Beyond Bitewings

In this episode, Ash welcomes Josh from Pearl AI to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence in dental practices. They talk about how AI tools, especially those like Pearl, are helping with clinical diagnosis, streamlining chart audits, and improving patient presentations. Josh explains how using AI can assist dental teams by highlighting pathologies directly on radiographs in color, ma...

Ash sits down with Tom Angeloni from Bank of America to discuss the financial aspects of dental practice ownership. The conversation covers essential advice for dental students and associates considering startup practices or acquisitions. Tom explains the importance of deciding if you truly want to be a practice owner, as this involves not just dentistry but also business management and staff lead...

Ash is joined by Taylor Black from Eckard Enterprises to discuss oil and gas investment opportunities, with a focus on how these can serve as alternative income streams for dentists and other high-income professionals. Taylor explains their approach to transparency, direct ownership, and risk mitigation for clients interested in oil and gas, particularly in mineral rights and working interests. Th...

In this episode Ash sits down sits down with Zane from MyDentalForce at the SWDC show to discuss practical strategies for dental practices aiming to improve their operations and collections. Zane, a software engineer with hands-on experience as a technology director in a dental group, shares how leveraging existing patient databases can unlock significant revenue without increasing marketing spend...

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, recorded live from the Southwest Dental Conference, Herb Ford from Brown and Brown (formerly Wallace Specialty) joins Ash to discuss the common misconceptions about insurance coverage for dental practices. They discuss the critical differences between general liability, cyber, and professional liability insurance, emphasizing that many practice owners may be le...

Ash welcomes Dr. Corey Malnikof, and they discuss his journey from struggling clinic owner to leader of 24 successful healthcare practices. They talk about the early challenges he faced, including serious financial setbacks, and how critical moments and strong mentorship led to a major shift in his mindset and business approach. Dr. Malnikof explains that personal development, intentional leadersh...

Ash welcomes Dr. Dave Rominski of the Doctor Referral Institute to discuss how dentists may be missing a huge amount of profit and the ability to have a more sustainable business. They talk about a common challenge many dentists face: having a packed schedule without seeing that busyness translate into greater profitability, and why it can change your practice by having intentional referral relati...

We're revisiting this important episode about what we call BAM, an essential financial metric for dental practices. BAM stands for the Basic Amount of Money Needed to Operate the Practice, a monthly cash flow target that covers not only overhead and loan payments but also the doctor’s take-home, retirement contributions, and other foreseeable necessary expenses. The conversation explains why BAM i...

Ash welcomes Dr. Ruth Mannschreck to discuss lessons learned from selling her dental practice and outlines practical steps for dentists preparing to transition out of ownership. They discuss one of her biggest mistakes: not preparing early enough for the sale, which resulted in leaving value on the table when Dr. Ruth sold her practice. She explains why it’s critical to consider not just the finan...

In this episode, Ash and guet host, Erin discuss whether it is still worth buying a dental practice in today’s changing landscape. They talk through how the dental industry has shifted over the past decade, with urban market saturation, shifting reimbursement rates, and the rise of DSOs (Dental Service Organizations) creating a more complex environment for new and current dentists. Ash shares that...

In this episode, marketing strategist and entrepreneur Sean Garner joins the show to discuss how AI is changing the landscape of marketing for dental practices. Sean outlines the evolving definition of SEO, now known as Search Everywhere Optimization, emphasizing the need for practices to show up wherever patients are searching, from Google to ChatGPT and social platforms. He breaks down the four...

Ash speaks with mental health counselor Priyanka Abul Khair about the realities of burnout in the dental profession, especially among practice owners. They discuss how burnout often goes beyond physical exhaustion and is usually rooted in unresolved relational stress and open loops—tasks or conversations that weigh on the mind. Priyanka explains how these open loops, avoidance of difficult convers...

