Julie Varney is the biggest advocate for dental assistants in the US. She has been in the industry for 32 years and has accomplished a lot. In this interview she shares her thoughts on what;s holding back the profession of dental assistants and what one person can do to improve her or his career path.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dentalassistantsrock?igsh=MWE2dHZrbWJmbnJ4NQ==

Registration for the zenone.com/badass

(0:00) - Podcast Intro

(00:40) - TEasing Julie with hosting National conference in March 6-8 2025

(04:02) - National shortage of Dental Assistants, what happened?

(06:03) - What happened with dental assistants

(07:29) - How to determine a reasonable hourly rate for a Dental Assistant?

(10:04) - Are the dental assistants entitled?

(11:15) - Intro to June 28th Full Day workshop

(11:49) - How Julie started instagram account

(18:42) - Who is the workshop for?

(19:30) - Why Dental Assisting schools are not providing adequate training for the industry?

(27:15) - ADA, TDA, AGD and impact of these organization on Dental Assistants

(32:08) - How to leave your current job as a professional?

(36:00) - How to answer tricky questions at the job interviews

(38:54) - How to evaluate practices when interviewing for a job and ask good questions?

(41:25) - “What type of growth opportunities at your dental practice?”

(43:30) - How to get unstuck?

Michelle Affanato started her career in dentistry at the age of 15 and worked her way up to become a dental consultant. She has a unique perspective on the industry, having worked in various roles and even helped a bank with startup practice financing. Michelle believes that the key to success in dentistry is being willing to put in the work and not just focusing on clinical responsibilities. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the business side of dentistry and being involved in all aspects of the practice. Michelle's consulting focus is on system implementation and training, particularly in effective scheduling, financial management, and communication between the clinical and administrative teams. In this conversation, Michelle Affanato discusses the importance of having clear communication and systems in a dental practice. She emphasizes the need for a visual reminder of important information, such as X-rays or photos, to ensure that the team is consistently reminded of necessary procedures. Michelle also highlights the benefits of morning huddles in getting the entire team on the same page and maximizing productivity. She advises offices to focus on the highlights and important information during huddles, rather than going through every patient on the schedule. Michelle also touches on the use of sports analogies in business and the importance of defining success based on individual goals. She encourages private practices to focus on the patient experience and their own definition of success, rather than considering selling to a DSO as a solution to challenges. Michelle also discusses the difficulties in finding and retaining staff in the current job market and suggests considering training and onboarding individuals from outside of dentistry. Lastly, she emphasizes the importance of flexibility and adaptability in a startup practice, as systems and layouts may need to be adjusted as the practice grows and changes.

Takeaways

Success in dentistry requires putting in the work and not just focusing on clinical responsibilities.

Understanding the business side of dentistry and being involved in all aspects of the practice is crucial.

System implementation and training are key to effective scheduling, financial management, and communication within the practice.

Open-mindedness and a willingness to overcome challenges are important traits for success in dentistry. Clear communication and visual reminders are essential in a dental practice to ensure that the team consistently follows necessary procedures.

Morning huddles are a valuable opportunity to get the entire team on the same page and maximize productivity by focusing on the highlights and important information.

Defining success based on individual goals is crucial for private practices, and selling to a DSO should not be seen as the only solution to challenges.

Finding and retaining staff can be challenging in the current job market, and considering training and onboarding individuals from outside of dentistry may be a viable option.

Flexibility and adaptability are key in a startup practice, as systems and layouts may need to be adjusted as the practice grows and changes.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction and Reconnecting

(07:59) What Sets Michelle Apart as a Consultant

(28:06) Focus of Michelle's Consulting and Implementing Systems

(39:04 )Challenges and Strategies for Finding and Retaining Staff

(50:29) Defining Success and Setting Clear Goals

(58:02) Improving Efficiency and Patient Experience

In this podcast Michelle and I discuss how to become a trusted member of the team and learn to become the lead dental assistant. Learning how to communicate and the fundamentals of delegation. Michelle has been with Ballantyne Endodontics For 15 years and became clinical leader. Michelle Allen bio

Discount code : ZENONE for $400 off both the independent and The Independent + The collective (which is the coaching option). The next 8 week class starts on May 1st!

