Byte Sized

Adrian Lefler
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Cut through the AI noise with Adrian Lefler, a 15-year dental industry veteran who's actually using this stuff. No theory, no sales pitches, just the tactical AI implementations that are transforming dental practices right now. In 20-30 minute episodes, Adrian brings you real practitioners sharing exactly how they're using AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other LLM's to save time, increase revenue, and stay ahead of the curve. Whether it's automating patient communication, streamlining workflows, or implementing diagnostic AI, you'll get step-by-step guidance from people who've done it successfully. This isn't another "AI is the future" podcast. It's your practical guide to implementing AI in your dental practice today – without the hype, without the fluff, and without wasting your time. Perfect for busy dental professionals who want actionable insights they can implement immediately. Because while everyone else is talking about AI, we're showing you how to actually use it. New episodes weekly. Real results guaranteed.

  1. 6d ago

    53 : Why Social Media Is No Longer Optional for Dental Practices: AI Content, Instagram Rankings, and the Social Studio System with Matt Hutchings

    Posting on social media used to be a nice extra for dental practices. Now it's a requirement for growth, and most practices are getting it wrong in ways that quietly cost them new patients. WHAT THIS EPISODE IS ABOUT In this episode of BYTE SIZED, Adrian Lefler talks with Matt Hutchings, who has spent the last eight years at Productive Dentist Academy working across creative strategy, go to market products, podcast production, and on-site video and photo shoots for dental practices around the country. Matt kept running into the same wall over and over: practices need authentic, real content, but the busiest people in the office are the ones expected to create it. Doctors are busy. Teams are busy. The content plan breaks down right there. That frustration led Matt to build Social Studio, a hybrid photography and AI content system that turns a single on-site shoot into months of authentic, story-driven social content, without asking the practice to keep producing new material every week. A lot of this episode centers on how search has quietly changed. Last year, Google started indexing social media content directly, and geotagged, locally relevant posts are part of what gets picked up. Matt explains that follower count matters less now than engagement, watch time, and comments. He also points to something dentists overlook: user generated content, meaning the comments patients leave, now carries real weight in how a practice shows up in search. That shifts the whole point of posting from broadcasting to actually building a relationship with the people already following you. Matt and Adrian dig into how organic posting functions as a litmus test. Instead of guessing what to spend ad dollars on, practices can look at which organic posts got real engagement and use that data to fund paid campaigns, retargeting, and landing pages built around what already worked. Matt also explains why he sees Instagram as the current front door of a dental practice, the same way Google Business Profile became a front door years ago, when a widely cited statistic showed 64 percent of that traffic never even reached the practice website. Patients are making decisions based on what they see in the feed before they ever call. The back half of the conversation is about Social Studio itself. Matt shot core photography, patient portraits from multiple angles, empty operatories, team photos, and uses AI to recombine those real assets into new scenes rather than generating people or places from scratch. Adrian pushes on the obvious question: why not just use good stock photography, or hire a local photographer to shoot a thousand images once and skip the AI step entirely? Matt walks through the tradeoffs, including patient photo release complications, HIPAA risk with untrained photographers, unreliable turnaround from third parties, and the simple math that even a great shoot with real actors runs out of new content fast. He's also direct about the ethics of it. Every Social Studio post is labeled as AI-enhanced, and doctors pre-approve every image before it goes live, because the industry's comfort with this technology could change and he'd rather be upfront now than retrofit trust later. QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE Why is posting on social media now a requirement for dental practice growth, not just an option? What changed in Google's algorithm last year that made social media content directly indexable in search? Why does Matt Hutchings call Instagram the front door of a dental practice today? What did the 64 percent Google Business Profile statistic reveal about how patients decide before ever visiting a website? How does Social Studio's hybrid AI photography system solve the authenticity problem in dental marketing without losing what makes content believable? ABOUT Matt Hutchings has spent eight years at Productive Dentist Academy working across creative strategy, go-to-market products, podcast production, and on-site video and photo production for dental practices nationwide. He is the creator of Social Studio, a hybrid photography and AI content system built specifically for dental practices. CONTACT INFORMATION Guest: Matt Hutchings Website: https://productivedentist.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthutchings/ Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianlefler/ Book Adrian to speak: https://mysocialpractice.com/dental-marketing-expert/ Dental Marketing Services: https://mysocialpractice.com/dental-marketing-services/ 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. [#DentalMarketing](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dentalmarketing) [#DentalSocialMedia](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dentalsocialmedia) [#AIinDentistry](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/aiindentistry) [#DentalPracticeGrowth](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dentalpracticegrowth) [#DentalSEO](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dentalseo) [#ContentMarketing](https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/contentmarketing)

