every minute of my day for two weeks to discover I was creating chaos for myself and my team• Implemented structured timeblocking for client meetings, discovery calls, team one-on-ones, podcast recording, and CEO strategy• Created a daily "miracle hour" focused on follow-ups, marketing, outreach and business development• Organized my week using theme days: Mondays for admin, Tuesdays for client strategy, Wednesdays for creative work, Thursdays for business development, and "Follow-up Fridays"• Turned off all notifications during deep work hours with only my daughter as a VIP contact• End each day with a shutdown routine to check accomplishments and set tomorrow's priorities• Dental billing insight: High patient AR often stems from improper co-pay calculations upfront and improper adjustments on the backend• Color-code your calendar to make patterns visible: blue for client work, green for business development, yellow for admin, red for distractionsBook a free billing audit with us. We'd love to help you find the billing opportunities hiding in plain sight.Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!A powerful reading of "Chapter 4: Built from Grit" from the book "I'm Just the Biller" shares the journey from humble beginnings to nationwide success in dental billing education. This authentic narrative speaks directly to the unsung heroes of dental practices, reminding listeners that success isn't about where you start but the invisible grit that carries you forward.• Started career while dealing with a workplace bully who undermined confidence and flaunted material possessions• Worked two jobs simultaneously as a dental biller and ER tech to save for first home• First workshop in 2011 had just nine attendees who paid $19 each• Evolved from Craigslist marketing to hosting 156 people at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles• Experienced a full-circle moment when former bully became part of an office requiring billing consultation• Built a nationwide platform over a decade of dedicated work in dental coding and billing education• Recognizes that setbacks, disappointments and closed doors ultimately contributed to growth and resilienceShare this episode with your co-worker, office bestie, or that teammate who needs to hear they're just getting started. Follow the show, leave a review, and connect on Instagram @dentalbillingcoach for behind-the-scenes content, billing tips, and support for the people holding the dental profession together.Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

Your patients aren't truly healthy, but they're also not losing teeth. This “gray area” is keeping them in perio purgatory! In this episode of Clinical Edge Fridays, Kirk Behrendt brings back Rachel Wall, CEO and founder of Inspired Hygiene, to explain what perio purgatory is, why it's dangerous, and how to pull patients out of it to improve their health. To learn how to put an end to your perio blindness, listen to Episode 864 of The Best Practices Show!Learn More About Rachel:Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredhygieneJoin Rachel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredHygieneBook your discovery meeting with Inspired Hygiene: https://www.inspiredhygiene.comMore Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:Subscribe to The Best Practices Show: https://the-best-practices-show.captivate.fm/listenJoin The Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpaDownload ACT's BPA app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/best-practices-association/id6738960360Download ACT's BPA app on the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actdental.join&hl=en_USJoin ACT's To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/tttSee the ACT Dental/BPA Live Event Schedule: https://www.actdental.com/eventGet The Best Practices Magazine for free: https://www.actdental.com/magazinePlease leave us a review on the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-practices-show-with-kirk-behrendt/id1223838218Episode Resources:Watch the video version of Episode 864: https://www.youtube.com/@actdental/videosRead Beat the Heart Attack Gene by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen: https://baledoneen.com/bdm-booksRead Healthy Heart, Healthy Brain by Dr. Bradley Bale and Dr. Amy Doneen: https://baledoneen.com/bdm-booksWatch Dr. Amy Doneen's Women's Heart Health Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKo-4sSo7wMGet Inspired Hygiene's Standard of Care Worksheet: https://inspiredhygiene.com/standard-of-care-worksheetMain Takeaways:There is a...

On today's episode, we dive into a revolutionary way to approach periodontal disease with Dr. Ben Kacos and Dr. Ashlee Hirschfeld. Instead of getting lost in probing depths and pocket numbers, Dr. Kacos shares how his practice shifts the conversation to what truly resonates with patients—the systemic health risks of gum infections.   Dr. Kacos explains how implementing a microscope in hygiene appointments has transformed case acceptance, making periodontal diagnosis more black-and-white for both patients and providers. Plus, he details how his team seamlessly integrates this into their workflow without slowing down efficiency. EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

Sarovi Davda, a general dentist with a special interest in periodontics, joins Payman for an insightful conversation about the evolution of periodontal treatment and the art of balancing professional expertise with personal growth. From her journey through dental school to establishing herself as a medico-legal expert witness, Sarovi shares candid reflections on career choices, parenthood, and divorce. Her passion for periodontics combines technical skill with psychological understanding, emphasising how patient motivation transforms treatment outcomes. Throughout the episode, Sarovi's spiritual outlook provides a refreshing perspective on finding meaning in dentistry and life beyond clinical practice.In This Episode00:01:40 - Practice limitation to periodontics and medico-legal work00:05:35 - Childhood and education journey 00:09:35 - Balancing career with parenthood 00:10:25 - Navigating divorce and personal growth 00:17:45 - Dental school experiences 00:26:20 - Discovering a passion for periodontics 00:32:50 - Clinical prognosis in periodontics 00:39:00 - Interdental brushing vs flossing debate 00:43:50 - Medico-legal expert witness work 00:51:20 - Preventing periodontal litigation 01:14:15 - Blackbox thinking01:27:50 - Fantasy dinner party 01:32:45 - Last days and legacyAbout Sarovi DavdaSarovi Davda is a general dentist whose practice is now completely limited to periodontics and medico-legal expert witness work. After completing her MSc in Restorative Dental Practice at the Eastman, she developed her expertise in periodontics under the mentorship of respected periodontists Phil Ower and Graham Smart. Sarovi divides her time equally between clinical periodontics and serving as an independent expert witness, bringing her evidence-based approach to both areas of her practice.

