Does Your Practice Run Like a Business or a Daycare?

Last week, I got a text from a practice owner friend around 10:30 AM.

“I just had to stop mid-procedure to answer a question about where the paper towels are.”

It wasn’t a crisis. It wasn’t clinical.
It was paper towels.

By noon, her lead assistant had asked about a schedule change, her hygienist needed help with a refund policy, and the front desk team had flagged a patient with expired insurance that no one was sure how to handle.

She told me, “Every five minutes, someone needs me for something. I can’t even get through a single procedure without being pulled in three different directions. I feel like I’m running a daycare.”

She said it half-joking, but I could tell she was serious.
And honestly? She’s not alone.

So here’s the real question:

Is your team equipped to handle the day without you?
Or do you feel like the only adult in the room, answering the same questions over and over?

If the second one hits home, keep reading. You are not failing as a leader. You’re just running a practice without the right structure.

This blog is your turning point.

Let’s unpack the difference between a dental office that runs like a business… and one that runs more like a daycare.

The Daycare Office

In a daycare-style office, the doctor or office manager is the center of everything. Every problem, every request, every question has to run through them.

It looks like this:

• People asking the same questions every week
• Team members waiting to be told what to do
• One person (usually you) being the go-to for everything
• No clear roles or systems
• A whole lot of “winging it”

This kind of office usually runs on urgency, memory, and people-pleasing.

It is exhausting. And it’s not scalable.

The Business Office

Now let’s look at the opposite.

In a business-style office, the team runs on systems.
People know their roles.
They have the tools, training, and clarity to do their jobs well.
When something goes wrong, they know how to fix it or where to look.

It looks like this:

• New hires ramp up quickly because onboarding is mapped out
• Front office knows exactly how to handle tricky situations
• Clinical staff follows clear protocols without guesswork
• The doctor can focus on leading, not micromanaging
• The team feels empowered and less dependent

This is not a fantasy. This is what happens when you treat your practice like a real business.

Want to Know the Difference?

Here’s how to tell which one you’re running:

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Hiring is harder than it used to be.
Turnover is real.
Teams are stressed.
And most practice owners are tired.

Running a business with no systems is a recipe for burnout. It leads to high turnover, poor patient experiences, and frustrated leadership.

You do not have to be the sole source of direction and decision-making every day.

You can create a practice that runs on structure, not stress.

And No, You Don’t Have to Start From Scratch

At My Dental SOP, we help practices flip the script.

Instead of running your practice on memory and hope, we help you:

• Build clear, role-specific SOPs
• Create onboarding paths that actually stick
• Give your team 24/7 access to the answers they need
• Stop micromanaging and start leading again

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being clear.
Clarity creates freedom.
And freedom makes everything better.

Final Thought

You can keep running around every day putting out fires.
You can keep repeating yourself and feeling like the only adult in the room.
Or you can decide to run a real business.

One with structure. One with leadership. One that does not fall apart when you're out of the office.

The choice is yours.

Ready to stop running a daycare and start building a business?
👉 Schedule your 8-minute demo and we’ll show you how to get started.