Just a Couple of Dentists

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.

AI is shaking up every industry...including dentistry. But is it really the end of SEO, Google Ads, and traditional marketing? Or just another shiny object? In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, Eric and Alex talk with Brandon Platt, founder of 4D Digital Media, to set the record straight. Together, they cover: The truth about AI search vs. Google search Why local SEO still drives new patients Where AI can save dentists time (and where it can’t) HIPAA concerns every office needs to know How AI will really impact the business side of dentistry Thanks for writing these shownotes for us Chat GPT! PS - Alex and I love doing Just a Couple of Dentists and our only ask is that if you are at least somewhat enjoying it, please share it with a friend. It helps the podcast grow and we can share more stories with you all!  

When Alex and I first got started, the goal was simple: build a cluster of offices, dominate our area, and eventually sell the group. We ended up selling both of our locations but then we watched friends who focused on just one massive practice walk away with deals way bigger than ours. That got me wondering…should we have just built one mega practice? So I brought on our former broker, John Wlodarek, to break down what buyers and DSOs are actually looking for right now. We get into: Why a single large location is easier to sell than multiple locations How deal structures have changed since the post-COVID peak The headaches and hidden costs of multi-location ownership What’s worth upgrading before you sell (and what’s a waste of money) And now, here’s where ChatGPT would normally say: “If you’re thinking about selling your practice, this one’s for you.” PS - Alex and I love doing Just a Couple of Dentists and our only ask is that if you are at least somewhat enjoying it, please share it with a friend. It helps the podcast grow and we can share more stories with you all!

What happens when a guy with no formal coding experience builds a dental software company out of sheer necessity… and it turns into an 8-figure exit? In this episode, we sit down with our good friend Brennon, the founder of Flex Dental, to hear how he bootstrapped one of the most popular patient engagement softwares in dentistry without fundraising or marketing.  We discuss... 🔹 The surprising reason he built it 🔹 Why he prioritized support over developers 🔹 What selling a tech company actually looks like 🔹 And what he’s doing now (spoiler: it’s not golfing) PS - Alex and I love doing Just a Couple of Dentists and our only ask is that if you are at least somewhat enjoying it, please share it with a friend. It helps the podcast grow and we can share more stories with you all!

According to Spencer Greer, I produce like a sissy... So I filled out Spencer’s coaching form and we recorded a live breakdown of why my production has been so bad. We get into why my crown numbers are embarrassingly low, how being “conservative” slowly turned into underdiagnosing, and why being a natural cheap ass is messing with how I present treatment. Spencer walks through exactly how he coaches dentists to stop overthinking, build confidence in case acceptance, and start producing like someone who actually owns the place. If you’ve ever stared at a cracked molar and still pitched a big filling, you'll appreciate this episode! 👉 Check out Spencer’s site at highleveldentists.com 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.

Trump’s new bill is being marketed as “big” and “beautiful,” but buried in the fine print are changes that could hit dental schools, student loans, taxes, Medicaid, and how you structure your business. Josh Cochran joined us again to break it all down...from caps on federal loans (that might break dental school tuition models) to strange new rules on overtime pay, car deductions, interest write-offs, and why rural ski towns could be the biggest opportunity zone play yet. This isn’t policy talk for the sake of it. There’s real strategy in here you can actually use. Alex and I love bringing you tons of valuable information and the only way this podcast grows is by sharing it with others. So if you found something valuable from this episode, please share it with a buddy! It means the world to us!

In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, we’re joined by Dr. Roshan Kalra — a dentist turned real estate investor who figured out how to turn everyday practice spending into a luxury, $25,000 trip to the Maldives… completely on points. Roshan walks us through his exact playbook, including what cards to use, how to stack bonuses, and why the Chase + Amex ecosystems are the best options for practice owners. Whether you’re brand new to points or already sitting on a stash you haven’t touched, this episode is a goldmine. You’ll learn: The “one-two punch” that turns $10K of spend into $225 of travel How to get 5 nights at the Waldorf Astoria for 800,000 Hilton points (instead of 5 million) Why paying taxes with a credit card can actually make you money The real story behind gift cards, IRS rules, and which cards dentists should never use If you're enjoying the podcast, please SUBSCRIBE on your favorite platform. We love putting out content for you...and your support means the world to us! 