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Artificial intelligence has quietly revolutionized how dental insurance claims are processed, and most dental offices don't even realize it. Today we pull back the curtain on Novo Dynamics and their Novo Health Dental AI system that's scrutinizing your x-rays, documentation, and billing patterns before a human reviewer ever sees your claim.The game has changed dramatically. Insurance companies have trained AI systems to review claims using very specific criteria determined by their own dental consultants—not treating clinicians. These systems don't just look at individual claims but cross-check x-rays across multiple insurance carriers, analyze your practice's billing patterns, and compare you to other providers in your area. If your practice performs more crowns, SRPs, or implants than what AI considers "average," all your claims face increased scrutiny regardless of their legitimacy.This technological shift demands we evolve from merely submitting "clean claims" to creating "AI-proof claims." High-quality, clear x-rays that perfectly demonstrate necessity, concise standardized narratives, and meticulous documentation are no longer optional—they're essential. When AI improperly denies claims, request human review promptly. Document patterns of improper denials and report systematic issues to your insurance commissioner. The days of assuming a person will review your claim are over, but by understanding how these systems work, you can adapt your strategies to overcome these new barriers to reimbursement.Ready to level up your billing skills and connect with fellow dental billers? Join us for our upcoming live workshop in Dallas! Send "Dallas" in a direct message to @dental_billing_coach on Instagram for your chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to the event. Looking forward to diving deeper into AI and dental billing in our next episode where we'll share real-world denial stories and more strategies to beat the algorithms at their own game. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Dental billing has undergone a dramatic transformation since the carefree days of the late 1990s. What was once a straightforward process—send a claim, get paid, move on—has evolved into a complex system demanding meticulous attention to detail and strict compliance measures. The reason? Insurance companies have woken up to the staggering $12.5 billion lost annually to dental fraud, and they're scrutinizing claims like never before.You don't need to be committing actual fraud to get caught in this web. Cutting corners, skipping steps, and clinging to outdated "backyard billing" habits can quickly put a target on your practice. Are you submitting claims without checking clinical notes? Skipping attachments to get claims out faster? Using coding loopholes that worked a decade ago? These practices aren't just inefficient—they're potentially putting your practice at risk for denials, audits, and recoupment demands.True billing expertise isn't defined by years of experience but by commitment to compliance and continuous education. It means verifying clinical documentation matches what you're billing, understanding dental necessity requirements, staying current with coding changes, and implementing robust follow-up systems. It means knowing when to push back when insurance companies request additional information despite receiving sufficient evidence the first time. Most importantly, it means understanding your state's prompt pay laws and holding insurance companies accountable when they attempt to delay payment beyond legal timeframes.The transition from backyard billing to compliant billing isn't complicated, but it requires intentionality. Start by implementing daily report monitoring, creating standardized billing protocols, and ensuring your team understands compliance requirements. The reward? Fewer denials, faster reimbursements, and significantly less stress from chasing payments that should have been received the first time. Remember: the goal isn't just getting claims paid—it's getting them done right. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

In this episode, Dayna Johnson shares insights from her experiences in the dental industry, focusing on the latest updates in Dentrix software, particularly enhancements in perio charting. She discusses the new 'bleeding all' button, the importance of understanding periodontal disease stages and grades, and the features of the perio panel that can improve workflow efficiency for dental hygienists. Dayna emphasizes the significance of effective clinical documentation and encourages sharing knowledge within the dental community. Takeaways ➡Dayna highlights the importance of sharing knowledge in the dental community. ➡The new 'bleeding all' button in Dentrix enhances workflow efficiency. ➡Understanding the stages and grades of periodontal disease is crucial for accurate documentation. ➡The perio panel in Dentrix offers various features for comprehensive patient assessments. ➡Custom scripts can be created for perio charting to suit individual workflows. ➡Visual aids in the perio chart can significantly enhance patient understanding. ➡Clinical documentation can be streamlined by copying exam information to clinical notes. ➡Dentrix's perio panel is well-designed for clinical documentation needs. ➡Sharing tips and insights can help improve dental practices. ➡Dayna expresses her willingness to assist dental professionals with their documentation needs. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dental Insights 00:58 Enhancements in Dentrix: The Bleeding All Button 06:10 Understanding Periodontal Disease Stages and Grades 09:18 Exploring the Perio Panel Features 12:07 Customizing Perio Charting Workflows Please rate, review and share this episode with your colleagues. Book a call with Dayna: https://calendly.com/dayna-johnson/discovery-call

How often should our patients present for their perio maintenance recall? Is it okay to graduate them from 3 mos to 4 mos recalls? How do we evaluate this? Check out this 5 minute episode with Katrina Sanders to learn more! References: American Academy of Periodontology. Acquired from: https://www.ada.org/~/media/JCNDE/pdfs/Perio_Disease_Classification_FAQ.pdf?la=en.  Accessed on: September 21, 2021. Magnusson, I., Lindhe, J., Yoneyama, T., & Liljenberg, B. (1984). Recolonization of a subgingival microbiota following scaling in deep pockets. Journal of clinical periodontology, 11(3), 193-207. Greenstein, G., Periodontal response to mechanical non-surgical therapy: a review. J Periodontol, 1992. 63(2): p. 118-30.

Are you truly educating your patients about the powerful connection between oral health and overall wellness? With nearly 60 systemic illnesses linked to oral inflammation, ignoring this issue can have serious consequences for your patients. This week on Dentistry Unmasked, Pam and David are joined by Kelly Overton, RDH and they dive into the importance of effective patient communication and whether your team is delivering the message. Prioritizing this conversation not only benefits your patients but also enhances professional satisfaction and practice growth. Tune in for expert tips and tools to help you combat oral inflammation and elevate patient care! **In Partnership with Perio Protect

Got questions? Send Ericka a Text!Uncover the critical connections between HIPAA compliance and dental billing practices in our episode featuring host Ericka Aguilar. Discover how safeguarding patient privacy extends beyond ethical boundaries to play a pivotal role in averting billing fraud in dental practices. We delve into the cutting-edge strategies employed by insurance companies, such as predictive analytics, to detect inconsistencies and initiate audits without relying on whistleblowers. Erika sheds light on the risks associated with common pitfalls like inappropriate code adjustments and the negligent waiving of co-payments that insurers might interpret as fraudulent activity. By gaining a deeper understanding of insurance audits and adhering strictly to HIPAA's privacy, breach, and anti-kickback policies, dental professionals can uphold their practice's integrity and maintain the trust of insurance companies.Explore the heightened scrutiny dental offices face due to the rise of AI in insurance auditing, as Ericka highlights the dire consequences of billing inaccuracies, including high denial rates and the ominous threat of clawbacks. With the potential for significant financial repercussions, she emphasizes the importance of accurate billing and the dangers of fraudulent resubmissions. Learn how diligent denial tracking and effective appeals can be your defense against unnecessary audits and penalties. Hear practical advice on how to navigate the complexities of maintaining compliance, including when to involve the insurance commissioner to protect your practice from potential pitfalls and maintain ethical billing standards. Want to learn Dental Coding and Billing? Join here:https://tr.ee/efzYrY7mp-Would you like to set-up a billing consultation with Ericka? We would love the opportunity to discuss your billing questions and see how Fortune Billing Solutions may help you. Email Ericka:ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.comSchedule a call with Ericka: https://calendly.com/ericka-dentalbillingdoneright/30min Perio performance formula: (D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910)/(D4341+D4342+D4346+D4355+D4910+D1110) Want to know what your fee should be for D4346? Send Ericka an email to ericka@dentalbillingdoneright.com

