Dentists Can't See From Inside The Jar

Picture yourself in a jar—that jar is your practice.

You’ve got your team, your patients, and your schedule all jammed in there with you. There’s a lot happening every day. Procedures to complete. Phone calls to return. Team issues to navigate. Treatment plans to present. You’re managing the daily chaos, putting out fires, and making sure everyone’s happy.

But here’s the problem: You can’t read the label from inside the jar. So how do you really know what people see when they look at your practice?

What Your Practice Really Looks Like

You’re so busy rattling around inside that jar that you have no idea what your practice actually looks like from the outside. The chipped paint on the front door? You stopped noticing it months ago. The outdated magazines? Invisible. The way your team answers the phone? You assume it’s fine because no one’s complained.

But your patients notice. New visitors definitely notice. And that’s okay—no one can see clearly from inside the jar. The trick is to step outside for a minute.

Open the Jar. Read the Label.

Ask for feedback. Get coaching. Talk to people who can give you an honest look at what’s really going on.

Once you do, everything gets clearer. You’ll spot the opportunities you’ve been missing. You’ll notice the gaps that have been there all along. You’ll finally understand why that thing you’ve been trying to fix isn’t working.

You might not notice the smudged glass door, the cluttered front desk, or the worn-out chairs. But visitors to your space will. That’s why intentional downtime activities matter—they’re the label-reading moments when you step back and see what’s really there.

Want to know what you might be missing? Check out ACT Dental’s Downtime Activities Checklist for simple tips on how to keep your practice clean, organized, and inviting.