Shared Practices | Your Dental Roadmap through Practice Ownership

Ask George: Maximizing Profitability Through Solo Dental Practice Management Jul 13, 2026

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. George Hariri answers listener requests to strip away group practice bias and focus entirely on elite solo dental practice management. Many practitioners mistakenly believe that a multi-provider clinic is the only route to high-level profitability, but optimizing a solo model can create an incredibly low-stress, high-income asset. George outlines the precision growth pathways and details how transitioning from a standard solo dentist to a "productive solo" or "smart solo" can elevate your take-home pay to $400,000 and beyond.

To break out of the low-revenue trap, you must learn how to manipulate the core levers of dental practice management.

Implement these critical solo growth metrics and systems in your practice:

Build the 2-2-2 Operational Balance: Scale your patient base to seamlessly support two full-time hygienists, two front office team members, and two dental assistants to perfectly balance your diagnostic and administrative workflow.

Master Hygiene Benchmarks: Understand that there are roughly 200 active patients per day of hygiene. Target a base of 1,600 active patients to completely fill two full columns of hygiene working four days a week.

Hit Case Acceptance Targets: Elevate your presentation style to consistently achieve an 80% patient acceptance rate (patients saying yes to at least one treatment item) and a 30% to 40% total dollar value treatment acceptance rate.

Lock In Diagnostic Consistency: Develop clear, research-backed clinical diagnostic protocols so your hygiene team can confidently co-diagnose and tee up treatment plans before you even enter the room.

Maximize Time Efficiency: Unlike group practices that focus heavily on analytical data points, a solo practitioner must treat their personal clinical time as the most valuable asset in the building by delegating every legally allowed task to auxiliaries.

Transforming your solo office requires moving past basic survival and adopting highly intentional dental practice management strategies.

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.

Sitting Down with an Office Manager - Uncovering Dental Practice Pearls Jul 06, 2026

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Caitlin Embree interviews Max Dempsey, the rockstar office manager for Dr. Jaspreet Parmar’s two growing practices. Max provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at dental practice management from the perspective of an elite team member navigating an ownership transition. With 29 years of experience, she shares how she evolved from a lead dental assistant into a multi-practice manager by mastering front-office billing, insurance communication, and team leadership through targeted coaching.

For any dentist evaluating dental practice acquisitions, this episode highlights how crucial it is to establish a unified culture from day one.

Here is your masterclass in team-driven dental practice management:

Establish Core Values Early: Do not let your team wallow in uncertainty during a transition. Dr. Parmar took his team out on day one to collaboratively define the clinic's core values, instantly proving his commitment to structured leadership.

Master Fee-for-Service Verbiage: Running an out-of-network practice requires flawless communication. Train your team to respond to insurance questions by offering to verify benefits and calculate estimated copays, ensuring a "wow factor" patient experience.

Delegate and Trust: True dental practice management scaling requires the owner to step out of the daily administrative weeds. Dr. Parmar built trust with Max to the point where she now handles major HR issues independently, allowing him to focus strictly on clinical production.

Hire for Personality: Never make desperate hires. Prioritize candidates who fit your culture and exhibit a strong desire to learn, as technical skills can always be taught through effective dental practice management systems.

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.

Ask George: Unlocking Dental Growth Strategies with 4 Levers That Make a Difference Jun 29, 2026

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri shatters the industry myth that achieving more than 10% same-store growth is impossible. For the modern dentist, transitioning from an exhausted clinician to a strategic CEO requires executing targeted dental growth strategies. Rather than forcing generalized systems onto your team, true leadership means diagnosing your clinic's unique bottlenecks. To scale efficiently, stop treating every operational issue equally and focus your administrative time on the constraints that generate massive dental practice profitability.

This episode serves as your survival guide for mastering dental practice management. George reveals the four operational levers that guarantee sustainable dental practice growth:

- Patient Flow: Implement the Retain, Open, Fill method. Lock the back door by mastering hygiene reappointment rates, then open new columns.

- Case Acceptance: Empower your staff to co-diagnose. When the team leads patient education, doctor production becomes completely predictable.

- Consistency: Close the performance gap between your best and worst clinical team members to instantly elevate the practice floor.

- Efficiency: Play "Whac-A-Mole" with your metrics. Identify massive operational leaks, like a high missed call rate, and resolve them immediately.

Elite dental business strategies require you to leverage your time. If you only spend a few hours a week working on the business, you must direct that energy toward your weakest links. Customizing your dental growth strategies to target these precise inefficiencies guarantees predictable expansion year after year.

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.

Maximizing Efficiency: Implementing Virtual Dental Assistants for Success Jun 22, 2026

In this episode, Caitlin Embree and Cory Pinegar, CEO of Reach, dive into integrating virtual support to elevate your dental practice management. With operating costs rising roughly 87% since 2001 and insurance reimbursements remaining stagnant, the modern dentist is getting squeezed. To maintain dental practice profitability, owners must rethink their traditional staffing models.

Cory explains why conventional outsourcing fails and how embedding a dedicated virtual team member transforms your dental practice management. By delegating repetitive front-desk tasks, your in-office staff can focus exclusively on the patients directly in front of them, driving sustainable dental practice growth.

Here is your blueprint for implementing elite dental business strategies using virtual support:

Capture Missed Revenue: Over 60% of Reach's clients start by delegating inbound phone calls because the industry average for missed calls is 33%.

Define Success Metrics: Before hiring, clearly outline whether your goal is saving money, buying back time, or driving revenue to ensure a measurable ROI.

Customize Your Training: Provide the final 20% of practice-specific training, such as exact verbiage and software nuances, to fully integrate your virtual assistant.

Embrace AI as a Tool: Combine the efficiency of AI technology with the empathy of human virtual assistants rather than treating them as opposing forces.

Treating virtual assistants like actual human team members is the missing link in modern dental practice management.

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.

Ask George: How to Transition from a Job to Dental Practice Ownership and Profitability Jun 15, 2026

In this Ask George episode, we tackle the ultimate debate in dental practice ownership: have you built a highly profitable business, or just a high-paying job? Dr. George Hariri breaks down the reality of "key man risk," proving that if your office relies on your personal clinical energy to generate revenue, you are acting as an employee. For a future owner, making the shift to CEO requires mastering advanced dental practice management so your team performs efficiently without your oversight.

This ultimate survival guide for mastering dental practice ownership shows you exactly how to shift from a stressful owner-driven clinical model to an autonomous, team-driven powerhouse. To achieve sustainable dental practice growth, implement KPI accountability:

Missed Call Rate: Track front office metrics to capture inbound leads.
Reactive Retention: Consistently monitor your overdue recare efforts.
Proactive Retention: Push daily hygiene reappointments past a 90% target.

To cement your dental practice ownership, delegate case acceptance entirely. When hygienists are calibrated to co-diagnose, they educate patients before you arrive, massively boosting dental practice profitability. We also highlight why the associate to owner transition fails without an Office Manager handling HR and payroll, ensuring scaling does not create more work. Embrace entrepreneurship for dentists by building systems that leverage your team's time.

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.

Being Clinically Busy vs True Dental Practice Profitability and Sustainable Dental Practice Growth Jun 08, 2026

The "Busy" Trap in Dentistry

For Future Dental Practice Owners, a packed schedule feels like success. Yet, a booked day lacking strategic production leads to clinical burnout. Dr. Andrew Clingan and Caitlin Embree reveal why being merely "busy" destroys dental practice profitability. Moving from clinician to empowered CEO means stopping the cycle of stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. This requires mastering dental practice management through intentional scheduling.

Your Scheduling Survival Guide:
If your days are chaotic but collections are stagnant, your systems are failing. Allowing patients to cancel restorative work without consequence is why dental practice profitability drops. You cannot achieve sustainable dental practice growth if your team scrambles for supplies instead of prepping same-day treatment. To implement elite dental business strategies, engineer your operations:

Implement Block Scheduling: Define daily "rocks" and "boulders" to hit goals before filling gaps.
Enforce Front Desk Protocols: Separate doctor time from assistant time to end bottlenecks.
Demand Accountability: Stop absorbing no-shows by collecting upfront deposits for major cases.
Optimize Back-Office Systems: Standardize inventory so your team can add same-day treatment.

Dr. Clingan shares how these systems turned a routine limited exam into a prepaid $17,000 case in ten minutes. This operational mindset lays the foundation for scalable dental business ownership and predictable dental practice profitability. It is vital for 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.

Ask George: Why Hiring an Associate Can Hurt Dental Practice Profitability Jun 01, 2026

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri breaks down the common—yet avoidable—trap where adding an associate leads to a massive drop in dental practice profitability. George shares his own Dental Moneyball cautionary tale: how he went from a thriving income to making zero dollars after hiring his first associate. This episode serves as a survival guide for any dentist moving from clinician to CEO, ensuring that your associate to owner transition actually results in more freedom, not just more expenses. George explores the "perfect storm" that kills dental practice profitability: rising overhead costs paired with a less efficient provider seeing your patients. You will learn specific dental business strategies to mitigate these risks, including the "two-to-one" hygiene-to-restorative ratio and how to expand your office capacity by modifying your schedule. We discuss why owner doctors are typically more efficient and how to train your team for co-diagnosis so that your associate walks into a well-oiled system of case acceptance. Whether you are looking to work fewer days or simply want to scale your net worth, George provides the roadmap for delegating lower-level procedures while keeping your high-production hourly rate intact. Stop guessing and start using data-driven insights to ensure your next hire is a catalyst for dental practice profitability rather than a drain on your bank account. 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.

Bridging the Gap: Financial Management for Dentists and the Role of CPAs May 25, 2026

Caitlin Embree and Morgan Hamon from EAG Dental Advisors bridge the gap between daily operations and proactive financial management for dentists. Transitioning from clinician to CEO requires deep financial clarity. Most owners only speak to their CPA during tax season, but advanced financial management for dentists transforms raw data into insights that fuel long-term dental practice profitability.

If your goal is sustainable dental practice growth, this is your survival guide. Morgan explains how specialized CPAs act as your financial radiologist—diagnosing cash flow bottlenecks—so your dental practice management team can perform the operational surgery. We explore why standard profit and loss statements hide critical metrics like debt service.

Here is your blueprint to master dental business strategies and dental practice ownership:

Master the Rule of Threes: Hygienists must produce three times their total pay to sustain dental practice profitability.
Calculate Cash Reserves: Keep one to two months of break-even capital, combining operating expenses and debt service, to eliminate stress.
Optimize Distributions: Implement structured monthly or quarterly distributions to maximize personal wealth.
Demand Strategy: Stop accepting tax-season surprises. Demand year-round communication to track liabilities as you scale.

Proactive financial management for dentists protects your revenue. Contact Morgan Hamon at morgan.hamon@eisneramper.com or visit https://eagdentaladvisors.com/.

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.

Ask George: Revenue vs. Cash Flow: The CEO’s Guide to Real Dental Practice Profitability May 18, 2026

Transitioning from a clinician to a CEO requires a fundamental shift in how you view your bank account. In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri reveals the "survival guide" for mastering dental practice profitability. If you’ve ever felt the frustration of a packed schedule and high production that never seems to translate into a growing bank balance, you are likely missing the "Moneyball" discipline required for true dental business ownership. George shares his personal journey from a revenue-only focus to becoming a disciplined CFO, providing the roadmap for every future owner to follow.

