Tiff and Nikki dive into all things tech + dentistry, including what practices can implement to make the day-to-day more efficient for staff and convenient for the patient — all while keeping that personal human touch.
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Transcript:
Tiff (00:00)
Hello, Dental A Team listeners. I am back here today with you, with one of my favorite Dental A Team consultants. We have a few consultants, and they're all my favorite, but I'm here today with Miss Nikki Mack, who many of you have met over the course of the last few months that she has been with Dental A Team, and all of you know she has a vast amount of experience in the dental industry, and she's right here in town with myself and Britt and
Gosh Pam, everybody's here. Dana's down south, but that's okay. Nikki's here and she's here with me today. And Nikki, welcome to the podcast. I am so excited to have you here today. We're gonna have so much fun together. You are a bundle of energy and a bundle of fun. And I'm just excited to be here. So how are you? How are you loving this like semi cloudy weather we've got and what's life in Nikki's world look like?
Nikki Mack (00:49)
Gosh.
It's been fantastic. I'm super happy to be back. I had so much fun last time. ? and actually I'm really excited about today's topic too. So that helps, obviously, but I can't wait to talk about it. ? it's gorgeous. It's still over a hundred, but you know, we learned to live with what we can get. the gloomy skies, a little bit of humidity, maybe some sprinkles. Like that's I'm ready. That's a great way to kick off my weekend. So I'm here for it.
Tiff (01:00)
Yeah. Yeah.
I know.
I agree.
I agree. This is like the one time, I don't know, in maybe my entire life of living in Arizona that I can't say, yeah, it's over a hundred, but it's a dry heat, 'cause it's over a hundred and humid. So I'm not really sure what to do with that. I'm like, it's cloudy, can I go outside? And I'm like, gosh, it's still really it's still a hundred and five. So I'm not sure w how to I'm not sure how to act.
Nikki Mack (01:31)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Cloudy skies make me want a sweater, but then I walked outside and I was like, ? no, that's not. That's not what's happening here. So we might have a real monsoon season this year. I can't wait.
Tiff (01:43)
Yeah.
I know.
I know. We're supposed to. We're supposed to. So we will, listeners, we will keep you in the loop on the Arizona weather. I know everybody's always dying to know. I actually it's one of the most like most often asked questions that I get when I do travel. So I know you're all just dying to hear about it. We will keep you posted. ? but I agree Yeah. Yeah. Always wanted to be a meteorologist, you know. Here we are. Here we are.
Nikki Mack (01:58)
Yeah.
We're here for your weather updates and your dental ? improvements. That's what we do.
Tiff (02:17)
but I agree, today's topic is actually really fun and ? it's it's tech techie and I think tech in dentistry can mean so many things. And so we'll narrow down kind of what we're chatting about today and and to to make it easy, I think tech has been so like virtually involved since COVID shutdowns and we've just really spun in dentistry on so many different platforms.
Be used. So tech in the dental industry no longer just means we have a mill, we have a 3D printing machine, we have scanners, and that is tech, but there's so much more that goes into it and that can be involved in that that term that I'm really excited to talk about it today. And Nikki, I'm excited. I know you love tech and the technical industry and AI and all that stuff, and
And you you love to geek out on it ? in your personal life. And like I think we all use those tools. So I'm excited to talk about it today. And and something that I want to start this out with today is really the idea of how much we use technology in our everyday lives and how much ? convenience the American citizen is after. We want efficiency.
Nikki Mack (03:16)
Yeah.
Tiff (03:37)
We want convenience. We do a lot. We jam as much into our days as we possibly can. And so being able to use technology severely impacts our worlds. And gosh, even this morning we do every Friday, we do like our f our Friday fun Friday. What's the most fun thing we did? And Diana, one of our consultants on our team, she's like, gosh, this week I ordered my groceries and they were delivered to my house. And she's like, that was life changing because she's a busy mom.
And I was like, that's so funny. And then today we're talking about this. I mean, gosh, technology. We're ordering, we're ordering our groceries, we're ordering Amazon. Like, how much stuff do you order on Amazon even when you want to support the other, the other companies and the other stores? But how much are we ordering on Amazon? Because it's easy, that ease of access. We're scheduling as many appointments online as we can. I just paid a bill to my healthcare office online and making sure that we can do all of these things from our phones.
in the most convenient ways as possible has become such an industry standard and a and a life standard for so many of us. I want to chat about that today within the dental industry. And Nikki, you said something before we got on, you're taking some notes, you're doing some things, and I I want to highlight that note because first we'll go through kind of like what is technology, Nikki, in your in your world and the practices you're working with, how do you see practices really using
Nikki Mack (04:47)
Yeah.
