The Dental Truth Project

The Dental Truth Project

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. The Hard Truth About AI Vendors in Dentistry (E.35)

    1D AGO

    The Hard Truth About AI Vendors in Dentistry (E.35)

    Randa Seif, COO of CaliDental, issues a stark warning to every dental practice owner scrolling through AI vendor ads: handing over your patient data to the wrong company isn't just a bad business decision — it could be a legal and ethical catastrophe.  After personally vetting vendors from Australia, Amsterdam, and across the U.S., she reveals why most AI companies knocking on your door have no business being inside your practice management system. Key Revelations: The Vendor Trust Crisis No One Wants to Say Out Loud Vendors are cold-pitching practices on Facebook and Instagram with $70,000 blank-check proposals — and most have never worked a day inside a dental office If an AI vendor can't prove they understand your workflow, they cannot build something that works for you — technical brilliance without dental knowledge is worthless Overseas vendors create a compounding problem: HIPAA exposure, unverifiable security standards, and zero recourse if something goes wrong with your patient data Giving API access to your PMS is giving a stranger the keys to your patient records — and most practices aren't asking the hard questions before they hand them over The right vendor criteria: U.S.-based, willing to build custom, and able to prove they can scale with you — not just make one location look good   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question: "If you stepped into a struggling 3-location group tomorrow, what 3 data reports would you analyze first?" Dallin's answer: Start with the P&L — every other report you pull should be dictated by what you find there. Revenue problem? Pull production and collections. Labor bloat? Go straight to payroll. The P&L is your compass; everything else is the map.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team?: Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai (E.23) AI Is Killing Patient Loyalty in Dentistry: JW Oliver - SupportDDS (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry - Kolla   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

    22 min
  2. The 5 Pillars of a Thriving DSO

    APR 29

    The 5 Pillars of a Thriving DSO

    Ash Toub, Co-Founder of Smile Data and Ponce Dental Studio, brings a rare dual perspective to dentistry, currently running both a dental group and a software company built for dental groups. After helping scale a 28-location DSO to $10–12M in EBITDA, he developed a proven 5-pillar framework for building dental groups that survive and scale. Most dental groups aren't failing because of bad marketing or poor clinical care. They're failing because they built a skyscraper on a house foundation — and didn't realize it until the cracks started showing.   Key Revelations: The 5 Pillars of a Scalable Dental Group Ash’s 5-Pillar Growth Framework: People → Data → Infrastructure → Revenue Cycle → Marketing. Miss one pillar, and growth becomes expensive chaos. Marketing Only Works on a Strong Foundation: More leads won’t fix broken operations. If your people, systems, and collections aren’t dialed in, marketing only amplifies inefficiency. Data Without Definitions Is Dangerous: Dashboards alone aren’t enough. If KPIs are unclear or inaccurate, you’ll make confident but costly decisions. Multiple PMS Can Limit Growth: Practice Management Software impacts workflows, reporting, collections, and scalability. Multiple systems create friction, messy data, harder training, and operational headaches.   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question:  "What should I do if I have multiple Practice Management Softwares in my DSO?" Dallin’s answer: In most cases, moving to one PMS is the smarter long-term play. While the transition can be painful upfront, standardizing systems creates cleaner reporting, smoother operations, easier staff training, and stronger scalability. If switching isn’t possible yet, integration tools can help—but one unified system remains the gold standard.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team?: Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai (E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices: AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry, Kolla   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

    26 min
  3. Flying Blind: The Data Gap Killing Your DSO (E.33)

    APR 22

    Flying Blind: The Data Gap Killing Your DSO (E.33)

    David Janash, Founder & CEO of Underbite Dental, built a 13-location DSO from the ground up in one of the most brutally competitive markets in the country: New York City.  He's made every expensive mistake in the book — and turned those mistakes into a data-driven operation that actually tells him what's going to happen before it does. David used to log into every single office manually, every single night, just to know how his business was doing.  Then he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building a custom data warehouse and hiring software engineers to solve the problem.  He eventually scrapped all of it for a monthly software subscription that does it better. The lesson isn't just about wasted money — it's about what happens to your strategy when you're operating without real insight.  David coined it himself: "The map to that gap is your data" Key Revelations: The Gap Between Intention and Actuality Most DSO leaders are obsessing over last month's report — the operators winning right now are looking at next week Running multiple offices on different practice management softwares isn't flexibility — it's chaos disguised as convenience Special contracts, different hours, outlier comp plans — when things go wrong, you'll wish you'd standardized your DSO sooner   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:  "Does my EBITDA look strong, but I still feel broke every month?" Ken's answer: A few things hide from EBITDA that devour your cash — debt service, capital expenditures, and cash vs. accrual distortion. Strong EBITDA and empty pockets aren't a contradiction. They're a signal. Here's how to read it.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry, Kolla (E.20) Fake Codes, Hidden Fraud & The Accounting Nightmare: Paul Lowry, Dental Menu (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