So your office doesn't have a strong Perio program, that's cool we've got you. In this episode of Op Talk, Irene and Vic tackle a pressing question from a social media follower about implementing a periodontal protocol in her practice for the first time. The hosts dive deep into the essentials of building a comprehensive Perio protocol, referencing the Perio Flow Chart from Irene made easily found Toothlife.ca as a valuable resource. This discussion is something we dental professionals often struggle with, how do we discuss Perio and our findings without causing patients to feel shamed? Often we say "a little" which truly diminishes our diagnostics. Here are some of the discussion points.  Implementing a Periodontal Protocol Steps to develop a protocol from scratch Importance of team collaboration and buy-in Integrating the Perio Flow Chart into daily practice Take out all the products and services you have that help you see what you have and how it is useful based on scientific findings.  Dental Insurance and Prevention Critique of current insurance models prioritizing treatment over prevention Strategies for advocating for preventive care coverage Educating patients on the value of periodontal maintenance Listener Engagement: To submit questions and access helpful resources, head over to @toothlife.irene on Instagram and check out the top three pinned posts. Resources are conveniently located in the middle of these posts, and you can ask questions directly by leaving a comment. Additionally, visit toothlife.ca to explore a wide range of resources tailored to your needs. _______________________________________  

This one's for the doctors and hygienists. Tiff and Britt discuss why perio calibration matters, how accountability on top of that improves practice-wide success, the right percentages your hygiene department should be reaching, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Britt Tune Into DAT's Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01.302) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. I am excited to help with you today with me, with us. Britt Stone, Miss Britt is one of our hygiene queens. You know, we have a couple of them on our team and occasionally I like to bring them in for some hygiene flow and some hygiene spaces. Now, Britt, today we are gonna talk hygiene, but I wanna do hygiene from doctors.   perspective and like doctors really getting a lot of value out of that space. So today's hygiene is a little bit different. Your hygienists can listen to this always as well. Obviously there's gonna be nuggets in there for them, but doctors, this is for you. Before we jump into my hygiene, I'm so excited for this one, my hygiene stuff, Britt, how are you? You just went on vacation and it was a little chilly, I agree, because we're from Arizona, anything under.   80 degrees is a little chilly. I get it. Tell me, where did you ladies go and how amazing was it?   Britt (00:56.382) That was true.   Britt (01:04.513) It was amazing. One, thanks for calling us Hygiene Queens. I think all the hygienists out there appreciate that. So we love it. But I went up to Washington, Seattle area. So out to Woodby Island. So a little island out there. Took the ferry over, enjoyed it. It was great. I mean, we're all Arizona girls that went. It was like a high school crew, all my high school friends that went for a vacation once a year. And so we went out of town, enjoyed some fall, enjoyed some cooler weather since we don't...   The Dental A Team (01:17.913) Super cold.   Britt (01:32.695) get as much of that here and had a great time.   The Dental A Team (01:34.351) No, that's awesome. And you froze, because you were like, those islands, they get really cold no matter what time of year it is. They're chilly, because they're way up there. You're almost Canada in those suckers.   Britt (01:46.497) Yeah, and it's windy and it was rainy because it's fall time, but I mean, yeah, it's, yeah, which makes it nice and green and it was gorgeous. We saw like a bald eagle. Amazing. So it was.   The Dental A Team (01:52.333) in Seattle.   The Dental A Team (01:58.028) to.   that's really cool. Well, I am excited that you got to go and I think that's super cool. I know you guys do your once a year trip and it's always something really, really fun and you get to just disconnect for at least a weekend. So I was happy to see you're out there. Yeah, I love it. I love it. And I love, I do love my hygiene queens and I think hygiene is obviously an imperative space.   for dentistry and today's topic, it's actually, it's serendipitous, know, things always happen and come up. But the other day, my partner was asking me, he said, because he's a financial advisor, so he's always thinking numbers and he advises a few dentists. And so he's like picking my brain for things. And he's like, how much do dentists actually make?   off of a cleaning, because like he'll go in for his cleaning and then come out with like all of these financial questions for me and I'm like, I'm very smart, you like I'll walk you through it. Yeah, so I'm like, nothing. He's like, what do you mean? What do mean they make nothing? And I was like, they make nothing. Like you're not, you are not going to be profitable off of strictly re-care appointments. And so I literally like, that was my initial response was like nothing and like walk away, right? And he's like, no wait, tell me more. And I'm like,   Britt (03:22.275) all the things and then eventually nothing.   The Dental A Team (03:25.539) Yeah, and so I was like, okay, fine, I'll break it down for you. Let me tell you all the things that go into a hygiene appointment and that cost analysis per hour and why it's so important that a hygienist does 3.3 times his or her rate of pay and can produce 30 % of overall production for the practice because if they're not, that department is not profitable for the company. And the non-profitable space of the company   is an issue, right? And it's not to say hygiene that, know, we're never gonna say do things you don't wanna do or squeeze your appointments or do more. And like, that's not who we are. It's really just about finding the spaces where we can create more value for our patients utilizing the tools at our fingertips and creating more profitability for the company because for Dental A Team we believe that the profitability leads to reinvestment back into.   the patients and the practice. So we cannot reinvest back into our patients' experience and all of these, you digital workflows that everybody's trying to do, these new x-ray machines, the scanners, the cavitron tips, guys, like those pieces of things and, and cool lasers and all of these things that you want even for your hygiene space, those are reinvestments back into it. So that profitability creates the space to be able to do that. And doctors today, I really wanted to walk through that. His question the other day was just like,   my gosh, like, this is something that as a consultant and as a dental professional, this is one of those spaces that to me is just like, I'm like, why would you even ask that? Like that was, that was a weird question. Like, obviously it makes nothing. And then I'm like, you want me to walk you through it? Okay, this is one of those spaces that I think people know that they don't. And really taking an analysis and a look doctors at your hygiene department and how you're influencing that.   as well and making sure that you're staying on top of it. think hygienists are incredible. I think dental teams are incredible. I think doctors are incredible human beings. But I think a lot of dentists, a lot of doctors are like, well, they're hygienists. Like you've got this. You've got this. You do the periapart. You do that, which I totally agree with you guys, right? You are in that world. You are in the gums, right? You got the gums. I'm gonna give you that world, okay? My doctors.   The Dental A Team (05:48.642) you diagnose the decay, the things that need to happen, like you are in that world way more than anybody else is. So for hygienists to be the lead on perio and periodontal pieces, whether it's a routine cleaning or sky's the limit, that makes sense to me. But my doctors who pull so far out that they don't actually know what's going on over there anymore, which...   That doesn't happen for anybody out there legally who's listening. That doesn't happen. But when we're not calibrated, or my doctors, I've had so many times a doctor that's like, yeah, I think they'll be fine, maybe a debridement. And the patient gets over, and the hygienist is like, five millimeter pocket. I'm like, no, he said a debridement. I guess we've already treatment planned it, so now we have to do a debridement. My hygiene team is upset.   