The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today's episode, Dr. Dan Brisky and Dr. Tom Pfau dive deep into real-world implant complications and the critical lessons that come with them. From a mispositioned anterior implant that required swallowing pride and starting over, to incision openings in full-arch cases that demanded creative solutions like Botox for excessive muscle activity, they break down what went wrong, how they fixed it,...

On today's episode, recorded live at Voices of Dentistry 2026, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with DSI Black Belt coach and tech entrepreneur Dr. Deren Flesher. They dive into Deren's latest venture, Airo Dental, an AI-powered platform starting with a smart scheduling assistant built to handle missed calls, after-hours requests, and overflow—without replacing your front desk team. They discuss real-wor...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Ashley Keith, Chief Operating Officer of Keith and Associates Dentistry in Mission, Kansas. With a powerhouse practice of over 50 team members and 23 operatories, Ashley shares her journey from healthcare tech and HR at Cerner to leading operations, marketing, and training at one of the most systemized, patient-centric dental offices in the country....

On today's episode, we continue our deep dive into overcoming overwhelm and restoring mental clarity in high-pressure clinical and business environments. Mark unpacks actionable strategies, including batching decisions, minimizing clutter, improving sleep hygiene, and building systems that reduce cognitive load. He explains the link between physical environment, digital inputs, and mental fatigue—...

On today's episode, we dive into one of the most common but misunderstood challenges in dentistry and entrepreneurship: overwhelm—the "O word." Mark Costes shares why he bans this word at DSI events and how our internal language and mindset can powerfully shape our lived reality. He breaks down the physiology of overwhelm, explains the mental toll of decision fatigue, multitasking, and cognitive o...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Andrew Kokabi, owner of Brookhaven Family Dentistry and a true example of grit, growth, and purpose-driven leadership. From his early days in a three-operatory practice with no paycheck, to leading a thriving 17-op fee-for-service operation with plans to expand to 30, Dr. Kokabi shares his deeply personal journey. He talks about how his upbrin...

On today's episode, recorded live at Voices of Dentistry 2026, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Drs. Eric Appelsies and Alex Kantor, the duo behind the podcast Just a Couple of Dentists. They share how podcasting helped them build community, stay curious, and keep perspective as they navigate practice ownership and young family life. The conversation explores burnout, doing mission work to reconnect...

On today's episode, we continue our conversation with dental attorney Evan Sampson as he and Dr. Mark Costes tackle the real-world legal challenges practice owners face. In Part 2, they unpack best practices for avoiding PPO audits, how to properly dismiss a patient, the right way to handle informed consent, and what to do when it's time to fire an employee—especially during riskier situations lik...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with dental attorney Evan Sampson for a deep dive into the legal issues dentists face every day—often without realizing it. In Part 1, Evan shares his journey from litigator to dental-focused counsel and how his unique background helps him proactively guide practice owners through employment law, regulatory compliance, and contract issues. From the leg...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes joins Dr. Mike Lundy for a crossover conversation from the Ownership Awakened: The Dental Journey podcast, focused on what comes next after deciding you're ready for practice ownership.  Together, they walk through the early-stage decisions every future owner faces, including startup versus acquisition, building the right advisory team, leadership development, a...

