Burned Out by PPOs? Reclaiming Profit and Purpose

Featuring Lori Bernardo | Dental Office Rescue with Linda Kane

If you’re a private practice dentist feeling overwhelmed by PPO write-offs, rising costs, and team challenges—you’re not alone. And you’re not stuck.

In this episode of the Dental Office Rescue podcast, host Linda Kane, founder of Zeroed In Dental Solutions, sat down with dental industry leader Lori Bernardo to unpack the stressors crushing many practices today—and the small mindset shifts and strategic moves that can turn things around.

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Why So Many Dental Practices Are Struggling Right Now

Lori Bernardo, a former hygienist turned Regional Director at Amplify360, has spent more than 30 years in the dental industry and has worked with thousands of practices. What she’s seeing today is a clear pattern:

• PPO plans are cutting deeper into practice profits
• Team retention and wage pressures are driving overhead up
• Many doctors are burned out, underpaid, and thinking about quitting

"Dentists are telling me they feel like a bug on the floor,” Lori shares. “Some are ready to sell or walk away—not because they want to, but because they can’t see a way forward.”

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The PPO Problem—and Why It’s Time to Rethink Your Strategy

For many practices, PPO participation feels like a necessary evil—but it often comes at a steep cost. Between reduced reimbursements and complex fee schedules, it’s easy to feel like you're doing more and earning less.

And while going fee-for-service may not be realistic for every office, Lori emphasizes that many dentists have more options than they realize. In the episode, she shares:

• How to evaluate which PPOs are hurting your bottom line
• Why strategic PPO transitions can improve collections—even if you lose patients
• The power of attracting patients who value your care, not just your prices

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Want Better Patients? Stop Competing on Discounts

“If you attract patients on price, you’ll lose them on price,” Lori warns.

Many practices rely on deep discounts or new patient specials to fill the schedule. But this often leads to:

• Lower case acceptance
• Higher patient churn
• A constant cycle of low-margin work

Instead, Lori recommends:

• Marketing based on your values and patient experience
• Building a strong internal referral system
• Creating a website that reflects your personality and mission

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Shift the Conversation: From Insurance to Patient Care

One of the most impactful takeaways from this episode is how team communication can shift everything. Front office staff are often left unprepared to handle tough insurance conversations. Lori and Linda both recommend:

• Training your team to lead with care, not coverage
• Asking better questions like: “What are you looking for in a dental office?”
• Helping patients connect their treatment to their values—not just their benefits
• These conversations increase trust, case acceptance, and long-term patient loyalty.

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Can You Really Work Less and Collect More?

Lori doesn’t just talk about reducing burnout—she backs it up with results. While she doesn’t outline her full system in the episode, she offers a bold goal:

“We help doctors reach $2 million in collections, working just 150 days a year.”

It starts by:

• Knowing your numbers (collections, write-offs, retention)
• Attracting the right patients with targeted marketing
• Training your team in consistent, value-first communication
• Gradually and strategically shifting away from PPO dependence

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There Is a Path Forward

If your practice doesn’t look like the dream you had in dental school, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to settle.

This episode offers real talk, practical advice, and most importantly—hope.

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🎧 Find Dental Office Rescue with Linda Kane on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.

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📘 Need support with insurance billing, revenue cycle management, or PPO strategy?

Visit ZeroedInDentalSolutions.com to learn how Linda Kane and her team can help.

📅 New episodes drop every other Wednesday—hit that follow button so you’re always in the know.

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🎁 Bonus: Book a call with Linda and get a free, signed copy of her bestselling book Dental Office Rescue.

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