The Productive Dentist Podcast

You're a good dentist. And you do your absolute best for your patients. But your patients don't know that. All they know is that they think it should take one visit to fix their problems, and when it takes longer they get frustrated and angry and blame you. Dr. Bruce B. Baird shares the only thing you need to say to your patients to kill their frustration before it even starts.

"I won't replace dentistry that's not my fault," says Dr. Bruce B. Baird. You can be the best dentist in the world, but if your patients aren't taking care of the good work you do, then it won't last. Join Dr. Baird today as he shares communication strategies that help patients understand the responsibility they have in making their dental work last.

How I think about risk factors changed my attitude towards dentistry. Knowing patient risks are not my fault lowered my stress and improved my love of what I do. Now, when I go through a patient's mouth, I look for periodontal risk, decay risk, functional risk, aesthetic risk, physiological risk, etc. We've covered all these risk factors in our podcasts, but let's look at periodontal risk today.  

If you listen to this podcast, you believe your dental patients deserve more. Just fixing their teeth when their risk factors will undo all your skilled work isn't good enough for your patients. Tune in today as I share how you can help your patients understand how their choices affect the longevity of their dental work. 

I fell asleep at the wheel and ran off the road. That was the start of my own sleep apnea journey. This is serious. It saves lives. Doctor, if you want to do one thing as a clinical dentist to make the most difference in the lives of your patients, then get yourself as much education as you can about sleep apnea. Tune in to this episode to learn more.

Why are you selling your dental practice? So many dentists today are selling their practices because they're burned out or worried they're going to miss an opportunity. I hate to see dentists not getting the value from their practice they deserve. So today I'm going to talk about the thought processes and options that will bring you maximum value when it comes time to sell your practice.

Why are you selling your dental practice? So many dentists today are selling their practices because they're burned out or worried they're going to miss an opportunity. I hate to see dentists not getting the value from their practice they deserve. So today I'm going to talk about the thought processes and options that will bring you maximum value when it comes time to sell your practice.

After more than 42 years beside the dental chair, Dr. Bruce B. Baird shares his candid reflections on transitioning from a bustling dental practice to a world of new possibilities in retirement. Dr. Baird shares his unique insights on the joys, challenges, and surprising discoveries that come with retirement, while offering wisdom and inspiration to those who are contemplating the next chapter in...

In this episode of The Productive Dentist podcast, host Dr. Bruce B. Baird tackles a question about the ever-changing landscape of dental careers. He begins reflecting on the legacy of his grandfather Dr. Harry Lampa, and shares how the concept of selling dental practices has evolved from the 1950s and 60s to the 70s and 80s, and now today. And then Dr. Baird discusses the shift in the mindset of...

What would it be worth to you if you could organize your business in a way that you worry less about your day-to-day, and more about building and maintaining the relationships in your life that are important to you? In this episode of The Productive Dentist Podcast, host Dr. Bruce B. Baird draws from his own experiences and insights to tackle the critical aspects of being a dentist and maintaining...

How do you approach dental CE? Do you view it as a checkbox forced on you by your state board, or is it an opportunity to make your dental practice better? Today, I'm talking about the mindset and strategies you can employ to get the most out of your CE experiences. 

We all want perfection. But what we should be really aiming for is excellence in how we operate our business, lead our team, and interact with patients. Join Dr. Bruce B. Baird to learn more about operating your dental business with a mindset of excellence.

How mature are you in your practice of dentistry? I'm not talking about how mature of a human being you are but where are you as a dental practice owner and clinician. Here's an example: you can be the most highly skilled technician and not be able to get your patients to say yes to treatment. That's not a very high level of maturity. So today I want to talk about how you grow your dental maturity...

If you've ever asked yourself, "How do I fix my team?" then keep listening. The answer is simple, but it's not always easy. I had to deal with this in my career, too. Early on, I'm almost embarrassed to tell you how horrible I was. The better I got as a leader, the better my team got. So today, I want to look at some pointers and things that you can do as a leader that can help you end up with a b...

It's a major issue in most dental offices. The "us vs. them" mentality of the admin team at the front desk and the clinical team in the back. The problem isn't your team. It's your processes. Today, Dr. Bruce B. Baird shares how he set up his office procedures so the front and the back worked in harmony to give patients an exceptional experience.

You just got an offer for your dental office…and it looks great! But do you know if the numbers on the page match your EBIDTA? If you don't know what EBITDA is, or your practice EBITDA, then you could be leaving hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on the table. So join me today as I share what you need to know about this all-important number if you want to get the most value out of y...

My goal as a dentist is to get to know my patients. It's to make them feel seen and heard and to build trust with them. If I can get in relationship with the patient then the financial arrangements become a whole lot easier when the patients want the treatment and they want me and my team to be the ones to do it. Join me today as I share some methods I used when presenting treatment and financial...

Today, I'm talking about the importance of educating patients on the why behind what I diagnose, not just the what of diagnosis. I'll share some secrets I've learned about communicating well with patients and why diagnosing on risk factors makes the whole process smoother and gets patients to say "yes" to treatment.

If you want to produce at the highest levels in dentistry, you've got to have a team that is amazingly trained, and trained the way YOU want things to be done. So today, let's look at some strategies for training your team.

This is something no one wants to talk about: selling to DSO networks. I often get asked, "Is this a good DSO?" Well, that depends. They're good…if they're the right fit for you. Join me for a discussion of topics and questions that it would be prudent for you to understand before you sell your life's work.

When I was a young dentist my team would put a smiley face on the board if I was in a good mood that morning, and a frowny face if I was in a bad mood. What do you think the reason was that my team was putting that up there for everyone else to see? That was them reaching out in the only way they could and saying "help". What does it do to productivity when your team views you as a ticking time bo...

"Dealing with my associate is difficult." I hear that complaint a lot. The problem is, most of us don't approach our dental partners from the mindset of relationship. Today, I'm sharing my experiences with associates and some strategies for open communication.

Don't let procrastination get the better of you. It might seem counterintuitive, but procrastination can get the best of even the most productive dental practice owners. It might sound like this: "Yeah I want to do that, but…" I know I do it. And I know I've not accomplished what I want to because of that phrase. So join me today for an exploration of why we highly driven dental entrepreneurs fall...

I realized there were people out there who knew more about business and leadership, how to deal with my team, and get rid of stress than I do. That's why in my career I've brought 9 different coaches in to help me achieve specific practice goals. But a lot of dentists dig in their heels when coaching is brought up. So today I'm going to talk to you about the reasons I sought coaching advice and th...

Truly legendary leaders mentor others to greatness. Join Dr. Bruce B. Baird as he shares the impact of mentors in his life, and shares advice on where to find mentors and how mentoring others will rocket your own leadership to new levels.