Introduction: The Hidden Cost of Poor Onboarding
Turnover in dental practices is more than just a headache—it’s expensive. Each time a new hire walks out the door, practices lose productivity, team morale takes a hit, and patients may feel the disruption. In fact, studies suggest it costs up to 1.5–2x an employee’s annual salary to replace them. So why do so many dental practices still struggle to get onboarding right?
Because most aren’t actually “onboarding.” They’re winging it.
This post explores how to onboard dental staff the right way and why a structured process is no longer optional—it’s mission critical.
1. Most Dental Practices Treat Onboarding Like Orientation
Let’s get one thing straight: orientation is not onboarding. Giving a tour of the office and a thick binder of SOPs isn’t the same as preparing someone for success in your practice.
Orientation is about introductions and paperwork. Onboarding is about productivity, integration, and cultural alignment. New hires—whether clinical or administrative—need time, structure, and support to thrive in their roles.
If you’ve ever had a new team member burn out in their first 90 days, you may be suffering from a lack of true onboarding.
2. Different Roles Require Different Onboarding Paths
Your front desk team needs to understand scheduling software, patient communication protocols, and insurance processes.
Your clinical team? Infection control, procedure protocols, chairside expectations, and lab coordination.
Yet many practices use the same onboarding “system” for everyone—if they have one at all.
Effective onboarding:
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Customizes training to fit clinical vs. administrative roles
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Sets expectations clearly
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Maps a 30-60-90 day path to competence
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Uses regular feedback check-ins
This isn’t about more training—it’s about the right training.
3. Onboarding Should Build Culture, Not Just Competence
Yes, you want your new hire to know how to do their job. But do they know how to do it your way?
A strong onboarding program helps:
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Reinforce your practice values
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Clarify team communication norms
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Establish expectations for how patients are treated
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Create buy-in from day one
When people know what’s expected—and feel part of something—they stay longer, perform better, and build stronger team cohesion.
In other words, good onboarding isn’t just a task for HR. It’s a culture-building tool.
4. Lack of Structure Slows Productivity
When onboarding is reactive instead of proactive, training drags out for weeks—or worse, happens inconsistently.
Compare these two experiences:
🛑 New Hire A: Shadowed random staff members. Learned some processes, but missed key steps. Felt frustrated, and productivity lagged.
✅ New Hire B: Followed a structured onboarding checklist, had clear daily goals, and completed mini-assessments to reinforce learning.
Guess who was fully trained faster? Guess who felt more confident?
Onboarding doesn’t need to be complicated, but it does need to be intentional. A structured process can cut training time dramatically and help your new team members hit the ground running.
5. Onboarding Affects Retention More Than You Think
Here’s a stat that might sting: 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.
That’s right—your onboarding process could be your best retention strategy.
It’s simple:
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A disorganized onboarding = a red flag.
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A thoughtful, well-paced onboarding = a sign your practice values its team.
Especially in today’s competitive hiring market, retaining good employees is often cheaper and smarter than constantly hiring new ones.
6. Where to Start: A Simple Framework
If onboarding feels overwhelming, start small. Here’s a simple 5-part framework to begin designing your own onboarding process:
1. Pre-boarding
Send welcome materials, introductions, and Day 1 expectations before they arrive.
2. Week One Orientation
Cover admin basics, office tours, and software logins. Keep it light, clear, and friendly.
3. Role-Specific Training
Break down tasks by skill level—what they must know in week 1, by 30 days, and by 90 days.
4. Culture Connection
Include team lunches, shadowing senior staff, and mentorship.
5. Feedback & Evaluation
Schedule weekly check-ins and a 30/60/90-day review.
You don’t have to build this from scratch. There are ready-to-use solutions that can save you hours of trial and error.
7. Ready to Build a Better Onboarding Experience?
At SPS Dental Academy, we help practices streamline training and reduce turnover with comprehensive onboarding solutions tailored to both clinical and administrative roles.
🎓 Explore our [Dental Onboarding Course] to train your staff faster and better
💬 Schedule a 15-minute strategy call to customize your plan
Conclusion: Stop Winging It—Start Winning with Onboarding
Onboarding isn’t a luxury—it’s a competitive advantage. If your practice is struggling with turnover, burnout, or slow training timelines, your onboarding process might be to blame.
Fortunately, fixing it is easier than you think.
Start with the basics. Get clear about what your team needs to succeed. Then give them a system that sets them up for long-term growth.
Because when your team wins, your practice does too.