Smile Business Diaries Conversation with Dr Kristen Donohue

This transcript has been reviewed by AI and may contain inaccuracies

Maria Cabanellas: All right, welcome, Dr. Kristen. How are you?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I'm good, thank you. Thank you for having me.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. It is such a pleasure to have you on this podcast. You know, I see you as somebody who’s more of a humble person that doesn't really boast a lot about themselves. So I'm going to take the bull by the horns right now and ask you if you would please tell us all the great things about you that we see all the time and what your practice is like today. You know, just kind of tell the audience who you are as a whole and how your practice is running today.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Sure. My name is Kristen Donohue. I practice in Burke, Virginia, which is a suburb of Washington, D.C.

How I got here—it's kind of a long story. I grew up in western Pennsylvania. I'm from Erie, Pennsylvania, and then I went to college in western Pennsylvania, and then I went to dental school in western Pennsylvania. I think I was ready to experience something new, so I decided—I'd heard good things about residency programs in the U.S. Army, and I knew that would probably take me outside of Pennsylvania a little bit.

I actually was able to get a scholarship and a residency program through the U.S. Army back in 2000, so that was exciting, and that sort of started me on my dental journey. And of all places, I was stationed in Hawaii, which was, you know, a dream.

Maria Cabanellas: A dream come true!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Oh no, it was a terrible hardship tour!

Maria Cabanellas: (Laughs)

Dr. Kristen Donohue: So there I was, being present, having the most amazing mentors, and learning to surf on the side. Learning lots. It’s just—it's a really cool experience.

For anyone who doesn’t know anything about the military—I didn’t; I had no experience with the military prior to this—it’s just a really neat experience to be part of something much larger than yourself. You're part of this huge organization, and you have this very specific mission, but you're surrounded by amazing people. Their stories are so motivating. I could go on and on about that.

I loved the patriotism that came with it. I also loved—you know, you're getting paid to exercise and be in great shape. That was great! There were just a lot of things about the military that I personally enjoyed. I enjoyed the large clinic environment, being surrounded by specialists. I was constantly learning from them.

So that was my first dental experience. And then, I met my husband while I was in Hawaii, which was wonderful. We got married there, and then we ended up coming back. We both got out—he was in the Navy, I was in the Army—and we both decided that we wanted to be on the East Coast, closer to family. We ended up in the Washington, D.C., area, and I’ve been here ever since—since 2006 or 2007.

It’s been a journey. I thought I would work for someone else for a brief stint, but then I realized I really wanted to own my own practice and create the practice of my dreams. It took a while—it didn’t happen overnight—but I'm very proud of what we've built here. I bought an existing practice from another dentist who was retiring, and yeah, it’s been a journey.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, well, we’re going to talk about that more. Let me ask you—did you go into the military after your bachelor’s? Is that when you decided to join?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Actually, in dental school. I was a first-year dental student.

Maria Cabanellas: Oh, so you were already in dental school and then joined? Interesting.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yes.

Maria Cabanellas: Because I think for most people in medical or dental fields, they go into the military because they need the resources to pay for dental school. So you kind of went in the other direction. How did that work out?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Well, it’s a scholarship program. So, you know, as my debt was mounting—

Maria Cabanellas: Ah, okay.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: They come up to you and say, “Hey, how would you like to pay for this?”

Maria Cabanellas: So you didn’t only want to be in the military—there had to be something else.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I mean, all the other things were great too, but graduating from dental school with no debt? That was huge.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes! I think a lot of people fear going into the military for various reasons, right? Would you be able to shed some light on the realness of it? Because obviously, you've done well for yourself, and it’s worked out for you. What was your experience like in that?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Well, when I, you know, signed the dotted line for my scholarship, of course, it was, you know, 20-plus years of peacetime.

While I was a resident, of course, 9/11 happened, and the U.S. was no longer at peace. I watched hundreds of thousands of troops being sent to Iraq and then to Afghanistan, and of course, my name was called.

So, I do have some war stories. I did go to Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and it was not easy. It was a pretty tough assignment, but I can tell you I grew as a person for sure.

I was in a pretty remote location. At one point, I worked in a prison, which I will never forget. Just looking around in my tent—my clinic—and thinking, you know, with my prisoner patient who was in pain, I was extracting a tooth. And here I am—he’s in shackles, there's an MP there with a weapon, there’s a translator so I can speak to the patient, and of course, my assistant.

