Tales of a Successful Startup: Haven Dental

Kickstarting a new practice isn’t easy, but if Dr. Tyler Brady was your only example, you wouldn’t know it. After opening the doors to his meticulously designed Haven Dental just 9 months ago, he’s already seeing upwards of 40 new patients or more every month, and that number is consistently increasing. He even had patients scheduled before his door opened for business.

So what are the secrets to his success? Hard work, a patient-first mentality, and the right tools for the job.

Even back in dental school, Dr. Brady was focused on excelling in his field. He founded the Practice Management Club at Tufts University’s dental school, which has grown to hundreds of members since. After graduating, he and his wife moved from Boston to Dallas/Fort Worth to raise a family. There, he practiced in a few areas before settling in Southlake and starting his own practice with one goal in mind - to bring joy to those he serves.

“I was afraid of the dentist as a kid and wanted that to be part of my patient philosophy - helping people feel comfortable. Especially kids, and those who have been uncomfortable in the past.” His approach has been more than successful. “I actually have kids asking their moms to take them to the dentist instead of going to school,” he said with a laugh.

That mentality isn’t the only thing propelling him to success. Dr. Brady’s personable demeanor, business savvy, and ‘patient first’ mentality creates a unique environment where he was able to present patients with exactly what they want. As it turns out, one of those things is Six Month Smiles.

“When a patient brings up whitening, we say that Six Month Smiles comes with free whitening and an air flosser,” he said. “That interests them, and you wouldn’t believe some of the things they say. ‘You mean I can have straight teeth in just six months?’ It’s like dialogue out of a commercial.” Not only is it good for patients, it was easy to learn, and it’s good for the bottom line.

“And it’s great for our practice, too. Six Month Smiles does a great job of teaching you how to be an orthodontist. The direction is great, the service is great, and it’s so easy. If it was legal, anyone could do it.”

The last ingredient in Dr. Brady’s recipe for success is the right technology, particularly when it comes to appointment scheduling. “The whole dental field is about a decade behind when it comes to that,” he said. “Patients can book a flight on their phone, but can’t schedule an appointment. I thought ‘there’s got to be something out there.’”

He found his answer after discovering LocalMed on an online forum. “There are other online scheduling options, and I looked at a bunch of them. But what they call online scheduling is just an email and your front desk still has to book it. LocalMed was the only one we found that really works how we want it to. It’s integrated. We don’t have to manually do anything. It’s just bonus patients.”

About 60% of Dr. Brady’s appointments are now scheduled online, even after hours, and are placed into his practice management system just as if his front desk were booking the appointment.

“‘It’s like bonus income,” Dr. Brady said. “I’d recommend Six Month Smiles and LocalMed to anyone!”