Podcasts about Dental

Are you still unsure how to reduce your PPO dependence without sacrificing financial stability? In this episode, Lester De Alwis sits down with Brandon Parkhurst of Parkhurst Consulting to explore how outsourced CFO services can give you clarity, control, and confidence in your practice. Brandon introduces his BOSS model and shares how real-time data, budgeting, and smarter decisions can help you work less, earn more, and build a team-driven, patient-centered practice. If you're looking for practical steps toward private practice freedom, this one's packed with value. Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/   If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/  

You know what's worse than not having an office manager? Having the wrong one. We all want that "perfect" hire, but perfect on paper rarely works in practice.This episode explores what really makes someone the right fit, whether you're promoting from within or hiring from the outside, and how to set them up for success in their new role. You'll learn three important things: the trade-offs of hiring internally vs. externally, what you need to do before handing over the reins, and how to keep your practice running smoothly — with or without a manager.Topics discussed in this episode:Why most outside hires failThe #1 onboarding mistakeHow to successfully promote internally vs. externallyHow to interview new office managersHow to “build your bench"This episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.comJoin Etch, Steve, Henry, and 14 other growth minded practice owners at this exclusive beachfront masterminding opportunity November 7 and 8 in Destin Florida. Apply by setting up a strategy call HERE Take Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.

Ready to elevate your veterinary dentistry skills? https://ivdi.org/inv Request an invitation to the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program Today.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Host: Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM  In this episode of The Vet Dental Show, Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM, addresses critical questions from veterinary professionals about iatrogenic jaw fractures during extractions and the longevity of dental composites. Gain valuable insights into avoiding complications and ensuring successful dental restorations. What You'll Learn ✅ How to assess the risk of jaw fractures during canine tooth extractions. ✅ Proper techniques for extracting teeth with significant bone loss. ✅ The importance of dental explorers in identifying dental issues. ✅ Radiographic interpretation tips for identifying chevron effects. ✅ Recommendations for using dental composites to restore defects and protect tooth structure. ✅ How long dental composites last under normal mastication. Key Takeaways ✅ Iatrogenic jaw fractures are most common during mandibular canine extractions, especially when significant bone loss is present. ✅ Proper extraction techniques are crucial to avoid fractures. If you're uncomfortable, refer the case. ✅ Dental explorers are essential for identifying and measuring periodontal issues under anesthesia. ✅ Chevron effects on radiographs can be tricky; compare with contralateral views and consider consulting with a radiologist. ✅ Dental composites, when properly bonded, can provide long-lasting protection to dentin, but monitoring is essential to ensure pulp vitality. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don't miss out on the opportunity to enhance your veterinary dentistry skills. Request your invitation to the Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program now: https://ivdi.org/inv Want to expand your skills even further? Explore Dr. Beckman's full selection of courses and resources designed specifically for veterinary professionals!  https://veterinarydentistry.net/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- What are your biggest challenges in veterinary dentistry? Share your questions and experiences in the comments below! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Veterinary Dentistry, Dog Dental, Cat Dental, Tooth Extraction, Jaw Fracture, Dental Composite, Veterinary Radiography, IVDI, Brett Beckman, Veterinary Dental Practitioner Program, Periodontal Disease, Dental Explorer, Chevron Effect, Iatrogenic Fracture

On today's episode, you'll hear Dr. Mark Costes' keynote presentation from the Super Dentist Boost Camp 2025, where he delivers a deep dive into what it really takes to grow and scale a dental practice the right way. With a mix of humor, hard-earned lessons, and serious strategy, Mark walks through the foundations of his Elite Practice Blueprint—six pillars that include operational systemization, team culture, patient experience, financial intelligence, and more.  He pulls back the curtain on private equity's growing influence in dentistry, the realities of consolidation, and why becoming "sale-ready" is something every dentist should be thinking about now, not later. Mark also breaks down DSI's belt system for evaluating practices and explains why adding new procedures or marketing is often the wrong move—unless your infrastructure is rock solid. Packed with both inspiration and actionable insights, this talk is a must-listen for any dentist thinking about scale, freedom, and fulfillment. Be sure to check out the full episode from the Dentalpreneur Podcast! EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

Join Richard and George as they dive into a real-world fee-for-service case study, uncovering the secrets to boosting new patient flow, overcoming hygiene bottlenecks, and scaling without sacrificing patient relationships. If you want to transform efficiency, retention, and profitability in your practice, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Feeling trapped on the dental treadmill? That plateau between $1-2 million in practice revenue isn't just common—it's a critical crossroads in your ownership journey.Dental practice owners typically hit this wall after establishing their core team (usually two hygienists, two assistants, and two front desk staff), then find themselves unable to push beyond despite working harder clinically. The fundamental problem isn't your clinical skills or work ethic—it's that you've reached the ceiling of what one dentist can physically produce while simultaneously trying to run a business.I experienced this firsthand when my practice hit $1.8 million back in 2015. Despite efficient systems and block scheduling, growth seemed impossible without clinical burnout. I was constantly trying to squeeze in one more same-day patient while lacking the energy to handle the essential business responsibilities. The breakthrough came when I realized that most dentists don't actually own a business—they have a really good job. A true business continues generating revenue when you're not physically present, while most dental practices stop producing the moment the owner stops performing dentistry.Breaking through requires four transformative mindset shifts: transitioning from dentist to owner, building a leadership team, systematizing operations, and developing problem-solvers within your team. By implementing these changes, I was able to bring on my first associate, reduce my clinical schedule, and unlock unprecedented freedom—taking 18 weeks off last year while my practice continued thriving.The path beyond $2 million isn't about working harder; it's about working differently. Ready to stop being trapped by your practice and start enjoying the freedom of true practice ownership? Visit dentalpracticeheroes.com to schedule a strategy call and discover how our coaching can help you build the systems and leadership that create both profitability and freedom.Join Etch, Steve, Henry, and 14 other growth minded practice owners at this exclusive beachfront masterminding opportunity November 7 and 8 in Destin Florida. Apply by setting up a strategy call HERE Take Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.

Murias Dental MVP of the Night 100525

Is your next open house a missed opportunity? Let's learn how to create buzz, build trust, and get your calendar booked solid!In this episode, we reveal how to transform your practice's open house event into an inviting social gathering that builds trust and enthusiasm among potential patients. Drawing inspiration from “Unreasonable Hospitality,” we explore powerful tactics like upbeat music, delicious food, and staff whose uniforms spark conversation, all orchestrated to make every guest feel seen, special, and genuinely cared for.You'll discover segment-by-segment breakdowns for unforgettable experiences, from “sterilization theater” demonstrations that build transparency to tech showcases and comfort stations that dissolve fears and spark curiosity. The goal is to tailor every interaction and micro-experience to different visitor groups (families, seniors, cosmetic-curious adults, and more) so everyone leaves with personalized memories and newfound confidence in your practice. Plus, we cover proven conversion techniques, from signature “wow moments” to must-have photo ops, that turn visitors into raving fans and lasting patients. This is your practical playbook for embedding your practice at the heart of your community.What You'll Learn in This Episode:How to create a welcoming, party-like open house atmosphere that puts visitors at ease.Step-by-step strategies for showcasing your team, technology, and commitment to safety.Micro-experience ideas tailored for families, health-first adults, seniors, and employers.Tips to design activities that melt away dental fears and spark conversations.The secret to turning curiosity into commitment with hands-on, transparent demos.Must-have elements for converting attendees into loyal patients on the spot.How to leverage urgency, scarcity, and hospitality to drive signup and action.Memorable touches and “wow moments” that get your event talked about for weeks.Tune in now for open house tips that transform your simple event into the heart of your community!‍‍Learn More About the Ground Marketing Course Here:Website: thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/the-ground-marketing-course-open-enrollment‍Host: Michael AriasJoin my newsletter: https://thedentalmarketer.lpages.co/newsletter/‍Join this podcast's Facebook Group: The Dental Marketer Society‍Love the Podcast? Let Us Know How We're Doing on Apple Podcasts!

DON'T MISS the dental event of the year, November 7-8. Nowak Dental Supplies (https://www.nowakdental.com/) is hosing NOLA Lab Fest (https://www.nolalabfest.com/) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Head over to nolalabfest.com to see the line up and to register. A HUGE thanks to Aidite North America (https://www.aidite.com/) for hosting the podcast at their booth. Come find us and be on the podcast! In this episode, Elvis and Barb welcome Ed Molina, a dental technician and trainer with a fascinating journey from retail work to becoming an influential figure in digital dentistry. Ed shares how his brother and mentors like Dr. Art Mirelez and Fernando Polanco guided him into the dental field, eventually leading him to help pioneer digital workflows and facially driven design systems such as InstaRisa (https://www.instarisa.com/). With a background in both clinical and lab settings, Ed discusses the evolution of his career — from assisting with surgical guides and imaging to mastering Exocad and teaching offices how to transition from analog to digital dentistry. He explains the importance of facial scanning, photogrammetry, and digital workflow efficiency while emphasizing the human side of adapting to new technology in dental practices. Now running his own training business, Ed helps clinicians integrate digital design and facially driven workflows into their practices, balancing his passion for innovation with a strong appreciation for mentorship and collaboration. Looking for a way to unlock the full potential of your digital dentistry workflow. Take it from Elise Heathcote, associate manager of digital services with Ivoclar. This is all about the Cam Academy. They have a new in-person training experience designed specifically for dental technicians. This hands-on course explores the full potential of programmable Cam software, helping you take your digital workflow to the next level. Learn directly from Ivoclar experts, refine your skills and bring new precision and efficiency to your lab. Cam Academy is more than a course. It's your next step in digital excellence. To reserve your spot, visit the Ivoclar Academy website (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/academy/learning-opportunities?page=1&offset=12&filters=%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%22dateRange%22%2C%22selectedLowerBound%22%3A%222021-12-09T07%3A30%3A45.534Z%22%2C%22selectedUpperBound%22%3A%222022-06-09T06%3A30%3A45.534Z%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%22type%22%2C%22advancedFilter%22%3Afalse%2C%22values%22%3A%5B%22In-house+trainings%22%5D%7D%5D) or contact your local Ivoclar sales representative today. Special Guest: Ed Molina .

Episode Summary: In this episode, Dana Pardue Salisbury and Sandy Pardue unpack one of the most complex topics in dentistry: hiring an associate dentist. From knowing when your practice is truly ready to bring on another provider, to understanding why most associateships only last one to two years, this conversation blends humor, real-world stories, and practical numbers. You'll hear how culture, contracts, and communication can make or break the associate relationship—and how to avoid costly mistakes that so many practice owners make when expanding their teams.

What happens when two Tennesseans take a proven healthcare model and apply it to dentistry? In this episode of American Potential, host David From sits down with Tamara Stillwell, office manager and registered dental assistant at Athens Dental Center, to share the story of how she and her husband created the nation's first full-service dental co-op. Frustrated by the limits of insurance—denials, delays, and skyrocketing costs—the Stillwells drew inspiration from direct primary care and built a membership-based model that puts patients and providers back in control. Discover how their United Dental Co-op helps patients save money, reduces stress for dentists, and restores the doctor–patient relationship to what it should be: focused on care, not paperwork. This conversation is about innovation, freedom, and opportunity in action—proving that when people see a problem, they can create solutions that work for everyone.

Alan welcomes Dr. Zach Meiners, co-host of the Very Clinical podcast and restorative dentist extraordinaire, back to the Very Dental podcast. They dive deep into their shared passion for glass ionomer (GI) restorative materials. Sparked by Alan's recent solo episode on using glass ionomer for groove restorations the guys talk GI in depth.  Key Takeaways Glass Ionomer (GI) as a Primary Restorative: Both doctors advocate for GI (like Fuji 9 or Equia) as a legitimate, permanent restorative material for specific classes of restorations, moving past its traditional use as only a provisional or base. Ideal Clinical Applications: GI is highly effective for: Class I, III, and V restorations, particularly on posterior teeth where aesthetics are less critical. Geriatric and Pediatric patients due to its forgiving nature, minimal technique sensitivity, and fluoride release. Core Build-ups: Zach considers it his main build-up material, noting its reliable adhesion and stability against being pulled out by temporary crowns. Crown Margin Repairs. Material Benefits: GI offers several advantages over traditional resin or amalgam: No Post-Operative Sensitivity and Minimal Shrinkage. Forgiving Technique in less-than-ideal isolation situations, sticking particularly well to dentin. Continued Hardening for months after the initial set, leading to excellent longevity and a surprisingly low failure rate. Efficiency and Cost: While the initial cost of GI is relatively high, the efficiency gained from eliminating the need for separate etching and bonding steps (using only a cavity conditioner provided in the kit) and the speed of placement makes it a cost-effective choice in terms of time and materials. Placement and Setting: Placement Technique: For occlusal restorations (like in grooves), Alan recommends over-squirting the material and using a moist, gloved finger to push it into the grooves, or using an anti-stick agent like Stick Free for metal instruments. Accelerating Set: Though not a light-cure material, applying the curing light can accelerate the chemical setting reaction via heat, cutting the two-and-a-half-minute set time down to about 90 seconds. The GI "Dream": The doctors agree that a future GI material with the strength to reliably handle Class II restorations would revolutionize the entire direct restorative market, given GI's unique benefits.  Some links from the show: Fuji IX Fuji Equia Forte    Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you'll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!  

C4/Ghost. Religious solicitation. Discontinued products. Why print out recipes? Why self-checkout is dying out. Dental issue P02. Porn clip played on news radio. 50 Cent Savannah Bananas.  VIDEO EPISODE on  YOUTUBE  www.youtube.com/@itseriknagel AUDIO EPISODE: IHeartRadio | Apple | Spotify Socials: @itseriknage

In this powerful episode, David Harris, founder and CEO of Prosperident, pulls back the curtain on the hidden epidemic of dental embezzlement. With over three decades of investigative experience, David shares the red flags every dentist must watch for, the systems that prevent theft before it starts, and the hard truths about why our trusting nature makes us vulnerable. Whether you're hiring your first team member or running a multimillion-dollar practice, this conversation is your wake-up call to put protective checks and balances in place—before it's too late. If you like this episode, here are more episodes we think you'll enjoy: Ep #555 – From Burnout to Balance – Building a Freedom-Based Dental Practice – Dr. Paul Etchison Ep #512 - Protecting Your Wealth – Fiat Currency, Tangible Assets, and Commodities – Andrew McDannels Check out the show notes for more information! P.S. Whenever you're ready, here are some other ways I can help fast track you to your Freedom goal (you're closer than you think): 1. Schedule a Call with My Team: If you'd like to replace your active practice income with passive investment income within 2-3 years, and you have at least 1M in available capital (can include residential/practice equity or practice sale), then schedule a call with my team. If it looks like there is a mutual fit, you'll have the opportunity to attend one of our upcoming member events as a guest. 2. Get Your Dentist Retirement Survival Guide: The winds of economic change are here, and now is the time to move to higher ground. This guide gives you the steps to protect your retirement, your family, and your peace of mind. Get the 25-point checklist here. 3. Get Your Free Retirement Scorecard: Benchmark your retirement and wealth-building against hundreds of other practice professionals, and get personalized feedback on your biggest opportunities and leverage points. Click here to take the 3 minute assessment and get your scorecard.

