"All warfare is based on deception." — Sun Tzu

Let’s not sugarcoat it: the world of dental insurance is a battlefield. In a recent poll, four out of five dentists confessed they cannot survive on what insurance reimburses. That stat alone is your war drum. And if you feel like you're constantly on the defensive—dodging audits, rewriting appeals, resubmitting claims—it’s because you are.

But here’s the truth: this isn’t just a game of paperwork and patience. It’s a chess match. A campaign. A war of attrition. And those who succeed are those who learn the rules of combat—not the ones written by insurance plans, but the timeless ones taught by the master of strategy himself: Sun Tzu.

Let’s go deeper into how The Art of War applies not just to dealing with insurance—but to running your entire dental practice like a well-commanded army.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."

Dentists often go to war with insurance blindfolded. They don’t know the payer’s policies, their own leverage, or their practice’s weaknesses.

Knowing yourself means:

• mastering your case acceptance systems

• knowing your UCR fees

• having airtight documentation

Knowing your enemy means:

• studying how insurance delays, downgrades, and denies

• understanding how they try to make you the villain in your patient’s eyes

In football, legendary coach Nick Saban is notorious for having players study hours of game footage—not just of their own plays, but of the opposing team. Why? Because if you don’t know their tendencies, you can’t disrupt their rhythm.

Apply this to dentistry: If you don't study your EOBs, understand denial trends, or track down outdated fee schedules, you're operating without strategy—and that's exactly how insurance companies like it.

“Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack.”

One of Sun Tzu’s most repeated teachings is that defense makes you invincible, but offense wins the war. Many dentists spend 90% of their time on defense—responding to denials, following up on unpaid claims, and reacting to insurance decisions. That’s like a basketball team that never shoots—just guards the rim.

Instead, Tzu would tell you to flip the script.

Defense: Use preauthorizations as a shield. As Melissa Dunham, insurance strategist and administrator, puts it, preauthorizations are like sending a scout ahead before you move your army. They reveal the terrain—plan limitations, exclusions, downgrades—and prevent costly surprises.

Offense: Engage the insurance commissioner when unethical behavior occurs. It forces payers to play on your terms, not theirs.

Offense: Negotiate your PPO fees. Don’t accept the first offer. Push back. Refuse to let your value be dictated by an algorithm written 15 years ago.

In baseball, Billy Beane of the Oakland A’s used sabermetrics—a radical offense strategy—to level the playing field against wealthier teams. He didn’t have the money, but he had the metrics. Beane didn’t defend against loss. He attacked inefficiency.

“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”

There’s an elegance to strategy that prevents unnecessary battles. In dentistry, the equivalent of this is building systems that neutralize problems before they start. That’s what preauthorizations and airtight financial protocols do.

When you clarify everything for the patient upfront, insurance has fewer opportunities to become the villain behind the curtain—and you don’t become the scapegoat.

Think of this like Apple’s business strategy. They don’t compete on price. They don’t chase every customer. They build premium value, set expectations, and let their brand do the talking.

As a dentist, you don’t need to “fight” insurance daily—you need to outsmart them once and design systems that take care of the rest.

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.”

When dentists see claim denials, they often just refile and hope for the best. But every denial is a teachable moment. Melissa Dunham’s practice sees 95% of claims paid the first time—because every mistake was studied and systematized.

She uses preauthorizations not just as a tool—but as a protocol. As a result:

• 98% of treatment plans are accepted

• Less than 2% of A/R is past 90 days

• Insurance calls and patient statements are almost eliminated

This is how you win a war: not with one big battle, but with a thousand small systems working in unison.

“He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious.”

Many insurance plans have transitioned to “automatic fee increase” models—which in reality is just camouflage. One major national carrier has claimed for years that dentists are automatically reviewed for raises. Yet in truth, the only dentists seeing increases are those who push back with professional negotiators or those who refuse to be ignored.

This is your wake-up call. Insurance companies are like the boxer who pretends to be weak to get you in close. Don't be the dentist who takes the bait. Be the one who lies in wait—and strikes with a professional negotiation when the moment is right.

“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”

Want to throw insurance off balance? Use strategic escalation.

• Submit a complaint to the insurance commissioner with clear documentation

• Reach out to employer plan sponsors to report excessive denials

These aren't scorched-earth tactics—they're precision strikes. They’re legal. They’re powerful. And they remind insurance that you are no longer their silent, obedient provider.

Even in the NBA, we see how teams like the Golden State Warriors introduced a playstyle—fast, perimeter-heavy offense—that changed the game and caught defenses off guard for years. They didn’t play by the league’s old rules. They rewrote them.

Final Words from the General

Sun Tzu said, “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

Most dentists are going to war without a plan, reacting after the damage is done. But you? You can be different. You can win before the first claim is ever submitted—by having protocols, by training your team, and by attacking with confidence when necessary.

And if you fail at first?

Tzu also said: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

So, gather your team. Study your enemy. And prepare your strategy. Because in the business of dentistry, the only practices that survive are the ones who learn how to fight.

Need help building your strategy?
Veritas Dental Resources is your Sun Tzu in the trenches—arming you with the data, tactics, and negotiation power you need to win the war on dental insurance.

Schedule a complimentary consultation and take advantage of our summer special: 30% off for new clients through August.

Benjamin Tuinei
Founder – Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
📞 888-808-4513
Services: PPO Fee Negotiators, PPO Fee Negotiating, Insurance Fee Negotiating, Insurance Credentialing, Insurance Verifications
Websites: www.VeritasDentalResources.com, www.VerusDental.com