The Dental CEO Podcast

Jaksot

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  Retire Twice: Why Waiting Until 65 Is the Worst Retirement Plan for Dentists (Part 1) 14.09.2026 35min

  What if the traditional retirement plan, work hard for 40 years and finally retire at 65, is actually the reason so many dentists end up burned out, broke on experiences, and full of regret?In Part 1 of this two-part series, Scott Leune revisits a post he wrote 16 years ago that challenged everything he'd been taught about building wealth and retiring. Instead of one big retirement at the end of a career, Scott lays out a philosophy of semi-retiring twice: once during the years your kids need you most, and again once you've built enough wealth to slow down for good.Scott breaks down:Why the traditional "work hard, save, retire at 65" path leads to the most common regrets he's heard from wealthy people, again and againThe four life phases (18-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-65) and what your income, savings, and schedule should look like in each oneWhy your 20s and early 30s should be about high income and low costs, not lifestyle upgradesHow to structure your practice so you can drop to two or three days a week during the years your family needs you mostWhy your late 40s through 60s can become your highest-earning, highest-impact years, if you've set yourself up correctlyHow this philosophy applies directly to practice ownership, associateships, and the timing of buying, building, or selling a practiceThis episode lays the groundwork for a bigger conversation. In Part 2, Scott will get tactical, walking through the specific dental practice models that make semi-retiring twice actually possible at each stage of your career.If you've ever felt like the traditional path to retirement doesn't match the life you actually want to live, this episode will change how you think about your career, your family, and your money.
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  The Dental Supplier You've Probably Never Heard Of, Solving Dentistry's Biggest Problem 07.09.2026 36min

  Episode 80: There's a good chance you've never heard of DHP. While Schein, Patterson, Darby, and Benco dominate the conversation around dental equipment and supplies, DHP has quietly built a 35-plus-year, privately held, family-owned business that Scott says delivers strong pricing and personal service, without the brand recognition to match.Scott sits down with Dale Roberts, DHP's founder and CEO, and Nick Roberts, COO, to unpack what makes the company different, across both equipment and everyday supplies. Rather than steering dentists toward a narrow list of premium brands, DHP shows the full range of options, from budget-friendly to premium, and lets the dentist decide what's actually right for their practice. That same $15,000 "workhorse" chair some distributors recommend often has a $4,000-$5,000 equivalent that performs just as well, and DHP is the company willing to show dentists that option exists.They also get into how tariffs have driven up pricing on gloves and other everyday supplies over the past year, squeezing dentist margins at the same time patients have less to spend, and how DHP's service model, real technicians' dentists can call directly rather than an impersonal dispatch system, extends across both equipment repair and ongoing supply relationships. Dale and Nick share what they're seeing across the industry right now: flat patient volume since 2009, new tariff-driven pricing pressure, a slowdown in DSO growth tied to higher interest rates, and why private practice ownership is still thriving despite it all.In this episode:Who DHP is, and how a privately held, family-owned company built a 35-plus-year track record across equipment and suppliesWhy DHP shows dentists a full range of equipment options across different price pointsHow tariffs have driven up pricing on everyday supplies like gloves, and what that's done to dentist marginsHow DHP handles repair and service, with real technicians dentists can call directlyThe real price difference between a premium patient chair and one that performs just as wellHow DSO pricing structures compare to what private dentists typically seeWhat's really happening with dental industry trends: patient flow, tariffs, and DSO growthScott's strategy for financing equipment like CBCTs and scanners separately from your startup loanLearn more: dhpsupply.com🎧 Listen now: www.dentalceopodcast.com🔔 Subscribe: www.dentalceopodcast.com
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  Mo Shirin Built Europe's Largest Full Arch DSO in 8 Years. Now He's Coming for the U.S. 31.08.2026 38min