A tale of two dentists. Foiled again by luxurious packaging, Amy unwittingly buys geriatric floss from her once beloved brand, Cocolab (shame! shame! shame!). Melissa puts her own spin on Schrodinger's Cat with Asperger's Periodontist, aka her local tooth shop staffed by Drs. Butterfingers and Vacusuck. The story, you guys. I can't. Just play it. Trust me.  It's thooooooooorrrrrrroooooouuugggggghhhhhh. All this ya whore, on today's Brilliant Observations. 

Ever wondered what happens when you try to give constructive feedback to someone with an ASMR voice while dealing with a painful dental hygienist named Caitlin? This episode serves up a delightfully chaotic mix of public speaking anxiety, healthcare frustrations, and weekend shenanigans.

In this episode of the Less Insurance Dependence Podcast, dental finance expert Ken Kaufman explains how financial clarity is the foundation for reducing PPO reliance and building long-term success. He shares practical strategies for forecasting, cash flow planning, and creating systems that give dentists the confidence to make bold decisions. From lessons learned working with DSOs to step-by-step advice on moving from bookkeeping to accrual accounting, Ken breaks down how any dentist can strengthen their practice and thrive independently Book your free marketing strategy meeting with Ekwa at your convenience. Plus, at the end of the session, get a free analysis report to find out where your practice stands online. It's our gift to you! https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/marketing-strategy-meeting/   If you're looking to boost your case acceptance rates and enhance patient communication, you can schedule a Coaching Strategy Meeting with Gary Takacs. With his experience in helping practices thrive, Gary will work with you on personalized coaching, ensuring you and your team are prepared to present treatment plans confidently, offer financing options, and communicate the value of essential dental services. https://www.lessinsurancedependence.com/csm/  

Tune in to this week's episode as Jamie welcomes colleague and Equity Solutions Executive, Mark Flock, back to the show to explore how associates and owners can build mutually beneficial partnerships that go far beyond a traditional paycheck. As the dental industry evolves, equity opportunities are becoming a powerful tool for retaining talent, fueling growth, and creating long-term value for both associates and owners. Be sure to listen to the full show to catch a compelling story around how empowering doctors through ownership can launch production that's a winning scenario for all! Find the ADA's updated U.S. Dentist Workforce Report here. [August 2025]

Every year, I attend Converge, the annual conference of the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP). It's where I explore the latest issues and challenges faced by carriers and providers. I've watched the evolving partnerships between carriers and DSOs and observed the increase in network leasing concerns, I wanted to share my observations with you. I listened to compliance updates, discussed the expanding role of Medicare Advantage, and other issues shaping the future of dental coverage. What am I sharing? My thoughts on the amount of audits and fraud in our industry. Are you at risk? Multi-factor authentication is becoming a priority for both small practices and large DSOs. Plus, I'll highlight the questions to ask before outsourcing billing or revenue cycle management in today's third-party–driven market. Let me know if you like this kind of reporting. It was a lot more fun than I expected!  Resources & Links: NADP – The National Association of Dental Plans, representing dental insurers and advocating for better dental benefits. https://www.nadp.org/ Unify Dental – A platform helping DSOs and practices streamline operations and improve efficiency. https://www.unify.dental/ Cotiviti – A leading analytics and payment accuracy company serving healthcare and dental organizations. https://www.cotiviti.com/ Fluent Dental – A technology-driven solution for simplifying dental revenue cycle management. https://fluent.dental/ Connect with Teresa   Website: https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ Email: teresa@odysseymgmt.com Instagram: treeduncan Facebook: Odyssey Management Dental Speaking & Consulting LinkedIn: Teresa Duncan, MS   ------------- Beyond the Operatory Career Workshop: Have you ever wondered what career opportunities in dentistry exist beyond clinical care? Whether you're a dentist, hygienist, assistant, or manager, this full-day, in-person workshop is your chance to explore new paths in speaking, coaching, consulting, and more. Join Teresa and Angela on March 6th 2026  in Northern Virginia. Limited to just 20 attendees. Registration is open. Secure your spot today:

More than five million Canadians are signed up to the federal dental plan, but nearly half of them have yet to see a dentist. The national plan subsidizes the cost of the visit. But there's a catch — dentists are allowed to charge more.And: On the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, an attack kills two people at a synagogue in northern England. People were gathered for Yom Kippur services when a man drove a car into a crowd, then began stabbing people.Also: Spring forward, fall back, stay still. Twice a year, more and more people are asking, why do we keep doing this to ourselves? One MP says it's time to pick a time — and establish a set clock that would hold year round.Plus: The Liberal government unveils agency to speed up military procurement, autoworkers in Oshawa brace for more layoffs, the societal costs of wildfires, and more.

In-office milling and 3D printing are cutting-edge technologies. But, like any major investment, these tools come with their own set of questions. Is this the right time to spend the money? What kind of volume do I need to make this investment profitable? Are there any ongoing costs and do I have the staff to manage these machines? Today, we'll be talking to Dr. Chris Pescatore, who will give his candid viewpoint on the pros and cons of these in-office technologies. Dr. Pescatore is general dentist for over 30 years who maintains a full-time practice dedicated exclusively to aesthetic restorative dentistry in Danville, California. Thanks to our episode sponsors: Centrix Dental - https://www.centrixdental.com/ NSK America - https://www.nskdental.com/

"Learn it till you earn it." Connect With Our SponsorsGreyFinch - https://greyfinch.com/jillallen/A-Dec - https://www.a-dec.com/orthodonticsSmileSuite - http://getsmilesuite.com/ Summary In this engaging conversation, John D Marvin shares his extensive experience in healthcare and leadership, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer behavior, building strong teams, and the mindset necessary for success. He discusses the misconceptions young professionals have about leadership, the significance of mentorship, and the need for continuous learning. John also highlights the role of personal reflection in developing a positive mindset and effective leadership skills. Connect With Our Guest John D. Marvin - john@themarvingroup.netTakeaways Understanding consumer behavior is crucial for success in healthcare.Building a strong team is essential for a thriving practice.Leadership is a team sport, not a one-man show.Young professionals should seek mentorship and be coachable.Customer service is often the key to patient satisfaction.Investing in your team leads to long-term success.Mindset plays a critical role in overcoming challenges.Personal reflection helps in developing leadership skills.Continuous learning is necessary for growth in leadership.It's okay to admit you don't know everything.Chapters 00:00 Introduction to John D Marvin06:09 Understanding the Role of Young Professionals14:56 The Importance of Team Dynamics22:54 Investing in Your Team for Long-Term Success26:42 Building a Team for Success27:29 Leadership Lessons for New Professionals35:30 Mindset: The Inner Game of Leadership42:02 The Importance of Reflection in LeadershipEpisode Credits: Hosted by Jill AllenProduced by Jordann KillionAudio Engineering by Garrett LuceroAre you ready to start a practice of your own? Do you need a fresh set of eyes or some advice in your existing practice?Reach out to me- www.practiceresults.com.    If you like what we are doing here on Hey Docs! and want to hear more of this awesome content, give us a 5-star Rating on your preferred listening platform and subscribe to our show so you never miss an episode.    New episodes drop every Thursday!   

Ever wonder what really goes on in the minds of dentists considering a major practice overhaul? In this episode, your hosts pull back the curtain on the emotional journey they witness at their events. They share observations ranging from initial skepticism and hesitation to genuine gratitude and excitement as attendees realize the potential of the firm's services.We dive deep into why being coachable, vulnerable, and self-aware isn't just a soft skill—it's the single most important factor for dentists looking to unlock their practices' profitability and long-term viability. Listen in to learn what it takes to stop resisting change and start building the practice of your dreams.Interested in more info on how to: Earn More, Save More, and Retire EarlyUpcoming Tour Dates: Go to our EVENTS page for infoFacebook: Four Quadrants AdvisoryInstagram: @fourquadrantsadvisoryLinkedIn: Four Quadrants Advisory

Text us here! Hershall, here we are again... We had a wonderful, but kind of long winded episode today. We talked about several things. The serious got real serious when we talked about how some people use God to validate themselves. We also heard a wonderful testimony from our Deacon, Dustin Wakley about a time in his life where he let his little light shine in front of dental college student. We also discussed getting a new logo. We also know what Kibosh means... we even had quite a bit to say about this day in history five years ago... Dustin and Brad made their debut on this show that day and the rest is history! Enjoy! Support the showConnect with us at https://www.podnme.org/https://youtube.com/@devinbirdsongEmail devin@podnme.orgFollow us on Instagram @podn_mePersonalities on Pod'N MePastor: Devin BirdsongDeacon: Dustin WakleySongleader: Brad CottrellHershall: Jud IngramNews Anchor, Dink Burbank: Josh SmithGen Z Boy: Brooks Birdsong

In this episode of the Dental Flow Podcast, Benjamin Suggs discusses the keyword 'affordable dentist' and its implications for dental practices. He explores the varying definitions of affordability among patients, the reasons behind their search for affordable dental care, and who should consider targeting this keyword in their marketing strategies. Suggs emphasizes the importance of understanding patient intentions and offers actionable steps for practices to effectively utilize this keyword to attract more patients.Takeaways:The keyword 'affordable dentist' is searched over 100,000 times a month.Affordability means different things to different people.Patients may look for dentists who accept their insurance when searching for affordability.Financing options can make dental care more accessible to patients.Not all dental practices should target the keyword 'affordable'.Fee-for-service practices may not benefit from targeting affordability.Tracking keyword performance is essential for effective marketing.Understanding patient intent can improve conversion rates.There is a significant opportunity in targeting less competitive keywords.Dental practices should evaluate their capacity before targeting affordability. Chapters00:00 The Affordable Dentist Debate02:39 Understanding Patient Intentions05:31 Who Should Target 'Affordable Dentist'?07:48 Strategies for Targeting Keywords10:31 Next Steps for Dental Practices Your Dental Marketing Growth Partner: Human Expertise Meets AI Precision. We combine cutting-edge AI technology with over 14 years of dental marketing expertise to drive real results. From increasing new patient flow to filling holes in your schedule, our strategies are built to grow your practice—efficiently, intelligently, and predictably. Experience marketing that adapts in real-time and delivers every time. No long-term contracts. Our clients average a 5X return on investment. Personalized, non-corporate approach. 5-star reviewed. Incredibly easy to work with - your time commitment is minimal. Find us: Website: https://newpatientsflow.com Google: https://g.co/kgs/zqWTc5a Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newpatientsflow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newpatientsflow/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/newpatientsflow

