Just a Couple of Dentists

What actually happens when dentists get divorced? We brought on Sarah Engelbert, a family law attorney in California, to walk through what divorce looks like when you’re a dentist — especially when there’s a practice, real income, and real exposure involved. We talk about things most dentists don’t think about until it’s too late: How divorce actually works in community property states like California What’s considered separate vs shared — and how people accidentally blur that line What happens to a dental practice in a divorce Why courts don’t care about gender, only income When emotions help (rarely) and when they hurt Why most dentist divorces end in settlement after a lot of money is already gone What movies like Marriage Story get right — and very wrong So if you're a dentist looking to get divorced 😂, make sure to check out this episode! A Special Thanks to Our Sponsors! Nadapayments If you’re still paying standard credit card fees, this is worth a look. With Nadapayments, your practice pays $25/month and 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction — no other fees. That’s it. Check them out at nadapayments.com Darkhorse Tech Dental IT without the nonsense. They handle your systems, security, and support so tech doesn’t become another problem to manage. First month of service is free. Darkhorsetech.com

About 32% of phone calls go unanswered in the average dental office. After hours? It’s basically zero. On this episode, we talk through why the front desk model most offices still use just can’t keep up anymore, what COVID permanently changed, and why missing calls isn’t about a lack of effort...it’s about the system. We’re joined by Cory Pinegar, whose company Reach hires and trains virtual assistants for dental offices, and Deren Flesher, founder of Airo Dental, an AI receptionist platform. Together, we debate what still needs a human, what doesn’t, and how practices are combining VAs and AI to realistically get to a 100% call answer rate. A Big Thank You to our Sponsors! Darkhorse Tech — The Dental IT company we've used in our practices for years and trust. Listeners get their first month free with Darkhorse https://darkhorsetech.com Nadapayments — simple, transparent payment processing. They've saved us over $20,000 in the first year. Listeners get to start at $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees. https://nadapayments.com

How buyers value a dental practice is very different from how most owners think. In this episode, Eric and Alex are joined by John Wloderek, the dental broker who sold their practices, to explain how buyers actually evaluate deals. They break down which numbers matter, which upgrades don’t move the needle, and why maintaining predictability and clean financials often matters more than last-minute improvements. The conversation covers staffing, supplies, labs, expansions, marketing, rent, collections, and timing — along with how buyer expectations have changed since 2021–2022. John also shares what the current market looks like and why many sellers are waiting for what could be a busier 2026. This episode is about understanding the buyer’s mindset before you spend money you won’t get back. Quick thanks to the sponsors that support the show: Sponsors: Darkhorse Tech — proactive dental IT support. First month is free for listeners. https://darkhorsetech.com Nadapayments — straightforward pricing that helps reduce credit card processing costs. $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction https://nadapayments.com

Tracking numbers doesn’t grow a dental practice. Tracking the right numbers does. In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, Eric and Alex sit down with Ross Maddox and Deren Flesher — both owners of $2M+ practices — to break down which KPIs are actually worth paying attention to… and which ones are just consultant noise. They dig into: Lead vs lag metrics (and why most dentists obsess over the wrong ones) Google reviews: when quantity stops mattering and what actually drives patients Case acceptance % vs total treatment dollars accepted New patients vs attrition (aka “the back door problem”) Why “active patients” is often a fake number Hygiene reappointment rate — and why it looks good on paper but still fails in real life How to talk KPIs with your team without killing morale 🔥 Sponsors Darkhorse Tech Ever feel like your IT provider only shows up after something breaks? Darkhorse Tech takes a proactive approach to dental IT — fixing issues before they become problems and keeping your systems fast, secure, and headache-free. 👉 First month of service is FREE for listeners 🌐 https://darkhorsetech.com NADA Payments Dentists lose thousands every year to processing fees they never look at. NADA Payments simplifies merchant services with transparent pricing and no junk fees. Exclusive JACD offer: • $25/month • 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction • No hidden fees 🌐 https://nadapayments.com

Selling to a DSO is complicated. Most dentists already know that. What’s harder to find is a straight explanation of how the process actually plays out. In this episode, we sit down with Jon Eskow, a dental attorney who works with both DSOs and dentists, to walk through what really happens when a practice goes to market — from the first conversations, to the LOI, to diligence, to closing, and what comes after. We talk about where leverage actually exists, why the LOI matters more than most people think, and why the word “partner” often means something very different once the deal is done. If a DSO is even a remote possibility for you at some point, this episode will give you a clearer framework for thinking about it. — Quick shoutout to the sponsors who help make the show possible. First, NADA Payments. They’re built specifically for dental practices and focus on keeping payment processing simple and transparent. No junk fees, no games. JACD listeners get special pricing as low as $25/month, 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction, and that’s it. You can find them at nadapayments.com. And Darkhorse Tech. If your practice IT only works when everything’s calm, it’s probably not set up right. Darkhorse handles dental IT quietly and proactively, so problems don’t turn into fires. They’re offering your first month free. You can check them out at darkhorsetech.com. Thanks to both sponsors for supporting the show.

