Dentistry Uncensored with Howard Farran

Over his career, “Dr. H” has developed and expanded more than twenty dental offices.  His current Tucson- and Phoenix-based dental specialty practice, Valley Endodontics & Oral Surgery, consist of ten offices, making it the largest Endodontic/Oral Surgery practice in the Southwestern United States.  In 2017, he and his wife Julie, co-founded the Scottsdale Leadership and Coaching Center, where they develop and enhance individuals, and teams’ aspirations to lead others effectively through various facets of leadership training. 

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Mark graduated from Arizona State University with a B.S. in marketing in 1979. He started his own marketing company managing 60 employees nationwide. He then positioned with 3M Company for five years in the National Advertising Division and was the recipient of several awards for his sales and marketing performance throughout his tenure with 3M. He was recruited by The Center for Professional Development in 1992. While at The Center (CPD) for eight years, Mark analyzed over 300 dental practices in the Northwestern territory of the U.S. He helped to position dentists for a private care practice model. Mark is now the CEO and Director of Practice Growth at The Growth Into Greatness Institute, which he co-founded with Deb Castillo. While CEO, Mark's primary responsibility is to provide one-on-one coaching and practice development in areas of profitability, financial management and staff development. He also conducts small retreats for students engaged in the developmental process. Through his commitment to this work, Mark is passionate about helping others to achieve their own greatness, and to aspire to levels of growth and excellence they thought were never possible.

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Chris grew up in Dallas, TX and received his BA in Business Administration from Austin College in 2010. After receiving his Masters degree in Healthcare Management in 2011, Chris worked as a practice management consultant for nearly five years before starting his own dental staffing startup. Chris is fascinated by the intersection of startups, technology, and dentistry which is what led him to quip, where he currently works as the Dental Marketing lead. Elisa is a RDH who graduated from NYU with her degree in hygiene in 2015 and her bachelors in 2016. She practiced clinically in private practice in Phoenix, AZ for three and a half years. She now works for quip, an oral care company based in New York, as their Dental Community Manager. 

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Experienced Executive Vice President Sales Marketing with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry. Skilled in Sales & Marketing Management, Market Planning, Customer Acquisition, Sales, Product Launch, and Medical Devices. Strong sales professional graduated from Woodbury University.

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Angela Snider did her undergraduate science degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and went on to study dentistry at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, graduating in 2009. She then went on to private practice in rural Ontario. In 2014 she moved to the United Kingdom and successfully completed the Overseas Registration Exam to become licensed with the General Dental Council of the United Kingdom. She then practiced in Medstead, Southwest England before relocating back to Canada in 2017. She is now practicing as an associate in Deep River, Ontario.  Nicole Adams has practiced as an associate dentist for the past 10 years in both rural and urban settings in Canada. Prior to dentistry, she graduated with a BSc in Biochemistry, as well as a BA in Geography. She is a proud graduate of the University of Saskatchewan, College of Dentistry. Her practice experience includes full service family dental practices, allowing her to developed a love for treating pediatric patients and learning to really enjoy endodontics. Nicole is thankful for the dental mentorship of a few key principle dentists/owners over the past decade who have really taught her more about dentistry and life than any school or continuing education program could teach. As an associate dentist, she has been able to balance the work-life balance while supporting her husband to pursue and advance his career with the federal government of Canada.  After graduating Dental School Krista Maedel went on to return to her home town of Kindersley, Saskatchewan as an associate dentist at Lifetime Dental.  After 5 years of practicing as an associate in a rural setting she was missing the city life so went on to Associate in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for 3 years.  In 2016 after having the experience of practicing in both city and rural settings she could see the great value of working as a dentist in a rural community so she purchased the practice where she was an associate for the first 5 years after dental school.  Then in 2017 she purchased Rosetown Dental which is another rural practice 45 minutes down the road from her first practice.  She keeps busy working 2 days a week in each clinic and enjoys bread and butter dentistry, Invisalign and implant dentistry.   Between the two practices she works alongside 4 other dentists and 30 other wonderful ladies!   Lindsay Yaworsky did her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at University of Saskatchewan (U of S) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada, she then went into the College of Dentistry at U of S.  Upon graduation in 2009, she moved to Yorkton, Saskatchewan – a city of approximately 20,000.  She became a practice co-owner in 2013 in a group practice.  Their practice focuses on bread and butter dentistry and patient centered care.  She encourages new grads to consider rural opportunities, as it’s given her tremendous mentorship and opportunity to be busy from day one and practice all aspects of general dentistry.  

