In the world of dentistry, most practice growth stories start with better systems—but they only succeed with better leadership.
At The Dental A Team, we believe your systems should be smart, but your leadership should be sharper. Because it’s not enough to simply manage the chaos—you need someone who can lead through it.
That’s exactly what happened in a recent practice we worked with. The results?
A solo doctor and two hygienists increased production by $800,000 in just 1 year, without adding hours, hiring a new provider, or drowning in constant change.
So what made the difference?
A New Kind of Office Manager: Leadership > Management
This particular office manager came from outside dentistry entirely. No background in treatment planning. No AR experience. But what he did have? A willingness to lead, to learn, and to drive a vision alongside the owner doctor.
The doctor, on the other hand, loved surgery and wanted more of it. But business decisions, daily team management, and constant interruptions kept him in the weeds.
So, we partnered with the office manager to make a mindset shift. We didn’t start with SOPs or scripts.
We started with leadership development.
He learned how to:
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Lead team members through change
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Set (and enforce) expectations
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Build trust through transparency
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Guide tough conversations with empathy and confidence
This wasn’t just about tracking KPIs. It was about creating a culture where every team member wanted to take ownership of their role and understood how it contributed to the bigger picture.
Vision First, Then Systems
Most offices try to implement systems without ever clarifying what they’re working toward.
But leadership without vision is just a to-do list in disguise.
So before we layered in The Dental A Team’s proven systems—like NDTR, ICRP, and department avatars—we helped the leadership team get clear on:
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What kind of patient experience they wanted to deliver
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What type of practice culture they wanted to create
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And how each team member’s role connected to that vision
Once that vision was locked in, systems actually worked—because they had a purpose.
They weren’t just tasks. They were tools to move the entire practice forward.
Delegation Isn’t Optional, It’s Scalable Leadership
One of the biggest mindset shifts we teach office managers and doctors is this:
You are responsible for the result, not for doing every single task.
At first, this office manager held onto everything. He was managing AR, putting out team fires, and second-guessing decisions. But when he learned how to lead through others—how to empower his team and delegate with clarity—that’s when the practice gained real momentum.
We helped him:
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Assign department KPIs
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Coach team members for performance
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Set expectations and hold people accountable
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Create sustainable training systems
And the doctor? He was finally free to do what he loved: surgery.
The Results: Culture + Systems = Growth
Here’s what this practice achieved in just the first year:
?? $800K increase in production
?? Reduced stress and decision fatigue for the doctor
??? Plans in motion for a facility expansion
?? Recruited, onboarded, and trained a fully aligned team
?? 1, 3, and 5 year roadmap for hiring, financials, and growth
Now, five years later, they’ve built a massive facility, changed hundreds of patient lives, and created a practice culture people recognize in the community. (Strangers have literally thanked them for the life-changing care their team provided a friend or family member.)
That didn’t happen by accident.
That happened by design.
And it started with an office manager who decided to lead.
Want to Build This in Your Practice?
Whether you're a doctor feeling stuck or an office manager ready to step into a true leadership role, The Dental A Team is here to help.
We don’t just give you templates, we coach your team to own their roles, drive accountability, and lead with confidence. It’s how we’ve helped hundreds of practices increase profitability, decrease stress, and scale with systems that actually work.
Reach out at Hello@TheDentalATeam.com or Schedule a call.
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