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📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/dental-team-training-bonus-planner 📥Download the Master Growth Playbook every dentist should own: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/master-growth-playbook 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb ➖➖➖➖ Bonus systems can either turn your dental team into a growth engine or quietly drain your money and motivation. In this episode, Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin break down the incentive mistakes Blake has made and the bonus strategy he uses to develop people, improve performance, and build future leaders. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Use bonuses to reward team members for developing others 📌Build 30-90 day beta bonus plans before making long-term commitments 📌Create measurable incentive tiers using treatment and patient acceptance 📌Turn high performers into mentors without pulling them out of their strongest roles 📌Replace all-or-nothing goals with progressive targets that reward continued practice growth Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction to Bonus Strategies in Dental Practices 03:39 The Philosophy Behind Incentives and Long-Term Growth 05:07 Common Mistakes in Bonus Structures and How to Avoid Them 06:33 Using Bonuses to Develop Leadership and Support Team Growth 10:05 Training and Incentivizing Staff to Improve KPIs 12:08 Adapting Bonus Plans for Different Roles and Departments 14:07 Practical Steps for Fixing Underperforming Departments 15:21 Creating a Culture of Support and Development 18:50 Innovative Incentive Ideas for High Performers 21:15 Structuring Bonuses as Experiments and Iterations 22:07 Long-Term Incentives and Building Future Leaders 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥Download the Master Growth Playbook every dentist should own: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/master-growth-playbook  🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ A great associate can accelerate practice growth, but the wrong hire can create patient-relationship problems, culture issues, and a costly bottleneck. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal the five traits that separate strong associate candidates from doctors who simply look good on paper. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌 Identify the 5 traits that signal a growth-minded associate 📌 The characteristics to evaluate during interviews 📌 Ask opportunity-focused questions that uncover patient-volume and growth potential 📌 Use communication principles from treatment acceptance to make better hiring decisions 📌 Build stronger patient relationships with simple “cheat sheets” Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction to hiring associates and episode overview 03:28 The importance of energy and enthusiasm in candidates 06:04 Questions to ask to uncover candidate motivation and growth mindset 09:36 Confidence, honesty, and not needing to prove oneself 12:16 The significance of appearance and professional presentation 14:39 Connecting through relatability and shared interests 17:00 Observant and curious approach to candidate evaluation 18:14 The role of leadership qualities in hiring 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M 📥 Free Resource 1: https://mydentalplaybook.com/courses/ce-series/patient-financing/ 📥 Free Resource 2: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/three-models-one-standard 📥 Free Resource 3: http://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-reappointment-script-card 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb ➖➖➖➖ Can a hygiene department still be profitable in 2026? Between rising wages, staffing shortages, PPO reimbursement pressure, and growing overhead, many practice owners believe the hygiene model is broken. But what if the real problem isn't hygiene... It's how your practice is designed? In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin, Dr. Andrew Vallo, Dr. Collin Myrick, and Gary Bird compare three completely different practice models, including fee-for-service, PPO, multi-location, and rural practices, to reveal the systems they use to build productive hygiene departments that fuel long-term growth. Whether you're struggling to hire hygienists, wondering how much to pay, trying to improve retention, or debating whether hygiene should even be profitable, this conversation will challenge what you've been told and give you practical strategies you can implement immediately. 🔍In this episode, you'll learn: 📌 Should hygiene be a profit center or a patient acquisition strategy? 📌 The KPI that predicts long-term practice growth better than almost any other metric 📌 Why some practices hire hygienists before they actually need them 📌 How top-performing practices structure hygienist compensation and bonus plans 📌 The biggest mistakes owners make with hygiene scheduling and retention 📌 Why reappointment rate may be more valuable than new patient volume 📌 How three successful practices use completely different business models to grow 📌 The systems that help practices keep hygienists engaged while improving production If you're frustrated by rising payroll, empty hygiene schedules, or declining profitability, this episode will help you rethink what's possible. 