Are you ready to take the mystery out of medical credentialing in your dental practice? In this episode of Growing Your Dental Business, host Jacquelyn Hurley welcomes Dondra Edwards, founder of Transition Acceleration Group, to break down the credentialing process and why it’s the key to unlocking successful medical billing.

With over 15 years in the healthcare industry, Dondra has helped dental and medical providers nationwide navigate provider enrollment, payer applications, and compliance standards. She specializes in helping dentists get credentialed to bill medical insurance - a crucial step that too many practices overlook.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The key differences between dental and medical credentialing - and why it matters.
• Which payors are most challenging, and how to navigate them
• The #1 factor that makes a dentist successful with medical billing
• Why credentialing errors are a top reason for claim denials - and how to avoid them

Dondra also shares actionable insights for dentists who want to expand patient care, reduce out-of-pocket costs for patients, and open the door to a new revenue stream through medical billing.

Credentialing is the foundation of clean claims and successful medical billing. Without it, even the best billing team can’t get you paid.

If you’re ready to simplify your medical credentialing and start submitting clean medical claims:

1. Connect with Dondra at moreinfo@transitionag.com to discuss your credentialing needs.
2. Partner with eAssist Dental Solutions to ensure your dental and medical billing workflows are seamless, compliant, and revenue-focused.

In this episode, Kristie Boltz shares how dental practices can attract high-value patients by building a “first class cabin” - where marketing is something you do, not something you buy. She breaks down practical strategies to identify and cultivate your ideal patients, improve marketing ROI, and create a team culture that supports long-term growth. Kristie challenges the idea of marketing as a one-time spend, reframing it as a daily habit rooted in team engagement, systems, and accountability. Whether you're just starting or scaling your practice, this conversation will inspire you to think differently about marketing—and empower your team to play a winning role in it.

To learn more about Kristie’s upcoming 3-hour course on “Your 1st Class Cabin” as well as her 6-week CMO Academy, where you can take your entire team and turn them into a Chief Marketing Officer. Visit mydentalcmo.com for more information.

This episode is brought to you by eAssist Dental Solutions, the nation’s leading dental billing company. Just like marketing works best when your whole team is engaged, your collections thrive when your systems are strong and your team is supported. eAssist helps practices collect 100% of what’s rightfully owed, reduce insurance aging, and create the financial clarity needed to grow with confidence.

And if you’re ready to strengthen your billing the way Kristie helps practices strengthen their marketing, visit dentalbilling.com to learn more about partnering with eAssist.

Welcome back to another episode of Growing Your Dental Business! In today’s episode, host Jacquelyn Hurley is joined by Sophia Dunkley, a trailblazer in dental practice coaching with over 25 years of experience. Sophia is known for her innovative strategies that transform dental office dynamics and increase profitability through improved case acceptance, leadership, and patient engagement.

Sophia takes us through her journey into dentistry, sharing how she started from working in a dental office to becoming a certified leadership coach and trusted speaker in the industry. She also walks us through her approach to coaching dental practices, emphasizing the importance of people, processes, and profitability.

Throughout the episode, Sophia covers key topics such as:

• How to create strong leadership and communication within a dental team
• Tips for improving patient scheduling and ensuring treatment plan commitment
• Strategies for boosting profitability by optimizing case acceptance and implementing effective revenue-cycle management

Additionally, Sophia shares her expertise on leadership assessments and how they can help dental leaders improve their effectiveness and create a thriving, patient-first culture.

Special Call-to-Action:

Are you ready to improve your practice’s profitability and leadership? Visit The Practice Navigator to schedule a complimentary discovery call with Sophia Dunkley. Or text eAssistRCM to 3475779102 to get started!

Sponsored by eAssist Dental Solutions:

If you’re looking for a way to streamline your practice’s billing and optimize cash flow, eAssist Dental Solutions can help! Their team of experienced dental billers is here to support you by submitting clean claims, reducing denials, and ensuring your practice stays financially healthy. Visit DentalBilling.com to learn more.

Join us for this insightful conversation and gain valuable tools to elevate your practice to new heights!

If communication is a “soft skill,” it’s also the hard truth behind great leadership and patient trust.

In this powerful episode of Growing Your Dental Business, host Jacquelyn Hurley welcomes international speaker and author Dana Watson, creator of Married to Dentistry, for a heart-to-heart about what your dental team says, how they say it, and why it matters more than ever.

With over 20 years of experience in the dental field and a passion for helping teams thrive, Dana unpacks how elevated communication can transform not only your team culture but also your patient experience and case acceptance.

You’ll learn:

• The #1 communication tip every dental team needs now

• What it means to "elevate your language" chairside and in the back office

• How team members can show up as leaders - no title required

• Simple shifts in words, energy, and intention that build trust with patients and one another

Whether you're a dentist, office manager, or team member, this episode will inspire you to speak more intentionally, lead more authentically, and grow stronger together.

Ready to bring Dana into your practice for team communication training or a Five Voices deep dive?



