Do you find yourself constantly chasing new ideas—new CE courses, new systems, new technologies—only to feel stuck or overwhelmed? In this episode, Dr. Sully Sullivan breaks down the common trap of jumping on a “great idea” at the wrong time. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the psychology of “great idea, wrong time” and how it impacts your leadership, systems, and case acceptance strategy. Whether you're an experienced dentist or just getting started, this episode will help you refocus a...
Jul 07, 2025•21 min•Ep. 176
Are your team metrics too complex to drive real change? Or are you constantly switching hats throughout your day with no time to focus? In this episode, Dr. Sully Sullivan shares two powerful strategies to simplify operations and improve leadership: setting clear, actionable scorecards and reducing the chaos of context switching. Learn how a 40% missed-call rate turned into a game-changing lesson in team communication, systems thinking, and the power of small wins. If you’re looking to streamlin...
Jun 30, 2025•21 min•Ep. 175
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, Dr. Sully Sullivan dives deep into the common yet challenging experience of downtime in dental practices. Instead of reacting with anxiety or fear, Dr. Sully offers a proactive framework to turn slow periods into opportunities for growth, system improvement, and long-term success. We explore how to assess internal issues, optimize follow-up protocols, improve patient communications, and leverage technology and team coordination—even when you're ...
May 27, 2025•20 min
Do you feel frustrated when patients say no to treatment? Do you wonder if pushing for higher case acceptance is always the right move? In this episode, I’m breaking down why lowering your case acceptance rate might actually be a sign you’re leveling up—and how to turn those "nos" into long-term wins. I’ll share why I’d rather have a 20% acceptance rate on 10K cases than 100 500 fillings, how to spot the real reasons behind patient objections (hint: it’s not always money), and my team’s proven s...
May 13, 2025•22 min•Ep. 173
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I’m talking about something that I think trips up a lot of dentists—the difference between procedural profitability and overall business profitability. Early on in my career, I got obsessed with the per-procedure margins, but I’ve since learned that running a profitable practice is about so much more than that. Sharing how placing implants completely changed my trajectory as a dentist—not just clinically, but from a business perspective too. I d...
May 09, 2025•13 min•Ep. 172
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, we dive into the real impact of economic inflation on our dental teams. As costs rise, team members feel the pressure, and as leaders, it's crucial to navigate these challenges while maintaining a strong, motivated workforce. We discuss practical strategies for supporting your team, adapting to financial shifts, and continuing to work smarter, not harder. @02:25 - Challenges of Giving Raises @04:00 - Team Compensation Explained @06:25 - Flexibil...
Mar 28, 2025•15 min•Ep. 171
In this episode, I’m diving into a topic that every dentist faces—how to manage your menu of services to maximize productivity and efficiency. I’ll share insights on when to expand or cut back on procedures, strategies for avoiding burnout, and the importance of flexibility in your offerings for long-term success. Additionally, I’ll break down how transitioning patients to associates can help free up your schedule for larger cases and explain why setting limits on certain procedures can actually...
Feb 18, 2025•18 min•Ep. 170
Today’s episode is about managing the weight of responsibility in running a practice. Feeling overwhelmed is normal, and I share my experiences handling stress. This past week has been exhausting, juggling work, coaching, and personal challenges. Leadership can feel isolating, and therapy has helped me separate accountability from guilt. Prioritizing tasks and embracing support systems are key to managing stress. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Thanks for tuning in! Next episode...
Feb 11, 2025•14 min•Ep. 169
Welcome back to the Millennial Dentist Podcast! It’s a new year, and I’m kicking off 2025 with some big updates, a new smile, and a fresh focus on making this year the best one yet. In this episode, I talk about why the start of the year is the perfect time to recalibrate, realign, and plan out where you want to be by December. If you’re ready to start 2025 strong and take your practice to the next level, this episode is for you. @03:27 - The Beginning of the Year Funk @05:21 - The Yearly Reset ...
Jan 28, 2025•24 min•Ep. 168
In this episode, I’m breaking down how to diagnose if you’re over-teamed or under producing and what to do about it. If you’ve got an advanced skill set—whether it’s ortho, implants, grafting, or molar root canals—you should be hitting at least $80,000 a month in production. If not, there are fundamental issues to address, and we’ll start by looking at team compensation, which should fall between 20-30% of collections. I’ll walk you through how to calculate this, including salaries, benefits, an...
