Are you hitting the snooze button on Monday mornings, dreading another week of endless tasks and mounting stress? You’re not alone. Burnout is one of the most common—and costly—challenges dentists face today. But what if you could simplify your systems, empower your team, and rediscover the joy in dentistry?

In this episode, I sit down with Melinda Heryford, “The Practice Implementer,” to unpack practical strategies for transforming your practice from chaos to clarity. With over 30 years in the dental industry, Melinda has helped countless dentists trade burnout for brilliance—and she’s back on the Raving Patients Podcast to share exactly how.

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What You'll Learn

• The truth about burnout in dentistry: Why it’s not a sign of failure but a natural byproduct of doing too much without systems.
• Signs and symptoms to watch for: How to recognize when you (or your team) are edging toward burnout before it costs you your health and your practice.
• The 5 Prime Pillars of Practice Success: Plan, People, Process, Patients, and Profit—and why focusing on the vital 20% delivers 80% of the results.
• Simplifying your systems: Why trimming the fluff and doubling down on the essentials is the fastest way to restore energy, focus, and patient satisfaction.
• The power of accountability: How layering leadership and team responsibility keeps growth sustainable and prevents you from carrying the entire weight of the practice on your shoulders.
• Real success stories: From solo practitioners to multi-doctor practices, hear how dentists have reclaimed control, built stronger teams, and reignited their passion for dentistry.

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Takeaways

00:00 Introduction and Event Announcement

01:27 Meet Melinda Heryford: From Burnout to Brilliance

02:58 Understanding Practice Challenges and Coaching Methods

06:22 Identifying Burnout: Signs and Symptoms

09:18 The CEO Role in Dentistry and Its Challenges

14:16 Financial Stress and Its Impact on Burnout

17:08 Success Stories: Transforming Practices

24:07 Revenue Reveal: Assessing Practice Metrics

27:52 Commitment to the Process: Key to Progress

28:54 Lightning Round Q&A

35:29 Conclusion and Contact Information

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Connect with Melinda

Want to see where your practice is leaving money and energy on the table? Melinda offers a Revenue Reveal Check, using Dental Intel to analyze 37 practice metrics and highlight hidden opportunities for growth.

• Email: melinda@melindaheryford.com
• Website: melindaheryford.com 
• Offer: Request your free Revenue Reveal Check to uncover your golden opportunities.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at: https://www.drlentau.com

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more at: https://www.dentalintel.com/

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more at: https://www.callrail.com/

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