I looked in the mirror and thought, What am I doing here? How did I get here? This is ridiculous.

But, you know, I became really good at extracting teeth.

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Maria Cabanellas: Hello! I’m just taking a quick break from this podcast interview to tell you how you can get started with DSD.

If there was anything that our guest has mentioned that strikes a chord with you, or if you are curious about becoming a DSD Clinic, I encourage you to book a call with me.

This is a 30-minute, no-obligation, information-sharing session in which I can answer your questions about DSD and discuss your options based on your unique circumstances. The link to schedule a call with me can be found in the notes on this episode.

Now, back to the interview!

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Maria Cabanellas: So, you got a great education from it for sure.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah, good professional experience.

Maria Cabanellas: I mean, this is a very unique experience, especially being a female as well. You know, you don’t think that—especially during that time—they would send women over there. What was that like?

I know you touched on it, but just to go a little deeper into it—what were your feelings at the time? You know, being a dentist, this is what you were headed toward, but of course, life around you interferes sometimes. What was that experience like, and what were the biggest lessons you learned from it?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Well, I mean, you are definitely a soldier first and a dentist second.

Actually, in a medical company—like, I was deployed with a dental unit out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina—we had dental clinics spread all over the country. I wouldn’t say there were an equal number of women, but there were almost as many women in our unit.

Maria Cabanellas: So that in itself, being a woman, wasn’t an issue?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah, no, they really—I think the military has come a long way in that regard.

Maria Cabanellas: Oh yes, that’s true.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Thank goodness.

But you never forgot that you were in a war zone.

Maria Cabanellas: Right.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah, I mean, it was the real deal.

When I was in Hawaii, of course, you’re doing PT, working out, and you have to pass your physical fitness tests. You have to fire your weapon quarterly and pass your milestones with that.

It was—it was kind of fun playing soldier. I enjoyed it.

But I have to go back to the clinical experience because that was really great too. I really did learn a lot. I’m still in touch with some of my mentors that I worked with.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, I think one of the misconceptions about being a military dentist is—don’t kill the messenger—but I think a lot of people perceive it as something that can almost kill your spirit in a way.

And being a prison dentist, even more so.

Will you elaborate a little bit on how that experience was and how you're still such a ray of sunshine today?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I mean, I think that experience—and my experience in the military—helped me write one of my core values, which is quality over quantity.

You do become a high-volume dentist in that environment. While there’s great experience, great mentors, and lots of learning going on, there's also that high-paced, fast production. So many patients. There’s never a shortage of patients.

And I knew when I went into private practice that that wasn’t what I was looking for.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: So I think that's what kind of, you know, made the decision to leave the military easy, right? It wasn't that I didn't enjoy it—I just was ready for a new challenge.

Maria Cabanellas: Right, it was a chapter in your book.

So, it sounds like you had your core values pretty set from the beginning. Are they still the same today?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I think so. I think most of us, whether we've put pen to paper and written them down or not, start to establish our core values early on in our practice.

I can definitely say that, yes, some of mine were written early, while others have evolved over time. But core values are definitely an important thing to me.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely. What are the—let’s say—the top three core values for you right now as a business owner and in dentistry?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Well, we actually have six in my practice.

Maria Cabanellas: Oh!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I could bring any team member in here right now, and they could name all six.

Maria Cabanellas: Wow!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: This was not staged! I’m genuinely asking—

Maria Cabanellas: It’s amazing that you have this already in place.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah. Our core values are so important. And, you know, we don’t just— a lot of people have them on the wall or in a handbook somewhere, but we talk about them all the time. We try to live and breathe them, so it's more than just words on a wall.

But I’d be happy to share them.

The first one is quality over quantity. That was the big one. I knew I wanted to have a more boutique-style practice—smaller, more specialized, offering more comprehensive care.

Our second core value is long-term success. That’s where I think DSD fit right in with that value, because I knew I wanted comprehensive dentistry to be a part of my practice. I wasn’t looking for quick fixes—I wanted patients to have the best possible long-term success and care.

The third core value is respecting time. I really think it’s important to respect our patients' time. When an appointment starts at 8:00, I want it to start at 8:00—not at 8:15, not even at 8:05.

Maria Cabanellas: I love that.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I don’t know if that’s a military thing, but I just know in medicine, we all wait—and wait—and it’s so frustrating.

