More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Imagine a dental world where patient data flows as freely as it does in medicine—no more wasted time, lost information, or clunky workarounds. Vyne’s CEO Steve Roberts sits down with me to discuss why the dental industry is ready for transformational change and what that means for claims processing, practice efficiency, and ultimately, better care for your patients. I shared my frustration at the unf...
Jun 24, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 152
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Are you a dentist feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or just stuck in survival mode? What if the real issue isn’t your clinical skills, but how you’re managing your time, your stress, and your practice? Mark Davis built and ran 16 dental practices over the course of his career — and now he’s sharing what most dentists never figure out until it’s too late. The pressure to stay on schedule, the chaos of ...
Jun 04, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 151
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter She started charging just $40 a month—now she runs a business that hit 7 figures. In this episode, Amanda DeMoura shares how her small side hustle evolved into a thriving dental business, what it really took behind the scenes, and the unexpected turns that shaped her success. In this episode, we talk about her journey from the ground up, navigating remote work and entrepreneurship, and what happens w...
May 24, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 150
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter A stroke stole his manual skills—could it end his career? In this episode, Dr. Gregory Wu opens up about the life-altering moment a stroke derailed his clinical career and how it made him a better businessman and leader. At the peak of his practice, Greg faced a sudden medical crisis that left him unable to perform dentistry—a devastating blow to any clinician. He shares what it felt like to lose not...
May 08, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 149
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter What actually happens when an unexpected loss or injury shatters the routine of your practice? It’s a question no one wants to ask—until it’s too late. I would like to walk you through the uncertainty that can unfold in a dental practice when the unexpected happens to the doctor at the center of it all. My hope is that you are prepared - nobody told me that, remember? The sudden loss of a dentist—esp...
Apr 23, 2025•32 min•Season 1Ep. 148
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Are you a dentist or manager in a seemingly endless struggle to stay profitable on PPO plans? You're definitely not alone. One of my first trusted resources in dentistry was Unlock the PPO’s Sandi Hudson and Lisa Weber. Sandi joined me for a truly nerdy but very informative chat about networks and negotiations. We talked about the hidden challenges within shared network agreements and how she avoids ...
Apr 08, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 147
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Outsourcing your dental billing can either clean up your RCM or leave you picking up the pieces. Before you trust someone with your cash flow, make sure you know exactly what to ask and what to look for in a biller. In this episode, Julia Nevo shares hard-won lessons from working in the world of dentistry and dental billing. We cover what makes a great dental biller truly valuable, and why outsourcin...
Mar 25, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 146
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Missing these insurance secrets could cost your dental practice - are you prepared? From navigating insurance portals and password overload to the shift toward Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs), the demands on dental teams are growing. Colleen Huff shares insights on handling leased networks, making informed choices about dental insurance, and avoiding the pitfalls that catch many offices off guard. ...
Mar 11, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 145
"More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter || " Dental billing companies can spot embezzlement and cash flow issues faster than your in-house team! Dental billing expert Michelle Repash shares how she uncovered employee theft by noticing deleted insurance checks - a discovery that led to jail time for a trusted, long-term staff member. With 35 years of dental experience, Repash explains why traditional in-house billing is becoming so difficu...
Feb 25, 2025•39 min•Season 1Ep. 144
More management and insurance knowledge in my newsletter: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/newsletter Leslie Icenogle, CPC, a leading medical-dental billing expert, shared her strategies to maximize your dental revenue through proper medical coding. From documenting procedures correctly to navigating Medicare's maze, she breaks it down for me. She also shared how a chance encounter at a post office led to significant patient benefits - it’s a great story! It demonstrates how proper medical billing ca...
Feb 11, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Are you signed up for my newsletter? Watch this episode on YouTube! Ever wonder what happens when a sterilization tech becomes a practice optimizer for a 50-person dental office? I sat down with someone who lived that exact journey, and her insights might surprise you. Meet Erika Pusillo, who shares her transformation from handling sterilization duties to optimizing one of Florida's leading dental practices. Our conversation touched on the challenges and triumphs of managing a large dental team,...
