The Dentalpreneur Podcast w/ Dr. Mark Costes
Author, speaker, dental business coach and practicing dentist, Dr. Mark Costes chats with the leader
The goal of this podcast is to assemble the greatest minds of the dental profession and to pass on their most valuable and succinct lessons, in order to help you to achieve your full potential in practice and in life. Let's face it. Dentistry can be a frustrating and isolating profession... but you don't have to be an island anymore. It's possible to become more profitable, less stressed and more fulfilled in your career and it's our mission is to help you get there. For a whole host of free…
Recent Episodes
2567: Collective Intelligence-Unlocking Growth Through AI, Marketing & Operations
Aug 4, 2026Ryan Gross presents on how AI, marketing, and operations must work together to help dental practices grow effectively. He explains that AI is a tool to improve efficiency and pattern recognition, not a magic fix, and emphasizes that strong team culture and patient relationships are foundational. Gross breaks down critical metrics including phone answer rates, cost per new patient, hygiene production, and case acceptance rates, showing how practices can use data to ask better "what if" questions and make smarter operational decisions.
2566: How Dentists Can Build Wealth With Intention
Aug 3, 2026Matt Mulcock, CFP and Managing Partner at Dentist Advisors, discusses comprehensive financial planning strategies for dentists across all career stages. The episode covers early-career priorities including managing student debt while building liquidity for practice ownership, mid-career focus on emergency funds and retirement optimization, and late-career preparation for practice exit and succession. Matt emphasizes the importance of intentional planning, organization, and diversifying assets outside the practice rather than relying solely on practice sale proceeds for retirement security.
2565: The Real Talk Behind Surgical and Prosthetic Complications
Jul 31, 2026Dr. Mark Costes hosts surgical specialists Dr. Dan Briskie and Dr. Thomas Fowle from the Colorado Surgical Institute for a practical discussion on managing surgical and prosthetic complications in implant dentistry. Topics include handling atraumatic extraction complications (fractured buccal plates during immediate implant placement), common prosthetic issues (stripped or broken implant screws), patient expectation management, case selection red flags, and clinical decision-making when to stop troubleshooting and when to escalate care.
2564: Building Better Dentists Through Better Education
Jul 30, 2026Dr. Lou Graham, founder of Catapult Education (established 23 years ago), discusses his evolution from practicing dentist to dental education entrepreneur. With 30 speakers, 25 evaluators, and 43,000 subscribers, Catapult partners with Henry Schein to deliver continuing education through live events, online programs, and hands-on learning. Graham shares insights on modern dental education trends, the shift toward hybrid learning models, his transition from clinical practice to full-time education leadership, and his extensive mission work.
2563: The Blackbelt Standard
Jul 29, 2026Dr. Mark Costas presents the 2024 Golden Rhino Award case studies featuring two exceptional dental practice owners who transformed their practices through strategic vision, leadership development, and calculated risk-taking. Dr. Blake Hamlin grew his single Houston practice from $1.2M to $5.4M production (234% increase) by solving the new patient acquisition problem through strategic marketing partnerships and mergers, while Dr. Colin Merrick scaled from a single 4-operatory practice to a 70-operatory multi-location group in just three years by building leadership infrastructure and embracing rapid expansion. Both doctors, in their early 30s and UT Houston dental school graduates, exemplify how clarity of vision, focus on key performance indicators, and the right community support enable transformational growth.
2562: The Back Office Automation Every Practice Owner Should Understand
Jul 28, 2026Seth Hampson, Head of Customer Experience at Lassie, discusses how AI is automating revenue cycle management (RCM) workflows in dental practices. Lassie focuses on automating insurance billing tasks—specifically EOB posting, payment reconciliation, and claims management—to free up practice staff from manual, time-consuming back-office work. Hampson explains the company's intentional roadmap to tackle payment posting first, then claims filing and eligibility verification, and discusses the headwinds of scaling technology across fragmented insurance systems and maintaining high-touch customer service.
2561: The Real Tradeoffs Behind De Novo Growth
Jul 27, 2026Dr. Mark Costes hosts an "Ask Me Anything" episode addressing questions from Dental Success Network members on managing back pain as a dentist, de novo versus acquisition strategy for practice relocation, planning growth after a move, and lessons from dental mission trips. Costes draws on personal experience with two spine surgeries and extensive involvement in international dental mission work across Honduras, Fiji, Dominican Republic, and Tanzania.
2560: Courageous Conversations That Build Better Practices
Jul 24, 2026Catherine Tinsley Belt, dentistry's leadership communications coach with 35 years of experience, discusses her framework for courageous conversations that help dental practice leaders raise standards, resolve conflicts, and build high-performing teams. Drawing from her own transformative experience as a chairside dental assistant, she shares the three-conversation hierarchy—invitation, coaching, and courageous conversations—and the ARCH framework for conducting difficult conversations with accountability and compassion. Her upcoming book, Lead Yourself, Lead Your Team, provides practical guidance on internal leadership development before engaging others.
2559: The Lease Mistakes That Can Sink Your Dental Practice
Jul 23, 2026Eric Pook, owner of Sirius Consulting Group, discusses common and costly mistakes dentists make when negotiating office leases. He covers critical issues including lease term length, renewal options, assignment clauses, tenant improvement allowances, and personal guarantees—explaining how these elements can impact practice valuation, sale ability, and long-term financial health. The episode emphasizes the importance of professional lease review and advance planning, particularly for mid-career practitioners and those approaching practice transitions.
2558: How to Find Opportunity in an Uncertain Real Estate Market
Jul 22, 2026Jacob Vanderslice, co-founder of Van West Partners, discusses self-storage real estate investment as an alternative asset class for wealth diversification. He covers his 20-year journey from firefighter to real estate investor, explains why self-storage offers downside protection and inflation hedging compared to stocks, and details Van West's acquisition and value-creation strategy across 42 properties with 21,000 units. The conversation explores due diligence processes, tax advantages including depreciation and cost segregation, typical return targets (mid-teens IRR, 2X multiples over 5-6 years), and why real estate should be a component of diversified portfolios in uncertain economic times.
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