The core of dental practice profitability lies in understanding three financial pillars: the Income Statement, the Balance Sheet, and the Cash Flow Statement. George explains why your practice management software might lie to you about your revenue and how to reconcile bank deposits with collections. By mastering financial management for dentists, you can stop guessing and start leading. This episode breaks down the "one month break-even" liquidity rule, ensuring you have enough cash on hand to weather the volatility of dental practice management without the stress of payroll cycles or credit card bills.

For those looking to scale, George explores dental growth strategies that prioritize cash-on-cash returns over "paper wealth." He discusses how to utilize a quarterly distribution schedule to accumulate cash before deciding whether to reinvest in the practice or take a personal draw. This approach to sustainable dental practice growth ensures that every dollar you spend—whether on a new operatory, marketing, or coaching—acts as a soldier sent out to bring more soldiers back.

Don’t let your practice be a high-revenue trap. Learn the dental business strategies that separate struggling associates from wealthy owners. By focusing on dental practice profitability through the lens of cash flow and disciplined reinvestment, you can build a business that generates consistent, predictable wealth.

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.

Unlocking Group Practice Opportunities For A Solo Dentist - Part 2 May 11, 2026

Transitioning from a clinician to a CEO is the ultimate hurdle in dental practice ownership. In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri and Elizabeth navigate the "logistical nightmare" of scaling an eight-month-old practice that is already bursting at the seams. With 3,000 patients and only six operatories, Elizabeth faces a pivotal choice: stay in a challenging second-floor space or chase a "shiny object" real estate deal with mismatched timelines.

George reframes the traditional dental business ownership mindset by challenging the urge to move too soon. They break down the ROI of a $43,000 construction project to add two operatories versus the capital-intensive trap of buying a building that doesn't fit the long-term vision. This is a survival guide for any dentist wrestling with dental growth strategies and the fear of patient attrition.

The conversation pivots to the "Mega Group" concept, where George introduces the power of the 12-operatory model. For those pursuing sustainable dental practice growth, reaching 12 operatories allows for a three-doctor rotation, providing the owner with the "school schedule" flexibility they crave without sacrificing dental practice profitability. Elizabeth gains clarity on why settling in her current space—for now—is the fastest way to hire an associate and preserve her patient base.

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.

Unlocking Group Practice Opportunities For A Solo Dentist - Part 1 May 04, 2026

In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri sits down with a dentist, Elizabeth, to discuss the initial hurdles she faced following an associate to owner transition.

They analyze her impressive growth as a new dentist, jumping from a projected $1.2M to a $1.4M finish within eight months, while exploring dental business strategies to manage a bursting 3,000-patient base with only 11 hygiene days.

The core strategic debate centers on whether to simplify the schedule via a fee-for-service model or expand into a multi-doctor setup by hiring another dentist, a dilemma complicated by real estate constraints discussed through a Shared Practices framework.

This is a must-listen for any dentist weighing the long-term flexibility of group practice against the streamlined profitability of staying solo.

In this episode:
• Scaling production from a projected $1.2M pace to over $1.4M.
• Managing a bottleneck of 3,000 patients with only 11 hygiene days.
• The strategic debate: dropping insurance versus hiring an associate.
• Evaluating real estate options for a growing team.
• Balancing clinical autonomy with family flexibility.

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 – How Aspiring Dental Practice Owners Can Build a Real Business, Not Just a Job Apr 27, 2026

Welcome back to the Shared Practices podcast.

In this episode of Ask George, we’re diving into a question we hear all the time from aspiring owners: How do you build a real business instead of just buying yourself a job? Whether you’re preparing to purchase your first practice or thinking about expanding into your second or third location, this conversation will give you a clearer, more honest picture of what ownership really looks like today.

Dentistry has changed a lot over the years. With more options like DSOs, choosing private practice is no longer the default—it’s a decision. And for many, that decision means stepping into the role of an entrepreneur. That comes with real challenges: managing rising staff costs, dealing with insurance reimbursements, and navigating tighter margins, especially in a post-COVID landscape. But at the same time, it creates an opportunity to build something that can grow beyond your own clinical work.

So what’s the difference between a job and a business? If everything depends on you being in the chair day in and day out, it’s still a job—no matter how successful it looks on paper. A true business is built to operate and generate income even when you’re not there. That shift in mindset is what separates operators from owners.

George breaks down a practical path to get there, including how to build around multiple providers, improve efficiency, and create systems that support long-term growth. From bringing on associates to optimizing your space and team, it’s all about creating a structure that doesn’t rely solely on you.

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.

The CEO Mindset: Mastering Dental Business Strategies to Close the Trust Gap Apr 20, 2026

Transitioning from a skilled clinician to a successful practice owner requires a radical shift in how you view the operatory. In this high-stakes episode of Coaches Corner, Caitlin Embree and Dr. Andrew Clingan break down the essential dental business strategies that separate struggling associates from thriving owners. The secret isn’t just in the hand-piece; it’s in the psychology of case acceptance and the internal systems that turn "maybe" into "yes."

Dr. Clingan pulls back the curtain on the "trauma" and wisdom gained during his associate to owner transition, revealing that clinical excellence is secondary to patient trust. If a patient doesn't understand the "why," they won't value the "how." This conversation serves as a masterclass in dental practice management, focusing on the "micro-trust" moments—those small, honest interactions that build a foundation for sustainable dental practice growth. You’ll learn why "creating space" and embracing silence is more effective than any sales script, and how to handle the "not now" objection without sounding like a corporate salesman. Implementing these specific dental business strategies allows a doctor to maintain clinical integrity while ensuring the practice remains a viable, profitable entity.

A critical component of modern dental business ownership is the integration of high-ROI technology. Caitlin and Andrew discuss how utilizing AI-driven radiographs and intraoral cameras isn't just about clinical accuracy; it's about shifting the burden of proof from the doctor to the data. By treating the patient as a co-diagnostician, you eliminate the friction of "supervised neglect" and move toward more predictable financial management for dentists. Whether you are currently navigating how to buy a dental practice or looking to optimize your existing startup, adopting these dental business strategies will help you stop playing "ignorant to finances" and start leading your team and patients with the conviction of a true CEO. This episode is your survival guide to navigating the complexities of patient behavior and modern clinical technology.

Ask George: The Real Reason Dental Practice Profitability Is Higher Today Than In The Golden Age Apr 13, 2026

Are you worried that you missed the "Golden Age" of dentistry? Many dental students and associates look back at the 1980s with envy, assuming that high insurance reimbursements and low competition made that the only era for true wealth. In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri deconstructs this myth and explains why dental practice profitability in the 2020s actually offers a superior path for the entrepreneurial dentist.

We shift the focus from the "Golden Age" to the "Golden Way"—a modern survival guide for transitioning from a clinical technician to a high-performing CEO. George breaks down why the current landscape of dental practice ownership is ripe with opportunity for those who embrace technology over tradition. Whether you are navigating an associate to owner transition or managing a growing firm, understanding the levers of dental practice valuation methods is critical to your exit strategy.

This episode explores three distinct paths to building a $5M–$10M net worth:

The Mega Practice: Why a single 14-operatory office with high dental growth strategies often outperforms a multi-location portfolio with less risk.
The Multi-Location Venture: The "irrational" drive needed to scale past four locations and the financial controls required to maintain margins.
The Platform Play: How modern DSOs allow for wealth creation through equity without the traditional burdens of solo ownership.

Success in the mid-2020s requires extreme efficiency in marketing, patient retention, and clinical productivity. George explains how AI, guided surgery, and 3D printing have replaced "hanging a shingle" as the primary drivers of entrepreneurship for dentists. If you want to stop trading time for money and start building a "Practice 401k," this deep dive into the 170-billion-dollar dental industry is your roadmap. You aren't too late; you are exactly on time to leverage the consolidation wave and modern clinical systems for maximum financial freedom.

How to Choose the Right First Job If Your Goal is Dental Practice Ownership Apr 06, 2026

How do you bridge the gap between being a clinical student and achieving dental practice ownership? In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Andrew Clingan returns to the mic to deliver a "survival guide" for D4s and associates planning their move from clinician to CEO. Andrew bought his practice straight out of school in 2023, and he’s pulling back the curtain on what it actually takes to double revenue in year one. If your goal is dental practice ownership, your first job is not an investment—it is a means to an end. This episode breaks down the four pillars of readiness: clinical confidence, practice management, cash runway, and leadership.

We address a common dilemma for future owners: choosing between a DSO, a private practice, or a multi-location group. Andrew argues that if you want to succeed in dental practice ownership, you must prioritize clinical volume over brand names or base pay. We analyze why many private practice associate roles are "dead ends" for growth and why the "dead space" of mid-sized groups can hinder your development. Transitioning to a CEO mindset means understanding financial management for dentists; Andrew explains why keeping your personal overhead low is the key to securing bank financing for acquisitions in dentistry.

Stop waiting for the "perfect time" to start your journey. We discuss how to identify a ready-to-grow practice and why most buyers pass on "diamonds in the rough" because they lack the dental business strategies to see past old wallpaper and film X-rays. This is a masterclass in dental practice management designed to help you build the clinical and financial cushion necessary for sustainable dental practice growth. Whether you are navigating the associate to owner transition or performing due diligence red flags checks on a potential acquisition, this episode provides the roadmap. Don't let your "pre-owner angst" fade into the comfort of a corporate paycheck. Learn how to stack your skills now so that when the right opportunity appears, you are prepared to execute.

Ask George - Does Dental Practice Ownership Still Make Sense Today? Mar 30, 2026

Is dental practice ownership still a viable path for aspiring dentists in today's rapidly changing landscape? Join Dr. George Hariri as he navigates the complexities of dental practice ownership in the latest episode of Shared Practices. This enlightening discussion delves into the critical factors that every dentist must consider when contemplating their career trajectory in the field of dentistry.

Dr. Hariri emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and self-reflection for dental professionals, urging them to assess whether dental practice ownership aligns with their personal and professional goals. With the realities of increased competition and rising operational costs, particularly in a post-COVID world, understanding the nuances of ownership is more crucial than ever.

The episode outlines essential principles for a successful dental career, including job satisfaction, income needs, and the importance of asset accumulation. Dr. Hariri also contrasts traditional dental practice ownership with the growing appeal of Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), which present attractive opportunities for those who may prefer a non-ownership track. This is particularly relevant for dentists who are exploring their options in the face of changing dynamics within the profession.

For those considering a leap into dental practice ownership, Dr. Hariri provides invaluable insights into entrepreneurship for dentists, offering guidance on how to buy a dental practice and navigate the complexities of dental practice acquisition. He discusses key topics such as dental practice valuation methods, due diligence red flags, and financial management for dentists, equipping listeners with the knowledge needed to excel in their ownership journey.

As Dr. Hariri articulates, ownership is increasingly suited for those with an entrepreneurial mindset who are willing to actively engage in the business side of dentistry. He encourages listeners to reflect on their leadership in dental practice and consider strategies for scaling their practices while avoiding common ownership mistakes.