Maria Cabanellas: No one wants to wait! I back that one. Anyone listening—stay on schedule!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah! Our patients really do appreciate that. And in turn, they respect our time. They show up on time for their appointments because they know they’re going to be seen on time. So it goes hand in hand.

And it also applies to my team. I feel like I respect their time as well. We finish our workday at 4:00, and I don’t want people here until 4:30 or 5:00. I really want to make sure we’re walking out the door as close to 4:00 as possible. I think it’s important to respect everyone’s time.

Another core value—and again, this fits with DSD—is always learning.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I’m a CE junkie. I love to learn. My team loves to learn. That’s something I always ask when I’m interviewing a new team member—how do you feel about continuing education? If they say, “I’m not that into it,” that’s not a core value match. I don’t think they’d fit in here.

So always learning is a big one.

And then the last two core values are related to our team’s culture.

The first is we over me—we try to make all our decisions based on what’s best for the team as a whole rather than just for ourselves.

And the last one is all in—

Maria Cabanellas: Oh! This is amazing!

How did you put this together? I mean, you have it written out so nicely. Was this something you wrote from the very start, or did you develop these over time?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: These were developed over time.

Full disclosure—I worked with an amazing practice coach.

Maria Cabanellas: Oh, I love this!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Of course, if anyone is considering coaching, I strongly encourage it. I worked with an amazing coach at ACT Dental.

If any of you listen to Christian Coachman’s podcast, you know Kirk Behrendt with ACT Dental—his coaching team is phenomenal. They’re great. And one of the first things they have you articulate is your core values.

And you can’t be vague. You can’t just say excellence.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Excellence is a great thing to shoot for, but what do you mean by that?

Maria Cabanellas: What’s your definition of excellence?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: For me, excellence is running on time. It’s long-term success. Those are my definitions of excellence.

Maria Cabanellas: That’s amazing.

What other tools have worked for you? Because coaching—I completely agree with. You know, DSD has implemented a coaching program of its own.

But I believe you joined the clinic certification before the coaching program, so you didn’t get to experience it. That said, I’m so happy that you went through ACT Dental—amazing group.

So what was it about the coaching, or any other tools, that you feel really made a difference for you?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Sure. I think coaching really helps you dial in on your systems in your office.

I think it’s just so easy to be running with the current—things are happening around you, and if you don’t have tight systems, there’s just too much unpredictability.

Having an outside person come in and help you really hone in on your systems is incredibly valuable. And not just having it be you figuring things out, but someone who has seen this in a hundred other practices, who can say, Hey, have you thought about this? Have you tried that?

Maria Cabanellas: Right.

How did you come to terms with the fact that you needed coaching in the first place? Because now that we’ve launched coaching of our own in DSD, this is one of the challenges I personally see—people don’t believe up front that they really need it.

Or they say, I don’t have the time, or I just can’t dedicate myself to this right now.

What was it that caused you to say, This is the way to go, and I know this is going to work for me?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I think it’s just my personality.

I’ve always been an athlete—I’ve always been coached in my life. And you don’t know what you don’t know.

I think it’s important to take a humble, growth-minded approach in everything you do in life. So why would your practice be any different?

To me, it just made sense. Maybe that’s not true for everyone, but for me, it was a no-brainer.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, yeah.

So for those who are struggling with that—because you clearly believe in coaching yourself—for anyone hesitant to go in that direction, what would you tell them?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I would say—unless you’ve got it all figured out, or maybe you have great mentors and don’t necessarily need a coach, that’s on you.

But really—do you think you’ve got it all figured out?

I don’t know. I think it’s important to stop and reflect. Look inside yourself and ask, Are there areas where I could improve?

I think we all could.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, and routinely, right? Not just once, but periodically.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Exactly.

Other things I gained from coaching, besides tightening our systems, were about creating a strong culture in our practice.

I think creating a positive work environment is the most important thing. I want to be surrounded by people who love where they are and want to be there. We’re all working toward a common mission, and I think a coach can really help with that.

They can help you take actionable steps toward better communication in your office.

People always say, We need to communicate better. But how do you actually do that?

A coach will give you practical steps—like implementing a morning huddle, having regular team meetings, talking about what’s working and what’s not working.

For example, I like to do check-ins periodically—I try to do them quarterly. We used to call them performance reviews, but I think reframing them as check-ins makes them more approachable.

It’s not just about work performance. It’s about checking in with my team members—How’s your mom doing? I know someone in your family was in the hospital recently, how are they?

