Amanda Tebbe, Chief Operations Officer at SOH Dental

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Episode: Amanda Tebbe, Chief Operations Officer at SOH Dental
Date: September 28, 2025
Host: Ariana Portolattan (A)
Guest: Amanda Tebbe (B), COO at SOH Dental

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Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, Ariana Portolattan interviews Amanda Tebbe, Chief Operations Officer at SOH Dental, about current industry trends, operational challenges, and the future of leadership in dental support organizations (DSOs). Tebbe shares her thoughts on workforce issues, the impact of technology (especially AI), and the critical importance of workplace culture and retention.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Amanda Tebbe’s Background and SOH Dental Overview

• Amanda Tebbe serves as COO, overseeing field and support operations as well as strategic initiatives at SOH Dental.
• SOH Dental, founded in 2018, operates 40 locations across 11 states, combining general practice and specialty offices and generating $80 million in annual revenue.
• Tebbe previously held senior roles at Heartland Dental and Patterson Technology Center, bringing a breadth of leadership experience.

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Top Issues in the Dental Industry (01:13–02:42)

• Staffing Shortages:
  • "Operationally, staffing shortages, especially in the hygiene and dental assistant roles, [are] always on my mind." (01:25, B)
  • SOH Dental has achieved strong staff retention but remains vigilant on market trends and hiring practices.
• Retention Strategies:
  • Continuous evaluation of salary trends, bonuses, and market compensation.
  • Emphasis on job satisfaction as key to retention.
• Affordability and Insurance Coverage:
  • Concern over patient care affordability, insurance coverage gaps, and payer reimbursement trends; all are closely monitored as they impact overall market trends.

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Ingredients of Successful Retention at SOH Dental (02:42–03:22)

• Culture-First Approach:
  • "It's really great culture...not necessarily micromanaging or treating every office and situation as a cookie cutter approach." (02:51, B)
  • Each office is recognized as unique, with leadership and supportive culture being core drivers of low turnover.
• Leadership and Flexibility:
  • Focused leadership and adaptable office management are named as retention cornerstones.

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Excitement and Concerns about the Future of Dentistry (03:22–05:06)

• Optimism About Technology, Especially AI:
  • "I'm most excited about the buzzword AI and just new technology overall and how that can improve the efficiency of our supported dental offices." (03:30, B)
  • AI is seen as a solution to reduce repetitive tasks, centralize functions (e.g., accounts receivable, call center, insurance verification), and potentially improve compliance and data management.
• ROI Caution:
  • "I think the key is also making sure that there's an ROI and it's actually adding to the business." (04:21, B)
  • Importance of vetting technology investments to ensure team buy-in and genuine value addition.
• Concerns About Culture During Change:
  • "I'm really most nervous that we ensure culture and teams feel good about the centralization efforts...and they see it as a value add and not a replacement factor or more work in general." (04:36, B)
  • Emphasis on remaining a "people first" company as the organization evolves technologically.

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The Future of Healthcare Leadership (05:15–07:10)

• Culture and People Focus:
  • "A big component of success is to focus on the team's culture and the people side to support the overall retention number." (05:15, B)
  • SOH Dental’s culture and communications working group supports retention and fosters a positive workplace.
  • Initiatives include ongoing training, mentorship, internal growth opportunities, and employee recognition.
  • "We truly believe that the saying 'culture eats strategy for breakfast' is, is absolutely true." (06:13, B)
• Operational Growth and Creative Thinking:
  • Leaders must focus on growing acquired offices, not just maintaining them.
  • There's value in looking for growth opportunities within existing locations ("diamonds in everyone’s backyard").
  • Encouraged to develop problem-solving capabilities and tailor approaches to each office, avoiding cookie-cutter management.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Staffing and Retention:
  • "I'm always looking to ensure we're staying on top of hiring and what's kind of trending...even comparing it outside and just trends in general within the industry." (01:31, B)
• On Technology and AI:
  • "It's easy for the team to get bogged down with the busy task-oriented things that really just take away from them focusing on the patient experience...AI can eliminate some of that busy work." (03:35, B)
• On Leadership Philosophy:
  • "Retaining high performers...makes people feel good about where they work and...personal growth is important to a lot of people." (06:00, B)
  • "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." (06:13, B)
• On Growth Strategy:
  • "It's not just about maintaining what you bought, but it's...really building on top of that." (06:43, B)
  • "There's diamonds really in everyone's backyard." (06:52, B)

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Key Timestamps

• 00:22 – Amanda Tebbe introduces herself and SOH Dental
• 01:13 – Top issues in the dental industry today
• 02:42 – Why SOH Dental has best-in-class retention rates
• 03:30 – What excites and concerns Amanda about the dental industry’s future, especially technology
• 05:15 – The most important qualities for healthcare leaders in the coming years
• 06:13 – "Culture eats strategy for breakfast" and focus on developing internal talent
• 06:43 – On fostering growth post-acquisition and creative thinking

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Summary Flow and Tone

Amanda Tebbe’s perspective is practical and people-centered, emphasizing that operational success in dental organizations is fundamentally tied to employee satisfaction, a supportive workplace culture, and thoughtful application of technology. She’s candid about both the promise and potential pitfalls of industry trends and passionately believes in continual cultural investment as the strongest strategy for long-term success.