    30 min
  4. Group Size Obsession: Are We Growing or Just Keeping Up? (E.32)

    APR 15

    Group Size Obsession: Are We Growing or Just Keeping Up? (E.32)

    Tonya Christal and Danielle Powell of Lee Dental Centers in San Antonio don't have a fancy training platform, a DSO war chest, or a playbook they borrowed from a conference stage. What they do have is something far rarer — a 40-year family practice, a sister who's also their business partner, and the hard-won clarity to know exactly who they are and who they're not. The hard truth? Most dentists are building their practice to look like someone else's. They're scaling because the seminar said to scale. They're chasing new locations because four feels small now when it used to feel big. And somewhere in that race, they stop asking the one question that actually matters — is this the life I actually want? Key Revelations: Designing Your Group on Purpose At four locations, you're constantly asking: Are we good? Do we need to get to ten? Are we just keeping up with the Joneses? Sacrificing EBITDA on purpose isn't a failure — sometimes it's the exact right move to protect your team, your time, and your sanity The "sell your house" exercise: go under the hood as if you're preparing to sell — you'll either fall back in love or finally get clear on what has to change   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Segment: "What AR data patterns signal a billing system problem before cash flow is affected?" Dallin's answer: Two things to watch. First, your total AR balance — some is normal, but if it's climbing month over month, something is broken. Second, your aging buckets — any meaningful amount sitting at 90+ or 120+ days is a warning sign you can't afford to ignore. Catch these patterns early, before the cash flow feels it.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.22)  The DSO Leaders' Imposter Syndrome Epidemic: Thomas Passalacqua,  Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC (E.12) Niche Down or Burn Out: Why Top Dentists Do Less and Earn More: Alex Sharp, Shared Practices Group (E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices: AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital   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

    23 min
  5. The Discount Trap: Why Your Marketing Is Attracting the Wrong Patients (E.31)

    APR 8

    The Discount Trap: Why Your Marketing Is Attracting the Wrong Patients (E.31)

    Sean Hamel, Founder & CEO of Art of Dental Marketing, tears apart the broken cycle that's quietly draining dental practices dry — and most owners don't even know it's happening. Every dentist has hired a marketing company. Most have hired several. And yet the phone still isn't ringing the way it should. Sean reveals why the problem was never your marketing budget — it was the message. When every practice looks the same, sounds the same, and posts the same stock photos of people in scrubs, the only way to stand out is discounts. And discounts attract the wrong patients. And the wrong patients feed a cycle that burns through marketing companies, money, and momentum — over and over again. The hard truth? Patients aren't choosing you because you're clinically superior. They already assume you are. What they're actually buying is how you make them feel — and almost no one is marketing that. Key Revelations: What Patients Are Actually Buying When every practice looks and sounds the same, discounts become the only differentiator — and that's exactly where the damage begins The discount spiral: generic marketing → wrong patients → pressure on the practice → fire the marketing company → repeat When your promise and the patient's experience sync, discounts become unnecessary — referrals and advocacy do the work instead Patients aren't buying dentistry — they're buying the future version of themselves: more confident, better sleep, a better smile   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question: "When should a practice stop thinking like a practice and start thinking like a DSO?" Ken's answer: You never get to let go of the practices — they are everything. The DSO infrastructure means nothing without dental practices that run on repeatable, scalable processes. Get that right first. Then — and only then — think about buying more, doing de novos, and building a growth strategy around it. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.26) You Keep Losing Dental Team. Have You Asked Yourself Why?: Bonnie Thompson, Forest Family Dentistry (E.20) Fake Codes, Hidden Fraud & The Accounting Nightmare: Paul Lowry, Dental Menu (E.15) We Pulled Insurance Duty From Our Front Desk - Revenue Jumped 30%: Francesca Pregano - Smile Makers 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

    22 min
  6. "Can't You Just Do It?" — The Question Every Dentist Needs to Be Ready For (E.30)

    APR 1

    "Can't You Just Do It?" — The Question Every Dentist Needs to Be Ready For (E.30)

