YOUR GUT IS LYING TO YOU (AND YOUR DATA ISN’T)
When it comes to decisions inside the practice, a lot of dentists rely on their gut. Even more just look around and do what they think everyone else is doing. That’s not strategy, it’s herd behavior. It feels safe, but it rarely leads to the best outcomes. Now, before you push back, there’s a reason this happens. Dentistry is built on standards, protocols, and doing things the “right” way. That mindset works very well clinically, and it’s part of what makes you good at what you do. But when it comes to running a business, that thinking can hold you back. Business rewards something different. It rewards people who think independently, measure what’s actually happening, and make decisions based on evidence instead of comfort. Unfortunately, comfort is what most people default to. And that’s where problems start to creep in. Many dentists assume that if everyone else is doing something, it must be the right move. If others are buying a piece of technology, joining a PPO, or hiring a consultant, it feels like a safe bet. But there’s a risk in following the crowd that doesn’t get talked about enough. Sometimes, the crowd is wrong. You see this clearly with big technology purchases. A dentist attends a meeting, hears a few colleagues talking about a new system, and suddenly it feels like a must-have. The internal conversation shifts quickly from curiosity to justification. And before long, a very large check gets written. What usually doesn’t happen is a disciplined analysis. There’s no real cost- benefit breakdown, no time comparison, and no honest look at whether the practice can actually support the investment. It’s a decision based more on belief than numbers. And that’s where things go sideways. I’ve seen plenty of expensive equipment sitting unused in practices. It ends up in a corner, collecting dust, quietly reminding the owner that enthusiasm and economics are not the same thing. That’s what happens when decisions are driven by instinct instead of data. It feels right in the moment, but it doesn’t hold up over time. Now let’s talk about something even more common: the front desk. Ask almost any dentist how their team handles incoming calls, and you’ll hear the same answer. “They do a great job.” There’s almost always complete confidence in that response. But when you look at the numbers, the picture changes. Across the industry, roughly one-third of incoming calls go unanswered. That means one out of
every three potential patients simply disappears. And most practices have no idea it’s happening. It gets worse when those answered calls are actually reviewed. In many cases, staff provide incomplete information, fail to answer basic questions, or never even attempt to schedule the caller. Yet the dentist still believes everything is running smoothly. The belief isn’t based on data — it’s based on perception. This gap between perception and reality is one of the biggest issues in dentistry today. Not because dentists don’t care, but because they’re operating without clear visibility. If you don’t measure something, it’s very easy to assume it’s fine. And problems that stay invisible never get fixed. The most successful practice owners operate differently. They track things most dentists never even think about measuring. Call conversion rates, case acceptance, hygiene reappointment intervals, and production per hour all become part of the picture. They don’t rely on guesses, they rely on numbers. Once you have the data, something interesting happens. Decisions become easier and more obvious. You stop making moves based on what feels right and start making them based on what actually works. That shift alone can completely change the trajectory of a practice. You stop buying technology because it’s popular. You buy it because the math makes sense. You stop assuming your team is performing well and start managing performance with clarity. And over time, that creates consistency and control. The takeaway here is simple. If you rely on assumptions, gut feelings, and what everyone else appears to be doing, you’ll likely end up where the crowd ends up: somewhere in the middle, blending in with everyone else. And that’s not where you want to be. But if you’re willing to measure, track, and face reality, even when it’s uncomfortable, you gain something much more valuable. You gain control over how your practice actually performs. And in business, control beats gut instinct every single time.
Stan Kinder - (703) 298-1690 · 3
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