Managing Dental Drama

The kids are back, and boy do they have some opinions to share! Dr. Kuba and Bethany invite their kids back into the studio to get their perspective on the two-week firing (see last week’s episode). As a general rule of thumb, Bethany and Dr. Kuba invite their kids into the adult working world in order to teach them about work ethic, decision-making, and leadership. In this episode, the kids react...

 In the current employment market, it can be very difficult to make the decision to fire an employee. Most practice owners wait until it’s overwhelmingly obvious that the employee won’t work out because they aren’t certain that another employee will come along. In this week’s episode, Dr. Kuba discusses her very fresh firing of an employee who only lasted two weeks. After terminating the employee,...

 Dr. Jones is back! After practicing dentistry for over 40 years, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience to share. In this episode, he answers questions about how to schedule time away from the practice. A self-proclaimed workaholic, Dr. Jones admits that being away from the practice has never been easy for him, but over the years, he realized the importance of taking a break and spending tim...

After leaving you on a cliffhanger, Dr. Kuba and Bethany wrap up the series on De-Escalation. In this episode, they provide one final example of an angry patient who erupted at Dr. Kuba’s office. Together, they identify mistakes that were made as well as improvements that could have prevented the explosion. Listeners are encouraged on a few remaining points of de-escalation and are encouraged to s...

 Isn’t it helpful to hear real examples of a patient escalating? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany role-play a real-life scenario that Bethany witnessed in one of her client’s offices. The patient grew increasingly upset at the check-out desk as he insisted that he had only received a “regular cleaning” rather than a periodontal maintenance cleaning. The patient simply seemed miffed at first b...

Do you know the signs of an angry patient? Can you spot those signs long before it is a full eruption of anger? More importantly, can your team identify the early signs of an upset patient? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss some of the early signs of an angry patient and some of the usual causes of those upset patients. Agitated patients are in an emotional state that can be dangerous...

Angry patients are certainly more common these days. It seems to take so little for them to escalate and either verbally express their feelings or potentially worse – take to the web to leave a negative review. These angry patients often leave team members and practice owners baffled, confused, and demoralized. In this series of episodes, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss a variety of ways that teams c...

Managing employees tend to remain one of the hardest aspects of leading a dental practice. Over the last few years, it has been difficult to retain employees and keep them enthusiastically engaged in the practice. In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the importance of spotting burnout, fatigue, or disengagement in an employee before they fizzle completely out. They discuss various ways to...

Bethany interviews a new guest on the show today – her sister-in-law who is an office manager in a dental office. So often, dentists ponder on the motivations, struggles, and heart of the office manager. What drives them crazy? What makes their day go well? What frustrates them? In this episode, Amanda shares how she left her career as a paralegal to pursue a career in the dental field. She starte...

Dr. Jones and Bethany are ringing in the New Year with some 2022 reflections as well as some hopes for 2023. In this episode, Dr. Jones shares how he approaches the end of one year and the beginning of a new one. He admits that there is always a bit of sorrow at the closing of a year, so he takes the time to slow down and celebrate the wins of the closing year. Depending upon how the year went, he...

The spotlight is on Dr. Kuba as she focuses on her top ten suggestions, tips, and reminders for the loyal listeners of Managing Dental Drama. She reminds practice owners to put time, energy, and attention into plans and preparation for 2023. In order for 2023 to feel successful and relatively calm, practice owners should take time to build out a well-thought-out practice calendar. Attending to 202...

 Do you ever wonder if your experience is the same as those practice owners around you? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss current practice trends from the past few months. Bethany speculates on why practices might be experiencing similar downturns. Then, they revisit the current employment market and what the new or existing trends in employee pay and expectations are. They also discus...

You asked for some real brand examples, so Bethany roped two of her clients into sharing their brand. Dr. Luse describes how she struggled initially to come up with who/what she wanted her practice to be. So, she worked her way backwards and started with who she did not want to be. Ultimately, her process led her to a short memorable brand packed with power statements. Dr. Valadez has lived and br...

This time of year can be incredibly hard for dentists and practice owners because there are so many decisions to make when it comes to showing appreciation for team members. Should I do cash, a gift card, or a bonus through payroll? How much should I pay my team members? Should I do an equal amount or vary the amounts based on longevity? If we do a Holiday party, should I pay the team for the hour...

 Last week’s episode covered the broad topic of continuing education for team members, but this week’s episode digs into a plethora of options. For those on a very tight budget, Bethany gives the option of starting a magazine or book club on your team. She recommends several specific books and lists off a number of good dental and business magazines. She also discusses getting involved with local...

There are so many questions surrounding continuing education for employees – Should we do group continuing education? Should I pay for C.E.? What if we travel – what do I pay for? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany talk about all of these questions and more. Is it truly worth it to provide continuing education experiences for team members? Dr. Kuba shares specifics about her investments in a va...

With an alarming growth of angry and unhappy people in the world, it’s not a surprise that the dental field is seeing its fair share. As disappointing as it is to have an angry, unhappy, or even volatile patient, it only gets harder when a dentist considers the options for dealing with the angry patient. What should a doctor and team do with the unhappy customer? Should they seek to reconcile? Sho...

What does branding have to do with dentistry? In this episode, Bethany makes it clear that branding has EVERYTHING to do with dentistry. She starts by defining “brand” and by discussing several popular non-dental brands. Then, she challenges readers to either build a brand if they haven’t or re-evaluate their brand if it’s been around for a couple of years or more. Dental brands are built upon the...

As one of the main auditors in the Bethany Consulting Chart Audit Program, Dr. Kuba has seen hundreds of charts and documentation from practices across the country. Combined with her expertise from serving on the Texas State Dental Board and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Board Examiners, Dr. Kuba has a deep knowledge of common documentation errors. She also knows that one of the best...

We all think it will never happen to us, and then it does. Dr. Kuba shares her drama of the week which involved a letter from a lawyer involving an injury sustained in her office. Together, she and Bethany discuss the specific details of the incident that occurred in her office and the things her team did to manage the crisis. They also discuss various ways to be prepared for medical emergencies,...

Bethany’s Dad is back once again to discuss making changes in the practice. Bringing in a new team member, a new leader, or even a consultant can be stressful on the team and can sometimes yield a negative outcome if not handled well. Dr. Jones and Bethany reflect back on when Bethany was brought in to help in the practice and how the team responded to changes. Bethany discusses how changes are be...

Bethany’s Dad is back in the studio! Today, they discuss some of the issues that come up in patient communication. Drawing upon his nearly 45 years in the dental field, Dr. Jones discusses how he handles patients who refuse x-rays, SRP, and other recommended treatments. His strategy involves drawing upon his entire team to help the patient understand and proceed with prevention and treatment. He a...

Dr. Kuba shares a story where a colleague made it seem like she was too generous with her associates. Dr. Kuba describes her methods of dividing up the more productive aspects of dental procedures as well as her reasoning behind her decisions. She and Bethany also discuss the various motivations for having an associate and how to make the associateship beneficial for both parties, while still bene...

The Managing Dental Drama Studio has some very special guests. Dr. Kuba’s girls and one of Bethany’s girls enter the management conversation. As a life practice, Bethany and Dr. Kuba discuss dental “drama” with their kids and give them the opportunity to think critically about real-life problems. In this episode, listeners will enjoy these ten- and nine-year-old kids' simple, straightforward,...

In this episode, Bethany provides practice owners with tools to utilize during a practice slow season. She focuses on two aspects of the practice – controlling no-shows and cancellations and also filling the schedule. When was the last time you checked in on your confirmation protocol? Have you ever thought about grading your patients and adjusting their confirmations accordingly? Learn more about...