The Dr. Phil Klein Dental Podcast

What separates a thriving dental practice from a struggling one often comes down to a single hire — and it's not the associate. It's the office manager.
Your host, Dr. Phil Klein, brings over 40 years of experience across private practice, dental education, and industry to this solo episode on one of the most consequential hiring decisions a dentist can make. Dr. Klein holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania College of Engineering and Applied Science, a DMD from Penn Dental, and a Post-Doctorate specialty degree in Endodontics from Penn Dental (1985). He spent fourteen years as an Endodontic specialist in private practice before founding multiple dental technology and education companies, including Viva Learning LLC — now the largest dental continuing education entity in the world — where he serves as Chairman of the Board. He currently holds three dental patents and hosts this podcast, which draws more than 30,000 listens per month from a global user base of over 460,000 dental professionals.
In this episode, Dr. Klein presents a structured, stage-by-stage framework for hiring a dental office manager — from the initial virtual screening all the way through to the formal offer letter. The discussion is grounded in practice management realities, emphasizing that the office manager is the operational leader of the practice, not simply an administrative hire. Dr. Klein explains why rushing or under-structuring this process puts cash flow, culture, team retention, and patient experience at risk. The framework is practical, immediately applicable, and designed to help dentists approach this hire with the same rigor they would apply to a clinical procedure.
Episode Highlights:
The initial virtual interview should be treated as a professional evaluation, not a casual screening. Candidates should be assessed for communication clarity, on-camera professionalism, and the ability to cite specific, measurable outcomes — such as improvements in collections rates, reductions in accounts receivable days, or tightened cancellation metrics — rather than vague claims of efficiency.
The in-person interview should include an observed office tour where the interviewer watches how the candidate interacts with team members, assesses workflow, and demonstrates natural curiosity about practice operations. Role-playing scenarios involving upset patients or scheduling conflicts are recommended to evaluate composure, emotional intelligence, and the candidate's willingness to take ownership rather than escalate to the doctor.
Skills assessments are a critical and frequently skipped step. Candidates should be asked to perform live tasks in the practice management software — such as scheduling mock appointments, entering patient data, or generating production reports — and to walk through how they would code and submit a mock insurance claim. Because billing proficiency directly impacts cash flow, verification of claimed skills before hiring is essential.
Background and reference checks should go beyond confirming employment dates. Meaningful reference questions should probe how candidates handled high-pressure situations, contributed to team morale, and demonstrated reliability. Criminal background checks are recommended for all candidates in this role given their access to patient data, financial transactions, and payroll. Credit checks may also be appropriate when significant financial oversight is involved.
Before extending a formal offer, a final alignment conversation should establish shared expectations around practice vision, growth trajectory, and the candidate's own long-term goals. The written offer should clearly define salary, benefits, incentive structures, leadership responsibilities, work hours, and any probationary period, as ambiguity in these areas is a primary driver of early turnover and workplace conflict.
Perfect for: General dentists, group practice owners, dental residents entering practice ownership, and any dental team leader responsible for administrative hiring decisions who wants a structured, repeatable process for evaluating and onboarding practice leadership.
If you have ever hired the wrong office manager — or want to make sure you never do — this episode gives you the exact framework to get it right.

What if you could deliver stunning anterior composite restorations in half the time it takes to freehand sculpt them — without relying on advanced artistic ability? This episode breaks down exactly how to do it.
Dr. Mackenzie Kelly is a cosmetic dentist, educator, and adjunct faculty member at Indiana University School of Dentistry, where she graduated with highest distinction and received the American College of Prosthodontists award for excellence in crowns, bridges, restorative, and cosmetic procedures. She is currently pursuing accreditation through the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry — one of the most prestigious and rarely achieved designations in the field. With hundreds of hours of continuing education in minimal prep veneers, cosmetic bonding, clear aligners, and digital dentistry, Dr. Kelly brings both technical mastery and genuine artistic talent to every case.
