AME: The Average Dentist
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan reflects on his self-described "average" skill level as a dentist and explores how adopting prescriptive, systematic approaches can help practitioners in the middle of the bell curve achieve consistently excellent patient outcomes. Inspired by his recent experience at a Bioclear course, he argues that a systemized methodology, like the one taught by Bioclear, is often more reliable than relying on individual "superhero" hand skills or talents. Dr. Mead shares how the course's emphasis on a specific, step-by-step process—from using warmed composite and specific matrices to...
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Very Dental: The Long Run with Andrew Johnston
The Very Dental Podcast Network
This episode is a special interview where Alan is the guest! He's interviewed by his long-time friend and podcasting colleague, Andrew Johnston, the host of A Tale of Two Hygienists, as Andrew wraps up his run on that show. The conversation is a blend of dentistry, business, and the endurance of creative work. Dr. Mead shares his experience attending a Bioclear course and the challenge of changing established habits in dental practice. The core of the discussion centers on the evolution and future of dental podcasting, including the shift from audio-only to video/social content, and the...
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Very Clinical: Stepping Away with Dr. Frank Clayton
The Very Dental Podcast Network
This episode features hosts Zach and Kevin, who welcome returning guest Dr. Frank Clayton to discuss the psychology and process of retiring from dentistry. Dr. Frank Clayton, who sold his practice and fully exited clinical work in July 2023, shares his insightful journey and the various phases of retirement he's experienced, including the "honeymoon phase." Kevin, who recently sold his practice in August and is now navigating the associate phase, offers his perspective on the initial mental shifts of stepping away from ownership. The hosts and Frank delve into the factors that drive the...
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AME: Entropy and Reading Directions
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan reflects on his recent return to the Bioclear Learning Center, an experience that served as a powerful system reset for his restorative dentistry. He connects the challenge of maintaining new techniques in the dental office to the physics concept of entropy—the natural tendency of a system toward disorder. Alan explains that his initial failure to fully implement the prescriptive Bioclear system (including key steps like "bioblasting") was due to the energy required to fight against this entropy, often manifesting as personal laziness or team resistance to change. He stresses that...
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Very Dental: An Evening with Dr. Lance Timmerman
The Very Dental Podcast Network
This episode features host Dr. Alan Mead sitting down with his friend, Dr. Lance Timmerman, in the artsy Hotel Murano lobby in Tacoma, Washington, while Dr. Mead is attending a four-day Bioclear core certification course. The conversation flows between the excellence of the Bioclear hands-on CE curriculum and the company's continuous innovation in dental matrices (like the redesigned twin ring). Dr. Mead and Dr. Timmerman also share humorous and insightful anecdotes from their dental school days, discussing the crushing weight of modern student debt, the challenges of implementing new CE...
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Very Clinical: Tissue Issues: Grafting and Recession
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Hosts Zach and Kevin put the sports talk (mostly) aside to dive deep into a critical area of everyday dentistry: various scenarios involving soft and hard tissue grafting and the management of periodontal recession. They discuss how to handle common cases like recession in post-ortho teens (especially on the lower anterior teeth) and the different approaches for the challenging chewing tobacco patient. Zach and Kevin share their experience with generalized recession, debating when to refer for a graft—often noting that patient concern over esthetics or sensitivity drives the decision more...
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AME: Recommendation Engine--Tacoma Edition
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan records from his hotel in Tacoma, Washington, after finishing day three of a four-day Bioclear anterior and posterior certification course. Despite the dark and rainy November weather in Tacoma, Alan shares his enthusiastically positive experience at the Bioclear Learning Center, highlighting the high quality of the instruction and hands-on training. He then offers a "recommendation engine" based on his trip, covering a specific Bioclear product, a movie he watched on the flight, an airport security service, a local restaurant, and a final endorsement of the learning center itself....
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Very Dental: Dr. Tim Anderson has the Midas Touch
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan sits down once more with Dr. Tim Anderson to dive deep into the rapidly evolving landscape of digital dentistry. The episode begins with a hilarious, relatable discussion about the terrors of crashing recording software and the potential (and pitfalls) of AI, touching on everything from homework help to its role in revolutionizing clinical notes and reading X-rays. The conversation quickly pivots to Dr. Anderson's journey from engineering and architecture interests to his passion for the dental lab and in-house manufacturing, fueled by his residency and the purchase of a CEREC system. He...
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Very Clinical: Pickleball and Perio
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Zach and Kevin kick off this episode by catching up and discussing a shared, recent hobby: pickleball. They share their experiences, the learning curve, and their thoughts on why the sport has become so popular, acknowledging its accessibility compared to tennis. The conversation then shifts to a dental topic: periodontal disease. They reflect on the emphasis of perio in dental school and discuss their personal criteria for treating scaling and root planning cases in-office versus when to refer to a periodontist. Key referral points include cases with sudden, isolated deep pockets,...
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AME: Intentional Culture
The Very Dental Podcast Network
Alan gets candid about the concept of intentional culture, reflecting on his own experience taking over a dental practice where the culture was largely unintentional. He explains how he inherited a laid-back, reparative-dentistry-focused office, a product of the previous owner's lax style and the robust GM insurance benefits of the time. Alan admits that while his practice's culture has been adequate, making changes now is incredibly difficult because the unintentional status quo is deeply ingrained. He argues that new owners or startups have a massive advantage in establishing an intentional...
info_outlineAlan reflects on his self-described "average" skill level as a dentist and explores how adopting prescriptive, systematic approaches can help practitioners in the middle of the bell curve achieve consistently excellent patient outcomes. Inspired by his recent experience at a Bioclear course, he argues that a systemized methodology, like the one taught by Bioclear, is often more reliable than relying on individual "superhero" hand skills or talents. Dr. Mead shares how the course's emphasis on a specific, step-by-step process—from using warmed composite and specific matrices to post-operative polishing—resulted in universally great outcomes for all attendees, regardless of baseline skill. He strongly recommends that fellow dentists, particularly those who struggle with consistency or implementation after CE, consider adopting systems and maximizing magnification (like using a microscope or high-power loops) to elevate their practice. Finally, he encourages listeners to try a piece of the system, specifically the Twin Ring Universal for posterior composites, and offers a 15% off code (VERYDENTAL8TON) for Bioclear products.
Some links from the show:
- Bioclear Learning Center (use code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% off!)
- Bioclear Twin Ring Universal (use code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% off!)
- Enova Illumination (for lights, loupes and microscopes)
- Al's new wireless HDMI solution
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Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes. They also distribute loupe-mounted cameras and Zumax microscopes! Boost your magnification/headlight game and support the podcast at verydentalpodcast.com/enova.
CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills, and their own browser-based design software, Clinux. See the brand new scanner from Shining 3D, the Elf! Get the best service on all things digital dentistry at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!