Claim OwnershipThe Dental Economist Show
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Hi, dental economists! I’m Mike Huffaker, and this is the Dental Economist Show, where you can join me and my guests in a conversation about the business of dentistry. Get ready to reconsider everything you think you know about growing your dental business as we exchange different ideas and meet at the intersection of profit and purpose.
115 Episodes
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What does it take to pursue the truly impossible? In this special episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker steps outside the dental world to sit down with Sara Sabry the first Egyptian, first Arab, and first African woman to travel to space. A mechanical and biomedical engineer, PhD candidate, and founder of the Deep Space Initiative, Sara shares the mindset, discipline, and resilience that took her from growing up in Egypt with no path to the stars, to launching aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket in 2022. The lessons she shares on innovation, fear, burnout, and the power of "why not?" are ones every leader can take back to their practice and their life.
In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Kara Kelley founder and CEO of Clinical HR.
Clinical HR is a specialized advisory firm that helps dental and medical practices design strategic human resources systems, develop leadership, and build competitive reward programs to attract and retain top talent.
The conversation explores how HR serves as an advocate for the business by protecting it through compliance, audits, and well-defined culture. Kara shares her unique journey from clinical massage therapy to dental HR consulting and provides actionable advice on navigating modern hiring challenges, the risks of "working interviews," and how to effectively scale HR functions as a practice grows.
#humanresources #dentallitigation #dentalculture
Chord Specialty Dental Partners is redefining what it means to scale a DSO without losing the human touch. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with CEO Todd Cruse and COO Alayna Brent to explore their powerful leadership philosophy: take care of your team and patients first, and economics will follow. From ripping out three PMS systems simultaneously to implementing a 60-day integration playbook, Todd and Alayna share the real-world strategies behind building transparency, driving change, and creating a culture where doctors actually go home at 5 PM. This conversation is a masterclass in operational excellence, people-first leadership, and what it truly takes to grow a specialty DSO that providers want to join.
Clayton Russell, Vice President of Operational Strategy at Dental Care Alliance, one of the largest DSOs in the industry, joins host Mike Huffaker to discuss the challenges and opportunities of scaling dental operations. With over two decades of experience spanning sales, consulting, and DSO leadership, Clayton shares his unique perspective on translating strategy into measurable outcomes. From navigating vendor partnerships and technology adoption to addressing underperforming practices and managing change at scale, this conversation dives deep into what it takes to run a 400+ practice organization. Clayton offers candid insights on balancing innovation with implementation, the importance of keeping practice teams at the center of every decision, and why 2026 feels like a turning point for the industry after navigating post-COVID challenges.
Weave's Chief Revenue Officer, David McNeil, joins The Dental Economist Show to explore how technology is transforming dental practice operations. With over 25 years of SaaS leadership experience, David oversees sales, customer success, and revenue operations for a platform serving more than 30,000 practices. In this conversation, host Mike Huffaker and David dive into the future of AI in healthcare, the art of building high-performing sales teams, successful M&A integration strategies, and how Weave is leveraging AI to solve critical front office challenges—from appointment scheduling to patient communication and revenue optimization.
One doesn’t get to $80M in funding without being revolutionary - that’s Wardah Inam-led, Overjet’s story, and we’re unpacking it in the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show with Mike Huffaker. Tune in for CEO and Co-Founder of Overjet, Wardah’s playbook on building the most advanced AI platform for dentistry and insights on how AI-powered diagnostics are expanding beyond radiographic analysis into a full-stack operating system for dental practices. Dental AI is revolutionizing everything from clinical decision support to voice automation, credentialing and revenue cycle management. But Wardah’s approach proves that going beyond the hype is the first step.
DSOs often get associated with loss of control, rigid systems, and decisions made far from the operatory. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Dr Sameer Puri, Chief Clinical Officer at Imagen Dental Partners, to challenge that assumption. Drawing on more than two decades as a clinician, educator, and operator, Dr Puri explains how education tied to implementation, clear leadership expectations, and a clean separation between clinical and business autonomy can drive growth without compromising patient care.
Canadian DSO, 123 Dentist, has become the country’s fastest-growing dental organization. How? We’re unpacking it all in this episode of The Dental Economist Show as host Mike Huffaker sits down with CEO, Jeff Leger, for the ultimate insider’s perspective. Tune in to explore how this ex-pharmacist used his retail expertise to fuel dental leadership, why operational excellence and clinician mentorship are your competitive advantages, and the strategic priorities it takes to drive growth. Most of all, this conversation highlights what we all know and cannot afford to ignore: strong people-focused culture is a non-negotiable in today’s day and age.
We often think of Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) as part and parcel of the dental landscape. But what if they’ve fundamentally shifted and redefined the market as a whole? In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Andrew Smith, CEO of the Association of Dental Support Organizations (ADSO), to explore the evolution of DSOs. From being disruptive outsiders to a mainstream practice model representing 30% of the dental market, the regulatory landscape shaping their future and what comes next for consolidation and growth in the industry, this episode traces all that’s happened and all that’s coming our way.
For many dental professionals, 2025 was the year of survival. And, thriving in 2026 is going to take a complete shift on every front - leadership, technology adoption and strategy. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker starts the new year by sitting down with Brian Colao, Director of the DSO Industry Group at Dykema, for a candid retrospective on 2025's "muted recovery" and what's really coming next. Brian breaks down why same-store growth stalled for many (spoiler: it's not always about the technology), reveals the anatomy of struggling DSOs, and shares the counterintuitive moves top performers are making right now.
Tune in for actionable strategies to position your organization for the growth that 2026 promises to bring.