🎙️ Dr. Andrew Vallo's Podcast: Check out Dr. Vallo's podcast for more practice growth strategies. 👉  https://dentalunfilteredpodcast.com/ This is Episode 5 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5Ru9aNk5_M Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service ⬇️GUESTS INFO⬇️ Dr. Andrew Vallo:  CEO/Founder at Starlight Dental Management Website: https://starlightdentaloffices.com/ Dr. Collin Myrick:  Dentist/Owner of DFS Dental Website: https://defuniakspringsfamilydental.com/ What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction and overview of practice models 04:00 Dr. Blake's perspective on hygiene in 2026 05:05 Andrew Vallo on managing hygiene across multiple practices 07:50 Hygiene as a volume game and loss leader 08:18 Dr. Collin Myrick on his practice size and model 11:15 The importance of patient education and insurance barriers 12:46 The success of different practice models in hygiene management 15:27 Strategies to make hygiene work: compensation and incentives 20:11 Current hygiene strategies and future improvements 22:30 KPIs and team incentives for hygiene success 25:30 Advice for single or small practices on hygiene models 30:23 Final thoughts on hygiene and active patient count 38:37 Leadership and autonomy in dental hygiene teams 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc  🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist:  Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team 📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-compensation-guide ➖➖➖➖ Finding and keeping great hygienists is harder than ever, but paying a higher hourly rate isn't the answer. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal the compensation system that helps hygienists earn up to $80–85/hour while improving retention, increasing collections, and supporting long-term practice growth. If you're tired of turnover, rising payroll costs, or struggling to build a productive hygiene department, this episode is for you. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Discover the performance-based compensation model that aligns incentives for patients, hygienists, and practice owners. 📌Learn the 3.0–3.3× productivity benchmark every hygienist should achieve to support healthy collections. 📌Build flexible schedules that improve hiring and retention. 📌Use bonuses, benefits, 401(k), and health insurance to reduce costly staff turnover. 📌Increase treatment acceptance by helping hygienists educate patients with microscopes, X-rays, and better communication. This is Episode 4 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here:  Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental marketing, practice growth, hiring, PPO profitability, fee-for-service dentistry, or building a scalable practice, these playbooks are built for today's practice owner. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction and the Hygiene Crisis 04:33 Compensation Structures for Hygienists 10:38 The Importance of Benefits and Retention 14:05 Bonuses and Performance Metrics 16:01 Enhancing Patient Care through Hygienist Engagement 20:53 Flexible Scheduling for Hygienists 25:15 Conclusion and Key Takeaways 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc   🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team 📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-onboarding-playbook ➖➖➖➖ Your hygienists don't become top performers by chance; they need the right systems, coaching, and accountability. In this episode, Gary Bird, Dr. Blake Hamblin, and lead hygienist Autumn Bretscher reveal the exact onboarding and KPI framework that helps their team consistently deliver better patient care, stronger treatment acceptance, and long-term practice growth. 🔍What you'll learn in this episode: 📌Build a structured onboarding system that prepares new hygienists for long-term success. 📌Track the KPIs that matter most, including 90–95% reappointment rates, fluoride acceptance, and laser treatment goals. 📌Implement the Triangle System to improve communication between the hygienist, doctor, and patient. 📌Coach hygienists through role-playing, scorecards, and real-time feedback instead of guesswork. 📌Create ethical bonus systems that increase collections, improve patient care, and strengthen your fee-for-service practice. This is Episode 3 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service Hosted by Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin, with lead hygienist Autumn Bretscher, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental marketing, hiring, PPO optimization, collections, or practice growth, this episode delivers proven systems you can implement immediately. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Overview of the topics: onboarding, soft skills, KPIs, bonuses 04:35 The onboarding process for new hygienists 05:46 Managing high patient volume with efficient appointment flow 07:50 Handling deep cleaning discussions and patient expectations 08:55 The triangle system for patient handoff and communication 11:53 Role-playing and training for new hygienists 14:00 Soft skills: attitude, coachability, growth mindset, and ethics 19:50 Measuring hard skills: KPIs like reappointment rate and fluoride acceptance 23:28 Presentation of fluoride and vitamin treatments to patients 26:05 Use of lasers and microscopes in hygiene treatments 27:49 Bonus systems based on performance and ethics ⬇️GUEST INFO⬇️ Autumn Bretscher: Lead Hygienist at Hamblin Family Dentistry Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team  📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygienist-recruiting-ad-template ➖➖➖➖  If you're struggling to hire hygienists, offering a higher hourly wage probably isn't the solution. In this episode, Gary Bird sits down with recruiting and operations leader Paige Mosquella to reveal why the best dental practices attract great hygienists without relying on expensive recruiting or bidding wars. Learn the mindset shift that can transform your hiring strategy and support long-term practice growth. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌 Discover the PPP Hiring Framework (Pain, Paradise, Process) that makes job ads stand out. 📌 Build a continuous pipeline of hygienists using free recruiting platforms like Indeed and Facebook Groups. 📌 Create flexible scheduling systems that improve hiring and retention without sacrificing standards. 📌 Refresh recruiting ads consistently to attract new candidates instead of relying on one-time postings. 📌 Strengthen your employer brand through culture, Google reviews, and a modern practice experience to win top talent. This is Episode 2 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service Hosted by Gary Bird, a dental marketing expert, and featuring recruiting leader Paige Mosquella, this episode shares proven hiring strategies used by successful dental practices. Backed by insights from more than 1,195 dental offices, you'll learn practical systems that support hiring, practice growth, collections, fee-for-service success, and long-term scalability. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What we discuss: 00:00 Introduction and guest background 03:21 The importance of continuous posting and ad refreshment 05:02 The significance of refreshing creative content 05:31 Using free tools like Indeed and Facebook groups 07:45 The PPP framework: Pain, Paradise, Process 09:21 Addressing hygienists' need for flexibility 11:00 Flexible scheduling and work-life balance 13:00 The power of culture, reviews, and modern facilities 13:45 Process: Focusing on Standards and Training 15:18 Leading with benefits, not just pay ⬇️GUEST INFO⬇️ Paige Mosquella: Hygienist/Recruiter & Operations Leader at Hamblin Family Dentistry Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

▶️ Full 5-part Hygiene Crisis series playlist: The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team 📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/hygiene-crisis-readiness-checklist ➖➖➖➖ The hygiene crisis is not coming, it is already here, and most dental practices are completely unprepared for what happens next. If you are paying a hygienist $80 an hour while insurance reimburses $12 for a cleaning, the math is not broken, it was never going to work. Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird break down exactly why the shortfall is getting worse, and the full system to stop getting held hostage by your own hygiene department. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Discover why in-network hygiene math is destroying practice profitability and what to do instead 📌Learn how Dr. Blake scaled from 2 to 6 hygienists using a redundancy strategy that eliminated bad hiring decisions 📌Build a flexible shift schedule that attracts top hygiene talent without competing on hourly rate alone 📌Implement the KPI scoreboard system that tells your team whether they are winning or losing without you having to say a word 📌Increase hygiene revenue by moving active patients from 2 visits per year to 3 using a co-diagnosis framework This is Episode 1 of 5 in the Hygiene Crisis series. Watch the complete series in order here:  The Hygiene Crisis Series: Build, Recruit, Compensate, and Retain a High-Performing Hygiene Team Episode order: The State of the Hygiene Market / Recruiting / Onboarding and KPIs / Pay and Compensation / PPO vs. Fee-for-Service Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction to the Hygiene Market Breakdown 03:46 Amazing opportunity: Looking for 4 Dentists 06:10 The Shortfall of Hygienists and Its Impact 08:58 The Role of Hygienists in Patient Retention 11:30 The Challenges of Using Temporary Hygienists 17:48 Leadership and Culture in Dental Practices 24:34 Navigating Insurance: Out of Network vs. PPO 27:48 Always Be Hiring: Onboarding and Retention Strategies 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource:  https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-career-growth-assessment 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ Finding the right practice can shape your career just as much as your clinical skills. Dr. Blake Hamblin's practice is on track to reach 300 new patients per month, creating enough demand to hire four more dentists and expand into new locations. Whether you're an associate looking for mentorship or a practice owner building your team, this episode reveals what high-growth practices look for and why the right environment can change the trajectory of your career. 