Improve Profitability through Clean Claims

With almost 11 ADA recognized dental specialties and having a burgeoning market share, the specialty dental business is here to make significant gains in the coming years as we take a cursory glance on the latest trends of the dental industry.

Listen to Ryan Arnold, Principal, Wisdom Teeth Guys as he explains the possibilities that lie ahead for Dental Specialty business and how he has paid attention on patient care,technology adoption and brand management to further sustainable practice growth for his specialty.

Dentistry's Inner Circle bg 37

Creating Sustainable Specialty Dental Businesses

Dentistry's Inner Circle Podcast

A series of podcasts from practice owners on how they navigated the change and successfully transitioned to CareStack. 

Expanding Dental Care beyond the Clinic

Expanding Dental Care Beyond the Clinic

Beatrice Perez

Ishtiaq Rouf

Dana Veach

Dr. Himesh Kana, DDS

Himesh Kana

 Penny Filipe

Promoted to Manager, Now What

Promoted to Manager, Now What?

Wonderist Agency

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Top Trends in Dental Software for 2025

Top Trends in Dental Software for 2025: What Practices Should Prepare For

Reducing patient no-shows and cancellations begins by accepting that 

it’s impossible to guarantee that your patients will always keep their appointments

. Once you accept that this falls outside your control, you can pool your efforts on the aspects that are within your control, and which help reduce no-shows and cancellations.

missed appointments cause a ripple effect

 that impacts your schedules, revenues, and the effectiveness of treatments. It strikes a serious blow to your bottom line. But with that said, there are 

effective safeguards you can put in place

 to address this issue. Before we explore these safeguards, let’s examine the key reasons behind no-shows and cancellations. 

Typically, patients miss their appointments when they:

Don’t understand the importance of keeping their appointments

Misunderstand when their appointment is scheduled

Self diagnose and decide to skip their appointments

Worry about bad news and try to avoid the situation

Have a shallow relationship with the provider

There is a wide range of reasons for patients to miss their appointments, but most can be mitigated with improved patient-provider communication and by implementing the following safeguards.

It became widely accepted as a care delivery method after the 2020 pandemic, but thanks to the convenience offered to patients, 

 is here to stay. Outside the initial check-up and actual treatment, consultations and routine post-op visits can be performed remotely. The virtual interactions offer patients the opportunity to 

receive treatment in the comfort of their living room

 or office. The added benefit of leveraging teledentistry is it adds one less reason for patients to rethink or opt out of their dental appointments. 

Another approach that has gained traction is using 

 to collect vital patient information. E-forms are a key feature of modern practice management software (PMS). This feature is now used widely to stay in line with the COVID-19 safety protocols. With this new norm, practices have completely replaced the clipboard and embraced digitization. Another fact that supports this approach is that 

98% of patients who take time to fill out online forms commit to their appointments

COVID-19 has added fuel to the fire of dental anxiety among patients. The risk of exposure is a valid fear. The best way for you to 

 is with communication and education. Ensure you convey the safety protocols and measures followed at your practice to reduce the risks from COVID-19. Launching targeted email campaigns, and updating relevant information on your practice website and 

convey your commitment to patient care and safety

 and encourage patients to follow through with their appointments.

When you provide your patients with the option to make payments in advance, it reduces the instances of no-shows and benefits your collections and accounts receivable. Get paid upfront instead of having to wait for 2-3 months. Paying cash in advance leads to 

. You can provide this option during patient checkout, especially when both you and your patient agree with the importance of scheduling the next appointment.

Offering upfront payment at this stage is apt, as the patient is likelier to take action and commit to their oral health. Another way to make it easy for them to pay is by providing an 

. Make sure that you inform your patient about your prepaid payment options. Market it through your campaigns, newsletters, and phone scripts.

Reminders are an effective way to reduce patient no-shows. Plan your 

and decide on a frequency that works best for your target clientele. Start off with a postcard, followed by email and text reminders. Add a phone reminder a few days before the scheduled appointment. Ensure that you cut down on reminders once you receive confirmation from your patients. Practice management software aids you to launch, coordinate and track your recall campaigns effectively.

reward patients who keep their appointments

. The reward initiatives can include discounts or gift cards. The benefits of such an approach are twofold. You encourage your patients to follow through on your appointments and 

convey how much you value their participation

. Moreover, curating such experiences helps you retain your customers.

