Episode summary
Is a 3-Day Workweek Possible for Dentists?
The Dentist Money Show
· · 56 min · Hosts: Matt
Summary
Dentists can often reduce chairside time without automatically reducing income, but the episode argues that the result depends on production, scheduling, and practice design rather than the calendar alone. The hosts say the common assumption, “if I work less, I make less,” is too simplistic because income flows from productivity, collections, and profitability, not just days worked. They emphasize that many dentists carry a real financial and emotional burden around every missed day because of debt, overhead, staff pay, and fears about practice value.
The discussion focuses on how to test a shorter workweek intelligently. The hosts recommend looking at production per day and per hour, identifying gaps in the schedule, compressing procedures into fewer hours, and measuring fixed versus variable costs on a monthly basis. They say many practices can likely recover a meaningful share of a four-hour reduction by intentionally redesigning the template, without adding providers, chairs, or procedures.
They also lay out bigger levers: adding an associate, shifting the procedure mix, expanding hours, or changing insurance strategy. Those moves can support a three-day workweek, but only when they fit the dentist’s stage of career and personal goals. The core argument is that the right workweek should be built around the life and business the dentist wants, not around habit or hustle culture.
Key takeaways
- The hosts argue that a dentist’s income is driven by production, collections, and profitability, not simply the number of days worked.
- Christine says dentists should test a shorter schedule by compressing four hours of production into the remaining workdays before making a permanent change.
- Will says the decision should be a numbers decision, not a vibes decision, and that many dentists do not need as much income as they think.
- The hosts say an associate can reduce chair time and support growth, but only if the numbers justify the added provider and potential revenue split.
- The episode argues that career stage matters: early-career dentists may build capacity, mid-career dentists may optimize, and late-career dentists may scale back intentionally.
Notable quotes
“can I be as productive or even better yet as profitable? We can even look at it that way”
“if I work less that means I make less. And that's again that's what we want to address today”
“It should never be a vibes decision”
“What if I'm really excited about I went to a CE, I want to start doing Invisalign, but I have nowhere to put them”
“working on the business is just as important as working in the business”
How the episode opens
Consult an advisor and conduct your own due diligence when making financial decisions. General principles discussed during this program do not constitute personal advice. This program is furnished by Dennis Advisors, a registered investment advisor. — Welcome back to the Dennis Money Show. We help Dennis make smart financial decisions. I'm a guy named Matt. We're going with the lady first.
I'm a girl named Jen, joining us. — And then the brain, Will Gockner. How are you, Will? — Doing great. Wonderful. — Will, share with the people where you're at. Like, are you home? Are you on vacation? What are we doing? What are we doing?
Oh man, yep, hot topic at Dennis Advisors. I am — On fall break with my children. They got the week off this last week, and so we went a little uh Jake would be proud, like a a cheaper vacation, staycation, kind of mini vacation to St. George, Utah. With the entire rest of the Salt Lake Valley.
Along with everyone else in Salt Lake City. — Did you run into Taylor while you were there? — Uh yeah, we saw each other at the Finding Nemo play at Tuacahn. Yeah. — Yeah, the big theater. — Yeah. — Yeah. — We talked this morning on a meeting. He said he saw you and that he said that you were impressed with how how nice Tuacahn was.
Yeah, it was great. Yeah. I'm I'm not as die-hard of a theater fan as Taylor, but it was great. — Years they've been doing that. — Oh, a long time. — Tuacahn's awesome. — It was awesome. — And Chris, you're not traveling, but you did just get back from a good trip. And also, we got to call out that you live in one of the most beautiful places in your life, San Diego.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- 3-day workweek
- dentist scheduling
- practice profitability
- productivity
- associate hiring
Companies and tickers mentioned
- Dentist Advisors
Watch the episode
Watch “Is a 3-Day Workweek Possible for Dentists?” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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The Dentist Money Show, this episode and its artwork belong to Dentist Advisors - Financial Planning and Investment Management. Octagon is not affiliated with the show; this page is an independent summary.
