The Numbers No One Taught Us: Four Reports to Pull Right Now
From Dental Wife Life by Brittani Cardoso and Whitney Bishop
March 2, 2026 · 34 min
About this episode
Brittani and Whitney discuss critical financial metrics for dental practice owners and the importance of understanding them to maintain profitability.
In this episode, Brittani and Whitney talk about the financial wake-up calls that came after stepping into ownership and management of their dental practices. Thrown into leadership roles with little preparation, both quickly realized there were four critical numbers they didn’t fully understand, and ignoring them nearly cost them their profitability. They talk about: Buying a practice earlier than planned while raising young kids The chaos of ownership transitions and being forced to learn on the fly Focusing on what feels comfortable (like hygiene systems) while unknowingly neglecting business fundamentals The difference between production, adjusted production, and collections Why collections below 92–98% can quietly drain tens of thousands of dollars How poor follow-up systems and unclear accountability hurt cash flow What Accounts Receivable should look like (and why the “ice cream cone” matters) The importance of tracking insurance claims before deadlines expire When outsourcing billing can save your practice The shocking impact of supply spending on overhead How one simple change turned losses into profit Whether you're new to ownership or years in, this episode highlights…
People in this episode
Hosts: Brittani Cardoso, Whitney Bishop
Topics covered
- financial management
- dental practice ownership
- business fundamentals
- collections
- accounts receivable
- insurance claims
- overhead costs
Keywords
- financial wake-up calls
- production vs adjusted production
- collections
- cash flow
- insurance claims
- overhead
- billing
More episodes of Dental Wife Life
- Building a Family-Friendly Practice For Your Team · June 2, 2026 · 10 min
- Unhinged Mom Advice for Moms in the Thick of It · May 21, 2026 · 36 min
- Knowing Your Worth · May 14, 2026 · 9 min
- The Hygiene Systems Every Dental Practice Should Have · May 5, 2026 · 40 min
- Life After Residency · April 29, 2026 · 26 min
- Life After Dental School... Just Kidding, More School! · April 22, 2026 · 35 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Dental Wife Life podcast page.