Very Clinical New Dentist Spectacular episode 2: Class III Composites!
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Release Date: 07/19/2022
AME: Confessions of a Dentist Doing Hygiene
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan reflects on a recent shift in his clinical routine: stepping back into the role of a dental hygienist due to staffing transitions and vacations. While many dentists avoid the "prophy" side of the chair, he argues that performing hygiene—when supported by an assistant who understands the workflow—offers invaluable diagnostic insights that are often lost during a standard five-minute exam. By seeing patients before they are "cleaned up," utilizing dental microscopes for high-magnification discovery, and employing disclosing solutions to visualize biofilm, he makes a case for a more...
info_outline
Very Dental: Selling Your Dental Practice in 2026 with Jack Minahan
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan is joined by Jack Minahan from Henry Schein Practice Transitions for a deep dive into the modern landscape of dental practice sales, recorded live at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting. The conversation moves past the outdated stereotypes of the transition industry, with Jack providing a data-driven look at why private practice ownership remains the dominant model despite the high-profile growth of DSOs. They explore the critical "replaceability" factor for clinicians, the strategic timing of technology investments, and how "goodwill" functions as the lifeblood of a practice's value. From...
info_outline
Very Dental Classics: The Art of the Believable Tooth with Dr. Jason Smithson
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In honor of this weekend's Spear Summit, this episode of Very Dental Classics features a conversation with the legendary Dr. Jason Smithson on a Friday morning at the 2022 Spear Summit in Arizona. Amidst coffee and Waffle House nostalgia, they dive deep into the philosophy of "anti-smile design"—the art of making teeth look believable and individual rather than generic. Jason discusses his approach to high-end composite resin, the importance of shade mapping, and why he believes the "decathlon dentist" model is evolving toward more collaborative, interest-based group practices. From the...
info_outline
AME: Trusting Your Gut
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan reflects on the fine line between clinical intuition and cognitive bias. Sparked by a failed trivia question about SpongeBob SquarePants, Alan dives into the psychology of decision-making, exploring Daniel Kahneman’s "fast vs. slow" thinking and the pitfalls of confirmation bias. Drawing on 30 years of dental practice, he discusses how "gut feelings" are often just highly trained pattern recognition for common ailments like decay and pulpitis. However, he issues a cautionary tale for practitioners: while your gut is an excellent compass to get you into the ballpark of a diagnosis,...
info_outline
Very Dental: The 33% Solution with Dr. Deren Flesher
The Very Dental Podcast Network
You're missing 33% of incoming calls at your office. That's a huge deal. But what if there was a simple way to make sure you miss NONE of them? In this episode of the Very Dental Podcast, recorded live at Voices of Dentistry 2026, Alan sits down with dentist-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Deren Flesher. Deren shares his journey from clinical practice to the administrative side of the industry, detailing how his "entrepreneurial itch" led to the creation and sale of Modento and his latest venture, Aero Dental. The two dive deep into the "missed call" epidemic in dental practices and how AI-driven...
info_outline
Very Dental Classics: Check Your Ego at the Operatory Door with Dr. Gregg Kinzer
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this "Classics" episode, Alan sits down with Dr. Gregg Kinzer at the 2022 Spear Summit to discuss the long-awaited return of in-person dental education. Gregg shares his excitement about the palpable energy of live meetings and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how he curates the world-class speaker lineup for the Summit. The conversation dives deep into the philosophy of "Spear Interactive," a residency-style educational model designed to help clinicians master treatment planning through scientific skepticism and literature evaluation. From playful "text-thread-style" debates on stage...
info_outline
AME: New Toys
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan dives into the rejuvenating power of a tech refresh in the dental operatory. After a brief detour discussing the bittersweet postseason fate of the Miami University Redhawks basketball (they made it!), the focus shifts to a trio of "new toys" that have transformed his clinical workflow. The centerpiece is the installation of the Zumax OMS 2050 microscope, which Alan credits with finally removing the ergonomic and software barriers to becoming a full-time microscope dentist. He breaks down the benefits of a compact head, improved wall-mounting strategies, and the game-changing...
info_outline
Very Dental: Dr. Matt Burton on the Renewable (Profit) Resource of Dentistry
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan sat down with Dr. Matt Burton to talk shop in a "swanky" new Chicago Dental Society podcast lounge that's a far cry from the usual exhibit hall floor. Matt shares the latest evolution of the Quad Matrix System, detailing how a few "minor" tweaks to wedge angles and material firmness are making a massive difference in clinical predictability. Between the deep dives into dental engineering, the conversation takes several hilarious detours—ranging from the high-speed, contempt-filled experience of Chicago taxi rides to the traumatic sight of a mascot (Hadley the dog) with its...
info_outline
Very Dental Classics: A Conversation with Dr. Frank Spear
The Very Dental Podcast Network
"If people don't value dental health, I don't care if it's free. They're not doing it." — Dr. Frank Spear In this "Very Dental Classics" throwback episode Alan sits down with the legendary Dr. Frank Spear at the 2022 Spear Summit. Recorded in the quiet moments of the exhibit hall, the duo explores the evolution of the Summit from a small faculty gathering into a global "family reunion" for the dental community. Dr. Spear shares personal reflections on the state of dental education post-pandemic and his own journey as a "dental dad," but the heart of the discussion lies in...