Because those relationships—the people I work with, the ten people I spend my day with—those are some of the most important relationships in my life.

Maria Cabanellas: That’s amazing to hear.

Let’s talk about the office itself.

Will you explain what kind of dentistry you’re doing today, the team you have, and elaborate on how your practice runs right now?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Sure.

We are definitely a restorative-focused practice. Myself and my associate, Dr. Beta Ellis, both love restorative dentistry.

And I can say DSD has certainly become an integral part of that. We look at cases differently.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I think we’re definitely looking at cases more comprehensively now. And the ability to show patients what we’re thinking—it’s just been invaluable.

Maria Cabanellas: Yeah, that’s great.

So, some of the systems that ACT Dental helped us fine-tune are things like how we hand off patients to one another.

Meaning, when the patient comes in and sits down, how is the doctor introduced? How do we go from the doctor coming into the hygiene op, the introduction, the pass-off from the hygienist to the doctor, and then from the doctor back to the hygienist before I leave the room?

When the patient is ready to leave, we never let them wander around the office thinking, Where am I supposed to go? What do I do now? They’re always escorted to the front.

We repeat the same things the doctor just said so that the patient hears it again. Then, the scheduling coordinator hears it, gets them back in the schedule, and the patient is hearing the same message over and over again.

So they know, Oh, that’s what’s going on. That’s what I’m coming back for. That’s how long I’ll be here next time. It creates a lot of clarity.

That was a big one.

Another system that ACT helped me with—this was actually during my second round of coaching—was becoming fee-for-service. They helped me drop my dependence on insurance, and I really wish I had done that sooner.

But I’m there now.

Maria Cabanellas: Congrats! That’s a big jump, and I think a lot of people want to hear more about that.

Would you share what that was like—the good, the bad, and the ugly?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Sure.

Going at it alone is terrifying, and that’s what kept me from doing it for so long.

But when I had a coach behind me saying, Let’s stop and look at your numbers. How many of your patients have Delta?—because Delta was our last insurance to drop—then I had real data in front of me.

And the numbers? I wish they were smaller, but they were big numbers.

Most of those patients were longtime patients who had been with the practice for many years. I had great relationships with them, and it just felt like now was the time.

We had built a level of service that patients could see, they understood it, and they valued it.

ACT Dental gave us a process and a timeline. They recommended a six-month transition period.

We wrote a letter and sent it to all the patients involved.

And in that six months, we aimed to see as many of these patients as possible for at least one recare visit. During those visits, I would sit them up and have a knee-to-knee conversation.

I’d look them in the eye and explain, Here’s my why. This has nothing to do with you or your insurance. I just hope you see the level of care that we give. And I want to continue to invest in that same level of great care. But Delta wants me to see more patients and spend less time with you—that’s not what I want.

And they got it.

Maria Cabanellas: And very few left?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Very few.

Maria Cabanellas: That was going to be my next question—what was the result? Because that’s the ultimate fear for most dentists thinking about dropping insurance: I’m going to lose all my patients, and then I’m going to have nothing.

So how did you prepare for that?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Our coach helped us a lot with that. They gave us scripts, so we could all practice.

Because it wasn’t just me having the conversation. The front desk team was talking about it when patients checked in and out.

Hygienists were having that conversation while cleaning patients’ teeth.

Assistants were having that conversation when I wasn’t in the room.

We all needed to be saying the same message.

The first 10 conversations were really hard.

The next 10 got a little easier.

And by the time six months had passed, it really wasn’t a big deal at all.

Maria Cabanellas: Wow.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: It was daunting, and I’m just so glad I had someone walking me through it, saying, Here’s what you do next.

Maria Cabanellas: So, there is a step-by-step program out there that people can follow.

And now I understand why you said you wish you had done it sooner.

Is there anything else, looking back, that you wish you had done earlier—other than coaching sooner and certainly dropping insurance sooner?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: The third thing I might do differently would be to learn more about KPIs—key performance indicators—for my practice.

That’s something they absolutely don’t teach you in dental school, and these numbers are really critical to the health of your business.

Because in the end, it is a business, and we want to make sure that the day-to-day decisions we’re making are also helping our business grow.

I was used to looking at production, collection, and all the usual stats, but things like annual patient value—I had never even thought about that.

With some coaching, I was able to analyze that number and understand its significance.

When you look at the value of all the patients you treat, and you keep that number above a certain threshold—I believe it’s over $800—it means you’re treating a patient more comprehensively than just a one-tooth-at-a-time approach.

