Just a Couple of Dentists

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.

Ever wonder what it actually takes to open six dental offices in six months? Dr. Andrew Vallo didn’t just wonder...he did it. And in this episode, he breaks down exactly how it all went down. We talk with Andrew and Matt Brown (from Energize Marketing) about: How he used second-gen spaces to move fast and stay lean Cutting build-out costs from $600K to $150K Building a growth model around associates and how he retains them Why mindset and leadership matter way more than most people think 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.

Zach Shelley and Kirk Teachout are two office managers running multi-million dollar practices who actually have their systems dialed in. In this episode, we get into what those systems look like day to day: how they hire, how they hold people accountable, and how they keep the culture steady when things get messy. We also talk about why firing faster usually fixes more than it breaks, how they structure meetings so they don’t drag, and what they’ve learned about leading teams that don’t constantly need babysitting. It’s the kind of stuff most dentists think they have figured out… until they don’t. 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’d mean the world to us.  

Paul Goodman didn’t set out to build the most well-known group in dentistry. He just liked nachos and connecting with fellow dentists. Fast forward 8 years....with 67,000+ members, Dental Nachos is part Facebook group, part movement, and part community dentists didn’t know they needed. In this episode, we get into: Who actually came up with the name "Dental Nachos" The origin story behind BAD, MAD, and SAD What it’s like running a Facebook group with more people than most towns Why acronyms like SBITDA and terms like “dentisting” actually stick Crying Inside: the KPI no one tracks but everyone feels The difference between owning a dental practice vs. a dental community (and which one’s more stressful) We also talk about what happens when dentists post photos of ACTUAL nachos, argue in the comments, and lose their minds over free CE.

We brought on our dental school friend Dr. Mike Dyriw, who somehow went from living in a van during orientation week to becoming a board-certified endodontist in Nashville. In this episode, we cover: Mike’s “Wax Rim Scandal” that almost got him in trouble in dental school 🦷 Why endodontists roll their eyes at “Please remove decay and assess restorability” referrals Whether they actually want you to prep the tooth first or not The truth about build-ups, temporaries, and CBCT add-ons How boring endo is (for assistants) and how Mike hires for that The weird billing codes specialists use (and how insurance ruins them all) Netflix’s “Root Cause” documentary and if patients actually believed it And if most endodontists are actually board certified 🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the full video on YouTube.

How does a dentist running a $20M business plan his year for success? We brought back Josh Cochran to walk us through the annual planning system he calls the #1 most impactful habit of his entire career—the same process he uses every year to lead a $20M dental business and real estate company with clarity and intention. Inspired by Bill Gates' “Think Week,” this 8-week framework helps him reflect, get focused, and set up the year to win. 👇 In this episode: 00:00 Intro – why yearly planning fails 02:38 The inspiration: Bill Gates' Think Week 05:35 Josh’s background: 7 practices, 160 employees 07:10 Why this takes 8 weeks (not 1 lunch meeting) 08:02 The power of “Why” and accountability partners 16:13 How to journal your time and rate every task 19:29 The passion/strength matrix 21:09 Eliminate, Automate, Delegate: what stays, what goes 21:42 Why visual maps help you say no with confidence 31:21 The 12 Freedoms model 34:28 Building your “Ideal Week” 36:07 Josh’s 8-week cohort info Josh's 8 week EPIC course starts on October 15th. Click here to sign up! https://drjoshcochran.com/mastermind/

Most of us show up to a dental CE, grab our badge, sit in a ballroom, and don’t think twice about what it actually takes to pull the thing off. But what’s it really like to run one of these events? How much do room blocks actually cost? What happens if people don’t show up? Are sponsors footing the bill… or is the organizer rolling the dice? And is it really worse than planning a wedding? In this episode, we sit down with Minal Sampat, who has been running dental CE events for years (and sells them out). She takes us behind the curtain into the numbers, the chaos, and the last-minute fires you never hear about. 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’d mean the world to us.

Chris Green went from $0 to $4.6M in four years. In this episode we cover what he systemized so you can copy it, and what he tried that wasn’t worth it. You’ll learn how he… 📁 set up his Google Drive so systems are easy to find and use ✅ built one-page checklists the team actually follows ⏱️ trained assistants to be “functional in 30 days” 🛡️ tightened insurance verification to cut surprises at checkout and improve collections 🤝 ran route slips and transfer-of-trust handoffs that create confidence and higher case acceptance 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’d mean the world to us.

Every dentist dreads that first one-star review. The truth? It’s not the review that hurts you — it’s how (or if) you respond. In this episode with Dr. Len Tau, we break down: The do’s and don’ts of replying to reviews The difference between a HIPAA-safe response and the snarky reply you wish you could post Why taking things offline first is usually the smartest play How reviews act as signals for your future patients, not verdicts on your past ones Why bad reviews don’t break your practice — silence does 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’d mean the world to us.  

Building a dental office isn’t cheap. And if you’re not careful, you’ll blow tens of thousands of dollars on stuff you don’t need. We sat down with our longtime friend and contractor Tommy Morales to talk about the real mistakes dentists make during a buildout and how to avoid them.  In this episode we get into: Why storage space always gets overlooked Pocket doors, barn doors, and flooring that actually works Where dentists waste the most money (hint: cabinetry) Architect vs. design-build and how one option can save you months What’s actually changed in reception design since COVID Planning a buildout or renovation? Listen to this first — it’ll save you money and a lot of headaches.

Last month, Spencer Greer called me out for producing like a sissy. I was averaging 3 crowns a month, underdiagnosing like crazy, and letting my cheap-ass brain run my treatment planning. So we did a live coaching session. Now, a month later, I’m back with the results: My crowns jumped from 3 to 11 in the same number of days. My monthly production went up 75%. We added about $20K more than the same month last year. All from shifting mindset, diagnosing with confidence, and saying “crown or nothing.” In this follow-up, Spencer and I break down what worked, what didn’t, and the next steps (including ortho and same-day treatment). 👉 Check out Spencer’s upcoming course at highleveldentists.com (use code ERIC or ALEX for 10% off — we’ll see who’s more popular). Here's the link as well to the first episode we did with Spencer! Apple Podcasts  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-a-couple-of-dentists/id1782713047?i=1000719624804 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’d mean the world to us.

Compliance is nobody’s favorite topic. But if you ignore it, it can get real expensive, real fast. We brought on Dr. Lisa Kane (dentist + founder of Dental Office Compliance of New England) to walk us through the stuff that actually matters and the traps that cost dentists money. We get into: Why every office misses things (and which ones you can’t afford to miss) Waterlines, sterilization, and the shortcuts that backfire Training your team without feeling like OSHA’s hall monitor The scammy compliance “posters” you should never pay for And yes… Eric shares the story of his “reverse needle stick” in dental school.