Sometimes, patients simply forget an appointment. Send 

 that can include a “We missed you at the practice” message. Follow this up with a phone call to encourage them to reschedule immediately.

It is crucial that your patients know the impact of your treatments on their oral health. If your patients are not invested in the outcomes of your treatment plan, it is unlikely that they will uphold their commitments. 

 before every appointment. Remind them of the benefits of the procedure and the progress they’ve made so far. 

 of the scheduled appointment and ensure that they are fully onboard. A phone reminder before the appointment will help refresh what they already know about the 

Patients skip appointments because they owe your practice money or are worried the procedure will be too expensive. When this happens, it’s time to 

. It’s important that payments never come as a surprise to the patient. This causes anxiety in the patient, especially when they expect hidden expenses from each visit. When 

 and benefits are discussed upfront and agreed upon, patient no-shows due to financial concerns can be avoided. 

 allows you to effectively educate and communicate with your patients. Automating tasks like appointment reminders or confirmation/cancellation emails, filling last-minute openings, and sending online forms and other notifications to engage patients, practices can drastically cut revenue loss and staff workload while reducing patient no-shows and cancellations.

Eliminating No-Shows and Cancellations at Dental Office

For a dental practice, revenue cycle management is the equivalent of the body’s circulatory system and the heart of a practice’s financial success. The revenue cycle incorporates data capture, claims and denials management, and the collection of payments from both patient and insurance receivables. A healthy system works in concert with industry best practices and technical solutions to optimize efficiencies, identify “leaks” and improve operational workflows. As every practice is unique, it is difficult to prescribe a “one size fits all” approach. However, there are key performance indicators, which can and should be followed to measure practice performance. There are several potential KPIs which provide valuable insight into the collection’s performance and financial health of practice including, but not limited to: Collections percentage, Production growth, Aging accounts receivable, Days sales outstanding, Adjustments percentage, and Credit balances. 

Since 2011, the dental industry has experienced a steady and upward trend in aging receivables, with the majority of balances aged greater than 90 days. The good news is that CareStack offers a solution that combines modern technology, effective processes, and industry expertise to kick start the heart and breathe life back into the revenue cycle.

Revenue Cycle Playbook for Dental Professional

Revenue Cycle Playbook for Dental Professionals

From small, solo practices to large, multi-location clinics, these case studies demonstrate the versatility and value of CareStack in improving the patient experience and driving practice . 

, a high-volume, urgent care dental clinic in Eagan, Minnesota, faced data duplication and workflow delays due to legacy systems. To address these challenges and better serve patients in acute need, the practice set clear goals: enhance the patient intake experience, reduce administrative delays, streamline claims processing, and enable secure remote access. Driven by a commitment to faster, more reliable care, Now Care Dental aimed to modernize operations and scale effectively through a cloud-based platform.


Now Care Dental Office

Pre-CareStack Environment: Operational Challenges

Now Care Dental previously operated as a server-based practice, supplemented by fragmented tools for billing and patient communications. The setup created workflow inefficiencies, most notably at the front desk, where manual workflows led to delays and a poor patient intake experience.

Data inconsistencies and limited system integration caused frequent claim processing delays, while the on-premise system restricted access to patient information outside the clinic. As patient volume grew, these issues became more pronounced, hindering both responsiveness and scalability.

Looking for the best cloud-based dental software?

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Dr. Nicholas Geller

Nicholas Geller

A modern, cloud-based solution thus became essential to improve efficiency, streamline data workflows, and deliver a better patient experience.

Every dental patient’s experience starts at the front desk, where accurate data entry shapes the entire care process. To address growing inefficiencies, Now Care Dental was seeking a 

 that prioritized patient experience and ensured operational scalability.

CareStack was selected for its patient-centric features, most notably its interactive Kiosk, which enabled self-check-in, reduced staff dependency, and improved data accuracy. Patients could create accounts and enter information while waiting, streamlining intake.

Other winning features included real-time access to records from any device, built-in data validation to catch errors early, and simplified onboarding for staff.

