AME: Endpoints
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan kicks off the July 4th holiday week by diving into the psychological relief of "hard endpoints" in dentistry. From the binary satisfaction of an extraction to the gamified progress bar of using disclosing solution during hygiene, he contrasts these clean wins with the existential anxiety of restorative work—like chasing deep caries or dropping crown margins on a difficult second molar. But in a twist of ultimate podcasting irony, the dental gods decide to test his philosophy mid-recording. After literally just cementing a crown on a patient with limited opening, Alan returns to the...
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Very Dental: The 80/20 Rule of Dental Hygiene with Beth Parkes
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan welcomes Beth Parkes, a clinical dental hygienist and educator from Canada, to break down the evolving world of hygiene instrumentation. Beth challenges the common "ultrasonics-to-completion" mindset, advocating instead for a balanced marriage of 80% power scaling and 20% intricate hand instrumentation for optimal tactile feedback. The duo dives into the resurgence of guided biofilm visualization, the absolute game-changer that is the "Vision Butler" (hilariously rebranded as Spandex Advanced in the US) lip and cheek retractor, and the critical metallurgical differences between...
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Very Clinical: 12 Crowns and $350K in Debt? Inside Modern Dental Education
The Very Dental Podcast Network
This throwback episode from 2023 features Dr. Meylinda Meredith. Zach and Kevin welcome back special guest Meylinda, as they kick things off with some hilariously relatable (and occasionally creepy) bad neighbor stories. The conversation then shifts to the front lines of dental education, diving into the post-COVID realities of dental school, the controversial shift to pass/fail and typodont-based board exams, skyrocketing tuition costs, and the critical decline of clinical "reps" for incoming graduates. Some links from the show: Join the using one of these passwords:...
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Very Dental: Airway, Orthodontics and Omissions with Dr. Matt Standridge, part 2
The Very Dental Podcast Network
The cliffhanger is paid off in this highly anticipated follow-up episode! Alan welcomes back Dr. Matt Standridge to finish their deep dive into the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) controversial white paper on Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). Matt pulls back the curtain on the paper's actual citation list, exposing questionable sample sizes, misplaced reference numbers, and instances where the AAO’s conclusions directly contradict the very research they cited. From the true diagnostic value of CBCT scans to the data surrounding tongue ties, premolar extractions, and palatal...
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Very Dental: Airway, Orthodontics and Omissions with Dr. Matt Standridge, part 1
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan is once again joined by podcast veteran Dr. Matt Standridge to dissect the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) controversial 2026 white paper on sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and orthodontics. Together, they pull back the curtain on the document's surprising omissions—including a shrinking author panel that entirely removed sleep physicians—and critique its heavy, restrictive reliance on full polysomnography (PSG) as a gatekeeper for early pediatric intervention. Dr. Standridge highlights how the paper's narrow scope and questionable citations conflict with both...
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Very Clinical: Is Academic Dentistry Better Than Private Practice?
The Very Dental Podcast Network
This throwback episode from 2023 features Dr. Meylinda Meredith. Zach and Kevin sit down with Meylinda, a fellow UMKC dental school alumnus and current clinical faculty member teaching operative dentistry. They dive into a fascinating discussion comparing private practice associateships with a career in dental education, exploring everything from the perks of academic vacation time to the unique traits of Gen Z dental students and how "just-in-time" learning changes the way they absorb material. The trio also discusses the modern integration of digital scanning versus traditional PVS...
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AME: No More Joint Premedication?
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan dives into the long-awaited alignment between dentists and orthopedic surgeons regarding antibiotic premedication for joint replacement patients. Reflecting on a , Alan breaks down the history of joint prophylaxis confusion—from the shotgun antibiotic approach of the 1990s to the frustratingly vague "case-by-case" guidelines of 2012 and 2017. He highlights the game-changing late-2024 AAOS/ADA update, which officially confirms that routine systemic antibiotics do not reduce the risk of periprosthetic joint infections. Alan shares his exact, blunt office protocol letter designed to...
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Very Dental: "Super Flowables," Color Stability and the Bioclear Method with Dr. David Clark
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan once again sits down with Dr. David Clark for a deep dive into a massive paradigm shift shaking up the Bioclear Method! Dave discusses the clinical realities driving the development of the new Tooth and Surface Specific (TSS) matrix system and drops a bombshell announcement: the wholesale transition away from legacy composites toward color-stable materials. They explore why whole-tooth restorations face severe color shifts over time, how new Japanese filler particle technologies from Kuraray and GC prevent these failures, and how the introduction of "super flowables" allows clinicians to...
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Very Clinical: Very Rock and Roll, part 4
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Zach, Kevin and Al have been tiptoeing around it for three episodes, but today we do a deep dive on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! The guys break down the highly secretive, two-step nomination process—debunking the illusion of the "fan vote"—and call out the historical genre biases that left iconic stadium rock, heavy metal, and progressive bands frozen out for decades. From debating the definition of "innovation" versus "commercial success" to throwing down over legendary snubs like The J. Geils Band, Weird Al, and INXS, this episode is a passionate, witty look at the politics, snobbery,...
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AME: The Disney Experience
The Very Dental Podcast Network
In this episode, Alan returns from a high-stakes, five-day marathon chaperoning a high-school band trip to Orlando. Behind the magic of Disney venues, full-on recording sessions, and a 48-hour round-trip bus ride, he finds a fascinating study of human behavior under pressure. From Disney's multi-million-dollar mastery of the queue to a universal lack of spatial awareness on the park paths, Alan breaks down the massive operational scale of a resort employing 80,000 people. True to form, he bridges these observations directly back to the clinical environment—comparing the luxury of "zero-wait"...
info_outlineIf you're looking for it you realize that a vast majority of your adult patients would benefit from some kind of orthodontic intervention. Most of the potential "big cases" that walk into my office would become smaller or at least a lot simpler if they had some kind of ortho. And with payment plans and aligners you might find that the obstacles to getting your patients to say "yes" are lower than you think.
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Cosmedent has an amazing fall line up of continuing education! Coming up on September 22nd through the 23rd is our friend Dr. Artie Volker teaching “Composite Power 101!” Dr. Corky Willhite is offering his legendary “Ultimate Esthetics” course! Both courses have lots of hands on exercises and as always they’re limited to 15 people which guarantees lots of individual time with instructors! Don’t miss your chance to learn in the greatest classroom in dentistry with some legendary instructors using the best of materials! Go check it out at verydentalpodcast.com/CEE!
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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!
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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!
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