  2. Jul 10

    52 : 70% of Dentists Get Stolen From. The Other 30% Are Just Lucky

    Dental embezzlement is happening in practices right now, and most dentists will not see it coming. In this episode, Adrian Lefler sits down with David Harris, CEO of Prosperident and the leading expert on dental embezzlement investigation in North America, to break down exactly how theft happens inside dental practices, who does it, why they do it, and what you can do about it. EPISODE OVERVIEW David Harris has spent 37 years investigating dental embezzlement. In this conversation, he pulls back the curtain on the psychology of theft, the red flags hiding in plain sight, and the cold hard statistics that should make every dental practice owner pay attention. A 2019 ADA survey of nearly 19,000 dentists found that 47% had already been stolen from, with a lifetime probability of roughly 70%. The average loss is over $100,000. This episode covers the need vs. greed profile of dental thieves, behavioral warning signs, what proper pre-employment screening actually looks like, how to compare collections to deposits as a basic safeguard, and what Prosperident's investigation process looks like from first call to final report. ABOUT DAVID HARRIS David Harris is the CEO of Prosperident, the largest firm in North America dedicated exclusively to dental embezzlement investigation and prevention. With 37 years in the field, he has worked hundreds of cases, built the forensic frameworks the industry now relies on, and has spent decades studying both how theft happens in dental practices and why perpetrators almost always leave a trail long before anyone looks for it. COMPANIES & RESOURCES MENTIONED Prosperident: https://www.prosperident.com American Dental Association (ADA): https://www.ada.org Dentrix (practice management software): https://www.dentrix.com ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/12/sabotaging-dental-ai-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/11/hackers-dental-byte-sized-podcast/ CONTACT INFORMATION Guest: David Harris Website: https://www.prosperident.com Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalEmbezzlement #DentalPractice #DentistryBusiness #DentalManagement #DentalPracticeGrowth #DentalTeam #Dentistry TERMS & TRANSLATIONS (For Show Notes) Embezzlement The theft of money or assets by someone in a position of trust. In dentistry, this typically means a team member, often in a financial or administrative role, stealing from the practice over time, usually in small increments that are difficult to detect. Need vs. Greed (Embezzler Profiles) Two motivational categories that describe why dental team members steal. "Needy" thieves are in genuine financial distress and steal to cover basic obligations. "Greedy" thieves feel undervalued and steal to elevate their perceived status. Both are dangerous; greedy thieves tend to escalate because there is no financial ceiling to their entitlement. Cheat Book An informal record a thief maintains to keep track of what they have altered in patient accounts so they can navigate the discrepancies without getting caught. In 1989 it was a physical notebook. Today it is more likely a private spreadsheet. Administrative Rights (Admin Rights) The highest permission level inside practice management software. A user with admin rights can override built-in safeguards, alter records, and erase transaction trails. When a front desk employee or office manager has admin rights, it creates significant embezzlement vulnerability. Checksum A built-in data verification tool in practice management software that calculates a value based on the size of the database. When the software opens each morning, it compares current checksums to the prior day. A mismatch flags a potential unauthorized change to the database outside of normal business hours. Collections vs. Deposits Reconciliation A basic monthly comparison between what the practice management software reports as collected and what actually landed in the bank account. This is the most fundamental embezzlement check a dentist can perform. Ongoing discrepancies that cannot be explained by credit card timing are a red flag. Articulation An internal audit technique that compares daily transaction data to monthly totals inside practice management software. It is designed to surface edits, deletions, or reversals that happened outside of business hours and were not intended to be visible to the doctor. Pre-Employment Screening A structured review of a job candidate before hiring that typically includes a criminal record check, drug testing, social media review, and reference checks with former employers. Must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Do-it-yourself database searches are generally not FCRA compliant and should not be used as a basis for hiring decisions. FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) A federal law that governs how consumer information can be collected and used for employment decisions. Pre-employment screening companies must comply with FCRA. Dentists who run their own informal background checks using paid online databases may be violating this law if they use that information to make hiring decisions. Metaphor of the Ledger A psychological concept describing how some dental team members rationalize theft. They believe they contribute more value to the practice than their compensation reflects, and they treat the difference as money they are owed. This distorted accounting is a common precursor to "greedy" embezzlement. Saliva-Based Drug Testing An FDA-approved method of screening for drug use that does not require blood or urine. The test is administered via a swab and can be completed on-site at the dental practice during the hiring process, removing the logistical barrier of sending candidates to a lab.

  3. Jul 3

    51 : Why Buying New Dental Technology Is the Easy Part (And What Actually Kills the ROI)

    Most dental practices don't fail at technology because they pick the wrong software. They fail because they never built the people systems to support it. In this episode, Adrian sits down with Carrie Webber, CEO of Jameson Management Group, to unpack why technology integration breaks down in dental practices and what the ones succeeding are doing differently. EPISODE OVERVIEW Carrie Webber has spent 26 years at one of the most respected dental consulting firms in the industry, and she has watched the same pattern play out across hundreds of practices: a doctor buys a tool, the software company delivers training, and six months later the team has quietly reverted to their old habits. In this conversation, Carrie breaks down the real reason technology fails in dental practices (hint: it happens before the purchase), why team buy-in is not optional, how to lead change when your team pushes back, and what separates practices that truly optimize technology from the ones that leave expensive tools sitting underused. Whether you are evaluating AI diagnostics, patient communication platforms, or a new practice management system, the leadership and communication framework Carrie outlines applies to all of it. ABOUT CARRIE WEBBER Carrie Webber is the CEO of Jameson Management Group, one of the longest-running dental consulting firms in the industry, founded in 1990 by her parents, Dr. John and Kathy Jameson. A second-generation leader in dental practice consulting, Carrie works with practice owners on the leadership, communication, and change management systems that determine whether technology actually transforms a practice or simply adds to the overhead. She also co-hosts the Jameson Management podcast. Website: https://www.jamesonmanagement.com COMPANIES AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Jameson Management Group: https://www.jamesonmanagement.comPearl AI (dental AI diagnostics): https://www.hellopearl.comOverjet (dental AI): https://www.overjet.aiGood to Great by Jim Collins: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996 ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/dental-ai-resistance-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/implement-tech-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/ai-healthcare-byte-sized-pod/ CONTACT INFO Guest: Carrie Webber Website: https://www.jamesonmanagement.com Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalTechnology #DentalPracticeGrowth #DentalLeadership #DentalConsulting #DentalMarketing #AIInDentistry #DentalTeam TERMS & TRANSLATIONS (For Show Notes) Technology Integration The process of introducing a new software, tool, or system into a dental practice's daily workflow. True integration goes beyond installation -- it includes training, team adoption, and consistent use until the tool becomes part of how the practice operates. Technology Optimization A step beyond integration. Optimization means a dental practice is not just using a tool, but using it well enough to see measurable improvement in patient care, workflow efficiency, or production. Most practices stop at integration and never reach optimization. Team Buy-In The degree to which team members understand, accept, and are motivated to use a new tool or follow a new process. Without team buy-in, even the best software will be underutilized. Buy-in is built through communication, inclusion in decision-making, and repeated training -- not mandates. Vision Casting The practice of clearly articulating what a dental practice is trying to become -- what kind of dentistry is offered, what the patient experience looks like, and what role each team member plays. Carrie's framework uses this as the foundation for every technology decision. Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) A continuous improvement cycle used in business and manufacturing. For dental practices, it means: plan the technology rollout, implement it, evaluate how it is going, then adjust and standardize what works. Attributed to quality management pioneer W. Edwards Deming, who worked with Toyota. Change Management The structured approach to transitioning a team from how things are currently done to a new way of operating. In dentistry, this comes up every time a practice adopts new software, clinical technology, or workflow systems. Poor change management is one of the leading causes of technology failure in practices. Confirmation Bias The tendency to favor information that confirms a decision already made, even when evidence suggests it is not working. In dental practices, this shows up when a doctor continues investing time and money into a tool that is not performing, rather than cutting losses and redirecting. Continuous Improvement Loop An ongoing cycle of training, evaluation, feedback, and refinement that high-performing practices build around any new technology. Rather than treating training as a one-time event, practices with strong technology cultures return to it regularly to raise team competency over time.

