The Savvy Dentist

Hosted by Dr Jesse Green

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558

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Create a dental practice and a business life you love with Dr Jesse Green as he interviews successful dentists, entrepreneurs and athletes . Listen in as guests share their stories, ideas and business techniques that you can take back to your practice to have more patients, more profit and less stress. This is the podcast where great dentistry meets great business. For more free resources visit https://savvydentist.com/

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September 8, 20268 min

559. The Delegation Habit Holding Your Dental Practice Back

There is one delegation habit that quietly caps the growth of a dental practice, and it is not the one you would expect. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green unpacks the difference between delegating a task and delegating an outcome, and why the second one is where the leverage lives. He also explains how answering a question with a question builds a team that problem solves without you. You will see why the practices that scale are the ones where the owner sits one layer back, and how to make that gear change without panicking and running back to what you know. If you are a dental practice owner who keeps hearing yourself say it is easier if I just do it myself, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 00:51 The checklist culture Jesse learned in the Navy, and why it did not follow him into his first practice 02:04 Delegating a task versus delegating an outcome: the line between beginner and advanced 02:34 Handing the monkey back: how teams return the job and why you must not take it 04:02 Two practice owners, two very different outcomes, and the one who ended up in front 05:29 The gear change, the short term dip, and why so many owners never push through it Resources and Links: How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers? Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program 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

August 18, 202654 min

558. The 2026 Tax Changes Every Dental Practice Needs To Know

Are the 2026 tax changes about to undo years of work in your practice? Dr Jesse Green and Brendan Campbell go through what the changes actually mean for a practice owner, and the answer is calmer than the headlines suggest. You will find out which assets are grandfathered and need no action at all, how far away the real deadlines sit, where changing the way your practice is owned could get more money into super, and which questions to put to your accountant about your trust and your bucket company before anything shifts. If you are a dental practice owner with a trust, an investment property or a super balance you are working to grow, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 02:39 Division 296 and the $3 million super balance threshold, and why super is still one of the best places to hold money 06:21 The 50% CGT discount ends 1 July 2027 and cost base indexation returns, so gains arising before that date keep the discount 13:34 Negative gearing limited to new residential builds from 1 July 2027, with properties acquired before budget night exempt until you sell 31:02 The 30% minimum tax on discretionary trust income, and what it changes for bucket companies 41:11 The restructure that can move money into super, create a deduction on the borrowing, and lift your cost base Notes on This Episode: The capital gains tax and negative gearing reforms discussed in this episode are now law, taking effect from 1 July 2027 Division 296 applies an extra 15% to super earnings above $3 million, with a further 10% above $10 million. Both thresholds are indexed and may rise over time The 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts, the loss carry-back measure, and the instant asset write-off changes were proposed as part of the 2026-27 Budget. Confirm current status with your accountant before acting Resources and Links: Learn more about Prosperity Advisors How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers? Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program This episode was recorded on 21 July 2026. The information and commentary shared is general advice only. It does not take into account any individual's objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not a substitute for advice about a specific practice or structure. Listeners should obtain advice from their own accountant, tax agent or licensed adviser before acting on anything discussed. 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

August 11, 20268 min

557. How To Build a Dental Practice That Runs Without You

Are you the bottleneck in your dental practice? If every decision in your practice still comes back to you, this episode breaks down exactly why. Dr Jesse Green unpacks the three layers of leadership, primary, secondary and tertiary, and shows how skipping any one of them quietly turns you into the bottleneck for every problem your team faces. You will learn how to set the standard as the practice owner, build clear scorecards and expectations for your team, and develop other leaders who can carry real responsibility without you. The real breakthrough in this episode is the accountability piece most owners miss. Jesse walks through a real case where a great team with solid training still was not performing until one simple habit changed everything, and explains why what gets measured gets managed. If you are a dental practice owner who is tired of being the answer for every question your team brings you, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 00:00: Why leadership is not just one skill, and the three layers every practice owner needs to master (primary, secondary, tertiary) 02:00: Building secondary leadership with clear scorecards, plus the line from Michael Filosi that reframes how you manage your team 04:00: Developing tertiary leaders so you can step one layer back from the business 05:00: The number one responsibility of the CEO, and why it matters more than most owners realise 06:00: A real practice case study showing how one simple accountability habit turned a good team into a high performing one Resources and Links: How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers? Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program 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

