Are you a caring dentist who finds it hard to accept when a patient is beyond your help?

In this episode, Dr. Don Barden, a scholar of economics and human behavior, candidly talks about a critical failure, one that many dentists might relate to: assuming you can help everyone. Sharing his wealth of knowledge and experience, Dr. Barden shows the dangers of this mindset and explains the importance of recognizing that patients, and indeed anyone, can only be truly helped when they are willing to help themselves. Unpack his insights and learn why he thinks that acknowledging this reality can be a significant step towards succeeding as a practice owner. As Dr. Barden says, "Failure is ongoing. Failure is something that you should embrace because it tells you what not to do, and it opens the door for everything you should be doing."

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Listen to Don's Other Episodes Here:

Feel Passion for Dentistry Again: 12-Months to Success with This Mindset Shift | Don Barden | MME – The Dental Marketer Podcast

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Host: Michael Arias

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Love the Podcast? Follow on Your Favorite App! https://lnkfi.re/TDMPod

How did a Colorado dental group turn technology disaster into a growth catalyst?

This episode takes us behind the scenes of a bold, full-scale transition at a seven-location pediatric dental group: moving from server-based Open Dental to the cloud-powered Dentrix Ascend. Nicole Hartshorn, COO and regional manager, shares how scaling demands seeing every location not as isolated outposts, but as parts of a truly unified business, and what happens to patient experience when operational hiccups ripple through the system.

Nicole pulls back the curtain on the first big shock moving from Open Dental: financial ledger data didn’t migrate, instantly breaking accounts receivable tracking. Her team faced the daunting reality of rebuilding patient balances by hand, a process that took months and tested resolve. She explains how intensive on-site trainers, standardized SOPs, and continuous coaching from Dentrix Ascend turned the tide with upfront struggles, leading to breakthrough systems that allow team members to focus on a better patient experience. Nicole also dives into the nitty-gritty of effective recall protocol, automation that frees teams for powerful community outreach, and the often-overlooked details that make or break pediatric experience at scale.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why unified operational systems are critical for multi-location practices
• The costly surprise of non-migrating financial data and how to recover
• How on-site software trainers shape successful change management
• Strategies to overcome “we’ve always done it this way” resistance
• A high-impact, personalized recall system that keeps patient engagement at 95%+
• The crucial (yet often ignored) role of documenting visit details
• Automation hacks like insurance verification that give back staff time
• How quarterly outreach campaigns grow referrals in pediatric dentistry
• Pitfalls of focusing solely on collections over production and recall
• The importance of standardization for large provider teams
• Why “add-on” side services can undermine your core pediatric business

Ready to hear how bold leadership can turn an operational crisis into long-term growth? Listen now for firsthand lessons you can use in your own practice!

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Sponsors:‍

Dentrix Ascend: Smarter System, Smarter Practice: Dentrix Ascend Cloud-Based Dental Software Break free from software hassles and come with us to the cloud. Spend less time managing your practice and more time caring for your patients. Tap here for a special offer!

Guest: Nicole Hartshorn

Practice Name: Pediatric Dental Group of Colorado

Check out Nicole's Media:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hartshorn-9a927770/

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Host: Michael Arias

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

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Love the Podcast? Follow on Your Favorite App! https://lnkfi.re/TDMPod

Are you scared of going against what's popular or accepted in dentistry, especially when it hits your patient base hard?

In this episode, Dr. Delaney Spaulding, the fearless owner of Ross Bridge Dentistry, underscores the value of courageous decision-making through her own story. Dr. Spaulding moves from a terrifying plunge into an out-of-network practice model that losses half of her patient base, to learning to navigate pushbacks, tough conversations, and an unforeseen leadership refurbishment. Listen in to discover how she envisioned and enacted a practice that thrives on intentional patient communication and experience, rather than riding on the insurance wagon. Dr. Spaulding shows you why, in your practice, you decide the rules. Tune into this episode of Fail Forward and prepare to be inspired to act boldly!

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Listen to Delaney's Other Episodes Here:

410: Dr. Delaney Spaulding | Ross Bridge Dentistry – The Dental Marketer Podcast

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Host: Michael Arias

Join my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍

Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society

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Love the Podcast? Follow on Your Favorite App! https://lnkfi.re/TDMPod