Practice integration, patient convenience and automation are all set to take over the dental landscape in 2026 (among other big trends) and we’re unpacking it all in the last episode of The Dental Economist Show of the year! Tune in as host, Mike Huffaker, brings back some of the show’s biggest hits, courtesy Eric Pastan, Mariz Tanious, Jeremy Livengood and Tobi Bosede. From elevated clinical outcomes driven by tech to making dental access as convenient as DoorDash, this year-ender spotlights everything you need to be prepped for the dental evolution that’s on its way.
Join us in saying “goodbye” to 2025 and “bring it on” to 2026!
As the year in dentistry comes to a close, there’s A LOT to unpack. Join us for a retrospective on the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show as host, Mike Huffaker reflects on some of the most thought-provoking insights, opinions and predictions we’ve witnessed on the series this year. From how IT teams can become a strategic growth partner for dental businesses and areas of operation that AI is transforming to the trends driving oral health today, this episode features eye-opening perspectives from industry experts Tom Barberio, Ryan Mingus, Greg White and Jill Nesbitt.
It’s the perfect snapshot of dentistry to head into 2026 with. And, this is only part 1!
Marketing tactics can only do so much to grow your dental practice. Building genuine trust and boldness in how you connect with your patients will do a lot. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Fred Joyal, Co-Founder of 1-800-Dentists and author of “Superbold”, to explore why patient anxiety could be your biggest opportunity, how to build a team culture that sells dentistry naturally and the counterintuitive strategies DSOs are getting right and wrong.
Tune in for decades of proven insights on creating remarkable patient experiences and the bold mindset shifts that separate thriving practices from the rest.
What does it take to build the world’s most luxe dental clinic? Hustle, a killer personal brand and Dr. Manrina Rhode’s unbeatable strategies. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show with Mike Huffaker, Manrina, founder and CEO of DRMR Clinic in London's Knightsbridge, opens up her playbook on creating an iconic and exclusive brand, diving deep into the pages of building an award-winning practice, leveraging social media before it was mainstream in dentistry and navigating the brutal reality of entrepreneurship.
Tune in for candid, unfiltered insights on building a global luxury dental brand while mastering business fundamentals and growing personally, too.
When a DSO legend like Pat Bauer, President and CEO of Heartland Dental, tells you to lead with kindness, you listen. In the 100th episode of The Dental Economist Show, there’s a lot to celebrate - Pat’s incredible journey from working at a gas station to building a DSO behemoth, the power of kindness and his ‘no-jerk’ rule and of course, our show’s exciting milestone. Tune in as host Mike Huffaker sits down with Pat to explore building sustainable organizational culture, maintaining clinical autonomy at scale and the power of consistent personal development. From the impact of AI in modern dentistry to fostering honest feedback loops, this conversation reveals how values-driven leadership can transform both individual practices and large organizations.
As it turns out, being "nice" might be the most powerful business strategy of all.
In today’s ever-evolving dental landscape, it can be hard to put a finger on one’s real competitive advantage. Well, Stephenie Goddard, CEO of Glidewell Dental, has a few ideas. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Stephenie to explore how to build a thriving culture in a rapidly evolving industry, why curiosity and humility matter more than you think and the strategic moves that transform labs and practices into innovation leaders. Whether you're navigating generational workforce challenges, wondering how AI actually impacts your team, or seeking to grow your business sustainably, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on leadership, technology adoption, and creating lasting organizational impact.
As it turns out, staying curious and vulnerable as a leader are the competitive advantages that can unlock unprecedented growth for your practice or organization.
Dental’s in flight mode when it comes to AI and it needs to step into embrace mode. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, we explore why and how. Tune in as host Mike Huffaker sits down with Nathan James, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Product Design at Planet DDS, to explore the intersection of AI innovation, product strategy, and dental practice management. Drawing from his unique journey across GovTech, Fintech, Martech, and now MedTech (plus a family legacy tied to ESPN's founding) Nathan shares how dental practices can navigate the AI revolution while building sustainable competitive advantages in an increasingly complex business landscape.
This episode is sure to inject some much-needed curiosity and vigor into your approach to dental to tech.
Contrary to popular belief, keeping your eye solely on profit-making often limits a practice’s growth. In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Dr. Chris Steven Villanueva, founder and CEO of MB2 Dental, to explore what happens when dental organizations shift their focus to empowering practitioners instead of just driving profits. Tune in to find out how a "bunch of knucklehead dentists" built an 800+ practice organization without compromising clinical autonomy, how his unique childhood across three continents shaped his innovative leadership approaches, and why success in dentistry comes down to treating people right.
We all need a reminder of what really matters; this is the reminder every dental professional needs.
Every dental practice is only as good as the number of people who know it is. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike Huffaker sits down with Janet Hagerman, a leading voice in dental sales, DSO Fractional Chief Hygiene Officer and case acceptance coach, to explore the evolution of dental hygiene leadership and the art of ethical case presentation. Tune in for fascinating insights on why case acceptance rates hover at 30-50%, how to tailor treatment conversations to patient values, and proven strategies for building consistent hygiene protocols across multiple practices. From implementing assisted hygiene models to leveraging KPIs effectively, this episode leaves no stone unturned for leaders looking to elevate their hygiene departments and improve patient care outcomes.
In some cases, experience really IS the best teacher.
What if you could optimize your dental practice's revenue cycle management while actually improving patient experience?
In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host Mike sits down with Chrissy Bridgeman, a self-proclaimed "Revenue Cycle Janitor" and CEO of MODPractice, to explore the sweet spot for centralizing billing operations, the truth about AI in dental billing, and how to achieve a 95% first-time claims acceptance rate.
Whether you're running a single practice or managing multiple locations, this conversation delivers practical insights on creating efficient billing processes without sacrificing patient relationships.
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