Nov 12, 2024•20 min•Ep. 167
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I share my personal journey in dentistry and how real-life experiences shape my approach to patient care. I discuss the vital role of numbing and sedation in ensuring our patients are comfortable during their dental procedures. Drawing from my time in a growing practice, I emphasize that achieving profound numbness is key to effective sedation, as insufficient numbing can lead to discomfort and a less efficient process. I also candidly question ...
Nov 05, 2024•16 min•Ep. 166
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the real, less glamorous side of running a dental practice. After taking a brief break, I found myself navigating a challenging week filled with unexpected team drama, which reminded me that not everything in dentistry is as perfect as it seems on social media. Inspired by a candid conversation with a fellow doctor about the inevitable “suck” we all face, I dive into how I handle these tough moments while still striving for balance. I share insigh...
Oct 29, 2024•20 min•Ep. 165
In this episode, we explore the importance of understanding when and how to delegate leadership roles in your practice. Whether you're trying to decide if it's time to hire an office manager or just wondering how to manage your current team, we dive into common misconceptions, practical benchmarks, and the strategic steps you need to take before making that call. Learn why handing over responsibilities too soon can lead to inefficiencies and what you should be focused on first before bringing on...
Sep 17, 2024•24 min•Ep. 164
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I'm diving into a topic that's crucial for every dental practice—how to balance your schedule in a way that maintains consistent production, even when the economy isn't on your side. I’ll be talking about why it's so important to set both minimum and maximum production goals to keep things stable and avoid the rollercoaster of fluctuating income from month to month. I'll also share some of the challenges we face as dentists when the supply of ou...
Sep 05, 2024•21 min•Ep. 163
In this episode, I share the importance of guiding patients toward case acceptance before overwhelming them with treatment details. Often, young doctors and new associates make the mistake of diving into the who, what, why, and how of treatment before patients have even agreed to move forward, which can feel more like sales than patient care. We need to know the value of presenting clear options first and waiting for the patient to commit before offering detailed explanations. By shifting this a...
Aug 27, 2024•14 min•Ep. 162
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I dive into the challenges of dental partnerships and how to avoid conflicts that can hurt your practice. From my own experience, I share tips on setting clear expectations when starting a partnership or bringing on associates to prevent issues down the road. I also talk about the process of transitioning an associate into a partner and how to make sure the agreements are fair for everyone involved. Additionally, I explain how we handle lab bill...
Aug 22, 2024•15 min•Ep. 161
In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Allie Frounfelter and we talk about the importance of mastering the fundamentals of dental preparation, emphasizing that prepping multiple teeth can be as straightforward as prepping a single one with the right understanding. We explore how understanding tooth positioning and occlusion can simplify complex procedures, enabling dentists to treat patients more confidently. We discuss the value of empowering dental team members by providing opportunities for grow...
Aug 13, 2024•27 min•Ep. 160
In this episode, I talk about the saying "the devil is in the details" and how focusing too much on small details can slow us down. I share stories from my own practice, where trying to get every detail perfect caused more problems than it solved. Instead, I suggest a simpler approach that focuses on what really matters, helping us work more efficiently and grow our practices. I believe in making things easier, trusting our team, and keeping the big picture in mind so we can keep improving and m...
Aug 08, 2024•17 min•Ep. 159
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, we explore the importance of effective communication in dentistry and its impact on patient outcomes. Emphasizing the need for clear and precise treatment planning and collaboration with labs, we discuss how to achieve exceptional results. The approach to mentoring young dentists is shared, highlighting the balance between freedom and guidance to prevent clinical failures and enhance learning experiences. @01:39 Clinical Focus and Effective Comm...
Jul 16, 2024•15 min•Ep. 158
In this episode, Kirk Behrendt and I talked about my story of becoming a key figure in dental education through my podcast. I discuss the importance of understanding patient perspectives and making informed treatment presentations. Emphasizing the need for dentists to avoid projecting their value systems onto patients and to respect individual financial situations. This approach not only fosters trust but also helps in presenting comprehensive dentistry without pressuring for high case acceptanc...
