Podcasts about dentistadvisors

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt and Rabih break down the current economic climate as summer kicks in. They discuss the Federal Reserve's recent actions, market behavior during slower months, and how new tariff policies and changes to SALT deduction rules could affect high earners. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this emergency episode of the Dentist Money Show, Jake and Taylor break down the major changes to student loans following the recently passed reconciliation bill. They focus on the revised SAVE plan and the newly introduced RAP plan—two programs that could significantly impact dentists with student debt. With interest accrual changes taking effect on August 1st, Jake and Taylor explain why it's critical to understand your options now. They cover the key differences between repayment plans, the role of cash flow in making smart repayment decisions, and when private refinancing might make sense. This episode was recorded on July 10, 2025. Stay tuned for future updates as the situation develops. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.  

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Ryan explore why many dentists feel financially strained despite earning high incomes. They unpack the emotional toll of peer comparison, the often-overlooked impact of debt and taxes, and the critical role of financial awareness. They also touch on the long-term wealth-building journey for dentists and why true financial freedom takes time, clarity, and patience. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In this special edition, we are sharing Dental A Team's podcast episode where Ryan joins Kiera Dent of Dental A Team Kiera to dive into DSOs. They discuss such questions as: Are they the best financial choice for your practice? The best life choice? Are the horror stories true? And so many more. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt and Rabih dive into a mix of timely economic news and patriotic fun. They break down the latest trade developments involving the U.S., China, and Vietnam, and unpack the potential ripple effects of Canada's new digital services tax. The duo also weighs in on the economic implications of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” (BBB) and what it could mean for markets and dentists. To wrap things up, they test their knowledge—and yours—with a spirited round of Fourth of July trivia. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Ryan Isaac of Dentist Advisors returns to continue his discussion with Kiera about the future of dentistry, including options aside from DSOs. The question a practice owner should ask themself, Kiera and Ryan say, is what that individual wants out of their life — then consider the best platform to get you there. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners, this is Kiera, and this is going to be part two of mine and Ryan Isaac's conversation where we're digging into DSOs to sell to not to sell, all of that. And I truly am so excited for you guys here, part two. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team Podcast.   Kiera Dent (00:17) why don't we take a pause and just think of like, what's the future of dentistry as now the future pioneers of dentistry? And what are we going to do to our profession? Yes, there's top dollar. Yes, there's things about it, but is there a way to influence?   and make sure that the integrity of dentistry can maintain long-term. I have no answer to that, but again, this is Kiera Dent sitting on my podcast where I think that there is a voice and an influence and like on Dentist Advisors podcast, is there a way that we can influence our industry in ways that will protect and still pay out? Because I'm like, even if you don't get the 10X EBITDA, you still can get a freaking great payout if you do your life right to where you can be financially set up.   Ryan Isaac (00:33) Mm-hmm. ⁓   Kiera Dent (00:58) still be able to sell your practice, not have to sell it in ways that could potentially hurt the industry. I'm not saying one's the right answer or the wrong answer. There's no judgment on my side. It's just, let's maybe think and consider how it could influence. Can we get people that could be private equity higher up that could help protect it? Those are things that, and again, I'm just Kiera Dent here in Reno, Nevada.   Ryan Isaac (01:03) Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Same, okay.   Okay. Yes. No, these are the questions.   You're totally influential. I think it's just in the opposite direction. ⁓ I don't think we can influence private equity. Private equity is ruthless in every industry. They don't. It feels dirty. It feels dirty. And I have a question for you, but I just want to say really fast. ⁓ I do feel like, yes.   Kiera Dent (01:30) It's dirty. It's dirty.   Is there a way though, Brian, you   don't finance better than me. Is there a way that there could become dentists that could become in private equity where they own it? Because once you, there's no way to insulate, you don't think. Because once you get to that level, you just, I mean, I've had.   Ryan Isaac (01:44) Yeah, but they'll do the same thing. I mean, they'll want the same thing.   Now, money's money. It's why capitalism runs   the world. mean, that's why, you know, it's like why it influences politics and money and business runs the world, you know? ⁓ Okay, hold on. There's so many good things here. Number one would be not every group will be a DSO, private equity backed DSO. And you know, many, many ⁓ clients and just dentists around the country who will end up being owners of   Kiera Dent (02:05) Okay.   Ryan Isaac (02:19) 20, 50, 100 group practices that will stay privately held and ran by owner doctors. That will be a chunk of this ⁓ group practice ⁓ takeover. So in that space, the influence can still be huge. ⁓ I think the chance to influence the integrity of private practice is in those who don't sell to DSOs.   I think it's in the industry, educated in influencing the industry for people who aren't going to sell and who are going to maintain control. Now, I do think that in the future, more and more dentists will be in a group. ⁓ are probably, yeah, be fewer and I can see why it would make sense to do that. There would probably be fewer and fewer people with just solo doc, solo location practices. know, some towns and rural places, that would be hard to do.   Kiera Dent (02:47) Mm-hmm.   I do too.   Ryan Isaac (03:15) So I think you're Dorothy, is that what you said? I'm Dorothy. I think that is possible, not with private equity, but with still the owner doctors that still exist and the group practices that are ran by dentists, not private equity back. I think the influence is still gonna be, I mean, if you took the projections of what will stay private,   Kiera Dent (03:20) Yeah, hi.   I agree.   Ryan Isaac (03:40) and then the chunk of the group stuff that'll be non DSO non-corporate, that's still got to be 40, 50 % of the industry eventually.   Kiera Dent (03:49) I would think so.   I mean, look at it right now. There's corporate dentistry within. And again, there's nothing wrong with any, because I have clients that are in corporate dentistry that run their practices like private. They take care of their teams. So it's one of those things I still think, like even if you are, and that's another way that we can influence this, if you are part of a private equity-backed DSO, you can still influence your practice. You're still the dentist working in the practice. You can still run culture. You can still run change.   Ryan Isaac (03:59) Totally. Absolutely.   Yes.   and hit it.   Kiera Dent (04:16) ⁓ I know the doctors I have, they're part of a very large group corporate and things that we have done together, like I work with them, they're my only corporate practice that I work with, but we have literally influenced the top tier CEO. They've asked what these offices are doing differently. They're taking things that I've helped bring into the practice and they've asked like, what's changed in your practice? Like we hired this girl who teaches us to run it like private practice. Their culture's incredible. We're even right now petitioning up to the top people because they're writing off things that you can actually   bill out to insurance that they're making them write off when it's like, actually, no, we can bill it as a non covered service and actually have the patients cover. So I'm like, I do still think whether you're in private equity, but I think you've got to be a strong enough doctor where you advocate for the rights of your patients and the rights of your practice. And I'm super proud of my client who does this because her and her husband, they go to bat and they're like, they write some pretty direct emails to the CEO of this and say like, hey, and they're a big enough force. Cause I mean,   Ryan Isaac (04:55) Mm. Yes.   huh.   Kiera Dent (05:15) They're the top tier practice in their area. have them making like, we are adding multiple millions to their offices every single year. But I'm like, I think that's also how dentists, even if you're in private equity, even if you're in group practices, I think at the end of the day, are clinicians and clinic, like you are, you are the product. And I think that they have, I think dentists have more say than they might realize that they do to influence the industry and keep it more positive and more ethical than it could be otherwise.   Ryan Isaac (05:38) Yeah.   Yeah, I totally agree. I totally agree with that. We all know people who are in those group models that are still running like amazing, almost privately held practices. The other thing that's interesting that's different than medical, because it always gets compared to the medical field consolidation that happened, is medicine has a distinct difference and advantage in that they have hospital systems where gigantic campuses where they can house hundreds of doctors in one place, right?   It's just not that's not a thing in dentistry, which I think will will force it to stay a little unique, different than medical, because you can never have a giant campus building with, you know, 400 dentists. Yeah, like 500. I mean, I don't know. I guess never say never some some group might invent that and you know, like the dental campus of the city. I don't know. Yes, it's possible. But it seems a lot less likely. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (06:18) Mm-hmm.   500 off, you imagine?   Say hi.   I mean, dental schools have a lot, but   I'm like, okay, I think the piece that would be really hard is to justify 500 beds, like 500 ops. You've got your hygiene that's cranking. So you gotta have, in a 500 bed, would need, like, we can only see 500 patients a day. so you can only see if it's 500 a day, that's how many patients you could actually see. I don't think that would be a full city, and we're basically taking over whole city.   Ryan Isaac (06:55) Yeah.   No. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (07:03) And then you might   not be pulling out that much dentistry outside of all of that to be able to fill that many doctors in their schedules. Cause so much of it's hygiene run, it's like a two to one ratio that I think that would be the zone. ⁓   Ryan Isaac (07:07) No.   I love this analysis. Yeah, I   couldn't go that far, but there you go. That's exactly right. So I do think it'll stay different enough in nature because of that. ⁓ And yeah, I, to go back to the, love your question. We've been kicking this around a lot in dentists advisors and I want to reiterate the same thing. There's no judgment here. There's no right or wrong. For some people, it's absolutely the best decision to exit with the DSO and just find the right one. Take your time. ⁓   Kiera Dent (07:19) There you go.   I agree.   Ryan Isaac (07:43) to go through the deals with someone who really knows what deals look like, not just a friend or a CPA unless that CPA is looking at hundreds of deals. Call Brandon, right?   Kiera Dent (07:51) Seriously, I'm like, why? He's got like every flavor of ice cream available of DSOs for you. And like, what are your goals with your financial advisor? What do you need to retire? And then you make sure that the deal is going to actually get you that because like you said, Ryan, it's your greatest asset. And that's where to me, it breaks my heart when people do this. And I was actually, when we were talking about assets, ⁓ there was a stress test portfolio that I heard at a conference that I thought was really awesome that I think about often. so thinking about when you said like, we're investing into this stock.   Ryan Isaac (07:59) Yeah.   That's it.   Kiera Dent (08:20) portfolio, like we're basically putting so much of our biggest asset and so many of our dollars into one single stock. And they said, just stress test your portfolio. If my two biggest portions of my portfolio. Okay. So the two biggest portions right now. And I think about this often, even you and me, Ryan, if those two asset classes dropped yesterday, cause I always do like, if they dropped tomorrow and you're like, well, I'd freaking move things. No, if it dropped yesterday, so there's nothing you could do. Do you have the staying power for things to recover? So like, I don't need to liquidate my assets.   Ryan Isaac (08:24) in one single, yeah.   Mm.   Kiera Dent (08:50) can still have income from our other assets and buying assets that are down. So looking at that, and I think about that often, like, so if your biggest ones are in the stock market and in your DSO and both of those dropped yesterday, like that's all that's gone. Could you still be okay? And if not, maybe look at other ways to diversify that portfolio. I'm not an advisor, Ryan. So you speak to like, if you agree or disagree on that, because that's my thoughts on it.   Ryan Isaac (09:11) Yeah.   Although yeah, no,   that's a really ⁓ logical way to look at stress testing something. If the stock market disappeared as a whole yesterday, all, yeah, well, we just, every publicly traded company in the entire world would be gone simultaneously. We would all be in so much trouble. Like we just wouldn't have cell phone service or gasoline or, you know, like a million things. Yeah, for a minute.   Kiera Dent (09:26) You say that we're all gonna go to the apocalypse, like.   Good thing you're by the ocean. You at least have a good time there, Ryan. I need   to get out of Reno, Nevada for that one year fact alone.   Ryan Isaac (09:44) Yeah, yeah. For me, yeah,   it would work for a minute, but then we would have no grocery chains, there would be no shipping distribution, there'd be no trucking, there would be no like, you know, we'd be done within like a week. You know what I mean? So, but you're the logic of it is true. It's almost like what if we just looked at stress testing a deal, you know, and you said there's usually three parts in a DSO deal, there's the cash up front, there's usually some kind of earned back, or bonus system, that's usually a smaller piece. And then there's the equity piece.   And if one of those didn't exist, if one of those dropped off, what would this deal look like? And I think the question we have to ask is if the equity didn't hit, you know, if they don't get returns on multiples on their equity, like they're projecting and always, of course, the projections are huge, you know, always, always. If this does not come in like you expect, let's just say it's half of what they expected that which would be probably fair to say, or it's all you do is get your money back one day.   Kiera Dent (10:32) always.   