The Dental Truth Project

From Producer to Leader: The Hardest Shift in Dentistry (E.37)

Corey Hastings, CEO of Blue Sage Management Group and practicing pediatric dentist, exposes the uncomfortable truth most multi-location dental owners refuse to admit: scaling from one to seven locations almost broke him — not because of bad dentistry, but because he couldn't get out of the chair. The clinical skills that built his practice became the very thing holding it back. Key Revelations: Why Your Greatest Strength Becomes Your Biggest Bottleneck * Most dentists don't have a clinical problem — they have a leadership problem they're solving with more dentistry * When you're still producing a significant chunk of your revenue and EBITDA, you're permanently stuck between two roles — the producer and the leader — and neither one gets your full attention * The hidden cost of staying clinical too long: your team stops making decisions because nobody ever taught them how — and that indecision comes right back to you as decision fatigue * Your associates graduated knowing how to fill a Scantron. Nobody taught them how to read a P&L, lead a team, or make a decision without running it by you first. That's your problem now.   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:  "What's the biggest financial red flag that would make a buyer walk away from your dental group?" Ken's answer: Buyers want to see a business that can grow without being held hostage by one person's skill set. If your collections are inconsistent, your books are messy, or your entire operation collapses the moment one key person walks out — they'll walk out too. Do a quality of earnings audit on yourself before a buyer does it for you. Find the bombs before they do. Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! * (E.29) The Business Skills Every Dentist Needs (But Was Never Taught) [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e29-the-dental-truth-project-the-business-skills-every-dentist-needs-but-was-never-taught] - Dr. Rehan Shahid, Practice Success Academy * (E.26) You Keep Losing Dental Team Members. Have You Asked Yourself Why? [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e26-the-dental-truth-project-you-keep-losing-dental-team-members-have-you-asked-yourself-why] - Bonnie Thompson, Forest Family Dentistry * (E. 22) The DSO Leaders' Imposter Syndrome Epidemic [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e22-the-dental-truth-project-the-dso-leaders-imposter-syndrome-epidemic] - Thomas Passalacqua, Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC   Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project [https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project]

The Cyber Threat Dentistry Keeps Ignoring (E.36)

Virginia Jones, CEO of Village Family Dental (14 locations, 400 employees) & Gary Salman, CEO of Black Talon Security reveal the silent threat that could shut your practice down — not a bad review, not a slow month, but a cyber event you never saw coming. Post-Change Healthcare breach, dentistry is still 3–4 years behind the rest of healthcare on cybersecurity — and the hackers already know it. Small practices think they're flying under the radar. Large groups think their IT team has it covered. Both are wrong. Key Revelations: The Invisible Threat Inside Your Practice * 70% of dental practices treat cybersecurity as a once-a-year checkbox — the hackers treat your network as an everyday opportunity * The government doesn't care if you're a 1-chair solo practice or a 50-location DSO — HIPAA fines hit everyone equally, and dentistry has been slow to realize it * Dentistry is 3 to 4 years behind the rest of healthcare on cybersecurity. And the hackers already know it. * Stop calling it an expense and start calling it an investment — because a cyber event isn't a month of downtime, it can be years   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:  "At what point does adding more locations actually start destroying value instead of creating it?" Ken's answer: The real question isn't how fast you can grow — it's whether your operational infrastructure has room to breathe. Before you sign on that next location, ask yourself: are your regional managers tapped out or do they have capacity? Growth without operational leverage isn't scaling — it's a slow-motion collapse. Know your limits before your skis outrun your legs.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! * (E. 22) The DSO Leaders' Imposter Syndrome Epidemic [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e22-the-dental-truth-project-the-dso-leaders-imposter-syndrome-epidemic]: Thomas Passalacqua - Ascend Professional Pathways, LLC * (E.11) Unqualified Practice Brokers Are Costing Dentists Millions [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-unqualified-practice-brokers-are-costing-dentists-millions-e11]: Maria Melone - Caber Hill Advisors * (E.3) How Associate Mismanagement Is Bankrupting Dental Groups [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-how-associate-mismanagement-is-bankrupting-dental-groups-e3]: Eric Roman - Dental Associate Growth   Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project [https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project]

The Hard Truth About AI Vendors in Dentistry (E.35)

Randa Seif, COO of CaliDental, issues a stark warning to every dental practice owner scrolling through AI vendor ads: handing over your patient data to the wrong company isn't just a bad business decision — it could be a legal and ethical catastrophe.  After personally vetting vendors from Australia, Amsterdam, and across the U.S., she reveals why most AI companies knocking on your door have no business being inside your practice management system. Key Revelations: The Vendor Trust Crisis No One Wants to Say Out Loud * Vendors are cold-pitching practices on Facebook and Instagram with $70,000 blank-check proposals — and most have never worked a day inside a dental office * If an AI vendor can't prove they understand your workflow, they cannot build something that works for you — technical brilliance without dental knowledge is worthless * Overseas vendors create a compounding problem: HIPAA exposure, unverifiable security standards, and zero recourse if something goes wrong with your patient data * Giving API access to your PMS is giving a stranger the keys to your patient records — and most practices aren't asking the hard questions before they hand them over * The right vendor criteria: U.S.-based, willing to build custom, and able to prove they can scale with you — not just make one location look good   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question: "If you stepped into a struggling 3-location group tomorrow, what 3 data reports would you analyze first?" Dallin's answer: Start with the P&L — every other report you pull should be dictated by what you find there. Revenue problem? Pull production and collections. Labor bloat? Go straight to payroll. The P&L is your compass; everything else is the map.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! * (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e16-the-dental-truth-project-will-ai-allow-me-to-fire-my-rcm-team]: Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai * (E.23) AI Is Killing Patient Loyalty in Dentistry [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e23-the-dental-truth-project-ai-is-killing-patient-loyalty-in-dentistry]: JW Oliver - SupportDDS * (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e25-the-dental-truth-project-the-pms-data-gatekeeping-scandal-in-dentistry]: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry - Kolla   Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project [https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project]