August 4, 20261 hr 5 min

556. The Seven Deadly Sins of Dental Practice Ownership

In this episode, Dr Jesse Green sits down with returning guest Michael Filosi to unpack the seven deadly sins of dental practice ownership: the recurring mistakes that quietly cap growth, enterprise value, and exit outcomes for practice owners. Jesse and Michael cover the fundamentals of high standards and self leadership, the numbers every practice owner should be able to read on the fly, the strategy for engineering yourself out of key person dependency, the discretionary effort required to lift your business IQ, why finding a first follower is more powerful than trying to lead the whole team on your own, the discipline of taking money off the table to build wealth outside the practice, and the shift from convincing team members to seeking their opt in. If you are a dental practice owner who wants to build a business that grows in value independent of your chair time, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 03:00 Why standards are green light or red light, never seven out of ten, and how self leadership sets the ceiling for your team 12:34 The numbers that actually move the needle in a dental practice, and why rebooking rate is the keystone metric 19:57 How Michael took his revenue contribution from 40 percent to 0.6 percent and walked out with a clean sale 42:22 The first follower concept, why it matters more than being the leader, and how to spot the right person 49:34 The four financial systems every practice needs, and why the sale should be the cherry on top, not the cake Resources and Links: How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers? Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn If you're a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program Michael Filosi's: Website, www.michaelfilosi.com.au LinkedIn, www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfilosi 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

July 28, 20269 min

555. How To Fill Your Dental Practice Books Without Advertising

Most practice owners obsess over new patient acquisition while their single most valuable growth asset sits quietly in the patient database. In this episode, Dr Jesse Green unpacks the dental patient reactivation campaign, a low cost, high yield system for winning back inactive patients that consistently returns 15 to 19% of a lapsed database to the chair. We unpack the story of a practice with 1200 active and 4000 inactive patients. Jesse reframes the dormant list as an untapped business asset and explains why treating reactivation as a one-off letter is the biggest reason it fails. You'll learn how to map a multi-touch sequence across letters, postcards, emails, texts and phone calls, how to triage and batch your inactive list so the easiest wins come first, and what results to measure. If you are a dental practice owner with a quiet appointment book and a dormant database, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 00:30 Why your 4000 inactive patients are a latent asset most practice owners completely ignore 02:20 The optometrist who lost the Green family: why one letter is never a reactivation campaign 03:00 Mapping the sequence: letters, postcards, emails, texts and calls across multiple touch points 04:00 How to triage and batch your inactive list so the easiest patients come back first 05:10 The 15 to 19% return rate, and how one practice turned it into 350 new patients Resources and Links: How Does Your Dental Practice Compare Against the Top Performers? Stay Up to Date by Following Dr Jesse Green on Instagram Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn If you’re a Dental Practice Owner looking to scale your practice, learn more about our Practice Max Program 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

July 21, 202649 min

554. Finding a Work Life Balance for Dental Practice Owners

In this episode, Dr Jesse Green sits down with psychologist turned entrepreneur Ali Hill, co-founder of Pragmatic Thinking and host of the Stand Out Life podcast. Ali unpacks the difference between the obligations that come with your position as a business owner and the ones you have simply inherited from social programming or people pleasing, and why untangling the two is the real key to protecting your time. She also shares how she and her husband have engineered their own business around school terms and family priorities, and the honest conversations it takes to hold a boundary once you have set it. The conversation moves through grit, resilience and the point of diminishing returns, before landing on practical, minimum viable ways to protect wellbeing without adding another task to an already full day. If you are a dental practice owner trying to work out where your practice ends and your life begins, you won't want to miss this episode. In This Episode: 01:20 Ali explains the origin of her "head mechanic" analogy and the psychology patterns she sees again and again in business owners 16:02 Separating your position from your person: where genuine obligation ends and inherited expectation begins 21:03 Why work and home have always bled into each other, and being kind to yourself about that overlap 23:56 How Ali and her husband engineer their business around school holidays, and the honest conversations it takes to protect that boundary 27:00 Building a culture of wellbeing in your team by role modelling it yourself, and why numbing so easily gets mistaken for rest Resources and Links: Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn Ali Hill's: Books, Stand Out, Dealing with the Tough Stuff, and Work from Anywhere Podcast, Stand Out Life Business, Pragmatic Thinking 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

July 14, 202613 min

553. How To Present Treatment So Patients Actually Say Yes

Patients rarely say yes to treatment on logic alone. Jesse breaks down why case acceptance language for dentists needs to speak to emotion first, using a "fireside chat" to uncover what is really motivating a patient before the exam even begins. He then introduces the want, need, logic framework, a technique that links a patient's emotional driver to the clinical need you have identified, always closed out with a clear logical reason that prevents buyer's remorse. Jesse also shows how to scale this skill across a practice by teaching associates conversational frameworks instead of rigid scripts, so team members keep enough structure to guide the conversation while sounding like themselves. If you are looking to boost case acceptance across your practice without feeling pushy or scripted, then don't miss this episode. In This Episode: 01:16 Why people make buying decisions emotionally, then justify them with logic afterward 02:38 The fireside chat: uncovering what's really driving your patient before you start the exam 03:15 Introducing the want, need, logic framework for presenting treatment 07:34 Teaching the framework to associates through conversational structure, not rigid scripts 09:45 Overcoming the "salesy" feeling: ethical treatment planning and the 100 reps rule Resources and Links: Join the free Savvy Dentist Facebook Group Connect with Dr Jesse Green on LinkedIn 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