Ryan Isaac (10:43) What does this now look like to you? Is this a survivable thing? And is this even something you would be interested in doing? But again, you said this before, I've been saying this, go talk to someone who knows what these deals look like, like Brandon. I'll give you an example. with a client a few weeks ago who had an offer. They were getting a lot of pressure from the group where this came from. They were kind of involved in like, well, I won't even say it. It was just a group of people of other dentists that were kind of pooling practices together. And this buyer,   Kiera Dent (10:50) you   Ryan Isaac (11:14) just a lot of pressure, a lot of hype, right? A lot of hype. And the deal as the details started coming through started smelling really weird. And even he was just like, I don't know. He talked to Brandon for 30 minutes and it became so obvious so quickly how bad this deal was. And now he's pushing the brakes a little bit. He's going to ramp up his profitability, work on the practices some more. He still wants to consider a sale, which is great with that's fine if that's still what you want to do.   Kiera Dent (11:38) Yep.   Ryan Isaac (11:43) But I think that conversation probably just saved him millions of dollars, literally in 30 minutes of conversation. So just talk to somebody, please, about these deals. There's every flavor out there. There's so many ways that they can twist and bend these things. And yeah, there's just a lot of moving pieces in there. So just be careful. Yeah, just talk to someone. Be careful.   Kiera Dent (12:02) I would like, and what   you said, also think like, make sure that you're also selling it for top dollar. This is something I really love about working with you guys, working with clients is if we know that there's a sell on the horizon, think one of the best things you can do is truly like pulling a consultant, pulling somebody. And like I was talking to a doctor the other day and they're like, KK, we want you to come in and help us like with our systems, but they're selling in a year. And I was like, well, respectfully as your consultant, I'm not going to sit here and deal with systems.   Ryan Isaac (12:13) Yes.   Please.   Kiera Dent (12:31) If you're selling to a DSO, odds are a lot of those systems they're gonna bring into you anyway. Our best thing we can do is make your life easy right now, boost your production, reduce your overhead, increase your EBITDA so you get top dollar on the sale while making it like amazing. Like we'll still put systems into place. We'll still take care of your hot fires with your team right now. But like, why not go, it's like, if I know I'm selling my house in a year and if I did a few things to make it exponentially higher.   Ryan Isaac (12:32) .   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (12:56) in the next year of my sell, why would I not do that now? And for us, it's not even like a house where I'm just painting the walls. We're literally boosting your production. We're pushing your overhead down. We're helping your whole team get on board for that. So that way your asset really is the best asset you can get. And we're not doing it in a hard way. So I know it feels like a push, but just know Dental A Team's way is ease. So it's like, it's going to be an exponential growth for you, but with like ridiculous ease. And most of our clients, we just did a huge study across the board of hundreds of our clients.   Ryan Isaac (13:13) Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (13:24) And on average, they're seeing a 30 % increase in their production and a reduction in their overhead within their first three to six months of working with us. So like even if you have a year or two year timeline, that right there, so getting the right deal, making sure you're selling it at top, like squeezing the juice out of every single thing we possibly can get out of your practice. ⁓ But then also I feel like what happens in that scenario, Ryan, I see it all the time, is when we come in and we like powerhouse it up with them.   Ryan Isaac (13:34) Thank   Kiera Dent (13:51) They're like, wow, I'm working two days a week and I would make what this DSO was going to offer me and I don't even have to work. Why would I get rid of this practice right now to the DSO? That happens more than I can tell you because it's like they didn't realize it could happen this way. And I'm like, just tell me what you want. Like you want the DSO, you want to work two days. Why don't we build you that right now and like keep the asset that you've got and sell it when you want, which is going to make you the same amount of money as the DSO, but it's on your terms.   Ryan Isaac (13:59) Yes. Yep.   all the time.   Kiera Dent (14:20) So I think that like people don't realize that you can have the benefits of the DSO today. I think the only piece you can't have like, but I give air quotes on can't is like, you still are an owner, but I'm like, there's literally ways for you to sell to partners, have it pay out to you. And you can actually get rid of that ownership piece if you don't want it ⁓ and still have it be the same type of a deal. I think like, don't forget that there's also deals outside of DSOs that you can do internally. ⁓   Ryan Isaac (14:26) Yep.   Kiera Dent (14:48) but it is shocking Ryan how many practice, like I had a doctor and he's like, Kara, I'm going to get 5 million for my practice on this. And I was like, rock on in two years, we literally will make you 5 million net post-tax in two years. was like, literally, and that's net that's post-tax like in two years. I was like, this is not a good deal for you financially if you're going after the financial dollar. So I think just be smart with how you look at this because I don't know, right. And you do it to me all the time. You're like, Kara, yeah, go sell.   Ryan Isaac (14:58) That's what you're make in two years of income. Yeah. Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (15:17) but you can also just get the life you want and have your practice and your business run differently, why not consider that scenario too? So I think.   Ryan Isaac (15:19) Yeah.   Yeah, I'm,   yeah, okay. Sorry, finish your thought. I just like what you just said. I just love that. I was gonna ask you this exact thing. I was gonna ask you this exact thing. I was gonna say, Kiera, aren't there ways someone could step back and pause and say, why am I interested in selling to a DSO and then just try to create it through the work you guys do easily?   Kiera Dent (15:27) Okay, so yeah, take it.   100 % and right you do   it to me all the time. You're like Kiera. Well, what would you want your life to look like if you were to sell it? I'm like, I would care if you stopped if you sold what would your life look like? And I'm like, I do this. I do this. I do this. You're like, all right, then why don't we just make your business do that today? I don't think people realize how like you can manipulate your business to truly support the life, the finances, everything you want. Like it's shocking. I'm like just basically give me the North Star and we will manipulate the entire thing for you.   Ryan Isaac (15:59) Just do it.   Yeah.   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (16:14) in ways you didn't even know. like, I need Ryan to know our North Star where we need to get. Then we break it down to your, like what lifestyle you want to have. And then we just crank, like, it's like shake and bake. It's such an easy thing for us to do. And we're still doing it with like amazing ethics. It's under your control. It's your culture. It's your business. It's your life. But I mean, I have a doctor who's producing over 5 million a year, working two days a week, taking home DreamPaycheck and they were going to sell it to a DSO. And I'm like, it took us two years to get them to the offer.   and they're like, they're so happy and they're able to now, like you said, I think one of the best pieces on this is they got everything that they would have gotten from the cell. But in addition to that, they didn't lose everything that they've built to where now they can go build and create, like you said, the two day a week practice where they're having it, but they've kept their huge asset over here. And so I just think like, I don't know. I feel like there's so many more options on the table than people necessarily think there are. And so.   Ryan Isaac (17:03) Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (17:12) Maybe don't listen to all the noise, be the smarter. It's like when everybody's doing X, maybe there's a Y that would actually benefit your life.   Ryan Isaac (17:16) Yeah. A million percent.   Yeah. I mean, Warren Buffett has a quote around that. It's a little bit different with stock market buys and sells and greed and fear. But yeah, that's exactly it. Yeah. I love that you said that. I assume. What are we like 45 minutes already? I assume that you probably want to wrap this thing up, but I wanted to end it with that exact question you went there, which is like, can't we do this? Can't you? No. I mean, that's not the job we do. The Dental A team can help design.   that what you're trying to accomplish that you think some private equity firms gonna come in and give you. And again, let's all just remember, private equity firms, ⁓ they don't love you.   Kiera Dent (17:57) It's true.   Ryan Isaac (17:58) They love your money   and they are not stupid. There's a reason why they gobble up every industry in the economy is because they make us believe they're just giving us sweetheart deals. Like, they're gonna give us so much money. Isn't it so crazy? Like, no, they're really smart. They're gonna get so much more money from you than you're gonna get from them. So if they want your thing so bad that they're gonna chase you down and send you offers and every time you decline, they're gonna be like, okay, wait, what about this one?   Kiera Dent (18:15) They are.   Ryan Isaac (18:26) They want it so bad. You must really be holding something really special. So how can you make that thing become your dream scenario without having to give it up? First, just consider that again, no judgment. There is no right or wrong. Maybe that is your path and that is best for you. Great. If you do the work and the, you know, the research and you're just sitting and you're asking smart people like here in the Dental A Team, you know, about all the details and you're asking yourself why through all this process, that's just, that's the whole thing. So I'm glad you   Kiera Dent (18:31) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   Ryan Isaac (18:56) Assuming we're ending it soon. I'm glad you ended it with that because that's what I was thinking about   Kiera Dent (19:01) Well, and I'm glad I'm going around the same beach because I feel like DSOs can be such a buzz. I think it's, I don't know. I just thought about, I remember when Jason and I were graduating from pharmacy school and we had a lot of debt on us and it was so tempting to go the 10 year loan forgiveness plan. So tempting. And Jason and I decided like, Hey, we don't want to like hope and bank that in 10 years, we're actually going to get all this paid off.   Ryan Isaac (19:07) yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (19:29) And if it doesn't happen, what's it going to cost us at that point? And so we elected to just go for it to pay for it and to basically have it like, it's within our control rather than someone else holding my future. And I think that's how I often live my life of like, is there a way that I can get my dream life or I'm not banking on someone else holding up their end of the deal, hoping and praying that their equity makes it and it's something that we can actually do with ease? Why not do that?   Ryan Isaac (19:33) Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (19:55) Ryan knows it was a huge issue with me and Jason for about a year to pay off his student loans, but the growth and the life that we were able to achieve that we wouldn't even be done. We still would not even be done with our debt right now. And it would have ballooned and not all of the debt's being eliminated. Like there's so many things around these loan forgiveness programs that I think about that with DSOs too. You have so much banked in, the hope, the promises, like everything has to go right for this huge multiple to have it there.   Ryan Isaac (20:07) yeah. Yeah.   Uh-huh.   Kiera Dent (20:24) Is there maybe a few other paths that you could look at that might get you what you ultimately want, give it to you with more control on your side, and also be able to allow you just more flexibility and freedom. Again, no judgment. think what Ryan and I are trying to bring to the table is maybe just consider looking at things differently to see what's the best path for you. And I say like, right back at you, Ryan, use your financial advisors, know what your magic number is, know what you need, and then figure out which option is going to be that.   Ryan Isaac (20:48) Yeah.   Kiera Dent (20:52) while also providing you the dream life that you want. So Ryan, thanks for the riff today. It was a solid time.   Ryan Isaac (20:54) Yep. Thank you.   It almost felt like planned. was so smooth.   Kiera Dent (21:01) So, mean, it does help when we're good like peanut butter jelly. Like we're very aligned on how we see, that's why I think our clients work so well together because like Denali team clients going to Dentist advisors, it's amazing. We think on similar investment strategies and like just the planning and the protecting clients. And on the other side, it's, Hey, here's our financial number. Denali team literally can like give the gas and give the pieces to it of tactical. So thanks Ryan. was a good time.   Ryan Isaac (21:04) Yep.   Hmm.   We all want to do. Yeah.   Yeah. Yeah. We want to grow and protect that business and make it, you know, it's your whole life. Make it as good as you possibly can. You guys are so good at that.   Kiera Dent (21:34) Great.   Well, Ryan, if people are interested in connecting with you, how do they get connected? Because again, I think for me, before I even talked to DSOs, I always tell them like talk to your financial advisor, figure out your project number. That way you actually can then have even one filter on what deals you're looking for, what plan you need your business to be. So Ryan, how do they connect with you?   Ryan Isaac (21:41) Yeah, totally.   Million   percent. So I'll always say friends of the Dental A Team always can email me directly. I'll always have a conversation with anyone no matter what you're looking for. You don't have to be trying to hire a financial advisor. You might just have a few questions and I will always get on the phone and talk to someone. Just email me directly if you ever want to. Ryan at Dentist Advisors dot com. It's with an O.R.S. You can all just also just go to our website dentist advisor dot com. have   probably thousands of hours of free content on there, podcasts, articles, webinars, everything. You can book a consultation with our whole team there at any time. go learn as much as you want, listen to anything, tons of free stuff on there, but that's the best thing. I'm always happy to have a conversation.   Kiera Dent (22:29) It's amazing. And just so you know, Ryan does not take very many clients. So that's why I love him being on here. He's one of the founders. I think Ryan's one of the smartest people I've ever met. So definitely take him up on it. I know tons of our clients love meeting with Ryan because Ryan will tell you like, Hey, you don't need me or Hey, here's someone better for you. So I think it's just like, you're just an incredible human who ultimately cares and loves about these dentists, which is why I just appreciate you. So check him out. Yeah, of course. And for everyone listening, thank you for listening and we'll catch you next time.   Ryan Isaac (22:31) Yeah.   I do. Yep, I do. Thank you. Thank you.   Kiera Dent (22:59) the Dental A Team Podcast.  

