Ask George - Dentistry Has Changed — How Private Practices Win by Using Technology

A real-world breakdown of multi-practice ownership, associate management, rural dentistry challenges, and the financial and emotional reality of scaling back to a profitable solo dental practice.

Private practice feels tougher than ever. George shows how embracing AI, automation, and team-driven tech turns staffing headaches, competition, and insurance frustrations into growth and better patient care.

On this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, George sits down with Dr. Aditi Agarwal, co-founder of Practice by Numbers and practicing dentist, to unpack how AI and data are transforming private practice ownership. Aditi shares the origin story of PBN, practical examples of Operations AI, revenue finding, and call analytics, and why embracing technology is becoming essential for private practices competing with DSOs. They close with a candid look at team-led tech adoption and how to reduce stress for your front office while increasing performance.

Ready to stop being the bottleneck in your practice? In this powerful Ask George episode, George and Richard unpack exactly how to delegate without losing control—and why building leaders is the key to exponential growth. From patient ownership metrics to hiring the right office manager, you’ll learn how to reclaim your time, energize your team, and scale with confidence.

Let’s face it—no dentist got into ownership to handle HR headaches. Richard chats with Jill from HR for Health about how to finally stop worrying about HR. They cover everything from time-off tracking and employee handbooks to preventing team drama before it starts. Turns out, “compliance is caring”—and HR doesn’t have to suck.

Tired of choosing between a great personality and plug-and-play experience? Richard and Caitlin show how real-world SOPs let you hire for attitude, train the skills, and stop feeling held hostage by turnover. Plus: easy ways to draft manuals with AI and keep a steady pipeline of candidates.

In Part 2 of Thor’s return to Practice Under Water, George and Thor tackle the complexities of scaling a thriving $2.5M practice. From facility constraints to associate performance and insurance strategy, this episode offers a real-time masterclass in transitioning from hustle-based growth to systems-driven sustainability.

In this episode of Practice Under Water, returning guest "Thor" shares how he grew his suburban dental practice from $700K to $2.5M in just four years. George helps him evaluate the next strategic step—moving, expanding, or embracing a pseudo-specialist role—all while preserving income and quality of life.

Kick off 2026 with a plan that actually sticks. George walks through choosing your practice vision, pinpointing your #1 bottleneck, and installing a weekly operating rhythm so growth stops being random. Pick your avatar, align your team, and make the calendar turn count.

Richard and Caitlin break down a four-part framework for practice vision—anatomy/scale, philosophy of care, team culture, and life design—and show how to use it to drive buy-in, staffing math, and bottleneck-based prioritization. Learn cadence tips for communicating vision, preventing change fatigue, and creating clear pivot points that reduce burnout.