This episode is a must-listen for any dentist contemplating their career path, offering a comprehensive overview of the dental landscape and practical advice on navigating ownership transitions. Whether you're a first-time buyer or an established owner looking to refine your dental practice marketing strategy, this episode provides a roadmap to success.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain insights from a seasoned expert in the field.

The #1 Reason Dental Practice Ownership Enters an Ugly Duckling Phase and How to Survive It Mar 23, 2026

Adding an associate to your team should be the ultimate win for dental practice ownership, but it is often the exact moment where your existing systems begin to break. In this episode, Andrew Clingan and Caitlin Embree unpack the "ugly duckling" stage—that uncomfortable transition where your previous business strategies no longer scale to support multiple doctors.

If you are navigating the complexities of dental practice ownership, this episode is your survival guide for the inevitable systems failures and team tension that occur when scaling toward a sustainable dental practice.

As we discuss in this segment, entrepreneurship for dentists is about developing people as much as it is about fixing teeth. Andrew gets vulnerable about the "super solo" trap: trying to out-produce your problems rather than fixing the underlying systems. We dive into the specific financial management for dentists necessary to weather the "stings" of growth—like losing $15,000 cases because the team wasn't ready to present new clinical codes.

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.

Ask George - Why Dental Practice Management Fails When Your CPA Is Your Only Advisor Mar 16, 2026

Are you stuck in the "defensive" trap of dental practice ownership? In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri breaks down a controversial reality: your CPA should not be your most trusted advisor if your goal is growth. While dental CPAs are essential for tax compliance and embezzlement prevention, their inherent bias toward historical data often creates a "growth ceiling" for ambitious owners. This episode serves as a survival guide for the transition from clinician to CEO, helping you identify when to listen to the brakes and when to hit the gas.

We dive deep into the world of dental practice management to explain why traditional accounting metrics like staff cost percentages can be misleading. George shares his personal "Dental Moneyball" story of growing a practice from $90k to $150k and how listening to a defensive advisor during a dip could have stifled his long-term success. You will learn about the "deposit ratio"—a critical tool for spotting embezzlement—and why your CPA is the gold standard for historical accuracy but a poor guide for future projections.

If you are currently navigating dental practice ownership, you need to understand the difference between offensive and defensive strategies. We discuss how to use dental growth strategies to justify temporary spikes in overhead, such as hiring a new hygienist or investing in marketing, which a standard CPA report might flagged as "red." This episode challenges you to become your own most trusted advisor, using financial management for dentists as a data point rather than a final decision.

We also explore the future of dental practice profitability in the age of AI and why using tools like ChatGPT can prepare you for more nuanced conversations with your professional team. Whether you’re an associate in transition or a seasoned owner, this roadmap ensures your business decisions are fueled by vision, not just tax efficiency. Stop letting the "brakes" drive your vehicle and start mastering the levers of dental practice management today.

The Anchor Dentist Plan: A Dental Partnership Strategy for Sustainable Growth | Nate Mar 09, 2026

The wait is over for the conclusion of Nate’s journey from a solo practitioner to a multi-million dollar dental group practice owner. In Part 2 of this Practice Underwater special, Dr. George Hariri reveals the high-leverage recommendation that will allow Nate to escape the "yo-yo" effect of clinical scheduling and finally achieve sustainable growth. While Nate’s practice is already a financial powerhouse—grossing over $3.15M with elite-level systems—the missing piece isn't operational; it’s a specific human resource strategy that bridges the gap between a solo clinician and a true CEO.George breaks down the "Anchor Dentist" concept: the necessity of finding a high-caliber, workhorse provider who is incentivized through a minority equity stake.

This episode acts as a survival guide for practice management in secondary or tertiary markets where doctor attraction is the primary bottleneck. You will learn why typical associate recruitment often fails in these areas and how to structure a transition that aligns a new doctor’s clinical drive with your own need for long-term stability and reduced chair time.As Nate considers his practice's terminal velocity of $4–5M, the conversation shifts to aggressive recruitment volume. George challenges Nate to move beyond local ads and use "megaphones" to find doctors willing to relocate for a significant dental financial opportunity. If you are navigating entrepreneurship and feeling stuck in the whirlwind of daily production, this episode provides the blueprint for using minority partnership as a tool for longevity, allowing you to maximize your practice valuation without selling prematurely.

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.

The Anchor Dentist Plan That Can Unlock a $4–5M Dental Practice | Nate Mar 02, 2026

Transitioning from a solo clinician to a CEO is a journey fraught with operational hurdles, particularly when navigating the "yo-yo" effect of doctor turnover. In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri sits down with Nate, a 2011 grad who successfully grew his office from $700k to over $3.1M. Despite this massive financial success, Nate finds himself back in the "whirlwind" of daily clinical operations, struggling with the common industry Achilles' heel: attracting and retaining productive associates. This conversation serves as a survival guide for any future dental practice owner looking to build a sustainable group practice without being tethered to the chair for the next twenty years.

The transcript reveals a common paradox in dental practice management: having world-class systems—including a 97% reappointment rate and an impressive AR ratio—yet still facing a revolving door of providers. George analyzes Nate’s history with five different associates to determine the difference between a "good leave" and a "bad leave". For dentists pursuing sustainable dental practice growth, understanding these nuances is critical. Are you settling for the wrong cultural fit because the candidate pool feels thin? George challenges the listener to move beyond the desperation of hiring and into a phase of selective patience.

As Nate looks toward an associate to owner transition or an eventual dental practice valuation for a DSO sale, the focus shifts to long-term profitability and cash flow. George argues that many owners sell too early, missing out on years of EBITDA. Instead, the discussion explores whether offering a minority equity stake is the key to stability. This episode is a masterclass in entrepreneurship for dentists, emphasizing that while doctor turnover is a natural part of the business, it shouldn't dictate your personal life or your clinical schedule.

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.

Ask George - Does Dental Practice Ownership Still Make Sense Today? Feb 26, 2026

Is dental practice ownership still a viable path for aspiring dentists in today's rapidly changing landscape? Join Dr. George Hariri as he navigates the complexities of dental practice ownership in the latest episode of Shared Practices. This enlightening discussion delves into the critical factors that every dentist must consider when contemplating their career trajectory in the field of dentistry.

Dr. Hariri emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and self-reflection for dental professionals, urging them to assess whether dental practice ownership aligns with their personal and professional goals. With the realities of increased competition and rising operational costs, particularly in a post-COVID world, understanding the nuances of ownership is more crucial than ever.

The episode outlines essential principles for a successful dental career, including job satisfaction, income needs, and the importance of asset accumulation. Dr. Hariri also contrasts traditional dental practice ownership with the growing appeal of Dental Support Organizations (DSOs), which present attractive opportunities for those who may prefer a non-ownership track. This is particularly relevant for dentists who are exploring their options in the face of changing dynamics within the profession.

For those considering a leap into dental practice ownership, Dr. Hariri provides invaluable insights into entrepreneurship for dentists, offering guidance on how to buy a dental practice and navigate the complexities of dental practice acquisition. He discusses key topics such as dental practice valuation methods, due diligence red flags, and financial management for dentists, equipping listeners with the knowledge needed to excel in their ownership journey.

As Dr. Hariri articulates, ownership is increasingly suited for those with an entrepreneurial mindset who are willing to actively engage in the business side of dentistry. He encourages listeners to reflect on their leadership in dental practice and consider strategies for scaling their practices while avoiding common ownership mistakes.

This episode is a must-listen for any dentist contemplating their career path, offering a comprehensive overview of the dental landscape and practical advice on navigating ownership transitions. Whether you're a first-time buyer or an established owner looking to refine your dental practice marketing strategy, this episode provides a roadmap to success.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain insights from a seasoned expert in the field.

Ask George | Are You Making These 3 Leadership Mistakes In Your Dental Practice Management Systems? Feb 23, 2026

In this masterclass episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri pulls back the curtain on the "invisible" side of dental practice management—the leadership dynamics that dictate your take-home pay and your team’s sanity. For most, the associate to owner transition is a shock to the system because dental school teaches you how to prep a crown, not how to lead a human being. George provides a survival guide for the future owner, breaking down the essential shift from clinical technician to high-level CEO.

True dental practice management isn't about micro-managing every tray setup; it is about strategic resource allocation. George identifies the "Goodwill Bank Account" concept, explaining how leaders must deposit trust through leading by example before they can withdraw effort during high-stress growth phases. We dive deep into the "unspoken culture" of a practice—what you tolerate becomes your standard. If your dental business ownership journey feels like a constant uphill battle with staff, the bottleneck is likely your relational leadership, not your clinical skill.

This episode covers the "Vision Avatars" necessary for sustainable dental practice growth, helping you decide if you are building a productive solo or a mega group. George also breaks down the "Operational Rhythm"—the cadence of huddles and meetings that transform dental practice management from a reactive chore into a proactive engine for dental practice profitability. By the end of this episode, you will understand how to audit your own self-leadership, set non-negotiable standards for what you tolerate, and empower an office manager to handle the details so you can focus on entrepreneurship for dentists. Whether you are currently in the middle of acquisitions or just starting your roadmap, this is the blueprint for leading a team that actually wants to follow you.

Managing People vs Mastering Dental Business Strategies During the Associate to Owner Transition Feb 16, 2026

In this episode of Coaches Corner, we dismantle the myth that clinical excellence alone is enough to scale a practice. As you move from solo clinician to the head of a growing group, your dental business strategies must evolve or your systems will shatter. Dr. Andrew Clingan and Caitlin Embree dive deep into the "Ugly Duckling" phase of ownership—that volatile period where adding an associate reveals every crack in your foundation. Transitioning into dental practice ownership requires more than just hiring more hands; it demands a total shift in how you view dental practice management. If you are out-producing your problems rather than solving them with systems, you are sitting on a ticking time bomb.

For the future dental practice owner, this episode serves as a survival guide for the associate to owner transition. We discuss the hard reality of "losing" high-value cases simply because your team wasn't trained on the right codes or verbiage. We explore dental business strategies that focus on empowering an Office Manager to lead, rather than the owner micromanaging every $15-an-hour task. This is the core of sustainable dental practice growth: building a culture of leadership where your team is self-accountable and your dental practice profitability isn't solely dependent on your time in the chair. We break down the "Time and Energy Audit," a tool designed to help you buy back your time and focus on the high-level dental business ownership tasks that actually move the needle. Stop acting like an employee in your own business and start implementing the dental business strategies that allow you to lead with vision and clarity.

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.

Solving for Dental Practice Profitability: Scaling to $8M With Dental Practice Acquisitions - Part 2 Feb 09, 2026

In Part 2 of this Practice Underwater episode, Dr. George Hariri continues his conversation with "Bob," a mega-group owner generating nearly $8 million in revenue. Despite scaling massive topline numbers, Bob faced severe burnout by failing to establish personal boundaries and neglecting his own dental practice profitability during acquisitions. By working clinically up to five days a week to cover gaps in a new location, he sacrificed his leverage as a CEO.

Rapid growth can become a financial and emotional grind if you do not properly utilize your leadership team. George helps Bob construct a personal "bubble" to reclaim control of his time and guarantee his cash flow, ultimately securing true dental practice profitability.

