Bite-sized dental wisdom in under 2 minutes.

Have you heard of Alpha School?

It’s this newer school model where kids supposedly get through core academics in about two hours using personalized AI learning, then spend the rest of the day on life skills, projects, and workshops.

Which is fascinating. Also mildly terrifying.

But the most interesting part to me is not even the school itself. It’s the question it made me ask:

Are we doing this because it works, or because it’s familiar?

And that question comes up in dental offices all the time.

Because dental offices are full of things we do because someone, somewhere, at some point decided that was the way it should be done. And then everyone just kept doing it.

The way we collect payment, verify insurance, schedule patients, present treatment, train new hires, order supplies, follow up on unscheduled treatment.

Some of it works.

Some of it is just old.

And old loves to dress up as “best practice.”

Which, by the way, who even knows what “best practice” means anymore? I feel like that term was invented by consultants so they could stop saying, “Do it because I said so.”

Maybe I should start using that on my kids.

“Clean your room. It’s best practice.”

“Eat your vegetables. Best practice.”

Honestly, could work.

Sorry, back to the point.

Familiar feels safe. Familiar feels professional. Familiar feels like, “Well, this is how everyone does it, so it must be right.”

Except sometimes it’s not right.

I remember when collecting payment before or at the time of service felt controversial. But when you actually looked at it objectively, collecting upfront made more sense. Better cash flow. Better patient clarity. Fewer awkward follow-ups. Less time spent sending statements into the void and pretending that was a strategy.

At the time, people acted like it was aggressive.

And this is where owners have to be careful.

You don’t need to chase every new thing just because it sounds innovative.

You also don’t need to defend the old way just because changing it makes people uncomfortable.

There’s a middle ground that is much less flashy and much more useful.

Actually look at the thing.

Is it working? Is it making the office better? Is it saving time? Is it reducing mistakes? Is it better for the patient? Is it making your team’s life easier?

Or is everyone just protecting it because changing it would be annoying?

That answer matters.

Because if it’s working, great. Keep it.

If it’s not, change it.

And yes, people may complain. They usually do. That does not automatically mean the change is wrong. It might just mean the old way was comfortable.

You have to be willing to look at the defaults and ask if they still make sense.

Because familiar is not proof.

It’s just familiar.

-Dr. Alex

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