Shortcuts:

(0:00) - Podcast Intro

(01:10) - Balancing Act of day to day activities

(03:59) - What is the role of Lead Assistant

(06:56) - Responsibilities of a Lead Dental Assistant

(09:30) - Hiring the right people

(10:38) - Did your pay go up?

(12:17) - $45/hour Assistant, is it possible?

(14:35) - Is there a ceiling?

(16:43) - How to build trust between a doctor and a dental assistant

(23:16) - Non Verbal Communication in clinical settings

(25:35) - Sequence of procedures is a foundation for successful non verbal communication

(28:24) - Why is it so hard for practice to master non verbal communication

(30:32) - What is the goal for the course?

(33:53) - The reason for Polished Academy name

(34:32) - Do you have training for general practice dental assistant

(36:44) - How do you plan to manage the Full Time job and Coaching other offices?

(38:10) - What’s wrong with the current definition of a Dental Assistant

(39:40) - Michelle’s Story

(41:45) - You should do more in life and take on more responsibilities/challenges

(44:26) - What’s next?

(48:21) - What would you tell someone who is just starting out in the endo practice as an assistant?

Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/MichelleAllen_DA/⁠

More information about the course: ⁠https://polishedacademy.vipmembervault.com/⁠

Reference ⁠https://a.co/d/j9nQO6W⁠

DISC assessment - ⁠https://www.discprofile.com⁠

Unreasonable Hospitality - ⁠https://a.co/d/4VnNM0e⁠

4000 Weeks - Time Management for Mortals - ⁠https://a.co/d/07zZnVh⁠

Dr. Benjamin Johnson, DDS ( Bio; LinkedIn)

Dr. Benjamin Johnson graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Biology (2005), he attended Ohio State’s School of Dentistry and graduated in 2009.

In 2010, Dr. Johnson moved to Texas to work with Dr. Dale McCall (at what would become Acre Wood Dental). When Dr. McCall retired in 2011, Dr. Johnson purchased the practice and continued its tradition of excellent care while adding personal touches to grow it to the next level.

Dr. Johnson was blessed with a flourishing practice in Waco and needed additional space to grow. Acre Wood Dental expanded by acquiring two additional practices in neighboring towns – Temple and Gatesville.

In 2016, he updated and remodeled Acre Wood Dental Waco – going from five operatories to 17 operatories. In 2022, he started remodeling the Acre Wood Dental Temple location. In 2023 he purchased a practice in Round Rock Texas, making it his 4th location.

Shortcuts:

(00:00) - Podcast Intro

(00:27) Goal Setting

(02:20) Yearly Planning retreat

(04:15) Debt Reduction Framework for Goal Setting and Work Life Balance

(06:30) “I don’t really have goal for trips or income”

(08:20) The home is a foundation for a family

(09:15) Round Rock practice purchase story

(11:15) 5 Year gap between practice 3 and 4

(11:45) Dynamics of Power couples and how decisions are made

(13:30) Payroll nightmares when running 3 lean practices

(14:50) “Can you walk us through the purchase details?”

(17:19) Practice video walk through

(18:40) So why other buyers missed this gem? The real art of the dental deal

(20:55) “I did act fast”

(22:30) Price breakdown of this deal in real time, buildout/cabinetry, equipment, supplies, CEREC adds up to $1.1 million

(24:56) The risk reward was so extreme

(26:20) The importance of business acumen

(27:36) Associates expectations in the first 10 years of professional career

(29:25) “if you are worried about cash flow, great be an associate. If you are worried about net worth, then own”

(31:55) Cash flow or net worth, what do you want?

(33:37) People have the pressure because they don’t have the support at home

(36:20) Long term vision for the practice

(37:40) Are there more purchases after this practice?

(38:12) The team of rock stars that you need to have around you to scale

(39:48) “When I drive I’m a quiet kind of ride guy”

(41:02) “If you have no experience the headspace is a scary space because you don’t know” [42:01]

Dr. Aaron Nicholas (Bio, Insta, LinkedIn), In this wide ranging conversation we cover many topics that include burnout, suicide in dentistry, backpain, coping mechanisms, and mastery. Probably the most important part of the podcast is when I ask Dr. Nicholas, what fears does he have for the profession of dentistry?

