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.
You Can’t Serve Excellence Without Systems
By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS Systems, Not Motivation, Drive Consistency Starbucks doesn’t…
From Chaos to Coordination: Building a Michelin-Star Dental Team
By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS What Does a High-Performing Dental Team Actually…
Hope Isn’t on the Menu: Planning a Profitable Dental Year
By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS It’s almost the end of the first…
Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up: Part 3
Building Financial Accountability Without MicromanagingDid you miss Part 2? Catch up on Why the Money Isn’t Showing…
Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up: Part 2
The Front Desk Systems That Make or Break Cash FlowDid you miss Part One? Catch up on…
Why the Money Isn’t Showing Up: Part 1
A Financial Control Series for Dental Practice Owners By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach,…
The Practice Profitability Playbook: Part 3
Part 3: Clinical Control — Diagnose with Confidence, Present with Clarity By: Dawn Patrick, Business Strategy Coach,…
How Dental Practices Can WIN December Instead of Surviving It
By: Dawn Patrick, Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS December can feel like the ultimate scramble. Patients rushing to…
The Practice Profitability Playbook: Part 2
Part 2: Financial Control — Show Me the Money in Your Dental Practice By: Dawn Patrick, Business…
The Practice Profitability Playbook
Part 1: Systems Control — The Foundation of a Low-Stress, High-Performing Practice By: Dawn Patrick, Business Strategy Coach, IGNITEDDS…
Stop Choosing Sides: The Secret Ingredient for Next-Gen Dentistry Is Fusion
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, 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
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: 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
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…
Oral Appliance Therapy for Sleep-Disordered Breathing
By: Mark T. Murphy, DDS This article originally appeared on PankeyGram.Org. Dr. Murphy granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. Dentists are in a unique position to recognize the critical role sleep plays in systemic health. Research has confirmed that untreated sleep apnea significantly increases the risk of: With more consumer wearables tracking sleep…
Top 5 Mistakes New Dentists Make When Buying Their First Practice & How to Avoid Them
By: Dr. David Rice Buying your first dental practice is one of the most exciting — and daunting — decisions you’ll ever make. When you do it right, it’s your launchpad to fulfillment, wealth, and a self-determined future. When you do it wrong, it can trap you in stress, burnout, and financial struggle. As we…
How Dentistry Affects the People You Love: Part 2
Why Dental Professionals Struggle With Emotional Availability By: Dr. Sable Muntean After a long day at the office, it’s natural to feel drained. But when fatigue becomes emotional distance, relationships begin to suffer. Emotional availability—the ability to be fully present and engaged with the people you love—is critical for maintaining strong connections, yet it’s often…
The Year-End Bonus Headache No One Warned You About
By: Garrett Wilson As we head into the start of 2026, it’s worth reflecting on what happened in 2025 so we don’t repeat the same mistakes. Few topics created more tension at year-end than bonuses and holiday gifts. If you spend any time in dental social media groups, you saw it firsthand—frustration from employees and…
Beautiful Smile Design Case using a Fully Digital Workflow
By: John C. Cranham, DDS This topic originally appeared on Pankey.org. Dr. Cranham granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. My professional journey in dentistry has been deeply influenced by my time in the Pankey Institute and other continuing education courses. My early career focused on integrating cosmetic digital dentistry with sound occlusal concepts….