Britt (06:15.165) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (06:40.269) I really wanted to talk periocalibration today and Britt, I wanna speak to the doctors specifically, hygienists too, and if you're listening to this and your doctor doesn't listen, like share this one, but go back and do these things with your doctor too. But Britt, from a hygiene standpoint, like how does periocalibration with your doctor, how does it positively influence your experience as a hygienist to...   obviously give your patients the best experience, but how does that influence your experience as a hygiene team member within a practice when you guys are more calibrated like that?   Britt (07:13.537) Yeah, mean, is big, right? When it comes down to it, we need to have a standard when it comes to perio that we all agree on. It's doctor-led, right? And then someone's got to ensure that that standard is actually happening. And that's where doctors don't get so disconnected from it that you can't recognize when a hygienist is not following the standard that we've all agreed upon or that you have set forth and you want that level of care provided for your patients. That's where...   You know, as a hygienist, I love a doctor who trusts me. And you know what? You trust me because we are calibrated and you trust my opinion and you double check it and that trust continues to be there because we continue to be calibrated on how we treat our patients. And if we are not, then great, have a conversation and let's address it and let's reset things. mean...   We're all human beings. How many of us have a habit that slowly over time, gradually changes a little bit? It can happen. So we need to help each other, right? Keep that standard of care that we want to provide to our patients. And sometimes it goes both ways, right? I want that doctor double checking, spot checking things to ensure that that quality is there. If there is a question, great, let's have a conversation about it.   If doctor comes to me and says, hey, like question something, then like, great, let's have a conversation about it and let's recalibrate and let's get back on track with each other and get in line so that we ensure that the quality of care that we're providing to our patients is what we want it to be. So I think for doctors, right, anything we do, and even when we work with people on front desk items, it's like, well, how do I make sure that that's happening? Someone's got to spot check. There's gotta be accountability somewhere.   Clinical is where doctor needs to be strong accountability. Office manager is more strong accountability for front desk and doctors accountable for office manager to ensure things are getting done. So there has to be checks and balances. If you just let someone go, that's how one day you realize or you have a switch in hygienist and your new hygienist is like.   Britt (09:17.347) What's been going on over here? I'm having to work real hard and I'm having to have a lot of conversations and hard conversations that are just tough for the practice all around to have to talk to a patient about, this is what the hygienist did for the last 10 years. Here's what I've seen today and we need to do something different. And those are just tough conversations to navigate. They can be done, but we don't want to get in a position where we need to do that.   The Dental A Team (09:43.637) Totally agree. think that calibration piece you're talking about and the accountability on top of that is huge. And I think there's a couple of, know, step gaps that are put in there for that situation. And I want to implore upon all my doctors listening today that standards and metrics are set based on everyone.   Like it's a pool of people that the information is taken from that says we should be three to 3.3 times your rate of pay. You should be about 30 % of your overall production. So these standards are set based on multiple people being looked at, right? Multiple practices. So don't forget that because I know a lot of the pushback I get from a lot of teams, a lot of doctors, when I go into consult them and I'm looking for these pieces is what you don't know my patient base. Okay, and there are, I do have a few practices. I've got,   a practice out in Pennsylvania who was like right next to a university, right? So he's got a young patient base, like yeah, your period is gonna be a little bit lower, but it's still there. And he had a new hygienist come in and she's like, he's like, my gosh, my period percentage went up. I'm like, yeah, because it's still there. It just wasn't being diagnosed before. So he fell into that situation where we were like, well, know, okay, fine. And I'm like, fine, it's college kids. Hands in the air, I'm giving it to you. Fine, totally fine.   switch up a hygiene and she's like, no, she's got perio blocks all over the place because it's still there somewhere. I've got an office in Utah who's similar. They're in a younger area. There's a couple of colleges in that area, right? But they've got younger families, they've got younger patients, and there isn't a lot of perio in that area, but he's still hitting like 18 to 22 % with a non...   Perio involved area so that 30 % isn't super difficult to hit as long as the perio diagnosis is being done so Doctors when you're listening to this and you're like, okay, but like where does this standard come from? It comes from everywhere. It comes from everyone. This is across the country standards that 30 % I like it because it keeps everything in the threes I want 3.3 times your rate of pay and 30 % of my overall production should come from hygiene now   The Dental A Team (11:57.565) If you're not seeing that or when you do the analysis, which is super easy, you guys, I want you to go in and do this. If you don't know how to do it, we're gonna tell you in a sec. If you're not doing it, I would do it every single month and watch your perio constantly or watch your hygiene department constantly. So realistically, all you do is you take your hygiene production. So what did all of your hygienists do for the month?   and divide that by the overall practice production, and that's gonna give you your hygiene percentage for your practice. Most practices, when they're not looking at it, when they're not tracking things like this, and they're not truly calibrating on hygiene department items on Perio, most practices are anywhere from 14 to 20 % on average, from what I've seen from my practices. They're on the lower spectrum because they're just not looking at it. We're just doing that hygiene mill where best...   know, backwards to the beginning of this where I was like, we don't make anything. Like that's where you're at, that 14 % rate and 18%, like doctors, you're working your tail off to make up that gap. So you should be covering 70 % of the goal, but typically doctors are closer to like 85 % of the goal and they're like, tch, Brett, why am I so tired? Like don't wanna do this anymore. I'm like, all right, let's look over here. So calibrating on those pieces is huge.   because you want your hygiene team to all be diagnosing it as similarly as we possibly can. You will have hygienists who have been there for a long time, but aren't getting a lot of new patients. Their perio diagnosis is gonna be a little bit lower, because they don't have the opportunity. And that's okay, but overall across the board, your hygiene department should be diagnosing enough perio to be getting you to that 30%, because based on the statistics of the country, we have enough perio in   you know, the people here in the general populace to account for that in every in every practice. So watch those numbers. then, but I think maybe speak to some more for me, from hygiene perspective, how the doctor and the hygiene department really truly calibrate on those. then, like, that's one space, right? The numbers is a space of accountability, office managers can do that.   The Dental A Team (14:13.546) face real easily, let the doctors know and you can also watch your treatment plans if you're not getting treatment plans for perio, like you can start digging into that. But then from an accountability point chair side, like what is it that your expectation is for that doctor, that dentist in the chair with that hygiene department? What do you want that to look like?   Britt (14:33.825) Yeah, when it comes to diagnosing perio, right? Our hygienists do a great job in helping to evaluate things, see the big picture and relay that information to you. You need to verify the information. I'm not saying go through and do a whole perio charting, but check some of those numbers, check those deeper areas to see, we getting the same reading?   Do I agree? Is this the diagnosis that I want to make as the doctor? Because you're the one that's making the diagnosis. And if so, awesome. If you're off a little between the two of you, then it's like, all right, maybe it's time to do a little calibration, which can even be going through, taking a team member, period charting, seeing what we come up with. Are we pretty close with each other? Are we way off? Do we need to go through and look at some of the clinical skills for that team member?   