Jul 12, 2024•39 min•Ep. 157
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I, Dr. Sully Sullivan, continue my conversation with Brett from Digital Doc, diving into patient communication, case acceptance, and the importance of understanding patients' perspectives in our dental practices. We discuss the necessity of acknowledging sales in dentistry and improving our sales skills while maintaining professional ethics. We challenge the misconception of striving for 100% case acceptance, advocating for the presentation of c...
Jul 02, 2024•24 min•Ep. 156
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, Dr. Sully Sullivan discusses a pressing issue in dentistry: dentists often abdicate rather than delegate responsibilities, leading to inefficient practices. Joined by Brett Wilson from Digital Doc, they explore how leveraging digital technology and improving patient communication can enhance case acceptance and allow dentists to focus on more profitable, fulfilling procedures. They emphasize the importance of photography, financial options, and ...
Jun 28, 2024•22 min
In this episode of The Millennial Dentist podcast, Dr. Sully Sullivan talks about how making changes in your dental practice can lead to better success. He explains that if you want your practice to run differently and achieve better outcomes, you need to change how you do things. This includes offering comprehensive patient financing, using better diagnostic tools, improving communication with patients, and adjusting your scheduling. By doing so, you can move from simple, insurance-based dentis...
Jun 11, 2024•20 min•Ep. 154
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast. Let’s learn the essential skills needed to grow and scale a dental practice, stressing that being a proficient dentist is merely the starting point. This focuses on evaluating the growth potential of smaller practices, effectively managing larger ones, optimizing operational setups for efficiency, and embracing the "one doctor, one chair" approach. Additionally, I emphasize the importance of continuous education and advanced technique developmen...
May 28, 2024•14 min
In this episode of the Millennial Dentist Podcast, I shared how people are willing to pay extra to receive outputs faster, and how we could optimize this for our business. It's incredible to consider that we could increase our earnings by offering faster services compared to their current status. A line from Jeff Bezos changed my mindset: "Americans will always want their product faster, and they will always want it cheap." That’s when I started implementing it to my business, how could I offer ...
May 14, 2024•17 min•Ep. 152
In this episode of the Millennial Dentists Podcast, Tbone and I discussed the reasons why we lose our patients to other dentists. This is not a new phenomenon in dentistry; our patients either choose to replace us or new patients come in from other practices. This topic is painful, especially when a long-time patient decides to switch to another practice. Multiple skill-related issues contribute to this problem. We firmly believe that communication is the key to success. Through effective commun...
May 07, 2024•34 min•Ep. 151
In this part 2 episode with Dr. Eric, Dr. Tarun, and I, talk about how sticking to your commitments can lead to better results in dentistry. We discuss being a good leader and getting things done effectively. You'll learn about the difference between giving up responsibility and delegating tasks to others. Dr. Sullivan shares stories about sticking to one plan and how it helped him succeed. Plus, Dr. Tarun offers simple tips for managing your time better and getting more done, like talking to ot...
Apr 30, 2024•26 min•Ep. 150
In this trio episode of the Millennial Dentists Podcast, Eric, Tarun, and I talk about how you could effectively grow your dental practice if you feel it slowing down. We advocate for the philosophy of 'slow down to speed up,' though we acknowledge that growth isn't always linear. However, it should never be stagnant. There are ways to improve your growth small steps at a time. Multiple strategies like: Marketing, Referrals, Social Media, and Google reviews were mentioned in this episode. These ...
Apr 23, 2024•41 min
In this episode of Millennial Dentist Podcast, Dr. Will Jones shares his journey of feeling lost and exhausted while balancing his spiritual journey with running a dental business. After reconnecting with Tarun, he realized the importance of focusing on dentistry to achieve growth and success. We discuss overcoming communication conflicts with associates and creating a cohesive team environment. Dr. Jones reflects on the remarkable growth of his business, including beating previous collection re...
Apr 17, 2024•23 min•Ep. 148
In this episode of Millennial Dentists Podcast, I talk about the implementation of Expanded Function Dental Assistants (EFDAs) into practice to support the One-Column Model as a system for streamlining operations. Moreover, we discuss how planning appointment visits contributes to delivering quality patient care and why it’s worthwhile to use standard photography for educational and self-improvement purposes. Finally, we dive into the topic of strategic scheduling that can help with increasing r...
Apr 04, 2024•27 min•Ep. 147
