The Word of Mouth Podcast

Opkie
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  • Marketing

The dental industry is splitting. Routine care is facing an insurance squeeze, while the high-value digital dentistry market is exploding. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and grow a profitable practice, you need to know what’s actually happening in the market. Welcome to The Word of Mouth Podcast—your weekly newsdesk and strategy playbook for the modern dental practice owner. Hosted by Jeffrey and Sarah (with occasional drop-ins from Troy), we cut through the noise of the dental internet to bring you the business, tech, and macro-economic trends shaping clinical practice today. You don't have time to read every trade journal, so we do the heavy lifting for you. What to Expect: The Weekly Breakdown: Rapid-fire analysis of current events, ADA policy updates, shifting labor models, and the dental economy. The Tech & Trends: Deep dives into the clinical innovations driving practice growth, from AI diagnostics and 3D printing to the changing landscape of DSOs and private equity. Clinical Founder Interviews: Sit-downs with top-tier dentists to reverse-engineer how they built premium clinical brands, attract high-value cases, and create an unmatched patient experience. Whether you are looking to transition to Fee-For-Service, attract high-ticket implant and aligner patients, or simply understand where the market is heading next, The Word of Mouth is your trusted weekly briefing. Hit subscribe to join the conversation and build a practice that thrives in the modern dental economy. Topics Covered: Dental Practice Management | High-Value Patient Acquisition | Dental AI & Digital Dentistry | DSO & Market News | Dental Marketing Strategy | Case Acceptance | Clinical Leadership Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: https://opkie.com 📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opkie/ 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@opkiebiz 🎙️ Want to be a guest? Book an interview with us here: https://link.opkie.com/widget/bookings/wom-pod-interview

  1. Aug 13

    More Patients Won't Save Your Practice: The Numbers Behind Successful Marketing | WOM 025

    Most dentists chase new patient count. But that number won't tell you why your take-home pay keeps shrinking. Jeff and Troy break down the marketing metrics that actually matter: what your insurance write-offs are really costing you, how to measure patient lifetime value by segment, and why a single well-run specialty campaign can outperform years of volume-focused marketing. Plus: the one number every practice owner should be optimizing for, and it isn't new patients. Book a free practice market analysis at https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  2. Aug 6

    Dental Insurance and In-House Plans | WOM 024

    Dental insurance annual maximums haven't moved in 50 years. Premiums keep climbing. And every write-off you accept to stay on an insurance panel is quietly functioning as a repeat marketing cost, one you pay again on every single patient visit. In this episode, Jeff and Troy break down why in-house dental membership plans are one of the most underbuilt tools in a practice's marketing strategy, and how to design one that works for both the patient and the practice. What you'll learn: Why the insurance model is your most expensive form of patient acquisitionHow to structure a membership plan that targets the patients you actually wantWhy cookie-cutter plans underperform and what to design insteadThe real math: a patient paying less out of pocket while you earn more per visitWant to talk through what this looks like for your specific market? Book a call here: https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  3. Jul 31

    Google Ads are the New Yellow Pages for Dentists | WOM 023

    Most dentists know Google Ads aren't working the way they used to. Costs are up, patient quality is down, and their agency keeps saying the same thing: refine the keywords, spend more. Jeff and Troy have heard this from every dentist they've talked to. And they've heard it before, just with a different channel. That's the Yellow Pages story, and it ends the same way. In this episode: why the Google Ads model is following the same collapse arc as Yellow Pages, how the "sameness trap" makes every practice look identical online, and what the practices that are actually growing are doing instead: relationship-driven, non-scalable strategies that compound over time instead of stopping the moment you pause the campaign. One practice. One patient. Twenty-three referrals. All staying long-term. That's the model. Want to talk through what this looks like for your practice? Book a free market analysis at https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  4. Jul 22

