In this episode, Ryan Javanbakht joins Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott to break down one of the biggest issues in dental sleep medicine: patient follow-through on testing.

Most practices think they have a testing problem. They don’t; they have a communication problem.

Patients drop off because they don’t fully understand why it matters, what happens next, or what it will cost. Without that clarity, even motivated patients hesitate and disappear.

Sleep testing is the inflection point. It’s where patients either connect the dots and commit, or get confused and disappear. Clarity creates momentum. Confusion kills it.

What’s on the Menu:

Why Patients Drop Out of the Funnel
Ryan breaks down the real failure points: unclear communication, a lack of urgency around the problem, and poor expectation-setting regarding process and cost. When those pieces are missing, drop-off is inevitable.

The “Magical” Moment: Diagnosis
Dr. Elliott highlights the moment everything clicks, when patients see their results and connect the data to how they feel. That’s when urgency builds, motivation increases, and cost becomes less of a barrier.

Why Communication Beats Technology
Tools don’t drive case acceptance; conversations do. Patients move forward when they feel heard, understand the process, and know what to expect at each step.

The Two-Option Close That Works
Ryan shares a simple framework: give patients two clear paths, a traditional referral or an immediate home sleep test. Clear options reduce hesitation and increase follow-through.

Why Dental Patients Resist
Dental patients aren’t expecting a sleep conversation; they’re expecting a cleaning. That mismatch creates friction. The solution is to slow down, separate consults, and build trust before making recommendations.

How to Handle Objections Effectively
Ryan outlines a simple structure: empathize, clarify, isolate, respond. It keeps conversations human and builds trust instead of pressure.

The Power of “Selling the Next Step”
Dr. Elliott emphasizes a key shift: don’t sell treatment. Don’t even sell the test. Focus on the next step. That’s how momentum builds without overwhelming the patient.

Why Patients Need to “Want It”
The goal isn’t compliance, it’s ownership. When patients reach the point of “I want this” and “I need this,” moving forward becomes natural.

Clinical Concepts & Terminology

Home Sleep Test (HST)
A diagnostic tool that allows patients to test for sleep apnea at home, improving accessibility and completion rates.

Sleep Testing Funnel
The patient journey from awareness to treatment. Breakdowns at any stage reduce overall case acceptance.

Conversion Rate
The gap between patients referred for testing and those who actually complete it is a key measure of system effectiveness.

STOP-BANG Screening
A widely used screening tool to identify patients at risk for sleep apnea.

Professional Organizations & Collaboration

Third-Party Testing Partnerships
Services like SleepTest.com help streamline insurance verification, patient communication, test completion, and physician review—reducing friction across the process.

Featured Experts to Follow
Ryan C. Javanbakht: CEO of SleepTest.com, focused on improving access and conversion in sleep diagnostics

Recommended Tools & Resources

STOP-BANG Questionnaire
A simple way to begin identifying patients at risk for sleep apnea.

Home Sleep Testing (HST)
A patient-friendly diagnostic option that improves follow-through.

SleepTest CRM
A platform designed to manage patient communication, insurance verification, test coordination, and reporting.

Communication Frameworks
Empathize → Clarify → Isolate → Respond
Two-option close strategy
Consult-first workflow

Why do the thousands of dollars you spend on dental consultants evaporate the moment your team gets busy? Dr. Max Kerr breaks down the real reason your practice falls back into bad habits, office drama, and useless meetings. Learn how the EOS framework forces total team accountability, kills breakroom gossip, and builds a structural foundation that permanently solves your biggest operational headaches.

What We Discuss with Dr. Max Kerr:

• The Issues List: Why an organization with a lot of issues is actually a healthy one—as long as you have a system to capture them instead of letting them fester in the breakroom.
• IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve): The exact psychological framework to prevent endless meeting debates and force actual, tangible solutions with assigned to-dos.
• Stopping Office Drama: How to empower your team to bring problems to the light, and why you should enforce a strict "don't vent to me, do something about it" culture.
• The 80/20 Rule of Process: Why you don't need a 100-page SOP manual that no one reads. Learn how documenting just 20% of your core processes gets 80% of the work done safely.
• The Level 10 Meeting: The strict 90-minute weekly agenda that guarantees accountability, keeps everyone on track, and eliminates the "this could have been an email" feeling.
• The Foundation First: Why getting EOS off the ground takes a solid two years, and why expensive clinical consultants won't save your business if your foundational "underwear and socks" aren't properly in place.
• And much more…

Episode Summary:

You’ve hired the consultants, read the books, and maybe even had a few productive team meetings. But two months later, the demands of the practice get in the way, and everyone reverts to their old habits. Your team is venting to each other in the hallways, administrative balls are being dropped, and your clinical excellence is being overshadowed by 1-star reviews complaining about billing errors.

In this episode, Jason Tierney and Dr. Erin Elliott welcome back Dr. Kerr to dive deep into the final key components of the EOS (Traction) framework: Issues, Process, and Traction. Dr. Kerr explains why avoiding problems is a recipe for disaster and how implementing a strict, time-blocked "Level 10" weekly meeting can completely transform your practice's culture. He shares exactly how to track issues, force actionable solutions instead of allowing endless discussion, and hold team members accountable week over week.

Whether you are running a single dental sleep practice or managing multiple locations, this conversation strips away the "rainbow unicorn mumbo jumbo" and gives you the essential blocking and tackling strategies needed to run a highly profitable, stress-free business.

Resources and References Mentioned:

• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman
  • Value Add: This is the foundational textbook for the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) discussed in this episode. If you are tired of hitting a ceiling in your practice growth, start here to understand the Six Key Components of a successful business.
• EOS Worldwide (Find an Implementer)
  • Dr. Kerr mentions that while you can self-implement EOS, the most successful and busiest dental sleep practices in the world often hire a professional implementer. Use this directory if you want a professional to hold your leadership team accountable and fast-track your success.
• Productive Dentist Academy (PDA)
  • Mentioned by Dr. Kerr as an incredible resource for patient interaction and team alignment. However, as Dr. Kerr notes, PDA is "downstream" from EOS. Build your EOS communication lanes and business foundation first, so that when you bring in heavy-hitting consultants like PDA, your team can actually execute their strategies.
• Connect with Dr. Max Kerr:
  • Reach out directly via email at: mkerr@sleepbetteraustin.com