Now Care Dental implemented CareStack at its Eagan, Minnesota location, transitioning from a server-based system to a fully cloud-native platform. The deployment followed a from-scratch (De-novo) approach, with no prior system migration, enabling a clean and structured rollout. The practice went interim live on May 21, 2019, and fully live by June 4, 2019—a swift implementation timeline that minimized disruption.

 designed a phased rollout plan tailored to Now Care Dental’s operational needs. User groups—front desk, clinical, billing—received role-specific training through guided sessions and access to CareStack University, which provided flexible, self-paced learning paths.

Implementation and Onboarding

A dedicated Customer Success Manager oversaw the onboarding process, ensuring all workflows were properly configured, from emergency scheduling to billing automation.

By moving to the cloud, the practice eliminated the maintenance burden of its former server-based system. Real-time access, automated updates, and built-in security protocols replaced costly infrastructure and IT downtime, freeing staff to focus entirely on patient care.

Since adopting CareStack, Now Care Dental has seen measurable improvements across daily operations, patient experience, and team productivity which are critical factors for a high-volume, urgent care practice.

Front desk workflows were transformed through kiosk check-ins and 

, significantly reducing wait times and manual entry. Staff were able to focus more on patient interactions, improving both speed and service quality.

Streamlined insurance verification, cleaner claims submission, and automated follow-ups improved billing consistency and reduced administrative overhead, accelerating revenue realization.

Faster intake, real-time communication, and seamless, post-visit follow-ups contributed to improved patient satisfaction. Positive feedback and fewer front desk bottlenecks reinforced the clinic’s reputation for responsive emergency care.

By moving off their server-based system, the practice eliminated maintenance costs, reduced downtime, and gained secure, cloud-based access to patient records, simplifying IT while enhancing compliance.

CareStack positioned Now Care Dental to handle higher patient volumes without adding operational strain. With a more scalable foundation in place, the practice is better equipped to grow while maintaining its commitment to efficient, quality care.

Enterprise Value Alignment for Urgent Care Setup

Now Care Dental’s adoption of CareStack represents a strategic move towards long-term scalability and patient-centered care. With enterprise-grade features powering daily operations, the practice is positioned for future growth without added complexity.

Real-time, unified dashboards give leadership a clear view of performance metrics, including patient satisfaction trends, enabling smarter, faster decisions.

Built-in HIPAA compliance and secure data protocols ensure patient privacy and regulatory alignment, which are essential for urgent care.

Automation at check-in, reduced wait times, and streamlined communication have increased patient satisfaction and retention, reinforcing the clinic’s reputation for fast, reliable emergency care.

With a foundation set for growth, Now Care Dental benefits from a platform built for multi-site growth, without compromising quality or consistency.

Looking Ahead: Future-Ready with CareStack

CareStack equips Now Care Dental with the tools to scale, adapt, and stay patient-focused. As the platform evolves, the practice is positioned to grow seamlessly, maintain efficiency, and deliver exceptional care in an increasingly digital, on-demand dental landscape.

As validated by the Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Report (2023), CareStack customers are experiencing the kind of transformation most DSOs only dream about.

307%

Increase in Profits from fuller Patient Schedules

$1.3M 

$280K

Saved through Efficiency Gains and improved RCM

$162K

Results that speak Enterprise

CareStack powers modern dental organizations with an all-in-one platform that simplifies operations, drives growth, and future-proofs your practice.

 to explore the possibilities with CareStack.

CareStack's cloud-based practice management solution gives you unparalleled ease of access to all your dental data, protected by data security laws and cutting edge technology. CareStack’s solution automates the most tedious parts of your dental workflow to ensure that you get to spend more time with the patient.

Now Care Dental

How CareStack Reimagined Patient Experience at Now Care Dental

Daytona Pediatric Dentistry, a renowned Florida-based practice, caters to infants (from age 1), children, teenagers, and those with special needs. , the visionary behind the practice, emphasizes the importance of a seamless clinical experience, especially for the pediatric demographic.