    Cut the Insurance Headache: A Win-Win for Patients and Dentists | WOM 022

    Dental insurance works nothing like medical insurance, and most patients don't find out until they are already in the chair. Dr. Mike Musso has practiced dentistry for 36 years and worked inside the insurance system for over 30 of them. In this episode, he breaks down what practice owners and patients actually need to know: yearly maximums frozen near $1,500 since 1994, waiting periods that block urgent care, and downgrades that quietly shift cost onto patients. Then he makes the case for in-house membership plans: no deductibles, no hidden fees, no surprises. You will hear a real patient story, a 20-something who got full-arch implants, landed a job interview 10 days into her temporaries, and got the job. And Jeff shares how his own family saved $120 a year by dropping their dental insurance for a membership plan. Ready to think differently about your practice? Book a free market analysis at https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  5. Jul 16

    Why Digital Marketing Is Failing Most Dental Practices (And What Comes Next) | WOM 021

    Most dental practices are doubling down on digital marketing right when it's starting to break down. In this episode, Jeff and Troy walk through the Inside Out Framework, a four-pillar system for sustainable practice growth that starts where digital can't compete: with patients you already have. You'll learn: How to reactivate drifted patients and why they're worth more than cold leadsWhere revenue is leaking right now through phone conversion, no-shows, and missed treatment presentationsHow targeting higher-value services lifts your entire patient mixWhat it actually takes to build a word of mouth system that compounds month after monthIf your current marketing feels like a treadmill, this one's for you. Book a free practice market analysis at https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  6. Jul 10

    Are Google Ads the Carbs of Dental Marketing? | WOM 020

    Why Google Ads Are the "Carbs" of Dental Marketing (And What Actually Grows Your Practice) If your entire patient acquisition strategy runs on Google Ads, you're not building a practice — you're renting one. In this episode of the Word of Mouth Podcast, Jeff, Troy, and Sarah break down why an over-reliance on paid search is quietly commoditizing dental practices everywhere, and introduce the first pillar of their Inside-Out Framework: a faster, cheaper way to grow revenue using patients you've already paid to acquire. In this episode: 🍩 The Google Ads "carbs" analogy — why paid search gives you a quick energy spike but no long-term structure, and what happens when it's the only thing in your marketing diet 📉 Only 15-20% of new patients use Google as their first search tool for a dentist — and that segment skews toward the most price-sensitive, promotion-driven patients in the market 🔁 The agency echo chamber — why so many practices sound identical online (hint: it's not just the algorithm, it's every agency running the same promotional playbook) 💰 Pillar One of the Inside-Out Framework: Reactivating Stalled Patients — a single campaign generated 57 additional appointments within the first few weeks, all from patients already sitting in the practice's own database 🍽️ Building a "balanced diet" for practice growth — why sustainable growth requires more than just carbs (ads), and sets up the four pillars they'll unpack next episode The key takeaway: The fastest, cheapest patients to grow with are the ones you've already paid to acquire — reactivating them beats chasing new clicks every time. 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and wherever you listen. 📞 Interested in talking with Opkie? Book a call here for a free practice market analysis: https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  7. Jul 9

    Why the Marketing That Saves One Practice Will Sink Another | WOM019

    Two practices in the same town, offering the same treatment, can need completely different marketing strategies — and most dentists never stop to figure out which one they're actually running. In this episode of the Word of Mouth Podcast, Jeff and Troy break down a simple framework for matching your marketing to your practice's real position: clinical expertise on one axis, patient experience on the other. They map out what works (and what doesn't) in each quadrant, and why being honest about where you sit is the first step to growing the right way. In this episode: 🧭 The Four-Quadrant Framework — how clinical ability and patient experience combine to determine the right marketing approach for your practice 💰 The Commodity Trap — why "spend more" is the default strategy for volume-driven practices, and how insurance dependency plays into that model 🦷 Specialize to Differentiate — why leaning into a specific service or credential (instead of trying to be everything to everyone) helps practices stand out in a crowded market 😌 The Patient Experience Lever — how things like on-time appointments and gentler cleanings become genuine word-of-mouth drivers 📊 The 20-60-20 Rule — why identifying your ideal 20% of patients (and being clear about who you're not for) can be more profitable than trying to serve everyone The key takeaway: Marketing only works when it matches the truth of what your practice actually offers — so the real first step isn't a bigger ad budget, it's an honest look at where you stand. Resources mentioned: This episode centers on Jeff and Troy's own frameworks and client experience rather than outside reports or legislation, so there's nothing external to link here. If you want the Practice Identity Guide process they mention, that's part of what Opkie offers — book a call below to learn more. 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and wherever you listen. 📞 Interested in talking with Opkie? Book a call here for a free practice market analysis: https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