Dentistry isn't always the front of the pack when it comes to innovation, but Tiff and Kristy tackle the topic with digestible takeaways from a marketing point of view. In this episode, they touch on easy questions to identify your practice's brand, why that patient avatar is so critical, and how to ensure your brand spreads through your office, down to the check-in staff member. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. We are back here with you today. This is Tiffanie, because I forget to announce myself, and Miss Kristy. I have Kristy for the long haul today. She's doing a couple of different recordings with me. And I can't wait for them to come out. Actually, Kristy, I have had so much fun. I think this one, I don't know what order they go out in. So whatever. If you guys have listened to the leadership ones we just did or have not, they're coming.   You're going to love them. So Kristy, thank you for taking this ride with me today and just busting out a ton ⁓ with me on this beautiful, it's a Thursday morning right now. How are you doing? You holding up over there? You got your water? Awesome.   DAT Kristy (00:40) Absolutely. It's always the   day goes by fast when we're doing this. love it.   The Dental A Team (00:45) Yeah, me too. I really do. I do love it. And I ⁓ love when we hear from listeners. I love when we get, you know, we get to go through the reviews below and see what people loved or I know a lot of people will leave like info of their own that there is suggestions I should say. And it's just a lot of fun. Always hearing from it. And I love hearing from my clients when they've listened to one. So I agree the podcast is fun and it's like a collaboration time for us.   I enjoy it. this podcast topic, the subject, is something I really, really love. ⁓ I was talking actually, it's on marketing guys. So don't fret. I think you already saw the title, but it's on marketing. ⁓ I joined a marketing call yesterday with a client and it was a marketer I've not worked with before and she was fantastic and she was very collaborative. It was great, but she...   She was like, is this something you guys do? You guys work, like you do marketing for them? And I was like, no, no, no, let's not get wild here. Like I don't do marketing, but I love it. And I know my consultant team loves marketing and internal is our jam. And we are really, really solid at that, but really finding different ways that we can leverage our skills to show patients and potential patients that this is the right place for them.   I think is something that consultants on our team are really fantastic at. And I wanted to dive into some of that with you today, Kristy, is really just like how to just innovate a brand. And the most fun part about this for me in today's market is that I don't think that dentistry has always been in a space of total innovation.   I think dentistry has always kind of innovated, like, my gosh, can we just talk about how long we've been using the same stuff for like root canals, right? Or whatever, like, come on, right? But there is a lot of innovation in like filling materials and scans and x-rays, the, know, CBCT scans, all of these different modalities, in-house crowns, like Botox, lip fillers, but I've got...   Practices that are doing facial aesthetics, know having estheticians in the office We do have a lot of innovation when it comes to that space but something I think is truly innovating within the last few years is the understanding of a Dental practice and a dentist needing to have a brand. I don't think marketing Has been easy in the dental world. I don't think it's been understood and I don't think it's been super effective if I'm honest and the   Idea of innovating is really cool to me. I love innovation. That's one of our, I don't think it's innovate, it used to be innovate or die, a core value of ours. I hated that. But innovate is just something that we live by at the Dental A Team. We're constantly looking for, okay, well that didn't get us the result we wanted. Let's do something different. Let's try this. And changing things and marketing allows for that in so many really cool ways. But really looking at it and saying, what's my brand?   Who am I? Like how is my practice showing up in our community is something that I don't think that, Kristy, we've really ever spent a lot of time diving into within the dental world. And I think it's starting to come up. But what are you seeing, Kristy, even with the practices you're working with today, do you see a lot of practices really thinking, what's my brand?   DAT Kristy (04:25) Yeah, no, I think we are still behind the time in that regard for most other industries. They've kind of dialed this in. ⁓ It's definitely an area I believe that we can do better. mean, obviously, I just moved from Idaho and there's like, I don't know, three or five dentists on every corner almost. Do you think I'm exaggerating? finding out and   The Dental A Team (04:49) Literally.   DAT Kristy (04:54) And brand again can be such a broad word, but to simplify it, I just ask doctors, what's your purpose? What's your niche? What do you wanna be known for? Start asking yourself some of those questions to identify and set yourself apart. Here's the thing, dentistry, it goes back to what you said, Tiff, we only offer so many things.   And so how do we put ourselves apart? Like why do they want a filling from you versus your three neighbors next door? So yeah, again, one of those words brand, it's like, it's so broad. So narrow it down. What do you want to be known for? What's your purpose and what's your niche? And if you've been in dentistry for a while and you still haven't done this, go look at your reviews right now.   The Dental A Team (05:28) Yep, I totally agree.   DAT Kristy (05:48) and start highlighting some common words. If they're saying friendly or, I don't know, nice, kind, whatever it is, start highlighting them and see, does that fit you? Right?   The Dental A Team (06:00) Yeah, yeah, I   mean you could throw that into chat GPT. You could say chat GPT, go look at my reviews and find commonalities. Innovation guys, innovation. 2025 chat GPT, that's our best friend. No, I totally agree with you and ⁓ you said a few things there that I just totally resonate with and it made me think of a client, ⁓ actually a conversation I had with my financial advisor boyfriend who is just like,   DAT Kristy (06:07) There you go.   The Dental A Team (06:28) He works with a few dentists here locally in Arizona and Phoenix and he asks me a lot of questions and he's like, how is this possible? And I'm like, you know, he sees the profit and he sees the things that dentists are able to achieve and what they're able to achieve for their team members and being able to see like how, they're the 401ks and there's the different things that they're able to do and there he's not seen that in another industry.   right, through the work that he's done at least. And the conversation we had was, we were talking about a cosmetic practice and he, I think I upset him if I'm honest with you, we just at the gym, right? And he was just like, I just don't understand how it's possible that one, because I said, don't know, it could be, you know, for this specific cosmetic dentist, it's probably $2,500 of an year, okay?   DAT Kristy (07:11) ⁓   The Dental A Team (07:25) pretty average honestly for a cosmetic dentist like 2500 a veneer and his mind was blown right because he's looking at like cosmetic procedures um at a plastic surgeon right like you can get minor cosmetic procedures for similar amounts of money on your physical body right and not just one single tooth and i said well you know while i understand where you're coming from like let me tell you the hours it takes   to do a cause, like what it actually takes and what a lab cost of one of those crowns could be, et cetera, et cetera. But long story short, he just was mind blown and was just like, that is wild. And I thought to myself, this is it. Like this is the marketing and the branding because you do have to set yourself apart and you have to reach the people that want to be reached by you, right? My boyfriend, I love him to death. He is not.   DAT Kristy (08:14) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (08:18) this he's not a cosmetic dentist avatar, it's not their dream, right? Because you're going to be convincing him. Like nobody wants that. if you want to you want that number nine implant crown replaced by a dentist who's going to make it look 100,000 times better than it does right now, honey. It's you're going to pay money for that, right? But if you're not concerned about it, then you're not going to care, right? Who you go to. So   My conversation with him yesterday made me really really think how important it is for practices to understand their brand and their avatar patient. So what is it that you want to do and within the capabilities of your surroundings I think is a good statement. I have practices that are like I want to do cosmetic dentistry and I'm like well you're in a like this you've got   20 miles around you of Medicaid. People aren't coming here for that, so we've gotta move your practice or change your avatar, right? So within the confinements of where you're at, of course, but what is it that you want to provide and then who are you providing it to? And Kristy, I think one piece that's missed in the branding conversation, one, we all wanna be like, I wanna do this, right? But it's like, okay, is that avatar here? So then looking at what your patient avatar   Who is your patient avatar? Who is the person you're speaking to? And then what do they need, right? In our company, Kiera and I love nothing more than to brainstorm and innovate. Like we want to innovate. We want to change the world, right? And we get on these tangents and then thank goodness we have like Britt and Shelbi on these calls with us because they're like, okay, cool guys, this sounds like an awesome product. It sounds like something that is gonna be really cool and that you will love doing.   Does it speak to our client's needs? And we're like, ⁓ yeah, that's right. We can innovate and we can do all of these cool things, but are we meeting a need of the people who need us, right? Of our client avatar. We know who we wanna work with. Are we just creating to create? Or are we creating something that meets a need of that avatar, of the person that we want to work with? And if it does, then fantastic, then let's move forward.   DAT Kristy (10:14) You   The Dental A Team (10:37) And so I think with the branding conversation, we're speaking to those needs. So who are we looking to work with? ⁓ Who do we want to inspire to have better dental health? And then what are their needs? And how can we show up and speak to that? Where our brand, Kristy, tell me if I'm totally off here, but we'll add to it as well. I think our brand...   really is how we're showing up to speak to those needs, right? And how we're showing up in a way that those people who need those things find us, right?   DAT Kristy (11:14) Yeah, I agree with you 100%. And to your point, I know people almost have a adverse reaction when we say buying dentistry or selling dentistry, but in the big scheme of things, guys, we are selling dentistry. what are they looking to buy? And it's usually they're not coming in saying, I want to buy a root canal, right? They're buying health or they're buying   The Dental A Team (11:39) Yeah. Yeah.   DAT Kristy (11:42) They're buying something it's going to give them. And so I think sometimes we miss the mark by speaking our language instead of the language they're looking for. Right.   The Dental A Team (11:54) Totally agree. I remember one of the first like all on four over dentures, whatever that we did in my practice. I was like, ⁓ my gosh, I get it because the guy bought because he was like, I just want to eat a steak again. And I was like, that is brilliant. So that became our brand of our all on fours. Like eat a steak again because it fit our target audience, our avatar and our demographic. We knew.   DAT Kristy (12:10) Hmm?   The Dental A Team (12:23) the area that we were in had that need and those were the patients that we wanted. And so we took that as a brand of our practice and we were like, do you want to eat steak again? So it's like that, now we're speaking to their need instead of selling a denture, right? Like people might call the denture places, right? And I'm not talking about prosthodontists, I'm talking about these big   you guys have seen the commercials, they might, those are not your avatar. Those patients are not the patients that you want. You want the patients that are emotionally tied to being able to eat a steak again. I had a patient that had regular dentures. I will never forget this lady. She was so sweet and so sweet. She just had dentures and she would not go for.   the lower support adventure and we're like totally fine, totally fine. She came in like once a month for quote unquote adjustments because   She couldn't eat lettuce. And she brought in a piece of lettuce and she put it in between her teeth and then pull it out. Her need was that she wanted to eat a salad again. And I get that, I eat a lot of salads, I eat a lot of steak. So it became the brand of that specific procedure. And it became one of our brands. Lettuce gets you healthy in all the ways. ⁓   speaking to what you said, right? So I think something action-wise that I have a lot of practices do is, and we do this in multifaceted, ⁓ is building that avatar. We help clients build the avatar of their ideal patient, and then, side-step, I love avatars, building the avatar of your ideal team member. Because within the brand conversation,   If you, I like to think of companies who have a really, really easy brand, right? And kind of match up with, I think, what a lot of the dentists that we work with are kind of looking for, their style, right? Everybody says the Ritz-Carlton, but nobody knows what that means anymore, doctors. Please just know your team members don't know what the Ritz-Carlton is or how they show up, so it doesn't work. ⁓ But brands that do resonate with a lot of team members, and it's easy for a lot of doctors to understand the importance of hiring,   DAT Kristy (14:44) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (14:57) And emanating the brand that you want and I think Lululemon is a very easy one, right? Everyone knows there's not a soul who does not know what Lululemon is. They've done a phenomenal job. When you walk into a Lululemon, same, you could copy and paste that person. I've been to Lululemon's all over the country. Sadly, don't tell my boyfriend. I've been to Lululemon's all over the country and you can duplicate the way that they show up.   They are a brand, they are a piece of that company and they are showing up that way. Dental A Team, we run the same way. We are speaking the company culture constantly and we all show up the same. Chick-fil-A is another one. Yeah, great training, but also they're hiring the personalities that fit within their culture that they can train. Same with Starbucks.   All of these different brands who have and companies who have branded themselves really well are ensuring that that messaging and that branding is in all of those spaces. And something I see doctors do is really come to the space of like ready to elevate where they're at, but they're not fully ready to innovate in all the different ways. And narrowing those avatars down helps bring light.   to situations that maybe is kind of sitting in the shadows. And I've seen sometimes where it's like maybe our main check-in gal who's been there forever and she loves the patients that she loves and she's a great human and she doesn't need to go anywhere, but is she right person, right seat? Is she exuding your brand awareness of like, my gosh, we are so excited to see you today. Thank you so much for coming to our practice. We love new patients.   Or, right, is she like, I really love the patients that I know, thank you for being here, fantastic human, again, I'm not saying people need to be let go, I'm saying do you have them in the seat that's appropriate for them? Or is there maybe a seat that, like I walked into a practice yesterday, we were consulting, holy amazing find for their check-in girl. And I am telling you right now, I went through this avatar, ⁓   assignment, whatever you want to call it, with them, this exercise, literally within a week, this girl walked into their office randomly, walked in, said, I don't know if you guys are hiring or not, if you need it. Like I am not really looking, but like, are you looking for somebody? She is amazing. Dental experience, beautiful, beautiful girl, so happy, and just is like,   loving everyone and she just wants to help everyone to a T. I remember the office manager calling like in tears, Tiffanie, you'll never guess what just happened. And it was because they had it, in my opinion, so narrowed down that it walked right in front of their face. Had they not known exactly what their avatar was, they might've been like, that was really weird, right? Like, I'll take your resume, but like, you're cute and all, like, maybe I'll call you. But they were so dialed in on exactly who they wanted at that check-in desk.   DAT Kristy (17:57) Thank you.   The Dental A Team (18:13) She walked in and they were like, yep, she's the one. And that I think happens with our avatar for our patients too, for marketing. And I think that's our brand awareness. Like that's how we stay relevant is knowing how we wanna show up, who we wanna show up for, and how do we help their needs and speaking to that from our brand. Lululemon is not here to serve everyone. That's totally fine.   DAT Kristy (18:17) Pass it.   The Dental A Team (18:42) Talk to, I use Lululemon branding as an example in a lot of different ways with a lot of offices and I've had team members that are like, I'm not spending money on Lululemon. I'm like, you're not their avatar. That's totally fine too because you're someone else's avatar. You are a different brand's avatar and they need you. So what they've done is they've made it easy for people to say yes or no. And if you're a cosmetic dentist who is branding, right, you've got your brand so wide.   that you're getting calls for people who only want to do what your insurance is going to cover, that's not your avatar. That is someone else's let them have that patient. They are working their tail off for new patients too. Let them have that patient. That's not your avatar, right? And I think we try, Kristy, to bend to what is coming. And we're like, well, we can do that. And we don't hold our boundaries of what we actually want.   and what our practice needs and what fits us that we end up confused. And then we get the calls of the doctors that are like, I need systems because it's not working and not something doesn't work for everyone. Right, Kristy, do you see where I'm going with that?   DAT Kristy (19:54) Yeah,   I sure do. I love where you're identifying and it's not just the who, but it's the how behaviors too, like how will they show up, right? Identifying who is the first step for sure, but then take it one step further and identify the characteristics of how they behave as well because then you'll bring that in. Yeah, I love   I love everything you're saying there. think it's kind of bringing me back. I believe I had this conversation with Kiera the other day about... ⁓   a doctor wanting to elevate his practice and should I offer this service? And I'm like, well, have you ever considered taking a poll with your patients to see are they looking for this type of service? Yes, it's fine to, I mean, do what you love for sure, but before you get frustrated, go take CE for this course and learn how to, I don't know, do Botox and none of your patients are wanting it. And then you get frustrated and   fizzle out, you know what I mean? Find out first. And another cool area of that tip is, you know, have your admin team keep track of ⁓ how many patients are calling and asking for something that maybe you aren't offering and see if that's, you know, see if it's in your wheelhouse or is it matching your avatar?   The Dental A Team (21:05) Yeah.   That's a great idea. ⁓   Yeah, yeah, and I think to speak to that too, if they're calling asking for that and it's not something that fits your avatar or that you want to do, is your branding reflective of your avatar because somehow they found you and they called you. So what messaging is out there within your marketing that has attracted the wrong avatar? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.   DAT Kristy (21:48) Yeah, 100%. So it works both ways, right? Yeah.   The Dental A Team (21:54) Love marketing. just it and I don't know I just I don't I truly don't know why I love marketing so much but it just gets me excited and the idea of being able to change something and really target in and achieve the result is really cool to me and the idea of being able to attract someone to something that they need and want by   saying things right by presenting right. Like that just gets me so giddy. So thank you for doing this podcast with me today is my point.   DAT Kristy (22:27) Yeah.   I was going to say to your point, you said something very poignant there that you have to be tracking it. You have to be paying attention to it and you have to be willing to test, track and adjust if it's not getting the results you want. Too many people start and they throw it out and then they stop there because they get frustrated that it's not bringing it. And it goes back to your innovation. You've got to be able to ⁓   try something different and it could be something very minute. A word, right, could make a big difference.   The Dental A Team (23:01) Yeah,   yeah, totally agree. I totally agree. And I think that's the most exciting space is what you just said. Like even the word, the one word in this sentence on this marketing, whatever this ad that's on Google or postcard that somebody's getting one word can totally change the outcome. And I think that's what gets me excited is like, okay, how can I, how can I get the result that I want with the words that I'm using? I love that. And when we can,   hone in on that, I think massive changes. I think there's a ton of takeaways here. think biggest action item, you guys, is really, really figuring out your patient avatar and your team avatar, honestly, your team member avatar, because I think that points you in the direction of your culture, how you want to show up in the world, what your brand is, and then start realizing and understanding that your culture, your core values, that is your brand, that is your brand awareness. And when we live and breathe,   By those, think you guys can, anyone who's listening and has listened before, anyone who's following the Dental A Team on Instagram, Facebook, clients of ours, coming to our webinars, we do free CE webinars every month, you guys, anyone who has experienced Dental A Team in the slightest, I think can agree that we emanate the Dental A Team. Every team member we have, as far as our virtual assistant,   Joe Ash, who we love and adore all the way in the Philippines. He emanates the Dental A Team because we understand that those pieces of our company, the mission, the vision, the core values, brand awareness, all of that is who we are. And we live, breathe it, we show up, we believe in it, we stand behind it and we're consistent. So it makes everything else kind of fall into place really easily. So.   Go do that, you guys, narrow it in. Don't let it feel so big. Just do one chunk. What is your avatar? Who is your avatar? How do they show up in life? What do they look like? What do they love to do? Narrow in your avatar of your patient and of your team members. Make sure your mission, vision, core values are in alignment with what you actually want. And then take a step back and look at it from bird's eye view of how you need to innovate your brand.   and how you can do that. And like I said, I love this stuff. The consultants loves this stuff. Kristy is fantastic with her clients. She's done this so many times and all of them have Dana, gosh, Monica, Trish, everybody, every single one of them have done these types of exercises with their clients and they're really good at it you guys. So reach out. If you're a client and you need this, you're like, need to innovate, reach out to your consultant. If you're not yet a client,   you're soon to be or you're just like, I'm just a podcast listener right now, that's okay too. Reach out you guys, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We have the resources that you need, we're here to help you. Instagram, Facebook, wherever you can find us and then as always you guys leave us a five star review below. Let us know how helpful this was and if there's anything you've done to innovate your brand awareness that you think people could benefit from as well, people really do read those comments and it could be super beneficial. So, Kristy.   Thank you so much. I love taking the avatar roads with you, because I think you're just really good at it and you love people. So really keying in on parts that you love about people's personalities, I think opens you up. So thank you, Kristy, for being here today. Of course. All right, guys, go do the Things Five Star Review. Reach out, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Follow us on social if you're not there yet, and we'll catch you next time. Bye-bye.   DAT Kristy (26:37) Thank you.

