In this episode, I sit down with Brian Wright, founder and CEO of New Patient Group and WrightChat, to talk about what orthodontists need to change if they want to thrive in today’s market. Brian breaks down his “Five to Thrive” framework—leadership, culture, sales, hospitality, and marketing—and explains why the practices that continue investing in these areas are the ones creating separation while everyone else is blaming outside forces.
We dig into everything from missed new-patient calls and rising no-show rates to price shoppers, team training, consumer behavior, and why the old orthodontic playbook simply doesn’t work the way it used to. Brian and I also share practical strategies for changing the way your team handles new-patient calls and consultations, including one of my favorite approaches for dealing with patients who say price is their number-one concern.
The bigger message is simple: you can’t control the economy, demographics, competition, or what other practices are doing. But you can control how well you lead, how your team communicates, how effectively you create value, and whether you’re willing to invest in getting better. If your practice—or your life—isn’t where you want it to be, waiting for conditions to improve isn’t the answer.
💬Quotes
“Nobody’s asking you to like it. You just need to embrace it.”
— Brian Wright
“Sales is a dirty word in healthcare, but it shouldn’t be because all it means is educating ethically to place more value on what you do.”
— Brian Wright
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Intro + Meet Brian Wright (00:00)
- The Five to Thrive Framework (01:34)
- How Many New Patients Are You Missing? (03:01)
- Your Receptionist Is Part of the Sales Process (07:00)
- Orthodontics Is Changing (10:06)
- Why the Old Playbook No Longer Works (15:00)
- The “New Normal” in Orthodontics (17:52)
- Invest When Everyone Else Pulls Back (21:20)
- Focus on What You Can Control (25:12)
- Cost vs. Investment (33:20)
- How I Handle Price Shoppers (39:01)
- Can Leadership Be Trained? (45:33)
- Make More, Work Less (47:50)
🟦 Additional Resources
If your practice isn’t performing the way you want it to, don’t wait for the market to fix it for you. Pick one opportunity from this episode—your phones, new-patient experience, treatment coordinator process, leadership, hospitality, or sales—and start improving it now.
👉 To learn more about Brian Wright and New Patient Group, visit NewPatientGroup.com
👉 The Brian Wright Show:
https://www.youtube.com/c/NewPatientGroupHouston
And most importantly, ask yourself: Is your practice—and your life—the way you actually want it to be? If the answer is no, the only person who can begin changing it is you.
👉 Airway Meeting:
https://web.orthopreneurs.com/arizonasleepandairway2026
👉 For more information about Orthopreneurs, visit:
https://orthopreneurs.com/
👉 Become an OrthoPreneur and join the free Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs
