Dr. Greg Toback

Dr. Greg Toback Empowering dentists through growth, leadership & mentorship. Founder of Shoreline Perio & Resolute.

Hi, I’m Dr. Greg Toback—a periodontist, educator, and the founder of Shoreline Periodontics and Resolute Dental Partners. For over 25 years, I’ve been focused on more than just treating gums, I also grow great dentist-led and patient-focused practices, mentor the next generation, and protect what makes dentistry special: doctors leading with purpose, integrity, and a commitment to exceptional care. This page is where I share insights from the operatory, lessons from the road, thoughts on building meaningful dental practices that last, and so much more. Whether you're a young doc, a seasoned clinician, or somewhere in between—welcome to the conversation.

08/25/2026

The goal isn’t always to solve the problem immediately.

The goal is to communicate responsiveness and ownership:

“I understand why this feels urgent to you. Here’s what I can do for you. Will that work?”

Even if the solution takes time, the emotional temperature changes because the patient knows someone is helping.

08/20/2026

A patient calls because they want the doctor to look at a problem.

The office says, “We’re fully booked.”

That scheduling challenge may be real. But the patient’s concern isn’t your calendar. It’s whether someone cares and will help.

When patients feel ignored, frustration escalates.

08/18/2026

Ever text your team an idea at 10:30pm because you knew if you didn't, you'd forget it by morning?

Dr. Greg Toback did that for years, until his team finally said something. His fix wasn't complicated. It's a feature already sitting on his iPhone.

Thank you to Dr. Toback for sharing this one with us, it's a small habit with a real payoff for anyone leading a team.

Hear Dr. Toback's full tip and the rest of this week's episode on The Thriving Dentist Show - https://go.thrivingdentistshow.com/Ep760

08/18/2026

Great practices understand this:
The moment something goes wrong is often the moment trust is built.

Patients don’t expect perfection—but they do expect ownership.

How your team responds becomes part of the patient experience.

08/13/2026

Before giving the reason something went wrong, acknowledge how the experience felt: “I understand why you’re disappointed. I’m sorry that happened, and we fell short today.”

Now the patient feels heard, respected, and validated. Only then should the explanation or solution enter the conversation.

08/11/2026

One of the biggest mistakes teams make with upset patients is explaining too quickly.

“We were short-staffed.”
“The doctor was running behind.”
“It was a really busy day.”

The facts may be accurate. But to an upset patient, they often sound like excuses.

Acknowledge first. Explain later.

08/06/2026

A stronger response to a worried patient sounds like this:

“I can hear that this is really concerning you, and I want to see how we can help.”

That one sentence helps the patient feel heard and supported without forcing your team to overpromise.

Patients don’t escalate when they feel understood. They escalate when they feel dismissed.

08/04/2026

A patient says their front tooth feels loose or their temporary doesn’t feel right.

The office responds, “It’s probably nothing serious.”

Clinically, that may seem reasonable. Emotionally, the patient may hear, “You’re overreacting. Your concern isn’t important.”

Reassurance only works after someone feels heard.

07/30/2026

One of the fastest ways to escalate an upset patient is to make them feel dismissed.

It doesn’t matter whether the issue seems serious to us. What matters in that moment is that the patient is concerned.

If it’s a concern for them, it needs to matter to the conversation.

Communication Mistake #1: minimizing the patient’s concern.

07/28/2026

The practices that stand apart aren’t the ones that avoid every problem.

They’re the ones prepared to respond with empathy, confidence, clarity, and emotional intelligence when trust is challenged.

Over the next several videos, I’ll break down five communication mistakes that escalate upset patients—and how exceptional teams handle those moments differently.

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