Not everyone should be a leader. Not even your star employee. The DPH Coaches learned this lesson the hard way, and this episode unpacks what can happen when you put the wrong person in charge. You'll hear how to be proactive and get the right people in the right roles, the signs you may have promoted the wrong person, and why an outside hire might be the best move. Leadership is too important to get wrong, so don't miss this one!Topics discussed in this episode:Early signs Dr. Henry's new manager wasn't a leaderWhat actually makes a good leaderInternal hires vs. external hiresWhy internal promotions don't always workHow respect is earned in a practiceThis episode was produced by Podcast Boutique https://www.podcastboutique.comUse the same marketing company as Dr. Etch!Get your free demo with Relevance Marketing by Clicking Here Take Control of Your Practice and Your Life We help dentists take more time off while making more money through systematization, team empowerment, and creating leadership teams. Ready to build a practice that works for you? Visit www.DentalPracticeHeroes.com to learn more.

Who was The Murias Dental MVP of the Night? 092925

Ever wondered how your income and student debt stack up against others in your field? We're dropping the results from our biggest survey yet – over 8,000 high-income professionals spilled the tea on their finances, and some of these numbers are pretty eye-opening. Find out which careers are getting crushed by student loans and which ones are actually coming out ahead. Plus, we discuss the coming changes in student loan borrowing limits and what they mean for your career, your wallet, and even the future of professional education. Want to know where you stack up? Tune in.  Key moments: (02:24) Naturopathic doctors have the worst debt to income ratio of any profession that we surveyed (04:44) Dental specialists average $414K in income and $500K in student debt, a debt-to-income ratio of 1.2:1 (07:19) CRNAs and physicians have surprisingly similar average salaries according to our data (14:18) Schools can't magically replace lost tuition when borrowing limits block enrollment (19:10) Nonprofit hospitals may struggle to retain doctors under new student loan lending rules Resources mentioned:  Ron Lieber's book and course on college merit aid and discounting   Like the show? There are several ways you can help! Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Amazon Music Leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts  Subscribe to the newsletter Feeling helpless when it comes to your student loans? Try our free student loan calculator Check out our refinancing bonuses we negotiated Book your custom student loan plan Get profession-specific financial planning Do you have a question about student loans? Leave us a voicemail here or email us at help@studentloanplanner.com and we might feature it in an upcoming show!

In this episode, Matt Brown and Dr. Andrew Vallo delve into the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the dental industry. They discuss cutting-edge AI tools and platforms that are reshaping dental practices, from diagnostics and treatment planning to patient communication. The conversation emphasizes how AI can enhance both operational efficiency and patient care. They also explore future trends in patient engagement, underscoring the need for dental professionals to embrace innovation while keeping patient experience at the forefront.

In this episode of Gums & Gossip, Hope — the Gum Goddess Podcaster — is joined in the studio by two incredible women, Rainy Mitchell and Health Practitioner- Lynn Morales, ND, CBP, ParBP, BAT, for a powerful conversation on fear, flow, and full-body healing.https://www.accesscompletewellness.com

Episode Summary This week on Dental Drill Bits, Dana and Sandy open up about real-world customer service experiences that prove just how important it is to put yourself in the patient's shoes.  Dana kicks things off with her eye doctor visit, from tiny-font registration forms to confusing waiting rooms and perfume-passing that crossed the line. She then shares what her tire appointment taught her about easing patient anxiety and making sure customers leave with confidence. Sandy brings her own story to the table about trying to buy fireplace logs, only to be talked out of making the purchase by the very person answering the phone. Together, they explore what it means to honor the customer's current concern, anticipate their questions, and create experiences that build trust. If you've ever wondered how the smallest details can make or break customer loyalty, this episode will make you rethink every touchpoint in your practice. Key Takeaways Always imagine yourself in the customer's position—what feels confusing vs. reassuring? Honor the customer's current concern, even if you think they need something else. Anticipate wants, questions, and needs before the customer even asks. Every interaction is an opportunity to build confidence—or lose it.

In this week’s First $1,000 segment, hear how a digital marketer gets paid for cleaning up Google listings for orthodontists—fixing visibility problems most offices didn’t even realize they had. Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week. Show notes: SideHustleSchool.com Email: team@sidehustleschool.com Be on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questions Connect on Instagram: @193countries Visit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.com Read A Year of Mental Health: yearofmentalhealth.com If you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.

Tooth sensitivity often signals deeper dental problems like enamel erosion, gum recession, or hidden decay Everyday habits such as drinking acidic beverages, brushing too hard, or using harsh whitening products strip away your teeth's natural protection and expose nerves Natural alternatives like zinc, black seed oil, and coconut oil soothe pain, reduce gum inflammation, and strengthen oral tissues without relying on fluoride Some remedies, like clove oil or saltwater rinses, offer short-term relief, while others, such as apple cider vinegar, make sensitivity worse Protecting enamel with gentle brushing, staying hydrated, breaking harmful habits, and seeking care from a mercury-free biological dentist help stop pain at its root

AI isn't just coming—it's already answering your phones. Richard Low sits down with Mango Voice's Richard May to uncover how practices are using AI to transcribe, summarize, and even respond to patient calls. From never missing a lead to smarter call audits, this episode reveals the AI tools changing the dental front desk forever.

Join Elevated GP: www.theelevatedgp.com https://gouluru.com/  Net32.com  Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Follow @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram Episode Description Taxes are one of the biggest expenses a dentist will ever face—but most aren't taught how to navigate them. In this episode of Dental Digest Podcast, host Dr. Melissa Seibert sits down with dental CPA Travis Slade of Allure Dental Accounting to unpack how dentists can stop leaving money on the table and start keeping more of what they earn. Whether you're an associate paid as a 1099 or W2, or a practice owner managing overhead, this episode gives you the clarity you need on entity structures, deductions, and retirement strategies. Travis breaks down: The real difference between 1099 vs W2 compensation—and why it matters for your taxes. What an LLC actually does (and doesn't do) for dentists, and when an S-corp makes sense. The write-offs you should be taking (CE, insurance, supplies, even your dental school kit) vs. the ones that could get you into trouble. How to avoid red flags that increase audit risk, and what happens if the IRS does come knocking. Practical guidance on automobile deductions, home office use, travel expenses, and meals. The power of a SEP IRA and other retirement accounts for lowering your tax bill while building long-term wealth. Travis' advice is built on years of working almost exclusively with dentists, which means you'll hear exactly what's “ordinary and necessary” in the eyes of the IRS for your profession. You'll walk away with actionable insights to protect yourself legally, maximize deductions ethically, and structure your finances to support both your practice and your future. If you've ever wondered whether you're missing deductions, overpaying in taxes, or confused about what entity type to choose—this episode is a must-listen.

Big O talks FTL UTD's Kiara Locklear 092925

Save Now With A-Dec Smart Start: https://bit.ly/41VIHWRDr. Madison Brown shares her journey as a new dentist, discussing her experiences in dental school, the challenges of finding a job in California that she enjoys, and the importance of networking. She reflects on her decision not to pursue a general dentistry residency, her vision for future practice ownership, and the communication challenges she faces with patients. Dr. Brown emphasizes the need for new graduates to soak in their experiences and learn from every opportunity, regardless of how perfect the job may seem.TakeawaysDr. Madison Brown is a recent graduate from the University of the Pacific.Networking played a crucial role in finding job opportunities.Creating a clinical case portfolio can help new grads stand out.Balancing multiple positions can provide diverse experiences.Understanding compensation models is essential for new dentists.Choosing not to pursue a residency can be a valid decision.Having a clear vision for future practice ownership is important.Effective communication with patients is a key skill to develop.Dental school can be rigorous, but it prepares you well.New graduates should focus on learning and growing in their first jobs.Dr. Madison Brown's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@madison.the.dentist/video/7516938177584614687Engage with the podcast on Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dentaldownloadpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Haley's Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dr.haley.dds⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Haley's TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.haley.dds?lang=en⁠Keywords:dentistry, dental school, new dentist, networking, job opportunities, practice ownership, patient communication, dental compensation, work-life balance, dental residency

This week we are joined by Jed Archibald for his first solo interview, and he didn't disappoint. Coming from a family deeply rooted in dentistry, his father worked closely with Dr. Gordon Christensen. Jed has built his own reputation as an innovator. In 2006 he launched Archibald Digital, (https://www.archibalddigital.com/) embracing CAD/CAM at a time when most technicians were skeptical. His philosophy? Don't just ask what digital can do now—ask what it could do. Jed also shared insights on materials, praising the underrated Empress Multi (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-processes/ips-empress-cad)for its beauty and reliability, and highlighting Ivoclar (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us)'s ZirCAD Prime (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-processes/ips-e.max-zircad-prime-family) zirconia for solving problems that plague other multilayer products. Not content with what the market offered, Jed even created his own line of 3D printing resins (https://www.archibalddigital.com/about-6)—including a stone-like model resin and a lavender-infused cast resin that makes a lab smell like a spa. Now, as the new Director of Development at Utah Valley Dental Lab (https://www.utahvalleydentallab.com/), Jed is taking on a role testing new ideas and pushing innovation without disrupting production. Check out the amazing resins from Jed: https://www.archibalddigital.com/category/all-products IPS Empress CAD® from Ivoclar: https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-processes/ips-empress-cad Looking for a way to unlock the full potential of your digital dentistry workflow. Take it from Elise Heathcote, associate manager of digital services with Ivoclar. This is all about the Cam Academy. They have a new in-person training experience designed specifically for dental technicians. This hands-on course explores the full potential of programmable Cam software, helping you take your digital workflow to the next level. Learn directly from Ivoclar experts, refine your skills and bring new precision and efficiency to your lab. Cam Academy is more than a course. It's your next step in digital excellence. To reserve your spot, visit the Ivoclar Academy website (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/academy/learning-opportunities?page=1&offset=12&filters=%5B%7B%22id%22%3A%22dateRange%22%2C%22selectedLowerBound%22%3A%222021-12-09T07%3A30%3A45.534Z%22%2C%22selectedUpperBound%22%3A%222022-06-09T06%3A30%3A45.534Z%22%7D%2C%7B%22id%22%3A%22type%22%2C%22advancedFilter%22%3Afalse%2C%22values%22%3A%5B%22In-house+trainings%22%5D%7D%5D) or contact your local Ivoclar sales representative today. Special Guest: Jed Archibald.

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Brown offers valuable insights for younger dentists who aspire to enrich their careers by blending the art and science of dentistry with the opportunities that come from sharing knowledge on a larger stage. He walks us through the pivotal moments that shaped his expertise, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become a respected key opinion leader—building relationships with manufacturers, navigating industry partnerships, and still maintaining authenticity in the lecture hall and operatory alike. Dr. Kevin Brown is in private practice in Bellevue Washington. He has a passion for minimally invasive cosmetic techniques and has published numerous articles and lectures routinely on direct and indirect anterior smile enhancement. Find him on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.kevin_brown/

In this episode, Amanda Tebbe, Chief Operations Officer at SOH Dental, shares how culture drives retention across the organization, the impact of staffing shortages and payer trends on dentistry, and why she is optimistic about the role of AI and technology in improving efficiency and patient care.