  4. Jun 26

    50 : Stop Plugging In Software. The Real Technology Problem in Dentistry Is Human.

    In this episode, Adrian Lefler sits down with Melissa Turner, co-founder of the National Mobile and Teledentistry Conference and the American Mobile and Teledentistry Alliance. Melissa brings 20 years of clinical experience, has worked in over 100 dental practices across the country, and has spent the last decade helping dental teams and practice owners close the gap between buying a tool and actually changing how they work. Her lens is teledentistry, but the framework applies to every piece of technology coming into the modern dental practice, including AI tools, online scheduling, and virtual care platforms. If you're a dentist, hygienist, or dental team leader trying to figure out why implementation keeps failing even when the technology is good, this episode is for you. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Why dental technology rarely saves time but can save energy and shift how that time is usedHow teledentistry is a retention strategy for baby boomer patients who are losing mobilityWhy online scheduling is not optional if you want new patients to actually bookHow to structure a teledentistry afternoon so the doctor is only needed for two to three minutesWhy the real barrier to technology adoption is mindset, not softwareHow mobile dentistry can triple patient volume without adding square footageWhat front desk team members should hear when a new system takes over part of their job ABOUT MELISSA TURNER Melissa Turner is a hygienist, clinician consultant, and co-founder of the National Mobile and Teledentistry Conference and the American Mobile and Teledentistry Alliance, a 501(c)(4) membership organization. With two decades of experience working across more than 100 dental practices nationwide, Melissa helps dental teams and practice owners understand what technology adoption actually costs before it pays off, and how to implement change in a way that sticks. She is one of the most direct voices in the dental industry on the gap between buying a tool and building a team that can actually use it. COMPANIES AND RESOURCES MENTIONED American Mobile and Teledentistry Alliance: https://www.amda.net/National Mobile and Teledentistry Conference: https://nmdconference.com/American Dental Association (ADA): https://www.ada.org ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/06/culture-by-design-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/dental-ai-resistance-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/ai-healthcare-byte-sized-pod/ CONTACT INFO Guest: Melissa Turner Email: melissaturnerllc@gmail.com Website: www.melissakturner.com Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #Teledentistry #DentalTechnology #DentalPracticeGrowth #DentalMarketing #MobileDentistry #AIinDentistry #Dentistry TERMS AND TRANSLATIONS Teledentistry The practice of delivering dental consultations, follow-ups, and some clinical services using video, phone, or digital communication rather than requiring a patient to come into the office. The ADA recognizes two CDT-coded categories: synchronous (live face-to-face video) and asynchronous (store-and-forward, where information is reviewed later by the diagnosing provider). Synchronous Teledentistry A real-time, face-to-face virtual appointment between a dentist and patient, typically via video call. Billed in addition to the procedure codes for whatever clinical work is performed during the visit. Think of it as a virtual operatory visit where both parties are present at the same time. Asynchronous Teledentistry (Store-and-Forward) A care delivery model where a team member collects patient information, photos, or records at one time, and the diagnosing provider reviews and responds at a later time. This allows the dentist to evaluate cases without being physically present or on a live call. Common in mobile and remote care settings. Mobile Dentistry Dental care delivered outside of a brick-and-mortar practice, using portable equipment or a mobile unit to bring services directly to patients in homes, assisted living facilities, workplaces, or community settings. Distinct from teledentistry in that care is delivered in person, but off-site. CDT Codes Current Dental Terminology codes, maintained by the ADA, are the billing and procedure codes used in dentistry. Teledentistry has two specific CDT codes that allow practices to bill for virtual care services, making it reimbursable in many states. Online Scheduling A patient-facing booking tool that allows new and existing patients to schedule appointments without calling the office or waiting for a callback. Practices that implement online scheduling often see significant increases in new patient volume, particularly from patients who search and want to book outside of business hours. Baby Boomer Retention A strategy for keeping older patients, specifically those born between 1946 and 1964, active in a dental practice as their mobility decreases. Teledentistry and mobile dentistry are particularly well-suited for this population as they age into reduced independence and find it harder to travel to appointments. Technology Implementation Gap The period between when a dental practice purchases a new tool and when the team is actually using it well. This gap is the source of most technology frustration in dental practices and is driven more by mindset and team readiness than by the software itself.