The 5 Pillars of a Thriving DSO (E.34)

Ash Toub, Co-Founder of Smile Data and Ponce Dental Studio, brings a rare dual perspective to dentistry, currently running both a dental group and a software company built for dental groups. After helping scale a 28-location DSO to $10–12M in EBITDA, he developed a proven 5-pillar framework for building dental groups that survive and scale. Most dental groups aren't failing because of bad marketing or poor clinical care. They're failing because they built a skyscraper on a house foundation — and didn't realize it until the cracks started showing.   Key Revelations: The 5 Pillars of a Scalable Dental Group * Ash’s 5-Pillar Growth Framework: People → Data → Infrastructure → Revenue Cycle → Marketing. Miss one pillar, and growth becomes expensive chaos. * Marketing Only Works on a Strong Foundation: More leads won’t fix broken operations. If your people, systems, and collections aren’t dialed in, marketing only amplifies inefficiency. * Data Without Definitions Is Dangerous: Dashboards alone aren’t enough. If KPIs are unclear or inaccurate, you’ll make confident but costly decisions. * Multiple PMS Can Limit Growth: Practice Management Software impacts workflows, reporting, collections, and scalability. Multiple systems create friction, messy data, harder training, and operational headaches.   💡 The "Ask Dallin" Question:  "What should I do if I have multiple Practice Management Softwares in my DSO?" Dallin’s answer: In most cases, moving to one PMS is the smarter long-term play. While the transition can be painful upfront, standardizing systems creates cleaner reporting, smoother operations, easier staff training, and stronger scalability. If switching isn’t possible yet, integration tools can help—but one unified system remains the gold standard.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! * (E.16) Will AI allow me to fire my RCM team? [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e16-the-dental-truth-project-will-ai-allow-me-to-fire-my-rcm-team]: Jonas & Luis, Kaylie.ai * (E.2) Why High-Multiple Exits Are Bankrupting Dental Practices [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-why-high-multiple-exits-are-bankrupting-dental-practices-e2]: AJ Peak, Health Wealth Capital * (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e25-the-dental-truth-project-the-pms-data-gatekeeping-scandal-in-dentistry]: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry, Kolla   Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project [https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project]

Flying Blind: The Data Gap Killing Your DSO (E.33)

David Janash, Founder & CEO of Underbite Dental, built a 13-location DSO from the ground up in one of the most brutally competitive markets in the country: New York City.  He's made every expensive mistake in the book — and turned those mistakes into a data-driven operation that actually tells him what's going to happen before it does. David used to log into every single office manually, every single night, just to know how his business was doing.  Then he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars building a custom data warehouse and hiring software engineers to solve the problem.  He eventually scrapped all of it for a monthly software subscription that does it better. The lesson isn't just about wasted money — it's about what happens to your strategy when you're operating without real insight.  David coined it himself: "The map to that gap is your data" Key Revelations: The Gap Between Intention and Actuality * Most DSO leaders are obsessing over last month's report — the operators winning right now are looking at next week * Running multiple offices on different practice management softwares isn't flexibility — it's chaos disguised as convenience * Special contracts, different hours, outlier comp plans — when things go wrong, you'll wish you'd standardized your DSO sooner   💡 The "Ask Ken" Question:  "Does my EBITDA look strong, but I still feel broke every month?" Ken's answer: A few things hide from EBITDA that devour your cash — debt service, capital expenditures, and cash vs. accrual distortion. Strong EBITDA and empty pockets aren't a contradiction. They're a signal. Here's how to read it.   Top 3 Episodes of The Dental Truth Project. Listen Now! * (E.25) The PMS Data Gatekeeping Scandal in Dentistry [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e25-the-dental-truth-project-the-pms-data-gatekeeping-scandal-in-dentistry]: Jake Larsen & Clint Berry, Kolla * (E.20) Fake Codes, Hidden Fraud & The Accounting Nightmare [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-e20-the-dental-truth-project-fake-codes-hidden-fraud-and-the-accounting-nightmare]: Paul Lowry, Dental Menu * (E.5) The DSO Valuation Crash No One Talks About [https://www.accrudent.com/podcast-the-dental-truth-project-the-dso-valuation-crash-no-one-talks-about-e5]: Gareth Petsch, pH Partners Got a burning question about dental finance? Submit your question, and it could be featured in a future episode. Ask Ken Form: https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project [https://resources.accrudent.com/ask-ken-form-the-dental-truth-project]