You know Mark Costes as the dentist behind the Dental Success Network and one of the most respected voices in the profession. But instead of asking him what makes him successful, we went to the source: his team. We interviewed the people who work with him every day and asked what actually sets Mark apart. Then we took those answers and turned them into five core traits that we shared with Mark live on the podcast.  In this episode, we discussed... How he spots potential in people before they even see it Why connecting others creates exponential results The shift that came after finally hitting his $1M goal—and feeling unfulfilled What drives his international mission work and Smile Outreach How he filters every decision through integrity, not short-term gain If you're getting value from this, do us a favor—subscribe and share it with a couple dentists who need to hear it. That’s how we grow, and how the right people find the right stuff.

We’ve been through enough crappy contracts and smooth-talking “experts” to know better...so we brought on Sean Hamel from Art of Dental Marketing to break down how to spot the difference between someone who actually knows how to grow your practice… and someone who just knows how to sell you a retainer. In this episode: Why most marketers obsess over visibility instead of conversion (aka, why your phone still isn’t ringing) How “pain-free dentistry” and beach-walking stock families are ruining your message The red flags we wish we’d spotted sooner What to actually ask before you sign anything 🎧 Listen now 📬Subscribe to Alex's newsletter at coupleofdentists.com

30% of your calls go unanswered — and that’s killing production. So, can AI actually do a better job than your own team? Kevin Tallman, CEO of Mango Voice, joins us on this week's episode to discuss: ✅ How AI can pick up missed calls and document them straight into your PMS ✅ Where AI shines and where it still falls short ✅ The biggest red flags when choosing a company that offers AI solutions If you’ve ever wondered whether an AI receptionist is hype or not, make sure to check out this epsiode.  PS - Test out Mango Voice's AI receptionist here! 435-220-3866 

Josh Carpenter is a dentist in Washington who decided to shake things up: he built a restaurant and pickleball courts — a passion project that turned into a $5 million community hub. In this episode, we break down: How he juggled a startup dental practice and a surprise military investigation The real challenges of the restaurant biz vs. running a dental office What makes pickleball so addictive (and expensive) Why Josh’s goal wasn’t just profit — and what he’d do differently next time 👉Make sure to subscribe to Just a Couple of Dentists!

In this episode, we sit down with our longtime friend Dr. Trent McCord—who didn’t just build a successful practice near Bentonville, Arkansas… he also started a nonprofit arm that now sees 50+ patients a day, giving away hundreds of thousands in dentistry to those who need it most. We talk about everything from bourbon-fueled CE courses (yes, really) to the time Trent was so nervous he threw up before his very first patient. He shares how he pushed through anxiety, built an insanely giving culture at his office, and what it actually takes to start something like this. If you’ve ever wanted to give back through dentistry—this one’s worth a listen. Subscribe and send it to a friend who’d be into it.

What’s harder—building a practice or building a building? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Josh Cochran, a dentist who built and acquired 6 practices in just 8 years—all while developing a 16,000 sq ft medical plaza to house one of them. Today, Josh is involved in over $170 million in real estate development and shares the exact mindset shifts and financial frameworks that helped him scale. Josh breaks down: Why you should either go big or stay solo (no in-between) How he combined practice growth with real estate development The “dentist game” vs. the “real estate game” How to know when you're in growth mode vs. preservation mode If you’ve ever asked, Should I own my building? or Am I playing the right game? — this one’s for you. 📬 Subscribe to Alex’s newsletter, Just Two Minutes → coupleofdentists.com

We’ve been through almost as many dental marketing agencies as hygienists—and that’s saying something. So this week, we brought on Michael from Wonderist to answer the question every dentist asks: “Is my marketing actually working?” We cover: Why dentists keep switching agencies What ROI actually looks like (and how to measure it) The $88 new patient offer trap Why tracking your leads matters more than the ads themselves How your front desk might be sabotaging your marketing The one mindset shift that will change how you approach marketing forever 📩 Subscribe to Just Two Minutes, Alex’s bite-sized newsletter packed with sarcasm and solid tips: https://j2m.beehiiv.com/subscribe 👂Listen in—and maybe fire your 6th marketing agency after.