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Lane M. Ochi, DDS, FACD, FICD, graduated with honors from the University of Southern California in 1981, where he received the Robert W. Mc Nulty Memorial Award for the highest scholastic achievement. He has been elected to membership in Alpha Tau Epsilon - USC Dental School Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi - National Society of Scholars, Omicron Kappa Upsilon - National Dental Honor Society, the Pierre Fauchard Academy - International Honor Dental Society, and he is a Fellow in the American College of Dentists and the International College of Dentists. He is currently an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, and was the Co-director of Occlusion at USC School of Dentistry. He is also an Assistant Director in the Advanced Restorative Institute Dental Education Center, on the faculty of the Esthetic Professionals Education Center, and serves as a specialist consultant to the Graduate Prosthodontic Program at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in West Los Angeles. Dr. Ochi maintains a full time private practice in Beverly Hills with an emphasis on physiologic and aesthetic reconstructive dentistry. His patients include Academy Award winners, and some of the most recognized names in the entertainment business.

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Dr. Sonny Spera- former Syracuse Orangeman point guard, graduate of University of Buffalo dental school was an associate dentist for 2 years then ventured off to purchase a practice from a retiring/injured dentist. He has grown that small rural office into 5 offices, 6 Doctors and 60 dental team members. They have their own dental lab onsite that does all Crown and bridge, dentures, orthodontic appliances etc… the offices are located mostly in the 607 area code of Upstate NY. The practice is called Progressive Dental and is a fee for service practice that provides all ranges of care from orthodontics to pediatrics to endodontics to implants. The tag line – “it’s personal” fits their definition of how we want to practice, high technology but highly personal touch. They have been blessed to provide care for over 28 years to the people of the Southern Tier of New York and Northeastern PA.

Recorded live at Townie Meeting 2019. Dr. Michael J. Hoffmann received his dental degree in 1988 from The University of Texas Health and Science Center at San Antonio. He completed residencies in Hospital Dentistry and Dental Anesthesiology and is currently the only St. Louis area general dentist certified in Deep Sedation and General Anesthesiology by the Missouri Dental Board. He is a diplomate of both the American and National Dental Boards of Anesthesiology. Dr. Hoffmann is very active in organized dentistry. He is a Past President of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society and a member and chairman of various committees at the state and national level. He is a member of the faculty at Forest Park Community College and is on staff at Mercy Medical Center where he lectures to residents on anesthesia protocol. He also continues to educate his colleagues and their dental teams on safe oral sedation in their own private practice. In 1991, Dr. Hoffmann opened a state of the art dental facility that enabled him to provide dental services accompanied with Deep Sedation and General Anesthesia. He is dedicated to serving individuals with dental phobias; gag reflexes, the inability to become numb, medical, mental or physical disabilities, as well as young children unable to cooperate.   Dr. Thoms was born and raised in northern Illinois. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2008, his Master’s degree (M.S.) in Biomedical Science from Barry University in 2009, and his Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) from Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine in 2013. After graduation from dental school, he attended a three-year Dental Anesthesiology residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) which certifies him to provide deep sedation and general anesthesia for dental procedures by the Missouri Dental Board. He is a Diplomate of both the American and National Dental Boards of Anesthesiology and holds faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh and Saint Louis University. Dr. Thoms has a primary focus in treating children and patients with special healthcare needs such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Joseph (Joe) Jordan is the founder of JPA Dental Transitions. After establishing practice as a dental specific attorney, Joe saw that his skills in the legal profession could easily and valuably translate to the world of Dental Transitions. Now helping dental professionals through their practice transitions is one of the great joys of his job. Law remains one of his first loves and he continues to work and own Jordan Law Group to serve the dental community. Joe also greatly enjoys his time speaking to dental schools, round robins, and on national dental circuits around the United States. He is a proud husband and dad of two kids.

Mr. Bracken Killpack has been the Executive Director of WSDA since January 2015. Prior to that, he ran WSDA’s Government Affairs program.  Bracken has an MBA from the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business and a BA in Politics from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.  Bracken and his wife, Kate, were volunteers with the United States Peace Corps in Panama from 2009-11. Dennis received his dental training at Loma Linda University, graduating in 1986. He returned to Tri-Cities and joined his father Robert in their Pasco dental office where they worked together till early 2010. Dennis and his wife Traci have two grown children and love being together with family for holidays. Dr. Bradshaw enjoys keeping up to date with the ever changing and advancing field of dentistry. This commitment puts him in advanced classes many days each year, which helps him provide his patients what really works and is worthy of incorporating into his dental practice. Dennis also enjoys being involved in organized dentistry and has served the Washington State Dental Association on numerous different committees. He is also a member of the International Seattle Study Clubs local chapter. Dr. Irwin is a Pacific NW native. After attending college at University of Utah for undergraduate studies and University of Louisville Dental School in Kentucky, he returned to Washington State to be closer to family and friends. Dr. Irwin is passionate about dentistry and is known to use vacation time to further in dental education by either taking courses or reading dental material. Dr. Irwin and his wife have five children. When he isn't working he enjoys playing golf, basketball, cycling, spending time with his family and friends and traveling.