The Challenge
Streamlining the Dental Journey

For many parents, managing their children's dental visits can be unsettling. The added burden of paperwork and record-keeping only exacerbates their stress. Dr. Chaudhry recognized these challenges and envisioned a 

 to streamline operations and enhance patient satisfaction. Despite the challenges, he faced several obstacles on his journey:

Lack of Clinical Decision Support: Many systems Dr. Chaudhry explored lacked integrated clinical decision support, leading to errors and billing discrepancies.

Inflexible Data Capture: The unique needs of Daytona's patients required tailored data entry forms, which many systems failed to offer.

Inconsistent Chair-side Experience: While numerous tools existed for treatment planning and charting, none provided a comprehensive paperless experience at the chair-side.

Throughout his career, he has worked with several existing systems and found the following major limitations in achieving the same.

Upon discovering CareStack™, Dr. Chaudhry was impressed by its comprehensive suite of features. Implementing CareStack™ revolutionized Daytona Pediatric Dentistry in several ways:

Unified Chair-side Experience: CareStack™'s intuitive interface integrates patient consent, 

Prevention of coding error: With intuitive clinical notes that have integrated decision support, the number of coding errors has been reduced considerably, streamlined claim submissions, and the need for paper-based systems was completely eliminated.

Customized Data Capture through custom forms: With CareStack™, Dr. Chaudhry introduced custom forms, enabling patients to conveniently fill them via mobile devices before their 

, optimizing the overall visit duration. Implementing custom forms for various points of data entry within the practice enabled easier and more accurate data entry at all points from accounting to reporting.


Daytona Pediatric Dentistry's collaboration with 

 goes beyond mere implementation. The practice found CareStack ready to listen to their special requirements and tailor and organize solutions accordingly. They're jointly innovating to further refine the clinical experience, especially for 

. This partnership promises exciting advancements in patient care and operational efficiency.

Dr. Chaudhry

Empower Your Practice’s Growth with CareStack.

Case Study: Daytona's Pediatric Journey to a Paperless and Efficient Clinical Experience with CareStack

It is often assumed that the success of a dental office is primarily determined by clinical excellence, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and marketing initiatives. While these elements are undoubtedly important and help in improving production, practices frequently overlook a critical factor that ensures that these elements translate into collection: 

 webinar, Maria Fuertes, VP at CareRevenue, explored these questions alongside industry leaders Ishtiaq Rouf, CEO of Bite Dental Centre, and Penny Filipe, Senior Operations Manager at Alpha Dental. In an engaging conversation that spanned a diverse set of topics around revenue cycle management, they discussed strategies and operational practices that distinguish top-performing dental offices from others. They also highlighted the essential role of effective revenue cycle management solutions like 

 in offering a streamlined and automated approach, reducing errors, accelerating collections, and improving revenue realization.

A recent case study shows that a three-doctor practice with an annual revenue of $2.4 million seemed to be running a highly successful practice; however, a detailed audit uncovered nearly $180,000 in aged receivables and a 23% claim denial rate. With further analysis, it was found that staff spend over 15 hours a week, ultimately resulting in $192,000 in lost revenue annually.

The “Perfect Storm” of Dental RCM Challenges

Dental practices are facing what Maria describes as a “perfect storm” of converging pressures. These pressures strain both financial performance and operational efficiency. 

The first of these pressures manifests in the form of

. Frequent changes in insurance policies, merging of payers, and increasing complexities in coverage guidelines make reimbursements less predictable. This leads to practices spending a considerable time verifying eligibility, ensuring accurate claim submissions, and managing appeals. If delayed or mishandled, these can disrupt cash flow and reduce profitability.

 from both patients and staff members. Patients now demand a digital-first approach, including online scheduling, contactless payments, and text-based communication. Similarly, staff expect tools to streamline workflows and reduce administrative burden. Adapting to this rapidly evolving digital landscape can be disruptive as well as require additional training and process adjustments. Services like 

 help address these challenges by introducing integrated automation that simplifies processes, reduces friction, and supports a smoother experience for both patients and staff.

 exert a significant impact on the everyday operations of dental practices. Inflation increases the cost of supplies, while a shortage of skilled staff makes recruitment and retention more challenging. This forces practices to focus on high-value tasks and eliminate low-value activities that require more effort but do not result in meaningful ROI.

