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The Overhead Mistakes Most Startup Dentists Make—and How to Avoid Them

 

The Overhead Mistakes Most Startup Dentists Make—and How to Avoid Them

When you’re preparing to open your own dental practice, one topic is almost guaranteed to sneak up on you: overhead.

It’s easy to obsess over floorplans, equipment, and PPO contracts (and yes, those matter). But without understanding the real drivers of overhead—and how to control them—you could unknowingly tie a financial anchor to your new practice before you ever see a patient.

That’s why this episode of the Ideal Practices Podcast is essential listening.

I sat down with one of dentistry’s most respected consultants—a 30-year industry veteran who’s been published in the major journals, built a successful firm, and seen it all. Her perspective? Equal parts tactical and practical. And everything she shares can be applied in your startup from day one.

Lowering Overhead: What Most Dentists Get Wrong

Let’s start with a truth that surprises a lot of new practice owners: Overhead isn’t just about cutting costs. In fact, obsessing over “spending less” often creates more problems than it solves.

In this episode, we break down:

  • The single most important skill you need to increase profitability

  • What actually drives overhead in private practice (hint: it’s not staff salaries)

  • Why “obnoxious details” can make or break your systems

  • The surprising narrative that helps you negotiate better PPO reimbursement

  • The 90-day AR letter you should be using (and how it works)

  • What makes continuing education stick—and deliver real ROI

You’ll even hear me (accidentally) coin a term about lowering overhead during the interview. Don’t judge—it stuck!

Real Resources You Can Use Today

This isn’t theory. These are actionable tools you can start applying right now:

Before You Make Another Financial Decision…

If you’re in the process of planning or building your startup, episodes like this can protect your vision (and your wallet). Learn from the experiences of experts who’ve guided hundreds of practice owners through the maze.

Listen to the full episode now and subscribe so you never miss one of these practice-saving conversations.

Subscribe to the Ideal Practices Podcast

You’ve got the vision. Let’s protect it—smartly, strategically, and with eyes wide open.