What does your dental practice actually feel like to your team and your patients?

In this episode of the Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Deanna Zost, founder and CEO of Illuminating Your Practice, to talk about the connection between leadership, team culture, accountability, and the patient experience.

Deanna shares why culture isn't simply what a doctor says it is. It's what the team experiences every day. From addressing difficult employees and creating open communication to properly training new hires and understanding what motivates each team member, Deanna explains how strong leadership can transform a practice.

She also shares a powerful reminder for practice owners: you cannot system your way out of a people problem.

If your practice has team turnover, communication issues, tension, or a culture that doesn't feel the way you want it to, this episode offers practical ways to reset, refocus, and finish strong.

• Why culture is defined by what your team experiences, not what you say

• How one difficult team member can negatively impact an entire practice

• Why practice owners need to be willing to have difficult conversations

• How anonymous team feedback can reveal problems doctors may not see

• The difference between a systems problem and a people problem

• Why regular one-on-one meetings build trust and communication

• How to become a stronger and more coachable leader

• Why hiring for attitude and training people properly can reduce turnover

• How accountability should continue after team members are trained

• How to identify what motivates each individual team member

• Why money isn't always the strongest motivator

• How team culture directly affects the patient experience

• Why patients can sense the "vibe" of a practice

• How to create a culture that lasts beyond a team meeting or retreat

• How to reset and refocus your team before the end of the year

Key Takeaways

00:00 Culture Is What Your Team Experiences

02:13 Illuminating Your Practice

04:15 The Importance of Leadership and Accountability

05:59 Creating Honest Team Feedback

07:45 What Culture Really Means

10:22 When One Team Member Affects the Entire Practice

12:03 Handling Difficult Conversations

14:55 Building Trust Through One-on-Ones

15:40 People Problems vs. Systems Problems

18:14 Becoming a Better Leader

19:43 Why Dental Teams Have So Much Turnover

22:09 Hire for Attitude and Train for Success

24:27 Finding What Motivates Your Team

28:43 How Team Culture Impacts Patient Experience

32:09 Building a Culture That Lasts

33:15 Finishing 2026 Strong and Preparing for 2027

35:03 Connect with Deanna Zost

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Connect With Deanna

Email: deanna@illuminatingyourpractice.com

Website: illuminatingyourpractice.com

Learn more about how Deanna helps dental practices strengthen their culture, develop confident leaders, build effective systems, and create a better experience for their teams and patients.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

What happens when you stop building your dental practice around what you have to do and start creating more space for the dentistry you genuinely love?

In this episode of The Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau talks with cosmetic dentist Allie Frounfelter about finding your passion in dentistry, transitioning into comprehensive cosmetic dentistry, implementing digital workflows, empowering your team, and creating a practice that supports the life you want outside the office.

Allie shares how bringing her team into continuing education, slowing down to implement new systems, embracing digital smile design, and learning to delegate helped her build a thriving, team-driven practice while making more time for her family. She also discusses burnout, prioritizing your schedule, and why success can ultimately be measured by the amount of time you have available.

• How Allie discovered her passion for cosmetic and comprehensive dentistry

• Why bringing your team to CE can make implementation easier

• How to identify the procedures that energize you—and build more of them into your practice

• How digital smile design and 3D printing can improve case acceptance and patient confidence

• Why "slowing down to speed up" can help practices implement meaningful change

• How to empower your team and delegate without holding onto unnecessary control

• How to grow from a small practice into a larger, team-driven practice

• Strategies for creating more productive schedules and fewer, better-planned visits

• How to prioritize family time while continuing to grow your dental career

• Why finding mentors and like-minded dentists can help you make meaningful changes

Key Takeaways

02:14 Introduction & Meet Allie Frounfelter

04:00 Building an All-in-One, Team-Driven Dental Practice

06:01 Finding a Passion for Cosmetic Dentistry

08:29 Turning CE Education Into Action

12:10 Finding the Dentistry That Energizes You

14:02 Building Your Specialty Focus as a Smaller Practice

15:15 The Mindset Shift From "I Have To" to "I Get To"

17:55 How Digital Technology Is Transforming Smile Design

21:28 Empowering Your Team Through Leadership

23:57 Delegation and Growing a Dental Practice

25:29 Balancing Dentistry, Business, and Family

28:00 Creating a More Productive Schedule

29:48 Breaking Out of the Practice You've Built

31:20 Managing Family Time and the Guilt of Missing Out

33:02 Allie's 3D Digital Smile Design Course

34:37 Lightning Round Q&A

37:20 Defining Success by Time

38:13 How to Connect With Allie

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Connect With Dr Allie

Instagram: dralliefrounfelter
Email: allison.frounfelter@gmail.com

Learn more about Allie's 3D Digital Smile Design Course through 3D Dentists. The 2027 course is scheduled for February 11–12 in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

What if AI isn't here to replace your dental team, but to help your best people do more?

