Just a Couple of Dentists

If you've ever found yourself saying, "Wait...we used to do that," you're not alone. That's one of the reasons Alex created Milo...to give practices a simple way to document systems and keep teams accountable. Check it out at HERE!This Week's EpisodeAfter a Facebook post sparked a firestorm of comments, criticism, and debate across the profession, former ADA President Brett Kessler joins us to talk about what actually happened.
What started as a conversation about speaking at a large DSO event quickly turned into a much bigger discussion about private equity, clinical autonomy, dental insurance, organized dentistry, and where the profession is headed next.
Brett shares his perspective on the backlash, why so many dentists are frustrated with the current state of dentistry, and what he's learned after years of working on insurance reform and advocacy at the highest levels of organized dentistry.
We also get into:
• The controversy surrounding Brett's DSO post• Why dentists are increasingly frustrated with private equity• The difference between clinical autonomy and corporate influence• Why dental insurance hasn't meaningfully changed in decades• The truth about annual maximums and reimbursement rates• Fee-for-service vs insurance-based dentistry• Medicare, Medicaid, and access to care• Why dental-medical integration may be the future• What organized dentistry has actually been doing behind the scenes• Why fixing dentistry's biggest problems is harder than most people think
Sponsor Shoutouts
Darkhorse Tech provides proactive IT support, cybersecurity, backups, and monitoring specifically for dental offices.
Special offer for JACD listeners: First month free.
🌐 https://www.darkhorsetech.com
Tired of losing thousands every year to credit card fees?
Nadapayments helps dental offices legally and compliantly offset processing costs with surcharging.
Special offer for JACD listeners:
$25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees.
🌐 https://www.nadapayments.com
Connect With Us
Your support means a ton to us. So if you enjoyed the episode, please share Just a Couple of Dentists with a friend or colleague. Thanks so much!

If you've ever found yourself saying, "Wait...we used to do that," you're not alone. That's one of the reasons Alex created Milo...to give practices a simple way to document systems and keep teams accountable. Check it out at HERE!Every practice starts with great systems.
Then team members leave. New hires get trained by other new hires. Processes get watered down. And before long, the things that once made your practice run smoothly start disappearing.
In this episode, Chris Green joins us to break down why systems fail over time and the tactical steps owners can take to get things back on track.
We discuss the biggest mistakes practices make with onboarding, why SOPs often fail, how to create training that people actually retain, and how accountability, leadership, and follow-up systems can keep your practice running consistently as it grows.
Chris also shares the onboarding framework he's building inside his own organization, how he uses leadership development to create accountability, and why AI won't replace the need for strong systems anytime soon.
In This Episode:
✅ Why systems break down as practices grow
✅ The "game of telephone" effect in team training
✅ How onboarding gets watered down over time
✅ Why most employee manuals and SOPs fail
✅ Creating training people will actually use
✅ Building accountability into your culture
✅ Developing department leaders
✅ Using personality assessments to hire the right people
✅ The role of follow-through in successful teams
✅ Why AI still requires human oversight
Sponsors
Darkhorse Tech
Your dental office IT shouldn’t stop at 5pm.Darkhorse Tech provides proactive IT support, cybersecurity, backups, and monitoring specifically for dental offices.
Offer for JACD listeners: First month free.
🌐 https://www.darkhorsetech.com
nadapayments
Tired of losing thousands every year to credit card fees?
Nadapayments helps dental offices legally and compliantly offset processing costs with surcharging.
Offer for JACD listeners:$25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees.
Learn more at:nadapayments.com
Connect With Us
Your support means a ton to us. So if you enjoyed the episode, please share Just a Couple of Dentists with a friend or colleague. Thanks so much!

👉 If you downloaded the front office checklists…this is the other half! 6 back office checklists Alex used to keep everything running smoothly Download them now HERE!
Every successful dentist eventually realizes the same thing:
You can't do it alone.
The dentists who consistently grow their practices aren't just better clinicians. They surround themselves with people who solve problems, take ownership, and help carry the vision of the practice forward.
In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, we sit down yet again with Dr. Spencer Greer to discuss the most important counterpart a practice owner can have: their right-hand person.
We dive into office managers, treatment coordinators, leadership, delegation, treatment acceptance, and why some employees become indispensable while others never seem to take ownership.
In This Episode:
Why every successful dentist needs a right-hand person
What separates great office managers from average ones
The interview question Spencer uses to identify future leaders
Why some employees solve problems while others just report them
Fear vs. laziness when it comes to team performance
How to empower your team to make decisions
What Alex would do differently when hiring today
Why patients buy from people they trust
Persuasion vs. manipulation in dentistry
Whether you're building a startup, managing a growing practice, or trying to get more out of your current team, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways you can implement immediately.
Sponsors
Darkhorse Tech
Technology problems don't care how busy your schedule is.
Darkhorse Tech helps dental practices simplify IT, strengthen cybersecurity, and keep their technology running smoothly so you can focus on patients instead of troubleshooting computers.
Special Offer: First month of service FREE.
🌐 https://www.darkhorsetech.com
nadapayments
Still paying more than you should for credit card processing?
Nadpayments helps dental practices lower processing costs with transparent pricing and a dental-specific approach to merchant services.
Special Offer: $25/month plus 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No hidden fees.
🌐 https://www.nadapayments.com