Everyone online talks about FFS vs PPO like you have to “pick a side.” But the reality is way more nuanced and way more dependent on who you are, where you practice, and what you want your career to look like. In this episode, we brought together: • Dr. Erik Zundo — 12 years fee-for-service in a college town • Dr. Deren Flesher — PPO-heavy, multi-doctor office This episode breaks down how to actually win in either model and what most dentists misunderstand about both. Inside the episode: • Why FFS works in some markets and fails in others • The real difference between FFS and “out of network” • Why PPO models scale faster (but turn the dentist into the replaceable part) • Why FFS practices are built on relationships, not volume • The Amazon-Prime expectations patients now bring to dentistry • Why the “perfect” associate is usually gone in a year • How gender, lifestyle, and generational shifts are reshaping the profession • How to choose the model that matches who you are Make sure to follow Just a Couple of Dentists for more conversations This episode is supported by partners we actually use and trust Darkhorse Tech The team that keeps hundreds of dental practices from burning to the ground (digitally, at least). If your IT causes more anxiety than your production report, get Darkhorse. Your first month is free if you mention the podcast when signing up. 👉 darkhorsetech.com Nadapayments Credit card fees are the silent tax on dentistry. Nadapayments helps offices keep that money instead of handing it to Visa. Simple. Compliant. Zero drama. 👉 nadapayments.com

Most dentists either avoid meetings or run them with no real purpose. We’ve been guilty of both. In this episode, Dr. Chris Green breaks down the exact meeting structure he used to grow a $5.8M practice without drowning in chaos or doing everything himself. We get into: • The meeting cadence that actually works • How to develop real team leads so you stop carrying the whole load • What should happen in a meeting… and what should never happen • The difference between strategy vs. operations • How to keep meetings tight, useful, and drama-free • Why meetings can increase profitability when done right If your meetings feel pointless or you’ve avoided them altogether...this episode will completely reframe how you run your practice.

Most dentists lump every bad day, every rough month, and every “I can’t do this anymore” moment into one word: burnout. But what if it’s not burnout? What if you just… don’t like clinical dentistry? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Laura Brenner, founder of the Dentist Side Gigs community and Lolabees, to unpack the real difference between being truly burned out and being completely misaligned with clinical dentistry.  We get into: Why so many dentists feel trapped by the identity of being “a dentist” How to tell if you’re burned out vs. simply done with the four walls The personality patterns Laura sees in dentists who struggle the most Why dentistry attracts people-pleasers (and why that backfires) The emotional weight of irreversible procedures Why vacations fix burnout but don’t fix misalignment Alex and I love forcing Just a Couple of Dentists down your throat every week. So do us a favor—don’t just accept it… tell your friends we’ve got plenty more where that came from.

This week we check back in with Dr. Cory Ball — you might remember him as the guy who bought the practice that should’ve come with a disclaimer. Ten months later, he’s cleaned up a lot of the mess… but now he’s dealing with the thing that’s driving him the craziest right now: No-shows. Constantly. We get into what he’s trying, what’s actually helped, and the stuff that sounds good on paper but falls apart in real life...especially when half your new patients are Medicaid and you can’t charge a no-show fee even if you wanted to. We also talk about: The patient who left Cory a 1-star review… and left a strip club a 5-star review Where the line is between being flexible and getting walked on How he decides when it’s time to fire a patient Why scheduling feels like the thing that secretly runs your entire practice What his practice looks like 10 months in...the good and the bad

You’ve heard it a thousand times: “Build passive income so you can be free.” But what if that whole idea is a myth? After selling our dental practices, we chased the same dream: passive income, early retirement, financial freedom. Spoiler alert...it didn’t exactly work that way. In this episode, we sit down with Josh Cochran to unpack what real passive income actually looks like, why most of what’s pitched to dentists isn’t passive at all, and how to set honest expectations when it comes to real estate, investing, and “freedom money.” PS – Alex and I love making Just a Couple of Dentists for you. If you’re enjoying the podcast, share it with a friend. It would mean the world to us.