The Productive Dentist Podcast

Today, I'm tackling this question I got recently from a listener. How do I answer my patient when they ask "What will my insurance cover?" This is one of the hardest questions any dentist has to answer with their patients, and today I will be sharing some techniques I learned over the years so you too can take control of the conversation and confidently answer.

Communication is everything in dentistry. You could be the world's best clinician but if you can't communicate effectively with patients, well, it's game over for you. I believe every dentist deserves to have the skills to help patients say "yes" to the treatment they need. So listen now for practical strategies - including the #1 thing you can start doing today - to better communicate with your p...

It doesn't matter how good you are if you don't have people sitting in your dental chairs. It's not enough to be a fantastic communicator with exceptional clinical skills. You need to have people walking through your doors. Join me today for the second part of this two-part series where I share marketing and acquisition strategies and how to keep your practice safe with risk management.

I get asked all the time "What are the most important things I need to do to run a dental practice?" Today, I'm going to share 5 areas every independent dentist needs to manage within their practice to ensure their productivity, as well as some tips for how to manage each area.

Are you the leader your team deserves? For a long time, I was like a walking time bomb. I would let things build up and build up until I exploded. I lost good team members to my out-of-control emotions. I had to learn how to govern them instead of letting them govern me. Join me today so you can learn from my journey.   

There's nothing wrong with being ignorant. All it means is that you don't know everything. But being arrogant means you don't want to listen to anyone else. Join me, Dr. Bruce B. Baird, today for a conversation about the cost of arrogance, and the exponential benefits of seeking out help to grow your dental practice.

It doesn't really matter how old you are – 20, 30, 60, 70 – it can happen anytime in your career. You can start feeling old. This is it, you've reached the pinnacle of your career. But this is what I know about dentists who stay on top: they keep pushing forward, learning new techniques. They don't let the old man in. So today, I want to talk about how you can stay focused on what matters in life...

Hey doctor, do you want a great team who handles everything exactly how they're supposed to? Does that sound like magic? It's actually simpler than you might think. Over the years I developed a process in my dental practice called "trust, but verify." Join me to learn what this can look like in your practice.

Weight Watchers is a well-known program designed to help people lose weight. However, some dentists have their own "losing" program called "Wait Watchers." These are dentists who see patients with significant oral health problems, and they suggest "waiting and watching" to see what happens. Maybe it's because they aren't confident in their clinical skills. Maybe insurance is dictating too much, or...

Most dentists are spending about 1% of their budget on marketing. Dr. Bruce Baird markets at 8% and what he realized was not only was his market penetration getting better, but his overhead was also going down. That's the concept of net zero marketing: as you start producing more, you drive all your fixed costs down. Today, Dr. Bruce Baird dives into how net zero marketing can help you grow your b...

Wouldn't you like to have more time to do the things you want to do with the people you love? If you're looking to improve your outlook on business ownership, join me in this special episode of The Productive Dentist Podcast in which I discuss the successes, failures, and lessons I've learned over more than 40 years as a serial entrepreneur. 

Have you ever found yourself saying "I can't do that" or "I'm not good at this?" If so, you may be limiting yourself and missing out on opportunities to learn and grow. In this podcast, Dr. Bruce B. Baird challenges you to adopt a new mantra: "If you say you can't do something, then you must do it." 

Memento Mori… "Remember, you will die". One of my friends gave me a ring with that inscribed on it. And I have to say, it made me stop and think. As dental business owners, we spend so much time wrapped up in the process of working hard that we can lose sight of the bigger picture: what really matters, what are we sacrificing, what legacy are we leaving? Join me today as I unpack a frame of mind t...

When enough people ask for it, we build it. That's a driving force of PDA. Join me today as I share what is next in our commitment to being member-built-and-driven: The Lampa Dental Group. 

Have you ever wondered what makes PDA tick? Why we do what we do? How it all works? Today, Dr. Bruce B. Baird escorts you behind the velvet curtain for a look behind the scenes at what "member-built-and-driven" means for you and your dental practice… and the answer might surprise you!

How do you hire people in the dental office? If you always hire on skill, but are still struggling to maintain your systems, you may want to look at hiring on personality instead. Join Dr. Bruce B. Baird as he shares how hiring dental team on personality, not skill, saved his systems and solidified his dental office culture.

A DSO wants to buy your practice. So…what's in it for you? There is so much pressure out there on dentists right now…you've probably received at least one unsolicited offer from a DSO for your dental practice. But the big question you should be asking yourself is "What's in it for me?" I want you to be knowledgeable so you can get the most value for your dental practice so join me today as I share...

Private equity wants to invest in dental practices right now. They're a solid investment. But I get a lot of questions about what private equity is and what it has to do with independent dental practices. If you're wondering about the impact of private equity on your dental practice and how that affects the value of your practice, join me today as I share what private equity is and the impact it c...

In one of Dr. Baird's most popular episodes he shares how he used these 3 goals to grow his dental practice. The best part? These goals are simple, achievable and you can use them right now to set your business on the path to growth.

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...

You're running behind. Your team is stressed. You struggle to get patients to accept $2,500 treatment plans and you're doing work piecemeal. Stop! I'm here to tell you today that you can have the kind of practice you dream about: you run on schedule, your team is 100% engaged, you love to go into the office, and your numbers reflect the good work you do. The difference is comprehensive diagnosis....

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. Because 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 fi...

I recently got this question from a doctor: "How can I as the doctor - through my leadership - build the skills to set expectations and promote accountability with my team?" Team management is probably the most challenging part of any dentist's job. But, if you do it right, it will save you and your team from the chaos of uncertainty and team turnover. So today I am going to hit on a few answers t...

I get this question all the time, "What is my first step in marketing?" The answer may not be what you think. Join me, Dr. Bruce B. Baird, as I share my dental marketing tips that will help you boost value and increase job satisfaction no matter where you are in your career.

We all get them eventually - the crazy patient. You know the type: negative, nasty, and unkind. But just because they walk through your doors, doesn't mean you have to treat them. Join me today as I share some tricks I learned in my career about how to handle the crazy patient.