Building the Dental Community I Wanted to See

As is often heard in the dental business, I had no intention of ever working in dentistry. I spent my teens and early twenties working various types of sales jobs. I sold coupons, knives, and vacuum cleaners. I sold audio and video equipment at a big box store. I waited tables and delivered pizzas. I ran two wedding photography studios. My jobs always put me face to face with my clients. We would have sincere discussions about needs and the best way to fit costs into those needs. 

My father graduated from dental school the year I was born. He is and always has been the hardest working person I’ve ever known. I would go into the office with him every Saturday morning and wait for him to be done treating patients so we could hit a local pizza place. We would sit there and watch wrestling while we shared a pizza or calzone and he shut his brain off from the prior six days of exhausting patient care. 

In 2004, my father asked me to manage his business. For his sake and because I valued his work ethic so much, I told him that I would take on the challenge for one year to get him by until he found a replacement. 

It’s now 2026 and I am writing this from my desk in that very same office. 

The dental industry has changed plenty in these last twenty-two years, but dental conferences and study club meetings remain relatively unchanged. Over time, as I sat through many of these meetings, I constantly wondered why the presentations were virtually the same (just with different speakers and different slides). The food was the same (horrible), the energy was the same (tired), and the attendees were the same. I wondered if it would ever change. 

Something that also bothered me was lack of inclusiveness and intersectionality at these meetings. There were meetings for dentists, and I was often the only office manager in attendance. There were meetings for office managers with no other position in the office being represented. The speakers would give a presentation, but weren’t considered part of the group. Tables of vendors would be set up around the room, and they were seen as decoration rather than an instrumental part of the event. 

When I started to wonder if any of it would ever change, I decided to take matters into my own hands. 

I started laying the groundwork for changes in 2023. I started my own dental study club, inclusive of all members of the industry (both inside and outside of the office). If you were a dental staffer, vendor, consultant, or speaker this room was for you. We held six-plus meetings per year and saw success on a local level. 

Additionally, I started a mastermind for businesspeople in Philadelphia. This mastermind group was for anyone trying to grow within their professional life and wanted to workshop ideas with others in the area. It was challenging to bring business leaders from different industries into one room before their busy work days began.  It was rewarding and inspiring to watch them and facilitate conversations leading to their growth.

These two ventures launched the origins of what is now Circle of Dental Excellence - CODE. 

I started this movement in 2024 to create a space for everyone in the dental industry. I planned to introduce it regionally and see where it went from there. I laid the groundwork for planning and speakers, and after months of preparations (and the addition of some exceptional team members), things were off and running. 

CODE was loudly announced through networking and social media as a series of regional meetings. With my experience running a mastermind group, a monthly mastermind was also established to keep CODE’s members communicating all year long. While witnessing registrations from all over the country, it became quickly obvious this group was in fact a national organization and regional ideas went right out the window. 

CODE’s mission is simple:

1. Open the room to everyone in the dental profession. 
2. Make the event enjoyable for everyone there. Do not just sit in a room all day. Let’s get to know each other while also enjoying the surroundings of the city where the event is being held. 
3. Get to know the speakers and vendor partners not just as their profession but as people. Build relationships that are meaningful with everyone in the profession, not just your own sector of it. 
4. Learn! Make the events, the masterminds, and our Inner Circle Webinars a true learning experience. CODE should not be a place to go to get the same information you can get from many other places. It is a place to get constant dental education in many areas of our field to fuel your growth. Our expectation is to provide access to more than seventy-five CE hours.

Deserving of a category all its own is ACCESSIBILITY. 

Accessibility is EVERYTHING. Anyone from the industry is welcome into the room, members can participate from wherever they are, and everyone has access to each other. On top of that, CODE strives to be affordable for all in the dental community. 

CODE is 22 years in the making. It is everything I have felt was missing with other events and organizations. It is a labor of love. It provides endless value for its members. It is a place for growth personally and professionally that is itself, constantly growing. 

ABOUT CODE:

The Circle of Dental Excellence (CODE) was created to provide enhanced educational opportunities for ALL dental professionals. Connect with your community and engage in insightful discussions and learning sessions designed to inspire and educate dental professionals.

What to expect with your membership:

• Three live events per year (through the end of 2027 we will be holding events in New Orleans, Phoenix, Nashville, and Cancun)
• Monthly masterminds 
• Virtual opportunities and webinars for those unable to travel
• Access to constant communication with each other through social media and WhatsApp
• Active speakers and vendor partners who prioritize getting to know members and also being members. 

Learn more about CODE and how to join here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Schriftman, MBA, DAADOM

Founder and Executive Director of Operations, Circle of Dental Excellence

Daniel Schriftman is a business manager and coach. He earned his MBA with a focus on Human Resources.

Daniel is a dedicated leader in the dental industry with over 20 years of experience driving operational excellence and business growth. He scaled The Philadelphia Dentist from a small, single-provider practice into a first-of-its-kind, 365-day-per-year emergency dental practice, achieving over $2M+ in annual, full fee-for-service production.

Daniel founded the Circle of Dental Excellence to provide a much-needed space for next-level education and networking for the entire dental community. In this role, he oversees the production of large-scale in-person and virtual events, webinars, and monthly masterminds. Additionally, he cultivates strategic relationships with dental vendors, sponsors, partners, and educators to advance the industry.

Daniel focuses on empowering dental practice owners to transition from day-to-day operations to visionary leadership. His passion lies in building bulletproof teams, optimizing systems for consistency and freedom, and cultivating cultures where "A-players" thrive.

Daniel has a passion for learning. He believes that learning small things will lead to big successes in business and in life.

Daniel is considered an expert in all aspects of patient financing. He has piloted multiple financing programs for industry leading companies. He has also written multiple articles on the subject. Daniel wishes to provide other office managers with the tools at his disposal to improve their practices through the art of sales and patient financing.

Daniel is so proud of the work he and the Circle of Dental Excellence (CODE) are doing for the entire dental community.  He says “Everyone in the Circle fills a need for the group and its members.  A circle has no starting point or end point.  Each of us continues to fill the gaps and the Circle will continue to go around and around.”