Very Dental: Inviting Your Demons in for Tea with Dr. Dawn Grimes
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan is joined by longtime friend and meditation teacher Dr. Dawn Grimes for a candid, reflective conversation on navigating change, managing career stress, and breaking the cycles of mental exhaustion. Moving from updates on moving houses, farm animals, and September financial anxiety into deep discussions on mindfulness, Alan and Dawn explore the teachings of renowned meditation instructor Sharon Salzberg and the core Buddhist concepts of impermanence, clinging, and suffering. Dawn breaks down why “regretful rumination” is the human brain’s default setting, the reality of balance as a...
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Very Clinical: Extractions, Sticky Bone, and Guided Implants
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Zach and Kevin catch up on summer milestones before diving deep into hands-on surgical dentistry with guests and fellow course instructors Dr. Shane Wingler and Dr. Emily Wojtowicz. Ahead of their upcoming TRT course, the panel shares actionable, real-world clinical pearls across the three critical phases of implant therapy: atraumatic extractions, socket grafting, and guided implant placement. Listeners will learn why wide flap reflection and aggressive sectioning with a surgical handpiece eliminate extraction headaches, how sticky bone and PRF revolutionize graft handling and tissue healing,...
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AME: Everything Is Amazing and Nobody in Dentistry Is Happy
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Marking nearly three decades in clinical practice, Alan takes a candid, nostalgic look at how dental technology has evolved from analog drudgery into science fiction made reality. Drawing inspiration from a classic Louis C.K. routine, Alan reflects on our tendency to take miraculous advances for granted—whether it's getting frustrated by Bluetooth handoffs while carrying a supercomputer in our pockets, or griping about a minor software glitch when digital sensors have entirely replaced darkroom dip tanks and 12-minute polysulfide impression sets. It’s a grounded reminder to step back from...
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Very Dental: Dr. Lance Timmerman on Guided Biofilm Therapy & Frictionless Case Acceptance
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this throwback episode, Alan is joined by frequent guest and co-host Dr. Lance Timmerman to explore game-changing shifts in clinical efficiency and practice workflows. Lance shares his firsthand experience integrating Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) and EMS Airflow technology into his practice—explaining how disclosing plaque and switching to air polishing speeds up hygiene appointments, enhances patient comfort, and streamlines complex restorative preps. From there, the two discuss the hygienist staffing landscape, the power of asynchronous video case presentations via unlisted YouTube...
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Very Clinical: How to Stop Doing Fillings and Love Practice Ownership
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Zach and Kevin welcome Dr. Emily Wojtowicz and Dr. Shane Wingler to the podcast for an honest conversation about career evolution, ownership, and practice growth. After recapping summer highlights—from National Parks and World Cup matches to East Coast camping—Emily and Shane share how getting involved with 3D Dentists and the Mastermind community helped transform their offices from early ownership chaos into focused, high-production practices. They break down the transition from bread-and-butter dentistry to primarily performing surgery, full-arch rehabs, and sedation, while empowering...
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AME: Unprompted
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Broadcasting from a shady Michigan porch alongside an overly affectionate cat, Alan details his first clinical experiences integrating biofilm guided hygiene protocols into practice. From navigating setup quirks to pairing Ivoclar's OptraGate with Zirc's disposable Mr. Thirsty bite block, he shares how combining disclosing agents with air polishing completely shifts the prophylaxis experience. The real turning point? Receiving completely unprompted, glowing reactions from patients—including his son Sean—raving that their teeth had never felt so smooth. Alan also explores his microscope...
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Very Dental: Dr. Katie To on Biological Dentistry and Finding the Root Cause
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan welcomes Dr. Katie To to discuss her transformative journey in restorative and biological dentistry. From purchasing an established prosthodontic practice in Katy, Texas, and scaling it using Digital Smile Design (DSD) to facing a career-threatening health crisis caused by heavy metal toxicity, Dr. To shares how personal adversity completely reshaped her clinical philosophy. She breaks down the power of visual communication, the integration of comprehensive biological diagnostics, cross-disciplinary collaboration with medical physicians, and how creating an 80/20 patient-provider...
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Very Dental Classics: Is Solo Practice Dead?
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this Very Dental (Dental Hacks) Classic throwback from the 2018 Voices of Dentistry meeting, Alan captures an impromptu, high-energy conversation right from the after-party. Dr. Peter Boulden and Dr. Craig Spodak (hosts of the Bulletproof Dental Practice Podcast) sit down with DSO attorney Brian Colao of Dykema for a candid debate on the shifting landscape of dentistry. Brian lays out a blunt reality check on consolidation, private equity, and the mechanics of DSOs, explaining why traditional practice transitions are facing unprecedented disruption. Together, they break down...
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AME: Clinical Rage Bait
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Recording from the office on a Sunday while assembling new equipment, Alan unpacks the unspoken and infuriating little annoyances that every clinical dentist experiences but rarely posts on social media. From syringes that may or may not have enough composite left to the mysterious physics of rubber dams rejecting wedges, Alan breaks down his top "clinical rage bait" moments and invites listeners to commiserate and share their own operatory pet peeves. The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you’d like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a...
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Very Dental: AI with Arms and Legs with Dr. Richard Low
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan is joined by longtime friend and dental podcasting veteran Dr. Richard Low. Moving past the initial hype and overwhelm of modern artificial intelligence, Richard breaks down how dentists and small business owners can actually put AI to work as a tangible personal assistant—giving it "arms and legs." The conversation covers the highs and lows of dental practice ownership, recovery, avoiding the trap of social media doomscrolling, and why downloading local AI desktop apps (ChatGPT and Claude) beats using browser tabs every time. Key Topics Discussed Podcast Origins & Practice...
info_outlineAl discusses one of the most underrated instruments on the restorative dentist's tray...the contact saw!
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