The Dental Truth Project

The Dental Truth Project
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The Dental Truth Project No fluff. No spin. Just bold, unfiltered conversations about what’s really happening in the dental industry. Hosted by Ken Kaufman and Dallin Kaufman, AccruDent Co-Founders, this podcast dives into the mistakes, wins, and truths that DSO leaders, clinicians, and consultants usually avoid. Expect real talk, raw insights, and answers to the questions no one else is asking.

  1. 4d ago

    Before You Drop Your PPOs, Build This First (E.56)

    Jordan Comstock, founder and CEO of BoomCloud, challenges one of dentistry’s most common revenue models: PPO dependency. He reveals how patient membership programs can create predictable recurring revenue, help practices reach break-even faster, increase treatment acceptance, and give owners a financial safety net before transitioning away from insurance. But there’s a catch—getting the numbers right isn’t enough. Your team has to believe in the strategy, too. Revelations: Are PPOs Holding Your Dental Practice Back?  Patient membership programs offer an alternative to dental insurance, with patients paying a monthly or annual subscription in exchange for benefits and savings. Predictable recurring revenue can help practices reach their break-even point faster and reduce the uncertainty of relying on collections from traditional PPO patients. Jordan explains why practices shouldn't necessarily drop PPOs overnight: build the membership program and financial safety net first, then strategically transition away from selected PPO plans. The transition isn't just a financial decision. If the doctor embraces the membership model but the team doesn't understand or support the vision, implementation can hit a wall. 💡 The "Ask Ken" Question: "Why is knowing your break-even point so powerful for a dental practice owner?" Ken's answer: Break-even tells you exactly when your practice has covered all of its operating costs. Once you know that number, you can track how quickly you're reaching it each day and understand what happens when revenue falls short because of cancellations or other changes in patient volume. The goal is to know your break-even point across the business so you can make better financial decisions. 📖 Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here 👉 Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E45) How to Profit Without Dropping Insurance - Angie Hopper, Premier Dental Center (E34)The 5 Pillars of a Thriving DSO - Ash Toub, Smile Data and Ponce Dental Studio  (E19) The Pay-to-Play Dental Conference Problem - Matthew McGaw, DSO Compass Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  2. Sep 23

    Your Dental Tech Isn't Broken. Your Implementation Is. (E.55)

    Dave Salciccioli, Co-Founder of Relay and a dental technology veteran, pulls back the curtain on one of dentistry’s biggest—and most overlooked—problems: the technology isn’t necessarily the problem. How the industry buys, implements, and adopts it is. Dental organizations have access to better technology than ever before, from AI to emerging SaaS solutions. Yet many DSOs are struggling to turn those tools into real operational results. Failed implementations, overlapping software, ballooning costs, disconnected systems, and exhausted teams are creating an expensive gap between buying technology and actually making it work. Revelations: The Hidden Reason Your Tech Investments Keep Failing The dental industry may have better technology than ever—but lacks the implementation infrastructure to use it effectively. The biggest hidden cost may be something you can't put on a software invoice: your team's goodwill toward change. Before buying something new, have you fully diagnosed what is broken—and whether you're already underusing tools you own? Vendors that enter dentistry with humility, listen to customers, and adapt to feedback may have a better chance of finding true product-market fit.     💡 The “Ask Dallin” Question: “My AP process feels like a disaster. What can I do to get it working?” Dallin's advice? Start by creating one centralized place for every invoice, establish appropriate vendor payment terms, batch approvals instead of chasing them individually, and build controls so one person can't create, approve, and pay fraudulent invoices. It's not about finding a quick “tip or trick.” A strong AP process requires structure, discipline, and proper controls—and it can have a major impact on the health of your finance operation.     📖 Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here 👉 Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E35) The Hard Truth About AI Vendors in Dentistry - Randa Seif, CaliDental (E30) "Can't You Just Do It?" — The Question Every Dentist Needs to Be Ready For - Dr. Jan Bublik, Bublik Dental Implant and Surgical Center (E16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? - Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai   Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  3. Sep 16

    Bank Lender vs. Growth Partner: What DSOs Get Wrong (E.54)

    Josh McSpadden, Mid Market Healthcare Group Banker at U.S. Bank, reveals why DSOs don’t just need a lender—they need a banking partner who understands the strategy behind their growth.  After working with dental groups since 2015, Josh exposes a costly mistake many emerging DSOs make: choosing financing based on the lowest rate instead of building the right financial infrastructure from the beginning. The result? Complicated debt, inefficient cash management, and expensive cleanup when the DSO finally hits its next stage of growth.   Revelations: The Banking Mistake That Can Follow Your DSO for Years The cheapest loan isn't always the best financing strategy—your banking structure needs to support your growth plan. DSOs can avoid costly debt "cleanup" by bringing the right banking partner into the strategy early. A strong banking platform can help with more than lending—including treasury management, fraud prevention, associate ownership, and real estate. As DSOs grow, financial responsibilities should move beyond individual office managers and become centralized and systemized. The right financial partners don't just provide capital—they bring a network of experts who can help DSOs scale.   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question: "What's the most common mistake DSOs make right before trying to sell?" Ken's answer: They fail to clearly define and communicate their vision for the business. Buyers want to see why a DSO is positioned for future growth—not just how much EBITDA it produces today. Instead of simply trying to squeeze more EBITDA out of the business, leaders should build the systems, infrastructure, and strategy that create long-term value and make the organization attractive to potential buyers. 📖 Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here 👉 Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices - AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital (E.6) Are Dentists Selling Out Their Entire Industry? - Mike Baird, Accelerate Dental (E.45) How to Profit Without Dropping Insurance - Angie Hopper, Premier Dental Center Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