and evaluate. And sometimes it might be doctor or hygiene clinical skills, right? Like that's what's like, all right, let's work together on it because doctors don't do it all the time. But the more that you do it and the more that you're checking, you're going to keep your parietal skills up and you're going to keep your team calibrated and accountable on those things. And if you're not agreeing on something, hey, if it's just off a little bit, like great, go for it in front of the patient, but come back to it and know that it's something that we need to address and we need to talk about to calibrate and evaluate.   And that calibration goes both ends, right? Sometimes, you know, it's not diagnosing what's there. And sometimes it's been a little too aggressive, right? So it can be both ends that you're helping to manage and keep everybody in line. So I think doctors, if you're not spot checking, but you're making the diagnosis of perio, spot check it and know what's going on there and validate that, yep, I agree with what's going on.   The Dental A Team (16:17.322) totally agree and that comes back to what makes me think of like no matter what, you're the only one doctors who can diagnose. And so if that diagnosis is off, it's not what it should be in either direction. It should have been perio and it wasn't caught or it wasn't perio yet and it was diagnosed as perio, that falls back on you. So I wanna scare you with that. Like I want you to be afraid of allowing someone else to truly diagnose with.   Britt (16:25.058) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (16:44.046) for you, right? We're diagnosing as your support team, we're diagnosing with you or code, we're co diagnosing, we're saying this is what I'm seeing. Do you agree? So your hygiene team is like, I'm seeing some deep pocketing there, I explained to them that it could be a deeper cleaning that we might recommend. Like, that's, you know, the verbiage. And I just want to say that to remind you guys not to get so comfortable that you forget   that it is your license, it is your responsibility. And I love hygiene, I love support teams, I love all of them. And I'm not, I don't think there's many people, if any, out there who are just out to get something or do something wrong or inaccurate, but it does happen. We get sloppy, we get tired, we get fat, quick, we're like, gosh, we've gotta go, we've gotta go, and we start missing things. And so it's just that.   where you guys are looking out for each other and you're truly, truly just spot checking and double checking, a quick PSR. But I did have a practice for it as you're talking, I'm thinking of them. One, a lot of new patients right now are ending up on doctor schedules because our hygiene schedule is chock full and people are forgetting to do their new patient locks in hygiene. So don't forget to do that.   But a lot of those new patients, or I do have a lot of practices that prefer like a cosmetic approach to a new patient and a full mouth series, like scans and all that. So they put it on doctor's schedule first. That patient's gotta go over to hygiene. And in a patient's experience, going over to hygiene for the correct procedure, instead of going over to hygiene another day to be diagnosed to come back another day, creates a way better experience. So doctors knowing too, how to diagnose   what your hygiene department's gonna want from your chair is massive. I do have a practice that recently did exactly what you were talking about, Britt. They had the team in the back and they're doing all the probes together, the hygiene team and the doctor, because the hygiene team was like, what is happening? Like his probes are 10 times deeper than what I'm getting. And they realized they were reading the probe depths differently on the probe.   The Dental A Team (18:56.02) and they had to buy all new probes because they couldn't calibrate on the probes that they had. They could not come to an agreement because it was one of the generic ones, know, where there just wasn't, there weren't a lot of lines. So was kind of like pick and choose what the long line meant, you know? And yeah, and it was impossible for this team to truly calibrate on that probe. And so they replaced all the probes with one that had smaller lines, that had more of the lines for the depths.   Britt (19:11.094) at a time.   The Dental A Team (19:25.668) And then they were like, and the doctor was, you know, and it was the doctor that was off is what we'll say, like, whatever, they came to an agreement, but the hygiene team was like, I don't know what's happening. And so they did exactly that. ran a test and where they were like, we've got to figure this out. And so they had to replace the probe. So it's not always to like, you're wrong. Sometimes it's like this, just this tool is not working for me. And I need a better tool, especially with, I mean, I'm not a hygienist.   I've never probed a patient because I'm not allowed to, but I can't imagine this like giant black line, right? That's just supposed to be so many depths and you're going in and being like, it's about this. So I get it. I would require many more lines on that sucker, but that's what it made me think of. So it is truly out there, you guys. It's not just you. You're not like some special case that did something wrong.   Everyone's doing this and everyone needs to do this. So really truly in order to make sure that you're calibrated, it's gonna take, Britt, you mentioned it, being on the same page, coming up with what you want, those parameters. Yeah, the standard, exactly. What is that standard? What's class one, class two, class three? Referral. What's omega class four? What are these standards and how are we going to follow them?   Britt (20:34.253) this.   Britt (20:42.039) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (20:49.253) Calibrate on the diagnosis, not just what those are, physically, are you diagnosing the same? Are you getting the same probe depths? And really practice that. Do spot check PSRs on some patients as they come through. And if you are off and your trend is like, I'm off more than I'm on, start practicing with your team and really look at, is it the tool? Is it the person? How can we calibrate this? And look at your numbers, you guys.   Office managers can pull these numbers, they should be looking at them in my opinion, every month to ensure that we are reaching those percentages that we really truly want and that our hygiene department is paying for itself. And I hope your financial advisors too are thinking about that, like literally it pops into his head just because he has appointments with the clients or he goes and gets his teeth cleaned and it pops in. But I thought it was really cool because I'm like, gosh, that's just not something that I think all people think about. So I want you guys to go do those things.   Britt (21:29.155) I'm   The Dental A Team (21:45.211) Find your standards. If you've set standards, go back through them again. But I would say, I think every, I think once a year, mandatory. And maybe even every six months.   Britt (21:56.043) Yeah, I almost even say quarterly. You should be reviewing cases together, honestly, and depending on, right, sometimes you might need to actually like pull out team members, calibrate on actual doing like probed ups to see where you're at. And sometimes it's just pulling cases and looking at it. So at least quarterly go through some cases to make sure you guys are calibrated.   review our perio standards to make sure we're on the same page and that there's no questions. The more turnover you have, the more often you should be reviewing these things. But even if it's hygiene department with doctor or quarterly reviewing things and also with that, not just perio, you can look at some preheating, right? Bring in some calibration on those things as well for the hygiene department are huge. And I love what you said about the perio probes. Usually doctors get the crappy ones. They get the old ones.   The Dental A Team (22:45.915) Mm-hmm.   Britt (22:46.723) and the hygiene gets the new ones. So yeah, thanks for everybody's got the same tools we're working with.   The Dental A Team (22:48.443) So sure.   Yeah, that's so true. I love that, I love that. Go do those things, you guys. Go do those things. Make sure your standards are set. Review them as a team. I love quarterly, I would say at least quarterly. Spot check constantly. Always be comparing your probe depths to your hygiene department. Calibrate when needed. Buy new instruments when needed. And then always watch your numbers. Make sure that the standards are there for you guys. And you may have that patient base that doesn't have as much perio and that's okay.   Let's see what you do have and if it makes sense. As always, reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com if you need more information or if you need help diving into it or you're just not sure what to do or you need more ideas, like whatever it is, just reach out to us, we're here. Britt, thank you so much for today. I love picking your hygiene brain and I think it was just a fantastic one for doctors to really see how they can lead and guide the hygiene department from the forefront. So docs, I hope you go do these things, enjoy it, love it.   Let us know how much you accomplished with your hygiene department. We love hearing from you. Drop us a five star review below. As always, we like to know that this hit home for you. Everyone, thank you so much. Britt, thank you. We'll see y'all later.