This week on the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Ryan break down the complexities of life insurance for dentists. They explore how to determine the right amount of coverage, the risks of being under- or over-insured, and why spousal income and business value matter in the equation. They also touch on the history of life insurance and some common rules of thumb. Tune in for insights about the importance of planning for risks and having regular financial reviews to protect your family's financial future. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Kiera is joined by Ryan Isaac of Dentist Advisors to dive into DSOs. They discuss such questions as: Are they the best financial choice for your practice? The best life choice? Are the horror stories true? And so many more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and I am freaking jazzed for today's podcast. It has been way too long. Me and this guest talk quite often on like life and personal and business, but podcasting it's been a hot minute. I've got Ryan Isaac from Dentist Advisors, my personal advisor, one of my dearest friends. I think we're siblings in another life. Ryan, welcome to the show today. How are you?   Ryan Isaac (00:07) Mm-hmm.   Thank   Thank you.   I'm really good. just realized I was trying to hit mute and cough, but I hit like a chapter marker instead. So there you go. To your listeners or your ⁓ editing team, then there's a chapter marker while I'm coughing. So in your intro. Yeah. Tis the season.   Kiera Dent (00:35) You're welcome. Yeah, that's fine. I'm   okay with it. This is real life. We're sitting on, I mean, Ryan, you're sitting on the couch. I should get like my posh chair. I've been considering changing up my podcasting zone. Yeah, of course. All of us can see it. We're excited for that.   Ryan Isaac (00:40) Hahaha   Can I show you? Can I just give you a little vibe check here? I mean, it's actually, that's   the ocean. I'm on a little summer getaway for a second. So yeah. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (00:54) my gosh.   That's amazing. So that's Ryan's   life. Ryan's living his rich life over there. He's like truly. So, okay. If you're new to the podcast, Ryan is my personal advisor. Like truly he actually works on. We talk about my life. He's helped me make some really good decisions and not make some bad decisions. So I feel like financial advisors. My best advice is you gotta just find someone you trust. And I know Ryan is way more conservative than me, but cares about me as an individual so strongly. And Ryan, huge kudos to you.   And so we talk about it a lot, but something we talk often is like, what's our rich life? And I remember Ryan for years, you were like living in your van, truly driving to California all the time to be by the beach, because you love surfing so much. So it just makes me so happy to see that you are living your best life by the ocean. You're doing what you teach all of your clients to do of living their version of a best life. Something that we try to do in dentistry and dental team too, like, hey, let's help your business provide you the best dream life you want. So that's Ryan.   Ryan Isaac (01:36) Yeah.   Thank you.   Yeah, yeah.   Yeah, thank you. And there's no there's no right way to do that. I mean, everyone has their own thing that's worth the money or worth spending on. We're just kind of joking around about this, too. There are people who will sit in ⁓ small rentals or apartments on millions of dollars because to them having lots of security and liquidity is more valuable than houses or everyone's got something different. But, you know, we're all we're all chasing it, hopefully.   Kiera Dent (01:57) Catch y'all.   I think it's called the like emotional ROI and what helps you sleep at night in your financial world. So Ryan and I usually get on the podcast and we'll talk about finances. I mean, obviously dentist advisors, Ryan do a spiel. What is dentist advisors? Just so people know. I think you guys are financial advisors for dentists specifically. I'm not a dentist, but I can speak honestly, but a spiel. And then we're going to actually go like a hard left turn of what we're going to talk about today. Like really.   Ryan Isaac (02:26) Ooh. Uh-huh.   Yeah. Thank you. ⁓   Yeah, yeah, our   on ramps coming up here really soon. We got to get over it. We got to get into the right lane. Dentist advisor started ⁓ almost A Team years ago now with me and Reese Harper. Shout out to Reese Harper. And yeah, we were dedicated to being ⁓ an independent fiduciary fee only ⁓ advisor for dentists to manage investments and give financial advice. Ultimately,   Kiera Dent (02:51) Yep.   Shout out to Reese.   Ryan Isaac (03:17) you know, a dentist path through school and debt and taxes and all the stuff they go through, ⁓ you know, buying a practice, building businesses. There's no reason why all of that should not pay off every it should pay off for every dentist. There is enough money to be made in dentistry. And so our job really and you kind of said this with the you know, in the intro, ⁓ I really do feel like just protecting my clients, you know, and that's a philosophy that we've.   built into our business. There's no reason why dentists shouldn't make it to the life they want and to the finish line financially. so, you know, ⁓ it's more about consistent, small, good decisions for long periods of time and avoiding like a few big mistakes that could derail you forever. So yeah, we have a custom financial planning process, ⁓ a lot of like reporting and data, and we just manage and track ⁓ dentist finances and make sure they end up in a good spot, safe and healthy and   Happy, hopefully.   Kiera Dent (04:15) which I love about you guys, Ryan, and I really think you guys do a great job. And this is something you've taught me. And we have a friend who said a great quote that I feel should be your quote. I can't give it like, so you can take it and like make your version. But they said like regular investing is like vanilla ice cream. It won't make anyone jealous, but it always tastes good. And I felt like that's such a great way to look at how you've taught me how to invest. ⁓ At the end of the day, it's just a small, consistent thing. So I think Dentist advisors does really well. And Ryan, something you've done for me. ⁓   Ryan Isaac (04:24) well. Okay, okay.   Mm.   Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.   .   Kiera Dent (04:44) Like it's so dumb, but I know you're watching me and I know like when I, like you're really not watching me, but I feel like you're watching me.   Ryan Isaac (04:49) Yeah, well, let's   hold that disclaimer here for a second. I see your numbers. I see your accounts. I see your emails. Every time you save money, I'm like, Kiera, good job in the email thread. Gold stars. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (04:53) Like, I know he's not, like, he watches my account for sure.   That's   all it is. And I just know having Ryan there where I need to send it in every single month of what we're going to invest. We've talked about the plan has been such a game changer for me. So that's why I love Dentist Advisors. And like we said, we're now like taking our off ramp because Ryan and I want to talk about DSO sales. I think this definitely implies to a financial advisor. We have a lot of clients that we send to Dentist Advisors. We work such hand in hand with both sides. Like we love what you guys do. You love what we do. It's   Ryan Isaac (05:19) Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (05:30) Truly like the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich or whatever your favorite. If you want this to be meat and cheese, peanut butter and honey, whatever it is, I think it's the best duo. Yeah, exactly. That is the best. Captain Crunch, but would you rather Captain Crunch or Reese's? Or.   Ryan Isaac (05:37) Captain Crunch in 2 % milk, you know.   No. I would actually say   fruity or cocoa pebbles, to be honest with you. Or cinnamon toast crunch. Can we arrive there? Okay.   Kiera Dent (05:52) We both disagree on that. So cool. Okay, can handle Golden   Grahams or are we like back to the s'mores run? Remember the s'mores Golden Graham?   Ryan Isaac (06:00) Yeah, I do remember   the scores. How are we like not landing on the same one at all? What about honey butches of oats? Wow. Okay. ⁓   Kiera Dent (06:05) It's okay. That's fine. I'm not like the biggest serial fan and I go through phases. I love Lucky Charms, but I'm not joking.   Those marshmallows give me the chills. Like I can't crunch into it without it being like full body chills. So I don't know. weird. But back on this. So we've actually had a lot of clients that are debating of do I sell? I sell to a DSO? And I'm like, talk to freaking Ryan.   Ryan Isaac (06:18) Yeah, it's like biting Styrofoam. Okay. All right. Okay. Okay. Anyway. Yeah. Yeah.   you   Kiera Dent (06:32) I don't know what you want to do for your retirement. I have no clue how this is gonna impact you with your taxes. I don't know all the stuff, but what I do know is I'm a freaking miracle girl, so we're gonna get you top dollar for your cell, but like let's talk DSO. Cause also like DSO to not DSO, like I don't know Ryan, there's a million things. So let's Rift. You wanted to talk about this. I love this. Let's do it.   Ryan Isaac (06:41) Yes.   Yeah, yeah. Yeah,   well, and so you said something a few minutes ago about ⁓ dentist investments. And yeah, like our job is to help manage investment money for people ⁓ in a really long term kind of boring way, if we're being honest. But yeah, it's very yeah, it's just like it'll be there forever. Just let it do its thing. But the biggest investment any owner is going to have is their practice. And that is the thing   Kiera Dent (07:08) vanilla ice cream ish.   Ryan Isaac (07:18) is why you and a team is so important because the thing they should protect above everything is their practice investment, their business investment. There's nothing more impactful to a dentist's entire life and not just their money, but their entire lifestyle, probably their mental health, their wellbeing, where and who they spend their time with. So it is by far the most important factor in all of this. And so the world that we're in now is that   DSOs are an option to sell to, to work with, to become a part of. They are in some shape or form, you know, supposed to become the majority of the industry in the future. I think that's a broad category. think the category is more like group practice will become the majority of the industry. I'd love to hear what stats you've heard and what you actually see. think people talk about, you know, 60 to 70 % consolidation in the industry.   becoming some kind of DSO or group practice. ⁓ yeah.   Kiera Dent (08:19) Yeah, I was actually at an AI conference with   that just literally this last week. And they said that they're estimating 65 % of the market will become in the DSL world in the next like five to 10 years. So I think a lot of people are expecting, which is so funny to me because I remember, gosh, I think I was Mark, this is a long time ago, we were at the dental college. And so we're probably talking like,   Ryan Isaac (08:32) Uh-huh.   