Tiff (05:01)
technology in that fashion, like for efficiencies, for conveniences, what are you seeing in the dental industry that people can implement within their practices?
Nikki Mack (05:11)
So I think the key when we talk about it is we want to do things that make it easier for us and convenient for the patient, right? Like those should be kind of the two, I feel like key core pieces before we use anything. But
We also have to keep in mind that technology doesn't have to replace that personal touch. Like they're still coming to see us. I'm still gonna greet them at the front desk, right? We're gonna ask how their vacation was. They're a part of our practice. But people do want that convenience and you want to help the office. So I see it in ways that can help the team be more efficient. ? with like virtual appointment assistance, right? Online appointments. my gosh. I mean, in 2026, I can book my oil change.
online right i don't even have to call the auto shop
for that. People want to be able to book it online. And then that's one less phone call that you have to take that you can be interacting with a patient, right? Face to face, engaging. So a lot of ? online appointment scheduling, ? bill portals, billing reminders, being able to send off statements, people can respond to the link in that text and pay for it. ? all of those kind of pieces usually are the key. And then not quite our topic today, but
with diagnostics, right? There's a lot of technology available that can really help you get some valuable information to put in front of the patient too. But that leads us back to efficiency, right? And offering that convenience to patients. So I think it's really those touch points is where I see it the most.
Tiff (06:25)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah,
I agree. And I think you you touched on that like AI component for the back office for diagnostic tools. We have we talked about earlier, you know, the scanners. We have all of these digital ? so we say tech, right? But really we're talking about like digital technology, right? Because tech can be so broad. So we have all of these digital resources that really do c ? create conveniences for the patient.
And I think we undervalue even Nikki, what you just said, we ha we have them in the back office for diagnostic tools. I think we undervalue the convenience that that can create for our patients because the convenience of understanding, I'm not la I'm not logically sitting here thinking with my forefront brain, wow, being able to see this on the on the screen is so convenient and it's making my life so much easier. But me being
Nikki Mack (07:25)
Mm-hmm. ?
Tiff (07:29)
A person who can understand this, do it in an efficient and an effective way, move my day quickly, say yes to scheduling, say yes to being healthier because I can visually see it. That's convenient and it's making my experience better. And it's also to your point, Nikki, all of those conveniences, appointment ? scheduling online, confirming our appointments online, paying our bills online, seeing the
Seeing the AI version of my mouth, seeing how my teeth have changed, all of those things are cutting down on the effort that the human is having to put out so that that bucket of time and energy and capacity that has been left because we were using it on something else. Now we filled this capacity bucket with extra time. I can now sit as a dental professional and spend more time connecting.
with the human across from me because I'm not spending the time on the phone calling to schedule the appointment or answering to schedule the appointment or doing all these pieces. So not only is it more convenient, effective, and efficient for the patient, but the team is getting some time back as well when they're used correctly. And I think that's huge. I think it makes a massive difference.
Nikki Mack (08:47)
my gosh, it's
it's so massive. I think people outside of dental probably don't realize it, but all of us in it, we know it, right? We live it. The single most valuable thing in a practice, in my opinion, is time because it doesn't matter if you're a one provider, four op practice, or if you have six providers and twenty-five ops or three locations, right? In dental, like
Tiff (09:02)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Nikki Mack (09:11)
Honestly, every minute adds up. Every right, that's why we don't want popcorn assistants who have to keep getting ? things that we need for the treatment. It's why we want to be able to get a hold of a patient for a balance or an appointment so we're not circling back. Like time is so important. And if we can find these opportunities that give us some of that task time back and allow us, to your point, to
Connect with the patient, right? That's face-to-face time. That's patient time. That's such a win. And if that can also be something that's convenient for the patients and give them time back in their life, because who has time to sit and wait on hold? Right. They understand you're busy, but they might have a job too. So if I can pop online, get my question answered by you, it's win-win, in my opinion. Like it just works.
Tiff (09:57)
I agree.
I completely agree. And on the flip side of that, well, I think I have two, I have two thoughts. So one thought is I have so many team members that and I would be this team member. I think if I weren't consulting and I didn't get to see it implemented in so many offices and so many practices correctly and effectively and work, I would be the team member that's like, heck no, you are not scheduling on my schedule without me doing it. I want the control, right? That that would be me. I don't even let
Nikki Mack (10:20)
Yeah.