On today's episode, recorded live at the October 2025 DSI Mastermind, Dr. Mark Costes unveils a powerful 21-day Four Futures Challenge designed to reset your mindset, strengthen relationships, improve physical health, and gain financial clarity. With practical habits like daily breathwork, love bombs, movement, and a Friday social media fast, this challenge is both achievable and transformative. ...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes Dr. Paul O'Malley, a pioneer in holistic and biomimetic dentistry with over 25 years of clinical and entrepreneurial experience. Dr. O'Malley shares his evolution from traditional full-mouth reconstructions to a minimally invasive, adhesive-based philosophy grounded in oral-systemic health. The two dive into root canal controversies, the science of merc...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Steven Patala and Roman Shtimerman of NadaPayments, the company leading the charge in compliant credit card surcharging for dental practices. They discuss how their solution is helping thousands of practices eliminate a top 10 line item on the P&L by shifting credit card fees back to patients—without damaging patient trust or experience.  Steven a...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Ryan Gross, founder and CEO of CMO Share, for an insightful conversation on the evolving landscape of dental marketing, operations, and how to thrive in uncertain economic times. They discuss the critical importance of aligning marketing strategies with operational capacity, how to maximize ROI by tracking the right metrics, and the power of Google...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Alexis Gallati, founder of Cerebral Tax Advisors and author of Advanced Tax Planning for Medical Professionals. Alexis brings a wealth of knowledge on proactive, high-level tax strategies tailored specifically for medical and dental professionals. The conversation covers everything from tax-saving tactics for W2 earners like short-term rentals and o...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by DSI Black Belt coach and co-founder of The Practice Launchpad, Dr. Chris Green, for an in-depth conversation on startup success in today's challenging dental landscape. Chris shares his journey of building a ground-up dental practice from a shell, highlighting lessons learned around construction, IT, design, and avoiding costly rookie mistakes.  The...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friends and financial experts Brent Saunier and Chris Sands of Profi2020 to unpack some of the most overlooked yet critical financial decisions dentists face. From the often misunderstood process of switching CPA firms and the emotional roadblocks that come with onboarding, to the dangers of outgrowing your entity structure without knowin...

On today's episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Brian Bhaskar, a newly minted oral and maxillofacial surgeon, third-generation dentist, and founder of Sindi, a digital referral management platform designed to modernize how dentists communicate. Dr. Bhaskar shares his journey from Division I basketball at Gonzaga to completing a six-year oral surgery residency at the University of Washington, and how f...

On today's episode, Mark sits down with Dr. Vishal Sharma, Director of Clinical Education and Operations at Spear Education, to explore the evolving landscape of dental education. Dr. Sharma shares his journey from building and scaling private practices to leading clinical education initiatives across DSOs, and now helping shape the next generation of learning at Spear.  The conversation dives dee...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friend and marketing leader Joshua Scott for a wide-ranging conversation that blends entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal growth. Josh shares what it's really like to scale a company through a "building year," why infrastructure equity matters more than short-term profit, and how navigating overlapping growth curves can feel both ch...

On today's episode, Ryan Gross, founder of CMO Share, reveals how his background in experiential marketing—from zoos to Disney—perfectly translates into the world of dental marketing. He shares how understanding human behavior, data-driven decisions, and simple brand visibility tactics can significantly grow a practice. Ryan breaks down everything from choosing the right name and logo to leveragin...

On today's episode, we bring you Dr. Mark Costes' second impactful presentation from the Music City SCALE 2025 event. In this talk, Dr. Costes blends tactical strategy with raw vulnerability as he opens up about achieving his lifelong financial goals—only to find himself exhausted, unfulfilled, and deeply unhappy. He shares the pivotal moment that led him to rethink success, prioritize fulfillment...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Bill Keith and Ben Kacos for an in-depth crash course on DSOs—what they are, how they've evolved, and why every dentist should understand their growing impact on the profession. This conversation dives into the history of dental consolidation, the rise of private equity in the industry, and what those infamous EBITDA multiples really mean for your p...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime friend and respected dental entrepreneur Tiger Safarov, founder of Zen One. Tiger shares his incredible immigrant journey—from arriving in the U.S. not knowing English to building a thriving dental construction company, and later pivoting to launch a tech platform revolutionizing dental supply management.  They dive into Tiger's inspirati...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back DSI Black Belt coach and seasoned dental entrepreneur Dr. Summer Kassmel for a power-packed, tactical conversation on case acceptance. Summer walks us through her step-by-step strategy to improve treatment plan acceptance, starting with clearly defined pillars of care and a unified team approach. She emphasizes the importance of consistency, calibr...