Jan 28, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 142
Are you struggling to find the right office manager? It might be costing you more than you think! In this episode, I’m sharing how to avoid the common hiring mistakes many dental practices make when choosing the perfect manager. I’ll explain why clear job descriptions are crucial, how to prevent overloading managers with unrealistic expectations, and the key traits to look for during the hiring process. Key Takeaways: Clear job descriptions are essential to avoid overloading your office manager ...
Jan 14, 2025•37 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Along with my quick wrap up of 2024 I thought that I'd share two words that have helped me in difficult situations. Perhaps they'll come in handy for 2025 and the many decisions to come. The simple words "unless" and "until" have helped me get to the root of objections and set boundaries. Don't worry - I'll give you examples! What You'll Learn: Set Boundaries Effectively: Learn how I use "until" to create clear boundaries when encountering new situations. Find Real Reasons: Asking someone “unles...
Dec 31, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Ted Osterer returns to the show to discuss recent bankruptcies and sales in our industry. Large companies are experiencing shifts and they have teams of advisors. How can a smaller dental business learn from these mistakes and strategize for their own success? Ted shares how understanding key financial metrics like EBITDA, cost of goods, and margins has become essential in the dental industry. Businesses have to use data instead of intuition.What about offices that haven’t had that kind of train...
Dec 17, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 139
In this episode of Nobody Told Me That!, I sit down with HR expert Alan Twigg from Bent Erickson and Associates to discuss HR policies and how they can make or break a dental practice. From avoiding legal pitfalls with proper documentation to navigating the National Labor Relations Act, we cover items you need to know to safeguard your practice. It’s not easy to create and maintain a productive, compliant workplace but it’s part of our job as practice leaders. We talk about these key HR issues: ...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 138
Not every patient is a good fit for your practice. Life is actually easier when you prune the bad ones. If you've dealt with patients who miss appointments, delay payments, or even compromise your team's safety, this episode is for you. This episode breaks down when and why patient termination may be necessary. You'll need a well-documented process for issuing termination letters and handling uncomfortable situations, like bumping into a terminated patient outside the office. Ensuring a safe, re...
Nov 19, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Being a new manager is scary and challenging. Everything is different now. You are juggling your work friendships and building trust with your doctor. You're managing different personalities all while leading by example, there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. Plus, it can be lonely at the top. I’ll share personal stories—like a lesson learned the hard way with patient emails 🤦🏻♀️—and share insights specifically for new managers. Be sure to check the show notes for added resources, upcom...
Nov 06, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 136
These are excerpts from two fun episodes of my other podcast Chew on This. Have you ever wondered how treatment in space would happen? Of course you have! My co-host Kevin Henry and I explore the challenges of space dentistry, including how microgravity affects oral care and the innovations being developed for astronauts. We also discuss Minnesota's recent legislation allowing dental assistants to administer certain injections, highlighting the implications for dental practices and patient care....
Oct 22, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 135
What's the big deal with the AADOM Conference? New attendees are often surprised by the event so let me share what to expect. The AADOM Conference offers networking and educational sessions plus key opportunities for dental office managers to elevate their careers. ‘Recharged’ is a common way to describe how you'll feel after the sessions. I'll cover: Who attends How it's evolved over the years The quality of education The various awards & designations This conference is on my “don't miss" l...
Oct 09, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 134
I'm sharing a recent podcast episode I recorded with my friends at A Breath of Fresh Air. Their podcast focuses on dental billing and they wanted my thoughts on our industry’s future. We talked about the surprising ways dental and medical billing might start to merge, and why having top-notch training and qualifications isn't just a good idea — it's a must. And, of course, we’re dishing out plenty of practical tips, insider insights, and a few laughs along the way. I hope this episode is helpful...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Dealing with out-of-control claims can feel overwhelming but I’m here to help you get a handle on it. We’ll break down actionable steps to bring order to the chaos and make sure your dental aging report cleans up nicely. I’ll walk you through essential steps like setting up separate bank accounts to keep things organized, running insurance aging reports to keep track of pending claims, and sorting out those duplicate claims before deadlines hit. My advice on staying patient and organized will al...
