What Is an Office Autopsy?

At Dental A Team, we love running an office autopsy. It’s not about pointing out failures, it’s about pulling back the curtain on what’s really happening inside a practice and showing the small but powerful levers that can completely change results.

Think of it like looking under the hood of your car. You don’t just want the engine to run, you want it to run at peak performance. That’s what an office autopsy is for your dental practice.

The Legacy Practice Story

Recently, our consultant Trish (nicknamed Ta-Da! because she brings energy and wins everywhere she goes) worked with a third-generation dental practice.

Here’s what they were facing when they joined Dental A Team:

A congested schedule with six-week waits for new patients
Hygiene patients unable to get back in on time
Stagnant growth despite a large patient base
Overhead confusion and financial stress
A discouraged team that stopped paying attention to goals

Sound familiar? Many practices find themselves here, working hard but not moving forward.

The Key Moves That Sparked Change

Instead of overhauling everything at once, Trish identified a few high-impact levers that created fast wins:

Added Hygiene Capacity
- Brought in another hygienist, even though it meant each doctor had one less operatory.
- Strategic doctor blocks and staggered schedules prevented chaos.
Expanded Hours
- Shifted from Monday–Thursday to Monday–Friday, which gave doctors more access to operatories and increased patient availability.
Patient Filtering System
- New patients with significant needs were prioritized and placed directly into doctor schedules instead of waiting for hygiene.
- Result: comprehensive cases were diagnosed and treated sooner.
Treatment Presentation Upgrade
- Dusted off intraoral cameras that were sitting unused.
- Both doctors began showing patients their conditions visually, which improved case acceptance.
Team Engagement and Competition
- Doctors and team members rallied around new systems.
- Gentle competition between providers boosted energy and consistency.

The Results in Just Months

Hit production goals for the first time in over a year, and then kept hitting them month after month.
Team re-engagement: numbers started to matter again, and wins were celebrated.
The practice is now preparing for a build-out and expansion.
The doctor went from stressed and stagnant to excited and dreaming again.

Lessons for Any Dental Practice

This “office autopsy” proved that transformation doesn’t always require massive change. Often, the answers are closer than you think:

Get uncomfortable. Growth means breaking old habits and testing new systems.
Focus on leverage. One or two well-chosen changes can move the entire practice forward.
Engage your team. When doctors and teams align, momentum compounds quickly.

Final Takeaway

Dentistry doesn’t have to feel stagnant or lonely. With the right outside perspective, even a legacy practice that felt stuck can rediscover growth, re-energize its team, and reignite the owner’s passion.

Dentists deserve balance, profitability, and momentum, and sometimes it only takes a few strategic moves to get there.

Ready for Your Own Office Autopsy?

If you see pieces of your story in this case, it may be time for your own dental office autopsy. Our consultants will walk through your schedule, systems, and team flow to find the fastest path to profit and peace of mind.

Schedule a Complimentary Practice Assessment call with The Dental A Team today.

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Last updated: October 2025

Written by Jacintha Ham, Dental A Team

Office Autopsy: How One Legacy Practice Transformed