By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS
It’s almost the end of the first quarter of 2026. How’s “hope” working for you?
At this point, you’ve either planned a successful year and had an amazing first few months, or you are winging it and hoping for the best each month.
Think about this…No successful restaurant opens its doors and says:
“Let’s just see how tonight goes.”
Yet that’s exactly how many dental practices approach a new year. They hope for:
- Better production
- Better collections
- Better schedules
- Better profitability
Hope is not a plan. Yet every day I hear dentists say that they “hope this year is better.”
Restaurants Start With the End in Mind
Whether it’s a Michelin-star restaurant or Starbucks, success starts long before the first customer walks in. They know:
- Expected revenue
- Pricing strategy
- Volume targets
- Staffing needs
- Operating days and hours
They don’t guess. They design the outcome.
Dental practices should do the same. Every step, every system, and every role in the practice must be clearly defined and contribute to the overall success of the practice goal.
Set the Annual Target, Then Work Backward
Before you think about schedules, marketing, or “getting busier,” define:
- Annual production goal
- Annual collections goal (not the same number)
And this matters:
- Insurance write-offs are real.
- Ignoring them is like pricing your menu without factoring in food cost.
If you don’t account for adjustments and write-offs, you’ll plan too low—or wonder why the money never matches the effort.
Know How Many Days You’re “Open”
Restaurants know exactly how many days they’re serving guests. Dental practices must know:
- How many days each provider works
- How many chairs are available
- How many true production days exist in the year
This instantly clarifies what’s possible, and what’s not. Once you know the days, you can determine:
- Daily goals
- Weekly goals
- Monthly goals
Now the plan becomes tangible.
This Is Where the Business Team Becomes the Kitchen
In restaurants, the kitchen executes the menu. In dental practices, the business team executes the plan. That means:
- Scheduling to daily production targets outlined with block scheduling
- Confirming appointments with purpose, not hope. Every patient is a YES, I’ll be there
- Collecting appropriately at the time the appointment is reserved. Yes, when reserved. That’s efficiency
- Monitoring adjustments and write-offs. What gets measured and monitored can be improved. Stop giving away your hard-earned money
- Protecting collections as fiercely as production. Show me the money. You deserve to be paid
When the business team knows the goal, every decision gets sharper.
A Plan Creates Focus, Just Like a Menu Does
Restaurants don’t offer everything. They offer what they can execute consistently and profitably.
You cannot be everyone’s dentist. Be selective. Who is your target audience?
Hate doing root canals? Refer them out and perform your most profitable procedures—and the ones you love to do.
A clear annual plan:
- Eliminates random decision-making
- Reduces emotional scheduling
- Creates confidence at the front desk
- Aligns the entire team
Now you’re not reacting. You’re running the practice.
Bottom Line
Restaurants don’t wish for full tables. They plan for them.
Starbucks doesn’t hope to hit revenue. They reverse-engineer it.
Dental practices that want a better year don’t hope. They plan with intention, execute with discipline, and measure relentlessly.
Begin with the end in mind. Build the plan. Then serve it, consistently.
Don’t let 2026 come to a close and be disappointed because you hoped instead of planned.
Great intentions don’t fix bottlenecks, burnout, or declining profitability, systems do.
If your practice feels busy but not in control, it’s not because your team doesn’t care. It’s because expectations aren’t clear, processes aren’t consistent, and accountability isn’t built into the day.
Build Systems That Support Your Practice Goals
At IGNITEDDS, coaching is about putting structure behind your goals, so the right things happen every day, even when you’re not watching. When systems are clear:
- Teams gain confidence
- Patients feel it
- Growth becomes predictable instead of exhausting
If you’re ready to stop reacting and start running your practice with intention, it’s time to learn what the right systems can do.
Get a Complimentary Practice Analysis
It’s easy to connect. Email me at dawn.patrick@ignitedds.com and ask for:
- A complimentary analysis
- A FREE business systems template
