She Couldn’t Practice Dentistry Anymore. Here's What Happened Next | Dr. Mariz Tanious

She Couldn’t Practice Dentistry Anymore. Here's What Happened Next | Dr. Mariz Tanious

What happens when a dentist can no longer practice?In this episode of The Dr. Avi Show, Dr. Avi Patel sits down with Dr. Mariz Tanious, Chief Dental Officer at Affinity Dental, to discuss an unexpected career pivot that transformed her perspective on dentistry, leadership, and the future of DSOs.After being diagnosed with arthritis, Dr. Mariz Tanious was forced to step away from clinical dentistry. Rather than leaving the profession, she found a new way to make an impact—leading quality management and clinical excellence across large dental organizations.In this conversation, they discuss:• Why dental school doesn't prepare you for the realities of practice.• Student loans, burnout, and financial pressure in dentistry.• The importance of mentorship and continuous learning.• What Chief Dental Officers actually do (and why no one trains them).• The biggest challenges facing DSOs today.• Why conferences need more honest conversations and less surface-level content.• How AI is changing dentistry—and what it takes to implement it successfully.Whether you're a dental student, associate, practice owner, or DSO leader, this episode offers an honest look at career growth, leadership, and building a profession through collaboration instead of competition.Shoutout to our sponsors:SprintRay Midas: https://bit.ly/SprintRay-PodcastOrthoBrain: https://bit.ly/4vFk9OINeer: https://bit.ly/4vzRFG3Connect with Clear Aligner Advisor: https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/Connect with Dr. Mariz Tanious : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariz-tanious-dds/

From Broke Dentist to 10 Practices | Dr. Hardik Chodavadia

Dr. Hardik Chodavadia co-founded Enamel Dentistry, growing it from a single startup practice with no formal business plan into a 10+ location dental group across Austin and McKinney. In this conversation, he's refreshingly honest about how much of that journey came down to timing, taking calculated risks, and what he jokingly calls a "dangerous level of lack of risk tolerance." In this episode, Dr. Hardik joins Dr. Avi to discuss: * How he convinced a bank to fund his first startup practice despite having no business plan and a negative net worth. * Why being a "terrible employee" ultimately led him to practice ownership. * The books and mentors—including Buy Back Your Time, Dan Martell, and Alex Hormozi—that have shaped his leadership and business philosophy. * Learning to delegate after being diagnosed with ADHD at age 38. * The story behind Enamel Dentistry's signature purple branding (inspired by the Sacramento Kings). * His current focus on marketing efficiency, AI-driven automation, and scaling a growing dental organization. Shoutout to our sponsors: 🦷 SprintRay: https://bit.ly/SprintRay-Podcast [https://bit.ly/SprintRay-Podcast] 🦷 Neer: https://bit.ly/4vzRFG3 [https://bit.ly/4vzRFG3] 🦷 OrthoBrain: https://bit.ly/4vFk9OI [https://bit.ly/4vFk9OI] Learn more about Clear Aligner Advisor: https://clearaligneradvisor.co [https://clearaligneradvisor.co] Connect with Dr. Hardik Chodavadia: https://linkedin.com/in/hardik-chodavadia-b1970820 [https://linkedin.com/in/hardik-chodavadia-b1970820]

How 25 Years at Heartland Dental Changed My Dental Career | Dr. Anna Singh

25 years ago Anna Singh was a new grad with no map. Today she's Senior VP of Clinical Operations at Heartland Dental, overseeing care across nearly 2,000 practices. In this episode, she breaks down the systems behind that growth: why "bread-and-butter" dentistry beats chasing big procedures, how time studies transform efficiency, why the doctor-PMO partnership makes or breaks a practice, and why radical transparency around production numbers builds stronger teams. Anna also shares the mindset shift that changed how she saw clear aligner cases—and why patient quality of life, not aesthetics, should drive the conversation. Sponsors for this episode:  SprintRay Midas: https://info.sprintray.com/midas-podcast [https://info.sprintray.com/midas-podcast]  OrthoBrain: https://orthobrain.co/ClearAlignerAdvisor [https://orthobrain.co/ClearAlignerAdvisor]  Neer: http://getneer.com/patel [http://getneer.com/patel]  Clear Aligner Advisor: https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/ [https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/] Connect with Anna Singh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-singh-b87a086a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-singh-b87a086a/]

The 3 Promises Every DSO Should Make Before You Sign | Dave Gaspar

Dave Gaspar, CEO of Smile Partners (120+ practices), pulls back the curtain on what it actually looks like to lead a DSO without a clinical background and why that forces better decisions. In this episode, Dr. Avi and Dave break down the three promises every DSO should make before a doctor signs, why clinical autonomy is only meaningful when you're willing to sacrifice for it, and how grit — not just IQ or EQ — determines whether a partnership actually works. They also get into the real conversation around AI adoption in group practices, what the next generation of dentists gets right (and wrong) about grinding, and why social media is the most underutilized tool in the DSO playbook. If you're a dentist considering a DSO partnership, or already in one, this episode is worth your full attention. The tools and resources mentioned are linked below — use them. Sponsors for the episode: SprintRay Midas: https://info.sprintray.com/midas-podcas [https://info.sprintray.com/midas-podcast]; OrthoBrain: https://orthobrain.co/ClearAlignerAdvisor ; [https://orthobrain.co/ClearAlignerAdvisor]Neer: http://getneer.com/patel [http://getneer.com/patel]; Clear Aligner Advisor: https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/ [https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/] Connect with Dave Gaspar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-gaspar-2a930311/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-gaspar-2a930311/]

Why Oral Care Hasn't Innovated in 50 Years — Until Now | Gulshan Kumar

What happens when a serial CPG entrepreneur meets a disrupting dentist — and they start building together? In this episode, Dr. Avi sits down with Gulshan Kumar, CEO and co-founder of Swishables, the portable mouthwash brand disrupting oral care. From his roots building Pathwater to identifying a massive white space in dental wellness, Gulshan breaks down how curiosity, strategy, and imagination drive real innovation. They go deep on why oral care has lacked innovation for decades, how Swishables fits into both DSO and solo practice models, and what dentists can learn from the CPG playbook. Plus: why education kills imagination — and how to get it back. If you're a dental professional thinking beyond the chair, this one's for you. 🦷 Try Swishables for your practice:https://getswishables.com/pages/dental [https://getswishables.com/pages/dental]Use code AVISWISH for 10% off 📈 Scale your aligner revenue with Clear Aligner Advisor:https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/ [https://www.clearaligneradvisor.co/] 🔗 Connect with Gulshan: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulshan-kumar-b23900b6/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/gulshan-kumar-b23900b6/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gulshanjaikumar [https://www.instagram.com/gulshanjaikumar]