It isn't very often that I get to interview a legend, but this episode is one of those. I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Joe Massad who has been educating dentists about removable prosthodontics for decades. Last weekend Joe lectured to the Francis B. Vedder Society at their fall meeting up in northwestern Michigan and he didn't disappoint. I had a chance to sit down and talk to Joe about the concepts he was teaching and how he learned them.  Joe discussed techniques such as the neutral zone concept, cameograms and gothic arch tracing. He emphasizes the importance of accurate records, patient involvement in the process, and the need for lab precision. He also touched on his innovative approaches to digital dentistry and the benefits of offering patients secondary dentures. This insightful conversation offers valuable takeaways for any dental professional looking to excel in removable prosthodontics. Some links from the show: Vedder Society Massad Tray website  Joe's textbook on the neutral zone Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy," "Lipscomb" or "Gary!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you'll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

practice the dental stop consonants, t vs d

What if I told you the biggest threat to your orthodontic practice isn't GPs doing Invisalign—it's your silence?In this episode of Five Minute Friday, I take on a controversial and pressing issue in our field: orthodontists enabling GPs to deliver treatment through outsourced setups—and worse, not stepping up to educate them. When screenshots from an Orthopreneurs thread started showing up on a startup's social feed to validate their GP-led model, it hit a nerve. This isn't just a fringe problem. It's a full-on shift in how ortho is being delivered—and too many of us are sitting on the sidelines, complaining but not acting.If you want to protect your turf, complaining in Facebook groups won't cut it. In this episode, I break down the real-world impact of poorly diagnosed “simple” cases, what we should be teaching our GP colleagues, and how you can take back control—by becoming the educator, not the victim. Whether you agree with the new model or not, you'll walk away with practical steps to safeguard your practice, elevate your relationships, and remind the world why orthodontists matter.QUOTES“But if you really want to make a difference, get out there and educate—but educate in a way that creates awareness that you just don't know enough to be doing this in most cases."— Dr. Glenn Krieger"If you're listening to this and you're pissed off about at-home aligners or orthodontists helping GPs... then get off your butt and start educating your GPs."— Dr. Glenn KriegerKey TakeawaysIntro – The controversy brewing in the ortho world (00:00)The GP-ortho model and why it's not going away (01:15)A real example: misunderstood case complexity (03:00)The two types of GPs doing ortho—and why most aren't malicious (04:30)What I teach my referring dentists (06:00)Why education, not outrage, is our best defense (07:40)Creating presentations that actually stick (08:50)Call to action: stop complaining, start leading (10:20)Additional ResourcesI've seen firsthand how educating your GPs can completely change the dynamic—and bring complex cases back to your chair.If you're tired of watching others erode our profession, start doing something about it. Want more ideas like this and the support to execute them? Join me at the final Orthopreneurs Summit this September. Go to opSummit2025.com to see if tickets are still available. Time is running out. Don't miss your chance to be part of the solution.- For more information, visit: https://orthopreneurs.com/- Join our FREE Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrthoPreneurs

20 Bootcamps in 5 years. Enough was enough. It was time to move on....But, it was a ton of fun and also super challenging.I'll share what made it great and what some dentists do to try to make your life miserable if you put on courses to try to help them.The REAL life of a dental speaker isn't what you think it may be.Here's what the Practice Autonomy Podcast is all about.Each episode, you'll hear proven systems, strategies, and stories that help you cut insurance dependence, streamline your workflows, bring more work in-house, and protect one main thing as a private practice dentist, your freedom.

