The Dental CEO Podcast

Episódios

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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.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #61 - How to Make Your "Old" Dental Office Look Modern Without Breaking the Bank 27.04.2026 47min

  In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune sits down with Kathryn Gaysinski, founder of DeStyle Design, to break down what it really takes to design a modern dental practice. From material selection and layout to balancing cost, function, and aesthetics, they explore how smart design decisions directly impact patient experience and long-term profitability. If you are planning a startup or renovation, this episode will give you a clear understanding of how to build a space that is both beautiful and highly functional.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #60 - How Dr. Kye Williams Built a Fee for Service Powerhouse 20.04.2026 46min

  In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Dr. Scott Leune sits down with Dr. Kye Williams, founder of Dental House, to break down how he built a fee for service startup from scratch to over $3 million in annual collections in under three years. Kye shares the real drivers behind his success, from relentless marketing and phone conversion systems to delivering an elite patient experience and building a high-performance team. This conversation challenges conventional thinking around insurance, startups, and growth, offering a practical blueprint for dentists who want to take control of their careers and build a truly profitable practice.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #59 - Stop Doing Dentistry for Free 13.04.2026 37min

  Redo dentistry is one of the most overlooked, and expensive problems in private practice. In this episode, Scott breaks down the uncomfortable reality most dentists face: when treatment fails, we absorb the cost, strain the patient relationship, and create unnecessary tension within the team, yet none of it is clearly tracked or accounted for. From failed implants and broken crowns to patients moving away or associates re-diagnosing work, "redos" quietly erode profitability and control. This conversation unpacks why most dentists already have a “warranty” system and why it doesn’t work while offering a more structured way to handle complications, set expectations upfront, and reduce conflict when things go wrong. If you’ve ever redone work for free or felt stuck navigating those awkward moments with patients, this episode will fundamentally change how you think about managing failure in your practice.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #58 - How One Procedure Changed Dr. Justin Warcup's Life 06.04.2026 44min

  What if the key to working less and making more as a dentist isn’t opening more practices but focusing on the right procedure? In this episode, Dr. Justin Warcup shares how scaling too quickly nearly hurt his business, how he eliminated $300,000 in annual waste, and how focusing on one high value treatment increased cases from one per month to more than 13 a month while reducing his clinical hours. Learn why more practices do not always mean more profit, how leadership and accountability systems create sustainable growth, and how dentists can build real wealth without sacrificing family, health, or freedom.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #57 - The Age-Old Question: What Are Banks Thinking? 30.03.2026 43min

  In this episode of the Dental CEO Podcast, Dr. Scott Leune sits down with Tom Angeloni, National Sales Director at Bank of America, to discuss the current state of dental lending. They break down startup loan amounts, what banks evaluate when approving funding, and why quality acquisition opportunities are becoming harder to find. The conversation also explores how production history, cash flow, and debt ratios influence a dentist’s ability to open their first, second, or even multiple practices.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #56 - "Dentist" Math: Why Your Numbers Aren't Adding Up 23.03.2026 29min

  Dentists talk about overhead, EBITDA, and take-home pay all the time—but most aren’t actually calculating them the same way. In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune breaks down what these numbers really mean, how to calculate them correctly, and the benchmarks healthy practices should aim for. He explains the difference between true overhead and discretionary spending, how EBITDA should be calculated after doctor compensation, and why many dentists with 60–65% overhead are unknowingly losing hundreds of thousands in potential income each year.
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  Dental CEO Podcast #55 - How to Grow a Dental Practice in 90 Days 16.03.2026 21min

  What would happen if you treated your practice like you just bought it? In this episode of The Dental CEO Podcast, Scott Leune breaks down a practical 90-day strategy to rapidly grow collections and profitability. He explains the key drivers of new patient flow, diagnosis, case acceptance, fees, and expenses and the specific actions that can quickly move the needle, from improving marketing and phone systems to implementing AI diagnostics, simplifying treatment plans, optimizing insurance fees, and tightening major expense categories like supplies, labs, and staffing.