Dental Drills Bits

About Dental Drills Bits

Sandy Pardue of Classic Practice Resources & Dana Salisbury discuss issues facing the dental practice owner of today. This is the podcast where you will want a pen and paper to take notes on every single procedure, system, step by step process, and lessons Sandy shares that she has accumulated in 40 years. Enjoy the fun, laid-back vibe as things get real. Sandy is an energetic lecturer and consultant in the area of dental practice management. She is Director of Consulting with Classic Practice Resources and has over 40 years of "hands-on" experience.

Publisher

Sandy Pardue and Dana Pardue

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jan 2017

Latest episode

12 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

275 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   12 Oct 2026

   How Much Dental Production Is Sitting in Your Unscheduled Treatment Report?

   Could your dental practice be sitting on thousands of dollars in unscheduled treatment? As 2026 comes to a close, dental practices are focused on production goals, patient scheduling, and preparing for 2027. But before looking for new patients or cutting expenses, what if some of your biggest opportunities are already sitting in your practice management software? In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue and dental practice management consultant Sandy Pardue discuss how to uncover missed production opportunities, reconnect with patients who haven't scheduled recommended treatment, and make the most of remaining dental insurance benefits before year end. Consider this: If just 20 patients schedule treatment averaging $3,000 in adjusted production, that's $60,000 in potential additional production. And you may not need to spend another dollar on marketing to find those opportunities. In This Episode: How to identify unscheduled dental treatment opportunities using your practice management software Why patients leave without scheduling recommended treatment and how to reconnect with them How to use unscheduled treatment reports to uncover missed production Why personal phone calls still matter in patient communication How to create a fall dental insurance benefits letter that encourages patients to schedule Strategies for reaching patients with and without dental insurance Why front office training and accountability are essential to successful patient follow up How to finish 2026 strong while preparing for a more productive 2027 Key Takeaways: Your next production opportunity may already be in your patient database. Before investing in new patient acquisition, review the treatment your practice has already diagnosed but hasn't scheduled. Automated messages are helpful, but meaningful conversations often make the difference when patients have questions or concerns about treatment. Every practice needs a consistent follow up system with clear responsibilities, appropriate training, and documentation. And don't overlook your fall insurance project. A timely letter can remind patients about outstanding treatment and remaining benefits before the end of their plan year. The goal isn't simply to increase production. It's to help more patients receive the care they need while building a more predictable and efficient dental practice. Your challenge this week? Pull your unscheduled treatment report, identify one patient, and make the call. Thank You to Our Sponsors! Identity Dental Marketing Identity Dental Marketing helps dental practices attract the right patients, strengthen their online presence, and grow through strategic dental marketing. From branding and website development to SEO and digital advertising, their team specializes in marketing for dentists. Learn more: https://identitydental.com/ Practice by Numbers Practice by Numbers helps dental practices make smarter business decisions with real time analytics, performance dashboards, patient communication tools, and practice management insights. Track the numbers that matter, identify opportunities, and improve practice performance. Learn more: https://practicenumbers.com/ Thank you to Identity Dental Marketing and Practice by Numbers for supporting Dental Drill Bits! 📲 Join the Conversation! How much unscheduled treatment is sitting in your practice management software right

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Who's More Important in a Dental Practice: Front Office or Clinical Team?

