Turning Office Autopsies into Profitability Breakthroughs

Dentistry is a blessing—but running a profitable dental practice (or several) can sometimes feel like a never-ending game of whack-a-mole. At Dental A Team, we love digging into the real stories behind why practices struggle or thrive. Today, we will walk through real-life examples of how offices have transformed by running strategic “office autopsies.”

Whether you're managing one location or juggling multiple practices, profitability doesn’t happen by chance. It’s created through precision, strategy, and sometimes tough love. Let’s unpack what we’ve seen across dozens of practices—and how to apply it to ours.

What are “Office Autopsies”?

An office autopsy is our version of a deep dive. We analyze the numbers, overhead, staffing, production, AR, and systems—then track the true source of any bleeding. It’s part post-mortem, part roadmap to growth.

Here’s what the data often reveals:

• Some locations are profitable, others are silently draining the business.

• Providers aren’t calibrated across locations.

• Doctors unknowingly carry the production load.

• Overhead is higher than necessary—often from duplicate marketing or staffing misalignment.

The Power of Knowing the Real Numbers

One of the biggest game changers of office autopsies? Separating financials by location. Many practices lump all data together, which blurs the lines between what’s working and what’s failing.

Dana shared examples where:

• One thriving practice was covering the losses of two others.

• Pulling the doctor out of the profitable location cost more than expected.

• Associates weren’t producing enough to justify their compensation.

• Marketing spend wasn’t aligned with actual patient acquisition.

Without this clarity, decisions are made in the dark.

Tactical Fixes That Move the Needle

Profitability doesn’t require magic. It requires clear action.

Here are a few proven fixes we implement:

• Know your BAM: What’s our Bare Ace Minimum for production and collections?

• Tighten up AR: Uncollected money is revenue left on the table.

• Cut what doesn’t serve: Are we carrying excess equipment or staff that isn’t tied to production?

• Align associate skill sets: Don’t assume bread-and-butter dentistry will replace your high-level procedures.

• Customize marketing: One-size-fits-all doesn’t work when patient demographics vary between locations.

Why Moonlighting Isn’t Always the Solution

Some owners consider scaling back their hours and moonlighting to offset losses. But this often delays the inevitable: either fix the problem or walk away. Dana and Kiera suggest instead creating a clear profitability plan and sticking to it. Set a timeline. Own the numbers. Then build the systems and team to support long-term success.

Multi-location ownership is not for the faint of heart. But with the right strategy—and a willingness to look at the truth—we’ve seen practices turn it around in under a year.

Don’t be afraid of office autopsies. It’s where the real breakthroughs happen.

We love nothing more than to make sure your dental practice is truly THRIVING! Schedule a call.

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