After running multiple practices, Alex realized checklists only work if there’s real accountability behind them. So she built Milo — an app that keeps everything organized and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. Check it out → startmilo.com 
In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, we break down how D’Angelo Webster built a lean, highly efficient practice that lets him regularly go home by noon… while still producing at a level most offices would be happy with.
We get into:
Why he refers out almost all difficult dentistry
How he structures his schedule to eliminate chaos
The real math behind making $500k–$600k doing “bread and butter” dentistry
Why most offices have way too many holes in their schedule
His philosophy on burnout, lifestyle, and enjoying clinical dentistry long term
How he keeps patients happy while referring a ton of specialty work
The scheduling systems that keep his office moving
Why he believes most dentists are building practices they secretly hate
This was one of the more interesting conversations we’ve had because it challenges a lot of the “super GP / grind harder” mentality that’s all over dentistry right now.
🖥️ Sponsored by Darkhorse Tech Most dental offices think they’re “fine” from an IT/security standpoint… until they get hacked. Darkhorse Tech helps dental practices with IT, cybersecurity, backups, network setup, and basically all the stuff dentists don’t want to deal with. Mention Just a Couple of Dentists and get your first month free.
www.darkhorsetech.com
💳 Sponsored by nadapayments If you’re paying ridiculous merchant processing fees and have no idea what your processor is actually charging you… you’re probably not alone. Nadapayments helps practices reduce processing costs and navigate surcharging/compliance the right way. JACD listeners get: $25/month platform fee 1.5% + $0.25 debit transactions No other junk fees
https://www.nadapayments.com

👉 Get the 7 checklists Alex used to keep her front office organized and in control. Download them HERE!
The Episode
What does it actually take to build something big?
This week, we sat down with Reuben Kamp, founder of Darkhorse Tech, to talk about how he went from one client to building the largest dental IT company in the country.
We also get into:
the ransomware attack that shut Eric’s startup down
why most successful people are probably workaholics
the Open Dental controversy
cloud vs server-based systems
why dental software still frustrates so many offices
and where AI and practice management systems are heading next
It's a great story about how hard work and just sticking to something for years can lead to amazing success!
The Sponsors that make this podcast possible
Darkhorse Tech 🖥️Dental IT, cybersecurity, backups, phone systems, servers, cloud migrations… basically the people you want to call before something goes horribly wrong.
Mention “Just a Couple of Dentists” for your first month free:https://www.darkhorsetech.com
 
Nadapayments
Nadapayments helps dental offices reduce processing fees while staying compliant with surcharging rules.
$25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No hidden fees.
Learn more:https://www.nadapayments.com

After running multiple practices, Alex realized checklists only work if there’s real accountability behind them.So she built Milo — an app that keeps everything organized and makes sure nothing falls through the cracks.Check it out → startmilo.com
In this episode of Just a Couple of Dentists, Eric and Alex sit down with Dr. Arvind Petrie and Jaime Petrie to break down the exact playbook they used to generate 35 clear aligner starts and over $134,000 in a single day.
They cover:
How they structured their “Love Your Smile Day”
Internal marketing strategies that actually worked
Why they avoided expensive outside advertising
The role team buy-in played in case acceptance
How they created urgency without sounding salesy
What most dentists get wrong about clear aligners
Why patient experience mattered more than discounts
The biggest lessons they learned after multiple events
They also dive into profitability, aligner company selection, workflow systems, treatment coordination, and how they added over $500K in annual ortho revenue to their practice.
If you’ve ever thought about adding more clear aligners into your office but felt overwhelmed by the process, this episode breaks down exactly how they did it.
Sponsors
Darkhorse Tech
Your dental office IT shouldn’t stop at 5pm.Darkhorse Tech provides proactive IT support, cybersecurity, backups, and monitoring specifically for dental offices.
First month free for JACD listeners.
🌐 https://www.darkhorsetech.com
nadapayments
Tired of losing thousands every year to credit card fees?
nadapayments helps dental offices legally and compliantly offset processing costs with surcharging.
Offer for JACD listeners:$25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees.
🌐 https://www.nadapayments.com

