Author: Sherri Merritt

When it comes to dental fillings, not all materials are created equal.  For decades, dental amalgam (silver fillings), a metallic mixture containing mercury, silver, tin, and copper, has been the go-to material for restoring decayed teeth.  While durable and cost-effective, amalgam fillings have fallen out of favor with both patients and dental professionals.  The reason is growing concerns over their long-term effects on oral and overall health. In contrast, bonded

Getting your accounts receivable (A/R) under control is a major accomplishment, but keeping it that way requires ongoing attention, structure, and teamwork.  Once your practice has cleaned up outstanding balances and tightened up its processes, it’s time to shift from a reactive to a proactive mindset. Managing A/R is not just about chasing money, it’s about creating systems that prevent overdue balances from piling up in the first place. Make

Running a dental practice successfully requires more than clinical skill, it demands consistency, efficiency, and smart business operations.  Many dental offices start small and grow quickly, but without structured systems in place, that growth can lead to chaos instead of success. The solution? Systems! Establishing clear, repeatable processes for every area of your practice, from patient care to billing, can transform how your team works, how patients experience your care,

First impressions matter, and in dentistry, the first visit a patient makes to your practice can set the tone for their entire experience.  Traditionally, new patient appointments involve a clinical exam, x-rays, and a review of the patient’s medical and dental history.  But as technology continues to evolve, there’s one essential tool that is reshaping the standard of care in modern dental practices: digital intraoral scanning. Digital scans, also known

For many dental practices, participating in insurance networks has long been the standard.  But more and more dentists are making the move toward fee-for-service (FFS) models ,  and for good reason.  A fee-for-service practice can offer more autonomy, more time with patients, reduced administrative overhead, and in many cases, greater profitability. Still, transitioning away from insurance is a major shift.  It requires careful planning, clear communication, and a strong commitment

Every dental practice faces financial challenges at some point, but few are as stressful, or as telling, as a high accounts receivable (A/R).  When your A/R balance is significantly high, it’s a sign that too much of your revenue is tied up in uncollected payments.  This impacts cash flow, disrupts your ability to pay bills on time, and can create tension between your administrative team and patients.  The good news