For example, if a patient just comes in for their exams, you fix one tooth, and that’s it—that’s one-tooth dentistry.

But now, we’ve gotten our annual patient value up to $1,200 or $1,300. That means we’re seeing fewer patients but giving them the comprehensive care they deserve and need.

Maria Cabanellas: Right, so to my understanding, that falls under diagnosis and treatment planning—is that right?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Certainly, yes.

Being able to clearly describe why a patient needs something is really huge.

And I’ll say, technology has made my life so much easier.

For example, having an iTero scanner allows me to visually show a patient tooth wear, recession, or other issues they may have never seen before.

And when they see it visually—especially with the time-lapse feature—they’re like, Oh, let’s take care of it. Let’s go!

Maria Cabanellas: Yes, dentistry made easy.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Exactly!

Maria Cabanellas: That was actually going to be one of my questions—how has digital technology like 3D imaging and laser dentistry changed your practice?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: The communication piece is major.

But another area where digital technology has impacted my practice is functional occlusion.

We want our patients to be stable and healthy, and we want their bites to be healthy.

One thing I introduced to my practice—actually because of DSD—was T-Scan technology.

Maria Cabanellas: T-Scan?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yes, T-Scan.

It’s a technology that allows us to evaluate a patient’s bite.

We have the patient bite down on a thin film that records their occlusion, and it functions almost like a time-lapse—you can see which teeth are hitting first, what’s hitting the hardest, and how their bite is functioning overall.

We now routinely use it at the end of every orthodontic treatment, whenever we deliver restorations, and in other occlusal cases.

I think that’s a differentiator that sets our practice apart.

Patients understand—Oh yeah, when I got that crown at my last dentist’s office, they didn’t do that, and my bite was off for a very long time.

Maria Cabanellas: Right, so these technologies are not only improving patient outcomes, but they also take the burden off you as the dentist.

Because I’ve heard from many doctors that they get patients from other practices with subpar outcomes or incomplete diagnoses.

Then, suddenly, you have to be the one to tell them, Hey, you have decay here. You need this and that.

And the patient responds, Well, my last dentist never told me this!

Technology takes that burden off your shoulders, doesn’t it?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Exactly.

Those are awkward conversations. You never want to make another dentist look bad, but at the same time, you have to say, Well, this is what I’m seeing today.

Maria Cabanellas: Or even better—I’m not saying it, the machine is!

Dr. Kristen Donohue:Look at the computer! (Laughs)

Maria Cabanellas: (Laughs)

So, about your practice—what are your weekly non-negotiables as a business owner?

It sounds like you have your systems in order. What are your deal-breakers?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I think my new non-negotiable is that I never consider treatment without first considering orthodontics.

I’ve always valued orthodontics, but I think even more so now—especially with clear aligner therapy like Invisalign becoming more accessible.

It used to be a tough sell when traditional braces were the only option.

But now, I make sure that all my patients understand that if their teeth are better aligned, the outcome will always be better.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: And, you know, while it is a little harder on the front end, your dentistry will last longer.

I might get to do less dentistry because of it—if we can establish a stable bite.

So, yeah, making sure that the patient has a good, stable bite is non-negotiable for me.

Another non-negotiable is that I always want to know about my patients and their sleep health.

I think we’ve overlooked sleep so much in the past.

We used to just hand patients night guards without really asking the right questions—like, Why are your teeth worn down?Why are you tired all the time?Let’s talk about that.

So now, we actually have a home sleep study that we let patients take home overnight—we call it a “library book.”

They can take it out for the night, then bring it back, and we download the data from the home sleep study.

From there, we can share that information with them—whether that means referring them to a sleep physician or determining if there’s something we can help them with.

Maria Cabanellas: This is something I’ve noticed about you since the first time I met you.

You’re an amazing businessperson, of course.

But beyond that—you’re a mom, you’re a veteran, and you’re even a coach yourself—which I actually learned through the grapevine. I don’t know if you knew that!

There’s so much beneath the surface that many people don’t know about you.

Can you share with the audience how you manage your personal life?

Because I have to say—you brought your kids to Cape Town! No one does that!

We had this event in Cape Town, and you were just so involved.

And I think that’s a hard concept for many business owners to grasp—how to stay invested in their business while also keeping that balance.

I keep calling you a ray of sunshine, and it’s ironic because that’s the name of your practice.

But truly—you embody it to the core.

