The #1 Silent Killer of Dental Practices (Hint: NOT insurance)

If Your Practice Isn’t Going Well, Look at Your Team Relationships...

When production is down, the schedule feels chaotic, or patients seem dissatisfied, the first instinct is to blame outside factors—insurance companies, the economy, or your patient's mindset. 

But here’s the truth: if your practice isn’t going well, it’s usually not the economy. It’s not the insurance. And it’s definitely not your patients.  It’s likely your team relationships.

Why Relationships Matter - The Data...

• Gallup Research: Teams with high trust are 12x more likely to be fully engaged. Engaged team = less drama, more dentistry.

• ADA Findings: 72% of dentists say team dynamics are the biggest factor in practice stress. (Translation: it’s not the overhead that’s killing you—it’s the sideways glances at morning huddle.)

• HBR Reports: Businesses that prioritize relational communication amongst the team report 21% higher profitability. Turns out, “Please” and “Thank you” show up on the balance sheet.

• Healthcare Studies: Up to 70% of errors are caused by poor teamwork. In dentistry, it might not be fatal, but “Oops, wrong crown shade” feels pretty close.

The Gossip Problem

Financial guru Dave Ramsey defines gossip as:
“Discussing anything negative with someone who can’t do anything about it.”

Read that again. If you’re venting about the doctor’s schedule to a hygienist… or whispering about the assistant’s attitude to the front desk… you’re not problem-solving. You’re gossiping.

And gossip doesn’t just waste time—it poisons trust. Patients can smell it, too. (They may not know who’s mad at who, but they sure know when the vibe in the office is off.)

What Healthy Communication Looks Like

• Go To The Source: Take concerns to the person who can do something about it, not sideways to a teammate who can only nod sympathetically and add to the drama.

• Assume Positive Intent: Maybe that “snappy” response wasn’t about you—it was about the case that's late… again.

• Keep It Short & Direct: “Hey, I noticed ___, can we fix it?” works better than a 3-day silent treatment followed by a group-text explosion.

Warning Signs of a Relationship Breakdown

• Team meetings feel like The Real Housewives of Dentistry.

• More problems get solved in the break room than with grown-up conversations.

• You’re hearing more “That’s not my job” than “Let’s make it work.”

• Turnover is the norm.

Simple Fixes (That Don’t Require Therapy)

1. Create forums for effective communication and honor that time!  Daily huddles and weekly vision sessions are opportunities to share wins, align the team, and connect on a personal level. ,

2. Curiosity Over Blame
   Instead of “Who messed this up?” try “What got in the way?” This question alone lowers blood pressure.

3. Deal with It Directly
   A cavity doesn’t get better by ignoring it. Neither does conflict.

Bottom Line

If your practice isn’t going well, start by checking the health of your team relationships. Great marketing, systems, or the latest technology won’t cover the damage done by gossip and mistrust.

And remember: talk to the person who can fix it, not the person who can only commiserate. Your patients—and your sanity—will thank you.

Discussion Questions:

1. When challenges come up in our practice, do we go directly to the person who can solve the problem—or do we tend to talk sideways first?

2. How do patients feel when they walk into our office? What subtle clues might they be picking up from our team interactions?

3. What are some specific ways we can strengthen trust and communication with each other this week?

4. Have I ever contributed to gossip—intentionally or unintentionally? How can I choose a better approach moving forward?

5. What does “a healthy team culture” look like in our practice, and how will we know we’re living it out daily?

6. If relationships are the foundation of our practice, where do we see cracks forming, and what’s one step we can take to repair them?