Shared Practices | Your Dental Roadmap through Practice Ownership

Latest Episodes:

Ask George - How AI is Revolutionizing Dental Practice Management and Future Ownership Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In this Ask George episode, Dr. George Hariri and Richard Low explore the ultimate cheat code for dental practice management: Artificial Intelligence. Moving from a clinician to a CEO requires scalable systems. If you are navigating dental practice ownership, AI is a mandatory survival guide for streamlining operations and writing SOPs. George argues that building Custom GPTs will vastly improve your dental business strategies by standardizing team training and cutting administrative bloat. For the future owner, this technology bridges the gap between chaotic clinical days and sustainable dental practice growth.

We explore practical dental practice management tools you can deploy today, like feeding real Google reviews into AI to extract marketing pillars. This drives dental practice profitability by letting you delegate low-level tasks. The hosts discuss using AI to grade front office phone calls and monitor case acceptance—eliminating subjective reviews. This shift is the pinnacle of entrepreneurship for dentists: leveraging tech to build a business that operates without your constant presence. Embrace learning these tools, create custom GPTs, and cement your foundation for elite dental practice management.

In this episode:

AI co-diagnosis for improving case acceptance
Custom GPTs as a 24/7 team training resource
Judging team members on effective AI usage
Using patient reviews for AI-generated marketing
Automated phone grading for front desk success
Utilizing AI for SOPs during the associate to owner transition

Ready to take the next step in your dental practice journey? Visit https://sharedpractices.com to learn more about our Buyer Representation and Coaching services, designed to help dentists buy, grow, and optimize profitable practices. You can also use our Free Look to evaluate dental practice opportunities with real data before making a decision. For daily Dental Moneyball insights, strategy tips, and updates, follow us across our social channels.

Take PPO Power Back for Dental Practice Profitability: Clint Johnson’s Guide to Smarter Contracts Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Shared Practices, Richard Low sits down with Clint Johnson to unpack high-level dental business strategies and the core metrics driving true dental practice profitability.

They dissect the exact financial impacts and administrative burdens of heavy PPO participation, revealing how properly organizing fee schedules can add $330,000 to a two-doctor bottom line over an 18-month timeline without having to work any harder.

The core strategic debate centers on whether to add more insurances to drive volume or drop bottom-tier plans—like those under 3% of total collections—to optimize dental practice management and elevate long-term dental practice profitability.

Whether you are tuning into this dental startup podcast for pre-launch tips or are deeply entrenched in dental practice ownership, this is a must-listen for anyone ready to master their PPO game and secure lasting dental practice profitability.

In this episode:

Why PPOs are often the most expensive form of marketing.
The hidden administrative and emotional costs of low fee schedules.
Dropping plans that make up 3% or less of total practice collections.
Climbing the PPO profit ladder over a realistic 18-month timeline.
Starting the credentialing process five months before a new startup opens.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

The Dentist Guide to Scaling a Clinic - Scuba Steve Part 2 Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Practice Underwater, where Dr. George Hariri sits down with Scuba Steve to unpack the operational hurdles every dentist faces when transforming a chaotic clinic into a thriving enterprise.

Despite growing collections from a $500,000 baseline to a $1.3 million yearly pace, this dentist's journey into dental practice ownership reveals aesthetic challenges, missing systems, and team misalignment.

They debate essential dental practice management tactics, highlighting how an intentional team reset can foster sustainable dental practice growth and shift the administrative load away from the dentist.

This is a must-listen for any dentist navigating the associate to owner transition who wants to finally fall in love with their clinic.

In this episode:

- Overcoming aesthetic hurdles in a historical building without a dedicated consult room.
- Scaling collections from a $500,000 baseline to a $1.3 million yearly pace.
- Transitioning a mature team toward a comprehensive, fee-for-service vision.
- Hosting a strategic office reset meeting to acknowledge progress and align future goals.
- Building strong administrative systems to reduce owner burnout and increase clinic pride.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

The Dentist Guide to Scaling a Clinic - Scuba Steve Part 1 Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to Practice Underwater, where Dr. George Hariri kicks off part one with Scuba Steve to explore the gritty realities of becoming a practice-owning dentist.

Despite buying a messy, former Medicaid DSO-managed building, this ambitious dentist successfully transitioned into dental business ownership by immediately boosting collections from a historical $500,000 average to a $1.3 million yearly pace.

They debate the next phase of his dental practice management, comparing the merits of building a highly systematized solo clinic versus pursuing sustainable dental practice growth through a multi-doctor group.

This is a must-listen for any dentist charting an associate to owner transition who wants actionable insights on navigating the chaos of early dental practice ownership.

In this episode:

- Leaving a corporate-leaning job to purchase a 50-year-old, fee-for-service clinic.
- Overcoming massive due diligence hurdles, including locked software and missing digital access.
- Growing collections from roughly $500,000 to over $1.2 million almost immediately.
- Rebuilding a skeletal team after a legacy hygienist's retirement.
- Choosing between a highly profitable smart solo model and a multi-provider group.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

A Guide to Chart Acquisitions in Dentistry: Structuring Deals and Expanding Hygiene Capacity Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Richard and Caitlin dive into a unique scenario within acquisitions in dentistry, focusing on the strategic and operational breakdown of chart mergers.
They explore a case study involving a solo doctor with five operatories and 1,000 active patients looking to purchase 1,000 charts from a retiring dentist, offering tactics for acquisitions in dentistry like paying $125 per converted patient or a percentage of production.

The hosts debate essential dental business strategies and dental practice management logistics needed to support such acquisitions in dentistry, highlighting the need to expand hygiene capacity and refine front office protocols.