Here is your blueprint for protecting your sanity and maximizing dental practice profitability as you scale:

Build Your Bubble: Restrict your clinical schedule to three days a week focused strictly on specialty procedures you enjoy, forcing your infrastructure to handle operational gaps.
Take a Guaranteed Draw: Establish a non-negotiable monthly owner's draw to ensure you are consistently rewarded for your equity, eliminating personal financial stress.
Trim Minor Expenses: Shaving just 1% to 2% off supply and administrative costs in an $8M group can fund your entire owner's draw and significantly boost dental practice profitability.
Scale Into Your Infrastructure: Dilute your central management overhead by acquiring additional "ready to grow" practices before you reach the ceiling that requires overhauling your current operational systems.

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.

Solving for Dental Practice Profitability: Scaling to $8M With Dental Practice Acquisitions - Part 1 Feb 02, 2026

In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri sits down with "Bob," a mega-group owner who successfully scaled from a single solo clinic into an $8 million powerhouse spanning 17 operatories. For the ambitious dentist, Bob’s journey is a masterclass in aggressive expansion and mastering dental practice profitability. He shares how he temporarily abandoned traditional accounting advice, allowing his profit and loss (P&L) statements to look "ugly" while investing heavily in staff and marketing to secure unprecedented growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The conversation shifts to evaluating true dental practice profitability. When Bob ran out of physical space in his flagship office, he leveraged his centralized infrastructure to seamlessly acquire an adjacent 2,000-patient practice. George breaks down Bob's margins on air, revealing that keeping management costs at a lean 3% while heavily funding the clinical team is the ultimate secret to sustaining dental practice profitability at scale.

Here is your survival guide to mastering dental business strategies through rapid expansion:

Embrace the "Ugly Duckling" Phase: Temporarily accept high staff costs (like Bob's 36%) and a skewed P&L in exchange for explosive patient flow and long-term equity growth.
Build Infrastructure Early: Establish a centralized call center and administrative team before you actually need them, ensuring your management costs remain incredibly low as you acquire more locations.
Target "Ready to Grow" Clinics: Accelerate your timeline by acquiring underperforming offices with massive, untapped patient bases.
Assess the Grind: Evaluate whether your current infrastructure can absorb another location before deciding to push forward or pause for operational optimization.

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.

Ask George: Why Your Dental Practice Management Goals Feel Hollow Jan 26, 2026

In this deep-dive "Ask George" session, Dr. George Hariri tackles a silent epidemic among high-achieving dentists: hitting massive financial milestones only to feel a sense of emptiness. If you are navigating the complex associate to owner transition or currently feel trapped by your own success, this episode serves as your ultimate survival guide for evolving from a clinical workhorse to a strategic CEO. George breaks down why traditional dental practice management often fails by focusing solely on "numbers" while ignoring the qualitative lifestyle design that prevents burnout.

We explore the three distinct stages of a dentist’s career arc and how to identify your current "bottleneck"—whether it’s patient flow, team leadership, or clinical efficiency. You will learn how to use dental business strategies to increase your "surface area of luck," ensuring that your growth is both predictable and sustainable. George also introduces the "Venn Diagram of Success," a framework for aligning your quantitative income targets with your unique ability and desire for autonomy.

Stop chasing arbitrary production numbers and start building a business that gives you energy instead of draining it. Whether you are implementing new dental growth strategies to scale to a multi-doctor facility or looking to optimize a "smart solo" setup, this episode provides the roadmap to earning a seven-figure income while working only three days a week. We discuss how to delegate the "C-level" tasks that cause anxiety and how to empower your team to handle conflict, allowing you to stay in your zone of genius.

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.

Dental Practice Ownership: Scaling Up vs. Scaling Back for Profitability Jan 19, 2026

Most ambitious dentists are taught that dental practice ownership success is a linear climb from one location to three, five, or ten. In this episode, Dr. Megan Timm joins Caitlin Embree to pull back the curtain on the "sexy" allure of the dental empire and explains why she made the difficult decision to offload two locations to return to a single-doctor model. If you are currently navigating the associate to owner transition or feeling the pressure to expand, this survival guide explores the hidden costs of growth—including the financial strain of multiple mortgages, the "revolving door" of rural recruiting, and the mental toll of managing personalities rather than practicing dentistry.

Megan shares the raw reality of the "tipping point" where three practices resulted in zero personal take-home pay for six months. We deep dive into the logistics of a practice merger, how to communicate office closures to patients without losing your reputation, and the importance of clinical alignment when hiring. You will learn why sustainable dental practice growth is often found by increasing efficiency per patient and dropping insurance dependence rather than adding more chairs. Megan’s journey from a stressed multi-practice owner to a thriving, "productive solo" dentist proves that dental practice management is not one-size-fits-all. We discuss the "ego stroke" of expansion versus the actual dental practice profitability of a well-oiled, single-doctor machine.

Whether you are performing acquisitions in dentistry or looking to optimize your first office, this episode challenges the "bigger is better" narrative. Learn how to protect your vision, set boundaries with high-level team members, and design a life that allows you to be both a CEO and a present parent.

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.

Ask George: How to Master Dental Practice Management and Scale Profitability Using AI Jan 12, 2026

The transition from clinician to CEO is often paved with unexpected roadblocks: wage inflation, shrinking insurance reimbursements, and a staffing crisis that makes 2026 feel like a battleground for private practitioners. In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri breaks down why traditional dental practice management is no longer enough to stay profitable. If you are a future owner, you must realize that the "Golden Age" of dentistry has evolved into the "Golden Way"—a high-tech roadmap where artificial intelligence acts as your digital co-pilot.

George moves beyond the hype of AI to provide a tactical survival guide for the modern dental entrepreneur. He explores the sequential flow of a patient's journey, identifying specific bottlenecks where technology can replace manual labor. From AI receptionists that mitigate missed call rates to radiograph software like Pearl and Overjet that revolutionize co-diagnosis, this episode explains how to reduce your dependency on a shrinking labor pool while increasing case acceptance.

True dental business ownership requires becoming a "technological champion." George emphasizes that while the dentist must provide the vision, the team must drive the implementation. You will learn how to use dental growth strategies that prioritize objectivity, such as using AI to audit phone calls or scribe treatment notes, allowing your staff to focus on high-level patient care.

This is more than a discussion on software; it is a masterclass in dental business strategies for the current economic landscape. Whether you are navigating an associate to owner transition or looking to scale your first acquisition, understanding how to negotiate the "how" while remaining firm on the "why" of technology is critical. Stop struggling with 20th-century systems in a 2026 world. Learn how to lean into the unique strengths of the technological revolution to ensure your practice isn't just surviving, but thriving. Success in dental practice management today requires more intentionality than ever—it’s time to build your roadmap.

Are You Making These 3 Costly AI Mistakes in Your Dental Business Strategies? Jan 05, 2026

The leap from clinician to CEO is the most significant hurdle in any associate to owner transition. Most dentists enter ownership with world-class clinical skills but find themselves practicing blind when it comes to the business side of the chair. In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. George Hariri sits down with Dr. Aditi Agarwal, co-founder of Practice by Numbers, to discuss how to navigate this high-stakes shift using the power of data and AI dashboards.

Dr. Agarwal shares her personal journey of launching a startup in a depressed market and the "aha moment" when she realized that her case acceptance issues weren't a clinical failure, but a data-driven financing gap. This episode serves as a survival guide for dental practice ownership, moving beyond simple spreadsheets to embrace sophisticated dental business strategies. We explore the concept of "Operations AI" and how it acts as a co-pilot for the modern dentist, automating the revenue finder process to locate thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment.

As a future dental practice owner, your success depends on your ability to implement dental business strategies that don't rely solely on your own manual effort. We break down the importance of team-led technology adoption, showing you how to empower your front office to reduce their workload while simultaneously increasing dental practice profitability. From call sentiment analysis to AI-assisted perio charting, learn how to leverage the "great equalizer" of technology to compete with DSOs while maintaining the personalized touch of private practice. This is the roadmap for turning dental business ownership into a predictable, data-backed success story.

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.

Ask George: Is Your Perfectionism Killing Your Dental Practice Management? Dec 29, 2025

Are you the primary force rolling every "boulder" up the hill in your office? In this insightful Ask George episode, George and Richard explore why building leaders is the non-negotiable secret to exponential growth and true leverage. Most future owners struggle with the transition from clinician to CEO because they fear the "drop-off" in quality when delegating. However, effective dental practice management requires a team-led approach where you empower others to perform tasks at 80% of your capacity so you can focus on your zone of genius.

We dive deep into the hierarchy of leadership, from the essential role of an Office Manager to the strategic deployment of Lead Assistants and Lead Hygienists. George introduces the A/B/C task audit—a powerful framework for identifying your highest-value "A" tasks while offloading energy-draining "C" tasks to team members who actually enjoy them. This shift isn't just about giving orders; it’s about fostering a "sense of ownership" where your team cares about results (like reappointment rates) as much as you do.

You’ll learn the "Document, Demonstrate, Observe" system for error-proofing your delegation and why the cost of a team member's mistake is actually a necessary investment in your associate to owner transition. Whether you are refining your dental growth strategies or preparing for dental business ownership, this episode provides the survival guide for building a culture of accountability and purpose. Stop being the bottleneck and start building the leverage required for a high-income, high-freedom practice.

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.

Dental Practice Management: Protecting Your Ownership from HR Liability and Team Drama Dec 22, 2025

Transitioning from a skilled clinician to a successful CEO requires a fundamental shift in how you view dental practice management. Most dentists enter ownership to focus on patient care, yet they quickly find themselves bogged down by the "human" element of human resources. In this episode of Shared Practices, Richard Low sits down with Jill Hasselmann from HR for Health to dismantle the myth that HR has to be a source of constant stress. For future owners, understanding these systems is not just about staying organized; it is about protecting the legacy and financial health of your dental practice ownership journey.

Jill explains that "compliance is caring," reframing bureaucracy as the baseline for treating a team with respect. We dive into the "Anatomy of HR," breaking it down into five critical pillars: hiring and onboarding, benefits administration, conflict resolution, payroll logistics, and legal compliance. Many owners struggle with wage and hour claims—which have seen a 450% increase over the last 20 years—simply because they lack a digital paper trail or clear time-off policies. This episode serves as a survival guide for dental business ownership, highlighting why relying on a "friend’s handbook" or unverified AI tools like ChatGPT can create massive legal exposure.

We also explore the modern expectations of Millennial and Gen Z team members who demand transparency and digital-first experiences. By implementing a "True North" via a customized employee handbook, you can remove the emotion from difficult conversations and lead with consistency. Whether you are navigating a startup or an acquisition, mastering entrepreneurship for dentists means having a proactive plan for everything from cell phone policies to pregnancy leave. Jill shares how automated systems can handle the tedious tracking of CE certifications and performance reviews, allowing you to shut your brain off and focus on dental growth strategies. Stop reacting to crises and start building a foundation where you never have to worry about HR again.

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.