Tiff and Dana discuss the importance of coding accuracy in dental practices. That includes universal codes everyone can understand, how to stay up-to-date on resources, the best way to know team members are getting paid for all their work, different codes across specialties, and more. Episode resources: Reach out to Tiff and Dana Tune Into DAT's Monthly Webinar Practice Momentum Group Consulting Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Become Dental A-Team Platinum! Review the podcast Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01.11) Hello Dental A Team listeners, we are back at you today. I have the one and only Miss Dana here with me to podcast. I love pulling Dana in. I love pulling all the consultants in, but I truly love pulling in Dana. think I shouted you out this morning. do. Wednesday core value shout out in our.   I know that we've done some podcasts on that. So if you're not already doing a core value shout out every day or every week, please by all means go listen to those podcasts because it's freaking incredible and Dana you truly are the epitome of ease within our company and for your clients and I just think you need to publicly shout it from the rooftops be Just recognized for that aspect of your personality. You truly do make life easier I know a lot of your clients feel the same way you are   so good at finding the easiest path for the systems implementation for whatever it is that needs to be done for us as a company. So Dana, welcome today. I'm so excited to have you here with me. Thank you for joining me on this beautiful Wednesday. I don't know what day this is gonna air, but it's a Wednesday today. And it's absolutely gorgeous here in Arizona. How are you, Dana?   Dana (01:08.193) doing good, Tim, doing good. love days like today.   The Dental A Team (01:11.629) I do too, I do too. It's starting to get fallish in Arizona, which means 85 degrees instead of the 105 that we had last week, least up in Phoenix. I know you get a little bit more fall down where you're at, but I'll take the 85 over the 105 for sure. Today, Dina, I wanted to pick your brain.   I've got some information today I wanna share with the doctors. It's also for billing departments, for treatment coordinators, for whomever wants to listen to this. But I really wanted us to shout out our doctors for really, really just knowing everything about their businesses. I know that you guys are all here listening. I know you're watching, whatever it might be, to really learn more about the business side and about what the team is doing to help support your practice. So I wanna shout you out for that. And I just think it's a really incredible tool.   and resource to have to truly know what it is that's going on, the inner workings behind the scenes of your practice, aside from just the dentistry that you're performing. So shout out to you guys for being here, for listening. Team members, if your doctor's not listening yet, please share it with them. Dana, today I really wanted to pick your brain and go over some coding information. I know it sounds super boring, you guys, but stick with us. We've got some great tips and tricks and some tools, especially for you doctors who are out there to really   focus in and pay attention to the things that are being input into the system and sent off to insurance companies, or if you're fee for service, you still need to be insanely accurate within your system and making sure that we're using the right tools. So doctors, again, this one's for you as well. Billing representatives, treatment coordinators, front office representatives, office managers, whoever you might be, whoever might be touching a ledger or an account or a code in general dental assistance, hi, Genes, you guys.   This is all gonna be really great information for all of you. Coding with Accuracy happens to be a book, by the way, you can purchase that. But honestly, coding with accuracy is incredibly important and valuable to your system, not only for the billing portion to ensure that we're accurately sending things off to insurance companies, accurately getting paid, but realistically to show super accurately what you've actually done with your patients to your patients. That way, if anything were to ever come about and anyone needed to look into it or   The Dental A Team (03:28.327) your patients had questions and they asked for the account, it makes sense to the next person who's looking at it. And you can say, yes, I did that, that was me. I did that filling, I did that crown, I did that crown seat, I did those pieces. I know a lot of practices, and Dana, I think you've probably seen this too, a lot of practices will overuse, in my opinion, an office visit or a palliative treatment, to certain codes like that and unspecified, because they're just not sure.   what to use. And so they throw one of those, especially office visits, and I'm like, what is this office visit? How many, this patient's been in for 20 office visits. They're like, most of those are crown seats or like if a filling needed to be adjusted or like, and I'm like, wow, so we don't have any documentation right here that we ever sat any of these crowns.   That's an issue. looking at those pieces and making sure that we're super accurate with what we're calling things is something I really, really want to talk about today, Dana. Have you noticed that as well? I know you see a lot of clients, you do a lot of virtual clients, but you see a lot of ledgers, you get a lot of things sent to you, and you have been traveling a ton this year in office to practices as well. So what are you seeing when you're out there when it comes to coding and just kind of like randomness that you're seeing thrown around?   Dana (04:40.983) Yeah, I agree with you on just like the miscellaneous codes. I delivery. What did we deliver? Because we need to know exactly what we delivered today. And then a lot of just like 999 things and sometimes a 999 code you absolutely   The Dental A Team (04:47.133) Yeah.   Dana (04:55.967) can utilize it, should be utilizing it, but oftentimes too, it's like, no, there's actually a code for that. Like we don't have to send a 999 with documentation and notes, there's a code specific for that. So making sure that offices really are up to date, also to like when things change because they do change occasionally. And so just having somebody who knows those things in and out has resources to spot check and that we are billing what we're doing and coding exactly what we're doing.   The Dental A Team (05:25.511) Yeah, I totally agree. The 999 code, I love that one. It is thrown in there for everything and I am guilty of the 999 code because I'm like, don't know what he's even talking about. 999, that sucker. And I'll explain, I'll say exactly what he just said to me. I have no idea what he said, but I've got this. So I'm surely, surely guilty of that one. I do love the staying up to date and doctors, I really want you to know and understand within dentistry.   There's not, like we have a course for billing that will review billing for you and will go over the basics of billing, what it needs to look like, how to send a claim, how to input an EOB and a payment and all of those pieces. But there's really not a good school for billing where it's like, gosh, I'm gonna send them to a billing school and now they've got this accredited school has shown them this kind of like medical billing, right? You can go to medical billing school and now you're a medical biller.   to be a dental biller, you just needed someone ahead of you to show you how to do it. So within this world, it's just super important, like Dana said, that we stay on top of it as best we can. So making sure that we're getting ADA emails sent to us and that we're watching for any codes that change, because they will let us know. Whatever your state's dental association is, I know here it's the AZDA, the California Dental Association.   Whatever it is, make sure that you're signed up for those auto emails, because that's going to be the best resource. And then as those yearly conventions come around that we all love to go to, that we hate taking boring classes, look for any updates. I wouldn't say you've got to hit the billing courses yourself, or you have to send your billing rep to the billing courses. Sometimes they're a bust. Sometimes they're super insurance prone or driven. I don't love that. But if there's anything that's like coding updates or   New laws things like that. It's always a good idea. So I do want to preface it with that Just know always staying up to date just getting those resources sent to you is going to be super super important And now aside from that there are things like coding with confidence coding with accuracy All of those different books that you can get I believe coding with confidence you can order from Amazon or ADA I think both of them have it. I think it probably comes from the ADA when you do it from Amazon, whatever you choose   The Dental A Team (07:37.7) It's a fantastic book and having that resource, there's a companion book that goes with it as well. I always had that resource with me. It was literally in a drawer behind my desk and as soon as I had something pop up for an implant or gosh, when we were doing over dentures and there's just so many parts and pieces and little things that need to be accurately coded.   