What if the biggest problem in your practice isn't your marketing, your systems, or even your team - but the way you're communicating with them? In this episode, Jesse Green cuts straight to the chase: communication breakdown is not a people problem. It's a system problem. And that means it's fixable.

If you've ever felt frustrated that things aren't being done the way you envisioned, or that you're constantly stepping in to correct or redo work, this episode is your wake-up call. Jesse unpacks why your team can't read your mind, what real dental leadership communication looks like, and how creating shared language and crystal-clear expectations can transform the way your whole practice operates - from the front desk to the dental chair.

In This Episode:

1. 00:01 Jesse introduces the biggest lever in your practice, and it's not what most dentists expect to hear
2. 00:50 Meet Jason the cat: the surprisingly relatable story that reveals exactly what's going wrong in your team communication right now
3. 01:45 What actually happens when your team is listening but still not understanding, and the costly ripple effects throughout your practice
4. 02:38 The mindset shift that changes everything
5. 02:50 Lessons from the Navy: what a warship's communication standard can teach you about running a high-tempo dental practice
6. 04:05 The one question every team member in your practice should be able to answer
7. 04:18 Jesse reveals two powerful language concepts from the Practice Max world that sharpen team performance and culture
8. 06:57 Listener Q&A: Michael from Melbourne asks how to get off the tools.

Links & Resources:

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Are you the kind of dental leader who hands over the reins - or do you find yourself hovering, checking, and quietly correcting your team's every move? In this episode, Jesse unpacks why micromanagement quietly destroys trust, and what to do instead.

Drawing on one of history's most famous negotiating phrases, Ronald Reagan's "trust but verify", Jesse explains how the right systems create the accountability you need without you having to be in the room. The result? A practice that runs confidently without you at the coalface, and a dental leadership style that brings out the best in your team.

In this Episode

1. 00:43 The Cold War phrase Ronald Reagan made famous, and what it means for how you lead your dental team
2. 01:23 What's the difference between micromanaging and verifying?
3. 02:03 Why so many practice owners have expectations stuck in their heads, and why that's quietly costing them
4. 02:21 The three-part scorecard structure that gives every team member crystal-clear direction
5. 03:23 Build it from the top down, execute from the bottom up
6. 03:57 Why small improvements compound over time, and why you don't need a revolution, just the right hinge
7. 04:20 The tiny daily habits that could be worth dozens of extra patients a month
8. 05:07 Q&A with Mark: Should you hire a hygienist, OHT, or another dentist?

Links & Resources

1. Episode 540 - The Money In, Money Out Trap
2. • Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
   • Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
   • Visit Savvy Dentist website
   
   

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Are you working hard in your practice, hitting your numbers month after month, and still wondering where all the money goes? In this episode, Jesse gets straight to the point on one of the most common (and costly) traps that stands between practice owners and their dental practice financial goals: focusing only on revenue while completely ignoring the leaks draining profit from the other side of the ledger.

Jesse unpacks why the most financially successful practice owners aren't the ones hoping and praying they'll hit their targets — they're the ones who've reverse-engineered the outcome before the month even begins. If you're ready to stop guessing and start knowing, this episode is for you.

1. 00:20 You can have a great team, a great culture, and still miss your financial goals
2. 03:36 Why are so many practice owners too reluctant to invest in good advice - and what is that reluctance actually costing them each year?
3. 04:36 Jesse shares a real client story where one simple tweak to case acceptance generated a staggering result in a single week
4. 06:02 What's the critical difference between practice owners who hope they'll hit their numbers and those who know they will?
5. 07:43 Listener question from Jenny: "How do I make more money?"
6. 08:53 What are the "silent leaks" in your practice, and why could fixing them be more impactful than chasing new patients?
7. 09:16 The 3 Rs of patient marketing: are you covering all three, or is a gap in one of them quietly stalling your growth?

Links & Resources

1. Episode 539 Growing Culture from the Ground Up

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Creating a thriving dental practice isn’t just about hiring great people, it’s about building the right environment for them to succeed.

In this episode, Jesse explores the idea that culture is the “soil” of your practice, explaining how leaders shape the environment that determines whether teams flourish or struggle. Drawing on lessons from gardening, the Navy, and real-world practice ownership, Jesse shares practical leadership insights on protecting culture, handling necessary leadership conversations, and making tough decisions when team members aren’t aligned with your values.

1. [02:00] Why culture is like the soil in a garden and how it determines whether your team thrives
2. [02:29] The role of core values in shaping the behaviours and standards within your practice
3. [03:35] The three essential leadership conversations every practice owner needs to master
4. [04:55] Why being intentional with your words changes the outcome of difficult conversations
5. [05:14] The difference between scripts and conversational frameworks
6. [06:20] Preparing for emotional reactions during challenging leadership conversations
7. [07:50] Jesse’s experience rebuilding culture after taking over a difficult team environment
8. [11:43] Why high performers who don’t align with your culture can damage your team
9. [12:34] Protecting your culture as a leader and creating an environment where great teams grow.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

In the early days of your practice, things can feel a little like a pirate crew - informal, flexible, and held together by hustle and instinct. But as your practice grows, that same looseness can become your biggest constraint.