   A Dentaltown post started a bigger conversation: A dentist wanted to bring back a former dental assistant, but a current front office employee didn't want her back. Then someone argued that the assistant was more important because she directly contributed to production. So, who is more valuable to the practice? In this episode, Dana and Sandy talk about what really makes someone valuable to a dental practice, what to consider before bringing back a former employee, and why front office vs. back office conflict is often a symptom of a bigger issue. They also discuss why patients can feel tension between team members, how unclear systems create conflict, and why practice owners need to address problems instead of hoping they work themselves out. In This Episode: Should you rehire a former dental employee? What should you do when a current employee objects? Is the front office less important because they don't directly produce dentistry? Why reference checks still matter Front office vs. back office conflict How systems and unclear responsibilities create tension Why patients notice when your team isn't getting along How team members can better demonstrate their value The role of training, communication and accountability Key Takeaways: The front office can't do its job without the clinical team, and the clinical team can't operate effectively without patients being scheduled, communicated with, checked out, followed up with and financially taken care of. Before rehiring someone, find out why they left and listen when current team members raise concerns. And when there's ongoing tension between the front and back office, don't assume it's simply a personality problem. Look at your systems, responsibilities, training and communication. Your patients don't see a front office and a back office. They see your practice. Thank You to Our Sponsor: Identity Dental Marketing Identity Dental Marketing helps dental practices build stronger brands and smarter marketing strategies designed for long-term growth. Learn more about Identity Dental Marketing and how they help dental practices stand out in competitive markets. https://identitydental.com/ 📲 Join the Conversation! Have you ever rehired a former employee? Did it work out—or did the same problems come back with them? And where does your practice struggle most: communication between the front and back, unclear responsibilities, or addressing conflict before it gets bigger? Join the conversation in the Dental Drill Bits Facebook Group. We'd love to hear what's happening in your practice. 🎧 Subscribe to Dental Drill Bits Follow Dental Drill Bits for practical conversations about dental practice management, team training, systems, leadership and practice growth. Listen wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe so you don't miss an episode.

3. 

   28 Sept 2026

   Will AI & AEO Recommend Your Dental Practice?

   AI is changing how patients search for dentists, but simply creating more content isn't enough. As AI-generated content floods the internet, credibility, expertise, and proof may matter more than ever. In this episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue welcome Grace Rizza, founder and CEO of Identity Dental Marketing, back to the show for a conversation about how AI is changing dental marketing, search visibility, content creation, and the way patients discover and evaluate dental practices. Grace explains why using AI effectively isn't as simple as asking ChatGPT to write a few blogs or social posts. The technology can make marketing faster and more efficient, but the expertise behind the prompts, strategy, quality control, and execution still matters. AI can produce content in seconds, but that doesn't mean the content is original, accurate, optimized, or capable of moving the needle for your practice. The conversation then turns to AEO, or Answer Engine Optimization, and what dental practices need to understand as patients increasingly use AI platforms to find information and make decisions. Grace explains how AEO builds on many of the same foundations as SEO, while placing greater importance on context, credibility, proof, and a practice's broader digital footprint. What happens when a patient isn't simply searching for a "dentist near me," but asking AI to help them find a dentist who understands dental anxiety, performs cosmetic dentistry, or offers a specific type of care? Your website can say you're an expert, but patients and AI platforms are looking for evidence to support those claims. Before-and-after photos, patient testimonials, reviews across multiple platforms, strong service content, and third-party credibility can all help reinforce what makes your practice worth recommending. Dana, Sandy, and Grace also explore an important part of the AI conversation: the more technology we have, the more valuable real human expertise and connection can become. Automation can handle repetitive work and make businesses more efficient, but it shouldn't replace the people responsible for building trust, understanding patients, and delivering the experience your marketing promises. In this episode: • How AI is changing the way patients discover dental practices • What AEO is and how it works alongside SEO • Why credibility, proof, and your digital footprint matter more than ever • How to use AI without creating generic content or losing your brand voice • Why brand positioning gives patients a reason to choose your practice • Where automation can improve efficiency without replacing human connection The takeaway? The tools are changing, but the objective isn't. Your practice still needs to generate interest, build credibility, become visible in the market you want to serve, and give the right patients a reason to choose you. AI, SEO, AEO, content, reviews, and digital marketing shouldn't operate as separate strategies. They work together to create the evidence and visibility that help patients, and increasingly AI platforms, understand who you are, what you do well, and why your practice may be the right fit. But getting discovered is only the beginning. As Grace explains, never replace quality with automation. Technology and quality can coexist when practices are intentional about how they use it. Marketing can create the exposure. AI can help patients discover you. Your people and patient experience still have to deliver on the promise. Learn more about Identity Dental Marketing Visit IdentityDental.com to learn more about Identity Dental Marketing and marketing strategies designed specifically for dental practices. Practices that need greater clarity around their positioning can also work directly with Grace to identify their unique selling proposition, clarify what makes their practice different, and build the strategic foundation needed before moving into marketing execution. Dental Drill Bits with Dana Pardue and Sandy Pardue brings you practical strategies for building a stronger, more productive and profitable dental practice.

Who has been a guest on Dental Drills Bits

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Sandy Pardue
• Grace Rizza
• Megan Lohman

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

54

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

27

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