Aug 27, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 132
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@odysseymgmt You should know a few facts about leaving a network before you make any big decisions. In this solo episode, I share tidbits from my hundreds of strategy calls with dentists and managers on this topic. Typically the call starts out with a focus on how much revenue can be generated and patient reactions. I’m more concerned with level-setting your expectations and taking care of your team members. Touchpoints: Losing patients will suck Why staying in touch...
Aug 13, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 131
My Mid-Year Insurance Update webinar generated a lot of questions (as usual!). I couldn’t answer them all so I thought I’d share them with you. The webinar touched on Open Season, Medicare Advantage, audits, materials upgrades and participation considerations. This mixed bag of questions was fun to answer and I hope you are able to utilize the info! A few talking points: Navigating shared networks Billing for non-covered services Self-funded and fully funded Medicare Advantage fraud, waste and a...
Jul 31, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 130
In this episode I was able to hang out with Sean Hamel, the brain behind the Art of Dental Marketing. He believes strongly in personalized, emotionally engaging marketing and gave us lots of examples. He talked about using killer videos and photos to rock Google My Business and then shared super creative ways to get your practice noticed in your community. I still have a lot to learn about videos and self-promotion! Ready to level up your marketing? Let's dive in! A few talking points: Humanizin...
Jul 22, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! My friend Brant Herman joins me to talk about virtual clinical dentistry. It's not a stretch to call him a dental visionary. His Mouthwatch camera enabled low cost intraoral imaging at a time when documentation needs increased tremendously. It was a foray into teledentistry that led to our topic of virtual care solutions. Dentistry.one is helping dentists interact and treat patients who often can't make it into our offices. For all of you ...
Jun 30, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! In this special mini edition of “Nobody Told Me That!” I turned the reins over to Rita Zamora of Connect 90 to share her expertise in social media content. Social media fatigue is real, but Rita has solutions. Bonus Tip – Get Some Help: If social media still feels too daunting, Rita advises considering professional help, such as the services offered by her team at Connect 90. They offer a free 30-day trial for social media management, with...
Jun 15, 2024•13 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! In this episode of "Nobody Told Me That!" we explore how modern solutions like virtual assistants are transforming dental practices. Joined by industry experts Rita Zamora and Rebecca Herring, expect thought-provoking insights on the rise of virtual front desk teams and how they're revolutionizing patient interactions. From chatbots charming Gen Z to full virtual admin teams, we discussed the tech-savvy solutions reshaping the dental exper...
Jun 05, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! In this episode, I interviewed Dr. Mike Barniv who has impressive street cred in the AI, carrier and clinical arenas. He’s currently the VP of Clinical Affairs at Pearl. Dr. Barniv shared AI’s role in treatment case acceptance. Hint - it helps tremendously! We had a frank talk about how the carriers are using AI in adjudication. A few talking points: How does AI help dentists to efficiently examine historical images to chart disease progre...
May 22, 2024•55 min•Season 1Ep. 125
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! In this episode, we tackle the financial challenges of operating a dental practice, with a special focus on managing supply costs and leveraging vendor relationships. Joining us is Ted Osterer, my friend from Synergy Dental Partners, who shares great advice to optimize dental practice operations. Look at all that we covered: Dental Supply Management Navigating PPO Challenges Role of Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) Partnerships for Co...
May 08, 2024•56 min•Season 1Ep. 124
Don't forget to check out the video episode on YouTube ! Lisa Greer is the California Dental Association’s dental benefit expert (and repeat guest!). We talked about quite a few topics including Change Healthcare and advice that can get you audited. We both firmly believe that the insurance coordinator is a key player in protecting the doctor’s license. Look at all that we covered: Navigating Change Healthcare's Issues Submitting treatment on claim forms CDT codes and how to stay updated Audit p...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 123