Yeah, okay.   Kiera Dent (08:46) 2018, 2019, I remember talking to the students, like, what do you think is gonna happen? And I'm like, I know I'm unpopular, because even Mark wasn't on board with this. And I'm like, I think I'm unpopular, but I'm pretty confident DSOs will be the future. And they're like, you're full of it. They're like, there's no way. And I'm like, I mean, I'm not emotionally invested in this, but if I look at what's going on, my husband's in healthcare. This is what happened to pharmacies. This is what happened to mom and pop shops, like for medical.   Ryan Isaac (08:57) Mmm.   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (09:14) I cannot think for one second the dentistry and with the EBITDA like offers that you're getting, it doesn't matter. And Jason, were talking about this the other night. I'm like, even if doctors want to have a legacy practice, that's great. You sell to this person, but this person now is younger. They have more debt and DSOs is like one bad day and this DSOs right on their doorstep. They're going to sell. Like it's just, I mean, you've got to some really strong guts around you to not think about a DSO. And I think DSOs,   Ryan Isaac (09:42) Hmm.   Kiera Dent (09:44) can often hit you at emotional times. Like Brian, you know me. There have been times that I told you like someone offered me a buck for Dental A Team, they could have it like one bad day. It's just like shirt. Like everybody has it in business ownership. So I think that that's where the DSOs are super attractive to people. But like I was talking to an office yesterday who's considering working with us and they're like have a one year buyout. And they're like, we're thinking about doing this DSO. And I was like, all right, but like what's your ultimate end game? What are you trying to achieve?   Ryan Isaac (09:46) Mm-hmm.   yeah. Yeah. yeah. We all have those days. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (10:12) you met with other people to talk about DSOs, there are other options and he's like, well, it's too big for these partners to buy. I'm like, well, it's actually not like there's ways for partners to buy you out if you want. think it's just, DSOs feel like the easy button, but I don't know if they're really easy. And I think that that's where I'm a little bit on the fence and I'm super jazzed for us to rift on. Is it really the best financial choice? Is it the best life choice? I don't know, Ryan, you know, the finances more than I do. just.   Ryan Isaac (10:14) It's on.   Mm-hmm.   Same. Yeah.   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (10:40) I do good job of helping people get their assets where they want them to be. So they have choices and options of what they want to do.   Ryan Isaac (10:42) You do.   Yeah, so I think, you know, it makes a lot of logical sense, especially the way it started with DSOs, that it would have gobbled up a lot of the industry. Hearing 70 % made a lot of sense to me. Maybe we're just in a dip in a lull, which we totally have become, we've entered into that because of the, you know, the debt and rate situation that happened over last few years in inflation and, you know, just interest rates. Money got really expensive. It was hard for a lot of companies to grow across a lot of industries.   And, uh, but, and I, I'm, uh, I want to say these statistics correctly, uh, from smarter people than me in the DSO space. I think there's something like maybe, you know, 350 to 400 technical DSOs in the country right now. And I've heard in multiple sources that up to a third of them are in some kind of financial receivership right now. Meaning, and I know you've seen this with clients too. DSOs have grown and they purchase and they borrowed money and then   rates hit them and they grew too fast. They went ahead of themselves and they defaulted. And ⁓ there are some major DSOs, huge ones that I did not ever think would happen that went into default that are going bankrupt that are changing ownership. ⁓ People are losing their equity money, they're not going to get their payouts. ⁓ And they're they don't own their practices anymore. I mean, there, we have some clients in that situation. So   Yes to the consolidation in the future of that because of just that's the nature of economy sometimes in industries. And I don't know if it's going to hit 70. I don't know. It makes me wonder. ⁓ Those multiples are down a lot than they than they used to be. And they'll probably you know, they'll probably fluctuate, come back up a little bit more when money gets easier. ⁓   Kiera Dent (12:22) I don't know anything.   Ryan Isaac (12:36) Also, I think people are getting a little bit wiser to it. Do you see this? I mean, let's say three to five years ago, it was the most exciting thing to get an offer sheet across your desk and be like, know, some multiple of you, but this is insane, I'm done. I do find people way more hesitant and not as excited about that number anymore. What have you seen with that when people see those initial numbers?   Kiera Dent (12:47) Made it.   think people are way smarter. think the grads coming out of school have been trained on business a lot more than say dentists 20, 34 years ago are trained and not to say dentists 20, 30 years ago weren't. I just think it wasn't like we weren't talking EBITDAs. You weren't selling like this. So you didn't there was no need for it. ⁓ And I think in the past, I think the reason people are more skeptical right now, Ryan, is because they're hearing the like horror stories coming through. So people are like, hold on. Maybe it's not as like   Ryan Isaac (13:12) It's different. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (13:28) rosy as it was. I honestly like DSOs might be a little bit of dentistry's dirty secret. Like there's a small piece of me feeling that way and not all DSOs I'm not here to blanket statement it, but I do think there's like, think the dentist is the one getting ripped off in the whole scenario. like, because Ryan helped me, this is where I, guys welcome. This is what Ryan and I used to talk about off camera, but I'm just going to like have the conversation here because I'm curious. So your clients, okay, so hold on.   Ryan Isaac (13:43) Mm-hmm.   Yeah, let's do it. Yeah, huh?   Kiera Dent (13:58) answer your question, no, they're not as excited about it. And also I think that they're being flooded with a bajillion offers. And so almost like overwhelm of who the heck do I have? Who do I trust? Who do I know? 400 DSOs out there. They're being bombarded every single day. I have heard dentists tell me they get four to five offers every single day of a DSO, which is why I'm like one bad day, you click open an email and like bottom, bottom, there you go. So I do think Bron and Man.   Ryan Isaac (14:02) Yes.   Yep. Yeah.   Yeah, you're done. Like, yeah, that's the buyer. Yeah, take it. Yeah.   Kiera Dent (14:22) Brandon Moncrief with Dental Transitions is probably the smartest DSO man I've met and I think you and I have circled. He's really brilliant on like who he knows offers that you can get like he kind of knows how to navigate the DSO world of what you want, which I think is awesome. But what I'm curious on Ryan. Okay, so you said you have clients. So when you sell to a DSO, there's lots of different makeups of how they can do these deals for you. But let's say there's I think the most standard one I usually hear is they pay you about 50 % of your practice is worth like you're giving it to them.   Ryan Isaac (14:24) Yes.   Yeah, I still send people there. Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (14:52) You also have them 50 % in equity in their business, hoping like with stock shares, hoping that it builds and that's like basically your payout. So it helps with tax. It helps with like future investments of the EBITDA. Those are the things that they're going to be dealing with. But my question is, so like your clients, they sold, they don't own their practices anymore. They're an associate there now ⁓ and they're getting paid. They don't have to do the management, billing's taken off of them, hiring, all that. But let's say these, so let's say I sold to Ryan Isaac DSO.   Ryan doesn't have a DSO just for clarity, but let's pretend I'm dentist. We got to make sure I don't want him getting in trouble. He's a financial advisor. So Ryan doesn't have it. okay, we're selling, okay, lies. We're selling it to Captain Crunch DSO. All right, let's just go safe. Captain Crunch DSO. Captain Crunch buys me. I'm now, I got my 50 % payout. have 50 % equity in Captain Crunch DSO and I'm now working as a dentist there, but I don't own my practice anymore.   Ryan Isaac (15:23) Yeah, just so we're clear here. Yeah, yeah. I've highly regulated. Yeah, might be in trouble for that.   Kiera Dent (15:49) Captain Crunch DSO is growing, growing, growing. Everything's looking good. I've got my stock in it. Captain Crunch loses its funding. They go bankrupt. What happens to me? Because odds are they go bankrupt. Another like lucky charms DSO is going to come buy Captain Crunch. Like they get a penny, dollar. What happens to me as the dentist when Captain Crunch goes under, but then lucky charms comes to buy me. How does that work for me as a dentist?   Ryan Isaac (16:02) Yeah.   Yeah,   I'm watching that happen right now with a gigantic national specialty DSO with some clients. And what has happened is that their equity money is likely gone. So they got their payout money.   Kiera Dent (16:19) Mm-hmm.   Even   with Lucky Charms coming in to buy it. My equity money's gone because it was with Captain Crunch. Do you love that I did cereal for you?   Ryan Isaac (16:28) Thank   I love it. It's so good. And I'm trying   to like, like who's more evil in this hierarchy, you know?   Kiera Dent (16:35) I think Lucky Charms isn't more evil. Lucky Charms is one who capitalized. They saw a dill. They don't care about the dentist. I'm not saying that they don't, but it's like hungry, hungry hippos. One goes out, someone's going to come buy it all. That's what they're going to do.   Ryan Isaac (16:37) Who's more well capitalized? Yeah.   Yeah.   Yeah.   Yeah, this   would be such a good question for Brandon again, and I'll just second that every time someone has questions about deals, or they want to compare things, ⁓ or get to know the space a lot more, I send them to Brandon. So just find Brandon Monacree, if he's on all over the internet and all of our content. Yeah, there you go. So it depends on the structure of the deal. It depends on the fine print and the paperwork. ⁓ In the ones I'm seeing right now, these dentists   Kiera Dent (17:04) dentaltransitions.com. Yeah, he's everywhere.   