In this episode, Dr. Kelly provides a thorough clinical walkthrough of the injection composite technique — a digital workflow that uses a clear custom matrix fabricated from a diagnostic wax-up to guide composite placement and eliminate the need for freehand sculpting. She explains why this approach is applicable across nearly all anterior composite scenarios, how it compares to indirect porcelain restorations, and how proper case planning on the front end is the single most important factor in achieving consistent, beautiful outcomes. The conversation covers the full process from digital scan and CAD design through matrix fabrication, tooth preparation, isolation, injection protocol, and final finishing — with specific clinical tips at every step.
Episode Highlights:
The injection composite technique uses a clear matrix fabricated from a digital or analog diagnostic wax-up, with small injection ports pierced into the matrix through which composite is injected once the matrix is fully seated. Creating two separate matrix variants — one for every other tooth and one for all teeth — dramatically reduces interproximal cleanup and improves contour control, especially in multi-tooth cases like the social six.
Tooth preparation for injection composite is performed entirely within enamel when possible, using air abrasion rather than a handpiece to achieve micro-surface preparation without structural reduction. After isolation with Teflon tape on alternating teeth, unprepped enamel is phosphoric acid etched for 30 to 60 seconds, followed by application of a universal self-etching bonding agent to ensure reliable adhesion even if small areas of dentin are inadvertently exposed.
A high-filler-content composite — specifically one with approximately 91% filler loading in the packable formulation and approximately 81% in the flowable formulation — provides significantly greater strength and stain resistance compared to conventional composites, which typically contain filler content in the 60 to 70 percent range for flowables. Higher filler content reduces the resin component responsible for polymerization shrinkage and staining, supporting long-term durability of direct anterior restorations.
A partial cure of approximately 10 seconds before removing the clear matrix allows the composite to reach sufficient rigidity for matrix removal while remaining manageable for flash cleanup. A sharp scalpel blade is used immediately after matrix removal to trim excess composite at the gingival and interproximal margins before completing the final cure — this technique minimizes finishing time and reduces the risk of over-contouring.
Executing a provisional mock-up using a putty matrix and a bisacryl provisional material before any etching or preparation allows the clinician to verify tooth length, proportion, and shade masking in the patient's face under natural conditions. This critical step also helps identify whether darker underlying tooth structure will require a more opaque composite selection, and provides a reversible checkpoint for patient approval before any irreversible clinical steps are taken.
Perfect for: General dentists looking to expand their direct aesthetic composite capabilities, cosmetic dentistry enthusiasts at any career stage, dental residents building confidence with anterior restorations, and any clinician interested in integrating digital workflows into their cosmetic dentistry practice.
If anterior composite cases have been a source of stress or hesitation in your practice, this episode gives you a concrete, step-by-step protocol to change that starting with your very next case.

What does it actually take to make a patient say, "I'm really glad you didn't try to sell me anything today"? The answer has very little to do with your handpiece or your composite, and everything to do with how your practice makes people feel.
Dr. Lori Trost is a full-time clinician whose Columbia, Illinois practice centers on esthetic dentistry with a wellness-focused approach to patient care. A sought-after lecturer across North America, clinical evaluator for numerous dental manufacturers, and prolific author of professional dental articles, Dr. Trost is a member of the ADA, ASDA, and AGD, serves as a board member of the AACO, and is a recipient of the prestigious Shils Foundation Award from the ADA for Entrepreneurial Spirit and Leadership. She was also named one of the "Top 25 Women in Dentistry" by Dental Products Report. Her decades of clinical experience and her nationally acclaimed course on patient experience make her one of the most credible voices on this topic in dentistry today.
In this episode, Dr. Trost breaks down what it truly means to create an exceptional patient experience — and why so many practices, even those with veteran clinicians, are falling short. Drawing on the response to a standing-room-only lecture she delivered to over 1,000 attendees, she reveals the three pain points that resonated most deeply and explains how practices can address them systematically. This conversation is a candid, practical look at the cultural and operational gaps that quietly erode patient trust, retention, and referrals.