Tiff (10:27)
the team schedule on my schedule right here. Like I am a control freak when it comes to my schedule. So I would be that team member, but I do have the availability to see it in so many different practices all over the country, even outside the country. We've got Canadian practices that are doing the same stuff we're doing. And I do get to see it work really well. ? so I know on one side the teams are like, Tiffanie, Nikki, stop.
Nikki Mack (10:55)
Okay.
Tiff (10:55)
Do not, right?
There there's so many team members that are like, do not. And I want to say that there is friction and friction can cost time and money, right? If the systems and this is Nikki's gonna talk about this a ton, but if the systems aren't right and we're not using the tool correctly, then there's friction. And what I mean by that, I have two personal stories that actually line up with this so beautifully.
My first story is, ? my fiance, he's got he's got two kids, wonderful human, beautiful children. His son needs ortho. Right. And so mom's like, Okay, took him to the the orthodontist, he's gonna get brackets on. It was yesterday, so it was a week from a week from the day. She's like, You just have to you have to call, set up the payments on your half or whatever, or pay it. He's like, Great, I'm gonna pay it. This man, I j I got home yesterday from travel. I said, Hey, Bryce, you know, Bryson got his his
Brackets on, did you were you able to go to pay them? Because when I left last week, he tried calling them. The gal who answered the phone like, you know what? The girl who takes care of that, she's with a patient right now. She's gonna have to call you back maybe tomorrow. He's like, That's weird. Okay. He's a financial advisor. And so he's like, people are trying to give you money, take the money, right? So he's like, What is going on here? Like, what are these roadblocks? Yeah, like take the money. There should be some system. He's literally sat in our living room and said, I don't understand there should be some sort of system set up
Nikki Mack (12:14)
Really? my goodness.
Tiff (12:24)
But there's a if she's not free, someone else can take it. And I was like, Yes, system, you're you're right. You've been listening. So then I said, Okay, did they call you? He's No, and it's Friday. I tried calling them, they're closed. I was like, that's weird. So then fast forward, I'm gone for a couple days this week. I get home yesterday. I'm like, Did you ever pay them? He's like, I literally had to track them down to get them to take my money. And I thought,
Nikki Mack (12:31)
Mm-hmm.
Tiff (12:49)
That patient experience, right? That parent experience, patient experience at this orthodontist has been so not ruined, but impacted because the barrier to entry was so difficult, right? And I'm like, gosh, if they could have just sent a link, or taken the number over the phone is one thing, but if they could have just sent a link, he could have taken care of it, it would have been done, nobody would have thought twice about it, he wouldn't have been frustrated because he doesn't.
have none of us have time to your point to call the practice and hunt them down to pay our bill right so that's my first story my second story is a bill I paid right I just told Nikki about this I'm like I paid I had a small bill due with my primary care physician I got the text or I got the email yesterday I was like this is phenomenal I love this right yes I will pay my bill so I pay it great got the email back it's taken care of well
Nikki Mack (13:28)
Okay.
Tiff (13:45)
10 minutes before we get on this podcast call right now, I get an email. Same email. You have the same amount of money due to the primary care physician. And I'm like, well, this is frustrating because the barrier, again, the barrier of entry, right? And so efficiency matters. And then being able to use the efficient efficiency tools really matters because when
We go in thinking this is phenomenal. I'm gonna take care of this. This is great. It's gonna be so easy. But then it becomes difficult. That difficulty out of when you when you come off of using something that should be convenient, it was less convenient for me to try to answer a call for you to try to collect over the phone than for me to have used a tool, thought it worked, and now I'm frustrated that it didn't work. Right. So now I'm emailing them and trying to track them down to ensure they got my payment.
Nikki Mack (14:22)
Mm-hmm.
Tiff (14:38)
So that I'm not double paying. So the barrier of entry there on a tool that is supposed to be convenient, it's supposed to help me, causes more frustration when it's not used correctly than not using it at all. Does that make sense, Nikki?
Nikki Mack (14:54)
It does.
Yep. A hundred percent. And I think this is where, ? hopefully I'm not jumping ahead. This is where I think systems come into play. Look, if you've listened to a podcast, you've heard us talk about systems, right? But this is why systems are so important. my teams have heard me say this a million times already. Any great system is a bad system if we don't use it.
Tiff (15:00)
No, do it. Yeah.
Nikki Mack (15:15)
Right. And even when we talk about these technology options, they're so fantastic and they can really help support our systems and save us time. But they're not just going to automatically replace them. You have to be really intentional with how are we using it. ? I actually you made me think of ? with the online scheduling and and the tools. So
I've helped lots of offices implement online scheduling. And guys, I remember I sat at the front desk and I absolutely same thing heard like, we're gonna use this. And I was like,
a good idea. I think that I'll just handle all of that scheduling because I control the schedule and I know what's best. And you do, not to take away from that. You get it. But it doesn't mean there's not support. So anytime with a practice where with that example we roll online scheduling out, guys, we don't have to let it schedule everything to start.