July 7, 202651 min

552. What Facebook ANZ's Ex-CEO Reveals About Leadership and AI

What happens when a 46-year-old walks into a company where the average age is 23, and has to earn the respect of every person in the room? In this episode, Jesse sits down with Stephen Scheeler, the former inaugural CEO of Facebook ANZ and now CEO and MD of Omniscient, a company using AI to map the human brain. Stephen's career has zigged and zagged through startups, Silicon Valley, McKinsey and big tech, and the dental practice leadership lessons he's picked up along the way are gold for any practice owner navigating change, technology and team dynamics. From the deceptively simple question (“teach me how to do your job”) to the dangers of unchecked power and the realities of adopting AI without losing your mind, this conversation is packed with insights that go well beyond tech. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the pace of change or wondered how to lead a team that knows more than you do in certain areas, this one's for you. In this Episode: 04:12 The unconventional career path that took Stephen from avoiding work in his twenties to running Facebook's Asia Pacific ad business 08:00 The one question Stephen asked over 100 Facebook employees, including Mark Zuckerberg, that changed the way he led forever 23:30 Three things every practice owner can learn from Facebook's accountability failures and what unchecked power really costs a business 28:00 Why Stephen told his team to ignore AI for two years, and the crawl, walk, run framework he's now using to transform his company 38:00 How Omniscient is using AI and connectomics to map the human brain, and what precision brain medicine could mean for the future of healthcare Resources and Links: Check out Omniscient Neurotechnology 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

June 30, 20269 min

551. You Don't Have a Marketing Problem, You Have a Patient Retention Problem

What if the patients you're losing every month are costing you more than the ones you're spending thousands trying to attract? In this episode, Jesse flips the script on practice growth, arguing that dental practice patient retention, not marketing, is the real lever most practice owners are ignoring. Jesse introduces the "leaky bucket" problem: new patients pouring in the front door while existing ones quietly slip out the back. He breaks down exactly where those leaks happen, shares a real case study of a Victorian practice that grew from one and a half chairs to well beyond three without spending another dollar on ads, and answers a listener question about fixing white space in the appointment book. If you've ever wondered whether you have a marketing problem or something else entirely, this one's for you. In this Episode: 00:02 Jesse opens a brand new series on the patient journey, starting with where things are quietly going wrong before they ever reach your books 00:42 Jesse shares the bucket analogy that exposes the real reason your marketing spend isn't translating into a fuller appointment book 01:40 The blunt truth about why most practices don't actually need more new patients, and what they need instead 02:16 Inside the Victorian practice that went from one and a half chairs filled to expanding well beyond their original three, without spending another dollar on ads 03:13 Jesse explains why Disney holds the gold standard for customer experience, and what dental practices can borrow from the happiest place on Earth 04:22 The three sneaky leaks draining your patient base that most practice owners never think to look for 04:41 Why unmanaged cancellations and no shows could be costing you more than you realise, and the two-part system Jesse recommends to catch them early 05:00 The treatment plans sitting untouched in your software right now, and why reaching out isn't about selling 05:37 Jesse breaks down the recall system, arguably the most important retention tool in your practice, and why it's so often mismanaged 06:47 A listener question about fixing white space in the books, and Jesse's answer might change the order you tackle your growth plan 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

May 26, 202611 min

550. Why Patient Retention Is Your Most Powerful Dental Wealth Strategy

What if the biggest growth opportunity in your dental practice isn't more new patients - it's the ones who are quietly slipping away? In this episode of The Savvy Dentist Podcast, Jesse makes a compelling case that patient retention isn't a marketing strategy, it's a wealth strategy. And the numbers, as Jesse lays them out, are genuinely confronting. Most practice owners are so focused on filling the front door that they haven't noticed the back door is wide open. Jesse breaks down exactly what that's costing you in real dollar terms, shares the story of a practice that turned a leaky bucket into a wealth machine, and gives you the systems and thinking you need to get your retention rate where it belongs. If you're serious about dental leadership and building a practice that sustains you financially for the long haul, this one is essential listening. In This Episode: 00:38 The story of a Brisbane practice and the staggering number of patients it lost over seven years 02:00 Jesse runs the numbers on a typical practice and reveals just how much revenue is quietly walking out the door each year 02:35 The invisible ways practices lose patients that most owners never even notice 03:26 The fix isn't complicated, but it does require something most practices are missing 04:55 The story of a practice that was spending $5,000 a month on ads - and still going backwards 05:35 What an audit of the recall system revealed, and the gaps that were quietly draining the practice dry 06:10 What happened when the systems were tightened up 07:09 Why your patient base is your most powerful financial asset, and what's really standing in the way of it being managed properly 08:42 Jesse invokes a famous business thinker to settle the debate on whether retention actually matters. 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