Practice Managers’ 2025 Resolutions and Blind Spots in 6 Charts

New Year, New Practice?

Not so fast. A January survey of AADOM members by dental AI leader Pearl shows they are focused on solving the same problems this year that plagued them in 2024. Scheduling gaps, insurance, headaches and staffing shortages were all top challenges last year, and overcoming them are again, not surprisingly, top priorities in 2025.

But a deeper look at responses reveals a telling disconnect: while managers stay on keeping chairs filled and claims flowing, many are missing opportunities to transform their operations through clinical alignment and tech adoption. (Download the full survey results here.)

Front-loading schedules, back-burnering clinician communication

Practice managers remain laser-focused on keeping operatories booked and busy—a key driver of practice success. Nearly 77% of practice managers cited scheduling as their primary challenge in 2024, and 67% said improving scheduling efficiency was a top 2025 priority. Hitting production goals came in at number two for 2025, with 61% putting it among their top three.

To do that, managers are focused on the factors squarely in their control: three quarters said they’d be aiming to maintain a full schedule, while 69% said they would aim to minimize last-minute cancellations. To monitor their progress, they’ll track the most straight-forward metrics production and revenue numbers (71%) and look for a reduction in no-shows (60%).

But some practice managers may be overlooking the importance of communicating with clinical staff when driving production. Just 31% named improving communication with the clinical staff as a top 2025 priority, even though doing so effectively could help them better align their schedules with production goals—a goal of 48% of respondents. Finally, only 49% of practice managers said they track case acceptance rates—the metric that bridges scheduling success to revenue growth.

Insurance still sucks… time, that is

Approximately 73% of practice managers reported struggling with insurance-related complexities in 2024, ranking it as their second-most significant challenge of the year. Almost three quarters of managers said navigating insurance processes was time consuming, with 35% calling it “very time-consuming.”

Still, their approach to tackling that problem seems tepid at best. Despite ranking insurance verification and patient explanations as their most problematic process, only 39% prioritize streamlining insurance procedures for 2025. This resignation to insurance-related inefficiencies suggests many managers view these challenges as immutable rather than solvable problems.

The staffing paradox

The survey also reveals an interesting contradiction in how managers approach staffing challenges. Staff shortages rounded out the top three challenges of 2024, but improving recruitment wasn’t among their top staffing goals for 2025. Only 22% chose it. Instead, reducing burnout took first place by a wide margin, with 68% of practice managers ranking it as a top team goal.

However, while managers are taking steps to build a more supportive and rewarding work environment, they may be overlooking systemic issues. Only 41% identified workflow bottlenecks as a top 2025 challenge, and just 30% prioritized improving communication.

The technology gap

While most practice managers (51%) said their offices are keen to adopt new technologies, only 16% said adopting new technologies is a priority for 2025. This hesitation is particularly noteworthy in areas where technology could directly address their stated challenges.

For instance, while insurance verification ranks as their top pain point, and 45% express interest in automation solutions for this specific task, it hasn’t translated into broader technology adoption plans.

Meanwhile, tools like radiologic AI offering potential workflow improvements, only 22% of managers expressed interest in such solutions, suggesting missed opportunities to address staffing challenges through automation and improved processes.

Pearl offers a suite of tools to help practices run smarter, including Practice Intelligence, which streamlines scheduling and workflow, Precheck, which automates insurance verification and Second Opinion, a radiologic AI tool that supports claims with AI-image analysis and annotation.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Pearl can help you tackle your 2025 goals, schedule a demo today.