Why Experienced Candidates Are the Problem in Your Dental Practice Ownership Dec 15, 2025

Are you choosing the wrong candidates because you’re afraid you don't have the time to train the right ones? In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Richard and Caitlin unpack why dental practice ownership often feels like an uphill battle—and how to fix it. We discuss the mindset shift required to move from "panic hiring" to building a continuous candidate pipeline, much like you would for patient marketing.

The secret to scaling your practice lies in breaking free from the "experience trap" by creating a living Operations Manual. Caitlin explains the difference between a static employee handbook and a dynamic standards of care (SOC) guide that allows for consistent dental practice management as you grow. We explore how future owners can use the hiring process itself as a catalyst to document systems, ensuring you never have to reinvent the wheel when turnover inevitably occurs.

We also dive into the "lowest hanging fruit" of AI in dentistry: using tools like ChatGPT and Loom to draft training manuals and SOPs in record time. By utilizing voice-to-text and screen-recording technology, you can turn your clinical frustrations into clear, step-by-step instructions for your team. This episode is a survival guide for any dentist moving through an associate to owner transition, providing the tools to hire for attitude and train for skill so that your practice can scale without being held hostage by staffing gaps.

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.

The Ultimate Dental Growth Strategies to Scale from $700K to $2.5M | Thor Dec 08, 2025

Think you could grow a suburban dental practice from $700K to $2.5M in four years without burning out? In this high-stakes episode of Practice Under Water, George sits down with "Thor," a high-intensity owner who has done exactly that. Thor shares the raw numbers behind his explosive associate to owner transition, revealing how he moved from 15 new patients a month to over 90 by mastering Google reviews and direct mail.

However, success has brought a new challenge: the "Sunday scaries". George helps Thor evaluate the dental business strategies needed to stop being the bottleneck in his own five-operatory building. They discuss the "pseudo-specialist" pivot—moving away from general dentistry to focus on high-value ortho and implants—as a way to maintain dental practice profitability while regaining control of the schedule.

This episode serves as a survival guide for dental practice ownership, tackling the psychological hurdles of dropping insurance, hiring a second associate, and the risk of taking a temporary income hit to achieve long-term longevity. Whether you are looking for sustainable dental practice growth or trying to navigate the complexities of dental practice management, Thor’s journey offers a roadmap for high-producing dentists who want to lead a team-led practice rather than grinding in the chair forever. Learn how he leveraged dental growth strategies to build a practice that produces $250,000 a month with only five operatories.

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.

3 Reasons Why Your Five-Op Facility is Blocking Sustainable Dental Practice Growth | Thor Dec 01, 2025

Scaling a $2.5M practice while only working two clinical days sounds like the ultimate goal, but it often brings you face-to-face with a massive facility bottleneck. In Part 2 of Thor’s return to Practice Under Water, George and Thor break down the logistical gymnastics required to maintain sustainable dental practice growth when your building is bursting at the seams. Thor is currently managing 94 new patients a month in just five operatories, a situation that George identifies as being at total capacity.

The conversation centers on the essential transition from a "hustle-based" model to dental practice management that is truly systems-led. George suggests that to preserve quality of life, Thor must evolve into a pseudo-specialist role—focusing on high-value ortho, cosmetics, and implants—while training his hygienists to lead a co-diagnostic process that feeds these cases to his chair. This episode acts as a strategic survival guide for dental practice ownership, offering a masterclass in dental business strategies for owners who are ready to let the team handle the "daily rush".

We explore the gritty reality of "scheduling Tetris," including split shifting, no-doctor hygiene days, and why a six-operatory setup is a game-changer for multiple providers. Whether you are navigating an associate to owner transition or looking for ways to maximize dental practice profitability, Thor’s dilemma offers a clear roadmap for long-term success. Learn how to move from being the person propping up the practice to an owner who has built a self-sustaining engine for sustainable dental practice growth.

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.

Ask George: The CEO Survival Guide for Resetting Your Dental Practice Ownership Nov 24, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri guides you through "The Ownership Reset," a strategic process designed to align your dental practice ownership with your long-term life goals. As we head into 2026, George emphasizes that successful dental practice ownership requires more than clinical skill; it requires a clear vision and a refined sense of direction. Whether you are a productive solo or looking to scale into a mega group, this episode serves as a survival guide to help you identify your "vision avatar" and move from being a clinician to a true CEO.

George breaks down the clinical entrepreneur spectrum, identifying five distinct models for dental practice ownership: the Productive Solo, the Smart Solo, the Profitable Group, the Pseudo Specialist, and the Mega Group. You will learn how to identify the specific bottleneck—be it patient flow or clinical calibration—inhibiting your growth and how to implement dental business strategies like the "operating rhythm" to solve it. By transitioning to a team-led approach to entrepreneurship for dentists, you can increase your "surface area for luck" and ensure your practice values grow alongside your income.

Stop letting growth happen by accident. Learn how to use Dental Moneyball principles to audit your administrative time and focus on the tasks that actually move the needle. By the end of this episode, you’ll have the tools to communicate a clear vision to your team, ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction for a profitable 2026 in dental practice ownership.

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.

Why Dental Practice Management Depends on a Clear Strategic Vision Nov 17, 2025

Richard and Caitlyn Embree discuss why effective dental practice management begins with a clear, articulated vision that the entire team can buy into.

They break down a four-part framework for dental roadmap success, covering practice anatomy, philosophy of care, team culture, and the owner's desired lifestyle. By implementing better dental practice management systems, owners can identify bottlenecks and transition from feeling trapped by overhead to finding financial breathing room. Because high-level dental practice management requires team buy-in, this is a must-listen for anyone looking to turn dental business ownership into a structured journey toward professional and personal freedom.

In this episode:

The four pillars of a comprehensive strategic vision.
How clear vision prevents team change fatigue.
Using mathematical benchmarks for front office hiring.
Leveraging vision to overcome practitioner burnout.
Communication cadences for high-growth dental practices.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Dental Practice Management Rules on How to Handle Cancellations and No Shows Sep 01, 2025

In this episode of shared practices, hosts Richard and Caitlin dive into the critical world of dental practice management to help listeners navigate dental practice ownership by tackling the persistent operational pain point of patient cancellations.

Caitlin shares her proven dental business strategies for minimizing schedule holes, detailing a framework that leverages a $50 hourly broken appointment fee for no-shows or requiring upfront prepayments for large production cases to ensure patients have skin in the game.

The hosts engage in a strategic debate regarding whether strict financial penalties risk damaging patient goodwill and triggering negative reviews, or if failing to implement firm boundaries under modern dental practice management ultimately leaves the practice owner to suffer.

To optimize your dental practice management protocols and retrain your patient base to respect provider time, this is a must-listen for clinicians managing an associate to owner transition or vetting acquisitions in dentistry.

In this episode:
- Emphasizing the mindset that last-minute schedule changes are completely abnormal.
- Scripting strategies to confront cancellations and uncover the patient's true objection.
- The operational debate surrounding a $50 hourly broken appointment fee versus preserving patient goodwill.
- Requiring upfront case deposits and prepayments to protect high-production blocks.
- Transitioning chronic offenders to a short-call or same-day scheduling list via a three-strike rule.

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.

From Overhead to Opportunity: Virtual Teams Boost Dental Practice Profitability for Dentists Aug 25, 2025

For a future dental practice owner, the reality of shrinking margins is harsh. With insurance fees stagnant and labor costs skyrocketing, achieving dental practice profitability is incredibly difficult. Richard Low and Cory Pinegar, founder of Reach, explain how an international virtual workforce is the ultimate survival guide. Moving from a stressed clinician to an empowered CEO requires delegation. Elite dental practice management dictates that you can no longer overpay for routine administration.

If your front desk is buried, your dental practice profitability bleeds. Cory reveals shocking data: the average office misses 32% of inbound calls and abandons $2.4 million in unscheduled treatment. To execute scalable dental business strategies, systematically outsource these bottlenecks:

-Insurance Verification: End hours spent on hold.
-Revenue Cycle Management: Delegate claims and billing.
-Call Capture: Use bilingual virtual assistants to secure leads.

Using these dental growth strategies instantly slashes overhead. Replacing a U.S. administrative package with a HIPAA-compliant virtual team member saves $24,000 annually. In financial management for dentists, adding $24k to your bottom line at a 5x multiple raises your practice value by $125,000 overnight. Guarantee sustainable dental practice growth and maximize your dental practice profitability by engineering a highly efficient operation.

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.

Ask George - Practice Management vs True CEO Dental Practice Ownership Strategies Aug 18, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri and Richard Low redefine what it actually means to master dental practice ownership. Many dentists get trapped acting as the lead clinician and the daily manager, constantly playing whack-a-mole with operational fires. However, mastering true dental practice ownership requires stepping completely out of the "Technician" and "Manager" roles to become the visionary CEO. This episode provides a survival guide for the future dental practice owner, showing you exactly how to make the critical leap from clinician to executive.

You cannot achieve sustainable dental practice growth if you are bogged down by routine dental practice management. George explains that a CEO’s primary job is not fixing the day-to-day issues, but effectively allocating three limited resources: time, money, and focus. This means evaluating your metrics to identify the true bottlenecks in your operation. For example, if you are planning an associate to owner transition, your focus must be relentlessly locked on increasing patient flow rather than getting distracted by case acceptance seminars. Elite dental business strategies require the discipline to know exactly what to say "no" to.

We also explore the compounding power of micro-interactions. If you want a team-led office, you must stop answering every question your staff brings you and start redirecting them to your Office Manager. Every time you step in to solve a problem that belongs to your manager, you erode your own dental practice ownership and stall your progress. By utilizing frameworks like Shared Practices | Your Dental Roadmap, you can align your daily decisions with a long-term vision that serves your life, not just your schedule. Learn how to stop managing and start leading.

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.

Old Hygiene Tactics vs Modern Dental Growth Strategies for the Ambitious Dentist Aug 11, 2025

In this episode, Richard Low and Alex Sharp tackle a critical question facing every ambitious dentist today: is hygiene-led growth dead? With rising labor costs and shifting insurance economics, many practice owners are reevaluating their dental growth strategies. Is a bustling hygiene department still the key to dental practice profitability, or is it just an expensive headache? The hosts break down why abandoning this model is a massive mistake and reveal why hygiene remains the undisputed flywheel for sustainable dental practice growth.

For a future owner navigating the associate to owner transition, hygiene isn't just about cleanings—it is about delegation, retention, and high-leverage case acceptance. To master dental practice management, you must stop treating hygienists as mere teeth cleaners. They must be developed and calibrated like an associate dentist.

Here is your survival guide to mastering modern hygiene economics:

-Calculate True Break-Even: Measure acquisition costs against the direct and doctor production generated from that chair.
-Empower Co-Diagnosis: Train hygienists to educate patients before you enter the room, boosting case acceptance.
-Implement Clinical Calibration: Host meetings using bite-wings to align the team's diagnostic philosophy.
-Proactive Recruiting: Move beyond job boards to strategies like "lunch and learns" to fuel your dental growth strategies.

By empowering your hygiene team, you protect your time and elevate patient care. Treating hygiene as a strategic pillar is still the most predictable of all dental growth strategies.

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.