🔍What you'll learn in this episode: 📌Discover why Dr. Blake is hiring 4 dentists as his practice approaches 300 new patients per month 📌 Learn the qualities that matter more than clinical experience when hiring associates and future partners 📌 See how mentorship, continuing education, and patient volume accelerate clinical and professional growth 📌 Understand the career paths available, from high-producing associate to leadership and partnership 📌 Explore how building the right team supports long-term practice growth, stronger hiring, and future expansion Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin, who grew from $200K to nearly $700K in monthly collections in less than two years, and Gary Bird, Founder of SMC National, sharing real strategies from real practices backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Blake's Opportunities in Houston 02:36 What Kind of Dentist Is Dr. Blake Looking For? 03:17 Clinical Skills and Opportunities for Growth 04:38 Bread and Butter Dentistry and Learning New Skills 05:43 Partnering and Expanding to New Locations 07:07 Paths to Partnership and Success Models 09:25 Living and Working in Houston, Texas 11:40 Open Door Policy and Mentorship Opportunities 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource:  https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-success-playbook 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀The mastermind fills fast - apply now and start scaling with confidence: https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ If your practice can't grow without you, you've built yourself a job, not a scalable business. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird reveal why the biggest obstacle to practice growth isn't finding better associates, it's learning how to build trust, develop leaders, and step out of the clinical bottleneck. Discover the systems behind a practice seeing 220 new patients per month without relying on one doctor to do it all. 🔍 What you'll learn in this episode: 📌Learn how to transfer patient trust from the owner doctor to a new associate with simple handoff strategies. 📌Discover why reducing your clinical menu helps associates grow faster while increasing practice production. 📌Build associate confidence with a mentorship framework that develops better clinicians without risking patient experience. 📌Identify hiring red flags before making an expensive associate mistake that limits practice growth. 📌Create leadership systems that allow your practice to continue growing beyond $2M while giving you more freedom outside the chair. This is Part 3 of our series on hiring and integrating an associate into your dental practice. See the complete series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXjamqd_tmQ Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental practice growth, hiring associates, increasing collections, improving case acceptance, transitioning toward fee-for-service, or building a practice that scales beyond the owner, this episode delivers practical strategies you can implement immediately. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction to Hiring Dental Associates 03:36 Transferring Trust to New Associates 06:29 Building Confidence in New Dentists 09:03 Mentoring Strategies for New Dentists 09:30 Reducing Your Procedure Menu for Growth 12:30 Encouraging Doctors to Take on New Procedures 14:10 Creating Room to Fail and Grow 16:20 Red Flags in Associate Hiring 17:38 Why Minimums Can Be a Red Flag 19:20 Assessing Human Factors and Fit 22:49 Spotting Weaknesses and Building Strengths 24:00 Specializing and Matching Practice Needs 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/associate-agreement-template 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀Spots are limited - secure your seat in the mastermind that’s changing how dentists grow: https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ The difference between 28% and 32% may look huge on paper, but the better opportunity is not always the practice offering the highest percentage. Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird break down what associates and owners should evaluate beyond compensation - from patient flow and mentorship to collections, culture, and long-term practice growth. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Compare 25%, 28%, 30%, and 32% compensation offers without ignoring patient opportunity 📌Evaluate why a practice seeing approximately 200 new patients per month may create greater earning potential 📌Understand adjusted production versus collections and how each model affects associate compensation 📌Build a three-way win for the practice owner, associate, and patients 📌Avoid the confusion created when some providers are in-network and others are out-of-network This is Part 2 of our series on hiring and integrating an associate into your dental practice. See the complete series here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdXjamqd_tmQ Hosted by Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 03:27 The importance of philosophy in compensation 05:00 The role of culture and relationships in hiring 07:30 Creating effective associate agreements 08:57 Adjusted production versus collections debate 15:21 Frequency of getting paid and its implications 17:55 Network versus out-of-network considerations 23:50 Leadership and vision in practice growth 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/financial-arrangements-template 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ If you're producing $1.5M–$2M a year but still doing everything yourself, you may be the biggest bottleneck in your practice. In this episode, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird explain why hiring an associate isn't an added cost. It's the key to creating more capacity, increasing collections, and scaling from a $2M practice toward $10M. Learn the mindset shift that unlocks long-term practice growth and greater freedom. This is Part 1 of our series on hiring and integrating an associate into your dental practice. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Identify the exam benchmarks that signal it's time to hire an associate. 📌Test whether your dental marketing can support another provider 📌 Build a practice top associates want to join 📌 Transition associates from onboarding to production-based compensation using a proven three-month framework. 📌 Create redundancy that gives you more flexibility, stronger practice growth, and less dependence on the owner. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Whether you're focused on dental marketing, hiring, fee-for-service growth, PPO strategy, collections, or building a scalable practice, these playbooks are designed for ambitious practice owners. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 The Importance of Hiring an Associate 03:09 How to Know if You Should Hire an Associate 04:48 Overcoming the Fear of Hiring an Associate 07:50 Exam Counts and Practice Capacity 09:29 Effective Leadership and Practice Management 11:58 Attracting Quality Associates 15:05 Pay Structures and Incentives for Associates 16:50 Building Redundancy and Practice Flexibility 18:14 Future Topics: Onboarding and Mentorship for Associates 19:30 Challenging Limiting Beliefs About Associates 🎧 Listen on: Apple: http://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: http://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/year-one-playbook 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ 52 episodes. Hundreds of conversations. One dental practice that grew from $200,000 a month in collections to nearly $750,000. In this anniversary documentary, Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird revisit the moments that mattered most, pulling the most insightful clips from across 52 episodes and connecting them into a single framework for practice growth. This is the full story, told in the words of the conversations that built it. If you have been following along, you will recognize some of these moments. If this is your first episode, this is the best place to start. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌 Why most dental practices plateau and what separates the ones that break through 📌How systems create predictable growth (and what happens when you skip them) 📌 Turning opportunities into accepted treatment without pressure or guesswork 📌Why the patient experience is your most powerful marketing strategy 📌 How to scale without losing the culture and care that made your practice great Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 01:22 Lesson 1: Growth Starts with the Owner 11:21 Lesson 2: Systems Create Predictable Growth 22:17 Lesson 3: Turning Opportunities into Accepted Treatment 36:12 Lesson 4: The Patient Experience Becomes Your Greatest Marketing Strategy 47:20 Lesson 5: Scaling Without Losing What Made You Successful 60:03 Lesson 6: The Biggest Lessons We Learned After 52 Episodes 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀Spots are limited - secure your seat in the mastermind that’s changing how dentists grow: https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ Dr. Blake Hamblin was stuck at $200K a month and couldn't figure out why the ceiling wouldn't break. Then one month, his single-location GP practice nearly hit $750K in collections. Now he and Gary Bird are reverse-engineering exactly how it happened, so you can apply the same framework to your best month and make it repeatable. 🔍 What you'll learn in this episode: 📌 Discover how Dr. Blake scaled from $200K to nearly $750K in a single month at one location 📌 Calculate the hygiene-to-doctor production ratio that signals whether your team is pulling their weight 📌 Build daily production targets by provider so your associates stop guessing and start growing 📌 Learn the "Who Not How" principle that separates dentists stuck in the chair from owners building real practice growth 📌 Understand why stepping back from clinical production is the only path to hitting $1M a month Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamlin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 Introduction and Dr. Blake's Practice Success 03:20 Reaching $750K in a Month: The Mindset 05:17 Key Metrics for Practice Growth 10:07 Reverse Engineering Your Revenue Goals 14:08 Team Development and Mentorship 17:45 Optimizing Practice Capacity 20:02 Delegation and Systematization 22:12 Financial Planning and Risk Management 23:15 Time Management and Prioritization 25:47 Long-term Vision and Adaptability 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

