How to Profit Without Dropping
Dental Insurance
Episode 45
Angie Hopper, Chief Operating Officer of Premier Dental Center, breaks the industry's favorite rule: go fee-for-service or lose out. While the loudest voices in dentistry preach dropping insurance to protect margins, Premier Dental Center did the opposite — went deeper in-network — and grew one location from 4 operatories to 12, added a 10-op and a 6-op site, and now runs on 80% insured patients. The catch: smaller margins mean zero room for sloppy operations.
Key Revelations:
Why choosing to serve more patients instead of maximizing profit per patient created a stronger culture, accelerated growth, and built a more resilient dental organization.
How negotiating directly with insurance companies, manufacturers, and financing partners unlocked savings that most dental groups never realize are available.
Why 80% of their patients are in-network—and how that decision fueled the growth from one small practice into four thriving locations without sacrificing profitability.
The overlooked billing mistake that slows cash flow for growing practices—and why outsourcing revenue cycle management became one of their smartest business decisions.
Growing Bigger by Taking Less Per Patient
AVAILABLE ON
"How do I know if I'm spending too much on staff?"
This episode challenges one of dentistry's biggest assumptions: You don't have to choose between serving more patients and building a profitable practice. With the right systems, operational discipline, and financial strategy, you can do both.
The "Ask Dallin" Question:
Top 3 Episodes Of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now!
(E.41) He Stole From Us. Here's How We Let It Happen. - Dr. Hardik Chodavadia, Enamel Dentistry
(E.42) DSO: Economies of Scale Is a Myth - George Hariri, Shared Practices
(E.39) IQ Gets the Job. EQ Gets the Patients. AQ Makes You Last. - David Gaspar, Smart Partners USA
Dallin's answer: Staff costs should always be measured as a percentage of revenue—not by dollar amount. Around 20% is best-in-class, 25% is typical, and anything significantly above that is a signal to either improve production per employee or rethink staffing levels. Always calculate using fully loaded payroll, including taxes and bonuses.
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Learn how sophisticated dental founders navigate a DSO sale
Selling your DSO is one of the most consequential decisions of your career. Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs is the playbook for founders who want to approach private equity transactions with clarity — not guesswork. Join the insider list to get first access when it drops.
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