The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with longtime dental industry leader Laura Nelson live from Thrive Live in Las Vegas. Laura shares her journey from running the front office in her husband's dental practice to building Front Office Rocks, becoming a trusted voice in dental team training, and now leading AI innovation with Mango Voice.  She and Mark discuss why patient experience matte...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Jas Banga live from Thrive Live 2026 in Las Vegas to talk about one of the most overlooked but critical parts of practice ownership: dental real estate. Jas shares how he went from marketing in the dental world to becoming a leading healthcare real estate advisor, helping dentists across North America make smarter, data-driven decisions around sit...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Ashlee Hirschfeld for another Back to Basics conversation, this time focused on leadership and difficult conversations. Mark and Ashlee discuss why leadership requires self-awareness, emotional intelligence, clear expectations, and the willingness to address issues before they damage the entire team. They also explore how to approach corrective conv...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Matt Slivka, owner of Rockside Dental and DSI Black Belt coach, for a conversation about growth, purpose, and the impact dentists can make far beyond the operatory. Matt shares how mentorship and community helped transform his practice from a chaotic startup into a thriving multi-doctor organization, and how that same mindset pushed him to lau...

On today's episode, we dive into the very real problem of overwhelm in dentistry and why it is not simply about having too much to do. Dr. Mark Costes breaks down how decision fatigue, multitasking, cognitive load, sleep debt, clutter, caffeine, alcohol, and constant content consumption can push practice owners from intentional leadership into reactive survival mode.  He also shares practical ways...

On today's episode, Dr. Taher Dhoon sits down with Dr. Chris Hill to talk through the systems, lessons, and real-world experience behind predictable full mouth reconstruction. Dr. Hill shares how years of cosmetics, occlusion, TMJ, and reconstruction training shaped his approach, and why having a clear, repeatable system is what helps dentists move from feeling overwhelmed to feeling confident wit...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Christian Pavel live from Thrive Live 2026 in Vegas for a grounding conversation on wellness, burnout, breathwork, and purpose in dentistry. Known as the Dental Yogi, Dr. Pavel shares how yoga, intentional breathing, and holistic health became central to both his personal life and his mission to help dental professionals reconnect with themsel...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes continues his April 2026 Mastermind presentation by exploring the deeper identity shifts required to move out of the hustle trap and into a more sustainable version of success. He shares a powerful eulogy exercise and personal reflections on loss, legacy, and the difference between resume virtues and eulogy virtues.   Dr. Costes connects these ideas back to the...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes opens his April 2026 Mastermind talk with an update on the whirlwind first quarter of mission work through SOI, including trips to Guatemala, Fiji, and Honduras, before shifting into the idea of quiet reinvention. He explains how high-performing dentists often become trapped by the very habits that made them successful, especially hustle, grind, overproduction,...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Jon Padolsky of Flex to explore how dental technology is transforming the front office experience. Jon shares his journey from growing up around dentistry and spending 14 years as a dental office manager to helping practices streamline operations through Flex.  The conversation covers the evolution from paper charts and manual reminders to digital...

On today's episode, Dr. Allen Gotora shares a powerful message on why relationships are the hidden KPI behind every successful dental practice. Drawing from his own life-changing experience as a high school student in Zimbabwe, where relationships helped him raise funds for a United Nations trip to Sweden, he explains how connection, trust, and intentional communication shape every major outcome i...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Doug and Catherine Fettig live from Thrive Live 2026 in Vegas for a conversation on mindset, leadership, and improving the dental experience for both teams and patients. Doug shares how dentists can begin thinking more like CEOs, avoid becoming the bottleneck in their practices, and use simple habits like gratitude and generosity journaling to shift...

On today's episode, Dr. Bill Keith speaks during the April 2026 Mastermind about shifting from the clinical brain to the CEO brain and why practice owners must learn to zoom out, identify patterns, and build teams that can surface problems before they become costly. Drawing from examples in aviation, Toyota manufacturing, hospital operating rooms, Southwest Airlines, and the Challenger disaster, h...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes welcomes back Troy Eckard for a timely conversation on oil and gas, global energy uncertainty, and how current geopolitical tensions are reshaping investor strategy. Troy shares his perspective on the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz, rising oil prices, and why fossil fuels remain critical despite the ongoing push toward alternative energy.  He also breaks down...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Parth Patel, owner of Revive Dental in Alpharetta, Georgia, to unpack his journey from associate dentist to owner of a thriving fee-for-service practice. Dr. Patel shares how his early exposure to different practice models helped him clarify the kind of dentistry he wanted to build, one centered on comprehensive care, patient relationships, an...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Shreyas Parab, co-founder and CEO of Daydream, to talk about how AI is reshaping dental revenue cycle management. Shreyas shares how growing up in his mother's dental practice gave him firsthand experience with the stress, complexity, and financial impact of insurance billing. After stepping in to run her practice during a family health crisis, he...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Alan Withall, senior sales consultant with Henry Schein, live from Thrive Live in Las Vegas. Alan shares how he found his way into dentistry, why he became passionate about helping dentists launch startups, and how building the right network of advisors can make the process far less overwhelming.  Mark and Alan talk through the realities of startu...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is joined by Ashlee Hirschfeld for another installment of the Back to Basics series, this time focusing on the numbers every dental practice owner must know. Mark and Ashlee discuss why even experienced owners benefit from revisiting the fundamentals, especially when so many dentists feel overwhelmed by reports, spreadsheets, overhead, and profitability.  They b...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Lilly Larsen live from Thrive Live 2026 in Vegas to talk about how she has carved out a unique, relationship-driven role as a Henry Schein field sales consultant. Lilly shares how she entered dental from a non-clinical background, leaned into her marketing experience, and built a business-minded approach that goes far beyond supplies and equipment...

On today's episode, Mark answers questions from the DSN community, covering some of the most common challenges practice owners and young dentists face. He breaks down why bonus systems based only on production or collections can quickly become risky, and explains how to structure incentives around the overall health of the practice instead. He also shares guidance on handling years when raises may...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes shares a special message for everyone gathered at DSS 2026. After 11 years and 2,500 episodes of the Dentalpreneur Podcast, Mark reflects on the journey from a closet recording setup to a movement built on community, leadership, discipline, and service. This heartfelt episode is a reminder that real transformation happens when we take action, show up for ourselv...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes sits down with Dr. Bill Keith live from Thrive Live in Las Vegas to talk about the journey from accounting cubicles to building a massive, high-performing dental practice in Kansas City. Bill shares how he transitioned into dentistry, bought his father's practice, expanded into a 23-operatory facility, and grew the business from $2.7 million to nearly $9 million...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes and Ashlee Hirschfeld continue the Back to Basics series with a conversation on lifetime patient experience. They discuss why every patient interaction matters, how one great experience can lead to years of loyalty and referrals, and why practices need to intentionally map out each touchpoint in the patient journey. Mark and Ashlee also cover the importance of p...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes is interviewed by Jordon Comstock on the Navigating Dental Insurance Podcast for a conversation about AI, coaching, and the changing realities of running a dental practice. Mark and Jordon discuss why information has become a commodity, how AI can be a powerful tool when paired with the right data, and why human support, accountability, and real-world implementa...

On today's episode, Dr. Mark Costes catches up with longtime friend and returning guest Joshua Scott, owner and CEO of Studio 8E8, for a wide-ranging conversation on growth, leadership, AI, and the realities of scaling a people-driven business. Joshua shares the vision behind Studio 8E8's new 11,000-square-foot headquarters, including the long road from finding land to building a dedicated product...