Why Focusing On The Patient Guarantees Dental Success with Mick Janness

We hear that “consistency is key” in a lot of areas of our lives, and dental growth is no exception. But what’s difficult is strategizing for consistent growth. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Mick Janness, CEO and Co-Founder of Oakpoint, to explore how his team grew a single practice to over 40 locations through strategic hub-and-spoke specialty care models. Through the conversation, they unpack practical insights on everything from revenue cycle management to maintaining clinical autonomy in a growing organization. Focusing on fundamental execution and patient experience is what takes businesses to the finish line of success, allowing them to find the key in the first place. If you want to grow more, without settling for less, this is the episode for you!

Consistency may be key but how many of us really know where to find it? In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Mick Janness, CEO and Co-Founder of Oakpoint, to explore how his team grew a single practice to over 40 locations and the strategic approaches dental businesses need to adopt in order to find sustainable success.

What You’ll Learn:

Building a successful hub-and-spoke multispecialty dental model while prioritizing patient experience
How fundamental metrics like phone answering (95%+ target) and re-care drives consistent practice growth
The strategic approach to practice acquisition that prioritizes expansion potential and operational efficiency
How to leverage existing practice infrastructure to add operatories and drive organic growth
Why maintaining clinical autonomy while providing robust operational support creates successful dental partnerships
How to identify and execute key operational levers for practice optimization
Why focusing on quality of earnings rather than just rooftop count leads to sustainable DSO growth

Consistency may be the key that takes businesses to the finish line but it’s going back to the basics that helps you unlock the first door that every DSO needs to walk through.

Episode Highlights:

02:25 - 4:34 Understanding the Personal Journey in Practice Transitions

Mick offers a crucial reminder that dental practice transitions are deeply personal decisions for doctors, requiring a nuanced understanding of both emotional and business factors, emphasizing that for practice leaders, recognizing this personal element is critical in building trust and creating successful partnerships. The challenge lies in balancing the professional aspects of a transition while honoring the emotional investment doctors have made in their practices. A key strategy is approaching each transition with empathy and taking time to understand the unique journey of each doctor.

19:29-22:04 Why Core Operational Metrics Reign Supreme

Mick shares that the simple yet important act of hitting a 95% phone answer rate is a non-negotiable benchmark for practice success and patient satisfaction. Understanding and consistently tracking key performance indicators like re-care rates and unscheduled treatment creates significant growth opportunities. So, before practice leaders chase new initiatives or technologies, they should first focus on optimizing these fundamental metrics. Implementing regular monitoring and coaching around these core metrics helps identify areas for improvement and drives better patient outcomes - an approach that enables consistent growth even during challenging economic periods.

29:06-32:59 Choosing Your Facilities Wisely

Mick lets listeners in on the secret to Oakpoint’s strategic and sustained growth, highlighting that they seek out facilities with expansion potential, looking for spaces that can accommodate additional operatories without major construction. This strategic approach to practice selection creates opportunities for organic growth without the complexity of new acquisitions. Identifying practices with untapped physical capacity allows for predictable revenue increases through operational optimization. This facility-focused growth strategy demonstrates how thoughtful practice selection can drive sustainable expansion.

38:33-41:57 Efficient Payment Processing Requires Technology

In order to maximize efficiency with regards to payment-processing, Mick suggests a consolidated approach to technology adoption - one that focuses on solutions that solve multiple problems while remaining user-friendly for both staff and patients. By selecting versatile technologies like text-to-pay features, practices can improve efficiency while meeting patient expectations for convenience. This strategic approach to technology implementation shows how careful platform selection can drive both operational improvements and patient satisfaction.

Unlock dental growth strategies with Mick Janness. Tune in now!