The Silent Gap in Dental Practices: How to Communicate With Associate Dentists as a Dental Practice Owner and the 1 Solution You Need

Running a dental practice is no small feat, let alone learning how to communicate with associate dentists as a dental practice owner. Every day asks you to be a clinician, leader, visionary, problem-solver, and often the emotional center of your team. You’re responsible for clinical outcomes, culture, patient experience, team alignment, financial performance, compliance, all while staying afloat in the fast pace of the operatory.

So it’s no surprise that your relationship with your associate dentist, one of the most important relationships in your practice, can slip into the background. Not intentionally, and not because you don’t care, but simply because you’re carrying so much.

But here’s the truth:

Your associate relationship has the power to strengthen or strain your entire practice and communication is the determining factor.

The good news?
You don’t need to be a naturally gifted communicator to thrive in this role.
You just need a simple structure.

That’s where the DESC coaching model becomes an invaluable leadership tool.

Why Communication With Associates Breaks Down

If learning how to communicate with associate dentists as a dental practice owner feels challenging, it’s not because you’re doing anything wrong, it’s because you were never trained for this part of the job.

Dental school prepares you for:

• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Clinical mastery

But dental school does not prepare you for:

• Leadership
• Management
• Coaching
• Difficult conversations
• Structured communication
• Setting expectations
• Navigating conflict

Owning a practice requires you to wear two hats, clinician and leader, and switching between these identities throughout the day isn’t easy. Often, it’s the associate who ends up on the receiving end of the gap.

And when communication slips, the symptoms start showing up quietly:

• Misalignment
• Disengagement
• Quiet resentment
• Cultural tension
• Missed expectations
• Declining performance

None of this comes from lack of intention.
It comes from lack of structure.

And structure is something you can give yourself.

What Associates Need Most (Even If They Don’t Say It Out Loud)

After coaching hundreds of dental entrepreneurs and associates across the country, we’ve learned that associates tend to want the same core things:

• Clarity — What do you expect?
• Connection — Are we aligned?
• Support — Do you have my back?
• Direction — Where are we headed?
• Relationship — Do I matter here?

And the easiest way to deliver all of this?

Consistent, structured communication.

A simple monthly one-on-one, over coffee, breakfast, or a quiet hour in the office, can transform:

• Trust
• Engagement
• Performance
• Culture
• Retention

You don’t need to wait until something is breaking.
In fact, the goal of these conversations is to ensure nothing ever gets that far. This is how to communicate with associate dentists as a dental practice owner, one conversation at a time.

How to Communicate With Associate Dentists as a Dental Practice Owner: Using the DESC Coaching Model

Tough conversations get avoided for one of two reasons:

1. You don’t know how to start them.
2. You’re afraid of how they’ll land.

The DESC coaching model takes all the fear and ambiguity out of the process. It gives you a clear, repeatable structure so the conversation feels calm, steady, and productive, not emotional or confrontational.

DESC stands for:

• D — Describe the situation
• E — Express how it impacts the practice
• S — Specify new or continued behavior
• C — Communicate the outcome

Let’s walk through the framework the way we coach it at Optimize Practice Alliance when we train on how to communicate with associate dentists as a dental practice owner.

D — Describe the Situation (Objectively, Not Emotionally)

This first step is about clarity, and clarity is kindness.

Instead of:

• “You’re not working hard enough.”
• “The team is complaining about you.”
• “Your numbers aren’t good.”

You shift to:

“Over the last four weeks, I’ve noticed that three scheduled case presentations were not completed, and our treatment coordinator shared that she’s having trouble staying aligned with your plan.”

Facts. Not feelings.

This instantly lowers defensiveness and raises openness.

E — Express the Impact

People don’t change because they’re told to.
People change because they understand why.

Here you communicate the consequences respectfully:

• “When these cases aren’t completed, patients wait longer for needed care.”
• “The team becomes unsure how to support you.”
• “Our flow gets disrupted, which impacts everyone’s day.”

This step forges connection.
It says, we’re in this together.

S — Specify New or Continued Behavior

This is where the conversation becomes actionable.

Instead of vague requests like:

• “Do better.”
• “Try harder.”
• “Be more consistent.”

You say:

“I’d like you to complete all case presentations on the day the patient is seen and check in with the treatment coordinator at the start of each morning huddle.”

Crystal clear.
No guesswork.
No ambiguity.

C — Communicate the Outcome (What Success Looks Like, and What Happens If Nothing Changes)

This step isn’t about punishment.
It’s about giving your associate a clear sense of direction and removing the guesswork around what happens next.

You’re helping them understand:

• What success looks like if the change is made
• What the path forward becomes if the issue continues
• How their actions connect to patient care, team flow, and practice goals

This is where clarity becomes accountability.

For example:

“If we get aligned here, patients move through care faster and the team works more smoothly. If we don’t resolve this, we’ll need to adjust your schedule or support structure so we can maintain consistency for our patients and team.”

You’re not threatening.
You’re communicating the outcome: the natural, practical next steps based on the results of the behavior. This makes expectations unmistakably clear while preserving trust and transparency.

Why This Framework Works

The DESC model is powerful because it:

• Removes emotion
• Eliminates confusion
• Builds trust
• Creates accountability
• Protects the relationship
• Gives you confidence
• Gives your associate clarity
• Prevents issues from compounding
• Makes future conversations easier

And most importantly? It helps you grow your leadership identity.

At Optimize Practice Alliance, we’ve seen practices transform dramatically when owners embrace a structured, predictable communication rhythm built on DESC. It opens the door to better culture, better retention, and better performance, without tension or confrontation.

A Leadership Opportunity That Pays Off

Stepping into the owner–leader role doesn’t require sharp elbows or top-down management. It simply requires:

• presence
• intention
• communication
• structure

Your associate dentist is one of the best people to practice these skills with because the relationship directly impacts your culture and operational outcomes.

Regular conversations aren’t about correcting problems.
They’re about preventing them.
They’re about mentoring, aligning, and building a stronger practice, together.

And yes, this is a new muscle for many dental entrepreneurs.
But it’s one of the most rewarding leadership shifts you can make.

How Better Communication Strengthens Culture and Sets the Stage for Growth

When you communicate clearly, consistently, and confidently with your associate dentist, you’re not just improving one relationship, you’re strengthening the entire structure of your practice. A well-supported associate becomes:

• more engaged
• more accountable
• more aligned
• more consistent
• more connected to the mission

And when that happens, something powerful unfolds:

Your team feels the stability.
Your culture tightens.
Your systems strengthen.
Your daily operations become smoother.

This is the foundation every growing practice needs.

When associates are aligned, supported, and communicated with effectively, you create the cultural and operational strength required to scale. It’s nearly impossible to grow a practice, or add providers, locations, or services, when the core leadership relationship is shaky.

Better communication doesn’t just solve today’s problems.
It unlocks tomorrow’s possibilities.

Want support preparing for your next tough conversation?

If communicating with your associate feels overdue, unclear, or awkward… you are not alone. And you don’t have to figure it out without support. We built a tool specifically for moments like this and we’re making it available to you for free, the DESC Coaching Template.

This template helps you structure your next difficult conversation with clarity, confidence, and calm, so you can lead your practice forward with intention instead of hesitation.

The tough conversations don’t get easier on their own.
But with the right framework, you, and your associate, get stronger together.