Very Dental: The "A-hole Factor" with Dr. Mark Costes
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Release Date: 03/25/2022
Very Clinical: Getting Ahead of It, part 5: Extractions and Grafting
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this installment of the "Getting Ahead of It" series, Zach, Kevin, and Alan dive into the art of proactive patient communication for extractions and bone grafting. The trio tackles the clinical reality of keeping patients calm and callbacks low. They break down essential chairside scripts—from warning patients about the visceral sounds of intentional crown breaking and tooth sectioning, to setting expectations for the universal 48-hour peak pain window. The conversation also explores surgical nuance: navigating anesthesia differences between endo and extractions, managing pain protocols...
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AME: The 23% Supply Savings Wake Up Call
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan pulls back the curtain on dental supply ordering, sales reps, and overhead costs . Despite traditionally relying on habitual distributor relationships and trusting that his practice was getting the "best price," Alan details a head-to-head comparison shopping test using Net32 for a routine restock order . Matching identical brand-name and disposable commodity items—from local anesthetics to surface barriers—yielded an immediate 23% savings ($117 off a $500 order) with virtually zero effort . Alan discusses the awkward social dynamic of distributor relationships, why dental supplies...
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Group Function: Skipping Class for Scopes and Ergos with Jeff Metcalf and Spencer Smith
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Live from the exhibit floor at the 2026 Bioclear Summit in Scottsdale, Alan sits down with Jeff Metcalf (Zumax) and Spencer Smith (Enova) to demystify high-magnification clinical optics . The conversation explores the advantages of intimate boutique conferences over massive trade shows, why capital equipment like dental operating microscopes requires multiple touchpoints before purchase, and how advancements like Vario-focus lenses and modern LED illumination have flattened the learning curve . They also dive into the explosive rise of ergonomic loupes, discussing how deflection optics are...
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Very Clinical: Getting Ahead of It, part 4: Endodontics
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Zach, Kevin and Alan tackle the art of "getting ahead of it" in clinical endodontics—managing patient expectations before a single bur touches tooth structure so clinical realities sound like explanations rather than post-op excuses. The crew breaks down scripts and practical protocols for handling hot teeth, setting realistic expectations around post-op PDL soreness, and managing the paradox of treating asymptomatic necrotic teeth that leave feeling worse than when they walked in. Along the way, the conversation dives into practical clinical pearls—including pre-op Medrol Dosepacks,...
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AME: True Stories
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan examines how authentic storytelling has been hijacked by modern social media algorithms, manipulative "negative hook" advertising, and political spin . Reflecting on Seth Godin’s early blogging philosophy and the honest conversations shared among colleagues at dental meetings, Dr. Mead critiques how platforms prioritize engagement and hook rates over truth and human connection . Addressing the psychological toll of digital doomscrolling, he shares his personal experiment with stepping back from social feeds using the upcoming keyboard-equipped Clicks Communicator and makes a passionate...
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Very Dental: Dr. Tuan Pham on Regret Minimization and Dental Maverick AI
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan catches up with longtime colleague and Dental Maverick founder Dr. Tuan Pham to explore his transition from clinical practice to the forefront of dental software innovation. Tuan shares the life-first philosophy that led him to retire early to spend formative years with his young children, detailing how Jeff Bezos’s “Regret Minimization Framework” inspired his pivot away from the operatory. The conversation dives deep into Tuan’s latest venture, Dental Maverick AI. It's an intelligent automation platform designed to tackle the dental industry’s most persistent operational...
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Very Clinical: Getting Ahead of It, part 3: Fixed Prosthodontics
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this pre-Halloween clinical roundtable, hosts Zach and Kevin are joined by Alan to tackle the subtle art of "getting ahead of it" in "fixed prosthodontics." After kicking things off with childhood Halloween prank confessions—ranging from flaming bags on doorsteps to near-arson in the storm drains—the trio dives into proactive patient communication for single- and multi-unit crown workflows. They break down essential chairside scripts designed to eliminate post-op callbacks, covering provisional sensitivity expectations, cord-packing and soft-tissue soreness, CEREC milling downtime,...
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AME: Dueling AIs
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this episode of The Alan Mead Experience, Alan dives into the fast-moving, subscription-heavy world of artificial intelligence and its rapid convergence in everyday dental practice . From wrestling with multiple monthly fees to testing dedicated AI recording hardware like the Plaud NotePin, HiDock P1, and the upcoming Flowtica, he explores how quickly general LLMs like Gemini and tools like Riverside are making older transcription apps obsolete . The conversation turns clinical as Alan examines how frictionless tech—whether it's high-magnification operatory microscopes or ambient scribes...
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Very Dental: Treating the Disease, Not Just the Tooth with Dr. Josh Solomon
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Recorded live at the Bioclear Summit in Scottsdale, Alan sits down with pediatric dentist Dr. Josh Solomon for a wide-ranging, candid conversation on treating disease rather than just teeth . The two dive into the eye-opening power of high magnification and microscopes in daily practice, transitioning from surgical interventions to chemotherapeutic protocols, and practical strategies for getting both parents and kids genuinely engaged in home care . From air polishing and caries control with glass ionomer to chairside communication hacks like asynchronous video treatment plans, this episode...
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AME: The Absurdist Dentist
The Very Dental Podcast Network
"Biology remains undefeated." Alan reflects on the stark contrast between social media’s flawless clinical highlight reels and the sobering reality of burnout and mental health struggles in the profession . Borrowing from the philosophy of absurdism and the myth of Sisyphus, he argues that because restorative work enters an aggressive biological environment destined for entropy, biology remains undefeated . Rather than viewing inevitable breakdowns as personal failures, dentists can free themselves by recognizing their true role: not performing permanent miracles, but buying dignified time...
info_outlineAlan is joined once again by Dr. Mark Costes. The guys are a couple of months post Voices of Dentistry and do a little wrap up.
Mark is the founder of the Dental Success Institute, a podcaster and a good friend. The guys have a wide ranging conversation that covers all kinds of topics!
- VoD wrap up
- What it's like to be 50
- Does shaming work in dentistry/medicine?
- Mark's next project...the Dental Success Summit at the JW Marriott resort on June 10-11th!
- Go learn about stuff that they didn't teach in dental school!
- Do meetings with like minded people!
- A little "inside baseball" from two titans in dental podcasting
- Have we reached "peak podcast?"
- Does the guest matter with regard to downloads?
- Who is Mark's favorite/most interesting interview?
Some links from the show:
Dental Success Summit is June 10-11th 2022 (use code "Alan2022" for an extra 10% off!)
Voices of Dentistry is January 20-21
Go check out the Very Dental Facebook group (use password Timmerman or Hornbrook for entry!)
If you'd like to support the Very Dental Podcast Network then you should support our sponsors!
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