    Bank Lender vs. Growth Partner: What DSOs Get Wrong (E.54)

  4. Sep 9

    Behind the Scenes of Creating Roll the Equity (E.53)

    Ken Kaufman and Ashley Penny pull back the curtain on the creation of their second book, Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs, revealing what inspired them to write it and how they worked together to turn complex dental finance and private equity concepts into an engaging story.  Their collaboration builds on the success of their first book while taking readers deeper into the decisions dental leaders face when growing, selling, or partnering with private equity.   Revelations: How Roll the Equity Came to Life Why the success of their first book inspired Ken and Ashley to tackle the next financial challenge facing growing dental organizations. Why Roll the Equity goes beyond financial tools to explore private equity, acquisitions, mergers, recapitalizations, and different paths to growth. Why every DSO deal is different—and how different decisions can lead to very different outcomes. How the financial tools from the first book—accrual accounting, annual budgets, and 12-month rolling forecasts—can prepare dental organizations for bigger strategic decisions. 📖 Want to gain more financial clarity? Read Roll the Equity for practical financial tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate growth, acquisitions, private equity, and the financial decisions that can shape the future of your DSO. Read the book here 👉 Roll The Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.38) Roll the Equity or Take the Cash and Walk Away? - Mark Haddad, Specialty1 Partners | ScoutIQ (E.1) How Outsiders Invaded Dentistry and Destroyed Billions - Brian Colao, Dykema (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About - Gareth Petsch, pH Partners Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  5. Sep 2

    Free EFT Exists—Why Are Dental Practices Still Paying for It? (E.52)

    Sam Rockwood, Founder & CEO of Woods and former actuary, exposes the hidden inefficiencies behind insurance payments. With roughly 70% of dental insurance payments still being paper-based, practices are stuck dealing with checks, virtual credit cards, hidden processing fees, and hours of manual work. And the biggest surprise? Free EFT is available—but many practices don't know how to access it.   Revelations: The Insurance Payment Trap Most Dental Practices Never Question HIPAA requires insurance companies to offer a free EFT option—but many practices don’t know how to access it and may be directed toward paid alternatives unless they specifically ask for the free option. 70% of insurance payments are still paper-based—even in 2026. Virtual credit cards can cost practices 3–5% per payment through merchant processing fees. Getting paid electronically isn't enough—if EOBs aren't posted correctly, your AR can grow while your financial statements become inaccurate. The real problem isn't just getting off checks. With 15–20 insurance companies, practices need a system for enrollment, payment processing, and finding EOBs.   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question: "How much should I be spending on my accounting each month?"   Dallin's answer: Budget roughly 1-1.5% of total revenue on bookkeeping and financial record-keeping. If a bookkeeping service is charging north of $800-900 per location, you've outgrown outsourcing — it's time to build an internal team. For a finance lead, expect to pay around $100K base plus incentives on the smaller end, climbing to $120-130K if they're also taking on operations. And once you cross roughly 20 locations, it's time to think about a full-time CFO — accounting complexity scales up with size, it doesn't get cheaper. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.45) How to Profit Without Dropping Insurance - Angie Hopper, Premier Dental Center  (E.19) The Pay-to-Play Dental Conference Problem - Matthew McGaw, DSO Compass (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? - Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here 👇 https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list    Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  6. Aug 26

    How DSO Transitions Are Breaking Dental Teams (E.51)

    Christine Diehl, a dental hygienist with 30+ years of experience, shares the uncomfortable truth about what happens when a dental practice transitions to a DSO—and why the biggest risk may not be the financial deal itself. When teams feel ignored, patients can follow them out the door. When buyers rush to change everything, they can destroy the trust and culture that made the practice successful in the first place. And losing just one hygienist could cost a practice anywhere from $30,000 to $120,000. Christine reveals why the first 90 days after a transition can make or break the future of the practice—and why sometimes the best strategy is to change nothing. Revelations: The People Side of Every DSO Deal Losing a single hygienist during a transition can cost a practice $30,000-$120,000 in lost patients, recruiting, and temp coverage Teams go through an actual grief process post-sale — and most buyers never account for it "In-house" transition teams report to corporate, not to the team — creating a trust gap only an unbiased outsider can close The first 90 days should be about listening, not changing — the fastest way to lose trust is to walk in guns blazing   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:  "How much debt is too much for a growing DSO?" Ken's answer: Watch your Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR) — net operating income divided by debt service. A ratio at zero means no cash cushion after debt payments, and banks won't touch that. Lenders typically want to see 1.25x to 2x coverage. Walk into any lending conversation already knowing your number, and you instantly signal you're a operator worth trusting. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.26) You Keep Losing Dental Team Members. Have You Asked Yourself Why? - Bonnie Thompson,  Forest Family Dentistry (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About - Gareth Petsch, pH Partners (E.38) Roll the Equity or Take the Cash and Walk Away? - Mark Haddad, Specialty1 Partners | ScoutIQ NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here 👇 https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list    Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  7. Aug 19

