Managing Dental Drama
Owning, operating, and managing a dental practice can be difficult and sometimes wrought with drama. Meet Dr. Kuba, a private practice owner, and Bethany, a dental consultant, who take real-life examples and talk through issues in an open, honest, and sometimes hilarious manner. Topics are relevant to current dental and employment trends and range from “The Art of Retaining Good Employees” to “The Marriage of Dentistry and Insurance Ending in Divorce” and everything in between. Each episode provides dental leaders with various tips and tricks as well as common mistakes to avoid. Enjoy the unscripted conversation between Dr. Kuba, Bethany, and various dental practice owners!
Episodes
229 episodes
Insurance Saga 2026
It has been a while since Bethany and Dr. Kuba have tackled the ugly topic of insurance. They jump right into tough topics in their first 2026 episode together! Insurance ranks at the top of their list. After a recent incident with a parent ...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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49:26
Behind the Scenes with Bethany’s Husband
Meet Bethany’s husband! He gets put on the spot today to answer some burning questions. As a high school economics and government teacher, his insight into current economic trends is always a support for Bethany as she consults with her clie...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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36:26
🔒Bonus Episode: Be the GOAT! Part 2
This is a clip from our January bonus episode that continues the Be the GOAT! episode, available exclusively to our Patreon subscribers. To unlock the full bonus episode, head to
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0:48
Be the GOAT!
There is no better way to kick things off in 2026 than to get some inspiration from nature – specifically from Bethany’s Nigerian Dwarf goats! In this episode, Bethany shares the lessons she has learned over the last couple of weeks as she h...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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37:30
Holiday How-To
Happy Holidays! With time off (hopefully) in the not-so-distant future, it is important that your patients AND team are prepared for any holiday closure time. Patients should ideally be made aware of any practice closures in advance. Emails,...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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14:21
Team Holiday Bonuses and Gifts
This time of year can be incredibly hard for dentists and practice owners because there are so many decisions to make when it comes to showing appreciation for team members. Should I do cash, a gift card, or a bonus through payroll? How much...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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43:11
Top Year End Tips
It is that time of year – you have a list of things to do that is nearly a mile long. Your mind is scrambled, and you are trying to remember what you need to do for the practice and team to wrap up 2025 nicely. Dr. Kuba and Bethany are...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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41:39
Dr. Jones Surprises Bethany
It is not often that Bethany’s plans are usurped, but Dr. Jones pulls it off today. Bethany had teed up a completely different subject for today’s episode, but Dr. Jones had a different plan and turned the tables! He took a trip down memory ...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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37:24
Slow Down and Reflect
It’s Thanksgiving Week! So, Bethany traps Dr. Kuba and convinces her to be extremely vulnerable and answer some annual reflection questions LIVE and on the spot! Thankfully, Dr. Kuba obliges, giving listeners an opportunity to not only learn...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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48:57
FULL BONUS EPISODE – Practice Vision
They have gone mad!! In a season of gratitude, Dr. Kuba and Bethany want to gift all listeners with a full bonus episode. So here it is!! Today’s episode is the very first bonus episode, which aired in November 2024. They discuss an incredib...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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49:19
To Hire or To Fire, That is the Question
How do you know if the person you recently hired is the right one? In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss three recent examples where practice owners are evaluating this very question. At the 60 day point, one practice owner is ...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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48:39
When Team Members Won’t Follow the Lead
Changes in a practice are necessary. At times, changes are thrust upon a team, forcing them to pivot. Other times, the practice owner is watching the horizon for economic, technological, or financial impacts that may also force change. Regar...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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46:40
Sickening Mistakes
Every once in a while, hopefully rarely, you get smacked with terribly sickening mistakes. There is a long list of “small mistakes” that practices make that feel less consequential – like incorrectly spelling a patient’s name, communicating ...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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41:44
Forty-Seven Years in Dentistry = Wisdom You Need
Thank goodness that Dr. Jones is back in town! After 47 years in dentistry, Dr. Kuba and Bethany have burning questions for him, so Bethany traps him in the studio to record. In this episode, he answers questions like, “With four kids and tw...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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49:55
Gossip, Backstabbing, and Drama, Oh my
Dr. Kuba is back in the studio today and is putting Bethany on the spot. While she appreciated the advice from the previous episode, she felt like the examples were missing. What rumor mill? And was the advice actually implementable? She and Be...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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43:32
Rumor Mill Chaos
Some practices are plagued with rumor mill problems while other practices are lucky enough to only have to deal with gossip girls on occasion. Either way, an active rumor mill can wreak havoc on a time. It can be a major determining factor i...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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31:36
When to Fire Patients
Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss a gut wrenching issue today – when to fire patients, how to fire patients, and everything else related to this topic. They reflect back on a recent episode where Dr. Jones described an unruly patient. Together, t...
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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42:24
Personality Impacts Culture
Dr. Kuba and Bethany revisit culture but in a slightly different way today. They look at the personalities that impact the culture the most. In other words, they discuss the most influential personalities on the team (sanguine and cholerics)...
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Season 5
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Episode 4
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40:35
Are We Making Our Patients Feel Dumb?
Dr. Kuba and Bethany dig in to an all-important topic – patient communication. In this episode, Dr. Kuba shares a recent restaurant experience and how the communication was off throughout the entire meal. Ultimately, she felt like she was tr...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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45:03
Sucktember – What to Do With Staff When the Schedule is Slow
September can be slow in the dental field. In fact, many practice owners refer to it as “Suck-tember.” In this episode, Dr. Kuba and Bethany discuss the September slowdown in her practice. Should a practice owner send employees home? Dr. Kub...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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31:51
Dr. Jones Divulges His Worst Moments as a Practice Owner
Welcome to SEASON FIVE!!! We kick this season off right with Dr. Jones! Dr. Kuba challenged him to think of some of his worst moments as a practice owner and some of the worst decisions he’s made. So, as he always does – he delivers! H...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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43:11
Phone Skills = First (or Last) Impression
Never underestimate the power of phone answering skills. The way a dental practice phone is answered can lead to a new patient appointment (or the lack of one). Good skills can lead to de-escalation of a frustrated patient and to the positiv...
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Season 4
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Episode 50
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34:27
When Team Members Fail to Show Up for Team Building
Team building events are an important part of building successful team members, but what do you do when team members fail to show up for these important and often costly events? Dr. Kuba shares a colleagues frustration when after careful pla...
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Season 4
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Episode 49
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47:06
Big Fish – The Nature of Boss and Team
As if last week’s “Male vs. Female” episode was not enough, Dr. Kuba and Bethany go in even further on difficult topics. Bethany summarizes some upsetting details from a client’s recent drama and discusses the specifics with Dr. Kuba. They b...
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Season 4
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Episode 48
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53:22
Male vs. Female Practice Owners
Bethany notices every day the differences between practices led by males and those led by females. While Bethany has avoided doing a podcast on this topic, the impact of gender is simply too strong to ignore. She meets with so many practice ...
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Season 4
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Episode 47
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50:15