Inside the Shift - What Today’s Top Practices Are Doing Differently, Presented by: Adrian Valente

Approved for 1 CEU, AADOM is an AGD PACE Approved Provider (can be used towards AADOM Designations)

In 2026, dental practices are navigating real economic pressure, and the ones pulling ahead aren't waiting for it to pass.

This session unpacks how top-performing practices are turning proactive financial communication into a competitive edge. We'll dig into the affordability barriers driving declined treatment, the "retailization" of dentistry, and fresh benchmarks from Sunbit's 2026 National Dental Practice Performance Study.

You'll walk away with a clear business case for offering patient financing proactively, a practical understanding of UDAAP compliance risks, and ready-to-use scripts for bringing financing into the conversation earlier.

The bottom line: practice resilience in 2026 comes down to standardizing financial conversations, automating admin workflows, and protecting your team from financing fatigue.

When you remove the friction of 'How will I pay?' at the front desk, you clear the path for the clinical 'yes' in the operatory.

Course Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the 2026 "fiscal squeeze" and its impact on practice margins and overhead inflation
• Evaluate the gap between "proactive" and "reactive" financial communication and its 55% correlation with case acceptance
• Identify UDAAP (Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices) compliance risks in patient payment workflows
• Strategize automation/standardization of administrative infrastructure to address staffing and retention challenges