  5. Jun 19

    49 : AI Can't Have the Idea: Why Human Creativity Still Runs the Room

    AI Can't Have the Idea: Why Human Creativity Still Runs the Room AI in dentistry is everywhere right now, but is it actually solving your marketing problem or just making it look like you have one? In this episode, Adrian Lefler sits down with Len Davis to draw the line most marketing gurus are afraid to draw. EPISODE OVERVIEW Every dental practice owner is being sold the idea that AI tools will transform their marketing. But what if the real problem is not the tool, it is the lack of a great idea behind it? Len Davis, founder of a full-service creative marketing agency with 26 years in the industry, joins Adrian to break down why AI is a powerful execution machine but a deeply flawed idea machine. They explore how dental practices can use AI to handle narrow, repeatable tasks while keeping human creativity at the center of campaign strategy. If you have ever wondered whether handing your marketing off to ChatGPT, Claude, or another AI tool is a shortcut or a trap, this episode gives you the honest answer. ABOUT LEN DAVIS Len Davis is the founder of PUREi (Pure Imagination), a full-service creative marketing and production agency based in Batavia, Illinois, with 26 years in business. Len and his team specialize in campaign strategy, video production, photography, design, and website development. Len has spent the last several years stress-testing AI tools across image generation, video production, and strategic planning, not as a skeptic, but as someone who has to bill clients for results. His TikTok content challenging the creative limits of AI has earned him a practitioner-level perspective on exactly where these tools break down. COMPANIES AND TOOLS MENTIONED ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.comClaude (Anthropic): https://claude.aiPerplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.aiMidjourney: https://www.midjourney.comGoogle Gemini: https://gemini.google.comPhotoshop (Adobe): https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.htmlMake (formerly Integromat): https://www.make.comN8n: https://n8n.ioOpus Clip: https://www.opus.proClaude Code: https://claude.ai/code ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/03/authentic-marketing-for-dentists/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/02/tiktok-ai-video-seedance/https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/11/ai-dental-tools-imaginable/ CONTACT INFORMATION Guest: Len Davis Company: PureEye Website: purei.com Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalMarketing #AIinDentistry #DentalPracticeGrowth #ArtificialIntelligence #DentalAI #Dentistry #DentalBusiness TERMS & TRANSLATIONS AI Hallucination When an AI tool generates information that sounds confident and credible but is factually wrong or completely made up. For dental practices, this is a serious risk if AI is used to write clinical content, cite statistics, or generate patient-facing claims without human review. Execution Machine A term used in this episode to describe what AI is actually good at: completing specific, well-defined tasks quickly and repeatedly. For a dental practice, this might include drafting follow-up email sequences, generating image variations for ads, or summarizing patient review trends. It is not a substitute for campaign strategy or creative direction. Idea Machine What AI is frequently marketed as but, according to Len Davis, is not yet capable of being in practice. A true idea machine would generate original, differentiated concepts a dental practice has never tried. In reality, AI tends to regurgitate patterns from its training data, producing suggestions that are generic and safe rather than breakthrough. Prompt Engineering The skill of writing detailed, specific instructions to get useful output from an AI tool. In image generation or content creation, a well-crafted prompt can dramatically improve results. For dental teams using AI to create social content or marketing copy, learning how to write strong prompts is the difference between usable output and generic filler. AI Image Generation The use of tools like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, or Google Imagen to create original images from text descriptions. For dental practices, this could eventually replace some stock photo costs, but requires human creative direction to produce images that reflect the actual brand, tone, and patient experience of the practice. Workflow Automation The use of tools like Make or N8n to connect software systems and automate repetitive tasks without manual effort. For dental practices, this might include automating appointment reminders, new patient follow-ups, or review request sequences. AI can assist with certain steps, but the overall system still requires human setup and oversight. Authenticity (in marketing) The quality of marketing content that feels genuinely human, personal, and trustworthy rather than generated or generic. In dentistry, where trust is the primary driver of patient choice, authenticity is not a soft value but a hard competitive advantage. AI-generated content that feels robotic or impersonal can actively harm a practice's reputation.

