Dental Tech Talks

#53 - Capturing Patient Intent Before They Sit in the Chair. A Conversation with Dr. Padma Gadiyar of Smilo.ai

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Dr. Padma Gadiyar, founder of Smilo.ai [http://Smilo.ai], to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers in dentistry: patient intent. Dr. Padma shares how clinics are using AI-powered smile simulations and pre-visit engagement to understand patient motivations before they ever sit in the chair. We explore fear, trust, high-ticket treatment conversations, and why capturing intent at home changes everything for both patients and providers. Dr. Padma also shares the best advice she’s received as a healthcare entrepreneur and why curiosity should never be boxed in.

#52 - Turning Dentistry Into a Profitable Business. Inside EBITDent With Kristie Kapp

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Kristie Kapp, founder of EBITDent and a longtime leader across nearly every role in dentistry. Kristie shares how her partnership with her daughter, Joey Albertson, came together to bridge the gap between financial clarity and real-world dental operations. We dive into the realities dentists face as accidental entrepreneurs, why clean P and Ls and focused KPIs matter more than ever, and how accountability and systems drive sustainable profitability. From EBITDA optimization and valuation readiness to team buy-in and hygiene growth, this episode offers practical insights for practice owners looking to gain control of their numbers and build a practice that truly works for them.

#51 - Building a Digital Front Desk. How proVEN Is Fixing Broken Patient Access in Dentistry

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Efrain Ramirez, founder and CEO of proVEN Digital Systems, to unpack why the dental front desk is one of the most overlooked growth levers in healthcare. With over 20 years of experience across healthcare operations, compliance, and large-scale patient access systems, Efrain shares how broken communication leads to lost appointments, staff burnout, and poor patient experiences. We explore how Proven is building a true front desk operating system that unifies phones, text, chat, reviews, and AI, while staying HIPAA-compliant and human-centered. If you care about reducing no-shows, improving response times, and letting clinicians practice at the top of their license, this conversation is a must-listen.

#50 - From Automation to Agentic AI. How Mario Lazo Is Building Scalable Intelligence for the Enterprise

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef Hanine sits down with Mario Lazo, Principal AI Solution Architect at Evergreen and a longtime leader in enterprise automation and AI. Mario shares his journey from RPA at UiPath and Blue Prism to designing agentic AI systems that operate at scale across Fortune 100 organizations. We explore why AI’s real impact lives in the unglamorous details, how human judgment and talent shape successful AI deployments, and what it takes to move from task based automation to workforce augmentation. From healthcare data fragmentation to multimodal agents and AI driven decision making, this conversation offers a grounded look at where enterprise AI is actually headed and what dental and healthcare leaders can learn from it.

#49 - Security First: Joshua Nelson on HIPAA, AI Threats, and Practical Defenses for Dental Practices

In this episode of Dental Tech Talks, Youssef sits down with Joshua Nelson, CXO of WOM Technology Management Group, to unpack realistic cybersecurity and compliance for dental practices. Joshua explains why HIPAA-level controls are the practical baseline for every small business, how AI is making phishing and automated attacks far more convincing, and why multi-factor authentication, layered defenses, and regular assessments are the best return on your security budget. We cover real breach fallout, the hidden costs of downtime and data theft, simple staff habits that prevent incidents, and how to use proactive testing to find gaps before attackers do. If you care about protecting patient data and keeping your practice running, this episode is a must-listen.