    A Czech-trained oral surgeon walks into Wisconsin dentistry — and quietly becomes the guy everyone calls about implants. Dr. Jan Bublik has spent nearly 30 years watching general dentists hold themselves back from a procedure they're more capable of than they've been led to believe.  He pulls back the curtain on the unspoken rules that keep dentists small, and the community-first model that's changing how implant education actually works. Key Revelations: The Cross-Training Effect Sending a patient to a specialist without knowing what to ask for doesn't guarantee a better outcome — it just moves the responsibility Long-term patient trust is a clinical asset. When you've earned it, expanding your scope becomes a natural conversation, not a hard sell The dentists who grow aren't necessarily the most technically gifted — they're the ones who surrounded themselves with the right people and kept learning 💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question: "How do you objectively evaluate provider performance using data without relying on gut feelings?" Dallin's answer: Stop looking at raw production numbers — they're inflated UCR values that don't reflect what you'll actually collect. The metric that matters is net production per provider per day (or per working hour for even sharper insight). In group practices, benchmark providers against each other. Solo? Find peers in similar geographies and payer mixes and use them as your baseline. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About: Gareth Petsch, pH Partners https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-the-dso-valuation-crash-no-one-talks-about-e5 (E.6) Are Dentists Selling Out Their Entire Industry?: Mike Baird, Accelerate Dental https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-are-dentists-selling-out-their-entire-industry-e6 (E.15) We Pulled Insurance Duty From Our Front Desk - Revenue Jumped 30%: Francesca Pregano - Smile Makers Dental Center https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e15-the-dental-truth-project-we-pulled-insurance-duty-from-our-front-desk-revenue-jumped-30percent-e15   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

    17 min
  7. The Business Skills Every Dentist Needs (But Was Never Taught) (E.29)

    MAR 25

    The Business Skills Every Dentist Needs (But Was Never Taught) (E.29)

    Dr. Rehan Shahid, multi-practice owner, dental coach, and COVID-era graduate, reveals an uncomfortable truth about modern dentistry: dental school teaches clinicians how to drill and fill — but not how to run a business.  As a result, many highly skilled dentists unknowingly build practices that struggle financially because they lack leadership systems, data-driven decision making, and business fundamentals. Key Revelations: The Business Education Gap in Dentistry Many Dental Owners first see their financial statements from their CPA and don’t know how to interpret profitability, overhead, or where money is leaking. Dental school teaches clinical dentistry, not how to run a business. Yet successful practices depend on systems, leadership, financial management, and operational structure. Most dentists graduate with almost zero training in reading financial statements, running KPIs, or understanding business operations, even though many will eventually own a practice. Execution beats perfection in business. Many dentists fall into “analysis paralysis,” waiting for the perfect plan instead of taking action, learning from mistakes, and improving systems along the way.   💡 The “Ask Ken” Question: “Is EBITDA manipulation just part of the game when selling a dental group?”   Ken’s answer: Accuracy matters far more than appearance. Private equity firms will always run a quality-of-earnings review, and any attempt to manipulate EBITDA can destroy a deal immediately. Clean, transparent financial reporting is the only sustainable path when preparing a practice for a sale or partnership. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.27) Hiring Entitled Dental Grad Nobody Talks About: Dr. Anushka Gaglani & Dr. Abhishek Nagaraj, Areo Dental Group (E.24) Why Your Associate's Professional Insurance Won't Save Your DSO: Herb Ford, Risk Strategies Dental Practice (E.18) Why Half Your DSO Budget Is Disappearing Into Toxic Culture: Gabriel Hofmann, The Dental Efficiency Guy 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

    19 min
  8. The Silent Dental Leader: Build Your Brand Before You Need It (E.28)

    MAR 18

    The Silent Dental Leader: Build Your Brand Before You Need It (E.28)

    Sarah Ruberg, CEO & Founder of Our Thrive Tribe, delivers an uncomfortable wake-up call to every dental professional playing it safe on the sidelines: the industry is full of people with powerful stories, hard-won expertise, and genuine wisdom — and almost none of them are sharing it. In a world drowning in AI-generated noise, your most underutilized competitive advantage might be the most human thing about you: your voice. Key Revelations: The Personal Brand Blind Spot Nobody Talks About Most dental leaders don't post because they believe "nobody cares what I have to say" — yet that silence is costing them relationships, opportunities, and revenue You can say everything about yourself without saying anything about yourself — promoting others reveals your character, values, and mindset louder than any self-promotion ever could Waiting for your marketing department to build your brand? Sarah's message to salespeople: you are the differentiator — not your product In business, personal brand and relationships are the highest-value currency — more reliable than any job title or company badge 💡 The "Ask Dallin’ Question: "What's the #1 metric you look at to understand the true health of a practice?" Dallin's Answer: Net Production — and he'll debate anyone who disagrees. Everything in your practice — collections, RCM, expense control — means nothing if production isn't healthy. Most owners obsess over cutting costs, but real growth only comes from growing your top line. There's a floor to how low expenses can go. There's no ceiling on what you can produce. Net production is the heartbeat. If it's weak, nothing else matters. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! (E.22) The DSO Leaders' Imposter Syndrome Epidemic: Thomas Passalacqua,  Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC (E.6) Are Dentists Selling Out Their Entire Industry?: Mike Baird, Accelerate Dental (E.3) How Associate Mismanagement Is Bankrupting Dental Groups: Eric Roman, Dental Associate Growth   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

    21 min
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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
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Dental Truth Project

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