Ryan Isaac (17:17) lot, their practices are not there. So their practices are still gone. And they likely are not going to they're definitely not going to get any return on their equity. Some of them depending on how early they got in might get their equity back or, or parts of their equity back. But a lot of it's just, you know, when another company when a big financial company comes in to save a bankrupt company, it's ruthless, you know, I mean, they're they're cutting and they're scrapping   as much as they possibly legally can. they'll do that, of course, because that's good business for them. So what I'm seeing, and again, I'll just say that it's probably different in every single scenario of this. But what I'm seeing is one that happens. ⁓ These dentists are losing their practices, they're not getting any return on their equity money, and many of them probably won't even get their full equity back. Luckily, some of my clients that I'm thinking of were in early enough and the fine print of their deals was good enough that they're going to get some of their equity money back.   Kiera Dent (17:48) course.   Ryan Isaac (18:15) ⁓ that's it. They're done. So what really happened in that transaction was they got front loaded a certain amount of years of income, paid some taxes, paid off their debts and lost their practices and worked a job for three or four years at a very low salary compared to what they produce. ⁓ many of them got really burned out, bombed out, kind of lost their fire and spark for the work. ⁓   And they're back to square one. Some of them have enough money to be finished. What is interesting though is even the ones who have enough money to be finished are still contemplating starting or buying another practice where they can legally and doing like a really chill lifestyle two day a week thing. Really common. Other people will fully lose their equity. And in a situation, again, back to your point, a lot of people are   Kiera Dent (18:54) and   Ryan Isaac (19:05) Maybe it's not as excited about this. The multiples aren't what they were. Then they could come back. I don't know. A lot of people just say the longer this goes, the smaller the multiples will become, which is, yeah. No, we're definitely not. And so now we're talking about an offer where someone's coming to you to take away like your main, main asset, your cash cow, the biggest thing in your whole life. They're going to front load five or six years of income. You have to pay taxes and pay off your debt with that money first.   Kiera Dent (19:13) which I would agree on that completely. I don't think we're half as high.   Ryan Isaac (19:33) The deals that you mentioned, some are 50-50. I've seen them in thirds where it's like third buyout, third earn out where you have to keep producing and then a third equity. I've seen them 70-30, 60-40. They can really be any shape or size. ⁓ Yeah, but they're smaller. And so now we're talking about, you know, five or six years of front loaded income. You pay taxes, pay off your debt, and then you just hope that this company that bought you and essentially what's happening if you think about it.   Kiera Dent (19:48) They really are.   Ryan Isaac (20:02) You're taking like seven figures of money and you're putting it into a single stock. You're investing into a single stock and it's a very small privately held company. I know it feels safe and secure because it's your field, it's dentistry, know, all these things are, but you're taking seven figures of your money and you're putting into one single company where right now maybe up to a third of these companies are failing.   Kiera Dent (20:08) Thank   Ryan Isaac (20:30) It's not not a gamble, you know, and the whole kicker in all these deals, as you know, and your audience knows, Kiera is all in that equity piece. Everything else is just front loading your income for the next five or six years and taking away your ownership. And then, you know, really changing the nature of your career and your work. And it really does change people. It changes. And I'm not saying it's always for the worse, but it is change changes, teams changes, the patient experience changes, the culture and the vibe.   Kiera Dent (20:34) huh. ⁓ huh.   Mm-hmm.   Ryan Isaac (21:00) And so if that one little equity piece does not pan out the way that they say it's going to, ⁓ you know, that's the part that everyone's kind of wising up to. And if you're under, let's say, your late 50s, if you're younger than your late 50s, I think it's becoming a tougher decision for people to make. in late 50s or above, it's kind of like, I'm done anyway in three or four or five years. Might as well get top dollar.   even if the equity doesn't fully pan out all the way, it might be more than a private buyer. But even then, I've seen the math on a lot of things and like, it's close. And yeah, you've seen it all too. So yeah, it's tough. It's tough to watch the ones that fail. ⁓ Some of these, some of these, and you've probably seen, we're not going to name anybody, but you've probably seen them too. Huge practices, multi-location, huge DSOs that now...   Kiera Dent (21:25) Mm-hmm.   Agreed.   Mm-hmm.   Ryan Isaac (21:52) own these practices. And okay, here's a question for you. What do you think is going to happen, let's say 10 years down the road or longer, when all these DSOs have been bought by the next company and been bought by the next company? And then in the end, some like third and fourth party removed private equity firm, international private equity firms holding 10s of 1000s of dental practices around the country?   What is that like in the industry? mean, you're in the practice as you know that you're like in the heartbeat of that. What does that mean for the industry? What does that feel like? Does it feel weird?   Kiera Dent (22:27) It does feel weird. And I think this is where I've been, I don't know, Ryan, you know me. just sit over here and think of ideas all day long. I've been like, how can we like, hi, I'm Kiera. I live in Reno, Nevada right now. It's like, how can some, I feel like I'm like Dorothy in Kansas right now. It's fine. It wasn't the destination, but it ended up being, it's fine. It's got really great. No state income tax. All right. That's really one of the main reasons we're here. It's not.   Ryan Isaac (22:42) I like to write now by the way. Just a little shout out. like to write now. Yeah. Loud and clear. Yeah.   Yeah, fine. It's pretty in some seasons. There you   Kiera Dent (22:55) But it's okay. We have Lake Tahoe. ⁓   Ryan Isaac (22:55) go. Okay. Okay. All right. Okay.   Kiera Dent (22:59) But only half of Lake Tahoe because California owns the other half. So it's okay. But I've thought about it. like, how can, like, it's like I'm Dorothy in Wizard of Oz right now. It's like, how can we somehow influence these private equity firms? And there might be no way. But these are the questions I think of often, because I do think if we're not careful, it will radically shift the way dentistry is done. And it will turn into a business rather than into our   Ryan Isaac (23:02) Yeah, you're half.   Okay.   Kiera Dent (23:24) our healthcare profession. I mean, I look at modern medicine, my husband's in it and it is a freaking drill machine. Like his number one thing was patient productivity and they had to have so many patients, otherwise they were going to fire providers. And their providers worked hard. They weren't getting paid what they like want to get paid. And so I'm actually watching in healthcare, lots of my friends in healthcare, nurse practitioners, doctors branch off and go open up their own practices because they're sick of working in modern medicine. So I'm like,   Ryan Isaac (23:24) Mm-hmm.   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (23:51) if we can look at modern medicine and see how the healthcare system has been working and how can we do something now as like you said, third, fourth remove private equity, owning all these dental practices, like is there a path? And I don't know, right? Like this is I feel like I'm like Dorothy sitting in Kansas of like how on earth can we influence it? But I'm like, if enough brilliant people start thinking this way, what can we do now to show that you can be profitable and ethical and still give great dentistry where we're not having to like,   Ryan Isaac (24:08) Hmm.   Yeah.   Kiera Dent (24:21) not running it like a private equity business, but still showing. so Britt was like, we need to become the Wegmans. Like, have you been like up north, like Wegmans is an amazing grocery store. They're not the biggest, but they still are ethical. And I'm like, if we even had a few private equity that's third and fourth removed that would still run practices that way, I think dentistry would still feel the same. Something else though, that I think of like new dentists coming in that I think is really paramount is you've got to look at the future of the industry. I think the current doctors,   Ryan Isaac (24:39) Mm-hmm.   Kiera Dent (24:50) that have been in dentistry have like safeguarded and kept dentistry like we're healthcare when we want to be and we're not healthcare when it doesn't benefit us. Like we literally have straddled the spine line. It's still a little bit of the wild wild west dentistry is not as regulated as far as like our fees and like what we're able to charge in every single practice and like insurance is schmuck. get it. But I'm like, you also only have $2,000 of max most of the time that we're dealing with rather than it being like a hundred percent of what your patient base is and like what the patients are paying out. So I'm like,   Ryan Isaac (25:11) Yeah.   Kiera Dent (25:19) I feel the pioneers of dentistry have actually done a really good job of setting it up to where dentistry is still very profitable. It's still able to be its own thing that I'm like, let's, again, I feel like I'm like Dorothy sitting on my soap box in the middle of prairie fields and saying like, hey, why don't we take a pause and just think of like, what's the future of dentistry as now the future pioneers of dentistry? And what are we going to do to our profession? Yes, there's top dollar. Yes, there's things about it, but is there a way to influence?   and make sure that the integrity of dentistry can maintain long-term. I have no answer to that, but again, this is Kiera Dent sitting on my podcast where I think that there is a voice and an influence and like on Dentist Advisors podcast, is there a way that we can influence our industry in ways that will protect and still pay out? Because I'm like, even if you don't get the 10X EBITDA, you still can get a freaking great payout if you do your life right to where you can be financially set up.   Ryan Isaac (25:51) Mm-hmm. ⁓   Kiera Dent (26:17) still be able to sell your practice, not have to sell it in ways that could potentially hurt the industry. I'm not saying one's the right answer or the wrong answer. There's no judgment on my side. It's just, let's maybe think and consider how it could influence. Can we get people that could be private equity higher up that could help protect it? Those are things that, and again, I'm just Kiera Dent here in Reno,   Ryan Isaac (26:22) Mm-hmm. Yeah.   Same, okay.   Okay. Yes.   Kiera Dent (26:38) Yeah, of course. And for everyone listening, thank you for listening and we'll catch you next time.   Ryan Isaac (26:37) Thank you.   Kiera Dent (26:42) the Dental A Team Podcast.  

