The Very Dental Podcast Network

Alan was joined by his friends and OG Brain Trust members Dr. Tammy Bailey, Dr. Dawn Kulongowski and Dr. Frank Clayton to tell a story. The story, as it turns out, is about the things Al learned by reviewing 1100+ episodes (and 9+ years) of podcasts! Some of the lessons involved podcasting in general, but most of the lessons are incredibly profound and applicable to dentistry and life! You guys are going to love this episode and the conversation we have! Some of the lessons Al learned: Ask for help Everyone is selling something We focused probably more on clinical stuff than business stuff…this is my blind spot, not Jason’s In the beginning we didn’t know what we were doing. But we did it anyway. And it turned out really well. Jason and I had great chemistry. Having good chemistry is important. 1000 of anything is a LOT Any given day 750 or more of those 1100 episodes are downloaded at least once Segments with intros are really fun to listen to, but a LOT of work There is a huge difference between a weekly show and multiple times per week  The older episodes have an authenticity that's hard to replicate. I think that's because this community (podcast/social media friends) didn't know each other as well then as we do now. Dentists want a simple formula for marketing (and everything else) but the goal posts are always changing. We were WAY more worried about websites and SEO back in 2014-2015. "Doing the work" is tedious, unglamorous and not fun. It's important, though. I learned a lot in June. Mostly I learned that it's the listeners that make this work. So I thank you. Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Mohamed is joined by Dr. Steven Beard of Shared Practices to talk about dental school, dental school graduation and practice ownership for the new dentist the "Shared Practices" way! Steven's "why dentistry" and why it's different than most Dental school with a "future practice owner" mindset (entering dental school with an MBA) Can a dental student prepare to own a dental business while being locked in by the four walls of the dental school? Making sure to learn the fundamentals is vital, but sometimes hard Steven's clinical experience at UAB and why a GPR vs. other residencies? The Shared Practices philosophy Practice ownership as early as possible How flexible are you in the area you want to practice and demographics The Shared Practices mailer method (the "off market approach") Practice avatars Some links from the show: Shared Practices Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!  

This throwback episodes features Dr. Mac Jones talking about board exams and a useful variety of clinical tips that the guys wish they had known when they were young. The Very Clinical guys talk about board horror stories Mac weighs in on getting contacts with Bulk EZ Make sure you're reducing enough on crown and bridge preps How do prep for retention How to grab crown prep length Plunger cusps...reduce them Learn how to recontour teeth READ THE DIRECTIONS of your materials Understand your bonding agents Simple isn't always the best Access extracted teeth, understand endo access anatomy Use an orifice opener Reduce the occlusal in endo if you can Section teeth in extractions...take out roots, not teeth Proximators Proximators + mallet Look in to bone grafting even if you aren't placing implants Instagram results...often "same day." Recalls are everything. Don't be the first person to do something. Don't be the last person, either.  If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “verydental10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!  

Al riffs on a topic that he's thought about often in reference to dentistry: confirmation bias. "Confirmation bias is the tendency of people’s minds to seek out information that supports the views they already hold. It also leads people to interpret evidence in ways that support their pre-existing beliefs, expectations, or hypotheses." --Ethics Unwrapped website Confirmation bias can be seen in numerous ways in our life, our politics and all over the way we practice dentistry. It's imperative that we understand how it works in dentistry and how it affects us as clinicians. Also...if your car windows are completely tinted you're 100% for sure a douchebag. Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!    

