Sharing numbers with the team can feel difficult for dentists who worry that data will seem cold, corporate, or disconnected from patient care. In this episode, Kirk Behrendt brings back Miranda Beeson, dental hygienist and coach, to explain why sharing metrics feels so hard and how to make those conversations productive, consistent, and patient-centered.

You will learn how to connect KPIs to patient outcomes, reduce defensiveness around data, and help your team understand how their roles affect the health of the practice and the patients you serve. To learn how to make metrics a healthier part of your leadership, listen to Episode 1069 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways

Dentists often struggle more with managing and leading people than with the clinical side of dentistry.
Data conversations become difficult when the team only hears about numbers during problems or emergencies.
Metrics feel cold when leaders discuss production and collections without connecting them to patient care.
Reappointment percentage reflects whether patients are staying on track with preventive care.
Treatment acceptance shows whether patients understand the value of recommended care and are moving forward with treatment they want or need.
Perio visit percentage helps teams see whether they are proactively addressing periodontal disease.
Leaders can make data easier to discuss by explaining what each metric measures, what systems affect it, and how improvement benefits the patient experience.

Snippets:

00:00 Intro

01:13 Meet Miranda Beeson

02:27 Miranda explains why many practice owners hesitate to share data.

05:27 What happens when practices do not review numbers with the team.

06:52 Why KPI reporting can feel like it is only about making more money.

10:22 What it looks like when leaders introduce KPIs well.

11:10 KPI Examples That Matter

14:34 Kirk discusses the compounding effect of stronger perio visit percentages.

15:56 Miranda explains why leaders must set the tone around data.

16:14 Miranda introduces resources for connecting metrics to patient experience.

19:06 Kirk closes by encouraging leaders to share numbers in a way that helps the team and patients.

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

Miranda Beeson has over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene, front office, practice administration, and speaking experience. She is enthusiastic about communication and loves helping others find the power that words can bring to their patient interactions and practice dynamics. As a Lead Practice Coach, she is driven to create opportunities to find value in experiences and cultivate new approaches.

Miranda graduated from Old Dominion University, and enjoys spending time with her husband, Chuck, and her children, Trent, Mallory, and Cassidy. Family time is the best time, and is often spent on a golf course, a volleyball court, or spending the day boating at the beach.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

To The Top Study Club: https://www.actdental.com/ttt/
ACT Dental resources: https://www.actdental.com/free-resources/
For more information about the community, contact gina@actdental.com
KPI Mastery: https://www.actdental.com/127

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
Best Practices Association: https://www.actdental.com/bpa
Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
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