During the webinar, attendees were polled on their biggest technology frustrations. Responses underscore that there is no single pain point in dental RCM. Instead, practices are navigating a complex web of interconnected challenges that, if left unresolved, can erode both profitability and patient satisfaction.

The webinar underscored that with the backdrop of all the current industry pressures, automation has become the cornerstone of sustainable RCM. By streamlining workflows and taking over repetitive tasks, automation frees staff from low-value tasks and shifts their focus to higher-value ones.

Automation in dental practices can be mapped across four distinct levels:

This initial stage marks the transition from paper-based processes to digital operations. Practices digitize records, charts, and core workflows, creating a centralized and easily accessible system. While the operational gains in this stage are relatively modest, it serves as the foundation upon which higher-level automation can be built on.

At this level, practices focus on creating seamless interoperability across core systems. Practice management software, Electronic Health Records (EHR), and billing platforms are integrated, allowing data to flow across these functions seamlessly. This reduces the likelihood of errors, eliminates redundant data entry, and creates a single source of information. Additionally, this increases the accuracy and efficiency of a dental practice, resulting in an enhanced patient experience.

 The third stage is where automation begins to deliver measurable returns. At this level, practices implement advanced capabilities such as automated claim scrubbing, accounts receivable management, and predictive analytics. These tools reduce revenue leakage and also strengthen the financial performance. It is here that practices begin to see a tangible return on their investment in automation.

practices step into a future-ready model, where AI and ML predict claim outcomes, flag anomalies in submissions, and even optimise revenue collection with minimal human intervention. In this stage, RCM becomes more predictive while achieving transformative efficiency and profitability

Levels 1 and 2 lay the foundation, while levels 3 and 4 are the ones where real transformation and accelerated ROI are realised. As the panel highlighted, for practices willing to invest in smarter automation, the payoff is not just incremental; it’s exponential.

In the dental business, there are several key metrics that every dental practice must actively measure to ensure financial and operational efficiency. These key performance indicators are not just “good to have”; they are the critical benchmark that separates the top-performing practices from the rest. 


 Insurance remains one of the primary revenue drivers for dental practices. Patients often feel at ease knowing that their treatment will be covered by insurance. However, when claims are rejected, it not only causes frustration for patients but also creates additional work for the practice. Each rejected claim requires staff intervention, resubmission, and follow-up, leading to inefficiencies that could have been avoided. Leading practices maintain a clean claim rate of 95% or higher, compared to 75–85% for the majority. A higher clean claim rate reduces rework, accelerates reimbursements, and minimizes revenue leakage.

 Higher accounts receivables indicate delayed cash flow, greater risk of non-payment, and increased staff time spent on chasing overdue balances. The longer a payment is outstanding, the more likely it is to turn into write-offs, directly reducing profitability. Successful practices typically keep their accounts receivable under 30 days, while many others operate with 45–60+ days, resulting in financial strain.

 Revenue collection is the realisation of production, the point where a practice reaps the benefits of all its efforts across clinical care, infrastructure, and marketing. A collection rate of 98% and higher is considered the gold standard in dentistry, yet most practices fall between 85% and 92%. That gap may appear small, but for a $1M practice, this translates to $60,000–$130,000 in annual revenue. This is real revenue slipping through the cracks, underscoring the critical importance of effective revenue cycle management.

 Same-day payment posting is considered ideal, as it ensures that patient accounts and financial records remain up to date, but many practices take anywhere between 3-7 days to post payments, which creates a ripple of inefficiencies throughout the revenue cycle, which ultimately impacts cash flow and overall profitability.

To help practices consistently perform at these benchmarks, CareRevenue, the sponsor of the event, provides end-to-end support across the revenue cycle. By overseeing claims, AR, collections, and payment posting with accuracy and efficiency, it ensures that practices not only track these KPIs but achieve them too.

Most dental practices find RCM to be one of the functions in dental practice management. However, seasoned industry leaders rely on streamlined processes to drive effectiveness. Drawing on years of experience, Maria outlined a framework built around five core pillars that enable practices to reduce inefficiencies, strengthen financial outcomes, and improve the overall patient and staff experience.