  Episode 79: In 2019, a 22-year-old flew from Dublin to Texas to take three of Scott's courses back-to-back, so eager to learn he came back a second time just to finish the one he missed. Eight years later, that same dentist has built Truly Dental into Europe's largest full arch implant group, 15 locations across Ireland and the UK, on pace to cross $100 million in annual revenue. Now he's setting his sights on the U.S., and he says he can do it cheaper, and just as good.In this episode, Scott sits down with Mo Shirin to unpack exactly how. Truly manufactures its own implants and prosthetics in-house, down to the submicron level, cutting out the markup baked into nearly every implant sold in the U.S. Mo explains that the actual manufacturing cost of an implant is under 10 cents, yet dentists are routinely charged $200-$250 a piece. Some of his early U.S. patients were flying to Ireland after being quoted 600% more at home for the same procedure, and Truly was still making a healthy margin at a fraction of that price.This isn't a race to the bottom. Mo walks through how vertical integration, owning the lab, the manufacturing, and the training, lets Truly deliver full arch care at a dramatically lower cost without cutting corners on quality, and why he believes that combination is what will let Truly compete directly with, and outperform, U.S. incumbents once they officially enter the market.In this episode:How Mo went from Scott's seminar room at 22 to founder of Europe's largest full arch groupWhy Truly manufactures its own implants and prosthetics, and how that cuts cost without cutting qualityThe real manufacturing cost of an implant versus what dentists are typically chargedWhy U.S. patients were flying to Ireland and paying less, even after travelHow Truly scaled from a single Dublin practice to 15 locations across Ireland and the UKThe pivot from general dentistry to full arch implants, and why it changed everything financiallyMo's plan, and reasoning, for entering the U.S. market to compete directly with incumbentsMo's philosophy on ego, mentorship, and betting on yourself before you feel readyLearn more about Mo and Truly Dental: trulydental.ieSurgical training facility: livepatientdubai.comImplant manufacturing lab: https://borislabs.ie🎧 Listen now: www.dentalceopodcast.com🔔 Subscribe: www.dentalceopodcast.com
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  One Procedure, $1.5M+ in Additional Collections at a 90% Margin: The Best-Kept Secret in Dentistry 24.08.2026 41min

  Episode 78: Scott sits down again with Justin Warcup, a pediatric dentist in Dallas-Fort Worth, to break down the numbers behind pediatric airway dentistry and the system he built to scale it, called the BRĒTH Method. Cases run $4,000 to $9,000, case acceptance sits at 52%, and in just three months of focused marketing, Justin scaled from 4–5 cases a month to averaging $130K+ a month, increasing his profit by an estimated $1.4 million on top of his existing practice revenue.They dig into the real math: why the procedure costs so little to deliver, and why Justin says it's simpler clinically than routine cases most general dentists already do every day.In this episode:The exact fee range behind this procedure ($4,000–$9,000 per case)The case acceptance numbers: 52%How averaging $130K+ a month in new case starts breaks down to roughly 90% profitWhat the clinical treatment actually looks like, and why it's simpler than most dentists assumeWho can realistically add this to their practice (pediatric dentists, general dentists, and orthodontists)Info on Justin's upcoming BRĒTH Method training event in Dallas-Fort Worth (September 18–19)Learn more about the BRĒTH Method: justinwarcup.comIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Dental CEO Podcast and leave a review, it helps other dentists find these conversations.🎧 Listen now: www.dentalceopodcast.com
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  Is There Ever a "Right Time"? Building a Booked-Out Dental Startup While Raising 3 Kids Under 5 17.08.2026 54min

  Episode 77: Is there ever really a "right time" to start a practice? In this episode of the Dental CEO Podcast, Scott sits down with Dr. Stamatis Kouniaris and his wife Katarina, a practicing attorney, to talk about one of the boldest timing decisions a young family can make: launching a dental startup in Canada while raising three kids under five, including a newborn just one month old.Just a month after opening Ilios Dentaire, Stamatis and Katarina are already booked out three to four weeks, adding a hygienist, and hiring a second assistant, all while juggling final construction details, working capital, and the everyday chaos of a young family. They open up about why they chose a startup over an acquisition, how financing and insurance structures shaped their decisions, what it's really like when one spouse is a dentist and the other is navigating life alongside the build, and why they believe waiting for the "right time" often means waiting forever.Whether you're weighing a startup against an acquisition, wondering how kids factor into the timeline, or just want an honest look at the first month of practice ownership, this conversation is a real, unfiltered look at building a business and a family at the same time.Topics covered: startup vs. acquisition decisions, financing and lending strategy, insurance and fee structures, balancing parenthood with practice ownership, and the value of coaching during a startup build.See photos and videos of Ilios Dentaire on Instagram: @ilios.dentaireIf you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Dental CEO Podcast and leave a review, it helps other dentists find these conversations.
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  Why Most Dentists Settle for Mediocre 10.08.2026 55min