There's no way I'm gonna remember all of these things or intuitively know it. So I would pull those books out constantly and I would go through it with my doctor and I'd say, okay, does this describe, is this what you're saying? Is this describing it? Because even just for regular dentures, there's different codes that can be used. And if you use one that's a maxillary but you're doing a mandibular denture, you're not gonna get paid, right? And even if you put upper denture in the thing and you did a mandibular code, they're still not gonna pay it because it doesn't match.   So just making sure that those codes are super accurate. Now from a doctor's standpoint, why is this important? Super important because you need to be paid, right? So my owner doctors, you need to be sure that your practice is being paid, that you're being paid for what you're doing, your hygiene team's being paid for what they're doing, and that if, again, anything were ever to have been and come about, somebody looking at the ledger, looking at the account, looking at the chart, can accurately and confidently see exactly what you performed. So not only do you need to get paid,   you need to cover your tail. For my associate doctors and even my hygienist who might be listening, you really, really wanna watch your production and your collections, because typically, especially my associates, you guys are gonna be paid off of that in some form or fashion. So making sure that the coding is correct and that it accurately, actually reflects what you've done is key. Otherwise, you might get paid for a filling when you did an onlay.   Right, and the billing representative, has, or he has no idea, they were not chair side with you. So if it's not fixed chair side, or if you, gosh, Dina, how many times have you seen this one, where chair side, you know, we were scheduled for an MO, chair side, doctor's like, this went into the distal, we've gotta update that. So we update it, we tell the patient, we're like, got another service added, get the treatment plan going, lay them back, finish the filling, and then they go up front, and then they get paid on an MO.   The Dental A Team (09:51.99) because the MOD was never switched out and the appointment went before it was set complete. again, the billing representative, he's not chair side. They have no idea that that billing changed. The dental assistant needed to update and change it. So making sure that that's accurate in there. Now, Dina, I know you have a lot of practices and a lot of associates. You've got a lot of big practices that have a lot of associates. How do you make sure at the end of the day, at the end of the month, at the end of everything, that these guys are knowing exactly what their   being paid on? Like how do you make sure that they know with confidence that they're getting paid for everything that they did?   Dana (10:28.329) Yeah, I have them usually daily check their provider production and check their individual provider day sheet just to make sure that everything was accounted for. If there were changes, if something was walked out inaccurately, catching that from the very beginning is super important because honestly, like you pointed out, the difference in some of these codes is hundreds of dollars worth of production. And that can be even within implant parts, even with indentures, like a difference in that   that coding can majorly impact production. So making sure that everything is accounted for, everything that they did is on there and everything is walked out and ready to submit. So that whether it's insurance based or we've got to call a patient and say, hey, you know, we under collected that service did change, we had added. whether it is patient portion that we've got to update or insurance portion, just making sure that we're catching that. And I like to do it daily because   Claims are submitted daily. We're reaching out to patients and we don't want a patient to go till the end of the month before we're like, hey, by the way, you missed a thing, right? So I like my, especially my associates and hygiene to just look and make sure everything's accounted for each and every day.   The Dental A Team (11:34.98) Yeah. Yes.   The Dental A Team (11:47.01) Yeah, I agree. think that's perfect because pulling that sheet, especially like Dentrix and Eagle Soft and OpenDone, like all of these programs have a super easy sheet to print at the end of the day or even like print screen and then just look at it. So we're not using all the paper all the time. I've definitely had it where a doctor will come back like a week later and be like, we didn't actually do a buildup because we just, you you treat and plan a crown and we should plan a buildup just in case, or you have your doctors who treat and plan only a crown and then add a buildup.   if we needed a buildup and so vice versa. A week later, we're like, I didn't build up on that crown. I'm like, well, bro, she gone, she lost. There's no way, it's so uncomfortable to call a patient and be like, by the way, we forgot to charge you for that billing that's underneath the crown that's to build the tooth back up because of the K. And now I'm in this whole conversation of like, why didn't this just get done the first time? So I totally agree. I think that's brilliant. And doctors also, looking ahead at your schedule,   Dana (12:21.687) It was true.   The Dental A Team (12:43.172) Prepping your schedule in conjunction with that is gonna be huge. We get really comfortable. Our dental assistants are incredible. I was a dental assistant near and dear to my heart. It's my favorite position. If I were ever to like quit everything in life and go back to in-office dentistry, it would have to be as a dental assistant. I would not do anything else. It's my favorite space. But you guys, I messed up sometimes. Like it happens. I would get forgetful.   Like how many times did I forget to grab the bond? And I'm like, you can't do a filling without a bond. How did you forget that? And then expecting me to change it every single time in the chart or make sure that it was accurate ahead of time. Things flip through the cracks. So we've gotta have checks and balances. We can't just rely on one person to get it right every single time. So your dental assistants prepping the charts, prepping your schedule for the next day is huge, but I really wanna implore that you guys, you doctors,   You are looking at your schedules as well. You know what's coming up and you know that it's accurate. I had a dentist that worked in our practice. He's fantastic. He's gone to all of this oral surgery, like extracurricular. He's just, it's insane. I watch his videos on Instagram and I'm like, that's so gross. I always must do him. Like I remember the first time I did a bone flap with you and I was like, what? I can't do this, but he's so good. He did all of these like perio surgeries, oral surgeries. He did so many things in our practice and holy cow.   A GP girl over here, learning how to code for all of these extensive procedures that he was doing. He was doing, you know, he's doing the blood draws before it was even a thing. I am like, are we allowed to do that? Like I'm in my practice, like what the heck? This is crazy. And now I'm having to code things that to me are like outlandish.   and I'm sitting there Googling things. Like, this doesn't make sense. So I'm pulling out my little code book and like, gosh, it is in here. This is a dental thing. We can do this, but there's no way those added procedures would have been accurately coded if I didn't take those extra steps to ensure it. And if he didn't, bless his heart, come to me every day.   The Dental A Team (14:47.322) with a list of the things that needed to be added to tomorrow that wasn't accurate or things that we missed today. He would double check his treatment plans just because they were so extensive. And honestly, there were times, like he did GP work in our practice as well. So there were times too where he would catch a filling surface was missed or an onlay surface was missed. And I'm like, dang, not only are, you know, did we miss something on your giant surgery over here that I literally cannot assist with, cause I will pass out.   But we also miss like a surface on an online, like, goodness gracious, right? But he is my example because he was so diligent about making sure that the charting was accurate. Like, of course he wanted to get paid for the things he was doing, but he's like, I need to make sure that whatever it is that I'm doing, it's all here. It's all accounted for. And when he went to go do all of the accrediting with the oral surgery boards and implant boards and like, he's got all this crazy stuff behind him now. He needed all of those things. He called me from Texas years later.   