So, I’d love for you to talk about that a little.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah, I mean, having balance is, I think, the biggest challenge.

It’s so easy to want to give everything to every aspect of your life.

But at a certain point, you have to make choices.

For me, spending time with my family has always been a priority.

So, I don’t know if you’re asking me for the secret, but if you are—I haven’t found it yet!

But I do love to involve my family as much as I can in the things I’m doing.

Maria Cabanellas: I would assume you have very strong boundaries to be able to do that.

What would you say are your strict boundaries when it comes to maintaining that time and relationship with your family?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I do not check my email when I’m at home.

That’s a strong boundary.

It annoys people to no end! But on Wednesdays, when I’m off work, and on weekends—no email.

I just don’t go there.

Maria Cabanellas: And with emergencies—how does that work?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: So, with emergencies, I do share my cell phone number.

If a patient has an emergency, my cell number is always on the answering machine at our office.

So, patients can reach me.

But don’t email me!

Maria Cabanellas: Got it, guys! If it’s a real emergency, call.

Otherwise, you won’t hear from her until Monday!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Exactly!

Maria Cabanellas: And if you’re, let’s say, busy coaching your daughter’s volleyball team or traveling with your family—who handles your emergencies?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: That’s my amazing partner, Dr. Beta Ellis.

She holds down the fort when I’m away.

It’s so funny you ask that because ever since I started in dentistry, I’ve always tried to bring home a positive attitude about it to my family.

But my three children have zero interest in dentistry.

Nada!

They want nothing to do with it!

Maria Cabanellas: That’s kind of funny! But they’re still young—they might change their minds.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Maybe!

Maria Cabanellas: So, what are your plans then?

What does the future look like for your practice?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Well, I definitely see myself doing some traveling over the next year.

I’m planning to do Residency 2 with DSD.

We’ll see if my family comes along for that—I don’t know!

We’ve never been to Spain as a family, so that might be exciting.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: But I just—I mean, I’m so into learning.

And, you know, if I have an excuse to go learn something and get a nice vacation out of it, I never mind!

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: But beyond that—I do have a little one now.

I have two in high school and then my four-and-a-half-year-old, Rosemary.

So, yeah, I guess I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!

Maria Cabanellas: I was going to say—you’re here for a while!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yep! I’ll be here working for quite a while.

I’m not planning on retiring anytime soon, but I also don’t want to—I love what I do.

I feel like I found the best profession I could ever find.

It’s just the perfect blend of talking to people, leading a team, and getting to be creative.

I’m an artistic person by nature—both of my parents were art teachers.

So, in a way, I get to do little art projects every day.

There really couldn’t be a better profession for me!

Maria Cabanellas: I mean, you’re such a great fit for this field.

You’ve got that passion, and then you’ve got this drive for CE courses.

It’s really impressive.

What CE courses are you looking at right now?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Gosh, there are so many!

Hands-on courses are where it’s at for me.

I love Impress—Amanda and Tony... I’m trying to think...

Nosterant Antonio? I think that’s his name—anyway, he’s amazing.

I love their hands-on courses down in Charleston, South Carolina.

I’d love to do some hands-on courses in Europe—I’ve got my eye on a few.

We’ll see! But hands-on is the best.

Maria Cabanellas: Hands-on in any topic?

There are so many CE options out there—that’s a challenge for most dentists, trying to figure out where to invest their CE budget.

What would you recommend, since you’ve done a lot?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I love the restorative courses.

But I’d also love to do some dental dam courses—which sounds basic, but...

One thing I implemented in the last three years is that using a dental dam is now a non-negotiable in my practice.

We do everything with a dental dam.

And I always feel like I could be doing it better—there are faster, more efficient ways to use it.

Maria Cabanellas: There’s so much controversy over the dental dam!

Some dentists say, It’s faster for me to just do the filling without it.

What are your thoughts on that?

I mean, I already know what you’re going to say, but...

Dr. Kristen Donohue: (Laughs) Yeah, I’m going to say—if you’re not using it, you’re wrong.

It’s just that important!

It’s so much better for isolation.

Maria Cabanellas: I agree with you!

But you know, there’s always going to be someone who says, I can do it without it!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I know, I know.

There’s actually a great instructor in Europe, Céline Henn, who I’d love to take a dental dam course with.

I hear she does some pretty amazing courses.

Maria Cabanellas: It’s a game changer, for sure—just for the peace of mind.

