How to Build an Ideal Schedule That Maximizes Profit and Enjoyment

Too often, dentists are trapped by schedules they didn’t create and can’t control. The demands of the day dictate their lives, leaving them drained, frustrated, and wondering if they’re working hard for the sake of working hard.

But here’s the truth: your schedule is the foundation of your practice and your life.

The way you design it determines everything—your income, your enjoyment, and your ability to balance professional success with personal freedom. The secret isn’t about squeezing as much production into a day as possible. It’s about starting with how you want to live and building everything else around that vision.

Step 1: How Before How Much

Let’s get one thing clear: how you want to work comes before how much you want to produce. Most doctors approach their schedules backwards. They focus on cramming in as much dentistry as possible, and then try to force their lives into whatever time is left over. It’s no wonder so many feel burned out.

Here’s where you start: Ask yourself, what do you want your day to look like?

  • What time do you want to start?
  • What time do you want to finish?
  • What kind of dentistry do you want to deliver?
  • How do you want to feel during and after your day?

This isn’t just about start and stop times. It’s about what happens in the hours in between. If you’re constantly rushing, squeezing patients into short appointments, and running behind, you’ll dread the day before it even begins. But when you design your schedule intentionally, you create space—not just for dentistry, but for relationships, conversations, and the kind of care that sets you apart.

When you master this “how before how much” mindset, you’re no longer reacting to your schedule. You’re in control.

Step 2: The Magic Number Math

Once you’ve defined how you want to work, it’s time to determine how much you need to produce. This is where the magic number comes in.

Your magic number is the amount of revenue your practice needs to generate to make your life work—financially, professionally, and personally. This isn’t some random goal. It’s a precise, reverse-engineered figure that accounts for:

  • Your personal income needs
  • Practice overhead
  • Profit goals
  • Lifestyle priorities

Here’s the beauty of this process: knowing your magic number gives you a clear target. Instead of chasing arbitrary production goals or “hoping” there’s money left over at the end of the month, you have a predictable, controllable framework. It’s like hitting a bullseye every time.

With your magic number in hand, you can design your schedule to align with your financial and personal goals. This isn’t about working more—it’s about working smarter.

It’s about leveraging your time to achieve maximum impact with minimum effort.

Step 3: The Dentistry, Team, and Patient Model

Here’s where most practices get it wrong: They fill up operatories with patients, fill up the schedule with procedures, and hope the numbers add up at the end of the month. But this approach leads to frustration, inefficiency, and often, resentment.

The dentistry, team, and patient model flips this process on its head. Instead of filling your schedule with as much as possible, you design it to fit your ideal structure. That means:

  • Dentistry: Focus on the procedures you love to do and are most profitable. What kind of dentistry energizes you and makes the biggest impact on your patients’ health and your practice’s bottom line?
  • Team: Build a team that supports your schedule and your goals. This means having the right people in the right roles, all working together to create a seamless flow.
  • Patients: Attract and work with the patients who align with your vision. These are the patients who value comprehensive care, long-term health, and the relationships you’re building.

When your practice is built on this model, your schedule becomes a source of energy, not exhaustion. You’re no longer running through the motions or chasing volume for the sake of volume. Instead, you’re delivering high-value care, building meaningful relationships, and hitting your financial goals with less effort.

Step 4: Zero Resistance, Zero Resentment

A poorly designed schedule leads to one thing: resentment. You start to resent the time spent in the practice, the demands of your patients, and even the dentistry itself. But when you create an ideal schedule, everything changes.

Here’s why: the ideal schedule is designed around you. It reflects your priorities, your preferences, and the life you want to live. It’s not just about getting through the day. It’s about enjoying the process.

This is what I call the zero resistance, zero resentment formula:

  • Zero Resistance: Your schedule flows naturally. Appointments are well-structured, your team operates efficiently, and you have time to build patient relationships and deliver comprehensive care.
  • Zero Resentment: You look forward to your day. Instead of counting down the hours, you’re engaged, energized, and enjoying the work you do.

When you achieve this formula, your schedule stops being something to “get through.” It becomes something you look forward to. This is where true productivity and profitability come from—not from working harder, but from working smarter in a structure that supports you.

Step 5: Reverse Engineer the Patient Experience

Your schedule isn’t just about you. It’s also about your patients. A well-designed schedule creates a seamless, enjoyable experience for them as well.

Think about it: Patients don’t want to feel rushed, shuffled in and out, or like just another number on your calendar. They want to feel valued. They want time to ask questions, understand their treatment, and build trust with you.

This is why time for relationships is non-negotiable. Your schedule should allow for:

  • Comprehensive conversations: Time to explain treatment plans, answer questions, and build trust.
  • Complete health diagnoses: Space to focus on long-term health, not just quick fixes.
  • A personalized experience: Every patient feels like they’re your only patient.

When you prioritize the patient experience in your schedule, you’re not just delivering dentistry—you’re building loyalty, trust, and long-term relationships. And these are the patients who will invest in their health and value the care you provide.

Design Your Day, Own Your Future

Your schedule is the backbone of your practice. It determines your income, your energy, and your ability to live the life you want. If you’re not intentional about designing it, you’ll end up at the mercy of demands that don’t align with your goals.

Start with how, not how much. Define what you want your days to look like, then reverse engineer your practice around that vision. Use the magic number to set precise financial goals, and build a team, patient base, and structure that supports your ideal schedule.

When you do this, everything changes. You move from reacting to your schedule to designing it. You stop feeling drained and start feeling energized. You create a practice that’s not just profitable, but enjoyable—a practice that supports your life, not the other way around.

This is your time. Design your day, own your future, and create a schedule that makes it all possible.