The Navigating Dental Insurance Podcast

The Navigating Dental Insurance Podcast

This podcast is dedicated to helping dentist navigate through the challenges of dental insurance.

  1. 4D AGO

    The PPO Exit Blueprint

    In this episode of Navigating Dental Insurance, Jordon Comstock and Tessina Bullock sit down with Elijah Desmond, co-founder and CEO of Dental Pitch Brokerage, to talk about practice valuation, preparing for an exit, and how dental owners can create a more valuable business before selling. Elijah shares his story as an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, event creator, DJ, and dental industry connector. He also breaks down why most dentists wait too long to prepare for a sale, why “no” is one of the most valuable words in business, and how his Dental Pitch model brings buyers and sellers together in a Shark Tank-style format. The biggest takeaway: dental practice owners should start preparing 5–7 years before they want to sell, not when they are burned out and ready to leave tomorrow. Key Topics Covered Elijah’s background in dentistry, events, entrepreneurship, and motivational speaking Why relationship capital matters more than almost anything Why Dental Pitch Brokerage only works with a small percentage of practices Why practices under $2M in revenue may need advisory work before selling Why 3–4 chair practices are harder to sell Why sellers who refuse to consider DSOs may limit their market How Dental Pitch creates a faster, more human buyer/seller process Why culture fit matters in a practice sale Why sellers should get a Quality of Earnings Lite The difference between a basic valuation and forensic financial analysis Why adjusted EBITDA drives practice value How improving EBITDA from 13% to 20% can create major valuation lift Easy EBITDA levers: labs, distributors, merchant services, insurance negotiation, software consolidation Why efficiency can be more valuable than simply chasing more production DSO Pricing and how group purchasing can help private practices improve profitability Strong Pull Quotes “Your no is so much better than your empty yes.” “Dentists wait way too long to sell.” “You should reach out 5–7 years before you want to sell.” “Culture is everything.” “If I save you $10,000 and it goes straight to your bottom line, that may be $60,000 in sale value.” “CPAs are historians. We want forensic accounting.”Contact To connect with Elijah, visit: DentalPitchBrokerage.comDSOPricing.com

    45 min

  2. MAY 1

    What AI Can’t Replace in Dentistry - Dr. Mark Costes

    https://www.truedentalsuccess.comWww.boomcloudapps.comThe Million Dollar Membership Plan Book - Attract membership patients, create recurring revenue & reduce PPOs

    35 min

  3. APR 10

    Navigating the Human Side of Business Leadership

    Thomas Passalacqua is a certified Executive Coach who specializes in customized professional & leadership development. With a master’s in education, Thomas started his career as a founding teacher in New York City. He then transitioned into dental manufacturing sales, where he was an award-winning consultant who trained and mentored other sales professionals. Transitioning again, Thomas was the director of business development for a growing dental group practice in the Northeast where he led sales and marketing for mergers & acquisitions. In his executive coaching and professional training platform, Ascend Professional Pathways LLC, he enables various industry leaders to gain clarity and improve their business leadership skills. His clients are empowered to reach the next level in their businesses and careers by overcoming doubts, fears, and uncertainty and making strategic decisions to better align with their goals.https://ascendpropathways.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaspassalacqua/thomas@ascendpropathways.com

    38 min

  4. MAR 27

    Why Most Dental Practices Stay Stuck (And How the Best Ones Break Through)

    In this episode, Ben sits down with dental coach Sherri Hollenbeck to uncover what truly separates thriving practices from those that feel stuck. They dive into the biggest frustrations facing owners and office managers, the hidden mistakes quietly draining growth, and the communication breakdowns holding teams back. Sherri shares practical insights and real-world strategies to help practices regain clarity, improve leadership, and move forward with confidence. If your practice feels overwhelmed or plateaued, this conversation will give you a powerful starting point to turn things around.

    34 min

  5. MAR 20

    Insurance Manipulation + Membership Economics

    Build a patient membership plan with BoomCloud™ & Become Fee For Service - www.boomcloudapps.com Negotiate your PPO Fees & Increase Revenue per patient - www.Veritasdentalresources.com AI Claim Denials - https://boomcloudapps.com/how-to-outsmart-ai-dental-claims-denials-and-take-back-control-of-your-practice/

    44 min
  6. How to Go Fee For Service

    FEB 17

    How to Go Fee For Service

    Podcast Summary (Show Notes Style)In this episode, Jordon Comstock talks with Dan from Elevation Association about why dental insurance—especially Delta Dental—is becoming a bigger threat to independent practices, and how practices can successfully transition to fee-for-service without destroying their schedule. Dan explains that Delta is making aggressive moves, including owning dental practices, which gives insurers more control locally and reduces their reliance on independent offices. He also warns dentists not to assume associations will protect them, arguing the industry landscape is shifting fast. The conversation then turns practical: Dan breaks down what it really takes to exit PPOs strategically. The key is preparation—especially having a patient membership / benefit plan in place before going out of network, so patients can move “laterally” into the practice’s own plan. He emphasizes aligning the entire team around the mission, using incentives when appropriate, and building strong patient communication to counter misleading insurer letters that make patients think they “can’t” stay with the practice. Dan shares that the transition isn’t instant—it can take about a year to stabilize, with the first quarter or two feeling messy as hygiene schedules fluctuate and patients test the financial impact. The practices that win dedicate staff to proactive recall/outreach, driven by real data (they use Dental Intel), to refill the schedule and reduce attrition. The episode closes with the payoff: the move is described as freeing and energizing, with fewer write-offs, more control, and the ability to slow down while improving focus and profitability—especially when practices don’t try to do it alone and instead leverage coaching, tools, and a clear plan. TL;DR (30 seconds)Delta is tightening control (even buying practices), so dentists need a strategy to regain power: prep your team + track key KPIs + build a membership plan first + over-communicate + run recall/outreach, and expect a ~12-month stabilization period after the PPO exit. The result: less write-off pain and way more freedom.

    35 min

  7. 01/19/2025

    Are you sick of denied claims? Listen to this!

    Tessina disuses how to effectively use an insurance commissioner. Most dental offices do not use the insurance commissioner and most are missing out on a type of advocacy that is proven to reduce claims denials, as well as many other challenges dental offices face when dealing with insurance.  To contact Tessina, email her at tessinabarney@gmail.com. Visit her company website at www.VerusDental.com

    22 min

  8. 01/16/2025

    The road to hell is paved with in-network reimbursements, with Jim Zenk

    In this episode, Jim focuses on his work as a dental specific CPA. He talks about advantages of using a dental specific CPA over general CPA's. Jim shares advice on how to work with your CPA in a way that is productive and allows for you to take full advantage of tax codes, and other perks that come with proactive tax planning and tax mitigation strategies. Jim also talks about fees and how they impact dental practices and his shock when comparing his client's fees with area percentiles. His advice is to be proactive at reviewing and assessing your fees often and in a way that will impact revenue and profitability.    To contact Jim, send him an email at jim@tridentcpa.com

    40 min
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This podcast is dedicated to helping dentist navigate through the challenges of dental insurance.

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