That’s amazing.

So, as we start to wrap up, I have a question for you.

How do you plan to protect your private practice from the growing presence of DSOs?

And how do you plan to distinguish yourself so that patients choose you over other providers?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Yeah, I mean, I’ve definitely thought about this a lot.

As I approach the later years of my career, I’d love to sell my practice to a new graduate or a person, rather than an entity.

But I do wonder...

When that moment comes, and the check from a DSO is three times higher, I don’t know what I’ll say.

My hope is that I can mentor someone who will eventually buy my practice.

And because we’re a smaller practice, I think that might make it a little more accessible for a new graduate to buy.

That’s my hope.

But at the end of the day, it is still a business, and I do want to support my family as well.

At the same time, my practice is kind of like my fourth child.

Maria Cabanellas: Yes, truly!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I’ve taken this baby, helped it grow, and I don’t want to see it just handed off to anyone.

I’d love for it to go to someone who loves these patients and who wants to treat them in a way that is absolutely in their best interest—not just for the dollar.

Maria Cabanellas: So how would you go about handling the risk of losing patients to corporate offices popping up around you?

What do you feel is going to be your differentiation factor—your step above the rest—that will keep you afloat during that time?

Because I think a lot of people expect this shift to come at some point, and you’ll have to brand yourself or do something that keeps you relevant.

So, what do you feel your thing is?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I mean, I think that’s what we’re doing right now.

I believe there will always be a place for smaller, boutique dental practices.

There’s a certain kind of patient who wants that type of experience.

And then, there are other patients for whom that’s not necessarily a priority.

They’d rather go to a corporate office—literally, my next-door neighbor is a DSO.

But then, patients wander over and come in as new patients—and they say, Wow, this is a very different experience.

And I’m hoping they go back to their Facebook pages, their friends, their community groups, and say, Sunshine Dentist is different from corporate dentistry.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely.

I think one of the biggest parts of this is knowing what you have—taking ownership of your worth as a business owner, as a practice, and in your boutique-style approach.

Because I think, just with people in general, not even just in business, there’s this underlying fear that you’re not good enough.

That you’re not going to be enough when competition or challenges arise.

But if you go in with the mindset that you’ve shown—where you say, I know who I am, I know what I bring, and people will find me—then you own your value.

And they will bring others to you.

That’s, I think, one of the biggest key elements to success—knowing your worth.

I don’t know if you agree with that, but that’s what I heard from you just now.

Dr. Kristen Donohue: 100%.

And I think that confidence comes with experience over the course of your career.

I like to say, I have a little more swagger now than I did at year five.

Back then, I was still just trying to figure it out.

And I think becoming fee-for-service was also a huge confidence boost for me.

I realized that not every patient puts money ahead of care.

They’re not all looking for discount dentistry—many of them truly care about the level of service and expertise we provide.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely.

I was actually reading your case study that our marketing team at DSD put together.

And something unique in there really stood out—you said you felt a lot more confidence in speaking with specialists and presenting your work.

Can you tell us about that? How did that shift happen for you?

Dr. Kristen Donohue: Sure.

The documentation that goes into a DSD case—the scanning, the photos, the intraoral images—has really helped me communicate with my specialists.

For example, even with a specialty procedure like aesthetic crown lengthening—which I don’t personally do—I love being able to hand off cases to my periodontist in a way that makes me look like I know exactly what I want.

Now, instead of just sending a patient over and hoping for the best, I feel like the quarterback of the case.

Before, it was more like, Let’s see what I get back....

But now, I can call the shots.

And I think that confidence comes from having the right tools—which DSD has given me.

For example, crown lengthening guides based on my design—those tools make me look like I’m in control of the case and that I know exactly what I’m doing.

Maria Cabanellas: Absolutely.

And it takes away any doubt you might have had about your own diagnosis or treatment plan.

More minds working together always lead to a better outcome.

That collective intelligence is a game-changer.

So, I’m so happy to hear that—and to read that in your case study.

And for any listeners, I highly recommend you read her story.

It’s in the Comprehensive Dentist Case Studies collection.

It’s a great journey—from single-tooth dentistry to comprehensive care, going fee-for-service, and of course...

Sunshine everywhere!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: (Laughs) It’s the dream.

Maria Cabanellas: It is!

You’re living the dream!

Dr. Kristen Donohue: I really am.

Maria Cabanellas: Oh, it has been a pleasure talking to you, Kristen.