📥 Free Resource: https://go.mydentalplaybook.com/resources/ppo-growth-bundle 🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://bit.ly/496YYLb 🚀What are top-performing dentists doing differently? Find out inside the mastermind:  https://shorturl.at/AenIt ➖➖➖➖ If you're in-network and feel like the walls are closing in, you're not imagining it. Insurance reimbursements keep shrinking, overhead keeps climbing, and the dentists who are winning aren't escaping the PPO game. They're playing it smarter with three specific systems most practices never build. 🔍What you'll learn in this episode: 📌Why your front desk is quietly screening out new patients while you stress about collections 📌The loss-aversion treatment framework that closes $20,000 cases without feeling like a sales pitch 📌How to present a filling-to-implant stair-step that makes patients say yes before they object 📌The patient financing move that converts an $8,000 case into $400 a month and removes the insurance conversation entirely 📌Why 10-15 minutes of daily TC training is the highest-leverage activity in your practice right now Hosted by Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 The Broken Dental Business Model 04:05 Training for Success in Dentistry 08:38 Effective Treatment Presentation 12:58 Financing Options for Patients 17:10 Building a Supportive Dental Community 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://bit.ly/4mvFu8g Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Ugtnjc 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook

🚀Check out our new Dental AI Receptionist! It schedules better than humans: https://hubs.la/Q04mc4V_0 🚀Grow Your Practice with Cherry Payment Plans: https://hubs.la/Q04lDhgr0 🚀The mastermind fills fast - apply now and start scaling with confidence: https://hubs.la/Q04lFKjX0 ➖➖➖➖ Thinking about going out of network, but worried about losing patients? In this special My Dental Playbook episode, Gary Bird and Dr. Blake Hamblin share the exact systems that helped Blake grow from 20 new patients per month to more than 100, all while building a thriving fee-for-service practice. They break down the marketing, patient communication, financing, membership plans, and operational strategies that make the transition successful. 🔍What you’ll learn in this episode: 📌Why PPO write-offs may be costing your practice more than you realize 📌The marketing systems you should build before dropping insurance 📌How to answer insurance questions without letting insurance control the conversation 📌The role Google reviews, patient experience, and internal marketing play in predictable growth 📌How membership plans and patient financing reduce dependence on PPOs  📌A practical roadmap for transitioning out of network while continuing to grow your practice Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, sharing real strategies from real practices, backed by data from 1,195+ dental offices. Subscribe for weekly playbooks that help dentists grow faster, lead better, and build a practice they love. What We Discuss: 00:00 - Introduction and the “Insurance Trap” 01:32 - Success Story: Transitioning to Out-of-Network 05:34 - Why This Matters Now: Declining Reimbursements and Rising Costs 06:47 - The Hidden Costs of PPOs and the Write-Off Math 10:19 - Shifting Write-Offs into Growth: Marketing and Membership Plans 24:44 - The Power of Patient Financing 28:03 - Marketing Engines: Internal and Local Visibility 37:25 - Case Content and Community Trust 41:29 - Avoiding Common Marketing Mistakes 48:02 - Advanced Targeting and Data Mapping 50:16 - Maximizing Google Reviews 55:01 - Phone Mastery: Redirecting Scripts and Handling Objections 01:04:44 - Words That Matter in the Chair 01:08:46 - The Future of Dental Practice 01:13:58 - Transitioning Out of Network: A Step-by-Step Guide 🎧 Listen on: Apple: https://hubs.la/Q04lDx_20 Spotify: https://hubs.la/Q04lFDtR0 🎯Support the Channel: → Follow + hit the bell 🔔 → Give us 5 stars ⭐ if this episode helped 🚀 Ready to grow your practice? Book a free strategy call with Gary Bird's team → https://bit.ly/3IXIN9D 🙌 About the Show: My Dental Playbook gives you real strategies to grow your dental practice from a dentist who's actually doing it! We cover everything: financially, operationally, mindset and clinically. Hosted by Dr. Blake Hamblin and Gary Bird, each episode delivers a new play you can run to get results with your team. ⬇️HOSTS INFO⬇️ 🧑🏼‍⚕️Dr. Blake Hamblin:  Doctor/Practice Owner at Hamblin Family Dentistry 🌐Website: https://hamblinfamilydentistry.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blake.hamblin 🐐Gary Bird: Founding Owner at SMC National, a Dental Growth Partner 🌐Website: https://thegarybird.com/ 👋Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegarybird #DentalMarketing #DentalPodcast #PracticeGrowth #MyDentalPlaybook