Holding on to the wrong employee too long is one of the most expensive mistakes in dentistry. In this episode, Dr. Dill and Toria break down exactly when to fire someone, how to do it cleanly, and why protecting your whole team matters more than avoiding an uncomfortable conversation.
The truth is most practice owners already know when someone needs to go — they just keep hoping things will change. Dr. Dill and Toria share real stories from day-one fires, the behaviors that will get someone let go immediately in their practice, and how to handle the conversation so it's clean, documented, and done.
They also cover the legal side — what to say, what not to say, and how to protect yourself — and why firing someone who isn't working is actually an act of respect for the rest of your team.
If you already know someone needs to go, they probably needed to go weeks ago. Trust your gut.
Protect your whole team — one bad employee poisons the culture for everyone around them.
Know what will get someone fired immediately and make sure your team knows it too.
Document everything. The conversation should be short, clear, and witnessed.
Firing someone isn't mean — keeping the wrong person is mean to everyone else in the practice.