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, this is Ariana Portolattan with the Becker's Dental and DSO Review podcast. I'm thrilled to be joined today by Amanda Tebbe, the Chief Operations Officer at SOH Dental. Amanda, thank you so much for being here today. It's great to have you on our podcast.

[B]

Thank you. Happy to be here.

[A]

Yes, of course. To start us off, can you introduce yourself for our listeners and tell us a little bit about your background?

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Hello everybody. My name is Amanda Tebbe. I'm the Chief Operations Officer at SO Dental, also known as SOH Dental. I oversee the field and the support operations team along with managing the company's strategic initiatives. So dental is a DSO that's been in business since about 2018. We have about 40 locations across 11 states with a mix of GP as well as specialty types of offices. Do about 80 million in revenue per year. Prior to prior to so, I actually worked as the Director of Op Services at Heartland Dental for about three years. Prior to that I started my career after college at Patterson Technology center, which I worked at for about six years in an array of different leadership roles in different departments ranging from software development to call center management. That's a little bit about me.

[A]

Great. Thank you so much for that. Great to hear about your previous experience there. First question here for you. What are some of the biggest issues that you're following in the dental industry this year?

[B]

I'm sure I'm not unique in my responses to this question, but something that is always on my mind operationally is staffing shortages, especially in the hygiene and dental assistant roles. We've been lucky enough at SEW Dental to have really great retention for these roles, but I'm always looking to ensure we're staying on top of hiring and what's kind of trending not only for these roles within our company data but even comparing it outside and just trends in general within the industry. Really looking at what does retention look like, what is salary trend showing us bonus programs, is there comp in line with market and then just offering some flexibility at the offices where it's possible. I think just really understanding what the employees are wanting or what will continue to keep job satisfaction up will help with retention there which is just super important for our day to day business. I also think affordability of patient care and the insurance coverage gaps is key just in the dental market in general and then payer reimbursement trends along with just payer payer issues in general and is an extremely important issue and something I'm constantly keeping my eye on. Because it drives a lot of overall trends within the market.

[A]

Interesting. Yeah, I know you talked about the retention rate at SO Dental. What do you think has led to that being successful, successful at your organization?

[B]

I think it's really, it's really great culture. So I think that is extremely important and not necessarily micromanaging or treating every office and situation as a cookie cutter approach. I do think every office is unique in that. But our retention are very impressive. We've had a lot of success in all roles. They're very much about amazing doctor as well as team as well as corporate retention overall. But I think, I think in general that has to do with leadership and culture.

[A]

Okay, great. And next question for you here. What are you most excited about when it comes to dentistry right now and what makes you nervous?

[B]

I'm most excited about the buzzword AI and just new technology overall and how that can improve the efficiency of our supported dental offices. I think it's easy for the team to get bogged down with the busy task oriented things that really just take away from them. Focusing on the patient experience at the offices, I feel I can eliminate some of that busy work and really improve patient care and their overall experience at the dentist. I also feel like I will help us with centralizing, centralizing things such as office ar, call center, just missed opportunities, insurance verification and just so much more. Even on the compliance and the data side that we have even yet to see. I'm just excited to see really what's, what's to come on this and then how it will impact the industry overall. I feel it is very easy to get excited about technology but I think the key is also making sure that there's an ROI and it's actually adding to the business. It can really be an added expense if you don't evaluate it and really look at it as to what, what is it doing to the bottom line and is the team looking at it as a value add? I'm really most nervous that we ensure that the culture, that we ensure culture and teams feel good about the centralization efforts that we've been implementing and they see it as a value add and, and just not a replacement factor or more work in general. I, I feel we're here to support them and at so Dental we are people first company so we want, we want to ensure that doesn't change.

[A]

Some great points that you mentioned there. Thank you so much. Last question for you here. What will the most effective health care leaders need to be successful in the next two to three years?

[B]

I think A big component of success is to focus on the team's culture and the people side to support the overall retention number. I think good retention solves a lot of issues, especially operational issues for most healthcare leaders in general. At so we have a, we have a culture and communications working group that meets regularly. It is a mix of just all different departments and voices within the company. I feel like this working group is focused on just creating initiatives that continue to support the retention, making the company a great place to work for the teams. It can be really anywhere from training, education, employee benefits, recognition efforts, mentoring and building mentoring, mentor platforms and just growing and employees and building bench. Not necessarily so focused on hiring from the outside, but also growing from the inside, which I think again makes people feel good about where they work and, and personal growth is important to a lot of people, especially high performers and retaining those high performers. So I feel like at so we truly believe that the saying culture eats strategy for breakfast is, is absolutely true. I also think that the most effective healthcare leaders will need to focus on same office growth and really making sure that you're not only focused on acquiring offices or buying them, but that you can actually grow them and scale them after acquisition. It's not just about the maintaining what you bought, but it's act, it's, it's, it's really building on top of that. I feel like there's diamonds really in everyone's backyard. And I think the key is focusing on each office and what each office needs. It's not cookie cutter. It's really focused on creative thinking and I think just building our operational be able to create amazing problem solving abilities as well as just kind of seeing creative opportunities to solve issues that come with their day to day.

[A]

Great. Well, thank you so much. That's all I have for you today. Amanda, thanks for joining us. It's been a pleasure speaking with you and I'm looking forward to connecting with you again in the future.

[B]

Absolutely. Thank you. Have a great day.

[A]

You too. Bye Bye.

[B]

Bye.