Kiera is joined by Dr. Hunter Bennett of Bonita Endodontics to dive into the ins and outs of dentistry partnerships, including hiring for passion, splitting tasks, going DSO, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I am like beyond excited for this podcast. This is all of my worlds combining into one in such a beautiful, magical way. The guests that I have on today actually is a throwback to my Midwestern days. So I met Dr. Hunter Bennett at Midwestern when he was a pre-dentist ⁓ in the sim clinic of good old Midwestern University in Arizona. ⁓ That school is better known as the Harvard of the West and Hunter was a dental student there.   And then he went on for endo residency at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2017. Following his residency, he returned to Arizona and practice in the mountain town of Prescott for two years. In 2019, he moved his family across the country all the way over to Florida. He is married to his beautiful wife, Lacey. They have five kids from 12 to seven months old, 12 years old to seven months old. Hunter is busy. And the reason I wanted to Hunter on is because yes, I love a good throwback to Midwestern. Like it is truly the highlight of highlights, but Hunter has gone through   being an associate, being an owner, selling to a DSO. And I wanted him to come on and give perspectives of all of those, because I think so many dentists are questioning, what's my path? What's in front of me? And Hunter is kind of like, I feel like you're the buffet of dentistry. So like, which one was actually best for you? And I'm really excited for that. So Hunter, welcome. I'm so proud of who you are. I'm like, mama bear heart over here. Just so proud of you. Welcome to the show today. How are you?   Hunter Bennett (01:25) this is so good. I'm so excited. I love the buffet of dentistry. That's like maybe the nicest name anybody's ever given me. I love it. It's so good.   The Dental A Team (01:31) Hey, you're welcome.   You're welcome. And how fun is this? As we were like prepping, told you, was like, Hunter, it's just like you and me, Sim back in Sim clinic. Like we're over there. Like you're prepping your like class ones, classes. I still remember you walking up with loops, gloves on. You knew I'd smack you with a ruler. Like not really smack guys. I was nice in that. But if those gloves did not come up at Sim, like take those off. Kiera, come on. Do I really have to? Yeah, gross. I'm training you. Do not have cross contamination. So welcome back to Sim. It's so good to see you again.   Hunter Bennett (01:59) I   haven't forgotten that I changed my gloves just literally all the time all the time so I appreciate it. It's how this has come full circle though truly I mean like and you haven't changed like you're still the same person just awesome and you're just always that bright personality that bright in the lab so and it's cool just to see how far you've come I'm really proud of you it's awesome.   The Dental A Team (02:19) Thank you, thank you. I think it's serendipitous because the whole reason I built the company was for students like yourself. I think the love, I feel like emotions coming on and I don't wanna cry. Like I genuinely just love the Midwestern students so much. I like just so proud of you guys. I watched your journeys. mean, shoot, how long has it been since we graduated? Like I left Midwestern in shoot, like 2015, 2016 realm.   Hunter Bennett (02:44) That's where   I was. I think you got hired like when we got there. I think that that was your first year was my first year in the sim. And then you, I think you left with us too. So yeah, we kind of went to dental. We basically went to dental school together essentially. So yeah, you're basically a classmate. Yeah. 100%.   The Dental A Team (02:47) I did.   I think I did.   We did and helping you guys learn x-rays. Honestly, Dr. Smith   and Dr. Morrow did tell me that I care if you ever want to come to dental school, we don't even care. I didn't like confess this on like to the world. They didn't say all these words, but it basically was like, hey, we don't care what your death scores are. Like we'll accept you no matter what. I'll be that student. But then I decided I just love helping dentists. I love helping you guys. I love being that teammate to you. Like I was able to be in sim. I love seeing you succeed. I love being that support.   Hunter Bennett (03:06) Yeah, they won't care. They won't care.   Just get in. ⁓   The Dental A Team (03:23) that person that's there. Like when you're having those bad practicals or you need to chat shop or whatever it is. it's just real fun. And again, like mama bear proud of where you are and what you've done. and I ran into each other at the Dennis Money Summit together. And that was a throwback. You, Jeremy Mahoney, was like Midwestern crew was back together and just a fun time.   Hunter Bennett (03:28) Yeah.   You don't even, you   don't realize how huge our little side conversations were to me. And I texted you a little bit about this, but like, we don't have to get into all of that, but like just those few conversations literally changed my life. And I'm not exaggerating. I'm not exaggerating. So we can talk about that later, but ⁓ yeah, I so appreciate you and some of your insights and watching your journey and your presentation was just so off the charts.   The Dental A Team (04:03) Yeah. ⁓   Hunter Bennett (04:10) Everything about it was so good. Your stage presence, the delivery, ⁓ the message. I still can remember a lot of the stuff you said. So, ⁓ yeah, good job. It's just, I'm not surprised you are where you are. And like I said, it's been fun to watch and I'm just grateful for the opportunity to connect again. So, but yeah, you literally was life-changing for me. I'm not exaggerating.   The Dental A Team (04:18) Thank you. Thank you.   Well, that makes me really happy. And thank you. And we'll say that that's the dessert of the dentistry buffet here. So we'll save that conversation for our dessert. ⁓ But I think what you just said is what Dental A Team's purpose is like my purpose is life is my passion dentistry is my platform. And so I feel so blessed and lucky that dentistry brought all of us together and but able to help you have your dream life to be able to give conversations about that.   Hunter Bennett (04:34) Okay.   Sure.   The Dental A Team (04:56) At the end of the day, if businesses aren't serving our lives, then what are we doing? And I'm really getting sticky on that. I'm really starting to hunker down on that harder because I think it's so easy to obsess about the profit, the numbers, like what route should I go? But at the end of the day, if it's not serving the bigger purpose of our life, of our family, of who we want to be, I really think it's a good time to question that and to ask to make sure the star we're headed towards is truly the North Star that we actually want to achieve.   Hunter Bennett (05:01) percent.   The Dental A Team (05:23) So I'm really grateful and yeah, I'm just excited for you to share with our audience of Hunter Bennett going through a associateship, residency, ownership, DSO, and then cherry on top of side conversation that we had. ⁓ and just know that all conversations, I think it's a good Testament. They're just, they're genuine. Like, I just want you guys to succeed in whatever path that looks like. And if I can be a guide in any of that rock on, that's what I'm here for. So just like I used to give you teeth.   help you learn to take your gloves off. I'm here to help you make life choices and better practice decisions too.   Hunter Bennett (05:58) Absolutely. You're crushing it. Well, so yeah, yeah. Pros and cons. So I think, you know, before diving into that decision, I think it's really important. Like the big part of my journey was I've just learned so much along the way that my first job was in a place where in Prescott, like that's where I wanted to like, was like, okay, this is, I'm going to be in this town until I die. Like I'm so happy here.   The Dental A Team (06:00) Okay, take it away. Walk me through. Walk me through the pros cons. Let's hear about it.   Hunter Bennett (06:24) And I was in an amazing practice. Like he was such a good practice. the guy that I replaced, ⁓ Nate Duesnup, he, my coming there sort of sparked his leaving because that he had been trying to get in that practice as an owner for quite a while. He'd been there seven years. so my coming sparked a lot of those conversations and they didn't really come to an agreement per se. so ⁓ Nate went and bought a practice in Florida. I, you know, I kind of found that out along the way and I showed up and then me and Nate became friends.   But I knew within probably the first two months I wasn't going to stay at this practice like long, long, long term. Um, it was very clear to me that there wasn't going to be a pathway to partnership. I was a business major. I always planned on owning practice. Um, but this was a really good opportunity. I'm really, really grateful for, um, just that, that chance that I had, but I knew immediately, like I wasn't, um, I wasn't seen as a partner, you know, which is very like, wasn't, I was just an associate and I felt like I just had way more to offer.   The Dental A Team (06:59) you   Hunter Bennett (07:22) I was, I was probably as much of a gung ho person as, as you can be coming out of residency as far as trying to be an owner. ⁓ but I was willing to like sort of sweat my way in if that's what it took just to be where I, where I wanted to live. ⁓ so long story short, like I learned pretty quickly that wasn't going to happen. So started just taking a bunch of CE, ⁓ traveling and then became good friends with Nate. Nate's like, Hey, just come check out Florida, you know? And, ⁓ so yeah, I went out there and, and, ⁓   The Dental A Team (07:35) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (07:52) If I've ever had a prayer answered as clearly as that, that was it. I mean, was, was clear as day. That's where my family was supposed to be. I actually served a mission for my church in Florida. I never planned to go back. ⁓ And that's ⁓ Tampa. So they actually, yeah, it was inside my mission, but I live in Naples and so didn't spend a ton of time in Naples, but yeah. So anyways. ⁓   The Dental A Team (08:03) No way. Same place?   Yeah?   I know Naples. I consulted a practice in Naples.   It's a beautiful place. Yeah, it's awesome.   Hunter Bennett (08:16) Yeah, yeah.   It's a, it's an awesome place and, ⁓ coming here was, it was definitely not like what I envisioned, but the practice was and the partnership was, and we experienced just like when I got here, he had bought the practice and the old owner was staying on like 50 % of the time and Nate was just grinding, you know, expanded the office. He had already done a lot of the footwork to get us to seven ops and.   We grew so fast, like we tried to find associates, like within my first six months, I didn't even bought in yet. We were already interviewing for associates and we couldn't find anybody that we just really wanted to send offers to. But yet we were just like in the chair all day. And I'm sure you hear this all the time. Like, I'm sure you get this all the time, Cary. It's like just grinding and grinding and then like you get done and then you're dealing with, you know, assistance and days off and they want to raise and, and just drama.   The Dental A Team (09:01) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (09:12) Taxes, know workers comp I mean you name it like all the things that come after work that are so stressful and Having a young family and and then just like like responsibilities outside of work like, know for us like there's a lot of stuff going on at church ⁓ At home. I was coaching my kids. So again, I think a lot of people that are listening can relate to this lifestyle and I think   The Dental A Team (09:14) Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (09:36) I as as I prepped for this conversation, we had a couple options. One option was to bring in a consultant, which we had thought about, and we already because we both came from the same practice in Arizona that had used a consultant, we felt like we sorta. We already knew how to be efficient. We already had a ton of systems in place. I think we struggled a little bit culturally. And I think frankly, this isn't a. You didn't put me up to this, but like had we hired someone like you like honestly, we may not have gone to DSO route. Frankly, like.   The Dental A Team (09:50) Yeah.   Sure.   Hunter Bennett (10:05) Cause all the things we were struggling with, think could have been dealt with in a different way. But we saw the DSO route as, as an option, you know, um, and there's, mean, we went back and forth and like, that's all we would talk about. We'd get done and then we talked about it for like an hour and then we'd go in cycles and circles. And this is the pro, this is the con. And ultimately we landed on, you know, um, this is just a really good way to sort of bring some balance in our lives. And I'll be honest with you. I, I hated, hated.   The Dental A Team (10:10) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (10:35) hated like the first six months, the transition period for us was particularly hard. We have a very unique practice. But I'm in almost four years now, and I will say like, I feel like it all happened for a reason. And it's really allowed me a ton of flexibility in my life, and my lifestyle has improved a ton. So kind of what you described as sort of your purpose and letting people   The Dental A Team (10:40) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (11:03) kind of see like what is your North Star? Like what is your real purpose? ⁓ I don't think that would have been, I don't think I would have been able to discover that had I continued on the path that I was on, honestly. So a DSO I think is good. First of all, when you talk about like a DSO, it's like a swear word, right? Because there's so many types of DSOs and there are some bad players out there for sure. And so like deservedly so, there's a lot of companies that should have a bad name, but there's also some really good ones.   The Dental A Team (11:14) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (11:33) And that was one   thing, like we interviewed around and we met with a lot of different groups and talked to people from different groups. And I think there's a lot of good groups out there, but I'm actually quite happy with our group overall. And it's been four years and I will say like a lot of the turmoil I felt in that first six months was just the change, know, the change in trajectory, like giving up. I still run my practice. The thing is like, no one knows that I'm in a DSO. Like people know like my referring doctors now, but like they don't care.   The Dental A Team (11:44) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (11:59) Because nothing changes like nothing I run the way I want to run it and that's very unique to my group. I would say we hire we fire we make days off like we do pretty much anything we want we bought you know, we can get equipment so I Feel like my day-to-day really hasn't changed and I know that's not true for every DSO I think DSOs can be compared to like like restaurants for example. It's like ⁓ don't go out to eat because it's not healthy It's like well, I mean generally speaking probably true, but there are some healthy options out there   The Dental A Team (12:00) Right.   Mm-hmm.   Totally.   Right.   Hunter Bennett (12:29) And   ⁓ that's kind of how I see DSOs is like I do think there are some healthy options out there and it totally depends on personality. So. ⁓ I will say like the pros for me so far and you can ask me like maybe some more specifics, but yeah, yeah, so I'm so. Yeah, like that's that's just the general story, but I will say like you know this far in like that's kind of the general gist of my experience and if I could do it all over again, I I probably would. ⁓   The Dental A Team (12:37) Mm-hmm.   I'm going to ask some questions. I'm like plunging behind. I've got a decent amount. I'm excited for it.   Hunter Bennett (13:00) I say though, like I am very curious to see what it would have been like to have hired, you know, like to bring you in and just say like, all right, come in here. And a couple of my assistants were like, don't bring the consultant, don't hire a consultant. And I don't think that really influenced me as much as I felt like, honestly, I just felt like I didn't need one, but looking back now, I think that definitely would have been a really good option. So I think you either go the DSO route or you bring someone in. But again, I talked to dentists, I work with a bunch of different dentists. I talked to a bunch of guys all the time, every day.   The Dental A Team (13:08) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   Sure.   Hunter Bennett (13:30) And they haven't had such good experiences with consultants either. So I'm sure you'd get the same thing, you know, but.   The Dental A Team (13:33) I do. That's   one of my first questions when I walk into an office. Tell me what you think about consultants and it's a rip. And I want them to, because why not? Like let's get it on the table. And I think, I think the difference with us consulting versus others, because consultants are going to be there's good and bad, just like there are of DSOs, just like there are of marketing, which is like there is a people. I think the difference is one,   Hunter Bennett (13:39) Yeah, yeah, totally.   The Dental A Team (13:58) I come a team member first. So like my job is to help dentists and I'm a business owner and a multimillion dollar business owner second. And so when you combine those two perspectives together, I very much understand the business side of it. And it's not just theories and ideas. It's true, like hard knocks, ⁓ hundreds and thousands of offices and team members of what are the processes. But second, like I don't hire MBA students. I don't hire people that are just like,   you know, they, want to be a consultant. hire people that have a passion for it. They've been in the front and the back office. So I think teams, that's why I actually named it Dental A Team. want it to be dentists and teams because so many consulting companies either focus on the dentist or they focus on the team, but not both. I'm like, but you have to get both on the same page. And teams are freaked out by consultants. Consultants come in and fire. Consultants are stressful. Consultants are rigid. They make you do it this way. And my thoughts are no one, it's you with your vision.   Hunter Bennett (14:42) Mm-hmm.   The Dental A Team (14:55) it's what do the numbers tell us and the profitability and three based on those two pieces, what are the systems that we need to improve based on like the problems in the practice too. And when you go about it that way and my job is to make life easier, not harder. I think when you go about it that way, teams are not as scared. And that's also why we built the podcast. So teams could hear us. They could learn like, what do we talk about? Because I think a lot of it's just the unknown. And so I, that's going to be like my two cents for a consultant, but I'm going to like back up for you Hunter on, have questions for you.   Hunter Bennett (15:24) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (15:25) I have question marks all the way around. One, think actually excellent point on the associateship and doctors listening, Hunter, you said you were a very equipped, very eager associate. You have a degree in business. I mean, you've got like the little gold star around you, a prime, ⁓ an associate prime for partnership that I think so many doctors are afraid and they don't know how to build partners in that they actually miss a lot of golden opportunities. And so   I like that was one of the nuggets I picked up from your story of like, I don't know who the doctor was and I'm not here to judge. They have their own story, their own reasons. But I think when doctors have great associates like yourself, you're destined to like, I know you're going to own a practice. When you come in with that type of acumen behind you, you're going to own a business. So either I can be smart and snag you and partner in with you and have you help me build and create it. Or I can let you go and you're either going to become my competitor or you're going to go somewhere else. And so there's no right or wrong.   but I think so many owner doctors, do see this. They're afraid bringing on a partner, you do like take home less pay. Like with air quotes, you get paid upfront, but you're like day in, day out is less. ⁓ But I really wanted to highlight that because I think like, well, it all worked out perfectly for you, Hunter. I think doctors listening to this could definitely learn from that. And it's okay if you don't want a partner. Some people are adamant of no partners. They don't want to give any of that up. They don't want to give away the control. That's okay. Don't hire someone like Hunter.   Or be okay that he's gonna probably leave you in about one to two years. And like any thoughts around that? They do.   Hunter Bennett (16:50) Yeah. I think everybody goes through that. Yeah. No, a   hundred. Like I have a ton of thoughts about that because it's, it's, I do, because I mean, I hear it all the time, like every week where Dennis is like, well, I'm just going to plug in an associate and then I'll just take some time off. it's like, that's not really how it works because you have to decide in like Jeremy Mooney, for example, like I talked to Jeremy all the time. He's one of my best friends and you sort of, I know it, I feel like every time I talk to him,   The Dental A Team (16:57) Talents.   Hunter Bennett (17:19) And he wouldn't mind me saying this, like just inevitably what happens is when someone doesn't buy in all the way or they just treat it like a job, like they come and go, you know, and that's, that's the price you pay. And so as a specialist, like we have to maintain relationships and referring offices. if associates are coming and going, that is such a, it's it's a rough look. And then for a dental practice, it's the same thing where patients, know, patients come to me they're like, I went to this practice and I saw the third doctor in my third visit, you know, and it's, they don't like that turnover.   And so what you make in money you pay for in stress and headache, I think on an associate, like when you're making money on your associate, not to mention all the headaches that come with training, reviews, stuff like that. ⁓ And so, yeah, I think ⁓ I totally see both sides of it. And the doctor that Nate and I both work for, he's got like four associates now and he's crushing it. So like, good for him. know, like that's, he's doing really, really well.   The Dental A Team (18:14) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (18:16) ⁓ Me and eight are like best friends and we have this relationship that like will be friends for life like he's like he doesn't have any brothers like I'm like his brother he's like my third brother, you know, it's just We just have this amazing relationship that I wouldn't trade for anything, you know, and not all partnerships are that way I think we've been super super blessed and super lucky that way but when both partners are both givers and you both want to just work hard and you have their back no matter what like you can find that man like   The Dental A Team (18:21) Mm-hmm.   Agreed.   Hunter Bennett (18:44) whatever money you give up by being a partner, you'll get back in like that, just sitting down at the end of the day and having someone to talk to that you're equal in business plan with, to take risks with, to, you know, even just to have like that comfort of talking to someone, you know, like you you get done with a tough day and just having that person there is, is priceless. I don't think you can put a price tag on that. So I wouldn't give up my partnership with Nate for anything, you know, and, and,   The Dental A Team (19:00) Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (19:09) Yeah, and and I think that's quite unique like in our DSO like no one really knows like we have like 400 partners I think now and Like when they think of Nate they think a Hunter or when they think a Hunter they think about Nate like we're just known like you usually don't see one without the other so to the doctors out there that own if you can find someone like that or someone even remotely close like man and someone that's gonna stay long-term like you eliminate so much stress and so many headaches by being open to having a partner and then if you have associates that might come and go   The Dental A Team (19:20) Awesome.   Hunter Bennett (19:38) And you want, you have the space and the availability and you want to do that, that's an option. But if you feel like you're drowning and you can find someone that's a really good business partner, I definitely see the value. Cause Nate and I, spent the better part of two years looking for associates to work for us. And again, it's that whole thing of like, well, man, I don't think they're going to be, I don't think they're going to have the personality that we need. But you know, then you hire, then you interview the really good ones. You're like, well, they're going to want to be a partner so we can't hire them. So you're just always playing that game of like.   There is no perfect answer. You know, you don't, you don't have like a unicorn associate that's just, and maybe there are a few where they just are just a total 10 out of 10, but then they just don't want to own. just want to show up. So it's pretty rare. They will. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (20:17) Totally. And some will. It is.   But okay, that actually led me to my next point I wanted to dig into because partnerships, some are magical like you guys have and others sink ships. So I want to hear how did you get into the partnership? Like what, what does that look like? How much did you both bring? Like as much as you want to get into the nitty gritty with me, because I think partnerships are so challenging to do well and to hear that you and Nate have a great thing. So I'm almost like, okay,   Hunter Bennett (20:24) Yeah.   Yeah, totally.   Yeah.   The Dental A Team (20:46) There were some tips about associateships and bring us and I agree like, welcome down, like have these people with you. They're going to grow your business. I could not do a Dental A Team does without incredible consultants. And while none of them are partners per se, a lot of them, I've given them opportunities to do different pieces, tip from the get-go. We talked about, offered her to be a partner. She's like, heck no, I want nothing to do with that, but give me my time and give me my life with my child and girl I'm with you forever. So get read, there are different things, but I mean,   Did I give up money when I first brought in all these other consultants to help out? The answer is yes. But I look at it now and it actually like makes me so giddy to see there are so many practices we're impacting that me as a solo person could not serve at that level. So that's, think the beauty of like, yes, there's a dip, but there's also growth in and serving that you can do at a higher level. So with that said on associates, now we're moving into partnerships. Walk me through Hunter. I want to know the like ins, outs, good, bad, like partnerships. I'm sure you guys have had.   some knockout drag outs. I'm sure you guys have had highs and lows in partnerships. I'm sure you like, but I'm curious, like, how did you guys structure it to make it great for both of you? And then I'm to go into DSO. So I want to know partnership though, because like, it's my buffet. I'm choosing an associate now buying and being partners in DSO.   Hunter Bennett (21:57) Yeah.   Yeah,   yeah, for sure. think the key was ⁓ for me and Nate, like we're both givers. And so, you know, we never have fought over money. you know, there's just never, we've just been lucky to not have that. We're very similar because we kind of cut our teeth in the same practice. We had the same philosophy too. Like just we're very, very efficient. both work super, super hard.   The Dental A Team (22:25) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (22:26) So we're both hard drivers that way. We're both very perfectionistic Like we we both do the same type of root canals like we we kind of have the same treatment philosophy, you know, ⁓ And granted he's seven years older than me So like Nate you I have to give him a ton of credit because he's just been super helpful clinically and like I felt like after years like I was actually I wasn't at my prime prime for sure But like I was I was I was cooking I was doing pretty good and he helped bring me up to where I am   The Dental A Team (22:50) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (22:53) Now, you know, I've been here like seven years now, but like that first year, like he still just helped me, you know, deal with some of the tougher cases. Naples is just a place that tough cases. But the thing that, thing, yeah, it's old people, retired, calcified, whatever stuff from Europe. That's like totally, totally crazy. But ⁓ he was just so patient. And so just, man, he was just so happy to have me here. Cause he was like, he was burning out. Like he was so tired. And so he was just grateful I was here. He always told me that.   The Dental A Team (23:01) Right? is. It's a good place for business.   Hunter Bennett (23:20) The way we structured it. I worked for him for a year and I was supposed to buy in after the first year, but COVID had hit. so banks weren't like, they were like, hold on, chill out. Like it was literally like March I was supposed to buy in. And so like, you know, we were like, me and him were like alternating days and like, you know, like sharing N95s cause that's all we had. And I mean, that's a whole nother thing. So that delayed the buy-in like six months. And during that time, like, yeah. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (23:27) ⁓ huh.   Yeah.   And hold on, before you go to that, when you moved out there, was it part of   your contract and agreement that you were going to buy in in a year? Was it 50-50? Were those things like in place? Were those like in your contract? Okay.   Hunter Bennett (23:51) Yeah, one year. Yeah, yeah, it was all agreed to.   And you know, I actually don't know if it was in, so the thing was like, when I was in Prescott, I went to the same church that Nate had gone to, like I went to the same congregation. So everybody that knew him just absolutely loved him. Like he was like the cream of the crop. Everybody was just like, you know, like I felt like I was partnering with like, you know, just this.   The Dental A Team (24:10) Mm.   Hunter Bennett (24:18) Completely amazing person which he is so I had no doubts. Yeah, it's like the Michael Jordan like not even I don't even know like analogy would be like Muhammad Gandhi like he was like just such this Just a good dude, you know and so I didn't have a lot of reservations as far as our agreements go and then just again, maybe not the smartest thing but like I don't know it may have been in the writing but I don't really remember and I wasn't that worried about it because I guess naively I trusted him and just felt like it would work out but this was all verbally agreed to   The Dental A Team (24:18) Michael Jordan of dentists.   Wow.   Because I do know for some people   like some people have it's the verbal agreement. I'm sure   Hunter Bennett (24:47) I would, mean, he would have been willing to, he would have been willing   to, and maybe it was, like it might have been in our first contract. I had David Cohen write it up, I had to go back and look, but he did our partnership agreement too. He's awesome for anybody that needs an attorney, but yeah, I've sent him a ton of people. But that was the thing, like we had all that agreed to, then the other conversation that I know a lot of people don't have, and a lot of people hold resentment about is how you're gonna   The Dental A Team (25:00) We do love David Cohen. We refer to him quite a lot.   Hunter Bennett (25:17) split profits. And so we decided early on, it's like, eat what you kill. Like if you do, so the way I did it, I, we, sort of calculated a rough guesstimation of what our overhead was. And then we gave ourselves like, we would do, okay, you get this percentage. We each get this percentage of our production. And then let's say it was like 45, 55, then we split the profits that same way. Whatever's leftover, we're going to split by that same amount. And frankly, like, I don't think we were ever correct.   The Dental A Team (25:18) Totally.   Mm-hmm.   by the amount that you produced? Is that correct? So,   okay.   Hunter Bennett (25:45) collected. we're   fever like our collection is same as product like we're yeah, so it's the same number but Yeah   The Dental A Team (25:50) Right. So sorry, let me back this up. So you guys go produce   and let's just use numbers. Usually in GP, it's 30 % of what you produce. Usually in specialty, you're like 40, 45 % of what you produce. Like let's just use some like loose numbers, hypothetical.   Hunter Bennett (26:03) Sure.   The Dental A Team (26:04) Nate, you produce, you're welcome. We've got this. So let's just say you produce 100 grand in a month. Nate produces 100 grand in a month. Let's say you guys are both taking 30 % your specialist. So giggle at me because I know you're not 30%. You both would be taking 30 grand of that leaving. We've got 70 from each of you, but we have overhead in that as well. So we've got to take our overhead out of there. So we've got 70, 70 hypothetical we're going to take. Let's just do let's leave at the end there's 60,000.   Hunter Bennett (26:21) Yep. Yep.   Yep. Yep.   Say 50.   The Dental A Team (26:33) 60,000 of profit   Hunter Bennett (26:34) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (26:34) at the end of it after you guys have produced 200,000, collected 200,000, you both have been paid your 30,000 each. Of that 60,000, how was that split? Was that a 50-50 split or was it based on like, let's say you produced 100 grand, but Nate produced 200 grand. Did the 60,000 at the end get split based on production amounts or was that like, how was the profit split?   Hunter Bennett (26:54) Correct.   Yeah, so we would just split the profit exactly like you described in the latter example where it's based on what you produced that month or collected that month, then we would split the profits that month. And I just had a spreadsheet, I did all the math. And so we would just work it out between the two of us. And we never had an issue. I would just plug it and just plug and chug and it was never an issue. And truly like...   The Dental A Team (27:09) Nice.   Hunter Bennett (27:19) We were never more than like 52 48, you know, that might've been like, ⁓ you know, I don't remember a month ever being off by more than 2 % or 4%. So it really wasn't a big battle. And one thing too, that I told Nate going into this, and this was for me, I had to just like, was president of like my business school, like my junior year president of the whole business school, like the vice president of all business school, my senior year, like   The Dental A Team (27:23) Thank you.   interesting.   Hunter Bennett (27:45) I was used to being leadership positions. I was used to sort of being in charge. But I knew coming here, he was there first. And I told him, was like, I know you're going to be the alpha. All the referrals know you. I'm just going to have to take that backseat role. And I think me just acknowledging that and accepting that was so important because I had no ego. I didn't have to prove that there was no competition between me and Nate. We were 100 % on the same team.   The Dental A Team (27:56) Mm-hmm.   Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (28:12) ⁓ Again, and maybe that's unique to a specialty practice because you're kind of working together maybe more than you would in a GP office. I don't know. ⁓ Or maybe you're competing for patients a little more. I'm not sure. I've never worked in a GP office. But the dynamics for us is like, we're just, there's like all the referrals. It doesn't matter which doctor you want. Like you're getting your next available doctor unless there's a few exceptions. So we were very good about having no egos. And that was really important to our partnership too. But   financially it was quite easy for us and convenient just because our numbers were pretty similar. Or if he took a couple weeks off, then obviously he'll still get his collections from that month, but then I would get a little bit bigger chunk of the profit. But then when I took my time off the next month, they would just work itself out. so, ⁓ and he was always, like I said, he was always at the end of the year, Nate always produces just a little more than me. And I was just okay with it. You know, I was like, whatever, hang on.   The Dental A Team (28:46) Mm-hmm.   Sure.   Sure.   Hunter Bennett (29:06) And this I think is the desert that we can talk about later because how do we   The Dental A Team (29:07) Fascinating. Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (29:10) measure success? How do we measure fulfillment? And when we tie it to profits and numbers and income, it's just not super healthy. And I've had to learn that. Like that's probably been one of my biggest paradigm shifts over the last year, year and a half and sparked by your presentation and the conversations that we had. So.   The Dental A Team (29:27) Well, that's fascinating to me and thank you. That's a huge compliment. ⁓ I'm fascinated by that partnership split and the fact that you both were eat what you kill. I actually love that because then you got two very motivated partners. Also, you don't accidentally get one partner who's not pulling their weight. I know a lot of times ⁓ and I think the difference that I sometimes see in GP versus specialty is sometimes I have a super producer in GP.   So one who's doing hybrid and implants and all these different cases. And then I've got another doctor who's doing bread and butter. Well, obviously the super producer is going to produce more, but you need the bread and butter dentist to be taking care of all those profie patients and all the day in day out. So you can super produce. So those ones, often will see that it's more going to be a 50 50 split, but I do oftentimes see the super producer gets a little annoyed because they're like, if they're not both givers.   ⁓ I've seen this wax hard on partnerships just in the fact of you look at the numbers and what are you putting up on the board? But I think those partners really have to look at this. It's the ultimate whole. And if the ultimate whole of the business is doing well, both parties are winning. And they have to just see that they bring different strengths to the table, just like in a marriage. And we're not looking at dollars on the board. We're looking at collective as a practice. But that is one where I do watch. And so I do think in specialty, that might be something I had not thought of.   but I love to hear how you guys broke it down, how you picked it apart. And also the fact that there was no ego on taking a patient. Cause I do sometimes see that in partnerships where, if I'm going to get what I kill, I want more of these patients. I want to take them on because that's going to impact my production. But at the end of the day, you guys are still doing well on the profit side. So fascinating to me to hear how it was set up, how you guys got into it, how the buy-in was, ⁓ and then moving forward. And I'm guessing Hunter, I don't know Nate.   Hunter Bennett (31:01) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (31:18) But I'm excited. I mean, I have a quote over here by Gandhi. So when you said that I was like, well, perfect. ⁓ But my hunch is typically in a partnership, I see someone who's like yourself, who's really big into business, like they know the numbers, they have the business acumen. And usually the other partner tends to be more of the people side or this is like, you usually have a separation. So I again, I don't know Nate, but my guess would be not to say that you're not great with team members to   but I'm guessing you're very business savvy, you're very system savvy, and he's gonna be more people savvy and relationship savvy. Again, I don't know, maybe both of you had that, but I'm curious, did you see that dynamic in your partnership that maybe blended you guys really well coming together?   Hunter Bennett (31:54) Yeah, no, that's a really good point and we do compliment it. You're pretty much spot on. would say Nate definitely like is a lot more of a calming, know, I'm kind of like people tell me I'm just fiery, you know, like we've had different.   The Dental A Team (32:07) You   I do remember you walking   up. You wouldn't even shut your light off on me. Like you were busy. You were down to business. Like, here, I need these things in the most respectful way. ⁓   Hunter Bennett (32:14) Yeah, I'm   Pretty pretty focused. Yeah, pretty focused I would say and so I would say there is that little bit of balance But Nate's not a dummy like he was harvard number two in his class at harvard like he's super smart and so He would always lean into me for the business stuff just because I had a degree and I could speak the language and accounting and depreciation and all you know, like that stuff I think sort of intimidated him more than it needed to because once you explain it, know, you know But because he hadn't trained that way like he would sort of lean into me and that stuff   The Dental A Team (32:33) or.   Right.   Hunter Bennett (32:43) But even having someone to talk about because he'd already dealt with the accountant. He already dealt with workers comp. So I'd be like, hey, how does this work? Cause I'd never done it. So he'd explain it to me. And then as a team, we would work it out. You know, as a team, we would make big decisions. So yeah, I mean, you'll both bring different things to the table. And it's actually good that you can be different. I had another opportunity to partner somewhere else before Nate. I was way too much like that guy. I was like.   The Dental A Team (32:49) Thank   Yes.   Hunter Bennett (33:10) This isn't gonna work. I knew right away like I said, you know I went and visited the practice did the whole thing sent like a follow-up email and I think we both knew it's just like yes, isn't gonna work and The negotiations didn't go very far and it was fun. It was like we're still friends and we keep in touch So I think it's important to like you think ⁓ we're so alike man That's not always like the best thing. And so our differences are actually probably what what bring us together and make us strong ⁓   The Dental A Team (33:19) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   No.   Hunter Bennett (33:37) Yeah. And so that's, that's like a, that's a super fair point about that. And again, a lot of it's just been serendipitous. Like that just happened to fall into place. It just, it's just worked out that way, but it's, it's like a marriage. That's the perfect thing. It's like, it's like a marriage without all the benefits per se. Like you just, you're just like, you're just, you just get the hard part of them. Yeah. You just get the hard, you get the hard part of the marriage where you have tough conversations, but again, you just take them head on. And when you have no ego and, or a limited ego, and when you just want your partner to succeed, like   The Dental A Team (33:38) Yeah.   You get the profits benefit.   Hunter Bennett (34:08) You can't really fail in my opinion. ⁓ even when it came to like negotiate, like I had six months of partnership income that I was missing out on, but then there's the COVID thing. And, at the end of the day, said, Nate, like what number, like what, what, what do want me to do the whole valuation? I didn't really care. I was willing to pay whatever I didn't. To me, the relationship was way more important than any number. And so we just came to a number that we both felt good about based on the valuation, but I was flexible and frankly, I didn't care because it was so important to me. And, ⁓   The Dental A Team (34:09) That's awesome.   Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (34:37) And we came to what we thought both was fair and it's been, it's been a dream. you know, and those, we're like best friends and those conversations can still be a little awkward and a little hard, but they don't have to be. And they, they were always fine. You know, um, if there's a book I could recommend, talk about it all the time. It's Crucial Conversations. Um, one of my favorite books of all time. think everybody should read it before you get married. You should read it like in college. Like I think it should be required reading before you graduate college.   The Dental A Team (34:50) Right.   Hunter Bennett (35:04) But that's one book that's just helped me a ton. As a leader, business owner, as a partner, ⁓ husband, it's just helped me a ton.   The Dental A Team (35:05) Definitely agree.   I love that. I also love that you guys just, I think when you said like it just works and it was serendipitous, I think that's something to look for in a partnership. I think if anybody's looking at partners, if it's hard and it's just not flowing, don't force it to work. ⁓ The best partnerships I really do see where they kind of fall into place this way, they're aligned, you hire people that are complimentary to you, not just like you, because you do need the two halves to a whole.   Hunter Bennett (35:29) Hmm.   The Dental A Team (35:39) to make it really great. And then I think you guys have done a good job of keeping egos in check. think you guys, what you said Hunter, that I hope all partners listening to this or potential partners, you want your partner to succeed and that's your ultimate goal and that's what you're driving for. when Jason and I learned that in our marriage, where like my greatest success is Jason's success, it went from a like, what are you giving for me? And what am I getting out of this relationship to a like,   I want Jason to give me five stars because he's a raving fan because like I am, I'm doing all that I possibly can to make sure he's succeeding and his life is incredible. And when both partners are in that, it goes away from you and it goes to them and to make sure that they're succeeding. And I really do see that that works great in marriages, partnerships. So I'm obsessed with that. Kudos to you guys on that. I love that also Hunter, I hope people buying in.   the partnership and having that, I say the way you start a partnership is how you're going to end the partnership. I love Hunter that you came in as the quote unquote junior partner, but you, leveled yourself up to be an equal partner to him. And I'm really proud of you because I think a lot of associates are stay very timid. They say very junior. They act like they don't know anything rather than being like an equal partner. And I'm like, no, no, no, if you're going to be a partner in this, you need to be a partner and bring your weight. So kudos to you on that.   Hunter Bennett (36:49) Yeah.   Totally.   The Dental A Team (36:57) And then I also just really love that you guys have just had multiple conversations that you just have blended it so beautifully and that you said you were willing to pay whatever he wanted. Like, of course, you're going to be fair. You knew the numbers, but the partnership and the success was more important to you. And I think when you go into it and that's how you start your partnership, I can tell why you guys are actually really great partners. So great job and thanks for highlighting that. And now I want to know about selling to a DSO because I do agree. ⁓ Having a consultant.   oftentimes makes it where you don't have to sell to a DSO. And we do that sometimes. Sometimes I'll grow the practices for you and it's like, well, why would you sell to a DSO when they're just gonna come in and grow your business anyway? Like, let's do this on your own. I had a doctor who we were chatting and he's like, yeah, Kiera, they're gonna give me five mil for it. And I said, cool. Next year, you're probably gonna do five million on your own or within two years. So you can pay them out and they're just gonna do what you were already going to do. And agreed, a lot of that stress comes.   Hunter Bennett (37:36) Yeah.   Yeah.   The Dental A Team (37:55) from that, but Hunter, you said something in the very beginning that struck me when you said you sold to the DSO. You said your life has exponentially gotten better. Your work life balance has gotten better since selling to the DSO, but you also said that you're doing pretty much all the same things you were doing as a business owner. So I'm super curious. How did your life get better while you're still doing, like you were like, I'm still hiring, I'm still firing. And I was like, so what was the perk of selling to a DSO and helped me understand how your life got better?   Hunter Bennett (38:19) Yeah.   The Dental A Team (38:23) And then I also want to know about your cell deal too, if you're open to that.   Hunter Bennett (38:27) Yeah, for sure. don't, um, I probably should have illustrated the point that it's not like we didn't just get overwhelmed and all of sudden decide, okay, we're not, we're just going to throw up our hands and sell. Like we had hired a different office manager who was like, went through like Gary Katas's training. Like, like she was phenomenal. She was amazing. In fact, like she was a lot like you in a lot of ways, just really great personality, new dentistry. And I thought she was going to change our lives, you know, and she is awesome. Like she's an amazing person.   But it didn't end up working out. She left the practice that was being transitioned to a new doctor. So she came with us for a few weeks and it was going okay. And then they had a big crisis back there and she's like, is it okay if I just go back and help for like a week? And we're like, yeah, do what you need to do, you know? And then that doctor offered her equity in his practice. And so she ended up staying there, whatever. Yeah, whatever, it is what it is. And so my point is, like, I feel like we tried a different office manager. We tried restructuring and we tried.   The Dental A Team (39:15) I mean, good deal.   Hunter Bennett (39:25) The only thing we didn't hire a consultant, we definitely talked about it, but we didn't, I think in some ways I was probably just a weak leader in that way where I was maybe a little bit too proud to just get the help that we probably needed and instead just went a different route, you know? And so hindsight's always 20-20, but that just to create a little bit of the background to the story though. So it's not like we just, you know, all of sudden decided, you know, we're gonna,   The Dental A Team (39:47) Of course.   Hunter Bennett (39:55) just sell. So we had done all this other footwork. Sorry, what did you want to know about like the structure of the deal or what? Yeah. Okay. So when we, so when we, you know, after having done all this, we kind of, we had interviewed all these doctors, we had one kind of in the holster, maybe you can associate and we were just like, we were interviewing people, but we was just so, we were just tired. It's just like when you're doing root canal, it's like from like seven to five and you don't even have time to use like the bathroom.   The Dental A Team (40:03) I do, I do want to know structure of the deal. Yeah, tell me it.   Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (40:25) get a drink of water. It's just, we just burned ourselves out because we were chasing something and I don't even think we, we just wanted to change growth. Like we just wanted to, we just wanted to grow. We just always said all the time, were just grow, grow, grow, grow, grow, grow. And so we just kept the pedal to the metal. Excuse me. And I would say we just sort of outgrew ourselves and not that the wheels ever fell off, but like the culture in our practice was okay. Like we had good people, but we did have some of the wrong people on the bus. ⁓   The Dental A Team (40:27) Yep.   Hunter Bennett (40:52) And so when we started talking to DSOs, they saw our numbers, they saw our trajectory and we knew we had a lot of leverage. It was 2021. So the market was just red hot. We got a really good evaluation. We got a really good multiple. they were, you know, and so, you know, I actually talked to Matt Molcock, you know, he's my advisor and, ⁓ and just, I talked to my mentors, Dr. Jones, like, you know, ⁓ just people that I really respect. He's the man he had started nine, nine different endo or worked in or started nine different practices and   The Dental A Team (40:59) I see. That is hot.   Mm-hmm.   Aw, Dr. John.   Hunter Bennett (41:19) And his advice to me was like, you know, like I would do it if I were you. And so a lot of people would just had kind of encouraged me. And so at that point, me and Nate said, you know, we, and we got opinions both ways. And at the end of the day, our conclusion was it doesn't matter. Like, if I'm being honest, like that was kind of our answer to a kind of a joint prayer was like, it's not going to matter. Like it just, doesn't matter which way you go with this. ⁓ for the things that are truly important, it's not going to matter what you do.   The Dental A Team (41:35) Agreed.   Hunter Bennett (41:46) And so we, we, we decided to do the deal and I will say, like I said, the first six months were rough, but to the credit of my, company, like the group that I'm with, like our team and the people that we work with, they're phenomenal. Like I've never like had a, they, they just always bend over backward to accommodate us and help us. And we've done our part. We've grown like crazy, you know, are there times where I'm like, man, we could have done this on our own and, ⁓ our   The Dental A Team (42:06) Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (42:12) whatever, you know, and you look at your paycheck now because now I'm paid on a percentage and I have equity in the company. And so you're just waiting on a recap. And that's a whole, again, talking about, we can get into this too is DSOs have so many different types of structures. Ours is not like a joint venture. So we don't, we don't profit share in ours. It's all in our equity. so equity events are like super important for us. and so Scotty Hudson Smith is our CEO and he's the one that did smile docs. they, he's done it three times.   The Dental A Team (42:21) Yep.   They are.   Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (42:41) He came to our dinner like the night that they were recruiting us and he wasn't officially the CEO yet But like he was sliding in that role. It just hadn't been announced I think it was like the next week or something, but he came and he just sort of created the vision for us and we just honestly we a little bit of a feeling and sort of that answer like it's not gonna matter and Now looking back Are there days that are where I have resented like seeing what I produce versus what I take home sometimes?   But I've got to remember they give you five or six years of your profitability upfront. And I've been able to put all that to work, you know, for the most part, I've done pretty well with that. Like not like home run, like you, you know, it's not like crazy stuff, but it's fine. I'm diversified now. Um, it's not all in my practice, but I do have a bit still in equity quite a bit. we did a 70 30 split. did 70 % cash, 30 % equity in the group. Um, and I just,   The Dental A Team (43:09) Sure.   Sure.   Right.   Nice.   Hunter Bennett (43:36) Some groups will give you flexibility, some won't. That's just the number that we wanted and they agreed to. And looking back, I'm still glad I did it that way. I actually had an opportunity to buy more equity about a year in, which I did. And so I bought more. And so that allowed me to just be a little bit more leveraged into the company.   on a bigger scale, like me and Nate work real hard for each other, but now you just got all these partners that are counting on you. And I think the mojo and the culture in our group is quite good. So.   The Dental A Team (44:04) Yeah, that's it. That's actually really, really good to know because I think so many people wonder about DSOs. And so what did the DSO take off of you guys? Because I know there's some people that get scared of the equity. Like they get scared of equity because some DSOs have actually gone under. And so I actually love to hear that you were a 70-30 split, then you were able to buy in more if you wanted to, because if it goes under, that is your retirement. And so I love that you were able to put money into work so your retirement's not solely like   Hunter Bennett (44:12) Yeah, that's what you asked.   ⁓ Yeah.   The Dental A Team (44:31) vested into this company. I really am big on that when DSOs do purchase, but what did they take off your guys's plates going in as a DSO?   Hunter Bennett (44:31) Totally.   Yeah, sorry, that's what you asked me and I kind of got off track there, but...   The Dental A Team (44:40) That's okay. I wanted   the deal. I wanted the deal. I actually wanted to know that a lot.   Hunter Bennett (44:44) So we skipped to the deal,   but going back, like the thing that they've helped with the most, would say is like, just as an example, like, like, ⁓ there's like this employment tax, you know, that we'd always get these letters about every year with Florida and we'd call them and then I spent an hour on the phone, finally getting to someone. And then I had already canceled it, but then they automatically renewed it for it. And so it's just like, that's like one example, work, workman's comp. ⁓ even just like we had an office book for like policy.   And again, this might speak more to maybe my lack of strong leadership where when a team member says, well, I understand that's the policy, but this is what I have going on. And then when you bend the rules for one person, then it sort of just creates this culture of favoritism. And again, that was probably partly being a new owner and then a people pleaser. and something I've worked on a lot. And again, I'm not the same leader I was even five years ago, you know, four years ago when we sold, but, ⁓ having seen that now they, because there are just   The Dental A Team (45:34) Totally.   Hunter Bennett (45:40) company policies in place. And again, it might be a little maybe feel corporate, but now you sort of see the reason why things are corporate because otherwise people, if you run it like a small business and you do those little things here or there, all it does is create resentment within your team. And so ⁓ I will say just having a really, we've gone through like, man, we hired like two or three different office managers through the company that they helped us hire. And finally we hired internally and she's   The Dental A Team (45:53) Totally.   Hunter Bennett (46:09) man, she's phenomenal. she has just totally, she was at our front desk, she wasn't in dentistry, she came to the front desk and really for first couple of years she was pretty quiet. And then when we interviewed, we're like, we need to interview, are you interested? And she said, yeah, like I would. And she's absolutely just crushing it. And so she is a big reason because we finally, you know, like it's just a good fit for her, you know? And our old office manager is still with us and she's amazing, she's amazing. And she's just so humbly taking the role. She's she's like,   The Dental A Team (46:10) Amazing.   Yeah.   Hunter Bennett (46:37) just want to be in the front and she's the best front office person in the world. You know what I mean? And that's she didn't want to be an office manager and so it's kind of worked itself out and but I don't know if we would have made those decisions without being sort of forced into it with it with our structure in the corporate, you know in the corporate group. If I'm being honest, you know, there's a couple things like we were salary like we just paid our girls salary for example and so there was always sort of this resentment because here it's very seasonal.   The Dental A Team (46:39) Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Totally.   Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Hunter Bennett (47:06) So during winter, like our population in Naples doubles. And so the girls are working more hours. So they might work 42. I don't know if I should say this is, I guess it doesn't matter because I don't do it anymore, but they might work 42 or 44 hours one week. But in the summer, they're probably working 32, 34, 36. Or I'd just say, go home or whatever. So over the year, it just worked out. so they came to us, like, you can't do that. And so was like, so then we had to switch to hourly, which I really resented in that first six months. I was so mad. But now looking at it, it's actually the   The Dental A Team (47:06) Right.   Right.   You   Hunter Bennett (47:35) It's actually the fair way to do it. You know, it actually makes sense. ⁓ they like our, always get.   The Dental A Team (47:38) It is. So it sounds like you just got a lot of like,   you got like a lot of company backing is what I feel like it is like the structure of a business. Yeah. Yep.   Hunter Bennett (47:44) Totally, it's just more structure, more structure. I didn't have to be the bad guy, I guess. I sort   of get to say that's just how we do it. And so again, I think now, like the older version of Hunter sees that as, well, man, were kind of, you could have been a stronger leader, but I didn't know what I didn't know. ⁓ But now again, too, like looking at it, like this is exactly the path that I'm supposed to be on and it's fine. And truly like...   The Dental A Team (48:01) Totally.   Hunter Bennett (48:11) There's so many reasons to join a DSO. Some people are looking for an exit. Some people are looking for a lifestyle. And for me, it's just worked out that I, don't know what I was looking for besides relief from all the pressure I felt and, um, and it's worked out, you know? And so I still make enough money that I can do the things that I need to do and want to do. And if the equity works out, that's a cherry on top. And if it doesn't like it's okay for right now. And if I want to do something later,   I can do something else, you know, and that's the other thing too, like with, with the DSO is if, if you want to leave at some point you can. And I don't really have plans to leave per se, but like I, now it's an option. Whereas if I own the practice, that was one reason too, with me and Nate, who part of our thought process was, well, we're from the West in 10 years. If we want to sell in 10 years, who's going to buy us? Are we going to wait 10 years? Why don't we just do it now and grow with the DSO? So that was a big part of it too, is like, what is our exit? And so even though I'm only, I'm not, I'm 40 next year.   The Dental A Team (48:38) can.   Totally.   Hunter Bennett (49:08) I still was sort of planning an exit at some point because the practice was so big and we couldn't find a partner. So maybe that gives some insights retrospectively into our thought process because we did the same conversation every day for six months. But looking at it now, like that's what they've taken off our plate is all those little nuances that are just so mentally exhausting that now when I come home, I can just be present with my kids. I've changed my schedule. Like it's totally benefited my life.   The Dental A Team (49:14) Totally.   Hahaha!   Hunter Bennett (49:38) Lifestyle wise but it's not perfect but I would say an overall net positive, you know If you're not just looking at money, you know If you're not just looking at your month to month income I would say that's like the only downside is I don't make as much money as I used to but my lifestyle is way better so   The Dental A Team (49:43) That's amazing. Sure.   And so we traded a few things, but who knows it can pan out as well to where you actually make more in the future. That's not a given, but like today you're at least in a good space. You've traded ⁓ like money for time. And I think that that's one of the most beautiful things, which ties to, as we like quickly wrap up. I love that you just talked about all the pieces of DSO. I love that you have a great experience. I love hearing the pieces that they were able to take and agreed a lot of businesses actually need to sell to a DSO because they've grown too big that there's not a buyer for them. And like that is   Hunter Bennett (49:57) Yeah. Good.   Yeah.   The

