As a dentist with decades of experience, I’ve come to realize a profound truth: our

success isn’t just about clinical skill. It’s about the human connection we

build with our patients and our team. In this episode, I want to share a

personal philosophy that has transformed my practice and my life: the idea of

“being the gift.” It’s about showing up, being present, and making every

interaction count.

The Power of Morning Rituals

I’ve found that the key to a positive and productive day lies in the first few moments we

spend with our team. Before the hustle and bustle of patient appointments, we

gather for a morning huddle. This isn’t your typical meeting; we share

spiritual readings, tell a few dad jokes, and take the time to connect on a

personal level. This simple ritual has had a powerful impact on our team’s

morale and our patients’ experience.

Alleviating Patient Anxiety

Let’s face it: most people don’t look forward to visiting the dentist. They come to us

with a great deal of stress and anxiety. But I’ve learned that the dental

procedure itself is only a small part of their experience. What truly matters

is how we make them feel. By creating a lighthearted and welcoming atmosphere,

we can ease their fears and build trust. In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to use a morning huddle to set a positive tone for the day.

• The surprising benefits of incorporating humor into your practice.

• Why focusing on the patient experience is the key to a thriving practice.

Join the Conversation

I believe that we, as healthcare professionals, tend to take ourselves too seriously.

It’s time to be a little freer, to have more fun, and to remember that our true

importance lies in the care we provide. I invite you to listen, reflect, and

consider how you can “be the gift” in your own practice. If you find this

episode helpful, please subscribe and share it with a colleague. I’d love to

hear your thoughts and experiences.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

Have you ever walked into a medical office and felt… underwhelmed? Perhaps the landscaping was neglected, the waiting room was sterile and uninviting, or you were met with a less-than-enthusiastic greeting. It’s these “little things” that can make or break a patient’s experience, and in my years of practice, I’ve learned that they are just as important as the clinical care I provide.

In this episode, I want to share with you my philosophy of “treating people, not patients.” It’s a concept I’m so passionate about that I wrote a book on it. I’ll take you behind the scenes of my practice and show you how we’ve created a “wow experience” for our patients. It’s not about extravagant gestures, but rather a meticulous attention to detail that creates a sense of comfort, confidence, and trust. I’ll discuss:

• The Power of First Impressions: Why your landscaping and lobby are a reflection of your clinical standards.

• Systemizing Hospitality: How we created a “zen-like” atmosphere with a refreshment menu, aromatherapy, and a dedicated “Chief of Hospitality.”

• The ROI of "Wow": How a superior patient experience can differentiate your practice and lead to greater success.

I’ll also share some common pitfalls I’ve seen in other practices – the “broken doorbells” that can subtly erode patient trust. We’ll explore how small annoyances can have a big impact on your bottom line and what you can do to avoid them. I’ll challenge you to take a fresh look at your own practice and identify all the areas where you can elevate your patient experience.

My personal and professional motto is “Be the Gift.” It’s about taking pride in everything you do and creating a positive impact on the lives of others. I hope this episode will inspire you to find new ways to “be the gift” to your patients and your team. Join me as we explore how the little things can truly make a big difference.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

In my years of practice, I've learned that the key to a successful and fulfilling dental practice goes far beyond clinical excellence. It's about creating an unparalleled patient experience. In this episode, I share my philosophy of treating people, not just patients, and how I've transformed my practice by applying the principles of a three-star Michelin restaurant. I'll reveal how simple, low-cost changes can make a world of difference in how patients perceive their visit, turning anxiety into comfort and satisfaction.

• The "People, Not Patients" Philosophy: I'll explain why I believe this is the most critical mindset for any healthcare provider and how it has guided my career and practice.

• From Waiting Room to Lounge: Discover how I reimagined the traditional waiting room to create a welcoming and relaxing environment that immediately puts patients at ease.

• The Power of a "Comfort Menu": I'll share the story behind my "comfort menu" and how this simple tool has become a cornerstone of my patient experience, fostering loyalty and generating word-of-mouth referrals.

• Actionable Tips for Your Practice: You'll walk away with practical, easy-to-implement ideas that you can use to elevate your own practice, regardless of your budget or specialty.

• Dental Practice Management

• Patient Experience

• Dental Hospitality

• Practice Differentiation

• Patient Anxiety Reduction

• Dental Marketing

• Patient Loyalty

• Practice Growth

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

Is your dental practice making the right first impression? It might matter more than you think. In this episode, I share a personal story about a major blind spot in my early years as a dental practice owner—and the hard lesson I learned about how patients perceive our businesses from the outside.

We often focus so much on the quality of our clinical work that we forget the patient journey begins long before they sit in our chair. I’ll discuss:

• The Powell's Bookstore Experience: A personal anecdote that opened my eyes to the importance of a practice's exterior.

• The Unspoken Message: What a dirty awning, a messy waiting room, or even your own appearance says about the quality of your work.

• “How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything”: Why the smallest details can have the biggest impact on patient trust and retention.

This episode is about more than just keeping a tidy office. It’s a call to action for every practitioner to step outside their own doors and see their practice through the eyes of a new patient. I’ll provide actionable steps you can take to evaluate and improve your practice’s first impression, ensuring that the excellence you provide on the inside is reflected on the outside. Join me as we explore how to build a dental practice that not only offers world-class care but also communicates it at every single touchpoint.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

After four decades in dentistry, I can tell you that the most challenging conversations are not with patients, but with my own team. Letting an employee go is a decision that weighs heavily on any practice owner. In this episode, I want to share a perspective that might surprise you: it's rarely about performance. In my experience, when I've had to part ways with a team member, it has been a crisis of integrity.