  8. Jun 18

    Small By Design, Not by Default - How Dr. Fallah Builds a Practice Around Connection | WOM 018

    Most orthodontic practices are optimized for throughput. Dr. Fallah built hers around something different — and it shows in every patient interaction. In this episode of the Word of Mouth Podcast, Jeff sits down with Dr. Fallah, founder of NRH Orthodontics in North Richland Hills, Texas. They dig into what it actually looks like to build a boutique specialty practice from scratch, why she went all-in on clear aligner therapy, and how remote monitoring is reshaping the way she connects with patients — even the ones flying in from Boston. In this episode: 🏗️ Small by design, not by default — Dr. Fallah breaks down why she intentionally chose a one-location boutique model over corporate or high-volume private practice, and how that decision shapes every aspect of patient care 📱 Remote monitoring as a connection tool — How virtual check-ins and weekly patient scans allow her to stay close to her patients and catch treatment design issues before they compound 😬 The retention problem nobody talks about — Why patients treated with aligners consistently outperform brace patients when it comes to long-term retention habits (and the marathon metaphor that explains it perfectly) 🔧 No case is too complex for aligners — The fellowship training, research investment, and clinical philosophy behind her commitment to aligner-first treatment — even for complex and out-of-state cases 📡 The tech on the horizon — Phone-based scans replacing in-office scans, CBCT 3D cone beam imaging, and what these advancements mean for patient access and treatment precision The key takeaway? Invisalign is just the tool — the doctor's training, judgment, and relationship with the patient is what actually drives outcomes. Resources Mentioned: 🦷 NRH Orthodontics → https://nrhorthodontics.com 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. 🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, and wherever you listen. 📞 Interested in talking with Opkie? Book a call here for a free practice market analysis: https://opkie.link/Word-Of-Mouth

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About

The dental industry is splitting. Routine care is facing an insurance squeeze, while the high-value digital dentistry market is exploding. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and grow a profitable practice, you need to know what’s actually happening in the market. Welcome to The Word of Mouth Podcast—your weekly newsdesk and strategy playbook for the modern dental practice owner. Hosted by Jeffrey and Sarah (with occasional drop-ins from Troy), we cut through the noise of the dental internet to bring you the business, tech, and macro-economic trends shaping clinical practice today. You don't have time to read every trade journal, so we do the heavy lifting for you. What to Expect: The Weekly Breakdown: Rapid-fire analysis of current events, ADA policy updates, shifting labor models, and the dental economy. The Tech & Trends: Deep dives into the clinical innovations driving practice growth, from AI diagnostics and 3D printing to the changing landscape of DSOs and private equity. Clinical Founder Interviews: Sit-downs with top-tier dentists to reverse-engineer how they built premium clinical brands, attract high-value cases, and create an unmatched patient experience. Whether you are looking to transition to Fee-For-Service, attract high-ticket implant and aligner patients, or simply understand where the market is heading next, The Word of Mouth is your trusted weekly briefing. Hit subscribe to join the conversation and build a practice that thrives in the modern dental economy. Topics Covered: Dental Practice Management | High-Value Patient Acquisition | Dental AI & Digital Dentistry | DSO & Market News | Dental Marketing Strategy | Case Acceptance | Clinical Leadership Connect with Us: 🌐 Website: https://opkie.com 📱 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opkie/ 🎥 Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@opkiebiz 🎙️ Want to be a guest? Book an interview with us here: https://link.opkie.com/widget/bookings/wom-pod-interview

Information

  • Creator
    Opkie
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Opkie