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt and Rabih explore the wide-ranging impact of AI on the economy, including its effects on interest rates, unemployment, and overall productivity. They also talk about some of the challenges AI poses for the job market—particularly for new graduates. Finally, they discuss the role of active investment management in a changing market and stress the importance of consistently tracking personal financial data to drive real progress. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt, Jake, and Christine unpack a real-life case study of a dentist who was approached with a roll-up offer from a DSO. They discuss the fine print behind private equity deals, the financial structure, emotional impacts, and the long-term implications of selling to private equity. This episode explores what dentists need to know before signing a deal and why protecting independent ownership still matters. If you're considering a DSO offer, tune in to hear this case study. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, LIVE from the 2025 Dentist Money Summit in Park City, UT, Matt and Rabih unpack recent economic developments—including the Fed's decision to hold interest rates steady. They also talk about Warren Buffett's retirement from Berkshire Hathaway and the long-term challenges facing Social Security. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of The Dentist Money Show, dive in with Matt, Taylor, and Will as they break down the risks of applying general financial advice to highly specific situations–especially for dentists. Context matters when listening to advice, tips, and tricks given out on social media and playing the long game is especially important. Tune in to hear why timeless financial principles still matter, how to vet advice online and what to watch out for in the age of influencers. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads his article where he explains how dentists often retire late due to lifestyle inflation, underestimating retirement needs, and poor financial planning. He offers some strategies, like the “30x Rule” and highlights how better spending habits can help dentists retire on time. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt, Lauren, and Rabih discuss the latest trade deal with China and its potential impact on tariffs and consumer prices. They examine rising geopolitical tensions between Israel and Iran and what these developments could mean for global markets. Finally, they dive into consumer trends in air travel preferences and answer the ongoing question: should you pay off your mortgage early?  Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Dr. Vivek Solanki from Polaris Healthcare Partners joins Matt this week on the Dentist Money Show to dive into the vital role clinical management plays in the success of dental practices. Sharing his experience, Dr. Solanki unpacks the impact of poor clinical leadership on both patient care and business outcomes. He talks about the balance dentists must find between clinical excellence and business strategy. Tune in to hear insights on the challenges of shifting practice culture and why collaboration and support are crucial to sustainable growth. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Tiff and Britt dive into the nitty-gritty details of turning all that CE energy you have into an implementable system in your practice. They give insight on establishing a point person, training the team, identifying patients, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:01) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. Thank you for being back here with me and I have Miss Brittany Stone. What is it? No BS Brit. Miss BS Brit. I don't remember what Carrie calls you. This is one of them, right? One of them. But also soon to be Grand Canyon champion. If you didn't listen to our case acceptance one, go listen and hopefully soon we will have some results from Brit killing it. Yeah, you will be a survivor.   Britt (00:10) What fun of them!   Winner survivor. One of the two. At least one.   The Dental A Team (00:29) but then I wanna know how much you sleep on Saturday when you're done. So that'll be the big question. Exactly, yeah, how long does it take for you to get back on the bike once you're done? But thank you for being here with us today, Britt. I think we've gotten, I love podcasting with you, your hygiene brain, like Dana's hygiene brain, you guys just kind of come at it from a different angle. I know the rest of us all have dental assisting backgrounds and.   Britt (00:32) Yeah, like that. I if I can reach my legs or not.   The Dental A Team (00:55) you know, hygiene assisting, but that hygienist brain just shares a different section. ⁓ And I think you do really well relating with the doctors and kind of that support team space like we spoke to on the case acceptance one. So I'm excited for today, Brett. Thank you for being here. ⁓ You've got the Grand Canyon, but like, gosh, what else is what else is new and exciting? You just went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants not too long ago. So that's true.   Britt (01:21) conferences, I went to PNDC, that   was a good time. Luckily it was gorgeous weather there. mean, podcasting today is special. I wear my tooth earrings for us today since we're podcasting, know, just lots of fun things.   The Dental A Team (01:35) Getting a little fancy. I like it. And you guys, so you just went to that conference, you went to the Arizona Dental Convention that was in March, right? I think that one's always March for like the last, I don't know, 50 years. It's always been in March. ⁓ And then you just went to the other one and then you're heading out again in a couple weeks to dentist advisors. Yeah.   Britt (01:55) Yeah, Dentist Money Summit   is by Dentist Advisors, which will be in gorgeous Park City, Utah. So, you know, it's a rough life over here.   The Dental A Team (02:01) Yeah, I   know, right? And actually it's perfect timing because they, I think we've all like our, our seasons were a little bit off this year. So we are barely getting hot, which normally we're at like 110 already, um, which has been fantastic in Arizona, but that meant that Nevada and, um, Salt Lake area, both Reno and Salt Lake area have had snow longer. So I think you're going to hit Salt Lake for Dentist Money Summit right as the like peak.   summer season starts. So you're gonna get some beautiful weather and I'm a little jealous. I will be in California or something like that. But anyways, somewhere.   Britt (02:36) somewhere else. It'll be great.   And my second, my nephew, second of my nieces and nephews graduate. So I won't go to graduation, but I'll get to go. I'm like, I'll be coming like a couple weeks later to see you. So I'll go get to see them while I'm up there too.   The Dental A Team (02:50) Okay.   Okay, good, good. I was like, wait a second, how do we get you there? That's good.   Britt (02:55) I'm not fighting the crowd up there for graduation,   which he's like, mom, everybody graduates. I'm like, no, it's still a big deal. We'll just celebrate when I come see you on my own instead of along with everybody else.   The Dental A Team (03:06) gosh,   that's funny. I was just talking over the weekend, we had a graduation party that we had to drop in on yesterday. So was like, gosh, I'm gonna have to, which is, I don't like thinking about it, but I have to start thinking about it that Brody's in a year. So was like, Aaron's like, is he gonna want a party? And he, said, no, he's gonna be the kid that's like, everybody graduates. It's fine. Like it's no big deal. But it is a big deal. same, Exactly.   Britt (03:26) But they still want it, even though you know it, even though they're like, they're   disappointed, it's like, oh, come on. But like, they want it.   The Dental A Team (03:33) Exactly. It's like my birthday where I was like, it's fine. Like just a dinner, but like, had they not done a big deal for my 40th, I probably would have, you know, been in shambles. So when it comes, he's surely going to want it, but graduation season is upon us and it's wild that we are in the space of life that we're experiencing it with them. think that's crazy. And anyways, you've got some fun travels. if you guys aren't heading CE events, make sure that you do and make sure that you check out.   a lot of RCE events. So if you're a listener, if you're a client, whatever, you're a listener and a client, like whatever you guys want, we have, what is it? Every third Wednesday, we have a CE webinar. We've got a really cool webinar coming up in August that we do. ⁓ Every year the content shifts and changes, but.   Britt (04:20) to like check out our Instagram if you don't follow us. If I'm there, come find me. Let me know, message us. I got at PNUC to see a few clients which is really fun. It's always nice when we get to meet up in person. So, whether you're a client or just a listener, come find me.   The Dental A Team (04:22) Yeah.   Yeah.   Yeah,   especially in Brits position because you have a handful of your own clients, but you oversee a lot of the company. So you know all of the client names, but you don't get to see them and meet them. So I know I have a few clients that are asking if I was going to be there and I'm not. I was like, you got to go find, seek out Brit, like go meet Brit. So definitely, definitely follow the Instagram, make sure that you reach out to Brit.   If you're there, look for her, say hello, take a little picture with her, and then make sure you're hitting those CEs and make sure you're hitting all the free ones, you guys. We put out a ton of free CE and why not? Because I know you need to stack those hygienists and doctors. You guys need to stack those CE credits. So do it for free wherever you can. And then, like I tell one of my prized clients, set up a CE bucket so that you're saving money for the CE that's not free. And on that note...   I think, ⁓ we were actually just talking and I think it's funny because I do think this was like super high thing and right now it's like, I think it's kind of stabilized. It's not quite as sought after as heavily as it was, but for the clients that are doing it or still trying to implement it, there are still some really great CE avenues out there. Today we wanted to talk a little bit on the sleep apnea avenue, systems wise, not to sleep apnea. That's not our genre. You can go take CE for that, Britt can probably tell you a ton.   medically, but you know, that's not our genre, but our genre, our space, our niche is the systems behind it. And so on the note of CE and implementing, do think even if you're not doing sleep apnea, or you're not considering sleep apnea, a lot of what we talk about today is copy pasteable, like systems are systems, you guys, and we we overcomplicate it in life. And what we say for one thing can easily be duplicated and slightly altered for something else. So if there's CE that you're doing, which doctors we love you.   so much. And when you go to CE, you come back just like ecstatic. And if you didn't take team with you, you're the only one. And it's so hard sometimes to get that generating. Typically, it's that there's not, it's just all a fun idea. There's not a really good system behind it to get that momentum. So taking these systems, even what we talked about for sleep apnea, whatever CE you do, apply it to that. And like you said with the sleep apnea, if they're not taking team members, like it can be really hard to implement. And that's a space too.   if you can bring team members to any of that CE or sign them up for the webinar and get them included in it, I think that's a great space too. anyhow, sleep apnea side and system side, Britt, you've worked out the hygienist. So I know that this is some of the stuff like the questionnaire style and that stuff. Like what do you see and what you've actually helped practices implement the systems for sleep apnea. So what do you see as?   Britt (07:10) Thank   The Dental A Team (07:24) the biggest ticket items of implementing sleep apnea or just CE style in general that is easy, that's duplicatable like that.   Britt (07:34) And I think sleep and my yo that's coming in pretty strong for a lot of people too. I think you can similar areas when it comes to looking to implement something successfully. I think that you would look for. So if you're doing one or the other, ⁓ number one, I think is making sure that our team knows what it is. Like Tiff said, doc, you can go to a CE and you get all excited and you understand all the things behind it to see all the dots connect and why this is so important.   because it is, but the team often is behind. So whenever you're looking to do something, you might just take a course as like an exploratory, right? And then you're like, no, this is something I really want to do. When you start to get into that phase of like, no, I really want to work on implementing this. I want you to look for things that are going to help train your team because your team is going to be needing to have 90 % of these conversations with patients and you're going to   Goal is for you not to have all of the conversations with all of the patients. The goal is for the team to be able to help support you, identify patients and start to educate patients and warm them up to the idea. Because just like for your team, it's kind of a newer thing or a different thing or something they don't know all the details about, it doesn't come easily to them. Patients even more so. So that's why our team needs to be really confident in knowing what it is, the reasons why, and being able to talk about it.   I think is number one place to start. Along with that, would say have someone call it your champion, call it your lead of that thing, whatever title you want to give them of someone who is going to be that person who is going to make sure the team has all the things. We educate the team on all the things and they're going to be the one to really ⁓ kind of take point on implementation and keeping this going and getting it to where it becomes a program that's ingrained within our practice.   we need someone to be that person. So from the get-go, education, someone who's gonna be a point person before we even start on implementing anything with our patients. So that would be my number one thing, Tiff, to start with is education and identify as someone who's gonna be the point person, because they're gonna start thinking of implementation, what are all the things we need in our practice to get this program going.   The Dental A Team (09:54) Yeah, and even like ortho, I have like the same I'm thinking the same thought process because anything that you're trying to grow that doesn't you don't put attention on isn't going to grow. So to your champion conversation there, whether it's sleep, my ortho implants, like anything that's not crowns, fillings, bridges, you know, and even I do have a lot of practices that even do it for crowns, whatever that champion making sure there's a   Britt (09:57) Hmm. Yeah.   The Dental A Team (10:22) a job description. And I love that you said the education piece because that I think even when I've seen practices implement the champion space, it's still the education piece falls back to the doctor. But putting that I think that's brilliant putting that on the champion of scheduling out the lunch and learns making sure that they're doing the role playing with the with the team and that they're having these meetings with the team on the education and the why behind it, so that they can take that information and   and tackle it with the patients. And then it made me think too, like KPI is their key performance indicator. So that champion is responsible for seeing, how many times, how many patients do we need to talk to about this to get our case acceptance where we want it or to get that many cases? I know like for ortho, we might do, we want five starts this month or 10 starts this month. So then you look at how many patients do we need to talk to about ortho in order to get.   that because your case acceptance might be like 25%. So you're doing the math for that. then, Brett, I'm thinking that champion is then responsible for collecting the data from the team on how many patients do we talk to, how many patients signed up, and kind of championing all of the results and then looking at how do I control and manipulate the results based on the education implementations, all of those pieces.   