In this episode, Jesse shares powerful leadership lessons from his time as a Navy dentist and explains why scaling a dental practice requires structure, clarity, and discipline. From defining roles to eliminating bottlenecks, upgrading your marketing systems, and improving associate productivity, this episode is a blueprint for turning chaos into coordinated performance.

If you want a high-performance team, not a band of pirates, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

1. [00:00] Jesse’s early days as a Navy dentist and what it taught him about leadership
2. [02:17] Why every person on a Navy ship has a clearly defined role
3. [04:03] The difference between a “pirate crew” practice and a structured team
4. [05:43] Why no role in your practice is more important than another
5. [07:48] Identifying choke points that limit your growth
6. [10:16] Why your systems must scale as your practice grows
7. [11:00] The 3 pillars of marketing
8. [13:10] Why most practices only focus on one or two marketing levers
9. [15:41] Q&A: Why isn’t my associate dentist productive?

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Letting someone go is one of the hardest conversations you’ll ever have as a practice owner.

No one starts a business excited about terminating team members. Yet if you’re in business long enough, there will come a time when despite your best recruitment efforts, onboarding, training and feedback, someone simply isn’t the right fit. When that happens, how you handle the conversation matters — not just for them, but for you, your culture and your leadership integrity.

In this episode, I share a personal story about the only time I’ve ever been sacked — and how that experience shaped the way I believe leaders should handle termination conversations. I also walk you through my Decisive Release Framework, a structured yet flexible six-step approach designed to help you let someone go clearly, respectfully and without burning bridges.

1. [00:00] Why termination should never come as a surprise
2. [01:50] The story of the only time I was sacked — and what it taught me
3. [06:36] The two factors that determine how the relationship ends
4. [07:33] Introducing the Decisive Release framework
5. [09:04] The six-box structure for releasing someone respectfully
6. [10:37] How to clearly and confidently communicate “it’s not working”
7. [11:52] The three unspoken elements to prepare before the meeting
8. [12:58] Managing emotional reactions (theirs and yours)
9. [13:35] Legal compliance and protecting your practice

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Hiring an associate dentist is meant to create leverage, free up your time, and help your practice grow. But when an associate becomes unproductive, the opposite often happens. Many practice owners find themselves working harder than ever, still carrying the bulk of the load, and wondering why the associate model isn’t delivering the freedom they expected. In this episode, Jesse explores why unproductive associates are such a common challenge, the patterns that lead to poor performance, and how practice owners can respond when an associate isn’t contributing as expected.

1. [00:00] Why hiring an associate often feels like the “freedom move” that backfires
2. [00:30] The moment practice owners realise they’re more involved than ever
3. [01:19] Why full appointment books don’t always equal productivity
4. [02:22] The hidden problem that causes patients not to come back
5. [03:09] What’s really happening when associates say patients won’t accept treatment
6. [04:18] Why confidence matters more than explanations when presenting treatment
7. [05:35] How perfectionism and slow dentistry quietly burn out your team
8. [06:20] The expensive impact of poor case selection and inefficient workflows
9. [07:57] The three choices every practice owner faces with an unproductive associate.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025

Scaling your dental practice can feel like the natural next step once things are going well — but if it’s done at the wrong time or in the wrong way, it can quickly turn a profitable practice into a stressful, cash-draining business. In this episode, Jesse breaks down the three fatal mistakes dentists commonly make when scaling, why they happen, and how to avoid them so you can grow sustainably without doubling the chaos.

1. [00:00] Why scaling can be the fastest way to destroy a profitable practice
2. [00:33] The uncomfortable truth about growth that most dentists ignore
3. [00:56] The early warning sign that tells you scaling will backfire
4. [02:08] Why adding chairs, rooms or teams too soon creates financial pressure
5. [02:50] The simple principle that separates smart growth from costly expansion
6. [02:59] How practice owners accidentally become the biggest bottleneck
7. [03:54] The mindset shift that allows a practice to run without constant oversight
8. [04:35] The hiring decision that quietly kills leverage and freedom
9. [06:16] How planning for the future changes every scaling decision you make.

• Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group
• Follow Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn
• Visit Savvy Dentist website

Mentioned in this episode:

Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle

If your practice can’t run without you, it’s time for systems - not more theory. That’s why we created the Savvy Dentist Team Training Bundle - five powerful, system-driven programs including Front Desk All Stars, the Million Dollar Dentist, Practice Manager Masterclass, Advanced Treatment Coordinator Training, and High-Performance Hygiene. Each course delivers practical, step-by-step systems your team can use every day to build accountability and create a self-managing practice. Save $2,000 for a limited time — visit savvydentist.com/team-training.

Team Training Bundle 2025