The real reason your practice isn’t growing? Fear masquerading as caution.
Businesses don’t collapse in a single moment—they erode by clinging to what once worked. Blockbuster didn’t die because of competition. It died because it stayed the same while the world changed.
Blockbuster is a case study in denial. And here’s the hard truth: some dental practices are heading down the same path—slowly, comfortably, and dangerously because practice owners stop taking full responsibility for the real reason their practice isn’t growing—fear of change.
Let’s get something straight: Once you stop taking full responsibility, courage is the next thing to erode. And when courage goes, you don’t crash—you coast. You settle. You stall out. You rationalize. You start saying things like: “I just need to make it through this month.” “We’ll fix that later.” “Let’s not rock the boat.”
But make no mistake: playing it safe is what kills businesses.
Let me take you back to one of the most infamous examples of this in recent history.
Blockbuster vs. Netflix: The death spiral of playing it safe
It’s 2008. Blockbuster is still the king. Over 9,000 stores. Dominant market share. Big brand recognition.
And across town? A quiet little disruptor called Netflix. No stores. No late fees. No billion-dollar marketing budget. Just a strange new thing called streaming.
Netflix walks into Blockbuster’s boardroom and offers to sell the company for $50 million. Blockbuster execs laugh them out of the room.
“That’s cute,” they thought.
Why change when you’re on top?
Because the world doesn’t wait for you to adapt.
Fast forward just a few years—Blockbuster is gone. Netflix? Worth over $150 billion.
What killed Blockbuster? Not competition. Not the market. Fear of change.
Let’s talk about dentists
Because the same thing is happening in dental practices right now.
You might not be turning away streaming platforms, but you are doing this:
- You know your treatment acceptance is low… but keep using the same tired scripts from 2016.
- You know your front desk is dropping calls… but say, “We don’t have time for training right now.”
- You know your fees are outdated… but fear your patients will push back.
Sound familiar?
You start asking: “What if the team resists?” “What if patients get upset?” “What if someone quits?”
Let me give you the real question you should be asking: “What happens if I don’t change anything?”
That’s the killer. That’s the hidden cost. That’s the Blockbuster moment.
The real risk is staying the same
One of my mentors told me something years ago that I’ve never forgotten: “The biggest risk in business is taking no risk at all.”
That one sentence has saved me—and my clients—from millions in lost opportunity.
Because dentists don’t fail in one big moment. They fail slowly, comfortably, over time. By playing not to lose. By tiptoeing through every decision. By delaying what they know they need to do. Until they look up and realize they’ve flatlined.
I’ve seen it firsthand. One of my clients had three ops, a good patient base, and decent revenue. But his hygiene was underproducing. Treatment acceptance was low. The front desk wasn’t closing calls.
He knew it. But when I told him what had to change—training, scripting, raising fees—he hesitated. He said what every cautious dentist says: “Let me think about it. I don’t want to shake things up too much.”
Three months later? One of his hygienists left. His assistant followed. Patients started slipping away. Revenue dropped.
The practice didn’t implode overnight. It eroded. From the inside out.
Eventually, he came back. We did the work. Tightened systems. Retrained the team. Shifted the fee structure. Rebuilt the experience.
Twelve months later? +42% growth. Schedule full. Team aligned. Owner finally back in control. But the cost of waiting was enormous.
You don’t need to burn the place down
Let me be clear: I’m not saying throw away everything you’ve built. I’m saying stop letting fear make decisions.
You don’t need to reinvent your practice from scratch. But if you’re still using the same protocols, the same assumptions, the same fee schedule, and the same excuses you were five years ago? Don’t be surprised when growth stops.
Because while you’re clinging to what’s comfortable… your competition is adapting. Your patients are evolving. And your staff? They’re watching to see if you’re actually a leader—or just another dentist afraid to act.
Bottom line
Fear doesn’t protect your practice. It imprisons it. The safe path is the slowest death. Dentists who scale aren’t reckless—they’re decisive. They see what needs to change, and they act.
You don’t need massive courage. Just enough to take the next uncomfortable step. That’s how you avoid becoming the next Blockbuster. Not by luck. Not by waiting. But by choosing to lead—decisively, unapologetically, and with a bias for action.
Because while most dentists freeze, the smart ones adapt. They stop waiting for the “perfect time” and start acting like business owners, not just clinicians.
If you’re serious about growing a practice that works for you—not the other way around—then now is the time to move.
Fear of change doesn’t protect your practice—it paralyzes it.
You already know what needs to shift. What you might not know is how costly delay has already become.
About the author
Dr. Galia Anderson graduated from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry and built a successful private practice in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she served patients for 15 years. Today, as the founder of Dental Business Experts, Dr. Anderson is committed to empowering dentists to achieve substantial growth in their practices. Schedule a no-obligation strategy call with Dr. Anderson to get started: www.yourdbexperts.com/call
