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If you walk into your practice and see open chairs, don’t just sigh and move on. Listen. Those empty chairs are trying to tell you something.

They’re not just costing you revenue — they’re revealing the cracks in your growth engine. And if you ignore the message, the leaks get worse, not better.

I’ve seen it happen again and again: A talented dentist builds a solid practice on reputation and referrals. Patients love the care. Word spreads. The practice grows… for a while.

You’ve seen it happening in your town. Another DSO moves in. They’ve got a billboard. A polished website. Deep pockets. And a team of people managing every inch of their marketing.

Meanwhile, you’re doing everything yourself — between patients, paperwork, and late nights catching up on payroll.

It’s not a fair fight.

And if you’re a private practice dentist trying to grow, protect, and eventually exit with what your practice is worth — here’s what you need to know:

You went to dental school to learn how to diagnose, treat, and serve patients. You didn’t go to school to become a marketer, operations manager, or systems engineer. And yet — if you own a practice, that’s exactly the role you’re expected to fill.

Every week, I speak with talented dentists who are doing exceptional clinical work… and quietly struggling behind the scenes.

The schedule’s unpredictable. Marketing results feel random. The team’s overwhelmed. Revenue’s plateaued — or worse, declining. And no one’s quite sure why. Let me tell you something hard but true: