How to Become the Only In-Network Dentist in Your Area (Yes, It’s Possible)
“If you want to have no competition, become a category of one.”
—Seth Godin
That quote hits home for startup owners, doesn’t it? Especially when you’re opening a new practice and trying to stand out in a saturated market.
But what if you didn’t just “stand out”?
What if your practice could be the only in-network provider for local companies in your area?
Let that sink in. We’re talking about:
Increased patient flow
Predictable, consistent profitability
A practice that fills fast and keeps growing
Fulfillment from serving more people with excellent care
Sound far-fetched? It’s not. In this episode of the Ideal Practices Podcast, I walk you through the exact strategy to create a local advantage no DSO or private competitor can touch.
You’ll hear how one dental startup landed over 1,000 new patients every month and made the Inc. Top 500 list—without traditional advertising.
Here’s what else we break down:
What it means to be a “Category of One” in your market
How to structure your own in-house dental benefit plan
A strategy to create your own Fee For Service network
Why you can skip the headaches of denied claims and pre-authorizations
Two unexpected documents your patients will never throw away
My personal “Extra Juice” tactic that ties it all together
And yes—it’s all real-world, doable, and used by startups right now to carve out unstoppable momentum in their communities.
You don’t have to be buried by PPO negotiations or overwhelmed by third-party games. You can flip the script, create leverage, and become the go-to dental provider for high-volume, high-loyalty patients.
Want to dive deeper into building a competitive edge as a startup?
Here’s where to go next:
Book a Consultation Call to map out a custom strategy for your startup
Explore the Startup Practice Blueprint and learn the full Ideal Practices framework
Follow us on Facebook for insights, tips, and success stories from real startup owners
Becoming “the only one” in your market isn’t about luck—it’s about strategy. And it starts with making smart, bold choices now.
Let’s build something that lasts.
—Stephen Trutter