“Help Is on the Way, Dear!” – How a Dental Study Club Was Born in Tennessee

(Mrs. Doubtfire voice, naturally.)

Let’s talk about dental office managers—you know, the ones juggling scheduling chaos, calming down Karen after her crown cracked, and still somehow finding time to reorder fluoride varnish before the shipment runs dry. We're a special kind of magic. But for far too long, we’ve been doing it solo.

When I moved to East Tennessee (Go Big Orange!), I brought with me a mixed bag of dental experience: small practices, big operations, startup transitions, even a few fire-drill-style emergencies that probably shaved years off my life. But through it all, one thing stood out—I missed community. Real community. Not just an occasional Facebook thread or a CE webinar where you click “yes” when it asks if you’re still watching.

The Problem No One Talks About

Here’s the thing: dentists have alumni networks, conferences, masterminds, and golf retreats. Hygienists and assistants? They’ve got their own tight-knit circles and continuing ed pathways. But where do practice managers go when they need advice on firing that one toxic team member or convincing the doctor to finally switch to digital forms?

Sure, there are resources. AADOM (shoutout to the mothership!) has been doing amazing work connecting office managers nationwide. But I was craving something local—something right here in Tennessee, where someone could say, “Bless your heart,” and really mean it.

Birth of the Tennessee Dental Connection

Cue the violins—or maybe a kazoo, since this wasn’t exactly a seamless process.

My dream of launching a study club started years ago, post-COVID, when burnout was real and coffee consumption was at an all-time high. But timing was never on my side. At the time, I was moving a legacy dental practice out of Knoxville’s East Towne Mall—a place that, if you’ve been around long enough, had its own personality (and its own smell). I was dragging that practice across Knoxville like a backpack filled with bricks and dreams. Romantic? Not exactly. But necessary? Absolutely.

Once I could breathe again (read: found the bottom of my email inbox), I finally took the leap. I inherited a local AADOM chapter, gathered two brave souls to join the board, and booked our first meeting.

Picture it: three office managers sitting in a room, swapping horror stories and laughing like we’d known each other for years. It didn’t take long before we all had the same thought: Why hasn’t this existed sooner? Honestly, it felt less like starting something and more like uncovering something that had been there all along—just waiting for someone to say, “Let’s do this.”

Not Just Knoxville. Not Just a Club. A Movement.

This is bigger than coffee and CE credits. Tennessee Dental Connection is about creating a safe, energizing space where office managers can learn, vent, collaborate, and grow—together. And while our roots are in East Tennessee, we’ve got statewide vision: Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee, and even the corners with more cows than cars—we see you.

We’re kicking things off with monthly in-person meetings in Knoxville, and yes, we’ll have virtual access for those of you managing the front desk while simultaneously reprogramming the autoclave (we know how it goes). The goal is to be inclusive, supportive, and flexible. Like yoga—but with fewer stretchy pants and more spreadsheets.

Our meetings will cover the things that matter to real, day-to-day practice managers:

• Accounts receivable (aka “Where did our money go?”)
• Staff training (because Susan still won’t fill out her timecard properly)
• Compliance, HIPAA, and all those acronyms you pretend to understand
• SOPs that actually make sense and don't require a decoder ring
• And the holy grail—how to manage your doctor without losing your mind

Why Now?

Because we’re exhausted. Because we’re underappreciated. Because there’s strength in numbers—and because there’s nothing better than having someone else nod knowingly when you say, “I had to explain what an EOB is… again.”

Post-pandemic dentistry is no joke. Staffing issues, evolving technology, regulatory changes, and yes, patients who believe TikTok over trained professionals. Being a practice manager in this climate is like being air traffic control with no radar. That’s why now is the perfect time to build community. When we share knowledge, we get better. When we laugh together, we last longer.

Come On In, The Water’s Fine

We’re actively recruiting new board members and volunteers—because building something this impactful takes a team (and also, because we need help setting up the snack table).

You don’t need to be a unicorn or a superhero to join. You just need to care about your practice, your team, and your own professional growth. We’ll meet you where you are. Whether you’ve been managing practices for 20 years or just inherited the role because “you’re good with people,” you belong here.

Join our Facebook community, Tennessee Dental Connection, and stay up to date on upcoming meetings, speaker events, and resource drops. You can also shoot us an email if you want to get involved, speak at an event, or just need someone to help you decode your latest dental software update.

Final Thoughts from Your Chapter President (That’s Me!)

Starting this study club was equal parts passion project and therapeutic outlet. It reminded me that I’m not alone—and neither are you. We all have something to teach, something to learn, and someone to help. And if we can laugh along the way? Even better.

So let’s stop operating in silos. Let’s build something that lasts. Let’s normalize asking for help, sharing our wins, and showing up for one another—even if we’re doing it in scrubs and sneakers.

We’re stronger together—and we’re just getting started.