  6. Jun 12

    48 : What the Robot Can't Quantify: Helen Edwards on AI, Identity, and the Future of Human Professions

    Researchers studying thousands of people found a counterintuitive truth: the people who go deepest with AI are the ones who stay most true to themselves. In this episode of the Bite Size Podcast, Helen Edwards, co-founder of the Artificiality Institute, shares research-backed insights that challenge Silicon Valley's loudest claims about artificial intelligence replacing human workers. This conversation cuts through the fear and hype dominating AI headlines and replaces it with something far more useful: a research framework that helps dental professionals understand how AI actually changes the way we think, work, and grow. Helen and Adrian explore why the "AI will replace all jobs" narrative is driven more by venture capital investment strategy than by evidence, how dental AI tools like X-ray analysis expand clinical work rather than eliminate it, and what the "three B's" (blending, bonding, and bending) reveal about your relationship with AI tools right now. Whether you are a dentist watching robotic implant demos or a practice owner wondering how AI will reshape your team, this episode gives you a framework to think clearly about what AI should do, what humans must continue to own, and how to stay the author of your own mind. ABOUT HELEN EDWARDS Helen Edwards is co-founder and researcher at the Artificiality Institute, a nonprofit research organization studying the relationship between human performance and artificial intelligence. She and her co-founder and spouse, Dave Edwards (former Apple software product manager and early internet executive), have conducted research with over a thousand participants across hundreds of hours of workshops. Helen is a visiting researcher at UC Berkeley's Center for Human-Compatible AI (CHAI) alongside Stuart Russell. She is also a sought-after keynote speaker and one of the more compelling voices on TikTok challenging the binary narratives around AI and the future of work. COMPANIES AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Suno AI (AI music generation): https://suno.com Waymo (autonomous vehicles): https://waymo.com Artificiality Institute: https://www.artificiality.world UC Berkeley CHAI: https://humancompatible.ai My Social Practice: https://mysocialpractice.com ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/05/ai-healthcare-byte-sized-pod/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/04/learning-ai-hiring-byte-sized/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/03/authentic-marketing-for-dentists/ CONTACT INFO Guest: Helen Edwards Website: https://www.artificiality.world Social: @artificiality on TikTok and Instagram Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalAI #AIInDentistry #ArtificialIntelligence #DentalPractice #FutureOfWork #DentistryPodcast #HumanAndAI TERMS & TRANSLATIONS (For Show Notes) Blending: One of three ways AI changes how we think, according to Helen Edwards' research. Blending is when a person's reasoning merges with AI-generated thinking to the point that the two become difficult to separate. For a dentist, this might look like using AI to draft a treatment narrative and genuinely adopting that framing as your own thinking. Bonding: The second dimension of AI integration in Helen's framework. Bonding occurs when your professional identity begins to attach to the AI tool, and you start to see yourself differently because of how you use it. A practice owner who now thinks of themselves as "tech-forward" because of their AI tools is experiencing bonding. Bending: The third dimension. Bending is when AI expands the frameworks you use to make meaning and solve problems. It is the growth dimension. A dentist who uses AI to explore clinical literature outside their specialty and starts asking new kinds of diagnostic questions is bending. Cognitive Sovereignty: Helen's term for staying the author of your own thinking. It means maintaining awareness of how you use AI, having agency over those choices, and being accountable to others for the work you produce. For a clinician, it means the judgment behind a treatment recommendation remains yours, even when AI assisted the analysis. Vibe Coding: A term from AI research describing the ability to build functional software by describing what you want in plain language rather than writing code. Relevant for dental practices because it means practice owners and office managers will increasingly be able to create custom tools for scheduling, communication, or reporting without hiring developers. Augmented Dexterity vs. Autonomous Intelligence: Helen's framework for evaluating dental robotics demonstrations. Augmented dexterity means a robot is enhancing a human's precision in a controlled, highly staged environment. Autonomous intelligence would mean the robot is truly making independent clinical judgments in unpredictable, real-world conditions. According to Helen's research, dental robotics today is far closer to the former than the latter.