This is a must-listen for anyone in dental practice ownership seeking unconventional dental growth strategies and insights from Dr. George Hariri to rapidly scale their patient base.

In this episode:
- Negotiating a chart merger deal structure.
- Paying per patient versus production percentage.
- Preparing your schedule for an influx of new patients.
- Adding hygiene days to absorb chart acquisitions.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

Ask George - Dental Practice Management: The Doctor vs. Hygiene Debate Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

In this Ask George segment, Dr. George and Richard explore essential dental practice management for a multi-location, fee-for-service clinic navigating new patient bottlenecks.

Analyzing specific metrics like a 72% pre-appointment rate and a $616 average diagnosis per exam, they reveal how current dental practice management might be adding friction to the hygiene schedule.

The core strategic debate contrasts doctor-first new patient exams against hygiene-led visits, emphasizing that optimal dental practice management requires seamless integration into a recare pool.

This is a must-listen for anyone engaged in dental practice ownership who wants to apply the lessons of Dental Moneyball for sustainable dental practice growth alongside the Shared Practices community.

In this episode:
- Evaluating a 72% hygiene pre-appointment rate.
- Doctor-led versus hygiene-led new patient exams.
- Minimizing friction for patients joining the recare pool.
- Diagnosing $616 per exam during doctor-side visits.
- Strategies for a relationship-driven, fee-for-service environment.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

Never Miss a Call: Essential AI Phone Tools and Automated Strategies Every Smart Dentist Should Use Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of the Shared Practices podcast, Richard Low speaks with Richard May from Mango Voice to explore how AI phone solutions can help the modern dentist capture more leads.

They discuss the staggering statistic that average practices miss over 30% of calls , illustrating how an AI receptionist and automated call summaries can drastically improve sustainable dental practice growth and overall dental practice profitability.

The core strategic debate centers on whether to replace human interaction entirely or use AI as a vital safety net for overflow, ensuring any dentist can support their dental practice marketing strategies without sacrificing patient care in dental business ownership.

This is a must-listen for any dentist looking to optimize their front desk operations and utilize cutting-edge technology for better Practice Underwater metrics.

In this episode:
- Automated call summaries seamlessly logged into your software.
- Using sentiment analysis to identify poor or good interactions.
- How the AI receptionist Margo captures missed opportunity calls.
- Addressing the 30% missed call rate in typical offices.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

Strategic Pathways For Sustainable Dental Practice Growth - Tom Part 2 Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Practice Underwater, where Dr. George Hariri helps Tom map out a plan for sustainable dental practice growth.

After scaling his clinic from $1.1 million to $1.65 million , Tom realizes that true sustainable dental practice growth requires optimizing dental practice management rather than working grueling 10-hour days and half-staffed Fridays.

They debate the merits of expanding his clinical procedure mix versus adding a third hygienist using the Dental Moneyball approach to boost dental practice ownership and overall efficiency.

This is a must-listen for any owner looking to achieve sustainable dental practice growth while radically reducing their clinical hours to prime for a future group practice transition.

In this episode:
- Cutting unproductive Friday shifts immediately.
- Transitioning from 10-hour to 9-hour workdays.
- Adding a third hygienist to boost efficiency.
- Growing top-line revenue without expanding procedures.
- Priming a solo clinic for a future group practice.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

Strategic Pathways For Sustainable Dental Practice Growth - Tom Part 1 Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

Welcome back to Practice Underwater, where Dr. George Hariri helps Tom map out a plan for sustainable dental practice growth.

After scaling his clinic's collections from $1.1 million to $1.65 million, Tom realizes that continuing this sustainable dental practice growth requires optimizing dental practice management rather than working grueling 10-hour days.

They discuss the heavy toll of a $10,000-per-month consulting program and debate whether successful entrepreneurship for dentists means pushing for an immediate group practice or maximizing dental business ownership as a highly profitable smart solo.

This is a must-listen for anyone seeking sustainable dental practice growth while redesigning their clinical schedule to prioritize their personal life.

In this episode:
- Scaling a clinic from $1.1M to $1.65M in collections.
- Escaping a limiting $10,000/month coaching trap.
- Transitioning from a 10-hour schedule to a smart solo model.
- Balancing heavy debt with a $450,000 take-home pay.
- Priming your solo clinic for a slow group practice transition.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

Ask George: Solving the Painful Realities of Dental Business Ownership Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Richard Low welcomes back Dr. George Hariri for an "Ask George" episode focused on the painful underside of dental business ownership.

The duo discusses why acquisitions in dentistry often fail when buyers lack due diligence, leading to negative equity and the stress of "building on top of broken" systems.

Using Practice Underwater principles, George explains how to fix dental practice management and your dental business ownership by identifying the root cause of profit loss.

This is a must-listen for clinicians struggling with dental business ownership who need a tactical exit strategy or a "worst case scenario" reality check.

In this episode:
- Analyze commercial real estate feasibility to ensure assets exceed the high costs of construction and debt.
- Stop "building on top of broken" by confronting toxic partnerships and premature associate hiring decisions.
- Write a detailed "worst case scenario" document to mentally de-risk professional failure or bankruptcy.
- Shift from a "long, slow bleed" to break-even by laser-focusing on the single source of monthly loss.
- Leverage expert perspective and dental moneyball metrics to avoid buying tapped-out practices with low growth.

Whether navigating an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry, this is your survival guide. Ready to scale your dental practice ownership?

Visit https://sharedpractices.com/ for our "Free Look" service and follow our social channels for roadmap updates. Join the community and turn your clinical skills into a thriving business.

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