How to Open a Dental Practice

Episode 46: From Dentistry to Tech and Back Again

In this episode, Arminco CEO Art Safarian speaks with Dr. Lior Tamir (https://www.thedentalapp.com/ [https://www.thedentalapp.com/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExMEZVS0l5SE1xRHRnamt2aHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR40PLQ3m_MOhFNEullu8DqxShSbbqUGWPvwJ7mu4AErNNcB-Wns2wzyOS82nQ_aem_CCcXvTieb8jNNJkNjDOf5g]), whose journey into dentistry took an unexpected turn. After graduating during the 2009 financial crisis and struggling to find work, he left dentistry and built a successful marketing technology company before returning to the profession. Today, he runs a multi-location dental group and shares how entrepreneurship, technology, and patient experience shape modern dental practices. We also discuss The Dental App, a platform designed to help practices manage operations, marketing, and patient relationships in one system.

Episode 45: How to Be an Educated Consumer Recap

After seven deep dives into real estate, construction, legal review, CPAs, marketing, and consultants — we close the series by bringing it all together. This recap episode reinforces one central idea: We’re not saying brokers, contractors, attorneys, consultants, or banks are doing a bad job. We’re saying you need to understand how their roles overlap — and where confusion costs you time and money. In this episode, we revisit: • Why “build your team” is incomplete advice • The importance of understanding each professional’s lane • How overlapping roles create inefficiencies • Why project management is often the missing piece in healthcare startups • The difference between simply not defaulting and actually building wealth • The hidden cost of waste, misalignment, and poor coordination Dental practices statistically succeed. Default rates are low. But that doesn’t mean startups are efficient. Success by default is not the same as success by design. If you’re opening a dental practice, this final episode challenges you to step into your role as a true business owner — not just a clinician assembling vendors.

Episode 44: How to Be an Educated Consumer Part 7

Marketing. Branding. Consultants. Gurus. In Part 7, we shift from legal and financial advisors to two areas that heavily influence dental startups: marketing strategy and practice consultants. This episode dives into: • The minimum marketing requirements every dental startup needs • Why marketing should not be cookie-cutter • How branding, design, and location must align • Why marketing dollars continue long after opening • The importance of consistency for long-term valuation and resale • The difference between hiring a consultant for a task vs. “running your practice” We also unpack a growing trend in healthcare: practice consultants who position themselves as full-spectrum startup experts — from site selection to construction to operations. Here’s the reality: No one professional should be your sole decision-maker. Consultants can play an important role in revenue growth, systems, and administration — but they are not substitutes for real estate professionals, attorneys, designers, or contractors. If you’re opening your dental practice, this episode will challenge you to think like a business owner first — and understand exactly who you’re hiring, and why.

Episode 43: How to Be an Educated Consumer Part 6

Attorneys review leases. But who’s reviewing your construction contract? Who’s aligning your contractor’s agreement with your master lease? And when should your CPA actually be involved? In Part 6 of this series, we expand the conversation beyond lease review and dive into the broader professional team that shapes your dental startup. This episode covers: • Why every legally binding contract — not just your lease — should be reviewed • The risk of misalignment between your lease and contractor agreement • Builder’s risk insurance and the common misconceptions around it • The difference between liability coverage and developer risk • When to involve your CPA in the startup process • Why CPAs give perspective — not permission • The financial reality of startup vs. acquisition decisions We also begin discussing startup marketing — and why branding, design, and marketing must speak the same language from the beginning. Opening a dental practice isn’t just about finding space and signing contracts. It’s about aligning every professional involved — legally, financially, and strategically. If you’re early in the process, this episode will help you avoid costly miscommunication between advisors.

Episode 42: How to Be an Educated Consumer Part 5

Attorneys. CPAs. Consultants. By the time you reach this stage of opening your dental practice, you’ve likely signed a proposal, negotiated major lease terms, and now you’re bringing in legal representation. But when exactly should an attorney get involved — and what is (and isn’t) their role? In Part 5, we break down: • When to involve a lease attorney in the process • What attorneys should be reviewing vs. what’s already been negotiated • Why personal guarantees must be addressed early — not at lease draft stage • The difference between a lease-review attorney and a litigation attorney • Why every lease comes back “redlined” — and why that’s normal • The assignability clause most startups forget to negotiate We also address a major misconception: thinking an attorney replaces a real estate professional. They don’t. Their roles overlap — but they are not interchangeable. Most importantly, we discuss the balance between under-valuing and over-valuing legal advice. An attorney protects you legally — but they don’t make business decisions for you. If you’re entering lease drafting or evaluating legal counsel, this episode will help you understand how to use your attorney properly — without derailing your deal.