On a cold December evening in Surrey, England, two separate callers reported the same terrifying sight: headlights swerving off the busy A3 road and disappearing into the trees. Convinced they'd just witnessed a crash, police raced to the scene — but the road was empty, the barriers intact, and no fresh tire marks scarred the embankment. Still, the officers pressed on. Venturing deep into the undergrowth, they uncovered a nightmare: a badly wrecked car, hidden from view and overgrown by brush. The vehicle's battery was long dead, its headlights impossible to ignite. And nearby, they made a darker discovery — the decomposed skeletal remains of a man. The car belonged to a Londoner reported missing nearly a year earlier, in July of 2002. Dental records confirmed the bones were his. Pathologists estimated he'd been dead for months, killed in what looked like a crash no one had ever seen… until that December night. But how could members of the public report headlights veering off the road that very evening, when the man and his vehicle had been lost for almost a year? Did they witness a ghostly replay — a spectral “residual haunting” of the fatal crash, replaying itself to demand discovery? Or was it a strange twist of fate, coincidence aligning the living with the dead? #TrueGhostStory #Paranormal #HauntedUK #GhostlyReplay #PhantomCrash #PoliceMystery #CreepyStories #UnsolvedMystery #GhostStoriesOnline #RealHaunting Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Tom's back—and he's ready to take control of his schedule. George helps him ditch the dreaded Fridays, streamline his hours, and plan a smart path toward a group practice, all while keeping his sanity (and family time) intact.