In this episode of Raving Patients, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Cory Pinegar, founder of REACH, to explore how dental practices can combine great human talent with AI to work more efficiently without losing the personal connection patients value.

Staffing continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing dental practices, while AI is rapidly changing the way practices handle everything from patient communication to administrative work. Cory shares how virtual team members can take on important tasks such as insurance verification, recare, unscheduled treatment, and missed calls, giving in-office teams more time to focus on the patients in front of them.

The conversation also dives into AI and why Cory believes the future isn't about choosing between people and technology. Instead, the real opportunity is using AI to amplify good people, improve their performance, and help practices get more done.

Cory also shares how REACH uses AI for call coaching and insurance claims, what practices often get wrong when bringing on a virtual team member, and why culture, communication, and personality can be just as important as previous experience.

Looking ahead, Cory and Dr. Len discuss what the dental practice of the future could look like and why, as automation becomes more common, the human connection may become one of the most valuable parts of the patient experience.

• How virtual team members can support a modern dental practice

• Which tasks are a good fit for remote team members

• Where virtual staffing can have the biggest impact on practice revenue

• How AI and human team members can work together

• Why AI can be an amplifier rather than a replacement for people

• How AI is being used for call coaching and insurance claims

• Why culture and communication can be more important than previous experience when hiring

• What practices need to do to successfully onboard a virtual team member

• Common mistakes practices make when adopting AI and remote staffing

• What the dental practice of the future could look like

• Why the human connection with patients may become even more valuable as technology advances

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Key Takeaways

01:56 People + AI: The New Dental Team Advantage

02:52 The Story Behind Cory Pinegar and REACH

07:05 What Is a Virtual Team Member?

09:25 Which Tasks Are Best Handled Remotely?

12:29 Where Virtual Staffing Can Drive Revenue

13:45 AI vs. Human Talent

16:41 What Makes REACH Different?

20:24 Hiring for Culture, Communication, and Fit

23:25 How AI Is Changing Dental Workflows

26:55 Combining Virtual Team Members With AI

28:10 Common Mistakes Practices Make

30:35 The Future of the Dental Practice

33:03 The Opportunity Behind People + AI

34:25 Connect With Cory and REACH

Your next patient may not find your dental practice through a traditional Google search. They may ask AI who the best dentist is, and what AI says about your practice will depend on the digital story you're building right now.

In this episode of the Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau welcomes back Rita Zamora, founder of Connect90 and author of Get Found, Get Liked, Get Patients, to discuss how AI is changing the way patients discover, evaluate, and choose dental practices. Rita explains why your website, reviews, social media, online listings, and other digital assets can no longer be treated separately. Together, they form an online ecosystem that helps both patients and AI determine whether your practice is credible, relevant, and worth recommending.

Rita and Dr. Len also break down the growing importance of review consistency, strategic social media content, online scheduling, and authentic photos and videos. They discuss why practices need to be intentional about what they want to be known for online, how AI is interpreting digital signals across multiple platforms, and why generic or heavily AI-generated content may actually work against your practice. If you want your practice to stay visible as AI-assisted search becomes part of the patient journey, this episode gives you practical steps to start preparing now.

• How AI is changing the way patients find and choose dentists

• Why your online reviews are foundational to AI visibility

• What an online ecosystem is and why every part of it matters

• Why review consistency, volume, and quality all influence credibility

• How social media content is becoming part of your evergreen reputation

• Why practices should post more strategically about the services they want to be known for

• How authentic photos and videos strengthen your digital presence

• Why online scheduling could become essential as AI agents evolve

• How to create a stronger digital story for both patients and AI

• Why a content calendar can help practices stay consistent without overwhelming the team

• One simple step practices can take now to strengthen their online visibility

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Key Takeaways

02:03 Get Found by Patients and AI

02:48 Meet Rita Zamora

04:16 AI, Reviews, and the Future of Patient Trust

06:35 Building Your Practice's Online Ecosystem

08:44 How AI Is Changing Patient Discovery

11:53 Reviews as Trust Signals for Patients and AI

14:40 Review Velocity and Avoiding Incentivized Reviews

17:55 Social Media's New Role in Dental Visibility

21:04 Creating Consistent Digital Signals

25:39 Online Scheduling and AI-Assisted Patient Acquisition

28:17 Building a Stronger Digital Story for Your Practice

31:34 Common AI and Online Presence Mistakes

32:58 How Often Should Dental Practices Post?