Empty Schedules vs Elite Dental Practice Management for the Ambitious Dentist | Alejandro Pt. 2 Aug 04, 2025

In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri consults with Dr. "Alejandro," a solo dentist who has navigated dental practice ownership in the Midwest for over 20 years. Four years ago, Alejandro made the leap to drop Delta Dental and transition to a fully fee-for-service model. While this shift elevated his clinical freedom and defined his dental practice ownership style, it brought new challenges to his dental practice management, including patient attrition and staffing shortages.

For any ambitious dentist evaluating their own dental business strategies, Alejandro’s journey offers a transparent look at the realities of fee-for-service dentistry. With $1.13 million in collections and an active patient base of 875, Alejandro has successfully established himself as a productive solo doctor. However, to reach his stretch goal of $1.5 to $1.6 million, he must evolve his dental practice ownership systems to address his primary bottleneck: keeping the restorative schedule full without compromising his "one patient at a time" philosophy.

Here is your survival guide to optimizing a productive solo practice:

- Navigate Network Drops: Understand the hurdles of requiring patients to prepay for services when going out-of-network.
- Expand Hygiene Capacity: Recognize how relying on a single full-time hygienist mathematically limits your restorative growth.
- Define Your Clinical Box: Maximize dental practice profitability by focusing heavily on the specific procedures you actually enjoy, such as crown and bridge or night guards.
- Clarify Your Vision: Avoid the pressure to build a mega-group if your true passion is performing high-quality restorative dentistry four days a week.

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.

Fee For Service vs PPO: Dental Practice Ownership and Profitability | Alejandro Part 1 Jul 28, 2025

In this episode of Practice Underwater, Dr. George Hariri consults with Dr. "Alejandro," a solo dentist who has navigated dental practice ownership in the Midwest for over 20 years. Four years ago, Alejandro made the leap to drop Delta Dental and transition to a fully fee-for-service model. While this shift elevated his clinical freedom and defined his dental practice ownership style, it brought new challenges to his dental practice management, including patient attrition and staffing shortages.

For any ambitious dentist evaluating their own dental business strategies, Alejandro’s journey offers a transparent look at the realities of fee-for-service dentistry. With $1.13 million in collections and an active patient base of 875, Alejandro has successfully established himself as a productive solo doctor. However, to reach his stretch goal of $1.5 to $1.6 million, he must evolve his dental practice ownership systems to address his primary bottleneck: keeping the restorative schedule full without compromising his "one patient at a time" philosophy.

Here is your survival guide to optimizing a productive solo practice:

- Navigate Network Drops: Understand the hurdles of requiring patients to prepay for services when going out-of-network.
- Expand Hygiene Capacity: Recognize how relying on a single full-time hygienist mathematically limits your restorative growth.
- Define Your Clinical Box: Maximize dental practice profitability by focusing heavily on the specific procedures you actually enjoy, such as crown and bridge or night guards.
- Clarify Your Vision: Avoid the pressure to build a mega-group if your true passion is performing high-quality restorative dentistry four days a week.

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.

Ask George: Why Team Led Dental Practice Management Boosts Dental Practice Profitability Jul 21, 2025

In this episode, George Hariri and Richard Low explore the transition from "muscling" your practice to achieving true team-led success. If you are a burnt-out clinician, your dental practice management strategy needs an immediate overhaul. Stop stepping in to solve every operational problem and start building the infrastructure necessary to empower your staff.

To achieve sustainable dental practice growth, George and Richard introduce the "Crawl, Walk, Run" framework for developing leaders within your office:

Crawl (Clarity): Provide ultra-clarity with detailed checklists, scorecards, and clearly defined roles so your team knows exactly what "good" looks like.
Walk (Delegation): Install a strong Office Manager to enforce accountability and handle recurring day-to-day operations so the dentist does not have to.
Run (Self-Managing): Evolve into a self-managing team capable of downstream decision-making, including hiring, training, and onboarding new staff without the owner's input.

They also discuss why you should only promise career growth based on the "adjacent possible" six months out, rather than making unkeepable long-term promises. Finally, they explain why losing a toxic team member—while temporarily disruptive—almost always leads to better dental business strategies and a stronger culture on the other side. Master these steps to truly level up your dental practice ownership.

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.

Ask George: Financial Management for Dentists and Sustainable Dental Practice Growth Jul 14, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri and Richard Low tackle a dangerous mindset trapping the modern dentist: treating your practice like a stressful job you must escape. True financial management for dentists dictates that your clinic is the ultimate wealth-building asset, not just a stepping stone to fund outside investments. When you rush to sell to a DSO or divert focus to side hustles, you abandon your highest ROI vehicle. We reveal why making the transition from an exhausted clinician to an empowered CEO is the only true path to financial freedom.

If your ultimate goal is sustainable dental practice growth, you must stop sprinting toward burnout. The hosts break down the math behind smart financial management for dentists: a well-run $2.5 million clinic can easily yield over $300,000 in passive cash flow annually. Compare that to the massive effort required to manage 80 rental properties for the exact same return! By implementing elite dental business strategies, you can step back from the chair, practice only one or two days a week doing the dentistry you love, and let your trained team handle the rest.

Here is your survival guide to mastering dental practice ownership and long-term wealth:

- Retain Your Primary Asset: Cashing out today loses decades of compounding cash flow and predictable dental practice profitability.
- Build a Self-Managing Team: Delegate the daily, recurring operations to a strong office manager so you do not have to manage.
- Reinvest Internally: Use coaching, advanced marketing, and scalable systems to consistently break through your clinical bottlenecks.
- Master Your Cash Flow: Implement quarterly profit distributions to optimize your financial management for dentists.

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.

From Dental School to CEO: The Best Guide on How to Buy a Dental Practice Jul 07, 2025

Are you wondering how to buy a dental practice out of school? Richard Low and Dr. Andrew Clingan share the reality of early dental practice ownership via Shared Practices. Mastering dental practice management provided Andrew a safety net while his clinical speed developed.

Learning how to buy a dental practice requires looking past shiny equipment. Acquisitions in dentistry hide challenges like deferred maintenance and paper charts.

Execute these dental business strategies:

- Off-Market Deals: Source clinics via networking, mailers, and supply reps.
- Use Representation: Negotiate with sellers logically using data.
- Hidden Costs: Budget for structural upgrades and technology.

Knowing how to buy a dental practice correctly helps skip burnout and build equity.

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.

Ask George - Ready to Grow Practice: Smart Dental Practice Acquisitions Jun 30, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Dr. George Hariri and Richard Low redefine the approach to dental practice acquisitions for the modern dentist. Instead of buying a maxed-out, highly polished clinic, the key to sustainable dental practice growth lies in finding a "ready to grow" practice. Buying an under-optimized office with a massive overdue recare base allows you to rapidly increase dental practice profitability through strategic hygiene expansion.

If you want to waltz into ownership with confidence, you must evaluate clinics differently than a bank does. Here is your blueprint for navigating dental practice acquisitions:

Avoid the "Ready to Shrink" Trap: Steer clear of practices heavily dependent on complex procedures and aggressive treatment planning that you cannot replicate.
Identify the Vision Avatar: Determine if you want a productive solo practice or a profitable group, and buy an office exactly one stage behind that goal.
Reactivate the Backdoor: Use the overdue recare list to immediately fill a new hygiene column, securing a massive post-acquisition revenue bump.
Lower Your Debt Burden: Purchasing a smaller clinic means a lower bank loan, resulting in significantly higher monthly cash flow as you grow the business.

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.

How One Decision Can Change Your Trajectory: A Dentist Guide to Dental Practice Ownership Reality Jun 23, 2025

In this episode, Richard Low sits down with Dr. Brian Belsterling to unpack his journey from a VA hospital residency to successful dental practice ownership. Many ambitious young professionals feel pressured to rush into buying a clinic, but Brian proves that strategic patience pays off for the modern dentist. By prioritizing clinical maturity during his associate years, he avoided combining clinical anxiety with the heavy administrative stress of immediate acquisition.

Whether you are actively searching for an acquisition or currently navigating the hurdles of the associate to owner transition, Brian’s story is the ultimate blueprint for mitigating risk in dental practice ownership. To succeed in dental practice management, you need an objective perspective when evaluating clinics and transitioning operations.

Here is your survival guide to mastering dental business strategies during an acquisition:

Build Clinical Confidence First: Use your associate years to master high-value procedures, such as surgical extractions and implant placement, before taking on the administrative burden of dental practice ownership.
Stockpile Liquidity: Save personal cash to weather inevitable transition bumps, such as cash flow dips caused by insurance re-credentialing delays.
Eliminate Emotional Buying: Utilize buyer representation services to objectively validate opportunities and prevent costly, emotion-driven mistakes.
Modernize Wisely: Prepare to upgrade legacy systems, like transitioning from paper charts to digital software, while actively managing your team's morale.

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.

Acquisitions in Dentistry: Turning Around Cash-Bleeding Offices with Nesto Part 2 Jun 16, 2025

Welcome back to Practice Underwater, where host Dr. George Hariri joins guest Nesto to analyze the messy operational realities of expanding your portfolio through acquisitions in dentistry.

They break down critical dental practice management changes at Nesto's second office, exploring how he reversed a historical cash loss into a break-even operation while mapping out sustainable dental practice growth.

The conversation dives into a massive debate surrounding acquisitions in dentistry: whether Nesto should follow his CPA's financial management for dentists advice to downsize into a single clinic, or stay committed to his long-term vision of multi-provider group practices.

For clinicians navigating an associate to owner transition, managing team bottlenecks, or scaling multiple acquisitions in dentistry, this is a must-listen for scaling clinical efficiency and portfolio profitability.

In this episode:

Managing a two-office portfolio solo after a partnership split doubled the expected ownership workload.
Shifting a slower second practice from a historical cash loss to a stable financial break-even status.
Solving front desk and assistant staffing bottlenecks to protect clinical production schedules.
Executing a four-point plan centered on targeted hiring, phone conversions, hygiene retention, and case acceptance.
Migrating to an all-in-one cloud practice management software to slash administrative hours.

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.

Acquisitions in Dentistry: Turning Around Cash-Bleeding Offices with Nesto Part 1 Jun 09, 2025

Welcome back to Practice Underwater, a solo episode where host Dr. George Hariri steps up to detail the unconventional acquisitions in dentistry journey of Mastermind member Nesto.

George explores the stark contrast between Nesto's two acquisitions in dentistry: a thriving $1.1M office with seven hygiene days and a slower practice losing $80,000 annually after a massive post-sale collections drop from $690,000 to $338,000.

They analyze a critical decision in dental practice ownership: whether Nesto should cut his losses by shifting debt to his profitable office, or stick to his gritty pseudo-specialist vision through disciplined dental practice management and targeted cost-cutting.

This is a must-listen for anyone undergoing an associate to owner transition or evaluating acquisitions in dentistry who wants to master portfolio financial management for dentists.

In this episode:

The operational danger of buying a clinic with inflated collections built on high-ticket procedures but only one hygiene day .
How a sudden dental school partnership dissolution doubled Nesto's expected ownership and clinical workload .
Analyzing the $80,000 annual cash drain triggered when a less-productive associate doctor entered the schedule .
Breaking down George's three strategic options for diagnosing and resolving a deeply distressed dental asset .
A CFO-driven framework to aggressively cut expenses in a slow office and reinvest cash flow from a busy clinic .