We can just do new patients. We have blocks in our schedule. We know where they can go. We allow them to schedule appropriate. We can do recare exams. We put blocks in our schedule. We use the parameters built into that technology to only allow it in certain places. And then guess what? If a patient has an appointment request that's outside of those parameters, then they'll call the office because we still exist for a reason. And then we're there to help them.
get into the right place. So it doesn't have to be all or nothing. We use our systems, we identify where there's a pain point, and how can we use the technology available to us to alleviate that so that everybody wins and has that opportunity. And if someone hates scheduling online, my mom does. She can't stand it. It's she's so adorable. We just learned emojis, you know, so you know what world I'm in. It's a fun time. But she's never going to schedule an appointment online. She's not going to log into my chart.
She's just not gonna do it. Guess what? She can call her office. Right. We have those options to meet all of our patients where they are and give the best experience and set ourselves up for that success. So
Tiff (17:13)
And to that point, when your mom does call the office to schedule, that team has more time to spend with her creating that value in that relationship and hand holding to schedule the appointment because other people are scheduling online. They're not on the they're not on the phone or the phones union or or whatever while she's calling because they're able to use this conveniency tool in other areas. Yeah.
Nikki Mack (17:38)
Yep.
Tiff (17:39)
When you say system, I think, gosh, everyone, every doctor that comes to Dental A Team says, I need systems. And I want to break that down because a system could be anything, right? I have a system for the way I wake up in the morning. I get up and I do the cat litter and I do the dishes and I do the laundry and I do the this and I do the that. But the system that we're talking about is an SOP, you guys. I think every doctor knows what an SOP means. An SOP, a standard operating protocol.
So a system, are your systems working for you? Is it do you know what that means? Do you know what it means to utilize the tool? How do you what is it? Why are you using it? What is the end result? So what is it supposed to be creating for you? If you've got, you know, patients, patients want to be able to schedule online. They want to be able to pay their bills online. They want to be able to text you. They want to be able to use these tools.
In an effective manner. So why are we using it? What is the end result we're after? We're after being able to confirm our schedule without having to pick up that phone. Right? Great, let's work backwards from there. What are the steps that it what are the tools? What are the steps? What is the accountability? Okay, because that accountability space it solves the no one ever uses this, it sucks, everyone hates it, and every time that they try to use it, it's broken. Anything
Nikki Mack (18:50)
huh.
Tiff (19:02)
Everyone, always, every time, no one, those like definitive words mean I am speaking to you from a pace place of emotion and I don't have a lot of data to back it up. So when we have when we have the accountability built into it and the data to back it up, we can say, is this tool the right tool for us? So there are there are multiple scheduling platforms.
Nikki Mack (19:15)
Yeah, nine times out of ten. Absolutely.
Tiff (19:29)
The first one you choose might not be the right one. It might not work the way that you want it to, but knowing what that end result is supposed to be to be able to say it is or is not working and not just an emotional say, I'm saying with data, these appointments are not working. Let's try a new one. It's a it's a give and a take there. So when we say the system has to work.
You've got to know what that means. You've got to create a protocol around it and create the accountability measurements to be able to say that it is or isn't working. And then patients aren't feeling the frustration of the tools not working, or if they are, that's your data point, right? Where is where are the frustrations for the team and the patient coming up? And Nikki, that's where you said take inventory.
What's not working right now, what's causing frustration right now, and the phones ringing off the hook seem to be causing frustration. Great. How do we solve that? And then how do we measure it to make sure that it's working? And Nikki, when you say, or when I ask frustration, right? When I ask frustration, what are some of the frustrating key points that you see patients come back to offices with that tells you?
Nikki Mack (20:33)
Yeah.
Tiff (20:43)
You know, this system's not working. You're consulting a practice and they're like, Gosh, my patients do this, this, this, and this, and you're like, Your system is not working. We've got to tackle the system, meaning the SOP, not the person. Where do you see those frustrations the most frequently?
Nikki Mack (20:59)
You know, it's funny because actually I'm gonna refer back to your ortho team example. I think honestly that's usually it. And here here's the thing. don't mishear me. I love having somebody that's responsible for certain things, right? Like we have our new patient care coordinators, we have our treatment coordinators, we have in ortho, right? There's usually the money girl, I was the money girl, right? Did that time. that's important because patients need to have someone that they can ?
