Be sympathetic to your patients, not empathetic. Sympathy keeps you present and caring, while empathy will burn you out. After 30+ years in practice, here's why the distinction matters more than most dentists realise.

I once doubled a fee hoping to lose every case that came with it and started winning almost all of them. Here's what that taught me about pricing.

In 1986, more out of desperation than conviction, I took a communication course. Here's what I learned and why I'm running a seminar on 25 July.

A lady told me she'd pay $200 more for a 30-minute crown prep appointment over a 90-minute one. That changed everything I thought I knew about fees.

It started as a day of check-ups and cleans. It ended with 14 crown preparations. No extra patients, just case acceptance and efficiency working brilliantly.

Discounting can feel sensible. It isn't. Here's what it costs financially, what it signals to patients, and why your best patients deserve better.

Clutter isn’t just a mess. It’s a tax on your attention, your speed, and your clinical confidence. Here’s how and why to get rid of it.

Patients aren't interested in the clinical steps. They want to know what their teeth will look like after treatment.

Patients notice when you soften the truth even when you mean well. It makes them doubt you.

When explaining treatment to patients, a simple question can boost trust enormously.

Lunchtime in a dental office should be for relaxing, not writing treatment notes. Doctors need to delegate.

Trying to keep costs down may be damaging your productivity. If a material will make you more efficient, buy it!