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 - Private Practice vs DSOs: Dental Practice Ownership for Wealth Jun 02, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Richard Low and Dr. George Hariri map out the complete financial timeline of a dentist's career. For the ambitious professional, understanding the financial phases of dental practice ownership is essential to building long-term wealth. The hosts break down the crucial transition from wealth accumulation—where you grow the clinic and pay down debt—to wealth stagnation, where your practice's equity naturally plateaus.

Whether you are choosing traditional private dental practice ownership or considering a partnership with a DSO, this episode provides absolute clarity on how to maximize your net worth.

Here is your guide to mastering the financial stages of dental practice ownership:

Secure a High Income First: Before aggressively paying off student loans, focus on securing a high income position to comfortably support your lifestyle while building initial savings.
Maximize Wealth Accumulation: During the first decade of dental practice ownership, you build massive net worth by simultaneously growing your practice's value and paying down your bank debt.
Navigate Wealth Stagnation: Recognize that once a solo clinic reaches its maximum capacity and debt is paid off, the equity value plateaus, requiring you to actively invest your high cash flow into other assets like real estate or index funds.
Private Practice vs. DSOs: While private practice wealth is physically constrained to its four walls, partnering with a DSO allows you to trade practice equity for platform stock that continues to accumulate value as the larger company expands.

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.

Building Culture that Persists - Is it Possible in Dental Practice Management? May 26, 2025

In this episode, Richard Low and Alex Sharp reveal how a resilient dental practice culture is the true engine behind elite dental practice management. Building a team of "missionaries" rather than "mercenaries" transforms your daily operations and ensures sustainable dental practice growth, even when facing unexpected staff turnover. For any dentist navigating the hurdles of dental practice ownership, creating concrete, daily winnable games for your team is essential.

If your office feels chaotic, it is time to upgrade your dental practice management. Stop relying on an inspiring poster on the wall and start implementing real dental business strategies. Here is your guide to building a culture that persists:

Define Daily Wins: Give every team member measurable goals, like tracking new patient wait times, so they know exactly how to succeed each day.
Embrace Crucial Conversations: Sprint toward personnel problems and address toxic behavior directly instead of sweeping it under the rug to save chairside convenience.
Implement Checklists: Use temporary task tracking to build operational habits and ensure everyone knows their exact inputs.
Remove the Fear of Turnover: Understand that your culture will survive departures, and replacing a net-negative employee ultimately strengthens your clinic.

A blank canvas is an opportunity to co-create expectations with your staff. Master these dental practice management skills to build an unstoppable and highly profitable practice.

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.

Thinking About Dental Practice Ownership? Financing Secrets Every Aspiring Owner Should Know May 19, 2025

In this episode, Richard Low sits down with Steve Steinbrunner and Brian Carroll from Provide to demystify financing for the modern dentist. If you are preparing for dental practice ownership, navigating banks and loan requirements can feel overwhelming. However, securing the right funding is the ultimate key to unlocking sustainable dental practice growth.

Whether you are planning a startup or evaluating an acquisition, understanding how lenders view your profile is critical to dental practice ownership. Many ambitious associates make the mistake of aggressively paying down student debt instead of saving cash, inadvertently destroying their chances for competitive financing.

Here is your blueprint for mastering dental business strategies and securing capital for dental practice ownership:

Preserve Liquidity: Banks typically want to see 7% to 10% of your total loan amount in cash.
Check Your Credit: Maintain a minimum credit score of 680 and ensure you have a clean history without major financial blemishes.
Leverage Gift Funds: If you lack the cash minimums, use family gift funds to bridge the gap and satisfy strict lender requirements.
Startups vs. Acquisitions: Understand that startup loans rely heavily on personal projections and runway, while acquisition loans are driven by the target clinic's historical cash flow.

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.

Execution vs Overthinking: Dental Business Strategies for the Ambitious Dentist May 12, 2025

In this episode of Coach's Corner, Richard Low and Caitlin Embree tackle the ultimate productivity killer for the ambitious dentist: analysis paralysis. It is easy to confuse listening to podcasts or reading leadership books with executing actual dental business strategies. The hosts explain how endless "edutainment" acts as a sneaky form of procrastination, preventing you from implementing the dental business strategies that drive sustainable dental practice growth.

If you are overwhelmed by the chaos of dental practice ownership, you must learn to filter the noise. This episode provides the framework to stop overthinking and start acting.

Here is your guide to executing elite dental business strategies and improving your dental practice management:

Filter by Leverage: Prioritize tasks that either eliminate your biggest current stressor or permanently solve recurring operational bottlenecks.
Stop Changing Systems: Repeatedly overhauling software or protocols after every CE course destroys team trust and causes initiative fatigue. Pick one system and fully implement it.
Limit Brainstorming: Do not workshop new ideas with the entire staff, as it breeds rumors and drama. Finalize decisions with leadership behind closed doors before presenting them to the team.
Block Distractions: Use app-blocking tools to shut off social media and email after hours, protecting your mental bandwidth for high-level decision-making.

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.

Ask George - Ready to Grow vs Ready to Shrink: How to Buy a Dental Practice May 05, 2025

In this episode of Ask George, Richard Low and Dr. George Hariri reveal how to buy a dental practice correctly to avoid acquiring a "ready to shrink" clinic. Too many buyers rely solely on financial profit and loss statements without evaluating the true health of the active patient base, resulting in massive post-acquisition revenue drops. A prime example discussed is a doctor who bought a $690,000 practice with only one day of hygiene per week, causing collections to plummet to $310,000 in the first year.

If you are wondering how to buy a dental practice that ensures sustainable dental practice growth, you must implement rigorous due diligence. Here is your blueprint to ensure you buy a "ready to grow" clinic rather than an overvalued lemon:

Start with Your Vision: Never acquire an office without a clear understanding of your long-term goals and how the specific practice aligns with that vision.
Audit the Patient Base: Go beyond tax returns by remoting into the practice management software to count actual cleanings and hygiene days. A healthy clinic should service around 800 active patients per four days of hygiene.
Evaluate the Procedure Mix: Look at the three-to-four surface filling to crown ratio to determine if the seller's production is highly specialized or overly aggressive. Buying dentistry you cannot replicate will instantly devalue the asset.
Exercise Strategic Patience: Knowing exactly how to buy a dental practice dictates that waiting an extra year for the right off-market opportunity is vastly superior to rushing into the wrong purchase and setting your career back multiple years.

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.

Bold Moves, Light Laughs: How One Dentist Found His Calling Apr 28, 2025

In this episode of Shared Practices, Richard Low interviews the multi-talented Dr. Brady Smith, a dentist who has mastered the art of bold pivots. From acquiring and eventually decoupling from a Comfort Dental franchise to launching a national stand-up comedy tour, Brady proves that successful dental practice ownership does not require a rigid, traditional playbook. Instead, true fulfillment comes from adapting your dental practice management strategies to fit your personal strengths.

If you are a burnt-out dentist seeking alternative dental business strategies, this conversation is a breath of fresh air. Brady breaks down his highly controversial, yet immensely profitable, hygienist-free practice model.

Here is your guide to outside-the-box dental practice management:

The Hygienist-Free Model: Learn how maximizing highly trained dental assistants and performing hygiene checks simultaneously with cleanings can drastically reduce overhead and eliminate staffing shortages.
Efficiency is Everything: Brady explains how performing procedures daily—like prepping a molar in five minutes—allows the modern dentist to rapidly execute high-value scaling and root planing cases.
Navigating Franchise Ownership: Understand the hidden restrictions of franchise dental practice ownership, such as the inability to collateralize equity, and how to successfully buy out your own location.
Leverage Social Media Controversy: See how leaning into polarizing dental topics online can drive massive engagement and help build a unique personal brand.

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.

The Entrepreneurial Dentist: Balancing Wealth, Risk, and Fulfillment Apr 21, 2025

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low and Dr. Alex Sharp tackle an important question: Once you’ve built a thriving practice and reached financial success, what’s next?

Most dentists focus on growing their practice and increasing income, but after hitting a financial milestone, the next steps become less clear. Richard and Alex explore the challenges, mindset shifts, and opportunities for investing beyond the dental practice.

Coaches Corner - Beyond Bonuses: How to Build a Culture of Buy-In Apr 14, 2025

In this Coach’s Corner episode, Richard and Caitlin dive into one of the most common challenges for practice owners—getting their team to truly buy in. Spoiler alert: It’s not about throwing more money at the problem! They break down three key areas that drive real engagement: genuinely caring about your team, defining the “why” behind your practice, and clearly communicating your vision and expectations. If you’ve ever felt frustrated by a disengaged team, this episode is for you.

Ask George - What to Expect When You're Expanding Apr 07, 2025

Expanding a dental practice is an exciting but high-stakes challenge. In this episode of Ask George, Richard and George take a deep dive into the operational and financial realities of scaling up. From hiring the right office manager to streamlining systems for efficiency, they discuss the critical steps that can make or break a growing practice.

The discussion also touches on the financial stress of expansion, how to prepare cash reserves, and why managing risk wisely can mean the difference between a thriving multi-doctor office and a financial disaster. Whether you're adding an associate or considering a large-scale expansion, this episode offers real-world strategies and key insights to help you navigate the process successfully.

Dr. Simon Wu: How He Doubled His Practice in 18 Months Mar 31, 2025

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low interviews Dr. Simon Wu about his journey from associate to successful practice owner in Southern California. Dr. Wu shares how he navigated the challenges of buying a practice with high overhead and low new patient flow, the strategies he used to turn it into a thriving business, and the role coaching played in his success. Listeners will gain insights on evaluating practice opportunities, negotiating PPO fees, and scaling a practice while maintaining work-life balance.

Achieving Financial Escape Velocity as a Dentist Mar 24, 2025

Dr. Richard Low and Dr. Alex Sharp dive into the personal financial strategies that dentists need to achieve financial escape velocity. They discuss how to manage student loans, build financial security, and make the strategic moves that lead to wealth and financial freedom. Whether you’re a new associate, an early practice owner, or looking to optimize your finances, this episode provides real-world advice on increasing income, building net worth, and making the right financial decisions for long-term success.

Ask George - Should You Start or Acquire Practice #2 and Beyond? Mar 17, 2025

Expanding from one practice to multiple locations is a whole different ballgame—are you ready for it? In this episode of Ask George, Dr. Richard Low and Dr. George Hariri break down the critical decision points, from assessing your readiness to navigating the burdens of multi-practice ownership. They dive deep into the challenges of acquisitions vs. startups, the importance of long-term vision, and why patience and quality always outweigh reckless growth. If you're thinking about scaling your practice, this is the must-listen roadmap to doing it right!

From A Dinosaur Practice to Digital Success with Dr. Mohiuddin Ifaz Mar 10, 2025

In this episode, Richard Low sits down with Dr. Mohiuddin Ifaz and Lori Williams to discuss an incredible practice transformation journey. Dr. Ifaz shares how he acquired and modernized a 40-year-old dental practice with no digital systems, turning it into a thriving, fully digital, fee-for-service practice. Lori, one of Shared Practices' top coaches, details the critical role of coaching, team management, and strategy in scaling a practice successfully.