Episode Highlights:
Research shows patients who wait more than 10 minutes in a reception area become disengaged, turn to their phones, and are significantly more likely to leave negative reviews. Software that tracks patient check-in time can help front desk teams intervene before frustration builds, and moving patients promptly is one of the simplest and most overlooked retention strategies in practice management.
Only 35% of dental offices conduct a morning huddle, despite it being one of the most powerful tools for aligning a team before the clinical day begins. Practices that skip this daily communication ritual are more prone to in-office chaos, miscommunication between clinical and administrative staff, and patients who leave without understanding what happens next in their care.
Patients who are not oriented to the value of their visit before they reach the front desk are more likely to question fees, dispute charges, and disengage from treatment planning. Building clear verbal handoffs between the operatory and the front desk — including scripted language to describe clinical findings like cracked teeth — is a trainable, systems-based solution that directly impacts case acceptance and perceived practice value.
Phone distraction in the operatory is not just a behavioral nuisance — studies from major universities confirm that the mere presence of a phone reduces a patient's ability to retain health information. Practices that implement a phone-off policy during appointments report stronger patient engagement, fewer safety concerns during active procedures, and more meaningful clinical conversations.
Leadership gaps are among the most commonly reported pain points in dental teams, yet many practice owners either avoid the leadership role or conflate being liked with being effective. Defining a clear leadership style early — including during the hiring process — and investing in leadership development through courses and reading reduces team dysfunction, lowers staff turnover, and creates a practice culture where doing excellent work is the norm rather than the exception.
Perfect for: General dentists, practice owners, dental office managers, treatment coordinators, and any clinical team member who wants to understand how practice culture and patient communication directly impact retention, referrals, and long-term practice success.
If you've ever lost a patient not because of your clinical work but because of how they felt walking out the door, this episode will show you exactly what to change.

What if the true measure of clinical success in dentistry was not how well we treat disease, but how effectively we prevent it from ever developing in the first place?
Penny Hatzimanolakis is a periodontist and prosthodontist who has been practicing evidence-informed, prevention-focused oral health care since 1994. A faculty member at the University of British Columbia's dental faculty since 2002, she is currently pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership. A published author, national speaker, and industry board advisor, she operates the Elevate Oral Health and Learning Centre, where she provides advanced training and individualized, patient-centred care with a strong commitment to serving underserved communities.
This episode applies the P4 medicine framework — predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory — to oral health care, challenging dentistry's long-standing habit of measuring success by treatment volume rather than disease prevention. Penny introduces a compelling fifth P, preservation, as the overarching clinical goal that should unify all dental disciplines. The conversation spans periodontal risk management, individualized recall protocols, peri-implantitis prevention, and the role of emerging AI technologies in moving dentistry from reactive repair toward precision prevention.
Episode Highlights:
Current dentistry measures success almost exclusively through treatment outcomes — restorations placed, pocket depths reduced, implants placed — while rarely quantifying how much disease was actually prevented. Reframing success to include avoided restorations, preserved attachment, and maintained healthy dentition would likely reveal that proactive prevention rates in most practices sit at only 10–15%, a standard no other medical discipline would accept.
The standard twice-yearly dental recall interval has no scientific basis and originated largely from consumer advertising campaigns dating back to the 1920s and 1940s. Risk-based recall intervals — which may range from one to six months or beyond depending on the individual patient's disease activity, systemic health, and compliance — represent a more evidence-informed approach to maintenance scheduling.
Guided biofilm therapy is an evidence-based, minimally invasive clinical protocol structured around a sequential eight-step framework that aligns directly with P4 medicine principles. The protocol incorporates disclosing agents to visualize biofilm, motivational interviewing, salivary diagnostics, nutritional counseling, and powered biofilm disruption using fine erythritol powder, allowing targeted management of biofilm as the primary etiological driver of both periodontal disease and peri-implantitis before a hand instrument is ever introduced.