Britt (11:46) agreed and that's I think probably you Tiff right with clients. Like you said, the new thing, right? Name the new thing that we're doing within the office and you know, they want to do more of that thing and I'm like, alright, well, what's going on? Why aren't we even getting it presented to patients? What's happening? Well, we're just not talking about it, right? Like it really comes back to that. That's one of the biggest hurdles to get over is just talking about it and making sure patients know what it is.   The Dental A Team (12:05) Yeah.   Britt (12:16) what benefit it would be to them if they're a candidate, if this is something that they need. So that's why I say, make sure we've got that foundation first. And then we go into, okay, we've got a team more comfortable talking about it. How do we identify opportunities with patients? And then that's where we move into what kind of screening do we want for this specific treatment for sleep apnea? Then all right, what kind of screening do we wanna incorporate?   across the board. So it's not reliant on a human thinking, this one would be a candidate. Like, no, what are you screening to where we know when these things are checked or we get this answer to this question, they are someone then that we are going to talk to about a sleep appliance or sleep apnea, we're working on getting them tested, whatever it may be.   The Dental A Team (13:01) Yeah. And within that, asking those leading questions so that the patient starts thinking, because I think like back to, I think a lot of people do ortho. So back to ortho, you come in and you're hot and heavy. Like I got to get, I'm getting ortho cases and the patient has not had any like leading questions to make them start thinking that there's a problem or a solution needed for a problem. And then you come in and you're like, have you ever thought about ortho? And they're like, no, I haven't.   Right? Because we didn't make them think about ortho kind of the same. Like, do you, you know, ⁓ I hear you might be a snorer, right? Or just coming in and being like, Hey, you've got these weird scallops on your tongue and I think you might need this. And then we just go on this tangent of sleep apnea and they're like, I have no issue sleeping. But if we start asking those leading questions of, do you find yourself tired in the middle of the day? does your partner, you know, do you wake your partner up a lot? Do you toss and turn a lot?   night? Like, are you getting up to use the restroom a lot at night? Like different things that are preheating and leading into there might be something going on there, I think is a space that we kind of overlook sometimes. And we just jump into this is the solution. And it kind of gets lost in translation. And then right on to like layering on top of that, you've got your questionnaire, you've got your team, they're ready to go. You've got all of these pieces.   there, you know what your lead and lag measures are, then you set like identifying the patients, we're identifying the patients and then that layer, like it never stops, there's always the next layer. And that next layer is okay, if we can identify the patients, now we get to track and see, are we getting those patients? So then we say, okay, well, most of my patient base is 18 to 26 years old.   might not be getting like that might not be the patient base you need for sleep apnea or for implants or whatever it is that you want to specialize in. then you've got to look and see, do I need to determine something different in my patient avatar to fit what I'm trying to implement what I'm trying to get because there's only so much you can do with the patients that you're getting in. So it just like keeps layering but comes down to I love like step one it feels like Brit from what you're saying is   Find that champion and make sure that champion is thoroughly educated in what their job is and what the procedure is so then they can, step two, help you to train the team, get the team on board, figure out the why. Step three, find the patients. Step four, how do we get more of those patients?   Britt (15:42) Yeah, which I think then plays into marketing, right? Marketing at the end of the day is the number of times of exposure. So, right, when it comes down to it, then what are we putting out there? What do we have around our office? What, even if it's peripherally, are our patients seeing to know that this is a thing and that it exists? Because then it won't be as much of a surprise to them when we have a conversation or they're like, well, why aren't you know, I don't even know what that is. They at least, oh, I've seen XYZ about that.   thing in your office or on the TV out in the waiting room, whatever it may be, to start warming them up to it as well. And then depending on how much you want to grow that and be known for that thing, mean, Tiff is the marketing queen. Then there's like a lot more marketing that goes behind it.   The Dental A Team (16:29) Yeah, I do love marketing. don't know why, but I really do. ⁓ But you're making me think of, because it's subliminal. I think that's why I love it. Because it's like, what can I do to make someone think this way, right? Like I love, I love the way the brain works. I love communication. That's why. So I'm thinking as you're speaking to that, like you're saying like have it off to the side and have it on a TV like 100 % because most of the time we're just being again, preheated.   to the possibility of needing something. So if you think of like a Doritos commercial, right? Like they don't just in the beginning come out with the, like they're not like Doritos, right? It's like, hey, we're grabbing some Doritos out of a chip bowl and all of the like tortilla chips, the unnamed tortilla chips over there is full, but the Doritos are like empty, but we're having conversation, we're having fun, we're in a party because now you're thinking about Doritos associated to fun. So that's how marketing works. It's like little snippets of   this thing and how it's going to benefit your life. Not just like, hey, have some Doritos. Because if somebody came by and they're like, hey, Doritos are amazing, have Doritos. They're just, they're so tasty, you're gonna love them. You're like, I'm okay actually, like, I don't need a Dorito, right? But if they're like, hey, like, let's have fun, let's have a party, let's get people talking, it's gonna be so amazing and you can have these Doritos over here that's gonna, everybody's gonna stand around the bowl and they're gonna socialize.   then you're like, yeah, let me try these Doritos. So it's kind of that same thing. Like how is this thing, this sleep apnea, this ortho, this Botox, these injectors, the fillables, how is this going to benefit the patient's life and speak to the benefits and the problem, not the solution? Because being like, Botox, Botox, Botox, Botox, right? Like Botox is cool, but like why do I want Botox? Because I wanna look 30 when I'm 45.   That's why I Botox. And when do I need to start? When I'm 28. Like, how do we get this subliminal messaging into different aspects of our practice and our speaking? And then what it also does is gets your team speaking that language too, because they're constantly seeing it. So they're constantly being reminded. And as you guys are checking on...   Britt (18:23) Perfect.   The Dental A Team (18:44) KPI is and how is it working and how is it growing? We're constantly coming back to this space that you're trying to implement and grow. Caveat of one at a time. Botox and color is fine. Sleep apnea.   Britt (18:56) I was thinking the same exact thing.   The Dental A Team (19:01) you can't come home and be like we're doing sleep apnea we're gonna ramp up our ortho and guess what guys I need five more implants and it's like I don't know which one to focus on so one major change at a time and let it sit let it ruminate and see how it goes I like six months at least for like a big implementation like that ⁓ but   Britt (19:22) Be   good at that thing, right? I think that's when we do too much at once. You and your team, right? And the bigger the team, the more people you're trying to move. You're not gonna get good at it. And then let's be honest, if I'm not good at it, I'm not gonna do it as much. Let's just welcome to human nature again. Like it's a harder thing to do. It takes more effort. But if we focus on one and that one thing we get really good at and it becomes really easy, then that will stick and then we can move on to the next thing.   The Dental A Team (19:52) Yep. Yep. And always come back again to everything else too, because I've had clients that I've done, you know, let's focus in on implants. we're getting we're talking about it this many times, we're getting this many, we're looking for this many, you know, whatever all the pieces so   we're speaking to implants, we get really good at that. And they're like, cool, like, I want to do more ortho. It's like, okay, well, now we're laying on ortho. But then they're like, hey, wait, I haven't done an implant. I'm like, well, why? Because you lost focus on the implants, because you're so focused on the ortho. So you've got to just layer it in there and be like, on top of like being good at this, we also need to become good at this. So don't lose sight of it or stop tracking the one because you layered on something else, you literally just layering another level to it. And now you're doing both because   honestly, just those two, right? Implants and ortho go hand in hand, you know, do ortho before you place the implants or do ortho so that you can place an implant because the space is too small. Like how are you, how can your team help layer those together and support you in getting those things done? And firstly, Baphne, it's exactly the same. How can your team support you in getting it done? Because you've got what? 1500 to 3000 patients. You've got a team of five to   25 30 you cannot do it all you've got to have at least one champion who is helping you and when you do have those spaces to Britt's point of not doing too many and losing sight if you have a champion of each your phone you they are focused on that thing and so they're ensuring their thing their needle is moving so you've got your   champion of sleep apnea that's like, hey guys, nope, we lost focus, don't forget. And you got your champion of ortho that's like, cool, I've got my metrics over here and making sure that those are staying in line.   Britt (21:41) And I think once you start doing some cases, especially things where there's more of a knowledge gap, even in Visalign, right? Make sure you're getting results. So like you're getting testimonials, you're getting pictures at the end. Whenever there's a big investment, people want to know like what that means for them. Like what can that be for me? And so that's where   Having something to look at to see before and after and having testimonials for people goes a long ways, especially on things where there's more of a knowledge gap like sleep apnea. Because those patients are gonna really highlight what is important to them, which then is gonna be most likely what's important to all of your people that are in their same seat.   The Dental A Team (22:22) Yeah, I love it. love it. one, step one, figure out what you're going to do. If it's sleep apnea, it's sleep apnea. One thing, choose the one that you're gonna focus on right now. Step two, figure out what your champion's position looks like or lead or whatever you wanna call it. Quarterback, I don't care what you call it. That position, what's that job description? What are the metrics? Like what does that person need to do? So step one, figure out what you're gonna do. Step two, find your champion.   Britt (22:26) One thing, one thing.   The Dental A Team (22:52) figure out what that champion's gonna do. Step three, train your team. Step four, do the thing and track the results every time. I think really easy duplicatable systems that we tagged here as like Sleepapnea, Myo, whatever you wanna focus it on, but literally this system can be duplicated for any major change you're trying to make in procedures within your practice. And then I think the last layer is   within your metrics, watch your marketing and figure out what needs to shift and change there. Brit, brilliant. Brilliant Brit. That's the one. Brilliant Brit. Brilliant Brit.   Britt (23:27) That's the one I like   more. That's the better one.   The Dental A Team (23:32) one   I'm gonna use. Brilliant Brit. ⁓ thank you or brainy Brit right but anyways thank you ⁓ for being here with me today for doing this. I knew ⁓ with the implementations you've done before with Sleep Apnea and Mayo you've worked with the you've worked with that before so I knew that you would have some great ideas so thank you so much for being here. I can't wait to hear from you on Saturday that you survived the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim happily and you're still smiling and you're just sleeping.   Britt (24:02) Maybe I'll stream my before and after. We'll see. Maybe even with Dental A Team. We'll see. It depends on how bad it is afterwards.   The Dental A Team (24:08) Yeah.   Oh my gosh, that's fair. Yeah, that's fair. You can at least share with me and then we can decide. everyone, go find your thing. What's your one thing right now? What are you going to put? This is something I've been living by. You guys, we can talk about the book. can Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and ask me for it. But what are you putting a 10x effort into? What's your 10x problem that you're putting 10x effort into? Choose that thing. Focus there. Go do it. Duplicate.   create a system that can be duplicated and have so much fun doing it. Again, if you need help with it, you have questions, you want recommendations, Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. We are all here to help. We all help answer those questions. So reach out and as always drop us a five star review below. We love to hear that this was implementable for you, that it was helpful and any ideas you guys have for future ones, we're always open to those. So Britt, thank you for being here. Listeners, thank you for being here and we'll catch you next time.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt, Will, and Rabih break down the latest jobs report and what it reveals about the economy. They dive into current consumer spending trends and key economic indicators, then unpack the public feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump—discussing its potential market impact and why it's crucial to stay diversified and avoid distractions when investing. Finally, they explore the economics of the movie theater industry, including the recent uptick in attendance. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

This week on the Dentist Money Show, Ryan and Matt dive into the Blue Dot Effect—a psychological bias that makes us see problems even when things are going well. They explore how this ties into the concept of hedonic adaptation, and they explain how dentists and high earners can fall into the trap of “never enough.” Tune in for some insights on managing financial stress, improving decision making, and staying motivated. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads Jake's blog post where he discusses what qualifies as a "living wage.” He highlights the wide variation of different wages across U.S. states and stresses that personal financial needs vary greatly. Jake emphasizes that financial planning should be individualized and not based on broad averages. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.  

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt, Taylor, and Rabih talk about Japan and how it's declining population, debt levels, and interest rates create a unique situation for the global economy. They discuss Taylor's personal dilemma: whether to buy a car now or wait, as tariffs, new car models, and raw material prices continue to rise each month. They wrap up with a conversation on the definition of the American Dream and how the definition of success is evolving in modern society.  Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Is it time to spring clean your spending habits? On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Jake, Will, and Taylor talk about how easy it is to accumulate unnecessary expenses and how those hidden expenses can throw off your financial plan. They discuss the importance of tracking spending, understanding the real impact of “big-ticket” items, and making sure your money reflects your values. Tune in to help bring clarity and intention to your spending habits, ultimately leading you to more freedom and better retirement planning. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt, Jake, and Taylor talk about what Moody's downgrade of the US credit score means and how it ties into the larger debt spend. They reevaluate how much it costs to raise a child (different from what they learned in school) and what the largest individual cost to raise a child is. They wrap up with a conversation about the unprecendented challenges that face first-time homebuyers and discuss ways this could get solved.  Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

How does tax-loss harvesting help lower your taxes? What are some of the wash sale rules? How does my stress relate to building liquidity? On this listener Q&R (Question and Response) episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Ryan answer some financial questions posed by our member of the Dentist Advisors' Facebook Discussion Group. Tune in for some tax tips, stress-reducing strategies, and financial planning insights every dentist should know. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads Jake's blog post where he discusses the common frustration dentists feel about paying taxes and offers strategies to alleviate that burden. Jake emphasizes that while taxes are inevitable, proactive financial planning can help minimize their impact. He encourages dentists to focus on aspects they can control, such as optimizing tax strategies.​ Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On the 100th episode of Dentist Money's Two Cents, Matt, Ryan, and Rabih break down the latest interest rate updates and how both the Fed and the markets are responding. They dive into the influence of private equity—what it means for businesses and your everyday life—and wrap up with insights on the proposed federal budget and its potential economic impact. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Jake Elm, CFP® has a conversation with his client Dr. Ben Friberg who shares his journey of becoming a dentist and practice owner. Dr. Friberg talks about what it takes to build a fulfilling dental career and shares how aligning his personal values with his business transformed his practice and his life. He highlights some strategies to overcome burnout, create a strong team culture, and embrace mentorship. Tune in for strategies on how to create a meaningful and successful dental practice. Check out Dr. Ben Friberg's book here! Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt and Rabih discuss the recent trade deal between the US and the UK, exploring its implications on tariffs, economic policies, and the Federal Reserve's recent decisions on interest rates. Finally, they analyze Bill Gates' commitment to philanthropy and his announcement that he will give away all of his money. They delve into the philosophy of money, exploring its purpose and the impact of wealth on personal identity and values.  Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Dr. Naomi Win from Orion Advisor Solutions, joins Matt to explore the powerful role that uncertainty plays in our lives. They unpack the psychological and physiological effects of uncertainty, including why our brains often crave certainty, even when it leads to unhelpful choices. Dr. Win shares how discomfort and ambiguity can be catalysts for personal growth and why building resilience is essential in today's changing world. Whether you're navigating life changes or simply trying to make better choices under pressure, tune in to hear some valuable tools and perspectives to help you move forward with confidence. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads Jake's blog post from April 14, 2025 where he emphasizes the importance of maintaining a disciplined, long-term investment strategy, especially during periods of market turbulence. He explains that a diversified portfolio approach reflects an investor's specific goals, timelines, and risk tolerance. And he highlights the value of staying the course and avoiding emotionally driven decisions. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt, Jake, and Rabih cover new economic data topics like GDP, unemployment, and inflation and explain why fears of a recession may be overblown. They also dive into short-term rentals—a popular tax strategy that allows owners to offset losses against active income. And finally, they emphasize the importance of focusing on long-term asset ownership over short-term market moves. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Thinking about selling your dental practice but not sure where to start? On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Jake break down part two of the four common mistakes dentists make when selling their practice. They discuss the importance of early planning, the difference between usable and non-usable net worth, and the psychological shifts around spending in retirement. They highlight the need for clarity and purpose in transitioning out of ownership and encourage self-reflection, practical goal-setting, and a deep understanding of your personal values when considering a practice sale of alternative paths. Whether you're considering a transition soon or planning for the future, this two-part series provides insights to help you navigate the process successfully. Listen to part one! Check out the Dentist's Guide to a Successful Practice Transition e-guide to help you walk through the key stages of a practice sale, the differences in potential buyers, personal tax and retirement implications, and key questions to ask yourself during the transition! Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt and Rabih discuss reasons to cut interest rates, stock market volatility, and the end of the student loan grace period. They analyze the Federal Reserve's policy stance and the impact of student debt on consumer behavior. And finally, they offer advice on vacation budgeting and how to have a balance between enjoying life and maintaining financial health. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On today's Part 2 episode of Dr. Mark Costes' interview with Matt Mulcock, CFP, managing partner at Dentist Advisors, they break down the evolving financial landscape for dentists. They discuss the rise of private equity and DSOs, how practice valuations have shifted from collections-based to EBITDA multiples, and the critical decision-making process when considering a sale.   Matt also emphasizes the importance of financial organization, understanding incentive structures in wealth management, and assembling a “personal board of directors” to navigate major career and investment decisions. If you've ever wondered whether selling to a DSO is the right move or how to maximize your long-term financial health, this episode is packed with insights to help you make informed, strategic choices. EPISODE RESOURCES https://dentistadvisors.com https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On today's Part 1 episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Matt Mulcock, CFP, managing partner at Dentist Advisors and co-host of The Dentist Money Show. Fresh off a trip to Nicaragua together, they dive into Matt's journey from the fitness industry to becoming a trusted financial advisor for dentists. Matt shares the importance of working within a niche, the differences between commission-based and fee-only fiduciary advisors, and why Dentist Advisors takes an education-first approach. They also discuss the rise of private equity in dentistry, the shift in practice valuations, and how younger dentists are being presented with life-changing offers earlier in their careers. If you're wondering whether to take chips off the table or hold out for long-term financial security, this episode is packed with insights to help you make smarter financial decisions. EPISODE RESOURCES https://dentistadvisors.com https://www.truedentalsuccess.com Dental Success Network Subscribe to The Dentalpreneur Podcast

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Kyle Francis, founder of Professional Transition Strategies joins Matt to break down the evolving landscape of dental practice transitions. He emphasizes the importance of education, preparation, and strategic decision-making. They talk about some of the common misconceptions about DSOs and highlight the benefits of joint ventures. Tune in to hear insights on how to maximize your practice's value and better understand the consolidation trends in the dental industry. Check out our Dental Practice Valuation Calculator to get an estimate of your practice's worth. Use this easy tool if you're considering selling your dental practice, merging with a DSO, or planning your financial future! Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Will reads his article where he explains that disability insurance is essential for dentists. Dentists ability to earn income heavily depends on physical skills and an unexpected injury or illness can jeopardize this ability. This type of policy provides benefits if you're unable to perform your specific duties as a dentist. It's important to assess your coverage needs to ensure your income is adequately protected. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt and Rabih break down a turbulent week in financial markets, discussing earnings season, the PE ratio, and key economic data. They talk about consumer behavior amid inflation, bond market dynamics, and the impact of trade tensions. Tune in to hear insights on navigating uncertainty through long-term investment strategies. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Thinking about selling your dental practice but not sure where to start? On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Jake break down four common mistakes dentists make when selling their practice and why preparation is key to a smooth transition. They discuss key considerations like valuation differences, long-term trade-offs, and how to maximize practice value before selling. Whether you're considering a transition soon or planning for the future, this two-part series provides insights to help you navigate the process successfully. Check out the Dentist's Guide to a Successful Practice Transition e-guide to help you walk through the key stages of a practice sale, the differences in potential buyers, personal tax and retirement implications, and key questions to ask yourself during the transition! Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt, Jake, and Rabih talk tariffs and the impact of broad trends across different asset classes. They talk about the human emotions that factor into the unpredictable nature of the markets and how economic insights don't guarantee future returns. Finally, they shift to "timing the market" with studies showing how missing the 10 best days of the stock market can severely impact the returns you could make.  Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this special edition of the Dentist Money Show, Ryan and Rabih go live on Dentist Advisors' YouTube to explain tax-loss harvesting. They unpack how investors can use the market downturns as opportunities to optimize their portfolios, reduce tax liabilities, and stay aligned with long-term goals. They highlight the mechanics of tax-loss harvesting, portfolio rebalancing, and how to stay strategic in turbulent times. Stay informed on 2025 market updates here or watch the full live video. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, New York Times Columnist Carl Richards, CFP® joins Matt to explore the deeper side of financial planning and how to align money with what truly matters. Carl discusses the complexities of uncovering personal values, the importance of experimentation in financial planning, and how a statement of financial purpose can serve as your guide. They highlight why societal pressures can lead to financial dissatisfaction and why your skills are your greatest asset. Tune in to learn how to shift your focus and build a financial life that truly reflects your values. Carl Richards, CFP® will be a keynote speaker at the 2025 Dentist Money Summit June 20-21 in Park City, UT. Join us to hear him and other amazing featured speakers to help you navigate the now. Register HERE (clients of Dentist Advisors receive complimentary registration at checkout). Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads Jake's blog post where he explains that saving money isn't sufficient for long-term financial security, especially considering factors like inflation and increasing life expectancies. Tune in to hear how the importance of investing savings can achieve growth over time to effectively build wealth. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt, and Rabih unpack the intricate web of tariffs, trade deficits, and the evolution of the U.S. economy. They talk about the shifting meaning of "being a millionaire" and how value is increasingly defined by usage rather than dollar amount. And finally, they highlight the traditional approaches to portfolio diversification, questioning standard investment models, and how to craft more adaptable financial strategies in today's evolving economy. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Matt and Ryan join Elevation Association's Dental Industry Expert Panel at their Life Summit in Nicaragua. Joined by other professionals, they all discuss the role of leadership in dentistry and the challenges that come with managing a practice and a team. The panel also explores the different seasons in a dentist's career, the struggle for work-life balance, and the transformative shifts happening in the industry. They highlight the influence of private equity and DSOs to the moral responsibilities of today's practitioners. Don't miss this insightful discussion on taking control of your leadership journey and shaping the future of your practice. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt, Jake, and Rabih break down the complexities of auto tariffs and the ripple effects on the economy, pricing, and consumer behavior. They also explore the psychology of financial decision-making, looking at historical market corrections and the role of fear in economic downturns. Finally, they discuss the concept of a living wage and how financial realities differ across states and lifestyles along with the emotional impact of financial comparisons. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Jordan explores the concept of "solving for chaos" in financial advisory services. Drawing from his experience at Dentist Advisors, Jordan discusses how identifying and addressing financial chaos through organized, intentional processes can transform client relationships and deliver meaningful value.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Chip Fichtner from Large Practice Sales joins Matt to discuss the complexities of large dental practices and explain what an invisible DSO is. He highlights the importance of selecting the right DSO partner and how to avoid common pitfalls in these transactions. Whether you're a dentist considering a partnership or just looking to understand how these organizations work, tune in to hear some valuable insights of the current market landscape, the factors that can help maximize practice value, and the future dynamics of DSOs. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

TL;DR - Too Long; Didn't Read - "Managing Tradeoffs" In our new TL;DR series episode, Jordan reads Jake's blog post where he discusses the concept of financial trade-offs. He uses examples like daily coffee purchases and family vacations to illustrate how small, regular expenses can accumulate over time. He emphasizes the importance of making conscious spending decisions to align with long-term financial goals. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

Welcome to Dentist Money Two Cents, a look at the latest financial and economic news from the past week.
 On this episode, Matt and Rabih break down the latest Federal Reserve meeting, focusing on Jerome Powell's insights and their impact on the economy. They discuss projections for GDP growth, umemployment, inflation, and the potential for stagflation. They also cover the labor market, consumer confidence, fiscal policy, and the dismantling of the Department of Education. Tune in to hear some of the implications for student loans and the economy. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.

On this episode of the Dentist Money Show, Ryan and Matt conclude the three-part series of the past year's biggest themes in dentistry and analyze the results from a recent survey sent out to Dentist Advisors' clients. The finale of the benchmark series includes insights about commercial real estate holdings, personal and practice debt averages, and insurance coverage. They explore the emotional weight of homeownership, some of the misconceptions surrounding real estate investments, and share key insights on student loans, life insurance, and disability insurance. Don't miss this wrap-up of 2024's dentist financial benchmarks, packed with valuable takeaways for dentists at any stage in their journey. Book a free consultation with a CFP® advisor who only works with dentists. Get an objective financial assessment and learn how Dentist Advisors can help you live your rich life.