info_outline
AME: Bad Influencer
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan reflects on the grogginess of "springing forward" and why he’s perfectly content being a "bad influencer" in an era of highly curated dental content. He dives into a major equipment refresh at his practice. New scope, new scanner cart and some new handpiece tubing should make for a cool week. The heart of the episode explores the contrast between his "authentic" feed of horses, cats, and mountain bikes and the professional "shoot days" of high-level influencers that take the job of "influencer" more seriously. Ultimately, Alan reminds listeners to stay mindful of the "sell" behind...
info_outlineThis summer we're featuring "clinical basics" from the Zach and Kevin (and others) that will benefit new dentists and grizzled veterans alike!
Today's episode features their take on class III composites!
Highlights today include:
- We all walk through doing a #7 MBL restoration, how different can 3 people do it?
- Everyday we're beveling. Alan likes big bevels, and he cannot lie.
- Is Mylar dead? We all learned Mylar in school, but do any of the hacks still use it?
- Alan describes the most expensive way possible to do a Class 3, Zach 1/10th X's that, Kevin is our middle.
Products talked about in the episode today include:
Alan:
Snow Plow Technique (squirt flowable, plow it in with paste... hot!)
Kevin:
Zach:
12 Fluted Polishing Bur from DentalRee
If you want to interact with us, head over to the Very Clinical Facebook Group!
Join the Very Dental Facebook group using the password "Timmerman," Hornbrook" or "McWethy."
If you'd like to support the Very Dental Podcast Network then you should support our sponsors!
One of the unsung heroes of my practice is Cosmecore! Cosmedent’s dual cured core buildup material is amazingly versatile! It comes in three colors (A2, opaque white and blue!) and it comes in an 8 gram syringe or a 50 gram mixing gun. And speaking of the big cartridge…you can save $50 off of one using coupon code “CORE50” on the website! Go check out the best core material in all of dentistry at verydentalpodcast.com/cosmecore!
--
Our friends at Spear Education want Very Dental people to know about a special event they’re having this summer! This new opportunity brings the leaders in dental education together to Educate, Elevate, and Empower you! Whether a current member or new to Spear, this event will reignite the spark in your practice. It’s a “Whitman’s Sampler” of all the amazing educators at Spear Education including Frank Spear, Gregg Kinzer, Jeff Rouse, Darin Dichter, Gary DeWood and Ricardo Mitrani! It’s clinical! It’s business! But most importantly, it’s all Spear! Spear live is happening on the east coast in Boston, MA on August 12th and 13th! Go check it out at verydentalpodcast.com/Spear!
--
You know that our friends at Zirc are the organization people. With the Color Method and all the different storage and instrument sterilizations options, they’ll keep your processes streamlined and efficient! But they’re not JUST the organization people. Every dental office should check out the amazing products that Zirc has to offer for organization, isolation and visualization at verydentalpodcast.com/Zirc!
--
Our friends at CAD-Ray want you to know that there has never been a better time to get into intraoral scanning! They sell and support all kinds of digital dentistry products from scanners, to printers and even cloud based software! For instance, the Medit i600 itraoral scanner is priced at just about $13,000! And if you didn’t know, CAD-Ray now distributes 3Shape scanners and the amazing Trios 4 wireless just had a $10,000 price cut! It comes in under $25,000. And all these options come with CAD-Ray’s unbeatable support! Go check it out at verydentalpodcast.com/cadray!
--
If there is one thing that’s changed the way I look at teeth the most, it’s probably the headlight I use with my loupes. Our friends at Enova make amazing loupes and distribute Zumax dental microscopes, both the best you can buy. But the amazing, weightless and cordless Qubit, Quasar or Quantum headlights (all others are just toys) are the biggest game changer. But be careful…if you try one, you’re going to buy one! Why haven’t you checked out Enova Illumination yet? You can get a killer deal on all things Enova by using the Very Dental link you’ll find at verydentalpodcast.com/Enova!
--
Have you been looking at your supply bill lately? Prices are REALLY going up on all the things you use every day in your office. Our friends at Crazy Dental understand and are here to help! Very Dental listeners can get 10% off their orders from Crazy Dental by using coupon code “VERYDENTAL10”! Go check out their amazing catalog and save yourself 10% off of their already amazing prices at verydentalpodcast.com/crazy!
--
If you’re looking for a one stop dental marketing solution, then look no further than the Wonderist Agency. Wonderist can help you with branding and a killer website. They’ll design ad campaigns no matter how you want to get your name out there. But maybe most importantly, they’ll show you how your marketing plan is working! They have industry leading analytics that help you understand what works and what doesn’t in your area and they’ll help you spend your marketing dollar in the wisest way possible! Go check out the Wonderist Agency at verydentalpodcast.com/Wonderist.