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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.
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 –…
Top 5 Mistakes Dentists Make When Starting a Practice & How to Avoid Them
By: Dr. David Rice There is no moment more exciting, or more overwhelming, than building your dream dental…
Why Most Dental Practice Goals Fail by February & How to Prevent It
By: Dr. David Rice, Founder & CEO IGNITEDDS Every January – dental practices around the globe set…
What Your Team Says in the First 30 Seconds Determines Everything
By: Dr. David Rice Ask most doctors or office managers what their #1 goal is when the…
Keeping Gingival Crevice Healthy
By: Pankey GramTopic Originally appeared on PankeyGram.org Gingival crevice is the space between the marginal gingiva and…
From Clinician to CEO: Part 3
Financial Control: Profit With Purpose By: Dr. David Rice Most dentists don’t hate numbers … they just hate…
When Time Is Tight: Fast, Smarter Waterline Safety
By: A-dec A complementary solution best paired with an A-dec 500 Pro or 300 Pro system, A-dec®…
From Clinician To CEO: Part 2
Part 2. Systems Control – Turning Chaos Into Consistency By: Dr. David Rice When a dentist shares…
6 Valuable Lessons Your DSO Can Learn from Dental Schools
By: A-decThis topic originally appeared on A-dec.com. They granted permission for igniteDDS to share with our readers….
From Clinician to CEO: Part 1
Part 1. Clinical Control: Leading People to Clinical Excellence By: Dr. David Rice Do you want to…
Communicating in Difficult Situations: Part 1
By: Savanah Craig If you work in the dental profession long enough, you’ll encounter patients who might get labeled as difficult for some of their requests in a dental chair. These annoyances range from refusing to swallow their own saliva, questioning the need for radiographs, or refusing fluoride treatment. Many dentists, hygienist, and dental assistants…
General Dentist vs. Dental Specialist
By: Dr. Cory Ball 12 years of grade school, 4 years of undergraduate studies, maybe a master’s program, and 4 years of dental school. Now you are debating on doing more school? Do you want to be a general dentist or go on to do a specialty in orthodontics, oral surgery, pediatrics, endodontics, periodontics, etc?…
New Dentist: Your First Paycheck Arrives, Now What?
By: Dr. Cory Ball Dental school is a busy time for most aspiring clinicians. Between studying for courses, practicing in preclinic, then managing the patient pool in the final years, most students have a tough time finding additional hours in a day to have a part-time job to make money. And those students who do have…
Don’t Look Back, Look Forward to Paying Off Dental School Student Loans
By: Dr. Cory Ball The average student loan debt for a graduating dental student in 2020 was over $300,000. During school, students can easily fall into a mindset of forgetting about the loans and focusing on other things. The problem with that is when the time comes to start making payments, it can be overwhelming…
The Transition to a Dental Faculty Position
By: Tanya Sue Maestas Hi, I’m Tanya Sue Maestas. I’ve recently taken up a faculty position at the new dental school in El Paso, Texas – Woody L Hunt School of Dental Medicine. Alongside being a clinician in a public health setting, I have found being a faculty member to be incredibly rewarding — so…
Choice of Operating Entity: Which is Best for You?
By: Bruce Bryen What is the choice of operating entity for the dentist ready to go out on his or her own to acquire or start up his or her own practice? There are many different types of organizational structures for young dentists to consider when they are ready to go out and acquire or…
You Dreamed of Being Where You Are Now
By: Savanah Craig I was inspired by the latest Instagram trend showing a thought or doubt you have about yourself, followed by a photo of your younger self who could only dream of being in your shoes today. I think this trend is really powerful because it is so easy to look ahead and keep…
Technology Investments
By: Ann-Marie DePalma, CDA, RDH, MEd, CDIPC, FADIA, FAADH Technology is around us 24/7. Whether in our everyday lives or in our practices, technology is an essential part of today’s society. As the old saying goes “we can’t live with it, and we can’t live without it”, technology has changed the way teams interact with…
People Pleasing: Characteristics of Being a People Pleaser
By: Sharon Dolak People Pleasing is not about being kind. It is about someone trying hard to make others feel better, driven by deep-seated insecurity to be needed and receive approval. Society thinks it is a good thing to please others, but people pleasing has a dark side when we do it to our own…
Confronting Denial is No Small Task
By: Sharon Dolak Denial is a coping response that gives us time to adjust during shocking, distressful situations and avoid anxiety. We refuse to see the truth because we are trying to protect ourselves from a painful, overwhelming situation. Some things, many things are simply hard to accept all at once and we need time…







