Founder of the nation’s largest student and new-dentist community, igniteDDS, David R. Rice, DDS, travels the world speaking, writing, and connecting today’s top young dentists with tomorrow’s most successful dental practices. He is the editorial director of DentistryIQ and leads a team-centered restorative and implant practice in East Amherst, New York. With 27 years of practice in the books, Dr. Rice is trained at the Pankey Institute, the Dawson Academy, Spear Education, and most prolifically at the school of hard knocks.
What Is The Average Dentist Salary?
By: Dr. David Rice It’s easy to find the median dentist salaries in the United States. The…
Sign-On or Stay-On Bonus?
By: Dr. David Rice The great resignation, team-turnover, call it what you will, is dentistry’s single greatest…
Top 5 Mistakes New Dentists Make
By: Dr. David Rice Read them. Digest them. Ask igniteDDS how to avoid them! 5 Mistakes I…
7 Reasons Dentists Choose Their Dentists
By: Dr. David Rice Want to guarantee you’re seeing the right dentist? Here is how we dentists…
5 Tips to Quit a Dental Practice with Grace
There are times and places when we need to move on from a dental practice because it’s the healthy thing to do. Here’s how to do that … with grace.
How one bad experience can destroy your entire dental practice
By: David Rice At 53 years of age, I’d like to tell you I’ve grown up. I…
Top 5 Dental Student Loan Mistakes
Dental school is a hard, lengthy process, but worth it. You want to make sure that you…
Broken: Women in the dental industry and their relationships with other women
Dr. Maggie Augustyn discusses how her relationship with other women in the dental industry has been challenging and how she has dealt with the ups and downs.
Lit leadership lessons: The power of creativity
By Amisha Singh, DDS We are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) people. We like numbers. Our…
3 Steps to Stop Cancellations in Your Dental Practice
Is your dental practice having problems with cancellations in a post-COVID world? Dr. David Rice is here with some advice that can help your business.
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….
Want Better Results? Make It Easier
Remove Friction – Unlock Consistency By: Candy Velez, CRDH, BSDH, IgniteDDS Dental Hygiene Coach The Question That Changes Everything How Are We Making It Easy? Most dental teams want to do excellent work. They want to accurately diagnose, thoroughly document, and provide care that truly supports long-term health. Yet despite good intentions, consistency often slips….
How Dentistry Affects the People You Love: Part 1
How Dentistry Quietly Changes Your Relationships By: Dr. Sable Muntean Dentistry is a deeply rewarding profession. Every day, you transform smiles, ease pain, and build trust with your patients. But behind the satisfaction lies a hidden cost—your personal relationships. If you’ve ever felt tension at home after a long day, noticed that your partner seems…
Busy ≠ Profitable: The February Reality Check Every Practice Owner Needs
By: Dr. David Rice While January often feels like a fresh start – schedules filling fast – production firing on all cylinders – and that sense that this is the year everything finally clicks … Like our diet and gym new year’s resolutions – February arrives and … The practice is still busy, but stress…
The Sugar Crisis: The Link to Oral-Systemic Health
By: Paul Henny, DDSThis topic originally appeared on PankeyGram.org. Dr. Henny granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers. According to the CDC, one in three Americans will be diabetic by 2050 if we don’t make significant course corrections. By that same time, 42% of the population is expected to be obese, a condition…
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 👉 By: Dawn Patrick, COO and Dental Business Strategy Coach, IgniteDDS Let’s be honest — Cash flow problems usually don’t start with insurance. They start with unclear financial conversations. 1….
Buying a Dental Practice Is the Easy Part—Earning the Team’s Trust Is the Real Work
By: Ronda Holman Purchasing an existing dental practice offers a significant advantage: a team that already knows your patients, systems, and practice culture. However, one critical factor doesn’t automatically transfer with ownership—trust. Building trust with your new team requires intention, patience, and thoughtful leadership. 1. Listen More Than You Lead in the First Weeks When…
Would It Even Matter If I Wasn’t Here?
By: Eric Recker I froze. Where were those thoughts coming from and why were they in MY head? It was the end of yet another chaotic day in my practice. A day of all alone at the top as my team of eighteen left the office to go about their normal lives outside of the…