Author: Sherri Merritt

In today’s competitive dental market, great clinical skills alone aren’t enough to win patient loyalty.  What truly sets a practice apart is the patient experience…how individuals feel from the moment they step through your door to the moment they leave.  Every touchpoint matters, and creating a seamless, five-star experience requires your entire team working together with intention, empathy, and consistency. I am going to talk about how dental practices can

As dental professionals, we’ve all encountered patients who, despite being diagnosed with periodontal disease, insist they “just want a regular cleaning.”  These situations can be uncomfortable, especially when the patient is convinced that their oral health doesn’t warrant more extensive treatment.  However, handling these interactions with empathy, clarity, and professionalism is key to achieving the best outcome for both the patient and the practice. Here’s a guide on how to

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