    Would You Budget for Theft? Some Dental Practices Do. (E.50)

    Courtney Staiger, Certified Fraud Examiner at Prosperident, reveals one of dentistry's most overlooked threats: 70% of dental practices will experience embezzlement, yet most owners don't have fraud prevention systems in place because they assume it won't happen to them. The real danger? It's rarely obvious cash theft—it's hidden in reports, refunds, insurance payments, and everyday processes that practice owners often overlook.   Revelations: The Truth About Embezzlement Every DSO Leader Needs to Hear  70% of dental practices will experience embezzlement—yet only a handful of DSOs have fraud controls in place. The biggest red flags aren't missing cash—they're employees who control every financial process, refuse oversight, and insist they're the only ones who can do the job. A sudden spike in Accounts Receivable, unexplained refunds, or unusual P&L trends could signal something much bigger than poor collections. Cash, checks, EFTs, and credit cards are all vulnerable—no payment method is immune without proper controls. The simplest defense? Separate duties, reconcile payments daily, and perform regular audits. Prevention costs a fraction of what a fraud investigation does.   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question: "How much should I be spending each month on marketing?"   Dallin explains why there's no universal marketing percentage for every practice. Some thriving practices spend just 1%, while growing DSOs may intentionally invest 10–20% to accelerate patient acquisition. For the average established practice, around 3% of revenue is a healthy benchmark—but your ideal number depends on your growth strategy, not a generic rule. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.41) He Stole From Us. Here's How We Let It Happen. - Dr. Hardik Chodavadia, Enamel Dentistry (E.15) We Pulled Insurance Duty From Our Front Desk - Revenue Jumped 30% - Francesca Pregano, Smile Makers Dental Center (E.29) The Business Skills Every Dentist Needs (But Was Never Taught) - Dr. Rehan Shahid, Practice Success Academy NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here 👇 https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list    Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

  8. Aug 12

    The Dentist Preference Problem in Dental Assistant Training (E.49)

    Kevin Henry, a dental journalist for 27 years and Editor-in-chief for DrBicuspid.com, exposes one of dentistry’s biggest missed opportunities: your dental assistants may be capable of far more than you’re letting them do. From staffing shortages and poor training to practices losing great assistants because they see no path forward. Kevin reveals why the problem isn’t always finding better people—it’s learning how to develop, empower, and retain the people already on your team. Revelations: The Untapped Power of Your Dental Assistants One Dentist’s Way Isn’t the Industry Standard: An assistant may be trained to work exactly the way one dentist prefers, but that doesn’t necessarily prepare them to walk into another practice and meet a different dentist’s expectations. Your Assistant Could Be Your Practice’s Biggest Productivity Multiplier: In states with expanded scopes of practice, properly trained assistants can take on more responsibilities and free dentists to focus on higher-value procedures. Give Your Assistants a Future: Training, certification, increased responsibility, and a clear path for growth can turn dental assisting from a “stepping stone” into a long-term career.   💡 The “Ask Ken” Question:  “When should I stop doing my own finances and bring in real financial leadership?” Ken’s answer: If you’re not trained as an accountant, start handing off your finances now. You don’t have to transform everything overnight or have every number perfectly reconciled from day one. But getting professional financial leadership—and becoming educated about the financial side of your business—can make you a better operator and set your practice or dental group up for greater success over time. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.43)  Why DSOs Keep Losing Their Best People - Frank Clayton, RedThread Solutions (E.6) Are Dentists Selling Out Their Entire Industry? - Mike Baid, Accelerate Dental (E.30) "Can't You Just Do It?" — The Question Every Dentist Needs to Be Ready For - Dr. Jan Bublik, Bublik Dental Implant and Surgical Center NEW BOOK - COMING SOON Get early access to Roll the Equity: How Smart Dental Founders Sell Their DSOs Join the insider's list here 👇 https://resources.accrudent.com/roll-the-equity-insider-list    Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project

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About

The Dental Truth Project No fluff. No spin. Just bold, unfiltered conversations about what’s really happening in the dental industry. Hosted by Ken Kaufman and Dallin Kaufman, AccruDent Co-Founders, this podcast dives into the mistakes, wins, and truths that DSO leaders, clinicians, and consultants usually avoid. Expect real talk, raw insights, and answers to the questions no one else is asking.

Information

  • Creator
    The Dental Truth Project
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Dental Truth Project

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