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© 2025 Virginia Dental Association
Description
A podcast of the Virginia Dental Association
The Fulcrum Podcast serves as a dynamic platform where various important topics, especially those affecting dental providers and patients, are explored through thoughtful discussion and personal perspectives. The name "The Fulcrum" reflects the concept of a central point of connection, much like the pivotal connection between a dental professional and their patient. Each episode anchors a key theme relevant to the dental community, yet the content is ever-evolving, offering a range of insights from different contributors. This includes human interest stories, discussions on the legislative process, and in-depth conversations about pressing issues like workforce challenges. With diverse perspectives and engaging storytelling, The Fulcrum Podcast aims to provide valuable insights that go beyond what you might read in a traditional article.
The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only, and any reliance on the information provided in this podcast is done at your own risk. This podcast should not be considered professional, medical, or legal advice.
17 Episodes
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Send us a review. EPISODE LENGTH: 43:45 SUMMARY: In this episode of The Fulcrum, the focus is on the recent ADA House of Delegates meeting, featuring updates from Virginia's ADA delegates, Drs. Ralph Howell, Frank Iuorno, Justin Norbo, Elizabeth Reynolds, Jonathan Wong, and Brenda Young. Discussion topics include the unprecedented election of a president-elect from the floor, strategic concerns such as the dissolution of the Strategic Forecasting Committee, the impact and future direction of...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode, host Karen Wood interviews Dr. Austin Westover, a VDA member, multi-location practice owner, and President-elect of the Shenandoah Valley Dental Association. Dr. Westover shares his inspiring journey from being intrigued by dentistry through his father’s early exposure to becoming a multi-location practice owner. He details his experiences with digital dentistry, AI in practice, and the challenges and rewards of managing multiple roles as a clinici...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: This episode discusses key topics, including legislative efforts to address workforce shortages in the Commonwealth, initiatives to enhance practice success through VDA Member Perks, and professional development opportunities such as the rollout of Affiliate Memberships. Additionally, upcoming events, such as Dental Days at the Capitol and Town Hall meetings, are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of member participation. HOST: Ryan Dunn is the CEO of the Virg...
Send us a review. Karen Wood welcomes Alison Farber, Vice President of Sales and Partnerships at Method Procurement. They discuss the evolution of dental supply ordering from clipboards to sophisticated software platforms. Alison explains the concept of procurement and its importance in managing costs and efficiency in dental practices. The conversation covers how Method's software simplifies the procurement process by automating price checks, tracking orders, and managing budgets, significa...
Send us a review. In this episode, we are joined by VDA Member, Dr. Zachary Hairston, who serves as the Dental Consultant for Virginia's Cardinal Care Smiles Dental Program, and Justin Gist, Dental Program Manager at the Virginia Department of Medicaid Assistance Services. They discuss the 20-year evolution of Virginia's Medicaid dental services, from its initial focus on pediatric care to the recent inclusion of pregnant members and adult comprehensive dental benefits. The conversation cove...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode, host Ryan Dunn provides updates on workgroup discussions regarding licensure by endorsement and the activities of foreign-trained dentists. He also highlights upcoming events like the VDA/VCU Career Fair and the Virginia Dental Showcase. HOST: Ryan Dunn is the CEO of the Virginia Dental Association. Ryan has played major roles with four national and statewide Associations while also spending time working on Capitol Hill. When he’s not talking all t...
Send us a review. In this episode, Karen Wood discusses ways for dental practices to boost their marketing without straining their teams. Featuring experts Keith Washington and Shannon Perry from ProSites, the episode covers the evolution of dental marketing, the importance of branding, and effective tracking of marketing strategies. Key points include the significance of online tools, automating administrative tasks, leveraging digital marketing, and budgeting for marketing efforts. The co...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode of The Drill, VDA CEO Ryan Dunn provides updates on the Virginia Dental Association's activities and initiatives. Key focus areas include addressing the dental professional shortage in Virginia, highlighting media coverage of the issue, and discussing advocacy efforts with political leaders. The episode also delves into the ADA's suggestions to NCOIL and MetLife regarding dental insurance policies and practices. Additionally, Dunn introduces the lat...
