Dawn Patrick

Dawn Patrick

Dawn has 30+ years of dental experience spanning all facets of dentistry including pediatric, cosmetic, complete health, and sleep.

During her career, Dawn enjoyed 25 years in practice management including marketing, team training, and consulting.

She joined IgniteDDS in June 2022 as Director of Operations.

Dawn enjoys working directly with teams and customers to create a win-win. She is passionate about creating systems and processes that allow teams to excel.

In her spare time, Dawn enjoys time with family, her two Goldendoodles, and traveling with her husband, Jon.

dental kpis key performance indicators

10 Key Performance Indicators Your Dental Practice Should Track

By: Dawn Patrick Measure, monitor, and make go right, but what should you measure? As a dentist,…

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leadership in your dental practice

Empowering Dental Teams: How To Inspire & Develop Leadership In Your Practice

By: Dawn Patrick In today’s shrinking workforce, many practice owners either struggle with high team turnover or…

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Child brushing teeth

Ranking the States with the Best and Worst Dental Health 2023

Starting children off right with good oral health habits (including proper brushing and flossing) can help ensure…

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periodontal disease and heart failure

The Link Between Periodontal Disease and Heart Failure

By: Kevin Henry A new study has given dental professionals yet another reason to talk to their…

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This Will Supercharge Your Impact In Dentistry – It Did Mine!

This post originally appeared on Dew.life  By: Julie Friesen  What does making an impact in dentistry look…

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dental health statistics

Dental Health Statistics in 2022: The Best and Worst States

By: Kevin Henry National dental provider Express Dentist has revealed its rankings of the states with the best and worst…

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Thinking hard about dentistry

Did I make a mistake going into dentistry?

By Sienna Greene, DMD Did I make a mistake going into dentistry? Why did I become a…

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dental meeting

3 things to know about going back to dental meetings

COVID-19 forced meetings of all kinds, including those in the dental industry, to go virtual. However, in…

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3 reasons why the dental hiring crisis may soon subside

From Las Vegas to Orlando last week, here are the things we heard about the hiring crisis impacting so many dental practices.

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Help Wanted sign

New data shows how hiring crisis has grown in dental industry

how much the hiring crisis in dentistry has grown since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Preparing Your Patients for Removable Prosthodontics

By Ronda Holman | March 16, 2026

By: Ronda Holman For many patients, transitioning to removable prosthodontics, whether partial dentures or full dentures, can feel intimidating. As dental professionals, one of our most valuable roles is helping patients understand what to expect and guiding them through the adjustment period with clear explanations and supportive coaching. When patients are properly prepared, their confidence…

Hope Isn’t on the Menu: Planning a Profitable Dental Year

By Dawn Patrick | March 16, 2026

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…

Going From Conventional to Digital Denture Fabrication

By Lee Culp, CDT | March 9, 2026

By: Lee Culp, CDTThis article originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. igniteDDS was granted permission to share with our readers. For years, creating dentures was a time-consuming process, requiring multiple patient visits, manual wax-ups, and trial-and-error adjustments. However, the rise of digital dentistry has revolutionized denture fabrication. From AI-assisted design to dental 3D printing, digital workflows have…

6 Strategies to Lead an Old Team as a New Dentist

By David Rice | March 9, 2026

By: Dr. David Rice Imagine this … or maybe you don’t need to because you’re already living it … you’re a new dentist … passionate … skilled … and ready to crush it in practice. But the team that’s been there for 10… 15… 20 years … they know the patients … the systems (or…

Why Dental Photography Is Essential in Modern Dental Practice

By James Wanamaker | March 2, 2026

By: James Wanamaker, DDS – IgniteDDS Clinical Coach In my private practice centered on esthetics and function, dentistry is never just about restoring teeth. It’s about restoring confidence, improving function, and creating harmony between the teeth, lips, and face. When you approach dentistry at that level, one tool that becomes absolutely indispensable is dental photography….

Stop Choosing Sides: The Secret Ingredient for Next-Gen Dentistry Is Fusion

By Candy Velez - CRDH, BSDH | March 2, 2026

By: Candy Velez, CRDH, BSDH, IgniteDDS Dental Hygiene Coach For a long time, dentistry has lived in two very different worlds. On one end, you have corporate dentistry — highly structured, efficient, protocol-driven, and focused on numbers. On the other end, you have private practice — often rooted in relationships, autonomy, and heart, but sometimes…

Advancing Implant Dentistry Through Digital Precision

By Lee Culp, CDT | February 23, 2026

By: Lee Culp, CDTThis article originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. igniteDDS was granted permission to share with our readers. The advancements in digital dentistry have redefined implantology, making it faster, more predictable, and highly precise. Traditional workflows relied heavily on physical impressions, wax-ups, and manual adjustments, often requiring multiple appointments and increasing the risk of inaccuracies….

Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up: Part 3

By Dawn Patrick | February 23, 2026

Building Financial Accountability Without MicromanagingDid you miss Part 2? Catch up on Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up, Part 2 By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IgniteDDS Here’s the balance every dentist wants: “I want accountability — not hovering.” Good systems do exactly that. 1. Ownership vs. Delegation You can delegate tasks….

The Tip Of The Iceberg

By Dr. Eric Recker | February 22, 2026

By: Eric Recker You get that call. Again. Lately, it feels like it’s every week. Your hygienist isn’t coming in because of a migraine, a sick kid, another illness, a family emergency, a last-minute appointment they forgot to tell you about, or some other vague reason. You look at your schedule and realize you have…

How Dentistry Affects the People You Love: Part 3

By Sable Muntean | February 16, 2026

The Guilt Dental Professionals Feel Toward Their Partners and Families By: Dr. Sable Muntean Guilt is a common, yet often unspoken, challenge for dental professionals. It creeps in when you miss family events, work long hours, or feel emotionally unavailable at home. Over time, this guilt can quietly affect your mental health and strain your…