Think Like a CEO: 5 Business Lessons for Dentists

While dentists have mastered their craft, running a thriving dental practice extends beyond clinical skills. It is, after all, a business.?

The best CEOs don’t just focus on their products and services. They build high-performing teams, prioritize customer experience, track key metrics, and leverage technology to stay ahead.?

As a dentist, adopting this mindset can help you scale your practice, increase profitability, and create a thriving work environment.??

Here’s how to run your dental practice like a CEO:?

#1 Build a Positive Work Culture?

“Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.” – Simon Sinek, Leadership Expert?

Your practice is only as strong as your team. From front-desk staff to hygienists and assistants, every member plays a role in shaping patient experience. If your team feels valued and motivated, they’ll go the extra mile for patients.?

CEO Mindset:

Take inspiration from Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, who invested in employee well-being because he knew happy employees create happy customers.

Tips:

• Foster a culture of appreciation. A simple thank-you goes a long way. Small gestures like letting staff know when they do a good job or team lunches can boost morale.?

• If you haven’t yet, formalize company policies through an employee handbook. It must outline essential policies on vacation days, paid leaves, performance expectations, reimbursements, and more. Having a clear reference prevents issues like staff dissatisfaction, miscommunication, or perceived favoritism.?

#2 Think of the Entire Patient Experience (Not Just Chair Time)??

"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft?

Many dental practices lose patients due to unclear communication, long wait times, or an impersonal experience. Patients want to feel heard, understood, and valued.?

CEO Mindset:

Think like Steve Jobs, who obsessed over Apple’s user experience. Every step of the patient journey, from booking an appointment to post-visit follow-ups, should be seamless.?

Tips:

• A patient’s experience begins not when they sit on your chair, but when they decide to book an appointment. Double-check if patients encounter difficulties while booking, if they have a comfortable space to wait at your clinic, and how long their wait time is for both treatment and payment.?

• Ensure that patient inquiries are answered promptly — they can always look for other clinics when one takes too long to respond. Leverage management software like EviSmart, which can automate appointments, automatically respond to routine inquiries, and send follow-ups and reminders.?

• Use a single, easy-to-use platform for all patient records and communication, to avoid repeatedly asking patients the same questions.?

• Train your team in patient-friendly communication. Ensure they explain procedures, insurance options, and aftercare in simple, reassuring language.?

#3 Track Key Financial Metrics?

"If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it." – Peter Drucker, Management Consultant?

Total revenue is not the only measure of a practice’s success. Just like clinical diagnostics, business decisions should be based on measurable data. Knowing what to track helps you figure out what exactly you need to improve to keep your practice profitable.?

CEO Mindset:

Jeff Bezos built Amazon into a global powerhouse by being obsessively data-driven. Every decision, from product pricing to warehouse efficiency, was backed by analytics. Below are some metrics you can track and benchmarks with which to compare your numbers, according to the American Dental Association (ADA):?

• Overhead vs. Total income. The ADA recommends that overhead be 63% or less of total income. Otherwise, it may be best to reexamine your clinic’s operation costs.?

• Collections. A practice must be collecting 98% of billable/adjusted production. Implementing policies like mandatory pre-payment may benefit the clinic.?

• Case acceptance. Are patients following through on recommended treatments? A healthy practice typically sees a 75-80% case acceptance rate. Falling below this could be a sign to improve patient education, like with the help of 3D case presentations.?

• New Patients. It is recommended that the number of new patients coming in should increase 10-15% annually.??

• No Shows. A no-show rate of 5% or more may be a sign that the practice has too many unproductive gaps in its day-to-day.??

• Patient Return Rate. 90% of recare patients must be always scheduled for their next appointment. Appointment reminders, responsive customer service, and insurance acceptance are among the factors that urge patients to return.

Tip:

Use a dental workflow solution to automatically track important metrics. EviSmart, for example, has performance tracking features that monitor chair time utilization, patient acquisition and retention, remakes, collections and claims, and more. This is useful so you don’t have to spend time collating data manually.?

#4 Invest in the Right Technology?

"The most successful businesses are the ones that adapt to change, not the ones that resist it." – Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft?

All great dentists dream of growth, but sustaining that growth is a different beast altogether. An expanding practice requires additional support — and technology is among the most valuable and cost-effective resources for clinics that want to see more patients but are unable to hire more support staff immediately.?

CEO Mindset:

Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft by shifting its focus from legacy software to cloud-based solutions, AI, and automation, making the company more agile and future-ready. Dentists should take a similar approach: investing in smart, scalable technology that simplifies operations rather than complicating them.?

Tip:?

Software can do more than emails and basic scheduling. There are many clinic management platforms like EviSmart, with front-desk solutions (smart appointment scheduling and insurance claims and collections); lab solutions (centralized case tracking and collaboration tools with labs); and chair-side solutions (treatment recommendations, IOS support, and virtual vase try-in).?

#5 Build Your Online Presence?

“Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.” – Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon?

Now more than ever, a practice’s online reputation matters as much as word of mouth. Patients research dentists before booking, and your searchability and online reviews can make or break their decision.?

CEO Mindset:

Elon Musk built Tesla into a global brand not just through innovation, but through masterful online engagement. He understands that direct communication with customers, whether through X (formerly Twitter), viral marketing, or bold messaging, creates trust and loyalty.?

Tips:

• Prospective patients usually Google “dentist near me” when looking for dental care. Make sure to update your Google Business Profile with accurate contact details, office hours, and address for Google Maps.?

• If you have a website, double-check if it’s mobile-friendly and SEO-optimized. You may also offer online appointment-setting on your website.?

• Encourage satisfied patients to leave online reviews, since other people trust peer recommendations.?

Final Thoughts: Lead Your Practice Like a CEO?

Beyond clinical excellence, running a thriving dental practice is about leadership, strategy, and smart decision-making. Take cues from some of the world’s most successful CEOs to create a patient-centered and profitable practice.???

• Invest in your team.?
• Prioritize patient experience.?
• Track financial performance.?
• Leverage technology.?
• Build your brand.?

Your patients deserve the best, and so does your business. Lead with confidence, think like a CEO, and watch your practice grow.?

About Evident and EviSmart

Evident never settles for the status quo, building the tools the dental industry didn’t know it needed. From dental CAD designs to workflow solutions, Evident is trusted by labs and dentists in over 26 countries. Their mission is to make dental care smarter, faster, and better — for everyone. EviSmart, the world’s first AI-powered dental workflow solution, is Evident’s latest innovation. It reimagines the industry by connecting the previously fractured dental ecosystem – dentists, lab technicians, and manufacturers – with intelligent automation and seamless integration.

At the forefront of what Evident does is helping dental professionals prioritize their patients and clients, scale their businesses, and remain indispensable. Its open-system approach means EviSmart can be integrated into clinics’ and labs’ existing software – no new investment needed. Everything dental professionals need, from AI-driven case management to real-time collaboration, is all in one platform. Just Connect.

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Want to stay at the forefront of dentistry’s future? Visit evidentdigital.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.