Dentistry is a business. No matter how much I want to separate myself from that, it just is. Two people whose business acumen I respect a LOT also happen to be dental podcasters. Today I'm joined by Dr. Mark Costes of the Dental Success Institute and the Dentalpreneur Podcast and Dr. Paul Etchison, author of "Dental Practice Hero" and creator of the Dental Practice Heroes Podcast. These guys understand business in a way that most do not. But what I like about them is how freely they give away their knowledge. I brought them together to talk about the state of DSOs in dentistry. Even in the short time that DSOs have been a common topic (which I figure is less than 10 years) the concept has continued to evolve as well as consolidate the dental practice market. Mark and Paul have thoughts...and you get to hear them all in a wide ranging conversation: What is a DSO? How are DSOs evolving? Why are DSOs continuing to consolidate in the dental space? Dentistry is a stable industry for private equity to invest in and is used as a hedge against more risky investments. What kind of dental practices are DSOs interested in? What kind of practices and practitioners are DSOs starting to become less interested in? What's the difference between "multiple practices" and a DSO (Dental Service Organization?) How have current levels of student debt affected DSOs and the consolidation of the dental market? Can clinical excellence really be "baked in" to a DSO model? Are DSOs more attracted to specialty groups? What types of specialties are more attractive? Less attractive? Will DSOs move to rural areas? Mark and Paul use quite a few terms that you might not be 100% familiar with. I had heard them kicked around, but before the conversation starts, I list a couple definitions that you might find helpful: DSO: Simply put, DSO stands for Dental Service Organization. A DSO is a company that helps administer the business aspects (management, marketing and business administration) of the dental practice. EBITA: EBITA stands for "Earnings Before Interest, Taxes and Amoritization." It is a measure of profitability that a potential investor can use to evaluate a potential company or practice. It's used help make "apples to apples" comparisons between potential investments. EBITA is calculated from financial data reported by a company. Many DSOs valuate dental practices as a multiple of their EBITA. same store growth (or same store sales): a measure of growth used by a DSO to know how well an individual practice within the DSO is doing. A DSO will want to know how well the individual practice is doing vs. the entire DSOs growth. The idea is to invest in a practice that has potential to grow in it's own location separate from its relationship to the whole DSO. Private equity (or PE): a type of investment where investors buy shares of privately-held businesses. Private equity is the money supply that has driven the DSO revolution in dentistry (and many other industries). Private equity money expects a return on their investment much like any investor would.  Recapitalization (aka: recapitalization event): "the second bite at the apple" according to Mark and Paul. Recapitalization is the restructuring of a company's debt and equity mixture, and/or financing. This is usually done to stabilize a company's capital structure. In the context of a DSO, recapitalization might be the sale of a smaller DSO/group to a larger one and/or the buying out of dental owners. Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

This epic throwback episode features our favorite nepo babies! Zach welcomes Dr. Dan Smith and Dr. Rusty Fitton to talk about the ins and outs of practicing with family! Take a minute to answer some survey questions at verydentalsurvey.com and you could win a $50 Amazon gift card! If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “verydental10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Very Dental Student Podcast! Alan introduces your host, Mohamed Abo-Basha, who is a D2 at University of Oklahoma! Al's tips for dental students: If you can swing it, many dental companies will sell stuff to dental students at a pretty great discount (think loupes, headlamps, etc.) Take advantage of your dental student email address! Then, Mohamed brings the one and only Dr. Brandon Evert on for an amazing interview! Brandon's take on dental school Learn what kind of student you are (morning person, night person) and learn how to organize a routine Comparing and contrasting dental school styles (case studies vs. route memorization) When did you first get patient contact? Brandon was heavy on reps in the sim lab (note from Al: that makes Brandon smart!) Get used to indirect vision in preclinic! Brandon's first year out and his 4 year military commitment Military = seeing LOTS of dentistry Rotations at Paris Island (CAD/CAM, endo with a scope, surgery) Is the military experience worth it? Brand explains the financial aspects of a military scholarship ("it's not just a way to get free dental school.") and the non-financial aspects HPSP vs. HSCP Brandon's long term plan for private practice Some links from the show: The Extracting Wisdom podcast Anki flash card app The Shared Practices Podcast Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Dr. Jen Aloff is a family practice physician and also happens to be Al's sister in law. Jen has been practicing family practice medicine in Midland, MI for 25 years or so...a similar amount of time that Al has been in his general dental practice. Their wide ranging conversation does a bit of comparing and contrasting of the two professions over the last quarter century. Jen's educational background What changes has she seen over the last 25 years (a loaded question if there ever was one) pre-COVID vs. post-COVID the financial models of medicine and dentistry are completely different...why? They don't talk about money in medicine. Really bizarre incentives in medicine Health care or sick care? Everyone understands lifestyle diseases Big Pharma and the family practice doc Consolidation--->limited access "You can make more money doing procedures..." Proposing two different payment models in medicine Try and refuse a CT Recordkeeping in medicine Is data the new currency in medicine? Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

This throwback episode features 100% less Zach and 100% more Dr. Mac Jones and Dr. Steven Vorholt!  The topic is always timely...the fellas are discussing socket grafting! Take a minute to answer some survey questions at verydentalsurvey.com and you could win a $50 Amazon gift card! If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group! Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook," McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb." The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “verydental10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

The Alan Mead Experience started off as a storytelling podcast. It was a chance for dental types to tell stories and usually the less "dental" the better. This episode hits that spot perfectly! Both Alan and Dr. Jason Smithson own farms. Al's is in central Michigan and Jason's is in Corwall, England. This episode is a light hearted conversation about the similarities and differences that they've experienced with rural living! As we often do, we stray into a little bit about the blessings and curses of social media, too! Some links from the show: Jason's Instagram robotussin_vintage_synths on Instagram Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy," "Papa Randy" or "Lipscomb!" The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! -- Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you’ll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code “VERYDENTAL10” you’ll get another 10% off your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! -- The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! -- Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! -- CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you’ll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!