  Scott Leune sits down to give young dentists the advice he wishes someone had given him. He breaks down the four numbers every associate should be tracking, why a high-income associateship matters more than a signing bonus, and why waiting to feel "ready" for ownership is usually the exact reason people never get there. It's a blunt, no-fluff take on why so many careers stall out in mediocrity, and what it actually takes to avoid it. Whether you're a dental student, a new associate, or years into your career, this episode is a reset on what success in dentistry should really look like.
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  AI Is Becoming the Operating System of Your Practice 03.08.2026 51min

  Radiologic AI was just the beginning. In this episode, Scott sits down with Ophir Tanz, founder and CEO of Pearl, to unpack how AI has evolved from a single feature into an entire layer running underneath the modern dental practice, handling everything from CBCT analysis and ambient charting to claims, insurance verification, and scheduling. They get into where this is headed next: a world where AI doesn't just assist your team, it becomes the operating system your practice runs on. If you haven't engaged with AI in your practice yet, this episode makes the case for why now, not later, is the moment to start.
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  $4M in Debt and His Partner Left. You Won't Believe What Dr. Omar Virani Did Next 27.07.2026 56min

  $4 million in debt. A business partner who walked away. That's the position Dr. Omar Virani was in, and it would have ended most people's dental careers right there. Instead, he turned it into a thriving two-location practice in Vancouver, Canada, one with 19 operatories, associates who actually want to work there, and the kind of balanced schedule most owners only dream about. In this episode, Omar walks through exactly how he rebuilt from rock bottom, and Scott and Omar break down what U.S. dentists can learn from Canada's very different approach to associate pay and insurance. This is what it actually looks like to lose everything and build something better.
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  The AI-Enabled Virtual Team: How Copilots Are Transforming Dental Practice Support 20.07.2026 44min

  Virtual administrative teams are already helping thousands of dental practices handle insurance verification, billing, claims, and phones, and now AI copilots are layering on top of that support to speed up claim resubmissions, improve call conversion, and lift overall work quality without adding any burden to your onsite team. This episode breaks down how task-specific AI copilots rewrite denied-claim narratives, surface the right attachments before resubmission, and coach calls in real time, plus why a human-in-the-loop still matters even as automation improves. If you've wondered whether AI can help your practice run leaner without dumping more work on your front desk, this conversation shows exactly what that looks like today.
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  Why Your Associate Isn't Producing (And How to Fix It) 13.07.2026 35min

  Why do some associate dentists produce five times more than others seeing the exact same number of patients? In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune breaks down the four numbers that actually drive associate production, exam volume, diagnostic percentage, treatment plan size, and case acceptance, and shares the national averages versus top-performer benchmarks for each. He walks through exactly how owners should report these numbers to associates on a weekly and monthly basis, so performance gaps become obvious without triggering defensiveness, and how to respond when an associate blames the team, the schedule, or the practice instead of their own numbers. Whether you're an owner trying to build a healthier associate relationship or an associate looking to understand what's really capping your income, this episode gives you a clear, trackable system for closing the gap.
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  Where Your Profit Is Hiding: Scott Analyzes Actual P&Ls 06.07.2026 40min

  In this solo episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune reads three real profit and loss statements line by line and shows you exactly where practice profit hides. Watch a "respectable" 1.8-million-dollar practice find roughly 160,000 dollars in EBITDA and nearly a million in sale value, and a two-practice owner uncover about 650,000 dollars a year in cash flow and 4.2 million in equity at sale, all without a single clinical change. Scott breaks down the six expense categories, the target percentages every owner should know, and the quick "rent test" for whether you're too small or simply overspending. His bottom line: disciplined cost control, not reckless growth, is what actually builds wealth. Grab a pen and paper.
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  How Selling to a DSO Costs Dentists Millions (Scott Breaks Down a Real Offer) 29.06.2026 44min

  A dentist got an unsolicited $9.8M offer to sell his practice — and on paper it looked incredible. So why is walking away the smarter move? Scott Leune breaks down the real offer line by line and runs the actual math, exposing the traps most dentists never see: the cash up front, the "rollover equity," the multi-year stay requirement that quietly erases years of owner profit, and the "hopium" of future multiples that rarely pay out. He shows how selling now nets roughly $9.4M while transitioning out first nets up to $14M+, and what to do instead if your practice is struggling. Whether you plan to buy, sell, or advise someone who will, this could save you millions. Subscribe for new episodes weekly.
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  The Husband-and-Wife Dentists Reinventing Themselves at 61 22.06.2026 53min

