The Dental Marketer

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The Dental Marketer

I just had Dr. Sundar Jagadeesan, founder of Dentiq on the podcast.

He built his practice from scratch in 2019.

From the outside, it looked steady.

Behind the scenes, the last 18 months were heavy.

    
• Associates moved.
    
• The team downsized.
    
• Overhead crept past 60%.
    
• Supply costs surged.     

And it briefly felt like starting over.

It became a turning point.

Here’s what I learned:

    
1. “Pressure doesn’t break businesses... it reveals them.” When associates leave or costs spike, weak systems show up immediately.
    
2. “Speed creates activity; pace creates outcomes.” Adding 10 minutes to new patient consults improved clarity and case acceptance, even if volume dipped.
    
3. “The best conversations start before the first word.” Reviewing radiographs + medical history for 2–3 minutes before greeting the patient changed the quality of the diagnosis and plan.
    
4. “Closing isn’t the goal... understanding is.” Not every patient needs to be “sold”; understanding before presenting builds long-term trust.
    
5. “Teeth don’t walk in... people do.” Relationship-driven practices outlast procedure-driven ones. Treating the whole person, not just the tooth, differentiates in crowded markets.
    
6. “Advertising creates awareness; proof creates appointments.” Marketing and advertising are not the same. Radio built brand awareness; SEO and Google reviews drove actual patient acquisition.
    
7. “AI should give time back, not add another task.” Automating notes/admin freed mental bandwidth for leadership, training, and system review.
    
8. “Clarity rarely arrives inside the chaos.” Taking time away from production to reassess systems prevented months of reactive decisions.
    
9. “Overhead isn’t a number problem... it’s a habits problem.” Reviewing supply ordering, conversion at the phone, and fee structure often matters more than adding new production.

What are some of your takeaways from this episode?

Listen here: https://thedentalmarketer.site/podcast/593

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