Too many dental practices run in a firefighting mode. They address operational gaps only after they have turned into claim denials, delayed payments, or even bad debts. A prevention-focused approach needs to be built that can identify and resolve potential problems before they escalate into major disruptions that can compromise both revenue and patient experience.

 The right technology does not just speed up the existing workflows but also improves the overall accuracy and efficiency of a practice. This enables staff members to focus on patient care without the worry of repetitive administrative tasks piling up behind them.

The success of a practice is the culmination of teamwork. The clinical team, the front desk, and the billing team all must operate in alignment with each other to minimize friction, improve accountability, and create a culture of collective ownership.

For patients, the billing experience is as important as the clinical one. Confusing invoices, unexpected balances, and outdated payment methods can reduce trust. Practices that prioritise transparency and provide modern, user-friendly payment options not only simplify collections but also strengthen long-term patient relationships. 

 What appears successful on the surface can often mask hidden inefficiencies. Consistent tracking and analysis of key performance indicators give decision-makers a clear picture about the efficiency of their revenue cycle. With this clarity, practices can identify risks, respond proactively, and implement corrective actions to drive growth.

With a clear framework in place, the next step for a practice is to translate them into action. Maria outlines a four-phase roadmap designed to guide practices to go from good to great. 

To correct operational deficiencies, the first step is to assess the current state of operations. A thorough RCM audit can help the practice identify systemic issues easily. This will serve as a baseline for practices to measure progress and understand the gap between their current performance and desired outcomes.

Once a clear assessment is complete, the next step is implementing targeted early improvements. Real-time eligibility verification, claim error reduction, and streamlined patient billing are a few examples that deliver a significant impact. These wins not only improve the cash flow but also build team confidence, fostering momentum for more comprehensive changes.

 The third step is to move beyond immediate patchworks to systemic improvements. Technological integrations, higher staff retention, and a smoother patient experience are to be prioritized. Ish also highlights one of the trends in this phase: to hire staff who combine billing expertise with strong patient communication skills, improving the overall patient experience and operational efficiency.

 Revenue Cycle Management is not static. Running a dental practice in today's day and age requires practices to constantly evolve and bring in agility to their operations. This commitment to ongoing iteration ensures that operational gains are sustainable, revenue is maximized, and the practice remains resilient in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Many dental practices are losing 10-20% of potential revenue due to inefficiencies in revenue cycle management. While clinical excellence, modern infrastructure, and marketing are important, they cannot compensate for the gaps in RCM. Efficient management of claims, collections, and financial workflow is crucial in transforming operational performance into measurable profitability.

The insights shared by industry leaders underscore that addressing these challenges requires a structured yet agile approach, while also leveraging automation, measuring KPIs, and aligning teams. Practices that implement these strategies not only reduce revenue leakage but also enhance patient experience and strengthen financial resilience.


For practices ready to take control of their revenue cycle management, CareRevenue offers an end-to-end solution that ensures efficiency and accuracy in every function of RCM.

Schedule a call with our RCM expert today!

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Dental Revenue Cycle Management: Expert Insights to Reduce Claim Denials and Boost Collections

In the latest episode of For The Doers, host Dan Hall sits down with Jordin McEntire, Executive Coach and Fractional COO at the Dentist Entrepreneur Organization (DEO) and Founder of Entire Management. With years of experience leading operations at Pacific Dental Services and Heartland Dental, Jordin has honed a unique approach to developing leaders, aligning teams, and building businesses that thrive.

During the conversation, Jordin dives into the lessons she’s learned from managing multi-location dental practices and running her own company focused on leadership and talent development. She explains why clarity and focus matter more than rapid expansion, how coaching can uncover hidden growth opportunities, and the strategies she uses to create resilient, high-performing teams. Listeners will gain actionable insights on improving team alignment, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering a growth mindset in their business or practice.

Whether you’re a dental entrepreneur, small business owner, or aspiring leader, this episode is packed with practical advice and real-world examples to help you scale smarter and lead with confidence.

The Doers Podcast | EP 07 | Jordin McEntire | DEO: The Dentist Entrepreneur Organization

EP 07 | Jordin McEntire, DEO: The Dentist Entrepreneur Organization

The Doers Podcast just dropped a new episode and it’s one you don’t want to miss.