  After 33 years of marriage and 33 years practicing side by side in 700 square feet, Dr. Elisa Mello and Dr. Ramin Tabib could have coasted to the finish line. Instead, at 61, they bet on themselves again and moved into a 2,500 square foot space built around a brand they just trademarked: The Smile Code. Scott Leune sits down with the New York City couple to talk about holding the line on fee-for-service when the pressure to take insurance felt relentless, what it really takes to work with your spouse for three decades without losing your marriage, and why the heart of a great practice is not the marketing, it is being able to say clearly who you are before you ever try to sell it. If you have ever wondered whether it is too late to reinvent your career, whether you could practice without insurance, or how to build a brand the world actually responds to, this conversation is for you.
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  Don't Take Startup Advice from a Lucky Dentist 15.06.2026 40min

  There is a lot of bad location advice in dentistry. A dentist goes on a podcast, says demographics do not matter because they opened in a weak market and made it work, and suddenly "build it and they'll come" sounds like a strategy. It is not. It is luck, and as Scott Leune puts it, a blind man can hit a home run, but that does not mean the rest of us should swing blindfolded. On this episode of the Dental CEO Podcast, Scott sits down with Kent Miller, founder of Dentagraphics, to make the case for trusting the data instead of Dr. Facebook and one-off success stories. They break down what demographics actually tell you about a location, why the right market depends on the kind of dentistry you want to do, and how population, income, age, and competition take the risk out of opening or relocating a practice. The dentists bragging online about beating the odds are the exception, not the playbook. If you want a real shot at 2 million in collections with a healthy overhead, trust the data, not a hunch and not a lucky stranger on the internet.
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  222 Patients in Month One: Inside a Dental Startup That's Booked Out Two Months 08.06.2026 53min

  Two married dentists. One startup. 222 new patients in their first full month. On this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Dr. Scott Leune sits down with Drs. Alex Hill and Kristina Slavik of Hill Dental Studio to break down exactly how they built the demand, why they're already booked out two months, and what Scott says they need to do right now to handle the success before it crushes them.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #66 - Your Website Is No Longer Your Biggest Marketing Asset 01.06.2026 40min

  In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune is joined by Bill Donato, Founder of DentalMarketing.com, to break down why your website is no longer the biggest driver of new patient calls. As patient search habits change, Google My Business, local search visibility, reviews, hyperlocal content, and real-time search queries are becoming more important than ever. Scott and Bill explain what dental practice owners need to understand about the new rules of dental SEO and how practices can improve visibility, compete locally, and generate more new patient opportunities.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #65 - The Instagram Post Heard Round the World...of Dentistry 25.05.2026 20min

  A single Instagram post from Dr. Scott Leune sparked major conversation across the dental world, raising a question many dentists are thinking but few are saying out loud: is becoming a dentist still financially worth it? In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott breaks down the post, the backlash, and the numbers behind the debate, including income, debt, delayed earning years, and why business ownership may matter more than ever.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #64 - The Future of Dentistry 18.05.2026 29min

  In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Dr. Scott Leune breaks down how dentistry is moving toward a new practice model built around automation, simplified staffing, patient hosts, presentation stations, and more efficient systems. He explains why traditional front office roles may become less necessary, how clinical team members could take on a more complete patient experience role, and how owners may be able to reduce chaos, improve consistency, and manage the practice with fewer bottlenecks. Scott also discusses how a personal assistant can help protect the owner’s time, support implementation, and create more flexibility in both business and life. This episode challenges dental practice owners to rethink staffing, facility design, patient flow, leadership, and what it may take to build a practice that is easier to run, easier to manage, and more profitable.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #63 - PPO Fees Are Killing Private Dentistry 11.05.2026 42min

  PPO plans are putting intense financial pressure on private dental practices through low reimbursements, high write-offs, stagnant fees, and rising operating costs. In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune sits down with Natalie Soda of PPO Profits to expose how shared networks and hidden fee schedules can force dentists to produce more while collecting less. They also discuss how practices can fight back by renegotiating fees, untangling insurance contracts, and strengthening revenue cycle management.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #62 - What It’s Like Building a Startup Right Out of Dental School 04.05.2026 47min

  What does it actually look like to go straight from dental school into building your own practice? In this episode, Scott Leune sits down with Dr. Emily Magee just five weeks into opening her startup to walk through her journey from associate to owner. She shares how she made the decision to start early, secured financing, built out her office, and what the first few weeks of ownership really feel like. From hiring and training a team to managing patient flow and stepping into a leadership role, this is a real-time look at the pressure, uncertainty, and early wins that come with building a practice from scratch.