34:00 Using a Content Calendar for AI Visibility

35:50 One Simple Change to Strengthen Your Online Presence

37:22 Connect with Rita Zamora

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Connect With Rita

Rita helps dental practices strengthen their online ecosystem through strategic social media, consulting, and speaking, with a growing focus on preparing practices for AI-driven patient discovery and visibility.

Website: https://connect90.com/

Social Media: Search for Rita Zamora across major social media platforms.

Rita also offers a free on-demand webinar with Teresa Duncan and Malika Azargun covering AI visibility, revenue cycle management, practice management, and team management. The webinar is available under the Resources section of the Connect90 website.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

Waiting until you "feel ready" to own a dental practice could be one of the most expensive decisions of your career.

In this episode of the Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Brian Hanks, founder of Dental Buyer Advocates and author of How to Buy a Dental Practice, to talk about why younger dentists are waiting longer to become practice owners and what that delay could really cost them. Brian shares the numbers behind associate versus owner earnings, why student loan debt shouldn't automatically keep dentists from ownership, and what the data actually says about the growth of DSOs.

Brian also breaks down how to evaluate a dental practice before buying, including the two simple questions every potential buyer should ask. He explains why a cheaper practice isn't necessarily a better opportunity, how practice valuations work, and why paying above the national average can still be a smart investment. Plus, he shares what dentists who can't seem to find the "right" practice may be overlooking.

• Why younger dentists are waiting longer to become practice owners

• How delaying ownership can affect your long-term earning potential

• Why student loan debt doesn't necessarily mean you should avoid ownership

• What the data says about DSOs and the future of private dental practices

• Why ownership gives dentists more control over their careers

• The two questions to ask before seriously considering a dental practice

• Why buying a small practice with plans to "turn it around" can be risky

• How dental practices are valued based on collections and profitability

• Why paying above the average valuation doesn't necessarily mean you're overpaying

• How relationships can help you uncover better practice acquisition opportunities

• Why dentists should be intentional about who they listen to for career advice

Key Takeaways

02:04 The Associate Trap: Why Waiting Too Long to Own Can Cost Dentists a Fortune

02:47 Meet Brian Hanks

03:17 Helping Dentists Become Practice Owners

04:35 Dr. Len's Journey From Associate to Owner

06:09 Why Younger Dentists Are Delaying Ownership

09:30 The Million-Dollar Cost of Waiting

12:35 Associate Comfort vs. Practice Ownership

13:15 Are DSOs Really Taking Over Dentistry?

17:25 What to Look for When Buying a Dental Practice

17:55 Two Questions Every Practice Buyer Should Ask

23:48 How Dental Practices Are Valued

27:20 When Paying More for a Practice Makes Sense

28:40 Why You Haven't Found the Right Practice Yet

32:50 Brian's Advice for Associate Dentists

33:55 Lightning Round

38:55 How to Connect With Brian Hanks

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Connect With Brian

Website: Dental Buyer Advocates

Email: brian@dentalbuyeradvocates.com

Book: How to Buy a Dental Practice

Brian is also offering Raving Patients Podcast listeners a free 30-minute practice evaluation for dentists who are currently considering a practice purchase.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

Spending more money on Google Ads does not automatically mean more new patients. In fact, what happens after someone clicks your ad may matter just as much as the campaign itself.

In this episode of the Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Michael Lyjak, former Google trainer and founder of Efficiency Marketing, to break down what really drives PPC performance for dental practices. Having managed more than $16 million in dental advertising since 2019 and worked with over 100 practices, Michael explains why successful paid advertising goes far beyond choosing the right keywords and setting a budget.

Michael shares how AI is changing Google Ads, why branded campaigns can actually help when structured correctly, and how reviews and a practice's overall digital footprint are becoming increasingly important to both paid and AI-driven search. He also explains quality score, budgeting based on market competition, and why Google leads typically cost more than Meta leads.

But getting the lead is only half the battle. Michael and Dr. Len discuss one of the biggest places dental practices lose marketing dollars: poor lead handling. Missed calls, slow response times, weak follow-up, and a lack of conversion tracking can turn even a well-performing ad campaign into wasted money. Michael explains why practices need a strong feedback loop between their marketing and front desk if they want to know what's actually generating appointments and revenue.