Practice Under Water with George - Part 2 Mar 03, 2025

In Part 2 of our deep dive with Gregorio, we lay out the step-by-step blueprint to scale his $1.9M, 7-op practice into a $3.5M mega-group practice—all while reducing his clinical days to just two per week. George walks through the critical decisions Gregorio must make, including expanding the facility, hiring the right associate, and implementing an office manager to streamline operations. They also discuss profit-sharing vs. equity, how to finance the expansion without disrupting cash flow, and why a strategic hiring approach will be the key to long-term success.

If you haven’t listened to Part 1, go back and start there for context!

Practice Under Water with George - Part 1 Feb 24, 2025

In this episode of 'Practice Underwater', George Hariri sits down with "Gregorio," a real dentist with a fake name but real numbers. After a four-year journey from associate to owner, Gregorio now runs a thriving $2M practice but faces a major crossroads—how to scale his business while reducing his clinical hours. George dives into Gregorio’s background, practice dynamics, and vision for a two-day clinical work week while maintaining high profitability. They explore his implant and endo-heavy clinical mix, the bottlenecks in hygiene, and the expansion potential of his facility. Is he on the path to a $3.5M practice, or should he drop insurance first? Tune in to hear the breakdown and strategy for his next move.

Growing a Fee for Service Group Practice with Dr. Jesspreet Parmar Feb 17, 2025

Dr. Jesspreet Parmar shares his incredible journey from solo doctor to scaling a thriving fee-for-service group practice—but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. From navigating a rocky practice acquisition and staff drama to unlocking massive growth through hygiene, leadership, and internal marketing, Dr. Parmar reveals the hard lessons and game-changing strategies that took his practice to $2.4 million in collections. Tune in as he and Shared Practices coach Caitlin Embree break down the mindset shifts and tactical moves that made it all possible!

Selling to a DSO - When Would It Make Sense? Feb 10, 2025

Selling your practice to a DSO can be tempting, but is it the right move? In this episode, Dr. Scott Leune joins us for part two of our deep dive into practice sales, exploring when it actually makes financial sense to sell and how to avoid the biggest pitfalls. We break down net multiples, walkaway options, and the long-term impact of your decision—so you don’t trade one set of problems for another. If you're considering selling, this episode is a must-listen!

Ask George - A New Mastermind with George Feb 03, 2025

This episode unveils the launch of the Ask George Mastermind, a unique opportunity for growth-minded dentists to collaborate, learn, and gain direct access to Dr. George Hariri's expertise. Discover how to tackle challenges like associate mentorship, expansion decisions, and marketing strategies while learning from real-world scenarios. Don't miss out—visit mastermind.sharedpractices.com for more information.

The Path from a Solo Doctor Practice to a Multi-Doctor Practice Jan 20, 2025

On this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low chats with Dr. Austin about his journey from military dentistry to owning and scaling a thriving multi-million-dollar practice. They discuss the challenges of transitioning into ownership, implementing systems, and building a ground-up 16-operatory practice while balancing growth, leadership, and family.

Ask George - THE BEST Startup vs Acquisition Episode Shared Practices Has Ever Done Jan 06, 2025

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low and George Hariri dive into the debate of startup versus acquisition for dental practices. Drawing on their extensive experience, they discuss the risks, rewards, and key factors to consider for each approach, helping listeners determine the best path for their goals.

Coaches Corner - Creating Self-Managed Teams Dec 23, 2024

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low and Caitlin Embree discuss the importance of checklists for creating self-managed dental teams. They cover how clearly defined roles, structured checklists, and accountability empower team members to work efficiently, reduce micromanagement, and prepare practices for sustainable growth.

Ask George - Metrics Driven Growth Avatars Dec 09, 2024

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Richard Low is joined by longtime co-host Dr. George Hariri to explore the metrics-driven growth pathways for dental practices. Building on prior discussions, they revisit the foundational concept of practice "avatars" and unveil an updated framework shaped by insights from Dr. Scott Leune. This new approach offers dentists greater clarity and tailored options for growth at every stage of their career.

Richard and George discuss the transitions between solo, productive solo, smart solo, and group practices, while diving into the critical metrics that drive growth, such as patient base size, hygiene columns, and retention rates. They address the challenges of balancing clinical and business-focused goals, and reveal strategies to navigate key transitions—like adding a second doctor—without common pitfalls. Additionally, they introduce new growth paths, including the "smart solo" and "pseudo specialist" avatars, designed to meet a range of professional priorities, from scaling income to optimizing operations.

Packed with actionable insights, this episode serves as a roadmap for dentists looking to scale intelligently and achieve sustainable success. Whether you're building your first million-dollar practice or expanding into a profitable group, this conversation is sure to spark ideas and illuminate the path forward.

The Multi-Doctor Practice - Year One Nov 25, 2024

In this episode of Shared Practices, Dr. Jeff Casebier joins Coach Lori to share his journey through his first year as owner of a multi-doctor practice. From his background in public health to managing the complex dynamics of a larger team, Dr. Casebier reflects on the challenges and successes he faced, from reshaping practice culture to modernizing outdated systems. With guidance from Shared Practices, he discusses building trust, empowering team members for co-diagnosis, and aligning his practice with personal goals. His story offers valuable insights into the realities of practice ownership, highlighting how resilience, the right systems, and a patient-centered approach can transform a practice in its foundational year.

"Ask George" - Precision Growth - Pathways to Profitability Nov 11, 2024

The Shared Practices Podcast dives into the intricacies of dental practice growth and management with co-hosts Dr. Richard Low and Dr. George Hariri. In this episode, Richard and George tackle precision growth pathways, discussing how data-driven metrics shape dental practices' paths from solo to group operations. With their unique analytics-based approach, they explore optimizing patient flow, cost structures, and staffing models to accelerate profitability and sustainable growth. Engaging in the nuanced decisions that drive practice evolution, they offer insights into building a solid foundation for long-term success. Tune in for strategic insights that challenge traditional methods and embrace dynamic growth.

Operations in Action Oct 28, 2024

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Richard Low and Scott Leune explore how to implement operations in a dental practice. They discuss real-world strategies for optimizing patient flow, managing key financial metrics, and building a culture of accountability within the team. This episode offers actionable insights for dentists ready to take their operations to the next level. Key Highlights:

Optimizing Patient Flow: Discover how streamlined patient scheduling and flow are critical to practice efficiency and profitability.
Tracking Financial Metrics: Richard and Scott discuss the importance of monitoring key financial indicators to align operations with practice goals.
Building Accountability within Teams: Learn how to foster accountability across your team by setting clear expectations and creating reliable systems to manage performance.

Ready to see operations in action? Tune in now to learn how to implement these strategies and run your practice more efficiently!

Have a question or topic you want us to cover? Reach out to us on social media or our website at www.sharedpractices.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Bought the Right Practice with Dr. Jim Simpson Oct 21, 2024

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, Dr. Jim Simpson shares his journey of buying the right dental practice. From his decision-making process to evaluating opportunities and making the best choice, Dr. Simpson dives into the key factors that helped him succeed. Whether you’re looking to purchase your first practice or planning future acquisitions, this episode offers valuable insights into what makes a practice the “right” one. Key Highlights:

The Decision to Buy: Dr. Simpson talks about the importance of timing and preparation when buying a practice. He shares his personal journey of evaluating different opportunities and what helped him determine the right fit.
Evaluating the Right Practice: Learn the crucial factors Dr. Simpson considered when choosing the practice, including location, patient base, and financial performance. His insights offer practical guidance for anyone in the process of purchasing a practice.
Challenges and Successes: Dr. Simpson highlights his challenges after acquiring the practice and how he overcame them to ensure a smooth transition. He also shares the strategies that helped him turn the practice into a success.

Curious about what it takes to find and buy the right practice? Tune in now for Dr. Simpson's expert insights!

Have a question or topic you want us to cover? Reach out to us on social media or our website at www.sharedpractices.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Hygiene Led Growth vs Hygiene Led Profit - Ask George Oct 07, 2024

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, George discusses the difference between hygiene-led growth and hygiene-led profit. He explores how to leverage hygiene as a growth tool rather than for immediate profitability and the impact each strategy has on a dental practice’s success.

Key Highlights:

Hygiene-Led Growth: George explains how focusing on growth through hygiene means expanding patient volume and creating opportunities for long-term production. This approach sets the stage for future profits but requires patience.
Hygiene-Led Profit: The alternative strategy is maximizing profitability through hygiene in the short term. This approach focuses on immediate returns by optimizing hygiene production and collections.
Which Strategy is Right for Your Practice? George offers insights on choosing between growth and profit depending on your practice’s goals, financial stability, and long-term vision.

Curious about which approach will work best for your practice? Tune in now to discover how to leverage hygiene for either growth or profit!

Have a question or topic you want us to cover? Reach out to us on social media or our website at www.sharedpractices.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Coaches Corner: Metric Blindness Sep 23, 2024

Richard and Caitlin dive into "metric blindness" in dental practices, focusing on how to understand and manage Accounts Receivable (AR) for financial health.

Key Highlights:

Understanding Accounts Receivable (AR):

AR reflects the money owed for services provided but not yet collected. Learn how it can be a positive indicator when managed correctly.

Key Metrics for AR Management:

Metrics like the collections ratio, AR to production ratio, and aging categories provide a clear view of your practice’s financial health.

Proactive AR Strategies:

Discover proactive measures to keep cash flow healthy, like setting clear collection guidelines and accurate cost estimates.

Don’t let metric blindness limit your practice's success. Find out how to manage AR effectively! Have a question or topic you want us to cover? Reach out to us on social media or our website at www.sharedpractices.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

Maximizing for Profit or Growth - Ask George - The Shared Practices Podcast Sep 09, 2024

In this episode, George discusses every dental practice owner's crucial decision: Should you prioritize profit or focus on growth? He breaks down the key differences between these strategies, explains how to assess which approach fits your practice, and shares the financial metrics that matter most. George also explores how practices can achieve profit and growth through the right balance. Key Highlights:

Profit vs. Growth Strategy: Understand the differences between maximizing profit (cutting costs, optimizing cash flow) and growth (reinvesting profits to expand).
Critical Metrics for Profit and Growth: Learn about the essential metrics to track, such as profit margin, overhead percentage, revenue growth, and patient acquisition.
Choosing the Right Path: Get guidance on prioritizing profit or growth based on your practice's goals, financial health, and long-term vision.
Balancing Profit and Growth: Discover strategies to balance profit and growth by optimizing current operations while reinvesting for the future.

Have a question or topic you want us to cover?

Reach out to us on social media or leave a comment on our website at www.sharedpractices.com. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode!

When Luck Meets Strategy: Doubling a Practice in a Year w/ Dr. Andrew Clingan Sep 02, 2024

Dr. Andrew Clingan shares his rollercoaster journey of purchasing a dental practice right out of school and transforming it into a million-dollar business within a year. He opens up about the brutal realities of the first few months, the importance of finding the right team, and a mix of luck and leadership.

Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more dental professionals like you. Visit our website for more episodes, join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram for the latest updates and behind-the-scenes content.

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