This time, Dan Hall sits down with Dr. Tatiana Herzog, DDS, one of the first board-certified implantologists in South Florida, founder of Implant Center of Miami, Implant Instructors, and the driving force behind Value Driven Ads, a marketing agency built by a dentist for dentists.

Dr. Herzog’s journey is the definition of impact. At the Implant Center of Miami, she’s been transforming lives with dentistry since 2010. Through Implant Instructors, she’s created a world-class training hub, teaching doctors how to master implantology and scale their surgical practices. And with Value Driven Ads, she’s helping practices attract the right patients and grow with strategies that actually work.

From innovator to educator to entrepreneur, Dr. Herzog shows what’s possible when clinical mastery meets vision and execution.

Hosted by Dan Hall, VP of Sales at CareStack, this episode dives into building specialized practices, the business of dentistry, and why owning your growth both clinical and entrepreneurial is the future of the profession.

It’s smart. It’s inspiring. And it’ll have you rethinking what’s possible in your own practice.

EP 06 | Tatiana Herzog, Implant Center Of Miami

When most people in dentistry talk about growth, they usually mean scale. Acquire another office. Add more chairs. Increase ad spend. Bigger often feels like better. Even with those big investments, dental practices are often left wondering why the results are not stronger.

Why? Because expanding without the right foundation only creates the illusion of progress. True growth is not about how many new patients you can attract, but how effectively you manage and maximize the practices you already have.

That was the motivation behind CareStack’s benchmark study on same-store growth in U.S. dentistry. The study looked at data from 123 practices and was enriched with conversations with owners, clinicians, and managers. What stood out was simple but powerful: the practices that keep growing are the ones that don’t lose sight of the basics. They operate a tight ship, carefully consider how to create the ideal culture, and choose their technologies wisely. Above all, they prioritise building long-term relationships with each patient rather than depending just on the next person who enters the office.

In a thriving practice, the brand goes far beyond a logo on the wall. It shows up in the way the office feels, how the team welcomes patients, and even in the consistent colors, tone, and presence patients notice online. That attention to detail shows up in reviews too. High-performing practices gather fresh reviews every month and keep their ratings well above 4.6 stars.

This is not accidental. Teams ask for reviews while the patient is still in the chair, 

 before the patient leaves the parking lot, and always respond. Every reply reinforces the promise of the practice and strengthens visibility in local search results. More importantly, it keeps the team connected to the reality that patients are judging every interaction.

Reputation, in today’s environment, is not optional. It is a core growth driver, often stronger than any paid advertising campaign.

Dental practice growth starts long before marketing ever enters the picture. It lives in the everyday choices staff make. A warm smile to calm a parent. Insurance explained in plain language. A celebration for a child who avoided cavities.

The study highlighted one striking detail: practices that hold no-show rates around 4%, which is almost unheard of, achieved it by embedding empathy into everything they do. Leaders guard against burnout, celebrate staff wins, and encourage frontline employees to solve problems in real time.

One Midwestern practice illustrates this perfectly. Their assistants keep small “comfort kits” at every chair, lip balm, tissues, noise-canceling earbuds. This is something that they started as a gesture to comfort one patient and now it is part of the culture. These small add ons can build loyalty, and loyalty is the most sustainable growth engine a practice can have.

Many in healthcare avoid the word “sales.” Yet the best-performing practices do not shy away from it; they redefine it. For them, sales is about alignment and storytelling.

From the moment the phone rings, the patient is on a journey. The front desk welcomes them with professionalism, the treatment coordinator helps them navigate financial concerns, and the doctor reinforces the value of care. Because everyone delivers a consistent message, nothing feels pushy or transactional.

Technology supports this alignment, tools like AI call recording or coaching dashboards help teams fine-tune, but the real differentiator is people. When every touchpoint conveys confidence and respect, case acceptance follows naturally.

4. Prioritize Cash Flow through Discipline and Automation

 and you will get a sigh. Ask the top performers and you will get enthusiasm. They view cash flow not as a burden, but as an area where discipline pays immediate dividends.

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