Tiff (21:06)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Nikki Mack (21:25)
Refer back to, connect with, knows what's going on, right? However, it's that's usually the gap where if that person is busy or if that person is out, ? we don't have a system in place to be able to support that gap. Now, let's say that your fiancé was calling and said,
I don't understand my portion. I have questions about what I owe. I want to review the insurance coverage. Guys, 100% that needs to go to your person that knows it, right? Because this is efficiency. This is consistency. Give them that answer. But if he's just, I just need to pay my balance. If we can't do that.
Within a few days, right? There's a gap in that system. And that's not to say this office isn't fantastic, right? Because things happen. We get busy. We it's summer, everybody wants their braces on, you know, someone went on on vacation, all those pieces. But that's what systems and SOPs are for, to fill those gaps when something comes up. So when we want to fix that, it's usually we have someone who does that and they're not available.
Tiff (22:12)
Yeah.
Yeah.
Nikki Mack (22:32)
That to me is I think the most requested. Like we have unscheduled treatment to call on because our person is busy, right? And can't follow up on everything. So it's usually the follow-up piece with the patients when we're talking front office.
Tiff (22:46)
I totally agree. I totally agree. Mickey, this was fun. Thank you. I love talking tech and I love I love more than anything, and I think the listeners probably know this, ? efficiencies. If I can create more efficiency in my life, I'm I'm a I'm a happy girl. ? I can't I can't operate outside of efficiencies. My brain just doesn't do it. So it's where my control comes into play. ? but I would say guys, like
Nikki Mack (22:49)
Yeah.
Tiff (23:11)
Patients want convenience. Patients want to be able to do everything from their phone. We have we have miniature computers that we carry around in our pocket all day long. It's 2026 at the time of recording this. We do not want to like get on the phone and actually talk to people majority of the time. I would say at least 90% of us can say, without a shadow of a doubt, 90% of the time I'd rather handle it on my phone.
than having to handle it over the phone. So I would take a look, you guys, your your like actionable pieces here, your action items are to really take a look and take inventory of like a spot audit. Where do you already have tools? Are they being used and are they working? And where could another tool be beneficial to your patient base and your team? It shouldn't
One should not weigh the other. It should be beneficial for both your patients and your team. It should not cause an inconvenience or a frustration to either space. Patients want easy, teams need systems, the trust is still there. And I would say take inventory, go look at the companies, vet your companies, have your team vet your companies, and decide what the next tool is. Not tools are, the next tool is.
Nikki Mack (24:14)
Mm-hmm.
Tiff (24:24)
that you're going to implement with success creating that system around it. Nikki, what are your final words? What do you have for them as a parting gift at the end of this podcast?
Nikki Mack (24:33)
Parting
gift. I honestly I would say I think Tiff, you nailed it. And just remember, ? like she said, trust still wins, right? Technology can do a lot, it can help us, it can make us more efficient, it can enhance the experience. But you guys are still deprived. The patients come back for you. It's that in-person experience. Don't let this take away from the care and the attention and comfort that you're giving to your patients because you guys are why they come back. You rock.
Let this help you just be even better.
Tiff (25:05)
I agree and let them be able to see how much you rock. Because for example, to detour our wrap-up, the ortho practice, my first question when he said he was struggling to pay was wait, the dentist that we trust, he's the one that referred this practice, right? We didn't search them out on our own because now I only trust them because of the referral source, not because of the the ? relationship that has been built. So to that point.
Nikki Mack (25:13)
Ha ha ha.
Tiff (25:34)
Build the relationships, allow your tools to be able to allow for a better relationship and that humanity to come back into play. I love it. Thank you, Nikki. Listeners, this is what we do. You heard Nikki talk about the practices that she's helped implement these tools. You heard her talk about her consulting. You guys, this is what we do. We focus in on your patient journey. We focus in on the relationships that you're building and we create system and tools side by side with you.
Nikki Mack (25:42)
Yeah. Thanks for having me.
Tiff (26:00)
That you can implement with your teams, your practices for complete success. And we always have that layer of accountability wrapped in. You guys don't even hear a podcast that doesn't come with actionable items. So just know we're here. We're here to help you solve the gaps. We're here to help you see how you can you guys run a more efficient, efficiently run practice, a happier practice, a
Whatever practice it is that you want, we're here for that. So please reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We're always here to spread some sunshine in your lives and give you a little bit more patient journey and five-star patient Hello@TheDentalATeam.com, drop us a five-star review below. Let us know what you're using. People do read those, they look for those tools as well. So let us know what you're using, what's working for you, and we'll catch you next time. Thanks everyone.
Nikki Mack (26:47)
Thank you!