I've built my practice on a foundation of inviolable integrity. This isn't just a plaque on the wall; it's the standard we live by every day. This culture is so strong that it naturally filters out those who don't share our core values. I'll discuss:

• How to establish a culture where A-players thrive and those who are not a good fit self-select out.

• Why I believe performance issues are often a reflection of my own hiring and training, and how I address them.

• The one non-negotiable trait that I look for in every team member.

I'm proud to say that many of my team members have been with me for over a decade, and some for more than twenty years. This isn't an accident. It's the result of a leadership philosophy centered on creating an environment that allows people to do their best work.

🗝️In this episode, I'll share my approach to:

• Fostering a positive and supportive work environment.

• Leading with compassion and firmness.

• Supporting team members in their career growth, even if it means they move on from my practice.

This episode is for any practice owner or leader who has ever struggled with the difficult decision of firing an employee. I hope my insights will provide you with a framework for thinking about your team and culture, and your role as a leader.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

After more than three decades in dentistry, I've seen firsthand what separates a good practice from a truly great one. And I can tell you, it isn't the latest technology or the most complex surgical skills. The single most important person in my practice—the one who drives our success and ensures our patients stay healthy for life—is the dental hygienist. In this episode, I'll share why I believe so strongly in the power of the hygienist and how so many of my colleagues are leaving over $100,000 on the table every year by failing to recognize their true value.

I believe the American healthcare and insurance systems have it all backward. We're rewarded for treating disease, not for preventing it. This creates a cycle where patients only come to us when they're in pain, and our most valuable preventive services are undervalued and undercompensated. This flawed model leads to:

• Widespread Oral Disease: Oral disease is the world's largest epidemic, and our system is failing to address its root causes.

• Financial Strain on Practices: Dentists are forced to rely on high-cost procedures, while the low-cost, high-impact work of prevention is overlooked.

• Patient Dissatisfaction: Patients lack the knowledge that empowers them to maintain their own health, leading to a lifetime of dental problems.

In my practice, we've rejected the broken model and have built our success around a simple but powerful principle: prevention is everything. This means empowering our hygienists to be true partners in patient care. In this episode, you will learn:

• The True ROI of a Great Hygienist: How investing in your hygiene department can add six figures to your bottom line.

• My Caries Control Program: The exact steps we take to educate patients, from analyzing diet histories to uncovering hidden sugars.

• The "Gift" of Education: How to shift your practice from a treatment-focused model to an education-focused one, creating patients for life.

• Building a Team of Believers: Why long-term success is a team sport that requires a non-negotiable commitment from both your staff and your patients.

This isn't just about cleaning teeth. It's about changing lives, starting with the way we value the most important person in our practice. Join me as I reveal the $100K secret that smart dentists are using to build healthier, more profitable practices.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

As a dental practice owner, I really know how disruptive and demoralizing staff conflict can be. It can poison the atmosphere, tank productivity, and even cause you to lose great team members. For years, I struggled with this myself, until I discovered a powerful framework that transformed my practice from a place of tension into a beacon of collaboration. In this episode, I’m sharing that exact framework with you.

I call it the “Experience Transformer,” a 4-step method I learned from my mentors, including the legendary Tony Robbins and Dan Sullivan. It’s a simple yet profound process that shifts the focus from blame to empowerment. Instead of getting caught in the emotional crossfire of the “lizard brain,” you and your team will learn how to pause, take responsibility, and find constructive solutions. This isn’t just theory; it’s a practical tool that has saved my practice countless hours of drama and created a more resilient, cohesive team.

• The #1 Mistake We All Make in an Argument: Why our brains are wired to make conflict worse and how to stop it.

• My 4-Step “Experience Transformer” Method: A step-by-step guide to resolving any conflict, big or small.

• The Power of Taking Responsibility: How this one simple shift can turn you from a victim into a leader.

• Practical Tips to Create a Drama-Free Office: How to implement this framework to build a stronger, more positive practice culture.

If you’re ready to finally put an end to the drama and build a dental team that thrives on collaboration and respect, you can’t afford to miss this episode.

Let’s create a better practice, together.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients

I’ve spent my career building and leading dental practices, and I’ve discovered a fundamental truth: only a tiny fraction of businesses (around 2-5%) operate at their full potential. Why? Because most of us are putting our team members in the wrong seats. We hire for a role, but we fail to ask if that role truly aligns with the individual’s unique, God-given talent. In this episode, I want to share a simple but powerful shift in perspective that will help you unlock the hidden potential within your team and transform your practice from just surviving to truly thriving.

Every person on your team has a “unique ability”—a special talent that they are exceptionally good at and love to do. It could be empathy, a knack for numbers, creative problem-solving, or meticulous organization. When you align a person’s role with their unique ability, something magical happens. They become more joyful, more engaged, and dramatically more effective. I’ll walk you through how to identify these unique abilities in your own staff and how to make the necessary adjustments to put everyone in a position to succeed.

• Why does traditional team management often fail in a dental practice setting?

• How to identify the “unique ability” of each of your team members.

• The story of Danielle, and how a simple role change unlocked her true potential and transformed our practice.

• Actionable steps to start aligning roles and responsibilities in your own practice today.

If you feel like your practice is constantly running on fumes or that your team isn’t as happy or productive as they could be, this episode is for you. I believe that a happy team leads to a successful practice. When your team is energized and working in their zone of genius, it creates a positive ripple effect that your patients will feel. Stop settling for a team that “just works” and start building a team that thrives. Join me as I share the secrets to building a practice that operates seamlessly.

Mentioned in this episode:

Transform your practice with Dr. Michael Sonick's "Treating People Not Patients" course

Learn the hospitality secrets that create patient loyalty, drive referrals, and build thriving practices. Get 9 video modules, bonus content, and 6 CE credits for each member of your team!

Click here to learn more about Treating People Not Patients