You finish a course excited about what you’ve learned. Back in your treatment room, you start thinking about how to put it into practice. Which cases could you take on? Where would mentoring help? And how will you talk through new treatment options with your patients? If you’re ready to develop your skills and offer more complex treatment, choosing the right education is an important step. You want the time and money you invest to make a difference to the care you provide. Ch

Visit Prime Practice at ADX Brisbane 2026 Free Headshots*, Live Sessions & Up to 30% Workshop Savings* Join Prime Practice at ADX Brisbane (8-10 October | Stand #155) for practical, business-focused insights designed to strengthen, support and grow your dental practice. Attend live learning sessions with industry experts, enjoy FREE professional headshots*, and unlock exclusive ADX-only offers - saving up to 30% on workshops*. WHY VISIT PRIME PRACTICE AT ADX? At our stand, yo

“I’m just a Dental Assistant.” It’s a phrase I’ve heard far too often, and one I would love to remove from our industry’s vocabulary. There is no just about being a Dental Assistant. Dental Assistants influence how safe and supported patients feel, how effectively the clinical team works together and how smoothly the day runs. They are often the first to notice when a patient is anxious, when a clinician needs support or when something small could become a much bigger issue.

Infection prevention is happening constantly in a dental practice - between patients, inside treatment rooms and throughout every stage of instrument reprocessing. Most dental professionals understand how important it is. The challenge is ensuring that knowledge is applied consistently by the whole team, particularly when the appointment book is full and everyone is under pressure. When I work with dental practices, the issue is rarely that people don't care. More often, I se

It's 10.30 am, the day is already running behind and an unexpected clinical issue has disrupted the schedule. How do you respond? Do you remain calm and help the team reset? Do you become short with people? Perhaps you take over because it feels quicker or withdraw because you need space to think. Your team notices, even when you don't realise it. The way you respond can influence the mood of the entire practice. This is why I believe effective leadership begins with learning

A patient may interact with several people during a single visit. The receptionist welcomes them at the front desk. A dental assistant prepares them for treatment. The clinician discusses their oral health and treatment options before another team member arranges the next appointment. From the practice's perspective, these are separate conversations carried out by different people. But from the patient's perspective, they're all part of the same experience. Culture is experie

Every clinician has experienced this - Two patients receive exactly the same clinical recommendation, yet the conversations unfold in completely different ways. One patient asks question after question before making a decision. Another is comfortable moving forward with very little discussion, while a third understands the recommendation but still seems reluctant to act. It's natural to wonder whether we could have explained things differently. Could we have chosen better wor

Trust is often associated with the treatment conversation. In reality, patients have usually begun deciding whether they trust your practice long before treatment is ever discussed. From the first phone call to the welcome at reception, every interaction quietly answers the same question: Am I in the right place? Patients may never consciously ask themselves that question, but they're constantly forming impressions. They notice whether they're welcomed warmly, whether people

Every clinician is committed to delivering the best possible care. We invest in continuing professional development, refining our clinical techniques and staying current with new evidence because that's what our patients deserve. Continual improvement has always been part of clinical excellence. Yet even the best clinical recommendation can only make a difference when a patient understands it, trusts it and feels confident enough to act. That doesn't happen by chance. It begi

At the beginning of the year, most people usually have a fairly clear sense of what they want the year to look like. There are goals around leadership, growth, communication, team culture, financial progress, and creating a way of working that feels more sustainable long term. For some people, that may involve improving the day-to-day experience inside the practice. For others, it may involve bigger ambitions around ownership, expansion, or creating a different future profess

At the beginning of the year, we all spend time thinking about our goals and priorities for the months ahead.

By the middle of the year, most practice owners have a fairly good sense of how things are tracking. The team has settled into its rhythm, patient demand has either met expectations or created new challenges, and the systems and processes that looked good on paper at the beginning of the year have now been tested by the reality of day-to-day practice life. The first six months often reveal things that are difficult to see when you are focused on goals, plans, and intentions a

At the beginning of the year, leaders usually have good intentions when it comes to their team... There are often goals around communication, leadership, development, and creating a healthier, more connected team culture. Usually, there is genuine motivation to invest more intentionally in people throughout the year, not just operationally, but professionally and personally as well. Then the year moves forward. And gradually, many team conversations become almost entirely f

Most dental practices assume that if the clinical work is strong, patients will return. But patient retention is rarely decided by dentistry alone. In many cases, patients leave because of how the appointment felt. They felt rushed, uncertain, uncomfortable, or unsupported during the experience. And often, nobody inside the practice realises it is happening. Because from the practice perspective, the appointment may have gone perfectly. The treatment was completed. The sc

Growth is something most practice owners think about eventually. Sometimes it looks like adding another chair. Sometimes it means bringing on an associate, expanding the team, extending clinical days, or even opening a second location altogether. And usually, the conversation starts in a fairly similar way: The practice feels busy enough that growth seems like the logical next step. On the surface, that makes sense. If patient demand is there and the schedule feels constantly

From wages to ownership, and what I’ve seen work inside dental practices Daleen Kupsch, Coach, Consultant and Trainer at Prime Practice Hint: Give them a piece of the pie. Why most dental teams don’t perform at their best Over the years, working closely with dental practice owners and their teams, I’ve noticed something that doesn’t get talked about enough. Most teams aren’t underperforming because they don’t care, it's because they don’t see the bigger picture. They’re good

Louise Howlett, Training, Coaching and Consultant at Prime Practice Here’s something we see all the time. Most dental practice owners don’t actually have a team problem; they’ve got a leadership imbalance. While that may sound blunt, I invite you to hear me out. Often, the team is capable, the systems are in place, and there’s enough demand, yet it still feels harder than it should. Things aren’t happening as effectively or efficiently as you’d like. You’re stepping in more t

How to Choose an Ethical Dental Marketing Company Originally posted on the Great Dental Websites (GDW) blog Why Ethical Dental Marketing Matters for Practice Growth An effective dental marketing strategy is essential to running a successful dental practice. With so many dental marketing companies to choose from, finding the right partner to support your growth can be challenging. Unfortunately, some companies claim to be dental marketing experts but rely on sketchy tactics kn

What truly makes patients trust you? And what quietly breaks that trust without you even noticing? In this powerful conversation with Daleen, Frances dives into the overlooked touchpoints that shape the entire patient journey. This journey begins with the first phone call and ends with the final goodbye. The overlooked touchpoints that shape the patient journey This episode unpacks several crucial aspects: The subtle trust-building moments that most practices ignore. How to m

By Dr Alex Khominsky, Founder / Director of General Dental Residency Understanding Why Patients Delay Treatment Decisions “I’ll think about it” is one of the most common responses dentists hear after presenting a treatment plan. It is easy to assume this reflects hesitation about cost or a lack of trust. In many cases, it reflects something simpler: uncertainty. Most patients are not equipped to process complex dental information quickly. Dentists, by contrast, are trained to