August 18, 2026

Dental Practice Growth: Powerful Lessons From Matt Coggin

Spear Education CEO Matt Coggin recently joined the Dr. Avi Podcast to tackle a challenge many dentists know well: Building a successful practice requires more than excellent clinical skills. It requires learning how to lead and grow a business.

In the episode, Coggin draws on his experience in business strategy, mergers, integrations, and leadership in the dental industry to offer a different perspective on dental practice growth. He explains why practice owners need to spend less time working exclusively in the business and create the capacity to work on it.

What does it take to grow a dental practice?

Coggin challenges dentists to look at their practices as businesses with interconnected systems. Small improvements in scheduling, workflows, team development, and leadership can add up to meaningful gains in productivity and profitability.

He also explores a decision that can have major implications for practice owners: hiring an associate. Adding another dentist may seem like a straightforward way to increase capacity or give an owner more time away from the chair. Coggin explains why the financial equation is more complicated and why associate development plays an important role in making that investment successful.

The conversation also examines how structured education can help associates build their clinical capabilities and increase daily production from $3,000 to $4,500.

Why leadership matters for dental practice growth

For Coggin, sustainable growth in dental practice starts when someone takes responsibility for running the business, not simply for completing clinical work.

That means practice owners must think intentionally about leadership, efficiency, and team development. Coggin explains why training often falls down the priority list as owners manage the demands of patient care, even though developing people can help practices improve performance and create greater growth opportunities.

The conversation also explores comprehensive treatment planning and the ability to evaluate the full mouth, a foundational concept behind Spear Education’s approach to advanced dental education.

For practice owners, multi-location leaders, and DSO executives, the episode offers practical ideas for building a stronger business without simply adding more hours to the workday. Associates considering ownership can also gain a clearer picture of what it takes to move from treating patients to leading a practice.

Watch Matt Coggin on the Dr. Avi Podcast to learn how stronger leadership, systems, and professional development can support sustainable dental practice growth.