Patients with type 2 diabetes carry approximately a 50% elevated risk of developing peri-implantitis, and implant deterioration when it occurs progresses significantly faster than comparable breakdown around natural teeth due to the absence of a periodontal ligament and its associated host defense mechanisms. Thorough pre-implant risk stratification — including full medical history review, systemic disease assessment, and identification of compounding risk factors — is essential before implant placement is undertaken.
Preservation of tooth structure is emerging as a unifying philosophy across dental specialties, exemplified in endodontics by the growing evidence base for vital pulp therapy including partial pulpotomy on mature teeth with carious pulp exposures. Using a calcium silicate-based hydraulic cement following incremental pulp tissue removal to achieve hemostasis can allow clinicians to avoid full pulpectomy and obturation, eliminating the associated costs of root canal treatment and the indirect restoration that typically follows.
Perfect for: general dentists, dental hygienists, periodontists, prosthodontists, and dental residents seeking to integrate evidence-informed prevention protocols, risk-based recall strategies, and minimally invasive principles into daily clinical practice.
If you have ever questioned whether dentistry's definition of success is truly serving your patients' long-term health, this conversation will change how you think about every patient you see.

Is corporate dentistry holding you back from the practice you actually want to build — or is the real obstacle something happening in your own head?
Dr. Mark Kogut is a pediatric dentist, orthodontist, author, and educator with over 42 years of private practice experience. He built a thriving fee-for-service pediatric and orthodontic practice with more than 5,000 square feet, seven consultation rooms, and a team of 30, all while teaching orthodontics to pediatric dental residents for 22 years at what is now Texas A&M College of Dentistry. He is also the author of the Amazon bestseller Breaking Free: How to Escape Corporate Dentistry and Build Your Dream Practice. Dr. Kogut's depth of experience in both clinical care and practice leadership makes him one of the most compelling voices in independent dental practice today.
In this conversation, Dr. Kogut unpacks the mindset framework at the core of his book — including the Mobius Method, a model for understanding how beliefs, behaviors, and results are cyclically linked and not simply linear. He and Dr. Klein explore why fear is the single greatest barrier preventing dentists from making the leap to ownership, how a fee-for-service model can be built from scratch even in today's insurance-heavy environment, and what it actually takes to develop the leadership skills and team culture that sustain a thriving independent practice. The discussion draws directly from Dr. Kogut's four decades of real-world experience and his years mentoring residents toward thinking beyond clinical training.
Episode Highlights:
The Mobius Method reframes the relationship between beliefs, behavior, and results as cyclical and multidirectional rather than linear. Recognizing that the results you get reinforce what you believe — and that your beliefs shape the results you pursue — is a foundational shift for any dentist considering the transition from associate to owner.
Fear is identified as the single most significant obstacle preventing dentists from transitioning into ownership. Just as clinical skills like administering injections are learned through practice and repetition, business skills are also learnable — and many can be outsourced, reducing the threshold of knowledge required before making the leap.
A gap analysis framework is presented as a practical tool for major practice decisions, including large equipment investments. The approach involves defining a clear target, honestly assessing the current state, identifying the gap between the two, and building a step-by-step plan to close it — applicable to financial planning, staffing, and practice growth.
Structuring a practice as fee-for-service from the start is presented as both viable and preferable for dentists who want to deliver care on their own terms. In orthodontics specifically, full-fee collection before treatment begins was a consistent model in Dr. Kogut's practice, enabled by building trust with patients and families before financial conversations took place — and by equipping team members to have those conversations more effectively than the dentist alone.
The wheelbarrow-versus-tractor metaphor captures the difference between a practice driven by poor systems that requires constant manual effort and one powered by well-trained, values-aligned team members who pull the practice forward. Hiring for growth mindset and cultural fit — rather than years of experience — and investing in team development through coaching, continuing education, and book clubs were central to sustaining that tractor model over four decades.
Perfect for: General dentists and specialists considering transitioning out of corporate or DSO environments, dental residents approaching the end of their training, and any practice owner looking to strengthen team culture, leadership skills, and the mindset foundations of independent practice.
If you have ever talked yourself out of ownership before you even started, this episode will show you exactly where that thinking comes from — and how to change it.