I started coaching with Endo Mastery back in 2015, and one of the very first lessons Dr. Ace Goerig taught me has stayed with me ever since: don't burn out your team. It sounds simple. But after ten years of walking into practices at every stage of growth, I can tell you it almost always comes back to the same starting point: a seat that's sat empty too long.

A missing front-desk or assistant position rarely stays contained to one job description. The team members left behind absorb the overflow, and over time that shows up as real strain. They start apologizing, to patients they can't get in quickly and to referring offices they can't call back fast enough. The phone rings a third and fourth time before anyone can pick it up, and that single detail matters more than most doctors realize. We always recommend answering by the second ring, because the moment a caller thinks "they're too busy for me," you've likely lost that patient to another office.

Left unaddressed, this is exactly how good team members start quietly job hunting. And when one leaves, it's rarely an isolated event. Others start to wonder if leaving is their way out of the same pressure, too.

In my whole dental career, I've never seen anything cost a practice more than an empty chair. When we begin coaching a new client, one of the first things we do is time each doctor on an anterior, a bicuspid, and a molar, so we know exactly how many cases they can complete in a day, and we build in reserved space for true emergencies. That structure only works if the team supporting it is fully staffed. Without it, referring doctors notice. We track our referral relationships closely, and when a top referrer starts to slip, that's almost always the first place we look: did a patient have trouble getting in? Was a call not returned? Those are the moments that quietly cost a practice its most valuable referral sources.

The first move is always the same: gather the team and be direct about the gap. Ask if anyone knows someone they've worked with before, someone reliable who showed up on time and was a pleasure to work alongside. Those referrals are often your fastest path to a great hire. It's also worth reaching out to your referring offices directly. If they've recently hired, there may be strong runner-up candidates they'd be glad to pass along. Piggybacking on the vetting another office has already done is a smart, efficient way to fill the seat with someone who's already proven themselves.

I understand the temptation. An open position can look, on paper, like a saved salary. But this is a key position, and treating it as optional sends a message the team hears loud and clear: you're on your own. Instead, tell the team plainly that filling this seat is the priority, and mean it. Nobody should be left apologizing to patients or referring offices while a vacancy drags on. Doctors who fill the gap quickly protect both their team's morale and their referral relationships, the two things that are hardest to rebuild once they slip.

A fully staffed front desk isn't just about answering the phone. It's verifying insurance benefits accurately so patients aren't surprised by cost. It's a thorough intake process that gets each caller into the right slot, consultation or treatment, without guesswork. It's reserved emergency space in the schedule so nobody has to run to the back and ask where a patient can go. And it's following through after the visit, from collecting payment to the post-op call the next day. Every one of those details depends on having enough hands to do them well and without rushing. When the team has that support, the whole day runs smoothly, and patients feel genuinely cared for, not processed.

• An unfilled front-desk or assistant position doesn't stay contained; it spreads stress across the whole team and often triggers turnover.

• Slow phone response and scheduling gaps quietly damage referral relationships and patient perception.

• A referral tracker helps you catch and address problems before a top referring doctor drifts away.

• The fastest path to a great hire is often your own team's network or a referring office's runner-up candidates.

• Delaying a hire to save on salary costs far more in team morale, referral trust, and patient experience.

If an open position on your team is starting to strain your practice, a Discovery Call with Endo Mastery is a good next step. We'll talk through what's happening and where the right support could make the biggest difference.