  7. Jun 5

    47 : Earned Media for Dentists: The Link-Building Strategy That Builds Your Reputation and Rankings

    Most dentists focus on blog posts and ads to build authority online, but Google and AI systems increasingly decide who to recommend based on who other trusted sources vouch for. In this episode, digital PR expert Chris Panteli breaks down how dentists can earn media coverage in publications like Forbes, Healthline, and People Magazine, and why that matters more than ever in the age of AI search. EPISODE OVERVIEW Chris Panteli, founder of Linkifi.io, joins Adrian Lefler to explain how earned media and digital PR are reshaping dental authority building online. From backlinks to brand mentions, Chris walks through why Google and large language models like ChatGPT and Gemini rely on third-party trust signals to decide which dentists to recommend. Whether you are a solo practice owner wanting local recognition or a DSO building national brand awareness, this episode covers practical strategies for landing your name in trusted publications, what tier one placements actually do for your website, and why a dentist in a small market can realistically get quoted in the New York Times. ABOUT CHRIS PANTELI Chris Panteli is the founder of Linkifi.io, a digital PR agency specializing in earned media and authority building. After building his own personal finance website and earning placements in major publications through journalist outreach, Chris turned that skill into a full-service agency. Linkifi offers two core services: SEO Digital PR, focused on earning authoritative backlinks, and Authority PR, focused on building brand visibility across Google, LLMs, and national media. DENTAL AI AND TECH COMPANIES MENTIONED Linkifi - https://www.linkifi.io/ Linkifi Free Cheat Sheet - https://go.linkifi.io/press-coverage-cheat-sheet-page HARO (Help a Reporter Out) - https://www.helpareporter.com Source of Sources - https://www.sourceofsources.com Quoted - https://quoted.news Response Source - https://www.responsesource.com SEMrush - https://www.semrush.com Ahrefs - https://ahrefs.com ChatGPT - https://chat.openai.com Perplexity - https://www.perplexity.ai Claude - https://claude.ai Gemini - https://gemini.google.com Grok - https://x.ai ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/06/seo-for-dentists/https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/11/marketing-for-dentists/https://mysocialpractice.com/2025/12/dental-brand-mentions/ CONTACT INFO Guest: Chris Panteli Website: linkifi.io Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com Phone: 877-316-7516 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalMarketing #DigitalPR #AIinDentistry #Dentistry #DentalPracticeGrowth #EarnedMedia #DentalSEO TERMS & TRANSLATIONS (For Show Notes) Earned Media Coverage or mentions a business receives because of genuine credibility, not paid placement. For dental practices, this means getting quoted in a publication like Healthline because a journalist found your expertise valuable. Backlink A link from another website pointing to your website. A backlink from a trusted source like the American Dental Association signals to Google that your dental practice is credible and worth ranking. LLM (Large Language Model) The technology behind AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. These systems understand conversational language and are increasingly where patients turn to find dental recommendations. Digital PR A strategy that uses journalist outreach to earn trusted links and brand mentions. For dental practices, this means pitching expert commentary to journalists covering health topics so the practice becomes a cited authority online. Tier One Publication A media outlet recognized for high traffic and strong editorial standards, such as Forbes, Healthline, the New York Times, or the Guardian. A mention or link from a tier one publication carries far more authority than one from a lesser-known site. HARO (Help a Reporter Out) A free platform where journalists post requests for expert commentary. Dentists can monitor these requests and pitch their expertise to earn quotes in national publications at no cost. AI Overview Google's AI-generated answer appearing at the top of certain search result pages. These summaries pull from trusted sources, and dental practices with strong earned media coverage are more likely to be cited. Brand Entity How Google and AI systems identify and understand a business as a distinct, trustworthy presence online. For a dental practice, this includes consistent information across the website, social profiles, and third-party mentions so AI systems recognize and trust who you are.