Ash welcomes Jennifer Christiansen, Co-Founder and CMO of Beacon Media and Marketing, for an in-depth discussion about the growing impact of AI in dental marketing and business operations. Jennifer shares her journey as an early adopter of technology and details how AI is reshaping digital marketing, particularly the ways prospective patients find and choose dental practices. She explains how trad...

Ash welcomes Dr. Jordan Romano, an internal medicine hospitalist and experienced expert witness to discuss the legal aspects of dentistry and the importance of proactively protecting a dental practice from legal risk. Dr. Jordan Romano explains the role of expert witnesses in malpractice and professional liability cases, particularly their responsibility to define and evaluate the standard of care...

In this episode, Ash sits down with Jen Lee, a bankruptcy attorney at Lawyer Success Network with extensive experience advising dental and healthcare professionals. They discuss the common fears and misconceptions surrounding bankruptcy, clarifying that bankruptcy can be a practical financial tool, not just a sign of failure. Jen shares the financial challenges dentists face, including high studen...

Ash welcomes Matt Gruber, founder of COtingency, to discuss how dental practice owners can safeguard their businesses against unexpected absences and transitions. The conversation covers why even successful practices often remain heavily dependent on one or two key people, and the risks that arise when essential knowledge and operational secret sauce aren’t adequately documented. They discuss how...

Ash continues the conversation with Dave Rosenberg, focusing on building accountability and effective team leadership within dental practices. Dave explains why true accountability starts with clear communication from leadership and outlines how open-ended questions help ensure team members understand both expectations and the broader intent behind their roles. He emphasizes that leaders need to o...

In this episode, Ash welcomes Dave Rosenberg, a leadership expert with decades of experience in both the military and the business sector. They discuss the difference between team accountability and individual performance, highlighting how true accountability is built into systems and processes rather than just expecting team members to do the right thing. Dave talks about his background in leader...

Ash welcomes Nathan Strum from Abby Connect to discuss the evolving role of technology, especially AI, in enhancing the patient experience at dental practices. They break down the traditional functions of the front desk, highlighting the importance of both in-person and phone interactions, and the challenges associated with each—especially the common pain point of phone overload. They also discuss...

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, Ash sits down with Mark Brodson, Managing Broker at Resource Commercial Advisors, to discuss current design and real estate trends for dental practices. Mark shares insights on how dental office design now focuses more on patient comfort and the overall experience, moving away from the traditional, clinical atmosphere to environments that feel more like spas or...

In this episode of Beyond Bitewings, we're bringing back some of our favorite advice from our episodes that discussed selling a dental practice to a Dental Support Organization (DSO), highlighting the significant differences between selling to a DSO and an independent buyer. The conversation covers how DSOs value practices using EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortizati...

Ash sits down with Dr. Ruth Mannschreck, a seasoned dentist turned practice transition coach, to talk about the real-world challenges and overlooked opportunities when selling a dental practice. Dr. Ruth shares the mistakes she made during her own transitions, such as not planning far enough in advance and not preparing the practice to be attractive to buyers from both a financial and operational...

Ash welcomes Paul Sippil, a forensic 401k consultant, to discuss the complexities and hidden issues often found in group retirement plans, particularly 401k and profit sharing plans within dental practices and other small businesses. Paul shares how his unique role focuses on exposing conflicts of interest, unnecessary fees, lack of transparency, and even fraud within these plans. He describes how...

Ash sits down with Luke Oyler from CARR, a company specializing in dental real estate services. The conversation centers around how dental professionals can make smarter decisions when leasing or purchasing practice locations, highlighting the importance of working with expert advisors. Luke explains how CARR advocates for dentists, negotiates key aspects of their leases—including base rent, tenan...

In this episode, Ash sits down with Nick Hinshaw from WinStar Insurance Group to discuss how insurance can play a critical role in reducing stress for dental practice owners and their teams. The conversation covers essential insurance policies beyond the mandatory requirements, like disability insurance and group benefit plans, which can offer peace of mind to both owners and staff. Nick explains...