What You'll Learn

• Why Google Ads are no longer just about keywords, bids, and budgets

• How AI and machine learning are changing PPC for dental practices

• Whether dentists should bid on their own branded keywords

• Why DIY Google Ads can cost practices more than they realize

• How Google reviews and your digital footprint can influence visibility

• Why smaller advertising budgets are becoming harder to compete with

• How to determine the right PPC budget based on your market and procedures

• Why missed calls and slow lead response can destroy your advertising ROI

• What Google Ads quality score means and how it affects your cost per click

• Why Google Ads cost more than Meta Ads and how patient intent changes lead quality

• How to track leads from click to booked appointment

• Why a strong feedback loop between your marketing team and dental practice matters

• How AI search could change the way prospective patients discover your practice

Key Takeaways

02:15 Beyond Keywords and Bids: What Really Drives PPC Results

03:48 Meet Michael Lyjak

04:40 From Google Trainer to Dental Marketing Expert

06:25 What Really Determines PPC Success?

08:25 Should You Bid on Your Own Practice Name?

10:20 How to Structure Branded Campaigns

12:45 Why DIY Google Ads Are So Difficult

15:09 How Reviews Impact Ad Performance

17:14 How AI Is Changing Search and PPC

19:53 How Much Should a Dental Practice Spend on Ads?

22:55 The Hidden Cost of Missed Calls

24:30 Understanding Google Ads Quality Score

26:40 How to Know If Your Ads Are Actually Working

27:58 Google Ads vs. Meta Ads

30:59 Why Leads Aren't Turning Into Appointments

34:25 Should Your Marketing Company Handle the Calls?

35:40 The One PPC Action Dentists Should Take Now

36:20 Connect With Michael and Get a Free PPC Audit

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Connect With Michael

Email: mike@makeitefficient.com

Website: https://makeitefficient.com/

Michael is offering Raving Patients listeners a free PPC audit along with 10% off monthly management services. Mention the Raving Patients Podcast or Dr. Len Tau when reaching out.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

Your practice can be producing plenty of dentistry and still be leaving a surprising amount of money on the table.

In this episode of the Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Ori Bekerman, founder of Practice Alpha, to uncover one of the most overlooked revenue leaks in independent dental practices: the billing process. After building, operating, and selling a multi-location dental group himself, Ori saw firsthand how easily revenue can get stuck in aging claims, inaccurate patient estimates, denied claims, and overloaded front desk workflows.

Ori breaks down the numbers every practice owner should be watching, including insurance and patient aging reports, collections, and claims over 90 days old. He explains why simply seeing claims go out and money come in doesn't mean your billing is healthy, and why accountability and consistent reporting are critical for identifying problems before they become expensive.
Dr. Len and Ori also discuss why asking your front desk to handle phones, scheduling, patient checkout, and billing at the same time can create costly mistakes. Ori shares how practices can evaluate whether billing should stay in-house or be outsourced, why EFT payments can improve cash flow, and how better revenue cycle management can help independent dentists protect profitability without constantly chasing more new patients.

• How to tell if your dental practice has a billing or collections problem

• The key insurance and patient aging numbers every practice owner should monitor

• Where revenue leakage can begin before treatment is even performed

• Why inaccurate insurance verification can lead to incorrect patient balances

• Why having your front desk handle billing along with multiple other responsibilities can put revenue at risk

• The importance of clean claim submission and proper documentation

• Why accountability and reporting matter just as much as sending claims

• The difference between flat-rate and percentage-based billing models

• Why EFT payments can improve security, organization, and cash flow

• Three questions to ask when deciding whether to keep billing in-house or outsource it

• How stronger revenue cycle management can help practices protect their bottom line

Key Takeaways

01:50 Your Front Desk Is Not Your Biller

03:12 Meet Ori Bekerman

04:50 The Hidden Cost of Bad Billing

06:50 Key Billing Benchmarks to Watch

10:45 How the Dental Revenue Cycle Works

13:25 Where Revenue Leakage Begins

15:18 Why Your Front Desk Shouldn't Do Everything

18:20 Flat-Rate vs. Percentage-Based Billing

21:51 Dental Billing Myths and Faster Payments

26:10 In-House vs. Outsourced Billing

31:45 Lightning Round

36:42 Connect With Ori and Free RCM Sanity Check

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Connect With Ori

Email: ori@practicealpha.io

Website: practicealpha.io

Ori is also offering Raving Patients listeners a free RCM sanity check checklist with guided instructions for reviewing billing and revenue cycle performance based on the practice's PMS.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!