  8. May 29

    46 : From Tool to Habit: What It Actually Takes to Make AI Work in a Dental Practice

    Most dental AI tools don't fail because of bad technology. They fail because of a people problem that no one in dental tech is talking about. Jennifer Derse is here to explain what is really going on and what dental leaders need to do differently. EPISODE OVERVIEW When a dental practice invests in AI or new technology and sees little to no return, the instinct is to blame the software. But Jennifer Derse says the problem is almost always behavioral. Implementation fails when teams lack buy-in tied to purpose, when leaders underestimate how people respond to change, and when identity gets fused to old protocols. In this episode, Adrian and Jen cover the neuroscience of change, the shame cycle that blocks clinical growth, why micro cash incentives fall short of building real habits, and what it takes to make AI in dentistry actually stick. If your practice is struggling to get any new tool or workflow to land, this conversation will shift how you think about leadership. ABOUT JENNIFER DERSE JENNIFER DERSE is a dentist, co-founder of Aspire Dental, and clinical consultant with over two decades of experience building and systematizing dental support organizations. After helping grow Aspire Dental from one location to 39 practices, she transitioned into full-time coaching focused on helping practice owners improve clinical systems, team performance, and operational leadership. She is a Kois Center mentor with deep expertise in cosmetic and restorative dentistry. COMPANIES AND RESOURCES MENTIONED Espire Dental: https://www.espiredental.com/ Kois Center: https://www.koiscenter.com Drive by Dan Pink: https://www.danpink.com/books/drive Mindset by Carol Dweck: https://www.mindsetonline.com Think Again by Adam Grant: https://adamgrant.net/book/think-again Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt: https://anxiousgeneration.com DISC Profile: https://www.discprofile.com ADDITIONAL EDUCATION https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/03/authentic-marketing-for-dentists/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/02/dental-ai-vendor/https://mysocialpractice.com/2026/01/questions-dental-marketing-company/ CONTACT INFO Guest: Jennifer Derse Website: [Coaching website TBD, verify before publishing] Host: Adrian Lefler Website: https://mysocialpractice.com Phone: 877-316-7516 👍 Subscribe for more on dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and practice growth. #DentalAI #AIinDentistry #DentalLeadership #DentalPracticeGrowth #DentalConsulting #Dentistry #DentalTeam TERMS & TRANSLATIONS (For Show Notes) Implementation Gap The space between purchasing a new tool and actually using it in daily practice. In dentistry, this is almost always a people problem, not a software problem. Behavior Change Shifting how a dental team performs routine tasks. Unlike a software update, this requires intentional leadership, repetition, and buy-in tied to patient care outcomes. Shame Cycle A pattern where a doctor or team member resists change because it feels like admitting past methods were wrong. Common when introducing perio programs or AI diagnostics for the first time. Perio Program A structured system for identifying, staging, grading, and treating periodontal disease. A healthy practice typically treats 30 to 40 percent of hygiene patients for some level of perio. Ratios near 5 percent usually signal underdiagnosis. Staging and Grading The clinical classification system for periodontal disease. Staging measures severity; grading assesses progression risk. Practices not using it may be missing disease that AI would catch. DISC Profile A behavioral assessment tool that helps dental leaders understand how to communicate with and coach different team members based on their default behavior style. Approval Addiction When a clinician avoids presenting a difficult diagnosis out of fear of the patient's reaction. In perio, this means AI flags disease the hygienist sees but never raises. Fixed vs. Growth Mindset A fixed mindset treats current protocols as unchangeable. A growth mindset stays open to new clinical evidence and feedback. The difference often determines whether coaching and new technology succeed or stall.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Cut through the AI noise with Adrian Lefler, a 15-year dental industry veteran who's actually using this stuff. No theory, no sales pitches, just the tactical AI implementations that are transforming dental practices right now. In 20-30 minute episodes, Adrian brings you real practitioners sharing exactly how they're using AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other LLM's to save time, increase revenue, and stay ahead of the curve. Whether it's automating patient communication, streamlining workflows, or implementing diagnostic AI, you'll get step-by-step guidance from people who've done it successfully. This isn't another "AI is the future" podcast. It's your practical guide to implementing AI in your dental practice today – without the hype, without the fluff, and without wasting your time. Perfect for busy dental professionals who want actionable insights they can implement immediately. Because while everyone else is talking about AI, we're showing you how to actually use it. New episodes weekly. Real results guaranteed.

Information

  • Creator
    Adrian Lefler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Adrian Lefler
  • Show Website
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