Why You Need to Pay Your Dental Team More – and How to Afford It
In this high-impact episode of The Dental CEO Podcast℠, Dr. Scott Leune takes a hard look at the financial realities behind dentist and salary challenges. He explains why paying your dental team more – from hygienists to assistants – isn’t just ethical but essential for long-term growth and retention.
Dr. Leune shows how practices can afford competitive compensation, including the salary of a general dentist, the salary of the dentist, and the pay scale for dental assistants, without sacrificing profitability. Drawing on his experience as a dental business consultant, he shares proven systems for raising income, controlling expenses, and rewarding performance in a way that benefits everyone.
About the Podcast – Real Business Lessons for the Modern Dentist
The Dental CEO Podcast℠ brings clarity to the business side of dentistry. Each episode helps dentists master how to grow a dental practice, strengthen leadership, and increase profit margins.
Dr. Leune goes beyond clinical advice to explain real-world financial strategies. He covers everything from dentist pay and team bonuses to dental office management, helping practice owners think and act like CEOs. The podcast turns complex financial topics into practical lessons that any dentist can apply immediately.
About the Host – Dr. Scott Leune: Building Profitable Dentists, Not Just Practices
Dr. Scott Leune is a practicing dentist, entrepreneur, and nationally recognized dental business consultant. He has coached thousands of dental professionals on how to design scalable business systems, increase collections, and reward their teams without hurting profitability.
His expertise in dental office management and compensation structures helps owners understand the connection between effort, production, and pay. Scott teaches dentists to use data-driven models to support fair wages – from the salary of the dentist to the pay scale for dental assistants – creating workplaces where high performance and financial growth go hand in hand.
About the Episode – The Economics of Paying Your Team More
In this solo episode, Dr. Leune explores the financial link between pay, production, and profitability. He explains how strategic dental practice management allows you to raise wages responsibly.
By analyzing real ratios and benchmarks – including the salary of a general dentist, dentist pay, and total payroll percentage – Scott shows how to create sustainable compensation plans. His system helps owners build practices that reward excellence, maintain strong profit margins, and thrive in any economy.
Key Highlights
1. Pay More – But Earn It First
Scott Leune emphasizes that while every team member should earn competitive pay, the salary of the dentist and overall payroll must stay within healthy ratios. He teaches that a dental practice is a business first — one that requires disciplined management of overhead, production, and expenses.
He believes that success in dental practice management depends on balancing the dentist and salary structure with profitability. When the business earns more through efficiency and growth, higher pay naturally follows – without putting financial pressure on the owner.
2. The Hygiene Department: Hidden Revenue Potential
Dr. Leune explains that increasing the salary of a general dentist or other staff doesn’t always require hiring more people — it requires making the current team more productive. He highlights the untapped profit potential in the hygiene department, where small improvements in recall, treatment planning, and communication can double production.
Scott believes that increased dentist pay comes from system efficiency, not longer hours. When every department performs at its highest potential, the entire practice benefits — making pay raises possible for everyone.
3. Filling Schedule Gaps = Filling Pay Gaps
Scott Leune points out that unfilled appointments drain profitability and limit the salary of the dentist and staff alike. He urges owners to view scheduling as a business strategy – a key part of dental office management that directly influences revenue.
By training the team to reduce cancellations, reactivate patients, and offer same-day treatment, practices can stabilize production and create consistent cash flow. For Scott, every filled chair equals another paycheck boost and a more stable financial model for the entire team.
4. Build a Smart Dental Office Bonus System
Scott explains that a fair bonus system connects results to rewards. He shares how a structured, performance-based plan can motivate everyone – from dentists to assistants – without inflating fixed payroll costs.
Whether it’s setting a pay scale for dental assistants or adjusting dentist pay, Scott recommends tying compensation directly to measurable outcomes. A well-built dental office bonus system encourages accountability, boosts morale, and ensures profitability isn’t sacrificed for short-term gains.
5. Hire the Best, Pay the Best, Expect the Best
Scott Leune believes that high-performing practices attract high-performing people – and that pay should reflect that. He encourages owners to offer competitive salaries from day one, then hold clear standards for productivity and accountability.
As a dental business consultant, Scott teaches that smart compensation – from dentist pay to entry-level wages – builds loyalty, reduces turnover, and improves overall profitability. When a culture of excellence is matched with fair pay, the entire organization grows stronger.
Conclusion
Dr. Scott Leune concludes that the real solution to rising labor costs isn’t cutting pay – it’s improving performance systems. When a practice masters dental office management, optimizes production, and builds transparent compensation models, everyone benefits.
He reminds owners that fair wages – from the salary of the dentist to the pay scale for dental assistants – come from disciplined, data-driven management. By following sound principles of dental practice management and implementing a structured dental office bonus system, any practice can create a profitable, motivated, and well-compensated team.
Discover more practical strategies for growing and running your dental practice on our blog.