Email her directly at info@danaspeaksdental.com to connect.

Most dentists think ROI starts with a Google click and ends when the phone rings, but what if the real return comes months (or even years) later?

In this episode of Growing Your Dental Business, host Jacquelyn Hurley sits down with Xana Winans, founder of Golden Proportions Marketing and creator of the SMART ROI method, to challenge the way dental practices approach marketing. From uncovering the myths that make marketing feel like a waste to sharing how to measure real patient loyalty and long-term value, Xana offers practical strategies to help practices stop guessing and start growing.

She also shares how her team helps dental offices track performance throughout the patient journey, right down to collections, and why your front desk may be impacting your ROI more than you think.

So… If you’ve ever thought, “Marketing doesn’t work for my practice,” this episode will change your mind, and your results.

Visit goldenproportions.com and schedule a free marketing consultation right from her contact page.

Special Offer: Mention this podcast when setting up your first consultation, and Xaña will waive the $550 setup fee to test-drive Smart Market Dental for three months, an incredible opportunity to measure what’s working in your marketing.

Is your dental practice busy, but not as profitable as it should be? Are you constantly putting out fires and feeling like everything falls on your shoulders? You’re not alone, and today’s guest has the clarity and solutions you’ve been looking for.

In this episode of Growing Your Dental Business, host Jacquelyn Hurley welcomes dental business strategist and coach Melinda Heryford, founder of The Practice Implementers. With over 30 years of experience and an MBA from UC Davis, Melinda shares how she helps overwhelmed dentists and their teams move from chaos to clarity by focusing on the vital 20% of actions that generate 80% of the results.

From leadership systems and team accountability to schedule control and profitability leaks, this episode is packed with insights you can implement right away to take back your time and boost your practice’s bottom line.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why so many dentists feel stuck in reactive mode and how to lead more proactively
• What it takes to create team alignment, consistency, and follow-through
• How to hold your team accountable (without micromanaging!)
• The systems every practice should have in place to calm the chaos and increase efficiency.
• Why your schedule may be the most significant profit leak, and how to fix it
• What it means to have a leadership team and how even small practices can build one
• The one wildly important goal your team should be focused on every week

Featured Guest:

Melinda Heryford, MBA

Founder of The Practice Implementers

Email: melinda@melindaheryford.com

Website: melindaheryford.com

Melinda is offering listeners a complimentary Practice Health Assessment, a $1,000 value, to help you identify where your practice is leaking profits and where your best opportunities for growth lie.

You’ll also get an invitation to her next Practice Masterclass, which will be held September 10, 2025, titled “Road to Detection for Clinical Teams,” where she’ll dive deeper into actionable strategies to increase clarity, team performance, and profitability.

To schedule your assessment or learn more, email melinda@melindaheryford.com.

What if the success you’re striving for in your practice isn’t about working harder, but about uncovering what’s holding you back? In this powerful episode of the Growing Your Dental Business podcast, host Jacquelyn Hurley welcomes Sandy Baird, MBA, dental practice advisor and industry veteran with over 40 years of real-world experience.

Sandy shares practical strategies for overcoming the inefficiencies that quietly eat away at your profits and morale. From financial leaks to front desk inefficiencies, to outdated systems and gaps in patient communication, Sandy breaks down what matters most when running a business-minded dental practice. You’ll walk away inspired and ready to take ownership of your systems, your team, and your bottom line.

Want to take your practice to the next level? Visit bairdconcepts.com and mention this podcast to receive 30% off Sandy’s Comprehensive Practice Evaluation or a Team Development Day.

And don’t forget—if your practice is ready to outsource dental billing to a trusted partner, head over to dentalbilling.com to learn how eAssist Dental Solutions can help you collect 100% of what you’re rightfully owed.



Reach out to Sandy at sbaird@bairdconcepts.com

Hiring an associate should make your life easier, not harder. Yet, a staggering 75% of associate hires in dentistry fail, often within the first year. In this eye-opening and solution-driven episode, Bryton Nield joins us to unpack why that number is so high - and what private practice owners can do to get it right.

As the CEO of Dentist Partner Pros, Bryton brings a proven system for hiring, onboarding, and retaining high-performing associates. Whether you're already in the hiring process or just starting to wonder if your practice is ready, this episode delivers a practical blueprint for success.

Key Takeaways:

• The two critical factors every practice owner must assess before hiring
• Four pillars of practice readiness: patient load, production, space, and financials
• Why most associate relationships feel like "just trying it out" - and how to avoid that trap
• What it really costs to hire the wrong person
• How to create a hiring process that leads to long-term synergy
• Tips for onboarding that actually build loyalty and reduce turnover

Take the Free Associate Readiness Quiz

Find out if your practice is truly ready for an associate:

https://dentistpartnerpros.com/associate-readiness-quiz

Discuss your unique situation one-on-one with Bryton.

Email: bryton@dentistpartnerpros.com

Website: www.dentistpartnerpros.com