Last episode, we sat down with Carrie and Tessa from Dental Insurance Services to talk about how insurance saved us when we got hacked. But what actually causes these attacks? And how do you prevent them in the first place? This week, we’re keeping the “we got hacked” theme alive and bringing on Reuben Kamp, founder of Darkhorse Tech and our go-to IT expert, to walk us through exactly how dental practices get hacked—and what you can do right now to avoid it. We cover: How our practice got hacked (and why it spread to 60 others) What our IT company should have done Cloud-based vs. local server: Which is safer? How remote tools like ScreenConnect can be dangerous Why your Keurig might be your cybersecurity weak point What a proper backup actually looks like The role AI plays in phishing attacks (and defense) How a bad IT setup can wipe out your entire practice If you own, run, or work in a dental office—this is required listening. One click could shut you down for months… unless you know what to look for. 🔗 Subscribe and check out more at coupleofdentists.com

What happens when your dental office gets hacked five months into your startup—and you’re staring down a $50,000 ransom? In this episode, Eric and Alex share the real story of how a cyberattack locked Eric's entire practice out of Open Dental, and how he found out the hard way that relying on your IT company isn’t enough. Joined by Carrie and Tessa from DIS, we dive into wild (and very real) stories of cyberattacks, lawsuits, and unexpected claims—and the insurance policies that saved practices from total disaster. If you’ve ever said, “That’ll never happen to me,” this one’s for you.

This was one of the very first episodes we recorded — back when we were still figuring out how to turn the mic on and not talk over each other (still working on that, honestly). We’ve only been doing this podcast thing for 4 months, so naturally, this one’s from... 3 months ago. Basically prehistoric. We look back on our dental school days — what we wish we knew, what we definitely didn’t need to stress about, and what actually matters once you graduate and start practicing. 🎙 In this episode, we talk about: Why you should shadow everyone — not just the dentist The lie that is the Krebs cycle How to build your network early (without being weird) Letting go of what other people think Why "working hard" is better than "playing it cool" And whether we’d actually go to dental school again… Whether you’re pre-dental, in dental school, or just love watching people roast their younger selves, you’re gonna like this one. Hit subscribe to hear more unfiltered advice, stories, and strategies from two dentists who’ve made all the mistakes — so you don’t have to.

In this episode of "Just a Couple of Dentists," Eric and Alex dive deep into the evolving landscape of dental hygiene and practice management, particularly in light of recent legislative changes in Arizona. We kick off the conversation by discussing the newly passed law that allows Oral Prevention Assistants (OPAs) to perform cleanings under the supervision of a dentist or hygienist. This change aims to address the ongoing shortage of hygienists, a problem that has been exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic. As we share our personal experiences, we candidly express our frustrations with the current state of dental hygiene staffing. Eric reveals his struggles with retaining hygienists, often facing high turnover rates and the challenges of competing with temp agencies that drive up wages. We explore the financial implications of these staffing issues, particularly for practices that rely heavily on insurance reimbursements, which have not kept pace with rising labor costs. To provide a fresh perspective, we welcome Dr. Graham Dersley, a dentist with a wealth of experience in practice management and a history of navigating the challenges of dental startups. Graham shares his journey from acquiring a small practice to developing multiple startups, emphasizing the importance of adapting marketing strategies to attract patients who need more than just routine cleanings. He advocates for a shift in focus from hygiene-heavy practices to those that prioritize restorative and emergency care, which can lead to more sustainable revenue streams. We also explore the idea of separating hygiene services from clinical care, drawing parallels to other industries like nail salons and medical spas. This model could allow patients to receive cleanings without the pressure of a dental exam, making dental care more accessible and less intimidating. As we wrap up the episode, we reflect on the broader implications of these changes for the dental industry. We discuss the potential for a new model of care that prioritizes patient comfort and convenience while still ensuring high-quality treatment. This episode is packed with insights, strategies, and a healthy dose of humor as we navigate the complexities of modern dentistry. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to subscribe for more!