👉 Get the 7 checklists Alex used to keep her front office organized and in control Download them HERE!
We’re hiring an associate right now, so this episode is us working through it in real time.
Our current doctor is heading to endo residency, which leaves us needing to replace him. Instead of guessing, we brought on Sari Schiff from Office and Practice Solutions. She works with both owners and associates, so she sees where things actually break down.
We talked through what associates are like coming out of school today, what they’re looking for, and how that lines up with what owners expect. That gap is where most issues start.
We also got into what matters once they’re in the chair—how they make decisions, how they present treatment, and how much support they need early on.
In this episode, we cover:
What to look for when hiring an associate
Red flags during interviews
What associates actually care about right now
How to think about hygiene %, procedure mix, and unscheduled treatment
Why treatment planning confidence matters early
If you’ve hired before, you’ve probably seen some of this play out. If you haven’t, this will give you a better idea of what to expect.
Sponsors
Darkhorse TechIf you’re still relying on a “call us if something breaks” IT company… that’s the problem. Most dental offices don’t realize how exposed they are until something actually goes wrong.
Darkhorse is built for dental. They’re monitoring your systems 24/7, not just during business hours, and they actually understand the software we use every day.
You don’t want to be figuring this out after you get hit.
Check them out: https://www.darkhorsetech.comOffer: Mention Just a Couple of Dentists and get your first month free.
nadapaymentsCredit card fees add up fast, especially as your practice grows. Nadapayments helps you pass those fees along in a compliant way without making it a headache for your team or your patients.
It’s simple:
$25/month
1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction
No other fees
If you’re not doing this, you’re just eating the cost.
Check them out: https://www.nadapayments.com

👉 If you downloaded the front office checklists…this is the other half! 6 back office checklists Alex used to keep everything running smoothly Download them now HERE!
SHOW NOTES
Ever thought about building your own dental lab?
Jason Tubo, owner of FIXT Dental Lab, did exactly that…after buying a practice from his boss, going fee-for-service when everyone said not to, and launching a scratch startup implant center in Boston.
In this episode, we get into:
Why he walked away from a potential partnership (and bought the practice instead)
What actually happens when you go fee-for-service
Startup vs acquisition (and why he’d choose differently now)
How FIX was built from scratch
Why he decided to build his own in-house lab
The biggest mistake dentists make trying to be “everything to everyone”
And the Delorean marketing story
🤝 Sponsors
nadapayments
If you’re still eating credit card fees, this is worth looking at.
Nadapayments helps practices pass those fees on (the right way), instead of losing thousands every year.
💡 $25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction. No other fees.
👉 https://www.nadapayments.com
Darkhorse Tech
Most offices don’t realize how exposed they are until something breaks (or gets hacked).
Darkhorse Tech handles IT, security, backups…all the stuff you don’t want to think about.
They’re also offering a free month of service for listeners of the podcast.
👉 https://www.darkhorsetech.com

👉 Get the 7 checklists Alex used to keep her front office organized and in control Download them HERE!
🎙️ Episode Description
One of the biggest challenges we had with our two practices was keeping hygienists.
We probably went through 10 of them in about 5 years… which at the time felt insane. Then we started talking to other offices and realized we weren’t even close to alone.
So we brought on Allison Norris (founder of The Dentele Group) to talk through what’s actually going on with hygiene right now—and why it feels so different than it used to, especially after COVID.
We get into:
What changed after COVID (and why it still hasn’t normalized)
Why just paying more doesn’t fix the problem
The shift in leverage (and how it affects everything)
Temp hygienists… and why the temp platforms are making things worse
Mistakes we made as owners
And what actually seems to get hygienists to buy in
By the end of the episode, we officially solved the hygiene problem 😅
🤝 Sponsors
Darkhorse TechWe use them for IT. They actually understand dental offices and don’t overcomplicate everything.
They’re offering a free month if you mention the podcast:https://www.darkhorsetech.com
NadapaymentsWe switched over a year ago and it’s been a big win.
They handle credit card fees the right way and make it simple.
Listener deal:$25/month + 1.5% + $0.25 on debit(no extra fees)
https://www.nadapayments.com

👉 Alex was sick of laminated checklists… and having to redo them every time something changed or someone left.So she built Milo—a digital home that stores all your checklists in one place and keeps your team accountable.Check it out here and join the waitlist HERE 
 
Episode Description
We brought Tommy Morales back on because I needed help with something happening in our own office.
Our floors in a few ops are literally starting to separate, which led to a bigger conversation about dental construction, bad material choices, where builds go sideways, and how dentists end up paying for mistakes they never saw coming.
Tommy’s been around this world forever, and he broke down what actually happened in our office, why certain materials fail in dental settings, how contractors and designers can quietly push costs up, and why it helps to have somebody in your corner who actually knows what to look for. We also got into a story where he helped one dentist save more than $1 million on a build in about 12 hours just by digging in and asking the right questions.
We talked about floating floors, moisture issues, finishes that look great but don’t hold up, the little decisions that turn into expensive problems later, and why asking more questions during a build is almost always worth it.
If you’re building a practice, expanding, or reworking your space, this is one of those episodes that could save you a lot of money and a lot of headaches.
Sponsor Support
Darkhorse Tech**Dental IT is one of those things you don’t think about until something breaks, goes down, or gets hacked. Darkhorse Tech works specifically with dental practices and helps with all of it: IT, cybersecurity, backups, compliance, phone systems, and the stuff most offices don’t want to deal with.
Offer: Get your first month of service free.👉 https://www.darkhorsetech.com
nadapaymentsThis is what we use in our offices for merchant services. They help practices cut down on processing costs, stay compliant, and make the whole thing way less confusing than most processors do.
Offer: $25/month and 1.5% + $0.25 per debit transaction, with no other fees.👉 https://www.nadapayments.com