And I was like, remember that patient that we did that thing? And I'm like, my gosh, yeah. So I'm like looking for this patient. He's like, I need all of their notes and I need all of their ledger and I need everything to submit to the implant board. And I was like, my gosh, thank goodness we went through and did all of those things. So you guys, it doesn't matter what you're doing. You don't have to be doing crazy dentistry or crazy oral surgery within your practice. Those minor things need to get caught as well. And Dana, earlier you mentioned like the 999 code.   And I know we have to go in or have the auto updates done and make sure that the codes are being updated. But I did notice there are more and more systems that even have as simple as broken appointment code already in there, Crown Seat Code, Denture Seat Code, all of these pieces. So when you're working with practices and you're seeing this, or they ask us, we'll get text messages from office managers that are like, this is what he said, what do I code that as?   I don't know, right? But what are you doing? How are you helping them to figure out, this is probably not a pallet over 999 or what an office visit, this is probably X, Y, or Z.   Dana (16:52.117) Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, if a lot of times I am pulling like a coding with confidence, or I'm googling things and, I'm trying to piece it together or I'm asking, you know, okay, well, like, walk with what does that look like? Walk me through like, can you explain the process to me? So maybe I can find it in here or send me a picture of the part that maybe I can look it up. But it's really just doing due diligence and combing through the codes that are available. And then determining   The Dental A Team (16:58.797) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (17:10.987) Yes.   Dana (17:20.083) If there is a specific code for that procedure and if there's not, then yeah, you do a 999 code with lots of documentation, IOPs, all the things, so that once it gets to insurance, they can determine if it's something that they're covering.   The Dental A Team (17:35.266) I agree, yeah, I love that. I do love Google, I have Googled so many times. I've been in office trying to help them come up with cheat sheets, which is the next little topic here, but that I'm like, what is this? Or give me a picture of this so that I can put it on their cheat sheet. And doctors who are doing things like implants or dentures even, crowns, anything you're doing, having those cheat sheets is super helpful.   I have a lot of my practices throw those into their operations manual. So with the crown setup or whatever, it'll also have the steps and the codes that would be used. We have to update it when they update, but have all of those available there side by side with it. So it'll be like, crown seed, and it'll be the setup, and then it'll be all of the codes. The ones that get wild are our implants, right? Our All-On-X denture cases. Those ones get wildly insane.   dentures, right, start to finish because what happens is in the treatment planning mode, let's use denture, right, as a treatment planner, right, so I'm a dental assistant and the doctor says we need to do a full denture. Cool, maxillary denture. And then I'm like, treatment coordinator, here you go. And they're like, cool. And then they schedule a denture. There's like 16 steps sometimes to a denture.   Right, so having that and being able to break it down and break it apart shows that all the steps and processes were done and then having a cheat sheet that goes along with it helps not only your treatment coordinator and your scheduler, but it helps your biller and your dental assistant, even your hygienist. I've had so many hygienists come to me and say, what step are we on? And I'm like, well, I'm not sure, let's look. Like, let's look at our checklist and see where we're at. So even within that denture, having the denture treatment plan for pricing.   Dana (18:56.011) Yes.   The Dental A Team (19:24.294) Obviously, right, any extractions, any bone grafts that need to be done. If you're doing a temporary denture before the final is done, if you're doing, gosh, if you're doing a scan and a final delivery, like they're getting much faster. But before, remember, we had to have a wax rim, we had to have teeth and wax, we had to have the color shade, we had to have a try-in, then we had to have a realign. Like all of these pieces needed to be segregated out in there so that we treatment plan.   the one thing, but we have those steps readily available so that it can be scheduled correctly and in order. And then having those cheat sheets with those codes lined up is super helpful. I have a practice in Wisconsin that was just getting so confused on the implant process and an ortho process. And I was like, easy peasy, let's just like section this out. And now every single time they've got it laminated and they just pull it out. They're like, I've got my implant sheet. I've got my ortho sheet or whatever. So I always have them add that as well. So Dana.   Wrap it up for us. So we've got coding, checking, all the pieces. What could an office do, a doctor do to ensure maybe even adding it to their operations manual? What's the process they should make sure that is being followed and updated yearly within all of these pieces that we've talked about today?   Dana (20:42.627) Yeah, I think it's added to your yearly calendars that you make sure that you do know the updates you have the codes every year and just like we get Insurance fee schedules and we do all of our insurance updates just add that to that list one So add and make sure we've got do we have the resource for it? And do we know what they are? I think to any time that you are adding a new service just checking and double-checking that you know what the codes are So if you're bringing in a CBC team, make sure that those codes are in there and you've got fees attached to them   and all of those pieces. I love your cheat sheet idea as far as especially where there's a there's a lot of nitty-gritty things that need to get built out for specific things like ortho-like implants making sure that you've got cheat sheets and you make it really really easy and then make sure you've got a very clear communication system for when treatment changes so that it gets changed all the way okay and then I think daily having people look at them and just one   Final tip I guess in in with your cheat sheets oftentimes we call things things that like are not in the code, right? The description of the code is not that and then we're constantly like, what are they actually? What do they actually call right? A lot of your systems will allow you to add notes to like those procedure codes put in what you call it in the office so that it's easy to find it will still put the actual code definition on your piece going on your claims go out, but if you call something something specific   just update it in your system so it's easy for the team to buy.   The Dental A Team (22:12.623) That was brilliant. I know my dentist had like five different terms for a hater bar and I never, was like, I don't know what you're talking about. And the Ribon, he would call the, you know, the Perio procedure by the name of the material he needed. And I was like, so, and he only do this once every, I don't know, 10 years. Like this procedure is never done. He's like, we've got to do a Ribon. Where's the Ribon? I'm like, I don't even remember what this is.   I don't know what that says. So yes, I agree. I love that idea, the descriptions and making sure too then I would transfer. We do this in our Google Drive, you guys. Whatever you might call it, also probably put that on your cheat sheet, maybe in parentheses. Like this is what it is. These are the five different terms that any of our doctors may call it so that it is easy to find and easy to figure out. I think that's brilliant. Awesome, thank you for wrapping us, Dana. I think this was insanely beneficial for all of our doctors out there and our team members again.   Doctors, if you're here listening, congrats. I think that's so huge. It's really important for you to know and understand these things. Share it with your team, because they can use these pieces too, especially anyone who's doing your billing and your practice. And then team members who are out there whose doctors haven't heard this one yet, share it with them. Make sure that they understand what they're getting into as well, and that they're supporting you in your position as a team member to be super accurate, because you're depending on them.   to get things right so that you can do your job. So share it with them. Make sure you guys are all up to date and as always, reach out for any questions you might have. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We are not code masters, but you guys, we are solution masters and we will find the answers or find the way and we can help you with just about anything you can think of. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We can't wait to catch you next time.