Welcome back to our weekend Cabral HouseCall shows! This is where we answer our community's wellness, weight loss, and anti-aging questions to help people get back on track! Check out today's questions:    Alicja: Hello Dr. Cabral, I hope you're doing well. My question is about dental sealants. My kids' dentist recommended them for my 8 yo daughter and I blindly believed it was a good advice. Later he recommended them for my younger daughter, but this time I looked up what are dental sealants and it turns out it is plastic. Since my older daughter has them already (on 4 of her molars) I'm struggling to make a decision which is less of two evils: leaving the sealants because the damage has already been done, or should we have them removed, risking that some plastic will be absorbed by her body during scraping the sealants of her teeth?                                                                                                                                               Holly: Hi! I need help for my 20-year-old daughter. She has been dealing with an issue of having very terrible smelling urine, yet labs show no bladder or kidney infection. She says there's minor discomfort after emptying her bladder. Despite undergoing multiple physical exams and lab tests, everything has come back normal. Her urologist prescribed Solifenacin several months ago, but it hasn't provided any relief. She is staying hydrated, avoiding spicy foods, and has eliminated caffeine from her diet. This issue has persisted for a long time, and it's affecting her emotionally—she is becoming quite depressed over it. Her health history is that she is highly allergic to cow's milk and peanuts/tree nuts and has had eczema since she was a baby. Any advice is greatly appreciated!                             Kaitlin: I've been having tinnitus for the past 4 months. It started out in one ear, then both ears, and then transitioned to full head buzzing. It feels like my brain is attached to an electrical socket. I have also been experiencing extreme anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, and soreness(esp neck). I am a very healthy 31 year old-eat an extremely clean diet and very fit. I did notice my symptoms worsening after switching to methylated vitamins. It also intensifies with heavy lifts & exercise. I did the hair test and it showed elevation in mercury and aluminum and every mineral ratio was out of whack. I also did the OATS test and it showed some depletion of b vitamins as well as low levels of neurotransmitters. I'm not sure where to go from here. I'm scared supps are going to make it worse again.             Riela: My husband has had rather severe problems with vertigo for these past years. It seems to have been triggered by having Covid, and also a period of high stress; but he also had a blow to the head some years ago, and I'm wondering if that may be a cause as well. He's been on Pristiq for some time, and doesn't have as many problems with vertigo now, but he would like to get off it. Anxiety or stress worsens his vertigo. I'd appreciate it if you could help us find a direction, healthwise, that we could go.                                                                                                                                                           Jen: Hello! I enjoy your podcast and it has helped me so much over the years. I have a question regarding contact lenses. It has been reported that most are full of PFAS. I stopped wearing my contacts after wearing them for over 30 years when I heard this. I hate wearing glasses and am wondering if wearing contacts is truly dangerous. I found one brand that claims to be PFAS free (Eiyan), but they don't cover my prescription. In addition to this, most contacts now have UV protection which I am also concerned blocks sunlight signals from entering my eyes, and thus disrupting my circadian rhythm. Could you please share your thoughts on both issues. Thank you!      Thank you for tuning into today's Cabral HouseCall and be sure to check back tomorrow where we answer more of our community's questions!    - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3515 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? 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