Many dentists spend a lifetime trudging down the practice path while dragging an eighteen-wheeler they call their “staff.” They attend seminars, learn new concepts, and genuinely want to implement better systems to serve patients and grow professionally — but their staff never truly buys in. The burden grows heavier, frustration builds, and eventually burnout strangles the doctor.
To be honest, this is the norm in dentistry.
The good news? It doesn’t have to be.
The problem often begins with the word staff. Some dental consultants my wife and I worked with preferred to spell it “staph,” as in Staphylococcus — something that causes disease. The message was clear: the wrong people in your practice can slowly poison it.
In the 1980s, several forward-thinking dental consultants promoted private-practice, fee-for-service dentistry. They believed patients would seek health-centered dental care, but warned that too few dentists would be prepared to deliver it if they built practices around “staff” instead of a true dental team. Their conclusion was simple: success only comes when you build a team.
A team is not a group of people who simply show up for a paycheck. A true dental team shares discipline, accountability, and purpose.
I’m not a football fan, but Indiana University football recently provided a powerful example. Historically, Indiana has never been a national contender, yet they defeated Illinois, dethroned Ohio State, and beat Oregon twice in a single season. Throughout the championship game, commentators emphasized one thing: discipline.
Indiana had a team.
Yes, Mendoza was a star — but so were others. They worked together as a unit. That’s how championships are won, and that’s how successful dental practices are built.
Our practice succeeded because we had a team — though we didn’t always start that way. Through experienced consultants, we learned how to select potential team members rather than simply hire staff.
Only a small percentage of applicants were ever considered. We learned how to identify the right people quickly and built our team deliberately. This intentional hiring process was foundational to our long-term success.
Once selected, we trained our team thoroughly. We invested full days in team meetings focused on education, alignment, and motivation. We rewarded our team well and viewed them as assets rather than liabilities.
Most importantly, we helped them understand they were part of something bigger than just a dental practice. They were integral members of a group dedicated to helping people of all ages live healthier lives.
Were there bumps in the road? Absolutely. But those bumps became learning opportunities. At one point, we eliminated three individuals who would have only qualified as “staff” members in order to protect and strengthen the team we were building.
Our team members were as committed to helping patients as we were. For them, it was more than a job because they saw the real impact we were having on the lives of those who trusted us with their care.
They were proud to be part of the practice. In fact, they were more responsible for my success than I was. Patients frequently went to them for answers to important questions rather than “bothering” me. They weren’t just employees — they were family, as were many of the patients who referred their friends and trusted us year after year.
As one of our consultants from the 1980s, Dr. Omer Reed, said, “If it’s been done, it’s probably possible.” He did it. He helped us do it. And it is possible.
You can jettison the eighteen-wheeler you’re currently pulling and build a dental team dedicated to helping people live healthier lives — or you can keep pulling the load.
We live in a great country where you get to choose.