Shortcuts:

(0:00) Podcast Intro

(01:20) Dr. Aaron’s retirement and how he keeps himself busy

(03:30) The Fairytale of Selling a Dental Practice

(05:50) Dentist burnout and what is the real reason?

(10:38) What is the Source of the burnout?

(12:50) 3 Dimensional framework to evaluate work-life balance - Work-Goals-Life

(17:50) Different Coping mechanisms to overcome burnout

(22:00) Healing back pain book

(26:10) 1 Thing Young Dentist can do to avoid the burnout and avoid back pain

(28:35) How do you pick good dental coaching?

(30:40) 5-6 Years before you become a master

(33:19) How would Dr. Nicholas would write chapter 1 of the book?

(34:42) What fears do you have about the profession of dentistry?

(42:10) We are really new to AI game with diagnosis

(42:50) Next 10 years of Dentistry and what is the bright side of dentistry?

(45:45) What is true Mastery? How to define mastery and achieve it?

Dr. Aaron’s courses and References:

• https://www.mondaymorningdentistry.com/

• Extraction course - https://www.mondaymorningdentistry.com/handsonextractions

• Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection - https://a.co/d/82BPUd2

• Colorado Surgical Institute- https://www.coloradosurgicalinstitute.com/#5

• Implant Pathway - https://www.thepathway.com/

Get in touch with Dr. Aaron Nicholas - anicholasdds@gmail.com

There are many aspects we can all agree are missing in dentistry today. However, from my perspective, having worked with dental teams daily, I can clearly see that onboarding, training, and nurturing for your team is sorely lacking. Let's refer to it simply as "training".

How do I know? Well, I constantly hear phrases like, "They don't even know how to put on a rubber dam" or "How many times do I need to say that I use plain cetonest?" or my personal favorite, "I just need a dental assistant who can get the work done." What does this mean?

Please check out full article here

1. Trend 1: One of the most significant trends I've noticed is the increasing popularity of buying groups.

2. 1. When evaluating a group, dental practices should ask the following questions related to their negotiated formulary:

• Which manufacturers offer the deepest discounts?

• How often are discounts negotiated?

• Is pricing volume-based?

• Does the buying group negotiate a percentage discount or a fixed price per product? (We recommend the latter.)

1. Trend 2: Labor costs are driving the adoption of tools that reduce manual work. This trend is evident.

2. 1. When selecting the right ordering platform for the practice, several considerations are crucial:

• Data ownership: Ensure the practice owns all data and can access the entire database at any point.

• Setup cost: There shouldn't be a setup cost to start using an ordering platform.

• Trial period: Request a free trial to assess usability before committing.

1. Trend 3: Private practices are becoming savvier about where to save and are utilizing their freedom to invest in products that make a difference.

Reference:

We come across the following groups the most:

• Synergy Dental

• DentalWhale Savings Network

• SourceClub

• DSN (Dental Success Network)

• Kois Buying Group

• Mari’s List (for Orthodontic offices)

In this wide ranging conversation we cover many topics: 

• Startup, In Network, Out of Network, and knee deep in construction a story of 3 practices

• We didn’t even remind them to schedule the next appointment, was that a mistake? 

• We still have a capacity issue, bit on the hygiene side 

• Why do you need an associate if your hygiene schedule is not full? 

• Passive Income strategies. 

• Is Real Estate investment a good alternative to Dentistry?

• The Breakdown the business side of Dental Emergencies 

Few things we mentioned on the Pod:

-Round Flash Photo Diffuser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQ6UT4W?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share 

- 3D Printer for office things: http://bambulab.com/ 

TimeStamps: 

[00:55] Introductions 

[13:16] Looking for an associate. Avatar of the Ideal Associate for Ayrat, Andy, and Winston  

[19:17] Challenges and Goals 

[22:23] Why do you need an associate if your hygiene schedule is not full? 

[23:32] The Business side of dental emergencies 

[28:20] Marketing Strategies 

[32:06] “I see a lot of our friends selling”

[32:10] Passive Income in Dentistry, Myth or Reality? 

[35:27] Not Practicing Dentistry and Invest in real estate 

[37:40] Real Estate VS Dentistry 

[42:18] Construction Challenges 

[43:56] Latest Technology Purchases

[51:02] Working with In House Marketing Team 

Future Topics: Advisors and Coaching in Dentistry