Build trust through authenticity. That’s not a slogan or a strategy. It’s something I practice every day in my company. Why is authenticity important? Consumers today are more informed and have the means to compare brands at their fingertips, anywhere, at any time, making them less loyal than ever.
It’s true that marketing is essential if you want to grow your dental practice. But here’s the rub: no matter how strong your marketing strategy is, your dental practice will never see sustained growth if your front desk game isn’t just as strong. Think of marketing as the spark that ignites interest, but your front desk is the engine that drives it home.
August marks ten years since Shaw Berg and I partnered to create My Dental Agency. When we started, I knew we had something special, but I didn’t realize just how special it was. I never doubted we would be successful, but I didn’t imagine we would blow all our goals out of the water. I had no idea how incredible our team would become, the caliber of clientele we would attract, or the impact we would have on the dental industry.
Not to be outdone by other popular social media platforms, on July 10, 2025, Instagram made a powerful change that altered the way people find businesses online. For the first time, public posts from professional accounts are being indexed by search engines. That means your Instagram posts can work for you outside the app because they will now begin appearing in Google search results alongside your practice’s website and reviews.
Never have I been more grateful to be a business owner than when I recently caught up with a close friend and former colleague from my corporate days. This man is the definition of dependable. He’s hardworking, always prioritizing work and rarely complains or asks for anything.
As more of my clients move to a fee-for-service model to get away from the restrictions of insurance networks, I’ve noticed a rise in practices offering in-house membership or subscription plans. These self-administered savings plans provide an alternative for patients who don’t have insurance, as well as those whose dentist is out of network.
Whether your practice has been using 3D printing for years or just starting to explore the possibilities, it’s important to let people know about it. Marketing your technology will help you get more out of your investment by attracting high-quality patients who appreciate what modern dentistry can do.
It feels good to write a new patient’s name in the schedule. It’s validation that the practice’s marketing strategies are working, and it means the practice is growing. Dental practices target new patients to increase revenue, and I support this wholeheartedly. However, if after the first appointment a patient leaves for a competing practice, doesn’t use your practice for all their needs, or simply never returns, growth will be limited or may stagnate. I have a surefire way to prevent that from happening, and it involves marketing, of course.
There’s no single formula. But when your marketing investment is aligned with your goals, your patient base, and the stage of your practice, you’re in a much better position to grow with confidence.
What if the goal isn’t retirement but freedom?
That’s one of the themes in a recent conversation between My Dental Agency’s Jackie Cullen and Dr. David Phelps—former dentist, real estate investor, and founder of Freedom Founders, a private community for dentists who want more control over their time, money, and future.
