Let’s address the fluoride in the water: The economy is sluggish, patients are broke, and treatment plans are collecting dust like grandma’s porcelain cat collection.

It’s not just you. It’s everyone.

We’re in a weird moment where the stock market is trying to stretch after a long nap, inflation still thinks it's cute to stick around, and the average American is saying, “I think I’ll wait on that crown and just chew on the other side for a while.”

So yes, dentistry is feeling the crunch. Schedules are thinning. The phone isn’t ringing like it used to. Hygiene patients are ghosting like it’s Tinder. And treatment acceptance? Don’t even get us started.

But what if we told you this slow economy is exactly what your practice needs right now?

That’s right. Take a deep breath, Doc. It’s time to channel your inner farmer.

What Dentists Can Learn From Dirt-Covered Innovators

You may know of Jared Diamond’s classic Guns, Germs, and Steel. But let’s focus on one underrated gem from the book: how farmers used their off-seasons to innovate.

During brutal winters—when planting was impossible and livestock looked at you like, “Really? Another snowstorm?”—farmers had two options:

1. Drink and complain.

2. Build the dang tools that would make the next season profitable.

Spoiler alert: the successful ones chose option two.

They invented, tinkered, and optimized.

They figured out how to plow more land, save time, and produce better harvests in the short growing season. They turned slow seasons into launchpads.

And the results? They crushed it when the economy (or the weather) finally turned around.

So… What’s That Got to Do With Your Dental Practice?

You, dear dentist, are in your winter.

But you’ve got choices. You can Netflix and bill soft-tissue exams until your margins vanish… or you can use this time to upgrade your operations, reinvent your systems, and prepare for your best year yet.

Here’s how to farm your downtime like a dental genius:

1. Cultivate Your Systems (a.k.a. Ditch the Duct Tape)

Does your front desk still use sticky notes to track insurance verifications?

Does billing look more like a game of Monopoly than a streamlined revenue cycle?

Now’s the time to rip out the weeds. Audit your:

• Insurance verification process

• Claim submission and follow-up systems

• Treatment planning and presentation flow

• Membership plan (if you don’t have one, for heaven’s sake—start one. BoomCloud can help!)

Treat your systems like crops: If you don’t prune and fertilize them, they die.

2. Train Your Team Like You’re Building a Dental Army

When schedules are packed, nobody has time for training. But now? You’ve got golden hours of opportunity.

Host roleplay workshops. Sharpen their scripting. Teach them how to:

• Present treatment with confidence

• Handle “Let me check with my insurance” objections

• Submit clean claims

• Appeal denials with the vengeance of a caffeinated lawyer

Bring in the pros (like Veritas Dental Resources) to coach your team on insurance mastery. Turn your rookies into revenue-generating rockstars.

Winter is for warriors. Train like one.

3. Fix Your Fee Schedule (Because You Deserve a Raise, Not a Recession)

When was the last time you reviewed your PPO fee schedules?

If you said, “What’s a fee schedule?” we need to talk.

You’re probably underpaid for half your procedures. This is the perfect time to:

• Review your top 30 codes

• Negotiate better fees

• Evaluate which plans are worth keeping

Every percent you gain now pays off tenfold when the economy rebounds. (And it will rebound. Recessions are like dental residents—uncomfortable, but temporary.)

4. Market Like a Farmer With a Tricked-Out Tractor

If patients aren’t knocking, you’ve got to knock first.

Use this time to:

• Launch (or refresh) your Google reviews campaign

• Create social media videos (show off your fun side!)

• Educate patients on why postponing treatment = more expensive later

• Offer in-house financing or memberships

Slow times are perfect for building your brand—because when the patient flow picks up, you'll already be top of mind.

5. Innovate Like You’ve Got Snow on the Ground

Downtime is when the best ideas are born. Some of history’s greatest inventions came from off-seasons, rainy days, or total burnout.

Ask yourself:

• What can I build right now?

• What service can I add?

• What equipment, tech, or software would make us faster, better, or happier?

Hell, go full Shark Tank. Start an in-house aligner program. Develop a CE course. Write a book. Patent a new flossing device. Open a food truck on your off days (seriously, we’ve heard of dentists doing this).

Don’t just survive this season—create something.

Final Thought: The Winter Won’t Last Forever

Yes, the economy is slow. Yes, patients are scared. Yes, you’re seeing more holes in your schedule than a hockey goalie’s net.

But that’s not a death sentence. It’s a pause button.
A rare opportunity to reset, realign, and reimagine your practice.

Because the dentists who rise after a recession aren’t the ones who panicked. They’re the ones who planted in winter—and harvested the hell out of spring.

So sharpen your plows. Train your team. Fix your systems.
Because when the sun comes out—and it will—you’ll be more than ready.

You’ll be unstoppable.

Need help building your dream systems while things are slow?
Check out Veritas Dental Resources for PPO fee negotiation, insurance training, membership plan support, and operational guidance to help you grow even in the frostiest economy.

Benjamin Tuinei

Founder - Veritas Dental Resources, LLC
Phone: 888-808-4513

Services:
PPO Fee Negotiators | PPO Fee Negotiating | Insurance Fee Negotiating
Insurance Credentialing | Insurance Verifications

Websites:
www.VeritasDentalResources.com | www.VerusDental.com