Trust is essential in every dental practice.
But blind trust? That's where financial leaks begin.

In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with certified fraud examiner Julie Rentz to uncover how embezzlement happens in dental offices, the red flags most doctors miss, and the simple systems that can prevent thousands in lost revenue.

Embezzlement in dentistry is more common than most practice owners realize, and it rarely starts with obvious theft. It starts with blind trust, lack of oversight, and small process gaps that quietly grow over time.

Julie Rentz, a Certified Fraud Examiner and forensic specialist, shares what she has seen inside dental practices and explains why small teams, divided attention, and undefined systems create vulnerability. She breaks down how adjustments become the "black hole" of dental accounting, how repeated "mistakes" can signal intentional fraud, and why refunds and credits are often overlooked risk areas.

This episode shifts the focus from reacting to fraud to proactively preventing it. If you want stronger financial controls, cleaner systems, and more confidence in your numbers, this conversation is a must-listen.

What You'll Learn

• Why blind trust is the number one tool an embezzler uses

• Behavioral and operational red flags dentists often miss

• Where revenue cycle risks most commonly occur

• Why adjustments are the "black hole" of dental accounting

• How to tell the difference between a mistake and fraud

• Why reconciling PMS deposits to bank statements matters

• How refunds and credits can expose your practice

• Best practices for handling cash securely

• Why consistent oversight protects your revenue

Key Takeaways

00:56 Introduction and episode overview

03:05 Why dentistry is a target for embezzlement

07:48 Behavioral red flags and blind trust

09:38 Revenue cycle risk areas

13:47 The black hole of adjustments

15:00 Auditing and defining adjustments

17:04 How often to audit reports

18:38 When a mistake becomes fraud

20:54 Proactive fraud prevention strategies

22:00 Refunds and credits as hidden risks

25:10 Cash handling best practices

27:51 The power of consistent oversight

30:54 Lightning round Q&A

35:29 How to connect with Julie

Connect with Julie

Email: julie@verifindforensicsolutions.com

Phone: 983-208-4613
Website: VerifindForensicSolutions.com

🎁 Special Offer for Raving Patients listeners:
Julie is offering a three-month financial systems evaluation at a discounted rate of $750.

Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

Bleeding gums are not normal — and ignoring them could be costing your patients far more than their teeth.

In this episode of The Raving Patients Podcast, Dr. Len Tau takes a rare clinical deep dive with dental hygienist, educator, and founder of Microbelink DX, Jennifer Seider. Together, they unpack the science behind bacterial testing, why periodontal disease should be treated as an infection (not just "pocketing"), and how objective diagnostics can dramatically increase case acceptance, improve systemic health outcomes, and elevate practice revenue.

If you've ever struggled with converting bloody "prophys" into true periodontal therapy, this conversation will shift how you think about diagnosis, communication, and patient education.

• Why bleeding gums should always be treated as an infection

• The connection between periodontal disease and systemic health (including cardiac conditions)

• How bacterial testing simplifies periodontal conversations

• Why paper-point sampling makes testing easy and efficient

• How to improve case acceptance for scaling and root planing

• How periodontal diagnostics can increase restorative production

• The biggest objections practices have about bacterial testing — and how to overcome them

• Why customer service still wins in dentistry

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00:40 The Science Behind the Smile

01:10 Sponsors and Supercharge Your Dental Practice Event

02:00 Meet Jennifer Seider and Microbelink DX

05:31 Dr. Len's Cardiac Patient Story

07:55 How Microbelink DX Differs from Other Testing Companies

11:50 Cost, Insurance Coverage, and Revenue Impact

14:17 How Long Does Testing Take in Hygiene?

16:05 Which Patients Should You Test First?

19:30 Verbal Skills for Presenting Bacterial Testing

22:05 Using Microscopes for Patient Education

24:20 Why Isn't Bacterial Testing Mainstream?

27:20 Sampling Technique and Deep Pockets

29:55 Increasing Case Acceptance and Production

31:10 How to Deliver Test Results

32:22 Lightning Round Q&A

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Connect with Jennifer

Website: https://microbelinkdx.com/

Jennifer offers free team calibration and training, plus direct customer support. Practices can schedule a Zoom, use website chat, or text her directly through contact details listed on the site.

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!

AI is changing how patients find dentists—but it's not replacing your front desk tomorrow. In this episode, Dr. Len Tau sits down with Evan Maass (Founder/CEO of DentistOffices.com) to break down what's real vs. hype in AI, where dental marketing is still failing practices (hello, "mystery SEO reports"), and how visibility is shifting from traditional Google search toward AI-driven recommendations. Evan also shares where reviews, directories, and user-generated content (like Reddit) fit into the next decade of "getting found."

• The biggest problems dentists face with SEO and ad spend (and how to spot "scam SEO")

• Where AI is useful today (keyword intent, targeting, automation) vs. where it's not ready (phone answering agents replacing humans)

• How AI search and traditional Google search overlap—and what "AI visibility" really means

• Why reviews + user-generated content will matter even more in the future

• What to ask a marketing agency before signing a contract (ownership, references, specialization)

• How directories (DentistOffices, Yelp, Healthgrades, etc.) can influence being recommended by AI tools

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00:38 Welcome + Sponsors + Episode intro

01:46 Meet Evan Maass + background

02:50 What DentistOffices.com is and how it works

05:55 How DentistOffices compares to ZocDoc

06:55 State of dental marketing: SEO frustration + ad waste

08:50 AI in dental marketing right now: what's useful vs. hype

11:05 Why AI phone agents aren't "prime time" yet

13:27 The review risk: AI agent frustration + negative reviews

14:34 A safer setup: auto-attendant for new vs. existing patients

15:10 Testing AI agents (the "rhinoplasty" question)

16:02 AI security + "jailbreak" concerns

17:30 In 5 years: what roles AI may replace in practices

20:00 Will Google disappear? AI search vs. Google evolution

23:39 Reviews and trust signals: why they matter more over time

24:35 Why Reddit influences AI recommendations

25:15 How dental offices can use Reddit carefully

31:00 Questions to ask marketing agencies before hiring

35:00 Specialist vs. "do-it-all" marketing + budget realities

38:50 Lightning round success, habits, mindset, favorites

43:25 How to reach Evan + add your practice to platform

45:20 Wrap-up + "Your reputation matters"

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Learn proven dental marketing strategies and online reputation management techniques at DrLenTau.com.

This podcast is sponsored by Dental Intelligence. Learn more here.

This podcast is sponsored by CallRail, call tracking & lead conversion software for dentists. Find out more here.

Raving Patients Podcast is your go-to place for the latest and best dental marketing strategies that will help you skyrocket your practice. Follow us for more!