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Show Notes

Write-offs may look like a normal part of doing business, but do you know how much they are actually costing your dental practice? In this episode, Kirk Behrendt talks with ACT Dental coach Robyn Theisen about understanding the gap between gross and net production, identifying where write-offs are coming from, and making strategic changes that improve collectible production without adding more days, procedures, or team members.

Learn how to categorize your adjustments, evaluate PPO participation, review membership plans, and reduce unnecessary write-offs over time. Listen to Episode 1115 of The Best Practices Show!

Main Takeaways:

• Your write-off percentage is calculated by dividing total write-offs by gross production.
• Insurance adjustments, membership plan adjustments, and elective adjustments are three major categories of write-offs.
• Membership plan pricing should be reviewed regularly so discounts do not unintentionally increase as office fees rise.
• Elective adjustments such as courtesy discounts, family discounts, and warranty write-offs should be clearly defined and consistently tracked.
• Eliminating write-offs entirely is unrealistic, but practices can strategically reduce them percentage by percentage.
• Small reductions in write-offs can significantly increase collectible production without requiring additional procedures, days, or team members.
• Understanding individual PPO contracts and making gradual changes can help teams reduce write-offs while maintaining patient relationships.

Episode Chapters:

01:00 Why write-offs matter in dentistry.

03:45 Understanding gross production, net production, and write-off percentage.

05:20 Insurance adjustments and PPO reimbursement.

06:54 Reviewing membership plan adjustments.

08:05 Understanding elective adjustments and discounts.

10:47 Why write-offs should be managed rather than eliminated.

11:50 Evaluating PPO contracts and shared agreements.

14:22 The financial impact of reducing write-offs.

18:00 Final takeaways and tracking your financial gaps.

Guest Bio/Guest Resources:

Robyn Theisen brings an entire life and legacy of dental experience to the team and every team with which she works as the daughter and sister of dentists. With almost 20 years of experience in dentistry, her roles ranged from practice management to operations at Patterson Dental to coaching teams. Robyn’s passion is empowering teams to realize that they can dramatically impact the lives of the people they serve by implementing skills and systems to remove barriers to life-changing dental treatment. She has done it for decades and does it every day with dental teams.

Outside of coaching, she enjoys time with her husband, Rob, and two daughters, Emerson and Ruby. She loves traveling, music, fitness, and cheering on the Michigan State Spartans.

Episode Resources:

• Financial Gaps at a Glancer:
• https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/financial-gaps-at-a-glance’
• Financial GAPs Calculator:
• https://hub.smilesource.com/c/resources/financial-gaps-calculator

More Helpful Links for a Better Practice & a Better Life:

• Contact Gina to learn more about ACT: gina@actdental.com
• The Best Practices Show: https://www.actdental.com/podcast/
• Smile Source Community Hub: https://www.actdental.com/community-hub
• Upcoming Events & Workshops: https://www.actdental.com/events/
• Smile Source: https://www.smilesource.com/
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com
• Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com