Send us a review. In this episode, Karen Wood discusses dental malpractice and risk management with Dr. Al Rizkalla. The podcast covers various aspects of dental malpractice, focusing on informed consent, documentation, patient interactions, and the critical role of detailed, ethical patient care. Dr. Rizkalla highlights common claims against dentists, the importance of effective communication with patients, and the necessity of thorough and accurate documentation. The episode also explores ...
Send us a review. In the inaugural episode of The Drill, Ryan Dunn, CEO of the Virginia Dental Association (VDA), provides a concise update on the latest activities and initiatives. The episode covers three key areas from the VDA's strategic plan: powerful advocacy, professional development, and practice success. Dunn discusses the workforce challenges, including a shortage of dental hygienists, and highlights efforts such as the new Richmond hygiene school opening in 2026. Other topics incl...
Send us a review. Content Warning: A note about the theme of this episode. This episode discusses topics related to burnout and mental health and includes a brief mention of suicide. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone. Help is available. Please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support 24/7. Additionally, long-term support can be found through the Sa...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode, host Karen Wood, Director of Operations for VDA Member Perks, interviews Mike Urbanik from RK Tongue Insurance. The discussion focuses on common legal questions dentists face regarding patient reviews on social media. Key insights include how to respond to positive and negative reviews without violating HIPAA, the implications of patients posting reviews, and the importance of legal consultation before taking any action. HOST: Karen Wood mana...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode of The Fulcrum Podcast, Paul Logan interviews Dr. Emily Bowen, Program Director of Mountain Empire Community College's Dental Programs. Dr. Bowen discusses the challenges and advancements in dental education and workforce development in rural Virginia. She highlights the success of Mountain Empire’s Dental Assistant and Dental Assistant II Expanded Functions (DA II) programs and their impact on the local community. Dr. Bowen also explains the role o...
Send us a review. SUMMARY: In this episode of The Fulcrum Podcast, host Karen Wood, Director of Operations for VDA Member Perks, discusses practice transitions with Todd and Sheryl Garfinkel from DDSmatch. The conversation covers essential topics such as what dental students need to know about practice ownership, the role of dental transition specialists, and the importance of assembling the right team for a successful practice transition. The episode also provides an overview of the t...
Send us a review. Summary: In this episode, Paul Logan interviews Dilaine Gloege, an expert with 38 years of experience in dentistry and founder of Tidewater Dental Consulting. Dilaine discusses the importance of accurate documentation and coding practices for dental teams. She emphasizes the changing standards in dental documentation to align with healthcare provider expectations, the reasons behind audits, and best practices to avoid them. Dilaine also provides practical advice on how to h...
Send us a review. In this episode, Tripp Perrin discusses the outcomes and key themes from Virginia’s short 45-day 2025 legislative session, highlighting the political motivations and posturing influenced by upcoming elections. He highlights notable achievements for the dental community, including the passage of a crucial bill on insurance transaction fees and efforts to address the dental workforce shortage. Additionally, Tripp explores the session's impact on the budget, Medicaid concerns,...
Send us a review. Summary: In this episode of The Fulcrum podcast, VDA CEO Ryan Dunn and VDA Counsel Scott Johnson discuss the impact of Virginia's 2024 transparency legislation requiring dental insurance carriers to disclose their Dental Loss Ratios (DLR). They review the first loss ratio reports released by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, explaining what the data entails and what early trends are emerging. They also highlight the VDA's Dental Insurance Grievance (DIG) tracker, its role i...
Send us a review. Summary: In the inaugural episode of The Fulcrum podcast, hosted by Ryan Dunn and Paul Logan from the Virginia Dental Association (VDA), the focus is on the critical issue of workforce shortages in the dental sector in Virginia. They talk about how we got here and the VDA's workforce initiatives to open more educational pathways to become licensed as dental hygienists, address licensure bottlenecks, and support the expansion of academic programs. The hosts highlight various...
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