Episode Summary

In this strategic and energizing episode of Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of practice stability and growth, your annual planning session.

Together, they walk through the questions, metrics, team conversations, and leadership decisions that set the tone for a productive, organized, and profitable new year.

Sandy shares her trusted framework for evaluating practice performance, identifying bottlenecks, and turning missed opportunities into measurable goals. Dana breaks down how to communicate the importance of an annual planning meeting to your team—even if you haven't done one in a few years.

From KPI awareness and production forecasting to team agreements, CE planning, and SOP check-ins, this episode gives practices everything they need to create a clear, motivating roadmap for 2026.

If you want to stop drifting into the new year and instead design it—this episode is your guide.

Show Notes

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

Why most practices drift into the new year unprepared—and how to fix it
The must-track KPIs for evaluating your year-end performance
How to hold a productive annual planning meeting (without turning it into a gripe session)
What your team really needs to contribute meaningful input
How agreements, policies, and SOPs eliminate frustration and set expectations
How to turn dropped statistics into 2026 wins
Why tracking new patient sources matters more than ever
How to anticipate "slow" months and outflow your way into a full schedule
CE planning and skill inventories for every position
The importance of setting daily and hourly production goals
Updates your website and systems may be overdue for
The role of communication in shaping team culture and patient experience

Episode Sponsors

Identity Dental Marketing

Looking to stand out in a crowded market? Identity Dental Marketing builds brands that convert.
👉 www.IdentityDental.com

Plan Forward

The #1 membership plan platform for dental practices — simple, secure, and patient-friendly.
👉 www.PlanForward.io

Mango Voice

VoIP for dental practices that want fewer missed calls, better patient communication, and stronger scheduling.
👉 www.MangoVoice.com

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Making Numbers Matter

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